Rescue the Captives

Star-mask Cultist
Star-mask Brute
Star-mask
Star-mask Cult Leader

 

Scene 1 – The Cultist’s Lair
Scene 2 – Rescue & Slaughter

“These creeaturrs are dissgasting” said Ranier.

“Quite” replied Minoru. Magnus and Ereveron nod in agreement.

Upon further inspection of the brute, Brath gathers that it was once a larger animal which was overtaken by several star masks… perhaps a bear.. “parasitic they are.. BARRRRRP!” belched the druid.

“That’s disgusting too,” says Gallydyn in response to the druid.


  • Convinced that time is of the essence, the heroes set out to enter the marsh in the direction the villagers said the abductors fled
  • Magnus unhooks a mid-sized boat from the docks of Candlefen to take with them through the deeper parts of the swamp
  • The heroes set to find the abducted villagers and borrow a small fishing boat from the village to begin their journey into Wicklight marsh
  • Brath has spent much of his apprenticeship in the Dragon Wood and knows all the terrain well, so he uses speak with animals to learn from the wildlife where the strange beings have gone
  • Brath knows the swamp reasonably well since the druid he apprenticed under, offers to lead the party from the air
  • Brath uses a 6 with the High Druid to understand the nature creatures better and they point the heroes in the direction of the hostages
  • Portaging and heading in the direction that the animals indicate
  • Encountering a band of the strangely-masked humanoid in the swamp, the heroes move to save them from the awful parasites

ENGAGE!


  • Having been able to spare half a dozen or so of the mind-controlled villagers, the heroes then move to try and extricate the masks from their hosts
  • Success!  The villagers seem still alive – formerly members of the village of Candelfen.  They’re all grateful but in shock and disoriented
  • A combination  of steel, magic, and prayer manages to de-mask some of the attackers, and they revify them – imperial soldiers… grateful but in shock – being taken over… a little traumatizing.  They seem to have almost no memory of what happened while posesss, but in the fading light, the heroes can now see a campfire burning in the far distance.  THe party assists them in recouping somewhat, and agree that they are able enough to make their way back to Candlefen.
  • they have no info about where the lair was, but they seem content to stay where they are and protect themselves, being capable militia members normally
  • They do warn that they were swarmed when they were attacked… there were a lot of those parasites
  • Before the rescued soldiers leave, they warn the heroes that there were a LOT of the creatures, they were swarmed by them.  They ‘saw something come to rest on the ground’, and it was then that they were swarmed.  You reason they were talking about the meteors.  One of them recalls glimpses of prisoners… in a cave… near a fire…

  • A small fire is visible off in the distance, so the heroes leave the boat with the rescued militia members
  • As the heroes approach the ‘lair’, it’s obvious they’ve made no attempt to hide where they were residing… perhaps too ‘alien’ a thought, or just that they felt there was no threat
  • Ereveron and Brath scout around, and see captured villagers, a longhouse, and all takes place on an island in the swamp.  The floating parasites are clearly visible, but there seem too many to be sure – easily ten or so… and other figures moving in the shadows cast by the trees and brush
  • Strangely, as the heroes approach, there’s no guards… there’s no concern about being attacked themselves… or maybe it’s a trap… Decide to scout to look for hidden guards – Ereveron and Brath determine they’re on an island, we see captured villagers, a longhouse, and many of the star-mask beings skulking around… as many as 5 or 10, and another brute for certain.  Ereveron suggests a distraction to split their numbers and finish off the smaller force
  • Deciding it would be foolish to take on all those guarding the captives head-on, Gallydyn conjures distracting magicks to send some of the mask creatures off in another direction… and it works!
  • Confident now that the numbers are more in their favour, the brave adventurers attack those left guarding the remaining captives

ENGAGE!


  • Watching from their prison, the remaining villagers cheer when the last of the possessed captors falls to the heroes
  • Magnus find the keys and unlocks the captives
  • They immediately ask if the heroes have found the other captives in another place of the swamp off-island, but they are saddened to hear we have not, so they show us where they are and we rescue them as well.
  • Rainier is able to use his skills to remove the parasites from the unconscious hosts without killing them
  • they are horrified but grateful and offer all they can – even a suit of magical armor!
    • Drakescale armor (light)
      • +1 to AC
      • 1/day when in shadows or darkness can increase ac by 2
      • Brath

The heroes try to rescue as many of the star-mask captives as possible, and those that they are able to rescuscitate say there are more captives held deeper into the marsh or closer to the mountain – they can’t be sure.  THey’re horrified, but grateful nonetheless.  They are able to lead you to another captive spot, and more are rescued, all very grateful.  They offer a set of pristine armor, made from the skin of drakes.

Where did these strange masks come from?


A glowing orb zooms up to the party and expands to become an image of the powerful and wise Archmage. The image speaks:

“Greetings brave adventurers. A strange menace has appeared in the north of the Dragon Empire, and my questing orb has selected you as the closest and most suitable candidates to resolve the issue.

A meteorite has fallen near your location, disgorging strange creatures. If you investigate the fallen star and the creatures that it has bought I will reward you with magic.

After this message has finished the orb will guide you to your destination, as it glows brighter the closer you get to the meteorite. Once you have investigated, speak your findings into the orb.”

…and with that, the orb’s light vanishes to a tiny glow and the orb drops softly to the ground.

Minoru tries to impress upon it how important it is that they deal with it – she’s read about such phenomenon being foretold, and that this may only be the beginning.

Minoru   Impresses upon the party how important it is to deal with this threat – she’s heard vague mention made in the long studies of her short life so far… and if what she thinks is happening truly is, the entire empire could be under great threat!

Author: Turnerbuds