(BECMI D&D) Adventures in Gulluvia #21 - The Call to Heek-Hallak

15 Mai 535 - Village of Mere, Barony of Gulluvia

 It had been a long year since our heroes returned to Mere from the Ice Caverns of Thorvald.  

Galastia Axenmeld had stayed in Mere, but did not take well to the parochial nature of the Church.  She focused on helping the militia than the church-loving masses, with aspirations of possibly joining the Baronial Guard.  

Gwendalyn the Bright - Another acolyte of the Church, was the initial reason Galastia has been lax in her duties. The two clashed constantly dealing with the declining health of Father Joseph. The death of Joseph brought assumptions Gwendalyn would assume the mantle, but High Priest Carathmus immediately sent his trusted advisor, Sister Bronte, to lead the parish.  

Beulah Cragmuffin - The halfling questioned the adventuring lifestyle, but the past year of being a simple folk, trying to find honest work, seems to be much worse. 

Carya Illinoisis - The former merchant has joined the Baronial Guard, with a focus around Mere.  She's still a mountain of a woman that's even stronger than she lets on. 

Hugo Swam'Pas - The popular local hedge mage from Mere known for more successes than failures in helping the village out.  His acquisition of the Skullcap of Comprehension proved useful as more kobolds descended into the area.  The kobolds had moved out of the mountains and into the valley, forced out specifically, by dwarves....

The success of the expedition of Thorvald even thawed the bitter heart of Hugo's mentor, the hedge mage Clifford Loprete.  Most afternoon, Hugo sat in front of the hearth with Clifford.  Pogart, the kobold, had became Clifford's assistant, and could easily gather regeants in the wild for magical research, as he could refill cups of the two mages.

The hearth of Clifford Loprete

Most were on militia duty when the ground shook under their feet.  Some of the building in the village lurch, support posts buckling, but the buildings still standing.   A few people are trapped and were quickly resecured.  There are reports that the damage is greater in the mountains, or the Old Castle, or Gygar's Castle, or the alleged Hall of the Mountain Lord, everything pointing to land beyond the old castle...

18 Mai 535 - Village of Mere,

Over next few days, reports of strange colored water in the mountain streams, and sick animals reach the village.  The streams are turning a bilious green, which is not dissipating when it reaches the larger streams feeding into Mere.  All homesteads oustide of Mere are forced to use wells and cistern water from the village. 

18 Mai 535 - Village of Mere,

No one expected a kobold diplomatic attachment to arrive in Mere shortly thereafter.  They were not surprised when the kobolds couldn't speak Common, so they quickly fetched Hugo Swam'Pas, who had become renowned for his linguistic ability (Thanks to his Skullcap of Comprehension).  

Led by Snarkit Bloodsnout, the kobold explained that the source of the poison looked to be a crack in the rock face near their old lair in the "Heek-Hallak" (translated by Hugo as "Laughing Hallow.")  The foul liquid flowed down an ancient stream bed until it reached other water and worked its way into the valley.  

"The tainted water is reaching our few enclaves left in the mountains.  Many of our kind have settled on the outskirts of your land, and rely on the river just as you do."

"Our points of entry into our old caverns where small tunnels no bigger than a kobold, or the invading dwarves.  The recent shaking earth has reveled one of the larger doors that had been buried...."

GM Notes:  The primitive hearth artwork was a banner illustration for Dragon #1.  There's a little blurb about it in Hall of the Mountain King by Jason Zavoda.  

Next: #22 - No Laughing Matter