From the journal of Erasmus of Kars:
I heard the murmuring in the Medusa's Head that there were some who were heading back towards the ruins of Nightwick Abbey again. The last time I went in, I made a nice little haul for myself. Yet, whatever has been brewing there has done something to the town itself, for my silver that once kept me in food and spell components now was no longer good enough. I donned my robes, grabbed my stout staff and gear and spellbook and went out to the Frogling Rupert outside of town to wait for the others.
I like the Froglings, and though I don't pray to the gods of this place, I find it strange that the Froglings can't join us in town because they worship other things. I think it is just a way to keep the little green guys guys down.
I found the group and joined in, naming myself Erasmus. The demons in the wind started to cackle as I came to rest my mismatched eyes on the group. A cleric of Law, a Shazi or something to that effect, a fighter type--I think in banded mail and girded with weapons--named Tisqualalqual and the grave digger Abraham whom I've never talked to--his eyes able to stare at you and the wall at the same time unnerve me a little. (Yes, my eyes are strange as well, but at least I look at you with both the green and blue one at the same time.) We headed towards the abbey and skirted around the edge of it to the graveyard below. Some of them had been here before and found an entrance to the mausoleum and wished to further explore it. I thought why not, since the dead never stay still very long in this place. We also picked up two hirelings, Hammish a fighting man and a porter who I can't remember his name, sorry mate.
After bit of exploration into the mausoleum we found the room with four statues that the grave digger kept talking about and went about tying sacks onto the heads. I thought he was a fool until the bag started to expand when we opened the first of the four sarcophagi in the room. (I know the demon in my head laughed all the more from my surprise.) Then, another Frogling by the name of Fredrick joined out little troupe.
At that moment, some eldritch ball of energy floated into the room and exuded thick ropes of slime. All were safe except myself and Tisqual. I was able to slip away after the initial barrage. Yet, the thing found Tisqual to its liking for it started to suck away at the man's body. His cheek and face grew dessicated. The rest of us tried to attack the thing to little avail. I even threw magic at it, and it only empowered the thing. Tisqual died in the battle and the thing just floated away.
The sarcophagi were looted, four knights with rings, plate and silver crosses, we left Tisqual in the room and headed back to town. That night we sold a majority of the booty. I kept one of the garent rings and one of the signet rings--you knew know when it might come in handy. Abraham kept a cross for himself and I think Fredrick did as well.
The next day we left to foray into the abbey again, were joined by the dilettante Lazzaro. An odd fellow who spoke of magic and other things like he had dabbled in them yet knew nothing of the deeper science behind it. He joined us as we headed back to the abbey and we all explored the ruins of Nightwick. It had been some time since I had been there, and that strange growing kudzu of mauve had an eldritch affect on the stone. It was growing them. It seems the abbey is trying to repair itself. I noted that for myself and while I did, the graver digger and the others went to look for the source of the kudzu. They found it and started to dig it up.
They found a thick, thirty foot mass of root. Most of them started to attack it, wanted to destroy the thing. I was still unsure as to what to do, when someone threw oil at it and lit the thing on fire. A thick purple haze roiled from it, along with the screams of something. We even found holy items affect it and cause small burns and blisters to appear on it.
We lost the Frogling Fredrick to the haze, he passed out and while Shazi and Lazzaro--who talked of dissecting the Frogling if he didn't wake--tended to him, I found myslef having to follow the gravedigger into the treeline to try and get more trees for kindling. I thought it was a better to go with him that have him go off on his own and end up dead.
It was a good thing, for we spied a group of goblins coming towards the ruins and the two of us hid. We were soon joined by the rest of the group who spirited away with the Frogling, who was unhurt. Though, part of me would like to have watched this dissection. I am intrigued to find out what sets a Frogling apart from a human and frog.
The goblins went to investigate the fire and were transfixed by the haze. We surprised them with a rope that we held taunt and were able to drop half of them into the haze. Yet, we also took in the haze ourselves. The remaining goblins ran, while we all had horrible visions. We lost the torch bearer, who tore at his eyes. Myself, the visions were things better left unsaid for now.
We returned to the town, then a quick foray to Halfdan the Black, another magic-user who is a little to familiar with his black bear friend. We talked and found another group was sent in to collect specimens from an underground garden and haven't returned. Also, we gave him some of the kudzu in hopes of finding where the center of it might be.
Our final raid into the abbey was brief, yet we explored the north tower, found it growing as the rest of the accursed place and then went below to fight a few madmen who wore human skin as armor. One of them wore it well, and it was undamaged int he fight. Lazzaro took the armor, starting where he was from, it was almost natural. I shudder to think what type of place that is.
We returned home and I was ready to be done adventuring for some time. I gained gold this time for my share of the loot, gained some spells from Halfdan the Black and took it as a good sign the demon was laughing in the wind.
Until next time...
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