Chapter 1: Sweep Around Your Own Front Door
Chapter One: Sweep Around Your Own Front Door
(or, All beginnings are endings, but some are the Beginning of the End.)
The PCs meet on the road to Hommlet, a sleepy little town in the middle of nowhere, most famous for being the kind of place where nothing Evil ever happens, the sort of town where all is as it seems and adventurers don't have to sleep with their weapons at hand.
Hommlet is also known, of course, for being the town closest to the Temple of Elemental Evil, a truly horrific multi-level temple/dungeon complex where the forces of Evil (Eeeeeviiil) forged an Unholy alliance between the followers of Iuz and Zuggtomoy, and priests worshipping the Evil aspects of the four Elemental Planes. Thankfully, all this cruelty and depravity was destroyed 20 years ago, and as everyone knows, will never come back.
Hommlet has fared well under the stern and strict leadership of the Canon Turgeon, a cleric of St. Cuthbert, and de-facto Uber-Boss for Hommlet. His strictly enforced rule that no traveler may stay in Hommlet beyond 3 days without a job ensures that the "refugee problem" (from the fallen Sheildlands) stays in dirty, disreputable Knulb where it belongs.
The party manages to hire on as 'scouts' and avoid the onerous 'indigent tax', with the exception of Heydricus, who thinks a silver piece a day is a small price to pay not to work. Aelniir quickly butts heads with the Canon over secular and religious issues, and Pippin becomes infamous for holding down not one, not two, but three jobs! Pippin whitewashes the Church of St. Cuthbert by day, helps out at The Sign of the Cudgel, Hommlet's Inn, by night, and puts any spare time to work rebuilding the PCs home in Hommlet, a dilapidated building shunned by the locals.
The party does some drinking with a wandering fighter by the name of Willam of Willip. Nice guy. Dresses really well.
The party hears the following from the rumor mill: The recent assassination of the Viscount of Verbobonc may have been sponsored by the Baron Butrain, a Noble of Southern Furyondy with a claim to Verbobonc. If Butrain succeeds to the Viscounty, it would be tantamount to a Furyondian annexation of Verbobonc, which would lead to the annexation of Dyvers, as well as the area around Hommlet and Knulb.
Reysnole develops a mentorship with Jeru Ashstaff, a druid who used to live in Hommlet but fled the Canon's iron handed rule for the peace of the forest. Despite the fact that Jeru is now a powerful enough druid to level Hommlet on the solo, he prefers not to be involved with the 'civilized folk' at all. Reysnole begins leading Nature Walks for the edification of Hommlet's spiritually hungry.
Aelniir advances Tritherion's Cause by looking for things to kill. He finds some, first in the persons of a small goblin tribe bent on murder and mayhem, then in the shape of rumors that something Wicked has taken up residence in a nearby abandoned moathouse. While not exactly the Temple, it'll do. The party travels to Knulb in preparation for their attack on the moathouse.
In Knulb, the PCs meet Gravy, proprietor of Gravy's Greasy Spoon, a hostelry (despite its name) famous for the quality of its food. Gravy, it seems, is the only local to have ventured into the dungeons beneath the Temple of Elemental Evil, made it out with his life, and stuck around Knulb. Gravy's advice? "Don't go in there. Don't ever, for any reason, go in there!" Thanks pal.
Gravy also admonishes the PCs: "
Do not take the back door into the temple". Whatever, little buddy. Hey, thanks for the biscuits and pork chops.
The PCs begin their exploration of a ruined moathouse near Hommlet. For backup, they take Daily and Dobble with them. The brothers have night and day personalities, Dobble with his wide-eyed enthusiasm, and Daily barely able to suppress his greedy suspicion. Esril dislikes Daily from the beginning, belittling his manhood at any opportunity. Daily seems scared of her. Aelniir strikes up a "hey-pal-guess-what-I've-got" relationship with the duo, trying (with moderate success) to convert them to the worship of Tritherion
After the foray into the moathouse, which results in several giant toads, carrion crawlers and giant ravens going to their Great Reward, the PCs hit upon a dungeon level guarded by undead. A secret door reveals a chamber housing enough weapons and armor to arm half the populace of Hommlet! Worse yet, Esril recognizes the Sigil of Prazrael, a Demon-Lord who has tormented her homeland of Almor. Knowing there are demons about, the PCs grow suddenly paranoid. Suspicion of Daily and Dobble soon follows.
Aelniir demands that the Canon establish a militia to defend Hommlet against the ravages of the Abyssal cultists. The Canon Turgeon's calm reply to Aelniir's frantic assertion that there is an evil army preparing to ravish the countryside: "That's what you're here for". Aelniir grits his teeth and stalks away, recognizing the ass-whipping he would take from this mid-level cleric should he indulge his impulsive side.
Desiring to know the truth about the brothers grim, the party approaches the Mage Andras in Hommlet. Andras agrees to do some divination on the duo in exchange for a suitable magic item from a later treasure find, and a first round pick in next year's draft. Andras casts his divination (an ESP) and reports that Daily is planning to kill Aelniir.
The party takes Daily and Dobble into the woods to kill them, but a doppelganger posing as the elder daughter of the innkeeper ruins the ambush. A wicked melee ensues, but our heroes emerge victorious (if half-alive).
Pippin & Gnomishic sneak back into Hommlet to investigate their fallen foes' rooms for clues before anyone catches wind of the fight in the woods. P & G discover a secret attic w/ spy holes over every room in the inn. Furthermore, our heroes discover that the owners of the inn are themselves doppelgangers, living off the labor of their human "child"! No wonder the youngest daughter Isuld does all the work around the inn! Her entire family has been replaced by shape-changing Eeeeeviiil.
Pippin sneaks into the doppelganger's room, and a battle ensues. Pippin is slain, but not before he heroically dispatches one of the foul beasts, thereby inducting himself into the Hall of Halfling Heroes.
The remaining doppelganger flees, and their evil coven (with Daily and Dobble the Assassins) is broken. Pippin, however, has gone to the Great Halfling Burrow in the Sky. An excerpt from the speech of Canon Turgeon of St. Cuthbert, given during the funeral of Whistlin' Pippin Jumpscreek:
- "Whistlin' Pippin, a very Friendly Hobbit. Much loved and sorely missed. We will all remember fondly his days of hard work painting the Chapel, followed by his evenings of hard work helping out at the inn. In so many ways, Pippin worked to better our little community, exemplifying St. Cuthbert's doctrine of . . . (sermon edited for brevity) . . . and he never stole a thing in his life.
"He may not have been the cleverest of Hobbits, and certainly his decision to enter single combat with two Doppelgangers was less than prudent, but I believe that in his final act, he embodied all that is best about our Faith: A Relentless and Holy Zest to Smite Evil.
"Dear Pippin, we commend your soul to St. Cuthbert (if in fact He takes Hobbits), and swear that your death shall not be in vain!"
Illustration: ". . .
his decision to enter single combat with two Doppelgangers was less than prudent,"
Isuld is inconsolable. She has lost her family, and now she has lost the halfling she was secretly in love with. She vows vengeance and agrees to train with Esril. Isuld converts to the worship of Kelanen the Sword Saint, and renames 'The Inn of the Cudgel', 'Kelanen's Rest'. She begins to train as a Fighter under Esril, and takes a powerful vow of revenge: a blood oath to oppose the Evil that killed all of her loved ones.
