Whispers of the Dark Mother Chapter 1

[Adam]

Herman sweeps his hat off as the priestess intones her incantation, looking suitably somber. "Rest in piece, fella," he says as the flowers sprout. Suddenly he giggles to himself, "Now I gotta go find a fellow who%s resting in pieces."

Laughing, he bids the priestess adieu and leaves to fetch a wheelbarrow and some burlap sacks.

[JMaytr]

Lyrana strolls Temple Road nearing the bridge that crosses over to the northwest side of Brighton. The nearby Talmaara River rushes by, roaring, and frothing as the rapids trample over large rocks set in its bed.

There appears to be some activity on the other side of the bridge...a small crowd gathering at the mouth of Ogre's Alley. A child spots Lyrana, and the cleric recognizes the boy, she helped deliver his younger sister two winters ago. He starts over, a mixture of fear and excitement on his face.

"Holy one! A murder! Some poor soul has been killed in the alley. He was known to my father and the crowd gathering means to lynch him! Can you help?"

[JMaytr]

Terik

Terik sits down trying to catch his breath. The howl is still echoeing in his mind even if it does't heard anymore. He breaths heavily and he feels his heart pumping in his chest. What was that and what happened to the mercants! He stands up and trying to find them. He could't return back just like that
without them!! And was also a giant nearby...He had to hurry.

Terik slowly makes his way back to the wagons, the demonic howl fading from his ears but not his memory. It's strange, the howl...hes never heard anything like it but it seems familiar.

A memory flashes in his mind..but he knows its not his memory. The image that runs through his mind is of a mountain...Bright Mountain, its peak covered in quartz, exposed when the Shattering sundered the planet...There is a giant before the mountain, not unlike the one who slew his mentor, Angelo...

The giant raises his arms and the mountain cracks, opening before him...and the HOWL comes...

Terik shakes off the alien thought as he sees the wagon in the distance before him. It is untouched, but what appears to be wet rope lies on the trail surrounding it. Both horses are missing. Anything else requires the scout to move closer.

VIEW CONTENT:

Perception check

[JMaytr]

Tiberius approaches the town of Brighton. In the distance he sees smoke curling from chimneys and farmers tending their crops. The weather is more humid here than Tiberius's home in nearby Faramaar, but it makes up for the stuffiness with cloudier, grey skies. The heat and sunshine may make Faramaar a land of palm trees and oranges, but the bright sky wasn't always to the warrior's liking.

Entering town Tiberius sees that it is cut in half by the Talmaara River, which is covered with small fishing vessels. Two stone bridges cross it allowing access for the citizens. A large building, the towns main temple, lies just to the north at the end of a short road off the main street. A man is pushing a cart down the path.



Further ahead down the main road is the Laughing Dragon Inn, or so the elaborate fountain shaped like its namesake in front of the building proclaims.

[JMaytr]

Junia leaves the farmers guildhouse and goes looking for aid in battling the aggressive centipedes in the speakeasy's cellar. There are several taverns in town where so called "adventurers" hang out. There is also the two temples, the Temple of the Balanced Coin, and the much larger Church of Eternal Rest.

Where does she go?

[ewancummins]

JUNIA

Junia leaves the farmers guildhouse and goes looking for aid in battling the aggressive centipedes in the speakeasy's cellar. There are several taverns in town where so called "adventurers" hang out. There is also the two temples, the Temple of the Balanced Coin, and the much larger Church of Eternal Rest.

Where does she go?

Junia heads for the largest temple (Church of Eternal Rest), proceeding on the notion that she's likelier to find a healer on short notice at a big place than a small place. More clerics, more healing.

[JMaytr]

Terrik notices that the wet ropes aren't rope at all...but entrails. Following them with his eyes he see that they are connected to his merchant employers. The Faramaaran is only arms, head, and piled guts where his missing torso should be. The other man is intact but his entrails are the ones splayed around the wagon.

[JMaytr]

Badly hurt, Junia limps down the road toward the Church of Eternal Rest. The streets are unusually quiet this time of day...but as she crosses the stone bridge she sees a crowd gathered before Ogre's alley. A woman and a young boy stand at the foot of the bridge on the west side of the river.

"...can you help him?" Junia hears the boy plead to the woman.

VIEW CONTENT:

Knowledge check. What does Junia have?

[RocEter]

Tiberius continues along the road towards the inn, only giving a brief glance at the portly man pushing the empty cart.

[VAN]

Terik's eyes go wide, the howl, the merchants entrails all over the place were too much for the young ranger. He needs all his willpower to avoid screaming but he cannot manage to keep his lunch in his stomach... He starts running as fast as he can and doesn't stop till reaching Brighton.

[Adam]

Herman whistles a vaguely recognizable tune, perhaps The Ogre and The Sassy Lass, as he comes over the bridge to Ogre Alley. The tune drops away as he sees the crowd ahead of him, however. He reaches up under his hat band, scratching his scalp thoughtfully before shrugging. He picks the cart back up, and continues walking through the crowd.

"Comin' through!" he shouts, trying to sound official, "Meat wagon comin' through! Make way!"

[JMaytr]

Some of the townsfolk, knowledgeable of Herman and his grisly occupation, make a wide berth to allow the cart and its handler access into the alley.

A mans decapitated head smiles up at him. The rest of the corpse lies at the far end of the alley. No flies collect about the head, but a cloud swarms over the body.

VIEW CONTENT:

Heal check or Sense Motive check

[JMaytr]

As Terrik runs, he thinks he sees the intestines wriggle and move as if reaching for him. The thought that this could be real causes bile to rise in his throat.

VIEW CONTENT:

Will save

[JMaytr]

Terrik squeezes his eyes shut and swallows down the rising vomit. He manages to keep his nerve, running past the scene of horror. After a mile his nerves return and the tremble he'd had since hearing the howl is finally gone.

Night begins to fall and still the ranger hasn't quite made it to Brighton, but he can see the makeshift wooden barracks that the soldiers from the capital erected on the hill before the town. He can reach that place before the sun fully sets...if he wants to stop.

[ewancummins]

Badly hurt, Junia limps down the road toward the Church of Eternal Rest. The streets are unusually quiet this time of day...but as she crosses the stone bridge she sees a crowd gathered before Ogre's alley. A woman and a young boy stand at the foot of the bridge on the west side of the river.

"...can you help him?" Junia hears the boy plead to the woman.

VIEW CONTENT:

Knowledge check. What does Junia have?

VIEW CONTENT:

Knowledge: Local +5

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