After action report - 4th session of 7k.
Players: Alaric (Iago), Bill (Kiri), Dave (Perceval).
Prequel (Perceval)
Perceval has been tied up working for Valerian, his master, both on his studies and on tasks assigned him as apprentice. In spite of the fact that the past couple of days have been very eventful for his friends, Perceval hasn’t been permitted to participate....
May 26 cont’d
Iago has changed his position on the book(s). He’s keen to find out what’s in them that might be of help in dealing with the situation they are in, given the infernal nature of the aura he detected earlier. He argues with Kiri that he can construct a spell to warn him of influence. He says he’ll stay behind to read the books while Kiri and the others go back to town to enlist aid.
Iago puts up a ward of protection on the door (specifically against undead). He then creates his warning circle and goes to work reading the book. Almost immediately he’s warned of magical influence -- some sort of spell woven into the written word. Iago sets that page aside for future study and reads on, confident that he has resisted the magical influence.
Around the time he thinks that the others might be heading his way, he gathers up some leather scraps and hides the pages of the books. He takes the bindings together with the leather and burns it, keeping the page he wished to study.
In the meantime, Kiri, Sokar, and the two fencing students make their way back to town. The fencing students stop at the first grog shack in the caravansary to boast of their “great battle” and congratulate themselves for their skill and bravery. Sokar and Kiri go to see Valerian.
Valerian is most disturbed by what they tell him. He dispatches Perceval to retrieve Madge -- gently if possible -- and sends Sokar with him. Valerian regrets that he cannot accompany them to the hamlet, but he is in the midst of a project that he cannot interrupt further.
Kiri
goes to the temple to enlist the aid of other clerics to desecrate
(i.e., deconsecrate) the demonic altar. The temple sends two priests
who will hire guards to accompany them. hey, too, are much disturbed.
GM Note:
The temple guards aren’t “paladins” and their mission is really to
protect the temple, not fight zombie hordes. As a bonus, hired guards
are “throw away” people whose lives can be used to cover an escape.
They will be prayed for if they give their lives for the temple.
Perceval heads out to see Madge. He wants to approach her “honorably”
and give her a chance to come peaceably, so he leaves the brutish Sokar
to his own devices. Madge greets him and he tells her that Valerian
wants to see her. She asks why and he tips some of his hand. She
offers him a drink; they share a draught from the same pitcher.
Suddenly he feels good. She proposes that before they go, she show him an “invocation” -- part of the magic that the Grey Circle is “disdainful” of. He elicits a promise from her that she’ll come without resistance if he tries it. So she shows him how to do it. He follows her instructions and reads the words she scribbles down for him on a wax tablet. And... Something comes forth. She tells him to cast a spell. He does, and it’s easy, free of effort.
He thanks her. Then decides that they should discuss this with Valerian. She tells him “after you.” He heads for the door. She touches him. And he awakens in a dive of a brothel next to Sokar, who has just finished. Sokar says he went looking for him and found him there, unconscious. As long as he was in the room, Sokar decided to make use of the services provided. Perceval and Sokar leave together. Perceval still feels good.
Perceval and Sokar inform Valerian what has happened. All of it. Valerian warns Perceval not to use the power granted by the invocation, tells him not to cast more than he has to. After that, they manage to catch up with the clerics and together they head for the hamlet to desecrate the demonic altar.
In the meantime, Madge arrives in the Hamlet. There is a brief confrontation with Iago, who decides to whack her with his staff not once but twice, knocking her unconscious. He ties her up and waits for the others.
When they arrive, Perceval and Sokar take custody of Madge. The clerics remove the evil consecration. There is a very brief and almost incidental zombie attack -- inconsequential save for the fact that Perceval is involved and uses the magic provided him to power a flame jet. He finds that the magic is enticing. They’re concerned, but that doesn’t spoil the fun -- they burn the hamlet and make their way back to the town, Madge in tow.
Valerian is pleased to get his hands on Madge. He uses magic to interrogate her. They discover that she’s a member of a 3-mage cell, the 3d member being in the hamlet where patient zero lived. They also discover that the main idol is located somewhere in the caravansary. Unfortunately, that’s not a big help, as the caravansary is a confused warren of shops, stalls, rooms, stables, etc., so finding it could prove difficult at best.
After the interrogation, Sokar tries on his ring in the presence of Iago and Perceval. His eyes become a solid gray, and he has a distinct demonic aura. Iago is very concerned, but Sokar says it’s okay, he feels fine. Powerful even. Iago asks him to take it off. Sokar shrugs and removes it, but refuses to give it up for study -- it’s his ring after all.
Iago decides to tell Valerian about the book. He mentions that such a book might be worth as much as 2000 silver to himself and other members of the Grey Circle who have a scholarly interest in demonology. Valerian accompanies Iago, Sokar, and Perceval as they head out in the dark to retrieve it. (Kiri, who would object, isn’t a party to any of this.)
En route, they encounter a stranger in the dark. Iago tells Sokar to “get” him. Sokar charges him and kills him swiftly. They’re all a bit shocked, and tell Sokar he can’t simply go around killing people. They make him dig a grave and bury the man. Meanwhile, they gather the pages of the book. They return to Darkwood Towne late, exhausted, and go to sleep.
May 27
In the morning, Iago examines the runestones. Finding them to be of no use to himself, he sends for a nice wooden box, places them in it, and goes to see Valerian. At Valerian’s, he presents the runestones as a gift. It is well received.
Valerian and two of his colleagues are poring over the book pages to determine their worth. Valerian is very interested in solving the problem, but is more interested in examining the book, especially since it might hold the key to that solution. He sends Perceval to the temple to be cleansed of the spiritual dissonance he has been acquiring from casting using the power provided him by the spirit he contacted.
At the temple, he is cleansed. He’s also told he shouldn’t cast for a week. Further casting would require a new cleansing and put him more in danger. At the temple, they get Kiri and prepare to head for the other hamlet.
In the hamlet, they find one very nice house. Iago, who has been here several times, finds it odd that the villagers now claim that a hedge-wizard lives there. They formulate a plan: Kiri will go alone and talk to Fredigar, the hedge-wizard, and try to draw him out. Sokar, Iago, and Perceval will hide in a nearby stand of trees lying in ambush.
Kiri goes back into the hamlet and knocks on Fredigar’s door. She’s let in. She claims to have a donkey that has gone lame just down the road. Fredigar agrees to come and have a look -- after he finishes a project. In the meantime, while she waits and watches, he offers her some refreshment. She has tea. He finishes some incantations, then a straw man -- a magical construct made of straw and clothing, rises from his bed to do his bidding.
That being finished, the three head out of the hamlet. Once he’s in position, the others jump out to confront him. There’s a brief fight, which includes setting the straw man on fire, they subdue him. They find that there is a heart in the midst of the straw. Iago and Perceval are somewhat intrigued.
The villagers, attracted by the fire and commotion, gather. At that point, they as much as admit that they are cultists and prepare to attack. The party tries unsuccessfully to intimidate them, and a brief fight breaks out. A flame jet, courtesy of Perceval, a vial of acid bursting above them, courtesy of Iago, and a couple of villagers severely wounded by hatchets, courtesy of Sokar, cause the villagers/cultists to scatter. Sokar kills the two villagers he wounded in the process of retrieving his hatchets.
Sokar wants to loot. They go into the Fredigar’s house carefully, search it, and find another altar. In the process of looting, Sokar, outside, is confronted by another villager/cultist. He kills him. Iago admonishes him not to do simply kill them. Sokar protests that it’s a battle, and on a battlefield, dead enemies are better than live ones. He’s clearly not getting it, but he’s equally clearly trying to.
After thorough looting of the village, the party prepares to head back to town to retrieve a squad of clerics for the purpose of desecrating the altar....
**End of Session**
