Shortly after making your way to Glasur’s boat, you feel the ground shudder as the echoing rumbles of an avalanche drift on the wind. From the riverside, you can see the dust cloud rise high into the sky.
You spend the day recuperating on Glasur’s boat, and after filling him in on the events of the last few days, he tells you how he’s seen the cultists wandering off in groups, looking stunned, almost as if they were waking from a nightmare. Some he claims seem to still have a look of evil on him, but the majority he’s seen are lost and confused.
For the first time since you’ve met him, he’s smiling.
Using what cloth and extra cloaks you find, you manage to sew Jaryn’s body into a cloth wrap using herbs and chemicals that Bartholomew manages to pull together to preserve it. As the boat passes close to the burned-out village where you last fought cultists, you see a new group of people slowly shoveling ash and debris from the collapsed houses. Their faces are set in grim lines as they work tirelessly to rebuild the small village. A small boy at the riverside waves to you as the boat glides by, and his mother, a step behind, looks away from your eyes in shame. You recognize the faded color of a cult tunic on her but note that the symbol of Bane has been scrapped off crudely.
Days later, when Glasur finally approaches Adakmi, a huge host of its citizens line the riverside for miles. Most wave and cheer, some weep and pray as you pass, and it’s clear that the people consider your group heroes. When the boat finally docks, Adakmi’s leaders greet you all with warm handshakes and generous smiles.
“I’d not have thought it possible, but you’ve freed this land and saved us all from a dark curse!”
There is a huge crowd, and you feel hundreds of hands slapping you on the back and shoulders as you make your way down the mountain into the citadel. Hundreds of people’s voices wash over you as you hear tales of how hundreds of ex-cultists showed up at their gates unarmed and surrendered. The reformed cultists told tales of how your small group entered the temple and purged it of the evil presence of Naarash. Adakmi kept the cultists prisoner for a long time as the debated what to do – some they’ve already let go, as they could tell that Naarash’s hold over them had been finally broken. You spend several days in Adakmi, showered with gifts and food and ale.
Your attempts to give Glasur a bonus is flatly refused by the dwarf. He takes the agreed payment and not a gold coin more. There is mirth in his face again as he shakes your hands one final time, and bids you fare journey. The denizens of Adakmi had re-wrapped Jaryn in further preservative linens, and provide you with a cart and sturdy oxen to get you further south.
A few days later, you reach the ruins where the shape-shifters ambushed you. In the light of the day, you see that someone had piled cairns for the fallen centered around a flat stone with the word “Vengeance” scrawled crudely in blood.
When your group reaches Erstlin, the villages there greet you with wide smiles. You note that they’ve armed themselves with the cultists weapons they once helped smuggle, and they walk with a confidence that they didn’t seem to know they had. You also note that Perren Auldwyl, the village elder who attempted to cover up your arrival, is not among them. When you inquire about him, their faces turn grim.
“Shortly after you left, a Hand patrol did show up as we knew they would. Your ruse had worked fine, they’d found the bodies north and assumed their previous men had been ambushed and killed. But Perren, he was acting strange… staring off and barely paying attention to them. We told them that a group of adventurers had passed north, and they seemed satisfied that they’re men must have run into you. They dismounted and told Perren and the rest of us to fetch the weapon shipment. Now, I dunno if it was your words that finally reached him, but Perren didn’t move. He just stared at their black hearted leader, a beast of a man standing at least six and a half feet tall. Perren glared up at him straight in the eyes, and he says ‘No’. None of us could believe it. ‘No more. We won’t be party to this anymore’. You could hear the entire village gasp when he said it. Then Perren, he reaches for that old longsword he always carries at his side.”
The village is silent for a few heartbeats.
“He never even got it out the scabbard. The cultist’s axe took his head clean off in one blow. It was frightening… I’d never seen anyone move that fast. Equally fast was our reaction – as one we swarmed the bastards. Pitchforks… rocks… wood axes… knives… we used anything we had. There were only six of them, and we tore at them like we was animals.”
The man gestures into the woods.
“Left their bodies about a league that way. Left ’em for the wolves. Didn’t even bother to hide ’em either. Then we armed ourselves with their weapons. No one’s going to force us into that situation again…”
He hands you some papers, correspondence between the Hand and the Zhentarim. Shipping quantities and schedules… its clear that the Zhentarim helped arm the Hand.
By the time you finally reach Autumn’s Hollow, where your adventure began, you realize its been almost four months since you left this very same town. Emesha and her Light of the Sun paladins greet you warmly, telling you how your tale of valor has already preceded you, flowing down from the Moonsfall mountains like a refreshing summer breeze. The refugees have been returning north for weeks now.
When you relate your entire tale, and tell her of the sad fall of her companions, she struggles to maintain her composure, but finally breaks when she learns that Jaryn had succumbed to madness and darkness.
“I wish you could have known him before all this… He was noble. Strong. Good. That man you slew, that wasn’t the Jaryn I know. I hope he’s free now. I hope he’s free…”
The Light of the Sun take possession of the body, and she tells you that their new mission is to travel north and help rebuild and heal the land. They are to return to the Temple of Naarash and make sure there is no chance that the cult will ever rise again.
Even here, in Autumn’s Hollow, the townsfolk celebrate your victory. Your stay here is rapidly becoming a blur of free lodgings, long nights of flowing ale, and pleading shouts for you to recount your many tales: the duel with Dajani, the riverside fight amongst the burning village, the somber defeat of the noble Jaryn, and the fall of Naarash.
Cheers, laughter, and tears flow as readily as does the drink throughout these nights.
STORY REWARDS
- Saviors of the Frontier
- You freed the numerous frontier villages from the cursed terror of the Hand of Naarash cult. Having suffered for years under horrible tyranny from the cult, the people who live in the shadow of the Moonsfall mountains will never forget the unnamed group of noble heroes who liberated them. The story of your amazing deeds will be told and re-told for years among these folk, and your names are spoken with reverance.
- The Unknown Enemy
- One of the doppleganger assassins escaped, whilst his brothers were slain by your hand. It’s clear that he intends to exact revenge for what you have done, and who knows when he will strike, or as who…?
- The Black Lord
- You have slain Naarash, and shattered his cult whose service was devoted to Bane. The loss of Bane’s minions has sent minor ripples through Banehold, his evil realm, and deep inside the Black Bastion, the dark god has taken notice of your actions.
TREASURE REWARDS
- Base gold reward (total after selling off the valuables): 400gp each
- Bundles (pick one):
- magic rod +2
- diadem of acuity
- boots of striding
- +2 vicious weapon
You may choose one of the above bundles (yeah they’re weak) or take an extra 200gp.
