Evil in Elmshire Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2 - Parte 1 - The Prodigal Son

The Portal of Kron

• Gnomey's Finest will take 2 hours to re-tune the Portal of Kron.
• Starfast has a Potion of Treasure Finding and the party have 2 hours to spare.
• Starfast, Ulrich and Caerendil head down into the heart of the Ziggurat.
• The Behir. More Lightening Damage. More Pain.
• A large mound of Treasure in a larger mound of dead eaten things.
• Rich Pickings 8-)

The Gnomish City of 'Long Nose'

• Teleportation to just outside the City of Verbabonc
• So these Portals link all UnderDark locations anywhere on Greyhawk? Hmmm in the right hands that is a valuable asset.
• Normal surface type Gnomes and re-supply.
• Ulrich and Starfast find authentic Gnomish Food the bestest thing in the whole world. Better even than Dwarven Bread and Beef Jerky.
• Ulrich and Starfast find Gnomish Wine the bestest thing in the whole world too.
• Ok we've eaten the finest food, we've drunk the finest wines, now..lets get laid. 8-) The boys slip the room porter a shiny gem.
• Gnomish Bordello. *Sukh holding head in hands*
• Starfast tries an elf, Ulrich takes three gnomes and Caerendil has one special wh0re helicoptered in from Verbabonc
• Starfast "Knob-rot" Chaos-Destroyer 8-)
• Good food, good wine, good pus... good company and a mode of instant travel...hmmm..Ulrich and Caerendil formulate a Business Plan
• Plan 'UnderDark Gnomish Takeaway' - Capital ventured is 5 000 gps.

Rushmoor Keep, Home of House Nibble-Pibbly
The Par-lar-din has a VISION! A Greater Power has arrayed himself against the party, there is more to the Elmshire Evil than meets the eye. Only the combimed strength of the entire party will meet this threat!.

Quentin calls a Council of War and Horses are saddled. Quentin, Brother Kelly together with the recently arrived figure of Teckos Tik will ride! (in pony express fashion from Rushmoor Keep along the Caravan route, to join the boys at Verbabonc).

Teckos asks the DM to tell him when any of the following list of creatures cross the path of the party, a lion, a cheetah, a tiger, a jaguar or a panther...the DM thinks 'Blob..dude...this area is based on Northern Europe', but keeps this to himself and simply voices an 'ok'. Teckos rides and plots patiently but the requisite list of animals fail to appear. Teckos is a little bit aggrieved.

The riding party reach the Capital of Veluna after changing mounts twice and here they are offered flying steeds (hippogriffs) instead of the usual land based variety. Sir Quentin gratefully accepts. The riding dudes check their character sheets for the 'Airborne Riding' proficiency and then ask the DM what they will need to roll to suceed...oh..normal riding skill...halved 8-).

So the Paladin mounts his hippogriff and flies! Brother Kelly mounts his hippogriff and flies (like a pro as if born to ride such flying creatures!) Teckos Tik mounts his hippogriff and fl...remains solidly on the ground...after much digging in of spurs and vocal abuse, his mount 'Widow Maker'  struggles into the air but remains at a just-above-tree-line kinda altitude...the turbulence here is somewhat greater than that high above in the serene skies..Tekcos's flight is thus fraught and leaves him in poor cheer.

Teckos then asks the DM to tell him when he crosses the path of a Wolfwere because he wishes to be bitten by such a creature for his cunning but yet undisclosed plan to succeed. The DM checks his adventure outline and notes the singular lack of wolfweres scheduled to appear in the next 5 years or so, he looks up at Tekcos and then simply nods.

The difficult flight coupled with the non appearance of any of the great cats required for the Great Plan and then this sudden dearth of wolfweres leaves the foremost Man of Psionics somewhat ill tempered by the time the flight reaches the Velunan City of Verbabonc.

The Paladin informs the party that they have arrived before the UnderDark Fellowship who will arrive at first light if his Vision be true.

Gnarly Wood and Gnarlier Nethers
The UnderDark Party arrives in the City of Verbabonc. They are overjoyed at seeing their former comrades and even more so when the Paladin informs them that a Demi God has pitted his powers against them for the upcoming struggle in Elmshire. Great! Just Fantastic!

Starfast Chaos-Destroyer can't help but notice the itching in this pants that wasn't there the night before the night at the Gnomish House of Ill Repute. He has his suspicions and voices his fears to the Paladin. Sir Quentin listens carefully and then informs the Myrmidon that he has knob rot.

Starfast then requests a boon from the Paladin, he being a 'Curer of Diseases' whether he wouldn't mind a 'laying of hands' on his nether regions. Sir Quentin looks shocked! 'No sir, I will do no such thing, for firstly I am not such a colassal pervert as some in bardic community would lead you to believe and secondly what you ask is against God and Morality, I suggest you mend your ways and repent for your weaknesses!'

Starfast leaves the Paladin and looks for more professional help (i.e. those that accept money), eventually he walks into a Temple of Ptah and makes a large contribution to their coffers. Unfortunately none of the priest resident in this small temple are high enough to cast 'Cure Disease'. 8-) The party reformed and refreshed, mount up and head towards Greyhawk.

Teckos Tik asks the DM why no great cats have crossed their path to date and whether this obstinance is personal? The DM sighes and then informs Tekcos of the geography and general climate of surrounding countryside. Comprehension flares momentarily within the Psioncist and he updates his wanted animal list to include bears, wolves, tough badgers, hardy pumas, etc, etc

Gnarley Forest and sounds of Battle. Rangers v Bugbears and Ogri. The boys lend a hand, The Cavalry ride hard (no doubt using the 'old ways' and to much fanfare), the Mage suddenly appears more lifelike (Dabe enter left) and he too decides to ride 'hard'...Keemor hits an errant tree branch and careens comically onto the forest floor.

Party saves the Rangers and the Woodmen show their gratitude by helping the party thorough the forest and onto the City of Dyvers. Then the final stretch to the Gem of the Flaeness, the City of Greyhawk.

The City of Greyhawk
Arrival and separation. Tekcos leaves to deliver a message. Keemor naturally suspicious of the turban headed fellow decides to follow him. Tekcos notices the Mage and 'disappears'. Keemor enraged with his feeble tailing skills scribbles down the name of 'Tekcos Tik' in the area on this character sheet marked 'They that will die'. The light of divinity then leaves Keemor the Mage (exit Dabe right) 8-).

Ulrich, The Bard and the 2 hobbits make it their business to find the Halfling community in Greyhawk to pump them for information about the Evil that lurks in  Elmshire. They find the Gold Digger tavern instead. Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! Starfast visits the bigger Temple of Ptah in Greyhawk to see if he can find succor for his affliction. Brother Kelly and the Paladin check into the Brass Dragon Inn and have a long think.

After various investigations and intelligence gatherings. The party deduce that the Greater Power who would do them ill is Iuz the Old, a demigod resident on the Greyhawk plane, his special attack is 'Spittle'..Spittle? asks Ulrich, Spittle replies the DM.

Elmshire was hit with a terrible blight (plague) 5 years ago which decimated a large portion of the halfling population (a great cheer from Caerendil). The disappearance of halflings started a year ago. Greyhawk miltia patrols and hardy adventurers have also disappeared whilst trying to protect the halflings.

There are a lot of cairns around Elmshire environs, 'Cairns?' asks Ulric, Cairns replies the DM. One lead informs Ulrich and Caerendil that these 'Cairns' once housed Vampires and it is they who now prey on the helpless Halflings.....'Say no more' utter the Warrior and Bard solemnly to the barman of the Nymph and Satyr Tavern. Vampires are indeed to be feared but only to those that are unprepared. Ulrich and Caerendil thus begin 'preparations' to meet the 'Great Vampire Threat' in Elmshire.

New Weapons are procured at great cost. Weighty Silver Axes, Special Composite Bows that fire specially blessed silver arrows, Exotic Repeating crossbows that propel stakes at an alarming rate, big thick swirling cloaks that make impressive swishing sounds when you twirl them, caskets of greek fire, a cart to carry the caskets of greek fire, a donkey to pull the cart that carries the caskets of greek fire, a dietary regime that emphasizes 'garlic' above all other ingredients.

After 3 days the Dwarf, Ulrich 'Captain Kronos' Von Himmler and  Caerendil 'Vampire Smeller Pursuivant' Earendior are *almost* ready, the last batch of vampire killing armaments will be ready by evening and then the 'Great Purging' can commence!

Unfortunately, Brother Kelly and Starfast Chaos Destroyer have other ideas, none of their investigations indicate that 'Vampires' are the cause of the Halfling scourge. The truth is probably far simpler surmises the Paladin.

The great party sundering then occurs when the 'Humans', Brother Kelly, Starfast, Sir Quinten and Tekcos Tik leave for Elmshire and inform the 'Demi-Humans', Ulrich, the Bard and the Hobbits to join them when their exhaustive preparations are finally concluded.

The RoF Great Leave Taking is a solemn affair, with much striking of chests and salutes from the humans and much cursing and jeering from the Demi-humans as they warn the Humans not to come running back to the them when all their necks have been perforated to b*ggery by the vampire bastads!

Elmshire
More investigations by Team Human. Six main Hobbit families remain in Elmshire, the Littlelegs, the Shortshanks, the ProudHairs, the Merrifoots, the Carmudgeons and the Sweet Puddings. The richest family in the shire are the ProudHairs. The poorest, the Merrifoots. The award for the most suicides in the last six months also go to the Merrifoots (3).

The Mayor of Elmshire is a retired adventurer called Windsor Greenshade,  (which kinda ar$es up the 'six main families in Elmshire statement, the DM works his mojo and says this is because 'Greenshade' is not a major family in Elmshire. Honour is satisfied.

Abductions only happen, on calm nights, when the moon is waning. They have occured everywhere, in town and in the countryside. There are no signs of struggle. They began at the shoreline. All families have lost relatives, thou the Proudhairs not for the last six months and the Merrifoots less than the other families. The Merrifoots are addicted to some opiate based drug. The only survivors from an abduction have been 2 fellows from the Merrifoots family, A 'Permon' and 'Drogo' Merrifoot. Mother Dirkwood Littlelegs displays overt racism against swarthy coloured Tekcos Tik, the psioncist lets this slide as shes Dirkwood's mum and he's currently tucking into her tea and cakes.

Team Human check out various abduction sites along the shoreline. At one site they discover a large furrow under the waterline, as if a large vessel had beached there. They traverse more of the shoreline and watch the many barges travel from the nearby lake, up river to Greyhawk. Large, shallow hulled barges..pretty good vessels those....

Team Demi-Human load the last of the munitions onto the Great Vampire Purging Cart and decide to take a trip downriver towards Elmshire on a barge manned by River folks. Can we say 'Gypsies' inquired Captain Von Kronos Himmler? The stench of garlic emanating from the quartet is almost overpowering at this stage.

Team Human suspicions are raised and obviously want to question the Merrifoots, they are discouraged by the Mayor as the Merrifoots have had yet another suicide recently and the funeral is today. The boys decide to attend the funeral which passes without incident. The only item of interest is how the Proudhairs 'sneer' down at the Merrifoots.

Team Human decide to risk staying the night and take refuge in the abandoned hotel catering for humans. Watches are set and windows and doors barred. Tekcos Tik has first watch, his Wisdom score is 17 and staying awake is all about willpower right?

Starfast Chaos Destroyer is awaken by the sound of rain and wind rattling the hotel windows. He notes the time and gets up to take his time on Watch. He discovers Tekcos asleep at this post. He shakes the psioncist awake and then lambastes him for his weak will! How could you fall asleep! We could be dead! Why in the army we hung sentries who fell asleep on watch as suitable encouragement for the rest! Now get out of my sight! Blood boiling the veteran fighter takes the watch.

Brother Kelly awakens in the early hours to take his turn on watch. He goes downstairs and finds soldier-general Starfast 'fast' asleep at his post. Brother Kelly awakens the hardy soldier and pushes him off to bed. Fortunately bar the rain lashing storm, the rest of the night passes peacefully.

On a rain swept barge Ulrich is handing out strips of beef jerky to the river folk. These to use as ear plugs to blot out the Bard singing and poetry recital evening. The gift of the beef jerky is much appreciated by the River folk.