The Whispering Cairn (Team Diamond Lake) - IC

[HolyMan]

This is the first part of the Age of Worms adventure path for the following group:

Team Diamond Lake (TDL)

Axel - human Cleric of Pelor2
fireinthedust - elf Ranger1/Wizard1
Shayuri - human Sorcerer2 (undead bloodline)
ghostcat - half-elf Ranger(trapper)2

This post will be full of links to important things that happen in game and need to be refered to. Also and most important this post will have you adventure goals in it should you fall of the beaten path.

[sblock=Adventure Goals]

#1: Explore The Whispering Cairn - reward: Gain character lvl 2 - completed
#2: Discover the way into the true tomb of the Vaati (Wind Duke). - reward: Gain character lvl 3
[/sblock]
[sblock=Treasure Tracking]
workman's closet
- wand of shatter (7 charges) (value: 315gp)
- wand of unseen servant (16 charges) (value: 120gp)
- goggles of minute seeing (value: 1,250gp)
- chainmail +1 (value: 1,150gp)
- statuettes x3 (value: 600gp)
EDIT: divided treasure into 687gp per character (Galyne, Aria, and Eldariel)[/sblock]

LINKS:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/talking-talk/295899-age-worms-adventure-path-team-diamond-lake-ooc.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/rogues-gallery/295614-age-worms-character-spot.html

_

 

[HolyMan]

Path to adventure...

Life in and around the town of Diamond Lake can be one of two things. Rather dull or extremely dull, and today it is the latter. As you go about your daily routine you wish there was something more than the everyday grind that is your life. You wish that today of all days something might happen to bring a little excitement (and reward) into your life.

And then it happens a chance comes as if it had fallen out of the sky. Ezekiel has a vision that he believe's given to him by the mighty Pelor himself. A vision of a writhering darkness coming to stamp out all light in the world. Scoffed at by most of the priesthood, that such a young and untried cleric would be given such a blessing. The only one to believe Ezekiel is the headmaster but he can not change the minds of the others so telling Zeke to act on his dream, to follow it the best he can and find others to help him. When he has proof of this doom to come he is to return to the temple as quickly as he can.

Zeke not having many friends and still not knowing the meaning of certain parts of his dream seeks out a half-elf woodsman by the name of Galyne. The half-elf he believe's may be know of the strange cave that Zeke feels he must enter to find his first clues to the darkness coming. Galyne proves of great help as he thinks the "cave of voices" that is in the dream may be an old cairn about an hour or so outside of town actually near an old mine managers home that was abandoned after the mine dried up. Excited Zeke asks Galyne to meet him at this old house in two days so they can have time to prepare.

Galyne agrees and for reasons not even know to him he tells his sister about the encounter with the cleric. Upon hearing about strange dreams and evil darkness Galyne's sister Tabatha asks who all is going, and when she finds out it is just going to be the two of them she starts to worry. Why Galyne is out hunting she heads into town and enlists the aid of an old boyfriend, one Julian Drostra. Jules as he is known is still rather fond of the girl and having no other prospects he agrees to go to this meeting, knowing about the abandonded house from his early days working for Balabar Smenk. Smenk being the one who helped put the mine under in the first place.

The next morning while brooding over his last few coins, Jules listens to three adventures out of the Free City boast about their upcoming expedition into the Stirgenest Cairn across the lake. He almost laughs into his ale as he finishes it off, "Everyone knows that place is empty, but I think the one I'm going to will not be." he says to himself... or so he thought.

Vixtrin sat by herself wondering what it was about her time in prison that made her feel more at peace. When she heard the comments made by a man as he walked by. He wasn't talking to her... what oh those three braggarts he was refering to them. Vixtrin wondered what he was saying about not being empty even as she rose to follow. If he did know a place that was worth expolring maybe she could worm her way in to get a little of the reward herself. The gods know she was far from well off.

Meanwhile that same night Eldariel sat before the fire in the home of the great elven wizard Allustan the Old. He watched the flames dance and his mind was far off to a night long ago...

They were screaming. Screaming because they were dying, screaming because they were being eaten alive, screaming and Eldariel could do nothing about it. He moved with a limp as he dragged one of his retainers to a tree. Leaning the elf against it he lifted his sagging head noticing that the elf couldn't hold it up by himself. Letting go he cursed as the body fell forward lifeless. Eldariel didn't save one of them that day.

He was about to go back for one of the still screaming elves when an arm grabbed him by the shoulder...

Eldariel jumped as a hand on his shoulder brought him out of his musing. "Still thinking about it then," Allustan said walking around to stand before the fire. "And I guess you are still going to go tomorrow to the old mine house and look into the reports of the living dead being seen around there." Eldariel didn't speak just nodded once. Allustan sighed, "Then you best get a little rest before you go. And when you return, if you return, I will teach you what I know. But not before you put this demon in you to rest." Leaving Eldariel still sitting quietly before the flames again started to hear the screaming.

About an hour or so away from town an abandoned home stood, or barely stood. The roof was long gone as was most of the second floor. The mine manager who use to live here moved when his mine finally coughed up it's last piece of ore. The home still had four walls and a door so it proved some protection from elements it wasn't much of a home but when you have nothing well then you made do. Aria curled up before a small fire and drifted off to sleep wondering what the morning would bring.

[sblock=OOC] OK so as I have it now Zeke and Galyne are planning on meeting at the house before moving on to the cairn.

Jules is on the way via invitation from a worried sister, with Vixtrin trailing him.

Eldariel is on the way thinking he will be dealing with some kind of strange undead that have been rumored in the area.

And Aria is trying to start a new life, after losing her old one. Not knowing she has chosen a bad spot to set up house.

IC is all yours [/sblock]

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Intrigued by the possibility of the conversation she overheard at the tavern, Vixtrin picks up her coin purse off the rough-hewn table by the hearth next to the bar and moves to follow Jules. Allowing a building or two between herself and her mark, Vixtrin soft steps after Jules while privately musing to herself, "Don't have nowhere to sleep tonight anyhow. Mum's likely tossed me things in the street wot after this last round in the clink. Might as well see whether this bloke is in want of a strong arm."

Picking up her pace a stitch, Vixtrin trots after Jules. Once the pair is well out of both sight and earshot of the tavern, Vixtrin risks calling out into the night. "Hey, yous! Wait up there, just a bit." Once Vixtrin is within a step of Jules, she sticks out a lanky arm in welcome. "Jules, isn't it? Thought you looked familiar. I'm Vixtrin, though you might remember me mum a bit better. The Emporium?" Vixtrin waits for the light of recognition to show in Jules' face.

 

[fireinthedust]

Meanwhile that same night Eldariel sat before the fire in the home of the great elven wizard Allustan the Old. He watched the flames dance and his mind was far off to a night long ago...

Eldariel jumped as a hand on his shoulder brought him out of his musing. "Still thinking about it then," Allustan said walking around to stand before the fire. "And I guess you are still going to go tomorrow to the old mine house and look into the reports of the living dead being seen around there." Eldariel didn't speak just nodded once. Allustan sighed, "Then you best get a little rest before you go. And when you return, if you return, I will teach you what I know. But not before you put this demon in you to rest." Leaving Eldariel still sitting quietly before the flames again started to hear the screaming.

Rest. Eldariel was resting. Yet the trances of elves were not like the dreams of men, who could forget themselves in the darkness of slumber. An elven trance honed the mind, but not so much that he could forget who he was, or what had happened.

Time passed, and over and over again he failed those he had been responsible for. Centuries of life, consumed by the dead. The words of the mad hermit: "The Age of Worms is upon usssss!" he'd said as Eldariel had fallen into that pit. Then later, after escaping, the moment of fear in his eyes an instant before Eldariel had kicked him in with his pets. Grief mixed with guilt, had he done the right thing?

The ghouls had escaped, fled the elven hunter and his curved blade. He'd followed them, killed a few before the tracks blurred. He'd found traces of other undead, lone, wandering corpses animated by some unknown magic, and no great challenge for a swordsman like himself; no necromancers or cultists to speak of, no signs of dark rituals. Was this the age of worms, when the dead became animated by themselves?

And now he was here, with a wiser mage than he could ever hope to be having taken him under his wing to complete his training.

Put the demons within to rest... impossible, sitting in a chair by a fire. Perhaps, exploring yet more rumours... the girl, Aria, had been a dead end yet a fascinating one. Not what he expected, but another sign of this supposed dark age.

Before dawn Eldariel left the chair, took his belongings and took to the road.

 

[Shayuri]

Meanwhile, in a shattered shack in the woods, Aria the 'dead end' contemplated her fate as she sat in a corner. Overhead one of the last remaining chunks of the second floor blotted out the stars. It might help keep a light rain off of her, she reasoned...though anything stronger would be blown too much by th wind for it matter.

She felt cold. The chill of the night prickled her skin, but it didn't bother her the way it might have before. It wasn't nearly as troublesome as the cold she felt inside herself. It was so hard to feel things sometimes. She'd lost so much. Her mentor dead, her friends rejected her, her home given up to assuage the fear of the people who had once welcomed her.

All that, and she couldn't summon forth a single tear to mourn what had been.

As sleep slowly claimed her, Aria wondered vaguely if anyone else mourned her.

 

[renau1g]

"Hey, yous! Wait up there, just a bit." Once Vixtrin is within a step of Jules, she sticks out a lanky arm in welcome. "Jules, isn't it? Thought you looked familiar. I'm Vixtrin, though you might remember me mum a bit better. The Emporium?" Vixtrin waits for the light of recognition to show in Jules' face.

The human turns slowly, his eyes seeming to be unfocused as his semi-stumbling walk ends. His face screws up in confusion as he looks at the outstretched arm. Jules is cautious as he accepts the young girl's greeting. "I ain't been there in years, they don't let my type inside too much" he replies, with a nod affirming his name, "So what is a fine lass like yourself doing out on a night like this?" he adds.

 

[s@squ@tch]

Zeke

He was somewhat nervous -- understandably so -- travelling out due to a dream that he had.

No one believed him at the temple -- the newest acolyte having a vision from Pelor. He didn't believe it himself. But his master had instructed him to follow it. Thus, here he was, trudging in the dark early morning hours alone -- about to find out if it was true -- and whether there was anything out there at the cave.

 

[ghostcat]

Galyne

In a woodland clearing not far from the cottage, next to a bubbling stream, someone has made camp. Nearby a figure sits next to a blazing fire, roasting something that may once have a rabbit on a professional looking spit. Galyne looks up at the stars waiting for his dinner to finish cooking and thinks about the coming day and the trip to the old cairn. He has passed the cairn a number of times but never been in. To tell the truth, he thinks it feel creepy and he to give it a wide berth.

Finishing his dinner, Galyne banks the fire and rolls up in his bed, instantly falling asleep.

The following morning, Galyne breaks his fast on some cold rabbit before eliminating all traces of his camp and heading to the old cottage and his appointment with Zeke.

 

[fireinthedust]

[sblock=ooc]Should we just RP post meeting with each other? Or wait for a starter DM post?[/sblock]

 

[HolyMan]

[sblock=OOC] IC is yours to do what you wish I think that everyone posting arriving at the run down house in the morning alright. Those already there are Aria and Galyne (although the sorceress is unseen at the moment, and I wish to keep it that way). As everyone posts coming into the area those who posted before you will already be there. [/sblock]