Oog Cack Mepoots, Part 20
A prisoner and his captor travel south to Nashkel. On the road south of Beregost, usually safe for those who keep clear of the wyvern inhabited canyons in the east, they are assaulted by short demonic figures who attack in number and with the element of surprise. The captor is overtaken, and all goes dark for both of them.
The pair awaken to vile and obscure chanting, the inside of their skulls pounding with pain. Fear threatens to overtake them as they begin to observe their surroundings. They both find themselves within an arcane circle written in strange characters scrawled in blood upon the dry cracked earth. The smell of brimstone fills their nostrils, and as they gaze around they see large ape-like creatures chanting in a strange tongue, a beautiful woman with bat-like wings. savage roars are heard in the distance.
The two quickly notice they are themselves splattered in blood, much of it likely not their own, and a corpse lay between them, ritually sacrificed with a spear impaled through its heart. They find themselves in a similar position as the corpse, and fear what may come.
Before they can gather their bearings, the ritual is attacked by a lone scout, launching arcane bolts at the lumbering hulks from a nearby ridge. The captor, an adept spellcaster, quickly begins launching invocations at the creatures, protecting the assailant on the ridge from assault by great flaming beasts, as the lumbering hulks leap great distances to attack him. The captive, no longer bound but with only his fists to defend himself, launches himself at the creatures in vain.
Both are captives now, and both fall in the onslaught.
The captor awakes among her allies, still focused on her now lost captive despite the harrowing ordeal. The captive awakes among the carnage, clinging to life. He grabs the spear from the poor departed soul laying beside him, and proceeds to crawl through the valley, desperately clinging to life and seeking safety.
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Adventurers tell harrowing tales of terrible creatures assaulting travelers along the road from Beregost to Nashkel. They tell tales of wretched demonic humanoids and great lumbering hulks who leap great distances and vanish with their victims. They speak of great predatory cats the size of horses bathed in flame and attacking with unparalleled speed and savagery. They say that if felled, the creatures are consumed in flame and their ashes scattered by fell winds. They speak of dark demonic rituals in the canyons, sacrifices and blood magic.
The guards and clergy of Nashkel are quick to dispel such rumors as nonsense to the populous. The guard, fewer in number due to the redeployment of troops by Athkalta, do not send scouts. However, despite their denials of these fanciful tales, shifts are doubled along the northern border of the city, and guardsmen peer warily into the darkness at night, chilled by a fell wind.
Participants.
Members of The Trillium
Thedran Rock
Lillith Azrael
Vino
Valliant Blincraft
and others.
Rewards/penalties
400-1200 xp
a spear bathed in blood.