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Campaign Excerpt: Twin Shores
Sasha determined that the effect over the ship captain wasn't
spell-like. Al-Rathis suggested that perhaps it was an
aboleth which had attacked the ship, pointing to signs of
high intelligence, spell-using, marks on the arm of the deceased, and the murkiness of the water in the flooded area. However, the
party could find no perpetrator.
However, they did find that one of the crates aboard the ship, shown on the manifest as containing horse
equipment and supplies, actually contained about 30 dead bodies. The bodies were preserved with magic and showed no sign as to their
cause of death. The variety in their selection, gender, and race was very broad. The captain knew nothing about it and the party assessed
him to be truthful.
The two boats limped to port where the port authority searched both vessels but gave the party no trouble
after a word from the captains of both ships. They disembarked and headed to the Lady's Kirtle where they talked to the proprietor,
Carl. The Red Gull is five stories tall and is the largest inn in town. The second and third floors contain a brothel and the top
two hold the guest rooms. There is a pub on the main floor. This is where we stayed the night.
Twin Shores has a population of fewer than 1500. Lake Kouchet is about a days hard
ride to the southeast.
Carl told them of how people began disappearing a couple months back, but that it was just people who wouldn't
be missed or suspected (roadside bums, children who went out in the woods alone). Then, about a month and a half ago people started
disappearing more frequently from homesteads and farms to the south of town. During this time strange magical fires were seen burning
on Bone Hill (the "Hill of Bones", or as we know it to be: "the Temple of Bone).
The ruin site was about half a days travel from Twin Shores, on the road between there and the sister town of North Shore at Lake Kouchet.
The locals know of no temple there, just ruins. He also mentioned that some travelers had reported nightly screams and strange sounds
heard coming from the ruins. The party also learned that a group of adventurers had gone up to the ruins to investigate the
disappearances, but they never came back. Carl told us of the priest Halin
and that he could say more about the creatures that have been seen roaming the night. It had gotten bad enough that all the land bound
gates are closed and locked at night. All the farms were left derelict once the harvest was finished with the help of Halin and guards
from the city.
While the adventurers relaxed at the bar they met the quartermaster for the wharves,
Baranthor, who had no explanation for the bodies aboard the ship.
According to him the crate arrived a caravan coming out of the northeast (towards the elven lands, shrine of passion, etc) by a
caravan leader whom he passingly recognized. That he inspected the crate and saw horse bridles, saddles, etc, within and not bodies.
Sasha asked him if he'd allow a priest could use magic to speak to the bodies and he said he'd want to check with Halen before allowing
magic to be used on anything, out of respect for the dead. He also spoke of how an entire farmstead had been slain by walking dead a few
weeks back and that the rest of the harvest had been gathered with guards, saying "Go talk to
Barney, the captain who watches over the land gates into town, he can tell
you more."
They also met Bill, a cottage sized keg of beer which one can drink their fill from for a whole night for a
flat fee. Al-Rathis got to know Bill very well.
Halin was found at the Temple of Idara.
Having never heard of this goddess, they asked and were told that she was once a paladin who worked in this area to secure farmers lands
and keep folk safe many centuries or more ago. Apparently this person made such a big impression on the folk that she is regarded with
mystical favor. She, apparently, walked into the lake once the land was secured and was never seen again. But folk swear that miracles
have been performed at the mention of her name and that she watches over the area and helps ensure the crops are favorable.
The Temple of Idara was a small building with many fruit and vegetable trees and gardens growing about it.
It had one room, the chapel, in which was an ancient statue of an armored woman in prayer with her eyes lifted to the sky. Before her
on the floor were ancient stone tablets containing a prayer which, according to Ayoi,
bore a striking resemblance to a prayer of Illustree, despite their obvious great age.
At the statues side was carved a helmet and clutched in her left hand was a trefoil, three straws of wheat.
Out back, they found Halin teaching mandolin to a young boy. Halin is a blond haired priest of gentle
demeanor, though he didn't hide his feelings for seeing a priest of Daer-Koch in town and openly wondered what it foretold. He
was civil though, even to Tellzan, and friendly to Ayoi.
Halin sent the boy away before beginning any talk on the troubles of the town. He spoke of how undead had been scouring the hills
at night, as though hunting something, eventually prowling the roads and making their way towards town and using cover and
concealment to hide their approach. None have made it into the town though. He went into detail how it was difficult to get them
to respect the holy might of Idara and turn them away from the town. He also mentioned that they possessed strange resistances to
both divine and arcane energies; how some of them took no harm at all from a fiery spell wielded by a local wizard
(Malik) against them.
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