Pages

The World of Georic 1989-Present

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

(BECMI) Adventures in Gulluvia #17 - Curse of The Moon Taint

7 Jun 534 - Village of Mere, Barony of Gulluvia
It's been a few days since the our heroes returned from the edge of the mountains with multiple backpacks of Grimy Dwarf Weed and their cleric Brother Barry Manaslow badly mauled by wolf.... men.   Neither the herbalist nor Father Joseph's elixirs and rituals were doing anything, and Barry's condition was worsening.

It took some prodding, but Father Joseph finally admitted that perhaps a higher ranking priest in the Church could do something... like High Priest Cartharandamus.  Perhaps a trip to Gulluvia City to plead Barry's case  was in order.  No one was quite sure how much time he had left.

Despite these warnings that moving Barry and not letting Father Joseph of the Church, and his newest acolyte, Suzie, properly tend to his condition, Barry would succumb earlier, they decided to strap the dying man to a hand cart and be a bit more direct with the pleading to the High Priest.

The rest of the party:

Hugo Swam'Pas - Magic User - General jerk, but fakes he knows what he's doing.  Thinks the walk to the capital is a big waste of time.

Beulah Cragbottom - Halfling- Fairly confident with a mace, but she watched her friend and adventuring companion Bodo Billabong go mad fighting the horrors of the wilderness and dungeon. She's not sure she's cut out for this lifestyle.

Slotheena Hopler - Imagine the sister of Sloth from The Goonies.  Give her an executioner's mask, and a giant maul, and she's the sweetest and dumbest killing machine I've seen in years.   Normally easy to sway, it was her idea to gather Grimy Dwarf Weed for the local herbalist, so she's driving the mission.

8 Jun 534 - Swam'Pas Estate, Barony of Gulluvia
Even pushing a cart with a dying man, the party made it back to the estate of of Hugo's family before nightfall.

The family and servants were still in the midst of reconstructing the estate and welcomed them with open arms.... until the trusted leader of the estate guard, Acsink discovered that Barry had been bitten by wolf-men.  This terrified the normally fearless warrior and in a mixture of charisma and fear, he completely exaggerated the worst of the legends and folklore about the wolf bites, and managed to completely convince everyone on site not to invite Barry in for the night.

Barry's cart was deposited on the outside of the palisade.  Slotheena kept him company and did what little she could do for him. Beulah barely slept, Barry's death moans haunting her sleep.

Hugo snored as he slept soundly.

11 Jun 534 - Gulluvia City, Capital of the Barony of Gulluvia
The rest of the trip was uneventful, and finally made it to Gulluvia.  They hit the first temple they could find, and after dealing with a pompous but decent priest admitting that in Brother Barry's past he was a war criminal (!), they managed to secure an audience with the High Priest of the Church, Cartharandamus.... two days later, to solve the dread "Moon Taint".   Lodging at Ye Olde Stomped White Keg was extended.

13 Jun 534 - Gulluvia City, Capital of the Barony Barony of Gulluvia
Securing lodging, they went about selling off the gems and more unusual items collected in their dungeoneering to pay for the spell to help Barry.  Somehow Barry was holding on, although his fever dreams made him thrash about terribly so.

Two days later, they returned to the high temple, and High Priest Cartharandamus met with them, he peppered them with questions, took their coin, and performed a ritual.

Cartharandamus
And didn't work.  Barry died in the midst of the ritual.

Enraged, Cartharandamus ordered the other priests to toss them out on the street.  No refund was given, and the heroes were cast off into the street with the body of their recently deceased friend.

It was time to go home to give Barry the burial he deserved, but not before exchanging information along the way.

18 Jun 534 - Village of Mere, Barony of Gulluvia
Brother Barry Manaslow, Acolyte of the Church, was buried beside the church in Mere, not far from the freshly finished grave of Bodo Billabong and Leroy.  It was sparsely attended, with Father Joseph, little Suzie, our heroes, plus their associates Carya and Jenkins.

Despite a long ways to return home, the talk of the party, beyond a simple eulogy for their friend, was the odd view inside the High Priest's temple.

High above the audience chamber was a narrow viewing area, about 20 foot up.  They had seen people up their in their first interview two days prior, but at the time of the High Priest's ritual, they spied something mighty peculiar. .... two dwarves!  Two members of the "lost race" stealing Grimy Dwarf Weed in Mere... then two observing the high priest.  It was a very odd coincidence.

DM Notes:  One important lesson was learned and quickly lost this session:  The bite of the wolf-people is not contagious, like lycanthropy.  It actually appears to kill off humans... painfully.  

The other lesson not learned:  Moving Barry sped up his death sentence.  If the heroes had reached the capital and convinced the High Priest to travel back with him, Barry would have lived two more days after the High Priest would have arrived in Mere.  
Rest in Peace, Brother Barry Manaslow.  You didn't even reach 2nd Level to cast spells.

No comments:

Post a Comment