Aftermath of Alric
Lord Alric is dead. Lorien Painbearer affirmed he was alright and trusted in Ilmater’s guidance.
Cisco directed the wounded to heal and rest. The rest formed a perimeter around the manor.
Ivon sent the wounded to Ethel’s apothecary. Sent the rest to investigate the screams of dying people from Alric’s revival. Guards gave dirty looks to Garron Drex who fled to Ethel’s during the battle.
Manor recon
Cisco gathered Ivon and Garron Drex for info on the manor:
- Couldn’t provide specifics — they never stayed inside long.
- Servants inside but unsure if they were ghosts.
- Manor pulses with blue light.
- Could probably burn but probably protected by a magical force.
- Drex drew a rough map. Mentioned the stairs seem to move.
Is Lorien himself?
Extended back-and-forth about whether Lorien Painbearer is controlled by the heart.
Lorien requested Yort Li check him over. Yort Li used Turn Undead — Lorien involuntarily fled. Wtf Lorien.
Elijah didn’t trust him.
At the Empty Net, we tied Lorien to the table. He didn’t resist. Yort Li cast Augur and told Lorien to tell us what to do. Lorien requested holy water be thrown on him. Yort Li received an omen through Augur that this was a bad idea.
Trust was very low. We left Lorien locked in for the night with Ruasar keeping him company.
Edrin and the Hollowed
Cisco sought out Edrin to ask about the warehouse. Edrin said the Hollowed are feared and pitied — reminders not to meddle with dark forces. None of them had left Brackenford’s boundaries; seemed they couldn’t. They wither over time as something seems to take their life force.
There were four:
- Elias Feanor — strong fisherman
- Morwenna Blackshore — red-haired woman
- Finley Grimharrow — mischievous rogue
- Maddox Crowley — the oldest and perhaps original
Elias is the most recent, found by the docks a few months ago.
Long rest
Untied Lorien Painbearer in the morning. He had a tinge of blue, just like the manor.
Before the manor, we destroyed the Soul Hag’s medallion for safety:
- Yort Li dropped one drop of acid — sparks and energy released.
- Headed outside.
- Slowly poured the vial. Chain smoking black acrid smoke. Building to a crescendo.
- Necklace was burned away except for the medallion. Pressure increased.
- Yort Li took two steps back and finished pouring onto the medallion.
- The medallion exploded. The Forest Hag’s power was removed from the plane altogether, along with the mysteries it held.
The chained oak
The two chains for the forest hag and Alric were both still broken.
Entering the manor
Torches inside sputtered out into a night fog. Set up signals: 1 blow = leaving, 2 = enemy / come to me. Cisco now had a whistle from Elijah J. Lucas.
Elijah lit a torch. Gave one to Cisco.
Entered the grand foyer. Two stone sentinels flanked the door — moved to close the doors behind us. Felt much warmer; torches flickered.
Passed a large mirror next to a defaced statue. The mirror followed our movement but a heartbeat behind.
Turned toward the study. Passed a murmuring painting with fresh paint that wasn’t there a moment ago. Elijah hacked at it — shredded it, heard the voice of a young Lord Alric saying he wasn’t always a tyrant.
Right: ballroom — image of a time long ago (people there too? Like Jack Nicholson’s bar in The Shining). Left: the study with books flying around like angry birds.
The study
Inside: a symbol on the table, crudely etched. Ruasar arcana check — mark of the hag’s power and territory.
From the hallway, several pale humans glided up — clearly ghosts. Stopped and watched, frenzy of emotion silently changing between sadness, grief, anger, anguish.
Cisco: “What do you lot want?”
Like moths to a flame, drawn by our vitality. “We hunger.” “Save us with your flesh.”
Lorien Painbearer looked inward to Lord Alric for context — saw a young Alric supplicating his subjects, overlaid with an older Alric killing those same people.
Cisco cast Suggestion on the most corporeal ghost to destroy the hag since she took their vitality. They stepped aside but wouldn’t help. Warned of stronger and meaner souls. Disappeared into the fog.
Elijah destroyed the symbol on the table. Screaming from the distance. We bolted into the ballroom as three poltergeists stormed in.
Combat.