Over a year ago, The Rockabye Orphanage in Thumble Way grew overcrowded with no way of feeding them all. The couple who ran the Orphanage were desperate so decided to send a group of the children out into the woods for a ‘camping trip’. The man, Grel, left them there once they had fallen asleep and the only food left to them was a handful of poison berries. Grel never went back, but assumed that they had either died or had been taken, and hoped by someone more able than he was.
The 8 children (Thomas (12), Greta (10), Hazel (9), Tooma (7), Peter (7), Doyle(6), Wayland (5), Caroline (3)) awake alone and assumed Grel had gone to gather some breakfast. They ate the berries while waiting, went to sleep, and never woke up. On the next full moon their spirits arose as Mylings (p301). They possess fragments of their old memories but mainly have retained their need for family and this now drives their existence.
Their clearing (they only come out at night) shows the remains of their original camp. Tents that were standing a year ago are weathered, tattered and rotten. 8 small skeletons lay around what was once a fire pit. 6 elderly people sit with a dazed smile on their faces on the fallen logs between the skeletons. (including Mr. Larkin and Mrs. Drew +1 from Riverpeaks and 3 from Thumble Way). The whole clearing has also had a few small poison berry bushes pop up.
The mylings can be talked to, but can’t provide any information on what they are, and little about who they were. If cornered in combat they will fight back at at 0 they will dissipate and the old people will regain their minds. If they are not properly buried they will reappear the next full moon and resume where they left off.
An old friend of Silrens crossed sword and axe Tails McTales, is staying in the Raged Boot. He has found a potential new member for the Trueblades. A young man, the son of a failed, drunken butcher. The problem is that is father, to pay off his debts to the theives guild, sold him to them. They trained him up and he is doing very well but he needs to buy he freedom and set his mother up with some money to keep her safe before he can leave. He is going to try and get Sylren to aid him. The Guild will tell you the location of a large money horde in an abandoned wizards shop/home. New recruit is named Elijah Mitch II The shop used to belong to an elven wizard. When the guard came and took him away he left a magical protection on his property. The magic has gone - the wizard supposedly now dead and his place is meant to be up for the taking. The guild has dibs.
Entered through a hidden wall door in the basement of the Ragged boot. A large network of dark tunnels and secret rooms, occasional traps. For the theives that live and work down here avoiding them, and navigation is second nature. Small collections of coded pebbles along the path indicate directions of things. With high rolls Sylren would be able to decipher but without an indication people could get lost in the labyrinth. Each room as a magical alert system leading back to a central hub. The hub is a large amphitheatre with a table on a raised platform in the centre. A circular table sits in the centre with chairs around it where the council conducts its business. Ruled by a council, lead by Shadowling Nictus Noorwood.
When the party return with the loot, they are looked over by a couple of wizards to identify them for Shadowling Nictus Noorwood. If the party holds nothing back, they have the following:
An immovable rod (175) A Scimitar of Speed (199) Boots of striding and leaping (156) An Elephant figurine (170) 20 +1 attack and damage bolts (150) A Wind Fan (213) The Cursed Silver Mirror of Beauty (homemade) A Time Stop Crystal (homemade) A Potion of Water Breathing (188) Potion of Greater Healing (187) trade for communication necklaces 2 Potions of Healing (187) Potion of Climbing (187) A Scroll of Ensnaring Strike (200) A Scroll of Chill Touch (200) A Scroll of Friends (200)
When they finish up Nictus will call in Elijah who will thank them, and ask a favor: to scare his dad up a bit to try and keep his mum safe while he is away.
A very run down orphanage, the children are shabby but fed. Grel and Myra Gordon runs the orphanage best he can and cares about the kids.
Grels wife Myra is s working for a Rock-a-Bye Banshee (P23) called Vestelle. She convinced Myra to aid her; to sacrifice the children to help her regain her strength.
The banshee used to be called Vestelle. She was a beautiful young woman, the most beautiful in the area. Locals thought it was only a matter of time until some rich man spotted her and took her to the city. Unfortunately, her beauty was only external. She was manipulative and cruel to all those she felt were below her: all those without money or vanity. When she turned 18, an elvish man from a visiting fair took a fancy to her. She scorned his advances and publicly humiliated him. Before he left town, he gathered the power to place a devastating curse on her: stating she would never be beautiful again, her face would finally match her cold heart.
As her hair started to fall out, she hid from the outside world, moving into the basement of the orphanage her sister Myra ran with her husband Grel. As time went on she grew less and less human. Her skin sagged and turned pale; her hair grew back white and her eyes turned red. She started craving human life after one of the children stumbled into the basement.
Now, Grel and Myra Gordon periodically feed her a child or two to prevent her from leaving destroying Thumble Way. Each time she feasts, her magical ability improves and her beauty returns for a short time.
The battle:
The kitchen is guarded by Cursed Doll (see print out)
The banshee will scream as soon as she becomes aware there are intruders in the building.
She will be stood in the center of the basement, hands wrapped around the head of Myra. Players have 3 rounds to pull them apart or Myra will be killed and eventually return as a banshee.
Start of combat Banshee will use ring of shadows. Dex save 15. 2d8 damage or half as much on a success.
Everyone who gets pushed back will be grappled by a Shadow on the shadows next turn. Remaining shadows will continue the attack (6 in total)
If Myra is pulled away from her sister before her death the Banshee will turn invisible as a reaction to an attack and move around the battlefield.
Loot upon death:
10 gems in a range of colours worth 100g each.
Small Vial of Perfume (25 gp), silken Cloth scarf (10 gp), Silver bangles (25 gp), Painted Glass Ring (25 gp), Carved Wooden Miniature (of a Tower) (25 gp)
Ring of Warmth (silver with small red gems around it that seem to glimmer like fire in the light)
Mrs Copperpot had some of the girls cleaned up
Jeb knows some of the poorest have been able to get help Tails is aware of the clerics dealings due to his current primary job of smuggling the other clerics/elves out.
If a name is placed on the tree by the pond, the cleric Elda Clockwork will at some point contact you if you are truly in need. She will scry for people to assess their situation and to find them to contact them. She doesn't usually ask for payment but is grateful for any small donations/ food/ trinkets that they can afford.
When she first arrived in Thumble Way she helped a man named Wenzel Del-Cooper. He was seriously ill with some sort of oozing pox. Elda healed him up and Wenzel insisted on having her come home with him. With his help they set up a strong operation to get her healing abilities out to as meany people as possible.
Zephyra will receive a note the mornign after the banshee dies. or if they do not fight/find the banshee; after 3 days.
The note will tell her to come alone to the grocers store front at 10pm. If she follows through, Wenzel shall invisibly seek her out to bring her to Elda. If She is not alone, Wenzel will not approach her and the following will not happen. Half way back to the rooms they are staying in the party will hopefully notice the injured gnome stumbling about in the streets DC 13 perception. She will collapse leaving them with the words 'they found us'. she starts bleeding out and will need healing.
If the party goes to Wenzels rooms they will find them ransacked, and nothing of value left. This means they took Eldath's Opal and Elda cannot perform the ritual to plant the seed without it. The thugs who are after Elda must have it. They are staying in the Hidden Pearl.
There are a gang of thugs with the pearl trying to track down Elda and her accomplices. The party will need to either break into the Hidden Pearl or convince someone to bring it out.
Priestess of Bane (Lucretia Baneshade - long blond hair, grey eyes) in suite 42 - the attic penthouse style room; which is being paid for by the Brentwoods. Her 3 priest supporters are in rooms 27 and 35. 4 Thugs staying in rooms 34 and 41. Pearl is with her, in her inner robe pocket. Her preists know its location but the thugs are unaware as they are not trusted.
Priests: Scarlet Killoran (cropped black hair - pleasant but very loyal to Bane as he was envolked in pulling down the tyrant of Seluna Island), Amaranth Whitmore (brown hair - finely dressed and a bit uppity, from the Noble Whitmore family who rules over Ulis), Lynks Steros (older man, grey hair, doesn't speak, very scarred - came from Seluna but we badly tortured before rescue).
Routine: 11pm-9am in rooms. 9am-10am Breakfast, 10am-11am in rooms, 11am-3pm observing temple construction, 3pm-4pm in rooms, 5pm-11pm between dinner and using their function room.
The thugs: Lav Dirk (small and ratlike), Kane Dirk (muscular, tall and cleverer), Ig Dirk (Large, fat and slow). Brothers to the Thug (Ant Dirk) killed at the site of the fire.
Routine: spend 12pm-1am in the public area of the hotel/in the function room. Spend the rest of the time sleeping unless summoned to do something for the priestess.
If the pearl is secured with Lucretia still alive, she will hunt the party down. Pearl of Eldath
Gilda's fetch quests
The magician bought something on credit before he was taken away. She would like it back in exchange for a discount on future purchases. (Marble Elephant P170). The theives guild are aware of this and may take it for the bounty themselves.
Notice Board
Bounty for a group of (x5 P181) Harpys that have been stealing local cattle. Reward on offer. See Farmer Lumis at the green farmhouse to the south of town. Reward is a bag of holding and 3 instant tree tokens.
The 5 Harpy are the pets of a Kenku Harpy Farmer who is studying them to learn the secrets of flight.
If Lia sleeps alone after attuning to the mirror for 1 week she will break free of the mirror: with Lia being sucking in in her place.
Sylrens Death
Temple of Kelemvor lead by priest Oon-Sung. The process: Body is collected and taken to the temple. once there the body is checked over for curses (enter shadow) which Oon-Sung can dispel from the body. the body will then be checked over and possessions removed for the party to assess. After applying various runes and herbs a piece of Sylrens hair will be cut off and placed on a set of scales. The scales indicate that Kelemvor judges that Sylren is permitted to return to the material plain if his spirit is willing. Oon-Sung updates the party on the resurrection process and asks them is they are willing to make the suitable donation if his spirit can be reached.
Oo-Sung, if the party agrees, will take out a large bird bath type device and drop the lock of Sylrens hair into it. A scene will appear of a beach surrounded by a lush green forest and mountains on the horizon. There are dozens of people of all races running around the forests, swimming in the sea and on the beach is a particularly thick group. In the center of the group is Sylren. Him and a couple of others are mock wrestling, each with arms filled with thorny tattoos. Sylren has the biggest grin you have every seen on his face as he jumps up filled with childlike glee and takes off running down the beach, followed closely by his companions laughing joyously.
Oon-Sung will tell the group that one of them may enter the realm of the adventuring dead temporarily to ask Sylren if he would like to come back/say goodbye.
Malcers Letter to Tails
Dear Tails, I feel it is my duty to inform you that your friend and brother in arms, Sylren Trueblade, has fallen. He died in battle when a shadow creature sapped his strength, but because of him, we saved the town. I know this is not the heroic death he deserved, but people don’t often get what they deserve these days. Though the Gods would have permitted his return, his spirit was unwilling. We can hardly blame him; I saw his afterlife, a beautiful scene with his fellow Trueblades. They are all happy, Tails. We completed the Trueblade ritual, as he wished. Unfortunately it is the duty of the living to carry the weight of the dead. I feel like nobody understands that more than you. We keep fighting so that we too may earn our peace, as Sylren earned his. I will be travelling, but please keep in touch, anything you wish me to receive, send to the Windrivver family. I will pick it up. Perhaps when you are done there, my family could make use of your group. I don’t think the Trueblades is an organisation meant for me, but tough times lay ahead my friend, and please know, if you need me; I will be there. Respectfully yours, Malcer Windrivver
Feenies Letter to Nictus
Dear Niktus, I have been meaning to leave you a note before I leave the city. I wanted to thank you for your honourable treatment of the deal which was struck. I hope that the artefacts chosen are suiting you well. On a side note, I also wanted to bring to your attention a potential issue you may face. Three men in this town are currently causing trouble about the place; three brothers by the names of Ig, Lav, and Kane. There was a fourth brother but I believe he was taken care of in some way or another, though I couldn't possibly say more about that. They're doing some evil in this city, and though that may not necessarily be a problem for you, their lawful association may prove troublesome. I wouldn't ever have the effrontery to suggest what you should do with your time and resources, but as someone who admires your work and ethic, I can see it would be in your interest to know about these men. I hope you and your amphitheatre are well. Yours, "Bree" T. P.S. These brothers are VERY easy to get drunk and vulnerable. P.P.S. They really are awful. P.P.P.S. How hard is it to become the head of a thieves guild?
