Earth Season 1615
Grant, Cleombrotus and Darkos made their way to Greydog village, faraway in Lismelder lands, to spend the summer with their old friends and to catch up on times with Kirwin, who had been living among the Greydog with his young bride, Lucia. In the meantime plans were made for their journey to Dorastor, so it was a good opportunity to relax and forget about things and the dangers ahead of them.
Kirwin was pleased to see his old friends again and told with pride how Lucia was now expecting their first child. Kornos Longbrewer, chief of the Greydog, was also pleased to see them again and many tankards of Kings Ale were quaffed and tales told and jokes swapped.
Kirwin, whose adventuring instincts had been quelled by domestic life, had come into possession of an ancient document that told of an ancient tomb and treasure. The only drawback to this was its location: within the Upland Marsh!
This would not be the first time they had been in the marsh. Once before they had tried to cross the domain of Delecti the Necromancer, but had fled the marsh when attacked by hordes of skeletons and zombies.
Another foray into the marsh would be a true adventure!
Cleombrotus took time to speak to the Greydog Wind Priest, Langrok Stormcaller, who told Cleombrotus that if he came back from the marsh then he would see this as a sign that Cleombrotus would be a true asset to the storms and initiate him into the inner secrets of Orlanth.
So, once more as an adventuring party, the four of them – Grant Mckielson, Kirwin Drae, Darkos Warkannon and Cleombrotus – strapped on their armour, took up their weapons and, with a glint in the eye and a wink, they proudly set off for the Upland Marsh!
They paid a young Poss tribesman to lead the way and they all tried to copy his bog-trotting skills for crossing the marsh – hopping from one lump of dry ground to another. None really mastered it, although Grant showed most promise.
The sights and sounds of the dreadful marshes soon left them disoriented and fearful of the many strange calls, murky mists and twisted plants that lived within its limits.
Then, from out the gloom, they could hear agonised screams. The scout told them to forget it, that the Upland Marsh was a dangerous place and a tomb for the inquisitive. But curiosity got the better of them and they decided to investigate. They came upon the awful sight of a man who had been impaled on a spike. Cleombrotus and Grant kept their distance with the scout, and Darkos searched the area to make sure there were no hidden surprises. The scout told them to leave the man be – that he was already as good as dead. Recklessly, Kirwin approached the man, took his sword out and decided to put him out of his misery by taking his head off.
With a single swipe the man’s head came free. Alas, though, the screaming did not stop and they realised too late that they had been tricked by a ghost who attacked Kirwin. Darkos and Cleombrotus took hold of Kirwin and dragged him away, guessing the ghost was tied to the spike.
They had been right.
The scout berated them for their foolishness. Grant argued back, his pride being insulted at the man’s harsh words, though he must have known he had spoken correctly. The realisation of how dangerous the marsh could be dawned on them and so they continued, although more mindful of where they were.
The tomb they sought could be found on Cremation Isle, a place sacred to Humakt and often used as a rite of initiation for particularly proud and daring worshippers of the Death god. They found the isle and the place they thought to be the tomb and tried to get some rest, but none of them could truly relax whilst in the swamp – the fear of what lurked in the mist and the constant wet and stagnant pools of water made rest difficult. So, deciding there was no time like the present, they ventured within the ancient tomb.
Behind the empty sarcophagus they found a secret passage that led into a large antechamber. Off that led another doorway, but they discovered it was protected by a warding spell. Grant cast a spell to counter the warding, but they had no way of knowing whether this would protect them or not. They knocked down the door, and it was left to the brave Kirwin to cross the threshold and see what would happen. He passed through the doorway without ill effect but found the room he moved into was protected by a huge shade – an elemental piece of darkness – that was armoured in an iron breastplate. The shade attacked Kirwin and the others soon joined the action. Both Kirwin and Cleombrotus, who had both shown considerable bravery for attacking the shade, succumbed to the horror’s fearful presence and their nerves were shredded by what they had faced. Though victory was theirs and the shade had been banished, leaving behind the stout breastplate. Wary of the effects the iron would have on their magic they chose to leave it behind for the time being and take it with them on the way back.
They descended a set of stairs that took them further into the catacombs. In a moment of petty thievery Cleombrotus pulled a ring from the withered remains of a skeleton, but when he did the lich rose and attacked him and a desperate battle was fought with the undead. Darkos then gave them all a good talking to. He pointed out that they were all experienced warriors and tomb plunderers and that they should think a bit more about what they did and not act like a bunch of impetuous children. More professionalism is what he called for.
So, emboldened by Darkos’ rallying talk, they filed down a dark passageway, with Kirwin at the head, and straight into a pit trap. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt.
Within the main tomb itself they found two large sarcophagi and within each was an aged and antique mummy. Though after this struggle they were rewarded with the plunder of the tomb: an enchanted shortsword, a phial with an unknown potion inside and a bag of gemstones!
Back in Greydog they decided to enjoy the rest of Earth Season. Cleombrotus was initiated into Orlanth and Kirwin got to keep the iron breastplate, which he had enchanted so it could be tempered into steel and not affect his magics. They spent their time training and joining in with the week-long celebrations to Ernalda, which brought in travellers from across the land, and drinking Kings Ale!
But the Kings Ale would prove to be the overture to their next problem.
As part of their tithes to King Thanos in Swordvale, the Greydog were obliged to send several casks of ale to the king. The King’s Road went north, from Greydog to Swordvale via Two-Stone Bridge. But along this route several travellers and carts had gone missing over the previous season. Including the King’s Ale!
Kornos Longbrewer was worried. The recent festival as well as the consignment heading for Swordvale, meant that stocks of Kings Ale were low. And Lunar gin-sellers had been in the area trying to sell cheap Lunar gin. Kornos did not want clansmen going over to that foreign drink. So he asked the adventurers, as well as an elf who had been in town since the Ernalda festival, if they wouldn’t mind travelling to Two-Stone Bridge to see if bandits were in the area.
At Two-Stone they made a camp, and chose a site where it would be easily spotted by anyone in the area so that it may attract bandits and brigands.
In the middle of the night a voice was heard calling, ‘bandits!’ and ‘trolls!’ Into the firelight came an old man, whose clothes were tattered, and who spoke of being attacked by trolls down by the bridge. The man was given food and drink by the party, and then he turned on them and attacked Kirwin, throwing a garrotte around his neck and trying to throttle him. The rest quickly sprung into action and slew the man, but not before he cursed them all with destroying his brother, Cael and his ‘traitorous slut!’ Then he died and in just a matter of moments his remains crumbled to dust, just a few trinkets made out of a tough wood remained.
Kirwin told the group how, as the man had attacked him, he managed to get his shield between them, but how the man’s hand had passed through the shield and went on strike at Kirwin’s soul. Worried at this news they decided to travel on to Swordvale to ask the Humakti priests there what this could mean.
In Swordvale they were told how this sounded like a vampire, but such creatures had not been seen in the area for some time. The name ‘Cael’ meant nothing to the priests, but said it sounded like a Lonendi name (another tribe of the Lismelder whose lands bordered the Upland Marsh). The wooden trinkets were also of Lonendi manufacture, being made of Ironwood, a special tree found only in Lonendi lands.
That night, Cleombrotus, Darkos, Kirwin and the elf (called Beechbark Autumn) were plagued by horrific nightmares of zombies and ghasts. Such was the horror of these dreams that each got very little sleep and felt so tired the next day it affected their ability to do things. Such was the form of the vampire’s curse, and each night they were devilled with these dreams. The need to resolve this matter fast soon dawned on them. Grant, it should be noted, had managed to resist the demon’s curse.
At the village of Tenspear they met chief Tarkeril Tenspear of the Lonendi. He laughed at suggestion of vampires and the party were scolded by the chief’s son as Greydog troublemakers and cattle rustlers. Chief Tarkeril offered them hospitality – food and shelter in his halls – and no more was said of the matter. The hall was joined by the clan Champion, Olyane Thunderbrow – a Vingan warrior, who challenged all to a boasting competition. Cleombrotus rose to the challenge but lost out to the Vingan who was given the champion’s portion of the roasted ox that had been set before them: the heart and liver!
That night Beechbark was visited by a spirit. He was woken by the smell of incense and saw, seeping through the floorboards, a mist that took the form of a beautiful woman who seduced the elf. Come dawn he told his companions what had happened, and they said how he looked somewhat older in appearance, and Cleombrotus warned how this could have been a passion demon.
There was clearly something not right. They were all rightly suspicious and left Tenspear. They made for an outlying farmstead, Woodwise, who they had been told specialised in the manufacture of Ironwood artefacts. The head of the stead was an old wind shaman, Aldred the Windy by name, and he recognised the trinkets as the work of Caralana Finecut.
Aldred took them to Caralana, who wore Orlanthi mourning robes. Aldred told how Caralana’s baby daughter had recently died and left them to talk to her in private. Caralana said she recognised the Ironwood trinkets as those made by herself, but did not know who may have bought them since they were little more than baubles of the kind sold in markets across the valley.
They left Caralana, but Kirwin had noticed something about her body language that left him suspicious. He returned to the woman alone and asked her more questions. Then she broke down in tears and fled indoors. Kirwin followed her. Between sobs she told Kirwin how her daughter had not died, that she had been given to vampires! She told him that a group of vampires were living in a ruined stead just inside Upland Marsh and that they had been using the villagers to worship at their temple. Many, she said, had been lured by the promise of power the vampires made. Among these were her eldest son, Caradan, as well as chief Tarkeril’s son, Eltan. However, there were also many who were afraid of the vampires but unable to do anything about it. They made arrangements that Kirwin and the others should return later that night and talk to others who were unhappy.
So that is what they did. Later that night they all returned and were told that in three days time, on freezeday, the vampires would call the villagers to their temple in the marsh, as they did every week. The adventurers could join them, but they would have to disguise their arms and armour.
There followed a lengthy discussion: whether to join the villagers or make their own way to the ruined stead. One or two were suspicious of what would happen if they were at the vampire’s temple when all their worshippers were there. But they were also aware that they did not know the exact location of the stead – and recent escapades earlier in the season had shown that the Upland Marsh was not a place to go rambling around in. Then Beechbark told them he knew a spell that would allow him to project his vision, and that he could prepare to cast his spell to follow the worshippers through the marsh and see where they travelled from the safety of the hills.
So on freezeday night Beechbark cast his scrying spell and watched where the villagers went. He saw them trudge through the marsh and saw how they were joined by the ghosts of dead ancestors and how the stead was protected by ghouls and the blood-drinking ceremony that was conducted by the vampires. And he saw how the vampires were led by a vampire warrior who wore enchanted bone armour and carried a mighty spear, and he also saw the demon who had visited him at Tenspear and now knew to be a vampire also, and he also saw a vampire durulz who waited on the other two.
All these things he told his companions and so armed with this knowledge they made for the ancient stead and made an assault upon the vampires therein.
They first attacked the ghouls and soon despatched them. Then they broke into the villa itself and saw how blackened human skin had been used as draperies on the walls. They stole through the stead, finding empty coffins lined with burial earth. In the kitchen area they found bodies that had been hung up with meat-hooks.
Then in one of the rooms they found the female vampire who had preyed upon Beechbark, but before they could attack her she fled. They threw open another door and standing there was the vampire hero, dressed in his bone armour and spear! From out of the vampire’s fangs disgorged two shades who engaged Cleombrotus and Grant. Kirwin led the charge on the vampire, and Darkos drew his bow and fired his arrows, but they could not penetrate the magically strengthened bone armour. Kirwin started to buckle under the ferocious onslaught of the vampire, but like a true Humakti he stood defiant against the undead horror. It was Grant, who finally managed to break free of the shade, who took up his weapon and made a strike for the vampire’s head. The blow struck true and the vampire fell!
Cleombrotus was the first to pick up the vampire’s spear and he saw that it was made of Ironwood and had an exceptionally keen point. Kirwin was first to say how the spear was not Cleombrotus’, that by rights it should be either his or Grant’s – and that since his weapon of choice was a sword how he would forgo his right to the spear and let Grant have it, since Grant also fought with a spear.
Cleombrotus, no stranger to greed, did not want to give up the prize. In his heart he knew he had no right to it, though whether it was simple greed or a childhood of poverty and need on the streets of Raibanth that made him covet the weapon, is hard to say. In the end he agreed he would give the spear to Grant, if he would be allowed to wield it in one battle, so that he could feel the full power of the weapon. Grant agreed to this.
That battle was not long coming.
In another chamber they found a hideous creature that had been stitched together from many bodies – having eight arms and legs. Having killed the creatures with the spear, Cleombrotus handed the weapon to Grant, the true owner.
This just left the vampire’s final temple. Inside they found the female vampire, the duck and four other vampires! Both sides came to blows! One of the vampires was killed by having its head cut off, but the others were merely injured and transformed into mist and fled the attack. The female vampire went for Beechbark and entralled him with her beauty and he could do nothing but stand, enchanted as she drained his blood and took his life. Kirwin also fell, having been attacked by the duck, and Grant soon succumbed to the vampires after that. Darkos managed to finish off the duck but as he did so, Cleombrotus was also entralled by the female vampire. This left just Darkos and the female vampire left. Bravely and defiantly he stood before her, full aware of the powers she had, but also aware that he could not flee the scene and leave his friends to their doom. With the power of the Storm Bull in his veins, with strength of character and loyalty to his friends he decided to stand his ground and strike her down. Taking his spear he charged her and managed to strike her deep in the leg. Instantly she disappeared into mist. Darkos, though, knew where she would reform, and he made his way to the coffins. There he found her and he raised his sword and took off her head!
It had been a desperate struggle. Beechbark was dead and the others sorely weakened. As difficult as it had been, they had finally managed to destroy the temple and destroy the temple leaders, even if three of the other vampires had escaped. The temple to Vivamort had been closed down, Cael and his companion had been killed, and the curse was lifted. Oh, and the vampire menace to the good people of the Lismelder had been eliminated.
So that is how the adventurers spent Earth Season that year. What they hoped to have been a relaxing time with friends turned out to be a wet, rotten slog through the Upland Marsh.