Southfort Adv # 2    (day/night 2)                              Actual date 11/06/11      Arden date June 21, 1253

Last night a group of ’outsiders’ (ones who found themselves in the area with no other safe haven from the madmen) temporarily joined to help out Southfort.  Unfortunately that temporary grouping did not last, one was bitten and is in the sick tent, and one ran out alone and was Lost to the horde, still others are around but have taken up a spot on the wall…

The newly formed group of outsiders consists of:                                                                                                             (cleric) Cyne  a man immediately respected as a man of the cloth                                                     (ranger) Holt brothers of Cyne, both from Wensel                                                                                                      (druid) Kinson, who is known as a bit of a pariah, a tree hugger in a lumber town                                  (sorcerer) Edgar Bacon, little is known about the forest dwarf                                                                                     (dusk blade) Hanker eventually made his way into the party, a non forest dwarf showed his battle skills Still others may decided to throw their lot in with the ’outsiders’                  

The party awoke after a brief respite from a LONG night (see Adv #1 notes).  The town was gathered in the center for some kind of event… Once the group moved in closer a make shift hangman’s stand had been erected and a ‘tiefling’ was strung up.  Father Dithers was giving him his last rights as the demon spawn was yelling ‘pagans!’  This disturbed several members of the party, Kinson started yelling at Timdon.  He questioned what evidence was there to commit such an evil act. Timdon simply said “just look at him.”  Trying to avoid a riot, Cyne calmed Kinson.

 Cyne attempted to ‘fish’ by hooking the holy warriors (who had died just outside the walls) body with a rope and fishing hook.  He stated he wanted to bless the body before it could join the horde of mad men.  Unfortunately his skills with a fishing line seem to be lacking.  Holt eventually hoped down and freed the rope line returning it to Cyne with no body in tow.

Kinson spoke with Sunani in jail and also was able to get Cyne to enact her release her under his ‘guidance’.  Cyne learned how well built the jail was and hoped every able body could help protect Southfort, even a suspicious niece of a known shaman. 

Later that morning a monk (Thaddeus) was running towards Southfort, he slipped and was caught up by mad men sixty feet away from the walls; he was quickly lost to the madmen.  Once evening returned, the madmen became more active again.  Tearing a hole in the wall, by the time the party made it to the hole a guard had been bitten and three madmen had entered.  A vicious fight ensued, slowing bringing down the madmen, and the guard.  Only the guard had been bitten, and a cot had been placed over the hole.  More wood was found to secure the cot in place.  The madmen apparently dad kept getting back up a few rounds after dropping, by clearly fatal blows.  Decapitation and fire was tried on moving madmen but nothing SEEMED to keep them down…

DM NOTE: Another night has come and gone, the party seemed at a loss for ways to KEEP the mad men down.  (little do they know HOW close they were on several occasions to keeping one down, who knows what the future holds but if things continue as they are Southfort will be overrun sooner rather than later. 

Adv #3 Day three and four in Southfort…

A wall guard (Zarcus) showed the group one way to ‘put down’ a mad man.  He crushed their skull once they have fallen with a blunt weapon.  None have risen back up yet from this procedure, also fire damage to one fallen has also worked.  Father Dithers convinced them to concrete the local graveyard.  Once there a recently departed frequently visitor of Southfort (a nasty traveling salesman) Hoyt Merris.  He is defeated along with some hurling head skeletons.  A magical pipe, arcane scroll and long sword along with a normal chain shirt are found.

Next they asked Zarcus to join them and go to the Miller farm to check out the meteor.   The defeated all of the various undead on the farm: a horde of skeletal chickens, some plague zombies (madmen) some dark shades of some sort in the farm house and a large boar in the barn.  Some zombielike creatures in the fields were avoided.  Several potions, a silver sickle $, food and valuables along with two magical books were found.  Hanker and Cyne were infected by the boars itch not sure if this led to madness or zombiehood or just a bad rash the group was concerned.  Zarcus is taken to the sick tent.

Sunanni  mentions a magical tree nearby that might help the group  with the boar’s itch, once their they defeat a few summoned protectors Kinson explains his intent and the tree allows them to pick 6 apples.  Two are quickly eaten and diseases are cured…

The group divided up the spoils…

Unsure of what to do next, Edgar suggests they finish the delivery of the alter to the church and that might possibly protect the entire town of Southfort against the Evil madmen.  Cyne bargained with the town to borrow the horses, if he swore to return them and for two apples to experiment in the sick tent,  he was able to acquire the two horse to bring back the alter.  The venture out at first light and run into a few wandering zombies and Cyne banishes them into the woods.  Upon reaching the wagon they find it overturned.  After some pondering the remove the alter from the wagon and then righted the wagon and replaced the alter.  Once the alter was set back onto the wagon five madmen rushed the wagon.  Dues again came to Cyne’s aid and 3 of the men ran away.  The two remaining madmen did something quite peculiar; they looked at each to her as if gauging whether to continue the attack without the others… This is the first sign of intelligence among the ‘madmen’.  The two seemed to agree to fight and quickly injured the party.  After several rounds, Cyne finally was able to muster enough faith and these two ‘intelligent madmen’ ran off.  The attached the horses and began the trip back, unfortunately a few hours in turned into night. 

After some close calls, the party made it to the outskirts of Southfort.    Kinson summoned 3 wolves to draw the madmen away from the gate, this worked…  Once in the town, the alter was brought into the church and Dithers started his preparations.  Dithers felt waiting for Dawn would be most fortuitous. 

While talking to Dithers they found out the bad news.  While the apple slice had helped many of the sick tend ‘turn the corner’ on the disease many were not help and not only passed on in the night but also returned as madmen.  Nearly a third of the remaining townfolks had been lost as the party was out.  A LARGE  pile of corpses lay strewn about the northeastern part of town.  Zarcus and Edgar began the work of permanently putting down the fallen people before they rise again…

While Dithers continued his preparations loud screaming was heard from the main gates.  The party rushed forward to see the gates bend and break as three screaming horrors entered the town (three madmen joined at the shoulders with a large mouth of thorns underneath screaming…)  The group quickly engages them and a deadly battle ensues.  Without Cyne curing Hoyt and Hanker during the battle both of them and possible the fort would have been lost…  Kinson entangle the screaming terrors, the party and also importantly the broken gate…  While everyone nearby was temporarily immobile, Holt slowly killed his with some fiery help from Edgar.  Meanwhile Hanker was dealing lots of damage that eventually dropped another one, he was receiving TONS of damage himself, luckily Cyne spent most of his curing spells on him during this fight…           While the entangle spell affected the ground level, two guard closed one side of the gate as Holt raised the other side and temporarily afflicts it to the other gate as the entanglement drops.  Some madmen are able to reach the gate and try to break in but are unsuccessful.   

The alter is consecrated and Cyne aided in the eulogy, a ‘Holt lasso trick’ is performed to get a madmen for testing out the ‘new and improved’ church grounds.  The church is ‘better’ protected but not immune to harm… 

The party is thinking they may not wait for the town’s mass exodus of the following morning.  Keeping all of the injured, women and children safe in a woods full of madmen sound like a fool’s errand.  Going to the Abby on their own sounds better and better.

MVP …Hanker         Artist …Kinson          Role Play… Cyne

Adv#4

After another grueling night the town had given up hope (even after the church dedicated a new alter) and decided to have a mass exodus at first light.  The party decided to go their own way just before dawn.  Some removed their heavy armor so they could run, the dwarf drank a potion on long strider, Kinson smoked his pipe into a smoke screen and sent his wolf fang off in another direction to distract some of the zombies and finally Cyne turned the closest zombies which altogether made for a easy initial escape from Southfort.

While in the woods, Kinson finally stumbled on his own words on protecting the woods while a haunted treant tangled up the party, Edgar lit it on fire with the rest of the party chopped it down to size  making quick work of it…  As the party considering traveling speeds they found the road and decided they would make better time on the road rather than through a thick woods (with more haunted treants also likely).

Once it was close to dust they would find a large tree and haul the dwarf and wolf up…  This seemed to work for the most part.  It was clear that there are lots of undead wolves in the area, who always found the tree but then would leave.   After several days of travel like this they made it to the Abby. 

John Macon the Bishop of the East(BOE) and Holland Phillips (hand of Di) greeted them, they looked very weary, only 7 monks remained at the Abby that once contained over 50 souls.  They were glad to let them in once a detect life spell was cast and made some mention of a “live looking”  person they allowed to enter in the first few days who brought havoc to the place.  The gate was no longer functional, a breach is a side wall told of some viscous attacks, and they report these attacks were not mindless madmen but seemed coordinated by some greater intelligence.   Once night fell, the party took places on the wall.  A small demon child (bacob’s child) flew down and puked on Ralph.  All at once he seemed to glow in a eerily light and HORDES (well 38 anyway) zombies stormed the wall to get to Ralph. 

Holland and Hanker took out the demon child.  The Abby and party were distracted by the onslaught (oddly enough Cyne mentioned the unmanned opposing wall, ghoul wolves were about to jump it).  BOE easily turned to DUST some of the horde but not before they killed Ralph.  As they were ‘mopping up’ the remaining zombies four wolves attacked from the opposing wall. (All the while a vampiric lord looked on)  Two more of the ‘guardians of light’ fell before they were driven back.  Kinson’s wolf and fire summoned fire elemental helped Holland dispatch the wolves as Edgar danced on the gate…

Now a dark man on a horse boomed his voice loud enough for all to hear “ THIS ABBY IS A CYST ON ARDEN THAT SHALL SOON BE REMOVED, I NEED MORE, SO I SHALL BRING MORE”  Holt and Cyne ran after him, he slowly turned his horse and disappeared into the night before they could get close.

BOE asked for the promise of helping them to defeat this horseman in exchange they could have access to the Abby’s treasury ($ and magic), they with some discussion, complied.

During the night Mal of the remaining guardians of light recognized Holt’s name and wanted to speak to him in private about some ‘secret’ of unknown silliness.

AWARDS           MVP Kinson       RP the ever flamboyant Cyne     Artist Holt

Adv#5 summary 12/18/11  day 8

The party started by dividing up the treasury. The party had decided to stay until the dark rider was slain, so the BOE said they could have four items. Magic is quite rare so this is quite a treasure horde. Once the items were divvied up they went back to fortifying the abbey. Night fell and the BOE offered anyone who asked a death ward spell.  Some walkers were still milling about the abbey area ever since noon.

An hour after sun set the dark rider appeared again, this time with three ‘warriors’ with him. Also on the far side of the abbey, a child of bacoob puked on Brutus (one of the abbey monks.)  A much larger horde stormed the wall.  Cyne pulled out a relic given to him by the bishop (much to the wonder of the party why the BOE was not already using it) Which rained sunlight on an area surrounding the abbey.  Nearly all of the walkers fell over, two of the warriors burned up (the party was thinking vampires), while the third dropped from the damage and turned into a gaseous cloud.  He reformed after Holt attacked the cloud.  The rider rode up just as Cyne ran out to him (Later saying he thought the Abbey’s paladin would be right behind him) and was quickly dropped with several negative levels.  Then the rider rode up (apparently on some type of Dakamule) and slayed Nusuada (another monk guard) who was about to stake the vampire prone on the ground.  At this time Phillip (the hand of Deus) joined the fray and attacked the rider.  He attacked him along with Hanker, and Holt as Edgar continually threw multiple positive energy spells at him…  While this was going on Kinson healed Cyne as the BOE restored his negative levels.  Then the BOE then ran over and staked the prone warrior vampire, and cut off his head after putting holy wafers in his mouth.  Eventually, the rider dropped Phillip, the hand of Deus in combat after several negative levels seriously weakened him.

 Finally after the group effort, the rider was knocked from his horse as he was falling to the ground Holt and the BOE saw some apparition leave the body just before he turned into a gasous cloud.  Holt again reformed him and the cut off his head and staked the heart.  The BOE was so distraught over the loss of Phillip that he offered to take the group to the largest city in the area (via wind walking).  The group wanted to go back and save the abbey currently full of walkers.  They quickly agreed to leave with the BOE.  Just before night ended, they arrived a few miles outside of Citron.  The BOE mentioned wanting to give them safe passage to this city which he hopes is safe while he returns to the Archbishop and reports the loss of the abbey and the hand of Deus…

Before he leaves he drops a bag of holding and thanks them for their efforts, The party asks why he did not perform some mighty healing on Phillip, but he responded, we now live in a dead world, I have previously tried to revive some of the abbey monks with no success, and Philip had his blood drain as well as death, he might have come back as a walker OR vampire neither of which would have be for the hand of Deus…”   He must report the death knight possessing a vampire to the Arch bishop in hopes of helping solve this plague that is ravishing the land…

DM/Keith