Episode 9, "The Horror of the Haunted Valley" by Matt Grossman and J. Sage Schreiner (c) 2000 Tron Malkaszar, sucidely brave high elf -- Matt Grossman Norel Bolderdash, hulking woodsman of the Adri forest -- Tom Morin Nigil Palom, noble from a far-distant land -- Kevin Osborn Hrothgar, sturdy dwarf of the Iron Hills -- Corey Paganucci Vuss, an engimatic druid -- Corey Paganucci All others -- Sage Schreiner In the stockade, the party rests. The refugees are weary, and extra guards are posted in case the orcs pursued them. Tron: This bow is great! Nigil: Isn't that Devereaux's bow? Tron: It's mine! I killed the giant! It's mine! Nigil: Ok. Looks a bit light for me anyway. Soon the remnants of a scouting party return with news that the orcs are pursuing the refugees. The soldiers man the walls of the stockade. Those of the party who are still mobile join them. Aran: My...sword...I'll...help. Tella: Lie down. [push] Aran: [thump] Uhhh.... The camp is surrounded by several hundred orcs. They beat their war drums, preparing for the attack. Suddenly a terrifying omen appears. A great ball of fire flies slowly across the sky from south to north, making a deafening roaring as it goes. The orcs cry out in wonder, taking this as a sign from their gods. Tron: (in orcish) The gods have spoken! Turn back or be destroyed! Orc: Hey, it's that elf! Tron: (ducks arrows) It was worth a try. Hrothgar: Bring it, you losers! As the orcs prepare to charge, there is a blast of trumpets! The cavalry has arrived! The orcs are slain or flee screaming into the woods. Later, the commander of this relief force rides to the stockade. Commander: I'm Captain Vadog, of Espar's keep. One of the scouts from the patrol that found these orcs made it to my keep. Looks like I arrived just in time. Jola: Excuse me, sir, but did my brother reach your keep? He is a holy knight, named Gabriel. Vadog: I'm sorry, no. But I understand you are the ones who helped with the defense of Devereaux's keep? Tron: That's right. Vadog: Your fame as orcslayers precedes you. I'd be glad if you would journey with me back to my keep, and possibly join my service. Nigil: What about the refugees? Vadog: Hmm...looks like a bunch of women and children. Just mouths to feed. They can walk. Nigil: Then we will walk with them. We will see you in a few days. Vadog and his men ride back to Espar's keep in the morning. The party stays at the stockade another day, then heads towards the keep, escorting the refugees. The day passes uneventfully, but that night Norel awakens the party. Norel: I smell something funny...like roast pork. Also there's something large in the woods. Tron: I'll check it out. Hrothgar: I'll go with you. Tron: Try not to make too much noise. They go into the woods. After several minutes of wandering around, they come face to face with a 9' tall female humanoid. Humanoid: Wahh! Tron: Stop! My men have you surrounded! Hrothgar: (hurries up) [clink clink] Humanoid: Hah! My men have _you_ surrounded! Tron: Are you an orc? Humanoid: Wagh! Hate orcs! Me ogre! Tron: Good! We hate orcs too. Ogre: What you? Tron: I'm an elf. Ogre: Mmm! Like elf...with ketchup! (charges) Tron: So much for this "parley" thing. (shoots ogre) Ogre: Garr...uck. [thud] Tron: That was easy. Hmmm...just some silver.... Nigil comes running up. Hrothgar: It's ok, Tron killed it. Nigil: But what about them? Three more ogres enter view, about 30' away. They charge immediately. The party shoots at them but misses, and then the ogres melee. Tron is knocked down by a club and crawls into the shadows, from which he shoots at the ogres. Unfortunately, these are tougher than the first one. Two attack Hrothgar and one attacks Nigil. Nigil: (struck down by a giant cleaver) Ughh...consciousness...fading... Ogre#1: Raaarrgh...uck... (dies) Norel: Looks like I got here just in time. Aran: Hang on Hrothgar, I'll save you! Eat steel, fiend!Huh? Ogre#2: More din-dins! (bashes Aran to the ground) Hrothgar: (strikes Ogre#2, severely wounding it) Axes of the dwarves! Ogre#3: Gnyarr! [crunch] Hrothgar: (cloven in twain, dies instantly) ... Tron: Uh-oh. (shoots an arrow through Ogre#3's throat, badly wounding it) Ogre#3: Pesky elf! (strikes Tron down) Tron: Not...again... Norel: Yaaaaaaaaaah! [spluck] And stay down! Ogre#3: ... Ogre#2: (runs into the woods) Norel, Tella, and several of the militia pursue it. Skanda stays behind. Skanda: Oh Pholtus, heal the noble Nigil...heal this brave knight, Aran, even though he doesn't believe in you...get up, elf. Tron: What did I do? Skanda: Hrothgar is beyond my help. We must prepare a funeral. Meanwhile, Norel has tracked the last ogre to it's lair. Ogre#2: Heh heh. Just let them come. Norel: Hi there. Ogre#2: (shoots at Norel with a giant crossbow, but misses) Urk. (feathered with arrows, dies instantly) They ransack the ogres' camp, finding several thousand pieces of silver, as well as several gems and two potions. They also find a rack full of strange meat, being smoked over a fire. Tella: What is this stuff? (munch munch) Norel: I'd say "peasant". Tella: [barf] They burn the human remains and take the ogre's head and the treasure back to camp. There the party prepares a funeral for Hrothgar. They build a pyre and lay his body on top of it, dressed in full armor with his axe in his hands. At his feet they put the heads of the ogres. Skanda: Farewell, Hrothgar! We give you a warrior's funeral, to let the gods know that you died in battle. You go now to the Valhalla of the dwarves, to sit proudly at the mead table among the other heroes of your race. We shall surely meet again! But thanks to your courage, not today. Father Abercrombie: (mutters something about heathen rituals) The party had no further adventures on the road to Espar's keep. This turns out to be a much larger fortress, with a small town surrounding it. Five bodies hang from a gallows, as evidence that justice is enforced in Shalister's domain. Norel: What did these guys do? Guard: One raped a woman, and we hung his buddies for not stopping him. Tron: Why are you all looking at me? At first Captain Vadog does not want to let the refugees into the town, but after the party bargains with him, he agrees. Vadog: The four strongest men must join the militia, and you must pay 1000 silver pieces. Then you can settle here. We do not like weaklings in this land. Father Abercrombie: I'm...sure that is acceptable. They go to an inn. The prices are ridiculous. Norel: I don't like this place. Tron: (watching a flogging) I think it's cool. They stay at Espar's keep for six weeks, training and recovering from their ordeals. Nigil seeks out a weaponsmith and has him make a superb sword. Nigil: It better be good, for what I paid for it. Weaponsmith: Heh heh. It's the best sword I've ever made. Nigil: Hmph. Looks like crap, and you mispelled my name. [swish swish] Feels good, though. Norel takes the coded messages captured from Mendel's guard to a scribe and has him decode them. "Another has been sent to aid you. I fear that your 'business opportunities' are not as discreet as you would like. He will keep you focused on the task at hand. Your decision to murder such a visible figure was a poor one, whatever is connection with the past that you are so concerned to hide. Fear the future, not the past." And, the unsent response: "Dear Lord Hook, The past, in this case, was not one I wanted the world to know. The issue was dealt with in an ambiguous manner - everyone had a reason to kill him. Unless something ludicrously unlucky happens, like those bumbling 'fortune seekers' stumble on me, all will be resolved. The keep will, I assure you, fall. I have enlisted the help of a discontened member - this citizen has connections." Scribe: This last paper is some sort of bank draft for a lot of money. It's on a bank in Edgefield, Hastern's capital. If you pay me 1500 silver, I'll finish decoding it. Norel: That's ok. Scribe: Damn. They also have the scribe draw up a map of the area. Scribe: [sigh] So you want me to draw pictures, instead of using words? Tron: Yeah, reading is for wusses. Aran goes into the woods to meditate. Aran: I must remove my clothes and whip myself to do penance for my sins. Tella: So, can I help? Aran: No! Stay here with the others. After six weeks, the party is thoroughly sick of Espar's keep. Town Crier: blah blah sheep-herding contest blah blah lost goat blah blah morris dancing blah blah lynching... Tron: We've got to get out of this place. As they sit in the inn planning, a strange half-elf, dressed like a druid of the Adri forest, walks up to the party. Druid: Excuse me, but you look like adventurers. Do you mind if I join you? My name is Vuzz. Norel: Not at all. We were just figuring out where we were going to go. It looks like we have two choices. Either we head to Edge Field and try to claim this bank draft, or we head north. Nigil: North? Tron: One of the men who escaped with us from the orc slave mine was a kinsman of a king of barbarians, King Redbeard of the Hold of Stonefist. He didn't make it, but we hope that if we tell this Redbeard of his fate, he may help us to destroy those orc mines. Nigil: Doing a deed like that would certainly bring great fame to my name. Plus, we have no guarantee that this bank draft would be honored, and we might find ourselves trapped in a hostile city. Vuzz: I just came from the Adri forest, I don't want to go back. Tron: Ok, so we're going to Stonefist. Norel: We have two ways to go there. Either south, through the Adri forest to the kingdom of Nyrond, through Nyrond to the Nyr Dyv, across the Nyr Dyv to Furyondy, then North around Iuz through Perrenland and the land of the Wolf Nomads to the Icy Sea. Then across the Icy Sea to Stonefist. The scribe said that was the safer route, it would take about a year and a half. The alternative is to go down the Tessar Torrent to Bellport, take ship there to the land of the Frost Barbarians, then cross the Griff Mountains to the Hold of Stonefist. That's the shorter way. Nigil: I vote for the shorter way. Skanda: I agree. Tella: Since Aran isn't back yet, I'll go with you guys. The party decides to take the shorter way, and prepares to depart Espar's keep. Nigil: The next keep along is Tyrluk's keep. Apparently some sort of monster is killing cattle around there, and there's a reward. Norel: After what that innkeeper charged us, we need the money. The ride to Tyrluk's keep is uneventful. The party wanders around town collecting information about the monster, and in the morning they visit the captain of the keep. Captain Goldog: Ahh, the Heroes of the Borderlands! Your fame precedes you. I thought you'd be taller. Norel: Taller?! But anyway, we were passing through and thought we'd take a crack at this monster. Goldog: You know, we've had all sorts of people come through here trying to kill that thing. Even an adventuring party, called the Knaves of Spades, and a famous tracker. I went after it myself. But nobody can find it. Tron: Where did it last strike? Goldog: Some cattle were killed near the village of Moorten, to the southeast of here. Nigil: Hmm...that's near where that guy said he saw a giant spider. Vuzz: That tracker said it was an owlbear. Goldog: Whatever it is, the reward is 3000 silver pieces. The party heads into the hills in pursuit of the monster. They come across some peasants herding cattle. Tron: Greetings, peasants. Have you seen the monster? Peasant#1: No, but it killed some cattle nearby. Nobody can track it, and nobody knows what sort of animal it is. Peasant#2: Arrh, it comes from the haunted valley, it does. Tron: Tell me more of this haunted valley, peasant. Peasant#2: I cannot, but my grandfather in the village down the road knows of it. 'Tis an ancient legend in these parts. Peasant#1: Shyaa, right. They ride to indicated "village", and soon are talking to an aged peasant. Old Man: Ah, yes, the haunted valley. Many miles to the east, there lies a valley that is haunted. Norel: How do you know it is haunted? Old Man: (looks at him blankly) Nigil: How can we get there? Old Man: Nobody knows, not since...ancient times. Norel: So how did the story that it was haunted get started? Old Man: (looks at him blankly) Nigil: Very well, here is a silver piece for your troubles. Peasants: (gawp, never having seen this much money in their lives) Tella: Wow, this place is really the sticks. The party wanders around for a while, hoping to find some evidence of the monster. Suddenly they come across a dead cow, being eaten by...giant flies! Tella: Yuck! Vuzz: While uncommon, these giant flies are found throughout the Flaeness. Their migration habits are... Tron: (shoots at a fly, killing it) The other two attack the party. One bites Tron, but they are quickly slain. Tron: Ow! I knew I should have worn my mail. Norel: Look, this cow was wounded and dragged itself here. They follow the trail back, finding a clearing with disturbed earth and dried blood. Norel: It looks like there were two cattle, one was killed and carried off, the other was mortally wounded and wandered away. Vuzz: I've found the tracks of the creature which did it. They follow the tracks deep into the hills, but as night falls they lose them. They decide to make camp and head back to the keep in the morning. Unfortunately, when the morning comes it is overcast, and they lose their way in the hills. Thinking this would be a short excursion, the party only brought a few days of food. Their situation quickly becomes dangerous. Tron: My snare caught a coyote. Yum. Vuzz: My falcon, or rather the falcon that accompanies me of its own free will, has brought a rabbit. Norel: (eating) Tron: Hey, where'd you get that food from? Nigil: It's my food. I always carry two weeks of iron rations with me. Tron: Bastard. I guess we can always eat the horses. After several days of wandering, they wake to find themselves surrounded by dense fog. As the party prepares to break camp, Vuzz wanders off. Vuzz: I wonder if there are any edible shrubs here...hey, what's that? He sees a large, bear-like shape in the fog. He approaches it, but finds only a pile of rocks. Vuzz: But it was here! Look at the tracks! I wonder where it went. He gets the party, but when they come back to the spot, the rocks are gone. Norel: But here are tracks leading away. Vuzz: But...but...I'm sure there were rocks there... Tron: Sure there were. Come on, let's saddle up and get this varmint. They pursue the creature throughout the morning, steadily gaining on it. The trail enters a box canyon. Tron: You know, this would be the perfect place for... A large rock crashes down, narrowly missing him. Tron: An ambush! Ride! The party rides down the trail, which leads them up the side of the canyon to a position where the rocks were dropped. Nigil: We must be almost on it! They follow the trail over a ridge, and see before them...the haunted valley! It is a small valley, less than a mile long. The notable features are a small lake, a stream, a cave mouth that the stream comes from, and a large crater. They ride over to the crater first. Inside it there is a large meteorite. It is hollow and has split open from the impact. Norel: You don't suppose...? They decide to check out the cave next. Tron goes in first, climbing a steep slope and finding himself in a muddy room containing a pool and two exits. There is a broken standard stuck in the mud near the pool, bearing the banner of the Knave of Spades. Tron: Buncha geeks. (waves the rest of the party in) Tella: I'll stay outside and guard the horses. They decide to check out the left hand exit, finding a room filled with torn and mangled human and animal carcasses. The next room is empty. They search for secret doors. Skanda: There's nothing over here. Vuzz: Are you sure? That flat section of wall looks suspicious. [poke poke] A giant pseudopod forms out of the "stone" of the wall and clubs the druid senseless. The "stone" then takes the form of a weird humanoid creature, which lumbers menacingly towards the party. Tron: Whoah! (fires an arrow, which misses, and dodges behind Norel) Knew I should have worn my mail! Skanda: (rushes out and heals the druid) Monster: Reee! (clobbers Skanda, seriously injuring her) Norel: Oh yeah? Eat this! [stab] Nigil: Die, fiend! [hack] Monster: (starts to transform into a giant scorpion) Tron fires more arrows at the monster. One hits Norel. Norel: Hey! Tron: Oops. Nigil: Get some. [cleave] Monster: Uck. (dies) They cut off one of the creature's claws and burn the body. Skanda and Vuzz search for treasure among the remains of the creature's victims, while Norel, Nigil, and Tron check out the right-hand passage. They find the decayed corpse of a man wearing undecayed leather armor. They take the armor. Further on they find a room full of mud, which they wade across, then go up a steep incline into a drier chamber. This chamber contains a giant bed, a giant-sized chair and table, and a giant skeleton. It is sprawled against the wall, holding a blunted dagger in its hand. In one corner of the room is a giant black crystal. Map of the cave complex (these are all irregular natural caves): |----------| ---------- | monster | ------------ | | | | | |_| giant | | | | _ room | | | | | | | ---- ------- | mud | | | | | ------------ | room | | | ---- ------- | | | | | | | | | pool | | | | crystal | bodies |__| |___| | | * | | __ ___ | | | ------------ | | | | ---------- | | | | ----- ------ ------------ | | | | entrance As Norel and Nigil are examining the skeleton, they hear a "clang" behind them. Turning around, they see Tron standing next to the crystal with his sword in hand. Nigil: What are you doing? Tron: Ummm...nothing. (starts beating on the crystal with his sword, to no effect) Norel: Hmm, obviously he won't stop until we break that crystal, so... (takes a swing at the crystal, knocking a chunk out of it) Nigil: Are you guys nuts? We don't want to break that thing! Who knows what it could do? Tron: (beating on crystal with the back of his hand ax) Nigil: Tron, why are you trying to break the crystal? Tron: If we don't break that crystal, we'll all die! Norel: (to himself) Wait, you mean only Tron'll die? (keeps hammering at the crystal) Nigil: What the...? Tron: What was that? (heads back to the crystal) Nigil: Oh hell. (kidney punches Tron, knocking him out) Skanda! Get in here! We've got a problem. Skanda and Vuzz enter the room. Skanda immediately freezes Norel in place with a spell. Nigil: I think both he and Tron are under a spell. Skanda: I heard a voice speak to me in my mind as I entered. It asked me to break the crystal. I refused. Vuzz: (wanders over to the crystal and starts beating on it with his bare hands) Hang on, I'll get you out of there! Nigil: Oh no. Eventually they get Tron, Norel, and Vuzz outside the cave. Tron: Must go back in...must break crystal or die... Tella: Sit down. [push] Tron: Ooogh...urine...bloody... Norel: (as he is being gagged) Untie me! Untie me, you mmmph mpph! Nigil: I don't know what that was, but I'm not going back in there. Skanda: We found some coins in the other room, also this strange long scarf... They ride away from the valley, and after several days find their way back to the keep. Tron regains his sanity after a few hours, but Norel is still raving as they drag him into the temple of Hextor. Nigil: He's under a curse or something. Priest of Hextor: [abracadabra] Not anymore. Norel: Phew. Good thing you stopped me letting that monster out. Tron: Let's not mention that crystal to anyone. Better yet, let's not mention that valley. They present the claw of the monster to Captain Goldog, and get the reward. Nigil: Well, I guess our work here is done. TO BE CONTINUED...
