Session 1
DUNGEON MASTER:
Numerous small towns dot the fog-shrouded landscape of Ustalav. At first
glance, these towns might all seem kindred spirits—cozy collections of quaint
buildings surrounded by farmland, their skylines decorated by the steeples of
Pharasmin churches or the steep rooflines of colorful taverns. Yet in Ustalav,
appearances are often deceiving...
DUNGEON MASTER: Trim
and attractive, Kendra Lorrimor greets you with a mixture of curiosity,
sadness, and relief as you arrive with a few others at the entrance to the
Restlands--the name the citizens of Ravengro have given to their local
cemetery. The woman's eyes are red and
puffy and she dresses in dark, conservative clothes. On a cart nearby sits fine, black coffin decorated with leafy
flower arrangements.
DUNGEON MASTER: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-X-AkUNovsQI/TqgGzqSfa2I/AAAAAAAAAGk/h9OIu4wmQkc/s144/KendraLarrimore.jpg
DUNGEON MASTER:
Besides yourselves, only a small handful of villagers are attending the funeral
procession--all of them looking very sombre and with few words to spare for
strangers.
DUNGEON MASTER:
"Thank you for being here," Kendra says at last, when it is evident
no more will arrive. "I guess no
one else is coming to pay their respects to my father... with things the way
they are in town these days...."<!--more-->
DUNGEON MASTER:
Kendra's voice is throaty as she continues.
"I--need... some of you to help carry my father to rest. Will any of you volunteer to serve as
pallbearers?"
Solar: Solar steps
forward and says " Dear Kendra, I wil offer my services, I would be
honoured to take part
Johan:
Johan bows his head
slightly as he replies, "I will help as well. My condolences to you."
DUNGEON MASTER: A
third man steps silently forward--his head is covered with a main of blonde
hair, and his blue eyes sparkle. Without
speaking a word, he moves toward the forward right of the casket and takes
hold, as though preparing to lift it up.
Johan: Johan moves
to the front of the polished wood casket, gesturing to Mesodias to take the
rear. He carefully takes the handles before slowly lifting it to his shoulders,
waiting for the weight to be distributed before proceeding.
Solar: Solar moves
in behind Johan and assits in the middle as best he can
DUNGEON MASTER:
"Thank you, from the bottom of my heart," says Kendra softly.
DUNGEON MASTER: As
if galvinazed by her words, three other funeral attendees silently step forward
and take their places beside the casket.
Together, the six of you heave the thing up, and set out through the
gates of the deadlands.
Solar: "My
pleasure my lady"
DUNGEON MASTER:
[*restlands!]
DUNGEON MASTER:
[Full size picture of kendra: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-X-AkUNovsQI/TqgGzqSfa2I/AAAAAAAAAGk/h9OIu4wmQkc/s800/KendraLarrimore.jpg]
Johan: Johan slowly
marches with the casket on his shoulders. The look and sorrow bearing a bruden
not only on the slightly hunched shoulders of Kendra, but also the look in her
eyes as she watches her father taken to his final resting place.
DUNGEON MASTER: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uLVAoLAhqzQ/TqgGzeakv3I/AAAAAAAAAGo/H6kL2S1iByQ/s800/pallbearers.jpg
DUNGEON MASTER: The
cemetary called the restlands is comprised of several acres surround a small
hill, at the peak of which stands a squat gray-stoned crypt. As it is late afternoon, there is a slight
wind blowing around autumn leaves and whispering through the grass at the feet
of the headstones.
DUNGEON MASTER: The
air is quiet--it is not the tradition of these people to sing dirges to their
dead apparently. Only the crunching of
dirt and leaves underfoot can be heard.
DUNGEON MASTER:
Rounding a corner onto a dirt path called the Eversleep, you see that the way
ahead blocked by a group of a dozen surly looking farmers.
DUNGEON MASTER: The
tallest of these, an elderly but wiry man, speaks out— “That’s far enough. We
been talking, and we don’t want Lorrimor buried in the Restlands. You can take
him upriver and bury him there if you want, but he ain’t goin’ in the ground here!”
DUNGEON MASTER:
Kendra is swift to respond, her sadness swiftly transforming into anger. “What
are you talking about?” she cries out. “I arranged it with Father Grimburrow.
He’s waiting for us! The grave’s already been...”
DUNGEON MASTER: [The
farmers look pretty stout--it's clear tha some of them at least really do mean
business. They are "armed"
with farming implements--shovels, pitchforks, hoes, and the like.]
Solar: Solar quitely
suggests to the pallbears to gently put the coffin down in case there is a
scene
DUNGEON MASTER: “You
don’t get it, woman. We won’t have a necromancer buried in the same place as
our kin. I suggest you move out while you still can. Folk are pretty upset
about this right now.”
Johan: A cold shiver
runs down Johan's spine as he sees the expanse of the headstones, a clear
reminder to his own mortality. Johan raises his head as he focused on taking
each step at a time to observe the farmers who were disrespecting the dead.
Johan will carefully lower the coffin to the ground as he keeps an eye out for
any sign of aggression from the farmers.
Sense Motive check:
1d20+4 = 10
Solar: Solar says
gently but firmly to the crowd that "Lorrimor was not a Necromancer, he
was a learned man of knowledge. He
protected others from evil and shared how to overcome it good friend Friend. Had you ever spoken to the him?"
Solar: Diplomacy:
1d20+1=20
DUNGEON MASTER:
"Aye, and my crops were bad for four years after!" replies the wiry
old man indignatly.
DUNGEON MASTER:
However, the words seem to have had an effect on the others. "THat was on account of you spent those
four years in the Laughin' Demon instead of working her," taunts one of
his companions.
DUNGEON MASTER:
"Come on, Gibs," says another.
"These folk mean business, and Kendra's got some of her dad's
knack, from what I hear." He
gestures toward the woman, who appears about to launch into a tirade.
DUNGEON MASTER:
The man named Gibs
glowers, and several of the other dirty-faced farmers murmur their discontent,
but all step aside to form a pathway for the procession to continue through.
Solar: "Thank
you Gentleman, how you treat the dearly departed and the greaving they leave
behind is a clear sign of a mans mesure, you are truely good men"
Solar: "Shall
we contine my friends" says Solar as he reaches down to lift up the coffin
once more>
Johan: Johan bites
his tongue to avoid saying something that would only serve to aggrevate the
farmers. He wastes no time in resuming to lift the casket and continue on their
way to the eversleep.
DUNGEON MASTER: The
men's knuckles are white on their farming tools. They do no depart, but neither do they attack
as the procession moves forward through the gap in the crowd.
Solar: Solar
perception check 1d20=3
DUNGEON MASTER: The
procession leaves the crowd behind and continues forward on the dirt path to
the plot Kendra purchased for her father.
The coffin is set gently down, and the black-shrouded gravediggers
perform the morbid task of lowering of the mortal remains of Petros Lorrimor
into the open grave.
DUNGEON MASTER:
Presently, a pale,
wretched-looking priest steps forward and offers a small sermon, praising the
man Lorrimor for his work and admonishing all to serve Pharasma so that they
too may pass peacefully into the afterlife.
DUNGEON MASTER: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OrVR-YMoaxI/TqgG8YcUS6I/AAAAAAAAAH4/Hd_xOsM0ruo/s800/FatherGrimbrow.jpg
DUNGEON MASTER: Then
Kendra steps forward. Fighting back
tears, she thanks everyone once again for coming. Then, drawing a roll of parchment, she reads
aloud:
DUNGEON MASTER:
"My father was hardworking, strong, and determined. He loved me and was deeply devoted to my
mother while she was alive."
DUNGEON MASTER:
"However, he was no saint. As a
child I and my mother were accustomed to visitors from every walk of life
stopping by our house at all hours.
Sometimes he would disappear, for months at a time, on his
"research". But this did not
matter to me, because he was my father and he showed us the same devotion to me
as he did to his work."
DUNGEON MASTER:
"My father showed strength and and determination right up to the end of
his life. I hope that one day, when I
die, my children can look back, smile, and talk about how I put them above
everything else. And how I tried to make
a difference."
DUNGEON MASTER: She
ends her speech with a sudden sob.
"I- I will miss him," she repeats. There is an awkward silence. Tears stream down her face as she looks
around the assembled group, silently indicating that others may speak if they
wish.
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