With each new person who enters the room, Jocyn's anxiety eases somewhat. As the fourth comes in he breathes an audible sigh of relief.
"Welcome, welcome! Please sit down. I'm sorry I don't have refreshments to offer you . . . " He rises slowly and limps over to the door, and puts out (the LPF equivalent of) a 'Do Not Disturb' sign, then returns to his seat and looks to the latest arrival.
"May I have the honor of your name, sir? I am Jocyn Elmaran." Once introductions are complete, he continues.
"I'm from a small town called Haatse. It's a few days travel south of here, in the Landadel Baronies. We have a problem, and need some help. Mmmm, where to start? I suppose some history would be helpful. I'll be as brief as possible . . ." He looks around at each of you to judge your attentiveness before continuing.
"Ekat Haatse was a mercenary and fortune seeker who came to the Landadel Baronies some 170 years ago. His travels took him all over the region around Lake Grutwetter, and he decided to settle down after several years of very profitable adventure. Using a sizable portion of his fortune, he set out to tame a small area of the Spoekjebosk Forest on the banks of the Grutwetter River, making it a natural stopover for those traveling up and down the river to Venza. For the next 10 years, the town grew and prospered.
"All that changed when Asar Vergas came to Haatse with a host of mercenaries under his command. Asar was an old companion of Ekat, and the two had traveled together for some time before splitting up just after Ekat’s last adventure. Over the years, it seems that Asar decided that Ekat had cheated him after that last adventure. Promising great wealth to his mercenaries, Asar raided the town relentlessly for 2 months. Finally, the townsfolk managed to locate Asar’s camp in an ancient crypt deep in the forest, and Ekat himself went out to deal with his old companion. The battle was terribly bloody, with only a few townsfolk coming back to tell the tale. In the end, Asar was slain and his mercenaries scattered, but Ekat suffered a mortal wound. He died 2 days later.
"In honor of our beloved founder, the townsfolk buried Haatse in the ancient crypt, interring his bones in a place of honor, above the simple sarcophagi used to inter Asar, his mercenaries, and the townsfolk that lost their lives in the bitter struggle. They placed an eternal flame above Haatse’s final resting place, so that all who visited might find warmth in the wilderness.
"Over the years, the Crypt of the Everflame has become an important part of the history of Haatse. We view the crypt as a memorial to those difficult first years of the town’s history. Every autumn, a few of us make a pilgrimage to the crypt to light a lantern from the flame and bring it back to town, where it is preserved all winter, a symbol of our resilience. Most years, the town mayor and a group of dignitaries perform this quest. Every 10 years, however, four of our younger townsfolk are given the honor of lighting the lantern. Many see this as a passage into adulthood, a taste of adventure before settling down to work and marriage. The quest starts out as a solemn ceremony in town, where the townsfolk gather to wish the adventurers luck, just as it was when Haatse himself led to fight the mercenaries. When the younglings return a few days later, the town holds a great celebration in their honor. This also marks the final harvest celebration before the long winter.
"The quest itself is a relatively simple one. The 'adventurers' must travel to the tomb (about 2 days’ travel outside of town), venture inside, light the lantern, and return home. Over the years, this ritual has grown more elaborate - now, some of the townsfolk head there in advance to set up simple traps, puzzles, and illusionary monsters for the adventurers to overcome.
"This year, however, something has gone terribly wrong. The traditional group of pranksters left the town to prepare the crypt, only to be set upon by . . . well, by something. The thing is, only one of the townsfolk made it back to Haatse, and she was more than a little crazed from fever and exposure, so her rantings were all but indecipherable. She died of her wounds that night. We don't even know how much of the tomb was 'prepared' for our ritual before they were attacked.
"Our town elders - of which I am one - are desperate to find out what happened and to eliminate whatever it is that has invaded the area. However, it is also important to us that our yearly ritual be completed according to our time honored formula. Sadly, we have no young people in our town capable of dealing with the danger that is likely to be awaiting them. Hence, I have come to Venza, to the famed Dunn Wright Inn, to recruit a group of young adventurers eager to prove their mettle and start building their reputations."
He looks around to judge your reactions to his story, then continues. "We cannot offer much for your services, but what we can afford will be yours should you accept this job. You should also know that there is a curse laid on the Crypt - anything that actually belongs there must not be removed, or there will be dire consequences. However, anything that these invaders have brought in is yours to keep, should you be able to wrest it from them."
[sblock=OOC]There's actually more than the expected treasure/encounter already planted in the adventure, but this one will likely take long enough that your "Time GP" will put you back over what you'll earn for the encounters. My plan is for the townsfolk to pay you the difference so everything works out right. Of course, it's possible you'll wrap this up more quickly than I anticipate and I'll have to adjust the encounter treasure down somewhat.[/sblock]
