Adventure #10: Undead at Old Owl Well
2024/05/11 Session 10: Undead at Old Owl Well (Campbell, Doug, Ronn, Zak)
9 Winterwane 5023
The Order of Righteous Peregrination sets off to investigate the reports of walking dead at the Old Owl Well and deliver a message of warning to denwar miners that the dragon has been making trouble in the area.
It was a hard 3-days travel on simple paths and trails through the forested hills and mountains east of Trinity Lake to reach the ruins of Old Owl Well.
The first day took them past some incredible vista’s, the Fairview Boat Launch where they saw the first eidola since leaving the road behind them, and they would not see another for two more days, and they crossed the Great Dam of the Ancients, which holds in place the entirety of Trinity Lake. They camped rough at Papoose Creek the first day.
10 Winterwane 5023
The second day they crested Trinity Summit, passed beneath the shadow of Blue Mountain, filled their canteens at Quartz Spring, and made a rough camp in Halls Gulch without incident or knowledge that Alpen Vineyards was just 2-miles further north on the river gulch.
11 Winterwane 5023
Day three they caught a glimpse of the farmhouse of Alpen Vineyards as they climbed up the mountainside, they followed the mountain passes across eight streams and without Horatio’s magic would have spent the entirety of the day with wet boots. They camped rough at the junction of Mumbo Creek and the East Fork Trinity River, knowing they were close, but wanting to approach the ruins with more light and after a long night's rest.
12 Winterwane 5023
The smoke of a campfire rising from the top of a nearby hill showed them the way and they set out to investigate. As they summited a low ridge, the crumbling ruins of an old watchtower could be seen standing atop a rugged hill. Dartina went ahead of the group as they secured the horses and found the ruins of an old watch tower from which the stench of death rolled like a foul perfume. The place was so old that the walls were little more than mounds of rubble enclosing a courtyard of sorts, adjacent to the broken stump of an old tower. But the smell came from a dozen laboring zombies, who ceased their labors as they became aware of the adventurer coming up the hill. Dartina circled toward a colorful tent which had been set up in the middle of the courtyard, the zombies followed, but did not engage, no controlling necromancer could be seen and the zombies would not let her close enough to investigate further. She returned to the Order and told them of the situation and that several of those zombies were Red Brands, including the deceased mage Glockter San Balet. Together they decided to approach the tent together and get some answers.
The zombies gathered near as the Order approached and beckoned a greeting toward the tent. That and the commotion caused the tent flap to swing open and reveal a stout, red-robed figure with sallow skin, a shaved scalp, and a black tattoo on his forehead. The members of the Order recognized that tattoo as matching the markings on both of the magic calling cards in their possession. Even as the necromancer growled at them, “What is the meaning of this?” Horatio was releasing a powerful sleep spell against him. He was asleep before he could step from the tent or say so much as his name.
The unintended result of this was to release the dozen zombies from the necromancers control. Given the nature of the undead, they immediately set upon the heroes and battle ensued. The battle was fierce, but the zombies were returned to the earth one by one. As they set to finishing off the last pair of undead a terrifying visage dropped from the sky and into the ruined courtyard. A dragon, black as night and blazing with crimson highlights along its scales, its underside a deep bloody red. It announced itself loudly and called forth Hamun Kost from the tent. Even in his engorged state, Chane was absently batted aside by a casual sweep of one wing, and was left with the impression that negotiation would be the best choice of interactions with this beast.
As the warriors finished off the zombies, Horatio engaged the dragon and as he spun a tale of the necromancer’s absence another draconic shape appeared in the sky high above. Fenboric, the black dragon, took to the air and the adventurers watched as the two creatures engaged in a few passes before the black raced off to the west, pursued by the newcomer. That newcomer was not the pale beast the heroes had seen at the bridge and foretold a dilemma of draconic proportions for the region, mayhap, a three dragon problem.
The Order bound and disarmed the necromancer before the spell wore off. He woke to the band standing around him, his tent disheveled, and to a flurry of questions by his captors. His name, Hamun Kost. His purpose, his own. He wants to ask a question of the Agatha of Callahan, but doesn’t want to risk the banshee’s anger. He is worried about the scro at Mt Eddy who, he is convinced, have scouted his camp and will soon make trouble for him. He confessed to knowing both Iarno Albrek and Glockter San Balet, made no apologies for turning the later into a zombie, and acknowledged that the dragon, Fenboric, had come to meet with him, but gave unsatisfying answers as to why. The loss of his spellbook and calling card seemed to vex him far more than the magical ring that was taken from his finger. He gave little sign of concern regarding the loss of his zombie minions, muttering only that there were always more around. And there was some talk of Horatio joining his cadre of wizards rather than the aelfar woman… whatever that means.
Treasure:
35 sp | 20 ep | 20 gp | 5 pp
pearl (100 gp)
tiny jeweled box (25 gp)
potion of healing
scroll of darkness in a bone tube
ring of protection from ancient Theneril
calling card of Hamun Kost
Spellbook of Hamun Kost:
Cantrips (at will): light, mage hand, shocking grasp
1st level: burning hands, charm person, comprehend languages, detect magic, false life, fear, identification, magic missile
2nd level: hold person, locate object, misty step, ray of enfeeblement
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