Mists over the Musarde [IC]

[ewancummins]

[at the Marble Faun]



Leafing through the pages, you see that the entire book is handwritten. Although faded and sadly water damaged in spots [no doubt before it came under Mattheo's care] , the manuscript remains mostly legible. It is the account of a traveller from the city of Egertus- presumably the city of the same name in Nova Vaasa, although perhaps not. The dating system used is unfamiliar to you. A scribes miniscule notation in the margins indicates that the book is a copy made from the original manuscript [listed as having been copied in the Year of the Bright Standard- whenever that was.]

In the first chapter, Johannes introduces himself as a merchant caravaneer by trade, the son of a silversmith in Egertus. He goes on describe his adventures on the way to the North Country. His travels north take him into the region of Arak, a place he describes as a green and pleasant land, but inhabited by ferocious savages who force chained captives to fight to the death in earthen pits- merely to provide an amusing spectacle at feasts. In passing, he mentions a few local curiosities, such as the custom of drinking wine mixed with mare's blood, and the practice of divination by examining the entrails of specially raised temple doves. The people of Arak warned him of the demon-worshippers of the North Country.

In the following chapters, Johannes writes of how the caravan pushed through the foothills of the mountains and reached at last the North Country, a region of forests interspersed with moors and meadowlands. The Mists were never very far away there, and several members of the expedition went missing , swallowed in banks of fog. The people they encountered along the trail were simple farmers and herdsmen who told them of larger towns futher to the northwest, places they might be able to make a profit with the trade goods they've carried up from the southlands. Deeper into that unknown country went the little caravan...


Far through the wild woods, and along a rushing river, they came at last to the settlement of Karg, a palisade-ringed town and center of both trade and agriculture for the region.

The inhabitants, Johannes tells us, did indeed practice strange rites, as the Arakians had warned him. They sacrificed their own children to a demon-monster called Incabulos, entombing one child each year at the start of the harvest season in a place called the Pit of Nightmares. What exactly happened in the Pit, no one would tell, but they did say that no remains were found of the sacrificed children when the Pit was reopened after a fortnight. No remains, but only scratches left by the children's frantic attempts to escape. It is believed , so Johannes records it, that Incabulos will become angry should the sacrifice ever fail to be made in the proper time and manner, and will send dooms down upon the people.

[ewancummins]

[at the little cafe near the river]





The two gendarmes don't seem to be paying attention to anything but their plates, once Odall brings them their meal. They don't even talk with each other much, but concentrate on eating and drinking.

[steveflam]

Norzak looks pointedly at Cirdan but says nothing. He concentrates on his plate and tries to be as inconspicuous as possible.

[ewancummins]

The two gendarmes finsh their meal and rise to their feat. They toss a few coins on the counter , thank odall, and turn to leave. The cleanshaven one of the pair- his friend called him Jean- casts a glance over in your direction. His gaze passes briefly over Evangeline, then shifts to Charlotte and settles there a moment. He smiles, she turns her head to the wall and ignores him. He shrugs and hurriedly walks on, lengthening his stride to catch his compatriot,-who's already exiting the cafe.

Once the two have left. Evangeline looks over to Norzak and says,

''I hope you are enjoying your meal, Norzak. You are so quiet!''

[steveflam]

Norzak looks up from his plate and says to Evangeline with a staright face "T'aint no reason ta be alarmed missy. I love food" he pats his stomach area "and take eating very seriously. That 'n' drinkin' is mostly me main loves. So when I's eatin' I rarely speak but rather concentrate on me plate and keep quiet. Also me Pa liked a quiet table, so when we did eat it was in silence."

[Adam]

Bennedict blinks in surprise at the last passage of the book. "Well, he certainly sounds charming." He turns and jots some notes in a blank page of his notebook, specifically circling the words "North Country" and drawing a line connecting the circle and the word "Portal" written at the top of the page. He taps the feather pen thoughtfully against his lips for a moment, before adding a large question mark next to the connecting line. He then turns back to the book and continues scanning the pages. No mention of rat men, but I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest to find one. Rats and pestilence are connected, after all. What better worshipers could Incabulos hope for?

[ewancummins]

[back at the Marbble Faun, Benn continues to read the book...]


Johannes then spends a few pages telling of the natural features , animals, plants, etc of the North Country. He mentions a few fantastical beasts of legend , such as manticores and unicorns, although he admits he never actually saw such creatures himself, but is only relaying the accounts of the locals.


Benn finds a couple of references to rats :

'' These north-folk hold rats to be agents of Incabulos. Anyone who kills a rat must make penance to the god by a petty sacrifice. Of course, it is often necessary to kill rats, so the petty sacrifices have added up over time , combined with other offerings, to greatly enrich the clergy dedicated to the demon-god. ''



'' It is told that Incabulos has blessed certain rats with cunning and powers beyond the natural estate. These rats are subject to the influence of the moon, so that a full moon is a time of power for them. These rat-things render homage to Incabulos with baleful rites performed in lonely places beneath the full moon. ''

[ewancummins]

Norzak looks up from his plate and says to Evangeline with a staright face "T'aint no reason ta be alarmed missy. I love food" he pats his stomach area "and take eating very seriously. That 'n' drinkin' is mostly me main loves. So when I's eatin' I rarely speak but rather concentrate on me plate and keep quiet. Also me Pa liked a quiet table, so when we did eat it was in silence."

''Oh,yes. I see.''



Daintily, Evangeline finishes her meal. She remarks to Charlotte-

''I think you are getting a bit sunburnt. Here, wear my sunhat for a while.''


''Oh, how kind, thank you Miss Evie.''


After you are all finshed eating and have paid out, the girls suggest you go down to make one last sweep of the marketplace before heading homewards.





......

A short walk takes you down to the boardwalk along the river. The shops and stalls here sell all sorts of things, from glass lamps to fresh fish.

Evangline stops at a flower-seller's tiny stall on the and picks out some blooms, while Charlotte walks a short distance away to look at silver jewelry being sold by some gypsies.

''Aren't these violets simply wonderful?''

From your left, down the street, you hear Charlotte's voice-

''Help me...mnppph!!''
[Anyone who looks in time will see this:]
Charlotte is being dragged off the boardwalk and into a small boat by two burly men! She is kicking and struggling, but cannot break free. One of the men has covered her face with a scarf, so that her shouts are muffled. Both men have bandanas tied over their lower faces and slouch hats pulled down snugly on their heads. This is all happening about forty feet away.

[steveflam]

OOC: Presuming of course Cirdan follows Norzak. Ray of exhaustion on the first thug he sees. Concentration check 17[I think as I'm running I need one) and Touch attack total of 17.

Norzak bolts into action. Looking back over his shoulder he yells at Evangeline "Call tha gendarmes missy, yer pal's bin taken by two men in a boat up ahead!" Reaching to his sweaty forehead, he dabs his palm as he runs. Now his fingers wiggle and he utters a few arcane phrases. Black energy begins to churn around his finger and as soon as he is in line of sight to the first thug he can see, the black energy flies from his finger. It hits the man squarely in the chest.

[ewancummins]

Evangeline begins shouting and waving her arms over her head, calling loudly for the gendarmes.

The thug hit by Norzak's ray slumps a bit, and Charlotte is able to get an arm free. She pulls the scarf from her face and screams. The man still has a grip on her other arm, and his companion has her legs off the ground, now.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Cirdan draws his sword and dagger.

"Evangeline, find a safe place and lock you in. I am sure these thugs are after you as well."

With that, the half-elf draws his sword and goes after the dwarf. (Which shouldn't be that difficult.

Whatever comes in his way, he will kill.

[ewancummins]

The first thug looks at Charlotte's face and says-

''This isn't the right one! Oh no, them!''

He points at the two of you [Cirdan and Norzak], waving his extended arm urgently.

The second thug shoots a panicked glance in your direction and lets go of the girl, dashing for the boat.

His friend is right behind him- but not fast enough to get away from Sir Cirdan, whose fleet feet have carried him within sword's reach.

[steveflam]

OOC: Magic Missile wand 3rd level shoots 2 missiles. 9 damage.

Norzak reaches to his belt and removes a wand. Uttering a word, a fiery missile flies from it, hitting the thug sqaure in the chest!

[ewancummins]

[OOC I took the liberty of rolling for Raf, so his PC doesn't miss the action. to hit =10+ 7= 17 [ a hit], damage =11 (7+4 str)]

The would-be kidnapper stumbles as the balefire bolt from Norzak's wand strikes him. He regains his balance and prepares to leap for the boat- when Sir Cirdan catches him and delivers a vicious sword blow. The man screams in pain, but doesn't stop moving. He leaps into the water, which quickly turns red around him. He's trying to swim away, but isn't making good progress- possibly slowed by his injuries, or perhaps he's just a poor swimmer.

His erstwhile companion has made it into the rowboat , cut the rope mooring the little vessel, and pushed off into the current. He's still not far away, perhaps ten feet of water between his craft and the riverbank.


Charlotte is kneeling on the boardwalk, out of breath from fighting and screaming, her face red and her hair in disarry. She doesn't appear to be injured, but is quite obviously shaken by her experience.


A small crowd of bystanders has gathered, keeping a fair distance from the scene of the fight. Over the din of excited conversation, one can clearly hear the shout:

''The gendarmes are coming!''

[ewancummins]

[back at the Marble Faun, Benn continues to read the book...]


In the next chapter, Benn comes across this little tale:

'' The local people have told me a colorful story connected with the cult of Incabulos. The account has been handed down from the time of their great-grandfathers. For my part, I doubt it's veracity. Many peasants of many nations tell such fireside tales to frighten children and amuse their elders.
In a duchy of long ago days, there lived a lady named Wolutha, daughter of the duke. When she was still young, a wasting plague swept the duchy and killed many. The young girl is said to have been especially horrified by the frightening aspect of the corpses left behind by this pestilence.
Wolutha grew to be a fine lady, fair of face and pleasing of figure. Knights contended for her favor, at court and at tourney. She spurned them all, though, seeking out and eventually marrying an older man, Hollfram the Bent. He is said to have been a scholar of black magic who had earned the enmity of the priesthood of Incabulos, on account of having stolen from them certain secrets or treasures.
Not long after the marriage, the old duke fell sick with a wasting disease, and Hollfram and Wolutha took up a co-rulership over the duchy.
She ruled as co-regent alongside Hollfram for a short time, before her father succumbed to old age and illness, despite the best efforts of the healers. Wolutha is said to have spent much time trying unsucessfully to cure her father, and was filled with grief when she failed to save him.
Claiming that Incabulite cultists were to blame for her father's illness and death, Wolutha launched a witch hunt that killed dozens of prominent citziens. Their holdings were confiscated by the duchess, of course. Hollfram himself fell victim to his wife's inquisition. He was seized by the duchess' men and beheaded withoiut trial, protesting his innocence right up to the headman's block.
The story grows murkier here, but the Kargites told me harrowing tales of Wolutha's reign: children disappearing near the castle, only to be found later in the forest-horribly aged and covered in running sores, vermin swarming through the fields and eating livestock left unprotected, and midnight demon-summonings in the courtyard of the keep. The people were oppressed, but afraid to flee in numbers or to rise in rebellion. By day, Wolutha's brutal gaurdsmen watched all the roads leading into and out of the duchy. The woods and hills around the settlements had become dangerous to travel, stalked by montrous beasts loyal to the witch-tyrant. Most especially, the folk feared the black winged shapes that swirled from her keep after sundown and carried off people foolish enough to walk the fields and raods at night.

A travelling knight and his retinue heard of Wolutha's wicked rule and came into the country, boasting they would overthrow the evil duchess and restore the people to freedom. The people prayed to all the gods of light that the knight would prove victorious. He and his companions entered the keep, but only the knight ever emerged. He had been enscorcelled by Wolutha, and gone from being her direst foe to her most faithful vassal. He took over leadership of her army and began to tighten his mistress' deathgrip on the country.
Their hopes for liberation destroyed with the knight's conversion, a number of people sought to flee the country. A mass flight began, with peasants and townsmen braving the dangers of the borderlands in their scramble for freedom. Many perished, but many others did manage to escape.
The fate of those who remained is a mystery. The few brave souls who returned to attempt a rescue of those they'd left beind found nothing but empty fields and misty bogs where once the barony had been. No trace remained of the castle , the villages, or even the farmers' fences.
The priests of Incabulos in Karg, which was not far away from the vanished lands, claimed that Incabulos had sent his wrath upon duchy in punishment for Wolutha's blasphemy and impiety. It is my opinion that this myth has been used by the modern day Incabulites to impress upon the people of Karg the necessity of honoring their patron god. ''