News and Events

December 23, 2010 Session Overview

 

Smells like trouble...

Whilst heading full speed for Port-a-Lucine to plan the liberation of Vanador, the group found themselves in a shitty situation...literally. As they camped on the road in Darkon, an enormous, titan-like undead creature stepped over the road and relieved itself smack dab on top of the group's campsite. Several party members were trapped under the waste while the others tried furiously to dig them out. Just when they thought the situation could get no worse, it seems parasites of a sort were living in the monster's bowels and those trapped within were attacked by disgusting tentacled creatures. The creatures began strangling those within and even some outside the mound. It was a difficult battle, but eventually the monsters, later identified as Otyughs, were defeated.

 

I've got a hunch something's wrong...

After the disgusting battle, the group made its way to a small town to get cleaned up and restock on provisions. From there they followed the road as it crossed into the domain of Lamordia. After a days travel into the domain the group setup camp in a clearing off the road. Those on watch observed a hunchbacked humanoid carrying a large sack. When it noticed the men, it dropped its parcel and flew into a violent rage. It drew a machete-like weapon and cleaved it ferociously into the Magnus' skull. The group pummeled the creature en masse and dispatched it handily. Upon inspecting the monster's bag, they found the hacked off body parts of several humanoids.

 

Is there a doctor in the house...

It began to pour rain as a severe thunderstorm rolled in. As one of the lightning flashes lit the sky, the group spotted a castle in the distance. A few moments later, a carriage pulled up and a stately looking man offered them respite in the castle for the night. Eva and Char quickly accepted the man's invitation as the others more reluctantly concurred. Once in the castle, the man offered them food and drinks, introduced himself as Dr. Victor Mordenheim. They told him of their friend Vanador's predicament and he noted that he was close to powerful members of the Port-a-Lucine government. He offered to save Vanador if the group would do a small favor for him. He divulged that he was a scientist and that he required a human brain for one of his experiments. Actually a specific brain, that of a brilliant man who was the head of a nearby university. The group refused outright, and without a fuss, the man relented and bid them goodnight.  

Eva, Char, and Magnus went off to bed and Tucker and Uddain stayed up drinking in the parlor. Gash and Illustian searched about the castle, finding a secret room in the library. There they found journals detailing the good doctor's experiments. He was trying to create a son from the parts of dead humans, no doubt needing the professor's brain to complete his creation. The next morning the doctor asked them if they had reconsidered his offer and again they refused. Being a gracious man, he packed them some fruit and other provisions and gave them a wagon with two healthy steeds to speed their journey to Port-a-Lucine to save their comrade whom was scheduled to be executed in just four days.

 

Out of time...

Once they left the castle gates, a feeling of disorientation momentarily washed over them, but they continued on. Later in the day, they stopped to eat and noticed the fruit the doctor gave them was spoiled. Illustian gauged that the fruit had aged several days since they left the castle. Perplexed, they turned around and went back. When they arrived, the doctor was there as if waiting for them. Demanding an explanation, the doctor divulged that a spell was employed that elapsed time by three days, and his connections were the only hope they had left if they wished to save their friend from the executioner. Magnus and Illustian refused and took their leave of the group as the others begrudgingly accepted the doctor's quest.

With haste, Gash, Uddain, Char, Tucker, and Eva made for the house where the professor lived. They forced their way into his home but he was not there. They began searching the house as they waited and came across a secret room. In the room, they found a scrapbook with newspaper articles from several towns, including Port-a-Lucine, which chronicled the murders of various prostitutes along with a diary. In it, he wrote about his need to kill the women, of how he was being pursed by a gnomish inspector in Port-a-Lucine, and how he threw the gnome off his tracks and, using a ring of polymorphing, assumed the gnome's identity and framed two rubes for the murders. Finding this information relieved their consciences as they waited for him and knocked him out. Gathering his body and the evidence they found, they made for Mordenheim's castle. After turning over the unconscious man, the Doctor left for a short time and when he returned assured the group that their friend was acquitted.  

They resumed their journey to Port-a-Lucine and picked up Magnus and Illustian on the road. They filled them in on the unexpected developments and the group arrived at Port-a-Lucine, looking to find Vanador and Stewart.