Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Menexenus" data-source="post: 3319953" data-attributes="member: 8951">Session 5: Filge and the Observatory17th of Planting.  The session began immediately after the inconclusive fight with Kullen's gang.  Father Jierian expressed his disappointment/frustration with the party for putting him in a position that compromised his church's neutrality in town politics.  He proclaimed that he cannot be put in a position of showing favoritism toward the party now that their public actions have proclaimed them to be Smenk's enemies.  He reluctantly asked his young protege Killian to remove his belongings from the church grounds, and he told the party to find someplace else to sleep that night.  Father Jierian instructed his acolytes to cast one more Cure Light Wounds spell on each party member to ensure that they have a fighting chance if Kullen's gang is waiting for them outside, and then the party was shown the door.  The party got the unmistakeable impression that it should expect no further assistance from the church of St. Cuthbert.    The party decided to spend the night at the Whispering Cairn.  As they passed by the abandoned mine office, they discovered lots of heavy bootprints.  Killick went up to the building to investigate more closely.  He found a note nailed to the door (signed by the Greyhawk Militia) stating that whoever is squatting in this building must report to the Governor-Mayor's office immediately to either rent the building (5gp/month) or purchase the deed to the property (150 gp).  Failing that, anyone staying in the building must vacate the premises immediately or be arrested for trespassing.  Inside the dilapidated building, Killick found clear evidence that about a dozen soldiers entered the building and rifled through the few belongings left inside.  The party continues to the cairn and sleeps in the entrance hallway.     18th of Planting.  Killian and Killick both spent the day using their healing proficiencies to give long term care to their party-mates.  Killian stayed up until dawn to pray for spells.  He cast some healing spells and then went to sleep.  Later in the day (after Killian woke up again), Killick walked back to the abandoned mine office and found a new note posted to the door.  It read, "Dear Killian and company.  A potential benefactor has paid the rent on this building for you and wishes to make your acquaintance.  Please present yourselves at the Rusty Bucket at dusk on Earthday (19th of Planting) to hear a proposition."     19th of Planting.  The party headed into town later in the day (after another round of Killian's healing).  They chose to stop at Killian's father's house to drop off Killick's pony, but they found to their consternation that Killian's father's house has been burned down.  A little wooden sign with hastily painted letters near the burned out building read, "Too bad your dad wasn't here."  Killick decided to board his pony at the Lakeside Stable instead. The party arrived slightly late at the Rusty Bucket and were immediately ushered to a private meeting room.  Chaum Gansworth introduced himself and informed them that his lover, Luzane Parrin, has asked to meet with them privately.  He left and Parrin entered soon after.  Over a fine dinner, she applauded the party's bravery in standing up to Kullen's gang.  She expressed her wish that she and the party might find ways to cooperate in helping to rid the town of Smenk's influence.  She offered the party protection in the form of guards and minor influence with local law enforcement if the party would agree to undertake missions to investigate Smenk's dealings and undermine his operations.  When the party seemed amenable to such a deal, Parrin suggested that the party's first mission be to find out who Smenk is sheltering at the Old Observatory and for what purpose.  (Killian and Killick secured side agreements to house Killian's father until he finds new accommodations and to board Killick's pony indefinitely.)    After dinner, the party walked to Parrin's manor in order to move into their new rooms.  The guest rooms were very comfortable, but the furniture and linens are noticeably worn and dusty.  At the party's request, hot baths were drawn up.  Before midnight, the party decided to scout the Old Observatory.  In case anyone was watching, they left town using the Elmshire Road (that leads to the Whispering Cairn).  However, after a couple miles, they doubled back traveling across country to scout the Observatory from the opposite direction (i.e. from the north).  Alees and Katawan spent some time investigating the circumference of the grounds of the Observatory.  When the lights visible through the Observatory's second floor window were extinguished, Alees and Katawan quietly approached the building.  Alees tried to open a tool shed and a tiny undead creature called a TOMB MOTE attacked.  In order to see their attacker more clearly, Katawan uncovered the continual light torch which he had been carrying in a closed backpack.  Upon hearing the fight and seeing the torchlight, the other party members came running to assist Alees and Katawan, but by the time they arrive, the undead creature has been dealt with.      After the fight, the party noticed that lights are on again in the top 2 levels of the Observatory.  Katawan climbed up onto the roof of the outer building and looked through the 2nd floor window of the Observatory.  Meanwhile, Alees used her rogue skills to unlock the building's only exterior door.  As soon as Alees opened the door, 3 skeletons at the far side of the room shoot arrows at the party.  Killian walked in and turned them all.  Killick used his quarterstaff to destroy them as they cowered in fear.  At this time, Katawan met up with his party-mates, having entered the building through the 2nd floor window and walked downstairs.  The party explored the remainder of the first floor and found an odd dining room full of zombies sitting around a table.  Strangely, the zombies did not seem interested in the party.  Instead, they act out a bizarre and somewhat gruesome scene that seems orchestrated for the sole purpose of stroking the ego of someone named Filge.    The party ascended to the 2nd floor of the Observatory and discovered a bedroom, containing a strange funereal statue, a desk with lots of papers and some odd test tubes, a night stand with a book, and a halfling-sized figure wrapped in bandages wearing a top hat and holding out a silver platter with a preserved head on it.    The party ascended to the 3rd floor which seemed to function primarily as an operating/dissection room.  Upon seeing the party members, a thin begoggled man with a raspy voice gave commands releasing 4 zombies that had been floating inside glass tanks (3 TROGLODYTE ZOMBIES and 1 BUGBEAR ZOMBIE).  Following the commander of the zombies was a small skeletal servant holding a book open.  Upon entering the room, Killian turned the small skeleton and 2 of the troglodyte zombies.  But immediately thereafter he suffered the paralyzing effects of a Ghoul Touch spell cast via Spectral Hand.  However, even without Killian's help, the party made quick work of the 2 remaining zombies and then destroyed the cowering ones as well.  With his zombies gone, the man dropped the syringe that he had been using as a weapon and surrendered.  The party began questioning him.  The man introduced himself as Filge.  Now that he was beaten, he seemed quite cowardly and willing to tell them anything they wanted to know.   He confessed that the skeletons they fought downstairs (as well as his skeletal helper) are the bones of Alastor Land's family brought to the Observatory a few days ago by Kullen's gang.  In a fit of disgust at Filge's manner and careless disregard for others, Killick struck Filge and knocked him unconscious.    Even though it was already very late, the party spent 2 more hours searching the Observatory for valuables.  They took 4 sets of skeleton bones, Filge's spellbook, 3 heavy crossbows, 3 rusted scimitars, a silver platter, a set of silverware, a lammasu-skin rug, a masterwork tophat, 7pp, 18gp.  An hour or two before daybreak, the party grabbed a wheelbarrow from the toolshed to cart their loot (plus Filge's unconscious form) back to Parrin's residence.  They couldn't be sure whether anyone witnessed them making this pre-dawn trip through town.      The party revived Filge with healing magic in Parrin's presence for more interrogation.  Again, he seemed more than happy to tell them everything he knew if it would save his own skin.  He told them that he was hired by Smenk to investigate a green worm that Smenk had stolen from a cult called the Ebon Triad living beneath Ragnolin Dourstone's mine.  Apparently these green worms have the ability to create powerful, infectious zombie creatures called Spawn of Kyuss.  Kyuss was apparently an ancient lord of undead whose return is supposed to herald the advent of the Age of Worms.  Apparently, the Ebon Triad has been working to hasten Kyuss's return.  In exchange for not telling the authorities about him, Filge offered to use his knowledge of the green worms to help the party if they should decide to root out the cult.  However, the party wants nothing to do with him and makes no deals.  (Since these events occurred around dawn, Killian withdrew to pray for spells while the others interrogated Filge.)     20th of Planting.  After Killian casts his healing spells, the party decides to bury the Land family's bones.  On the way to the Land farmstead, the party informs Amariss, the priestess of Wee Jas, about Filge's necromancy.  The priestess appeared to be outraged by this news and pledged to inform the authorities and accompany them to the Observatory to investigate the extent of Filge's misdeeds.  After re-interring the Land family's remains, the party decided to remain at the Land farmstead for 24 hours in order to take advantage of the long-term care rules.</blockquote>

Verification