Session XVIII - Drik the Wight (2001-10-09)
Cassandra and Radagast met Bardia, who said he now had some time to go look for Drik personally, and participate more directly anyway. In the temple they also found a monk who had been sent to protect Cassandra (although Cassandra was having a hard time believing it as the man was not wearing any armor nor did he seem to have any weapons). Thalonius was his name, and he was from the Republic of Capernaum. At the temple they also met a priest who gladly healed the wounds of Cassandra and Radagast. He introduced himself as Jobric. Jobric seemed to be in love with the bottle, but he seemed like a good man, and his healer's skills were certainly not under question. After a bit of a talk the whole bunch was prepared to go and find Drik in the woods, and find any evil in the way.
That night Radagast once again saw a vivid dream he could recall every detail of. In the dream a man told him to go back to the Blue Trush, saying the the foxes head was hiding something that Alayn would find of use. Also the dream messenger told Radagast to go the trial of Thomas Seidenschneider.
The party ate at the Blue Trush, and Radagast found a ring from behind the fox head. He could sense that it was magical, having some kind of protective spell on it.
Since they did not want to be away from the city more than what was necessary, anyone who did not have a horse either bought one or borrowed one.
Bardia guided them fast through the woods towards the old ruins. During the first day Bardia realized that the rose bushes he was looking at were not the ordinary kind of roses. They were a breed from the Cursed Lands, known to feed on the blood of living creaturers. After some debate it was decided they should destroy the bushes so that they would not harm any innocent beings. They prepared to throw flasks of flaming oil at the bushes. After the first flames, the bushes realized they had been spotted and viciously attacked with their vines of surprising reach. Radagast and several others were grabbed in their bristly embrace. The plants were sucking blood through their hollow thorns, and Radagast was getting really weak until he was rescued with his comrades. The bushes did not turn out to be a big threat for the others, and were quickly hacked to pieces and burned.
The night passed without an incident, although they had double watches just in case.
Next day the party found a place where Bardia's dog, and Ziggy's wolves, simply refused to go forward. The reason became quickly apparent: there was a creature tied to a tree, and the stench of death permeated the air. It was Drik! Cassandra yelled to him, and he seemed to move. There was something wrong though, and the party made some precations while closing in: Bardia cast a spell which made the roots and grass and vines behind and around Drik to become alive, ready to snag anything and anybody that tried to pass through, also tying Drik more tightly to the tree. Jobric attempted to turn undeads, and Drik reacted: he was cowering! A bad sign indeed. Cassandra wanted to try anything she could think of, and tried healing Drik, as if death was some kind of a disease. Obviously Drik did not become any better. Thalonius grabbed her from behind and dragged her away from the undead, and Bardia killed the creature with Spiritshard, the enchanted weapon made by Eomric. Immediately a voice spoke, as if coming from the tree, giving a warning that this would be the destiny of anyone who opposed the old gods.
Jobric consecrated the site, and Drik's body was packed to go, so that it could be buried properly. The old ruins were found nearby, but they could find nothing interesting, save for the ad hoc holy symbol Galen had made for Drik, which Bardia took.
The trip back to the town proceeded quickly while Radagast, Cassandra and Bardia talked about how Drik. They turned Drik's remains to the bishop. The bishop also invited Cassandra and Jobric to the trial of Thomas Seidensneider, which was to be held in two days. Radagast went to see Alayn. That turned out to be easy, Alayn was more or less looking for Radagast, as if guided by someone or something. Cassandra could sense some evil from Alayn. When Radagast gave the ring to Alayn, he promptly put it into his finger and did not even seem to be surprised. Radagast told Cassandra to check Alayn again, and this time there was no evil presence! It looked like Alayn might have been possessed by evil beings, and the ring gave protection against that. Alayn informed the party that Cador was under siege by some orc tribe Radagast did not recognize. Bardia asked about the trial of Thomas Seidensneider, and Alayn said he was accused of the murder of the old Wechseler.
After meeting with Alayn, Bardia and Radagast gathered some of the facts about the known or suspected villains and victims:
Cordwellyn
Tomaloc, captain of Cordwellyn's mercenary army, rumored to be Alayn's
half brother
Adrian the Magistrate, appointed by Cordwellyn
Alayn, possessed by evil
Khulven, dead
Eomric, dead
House Schwertkauf, Mathilda a follower of Vecna
House Wecsheler, old Wecsheler murdered, supposedly by his corrupted son Gustaf
House Sneidenseider, Thomas accused of murder
It was unclear how Lord Bjoric fit into the picture. There seemed to be a lot of connections to Cordwellyn, and the troubles of the major trading houses only increased his influence. The tidbit about orcs laying siege on Cador did not seem to fit the picture, though, since Cordwellyn seemed to be living there.
Cassandra, Bardia and Jobric went to the dungeon to see Thomas. Jobric tricked the guard to giving them his instruments of torture, and letting him believe they were there to "question" Thomas. Cassandra was furious at first, but brightened up when Jobric told her to destroy the things.
When they first saw Thomas there was a rat with him, which quickly disappeared. Was it perhaps Eomric's familiar? Thomas appeared calm, and explained that the trial would uncover the evil. He did not provide details, just said that they should be there and see it for themselves. The party figured that there would be a zone of truth at the trial, and Thomas speaking truth would not hurt him. However, the forces of evil would be surprised by the zone (perhaps they thought they had means of avoiding it or they had faked it earlier) and would be exposed. Thomas explained that Tomaloc had found items stolen from House Wecsheler in Thomas' possession, and havind a knife that could have been the murder weapon.
It all seemed too good to be true. Bardia and the others did not want to leave matters to change, however, and prepared for the trial in their own way. They scouted the place where the trial would be held, planning their positions and potential jobs in case something went wrong. Bardia additionally schemed with his three most trusted scouts. Radagast spent the entire day scribing scrolls. Zig Zag and Jobric had provided him with the funds.
$50 discount!