Entry 7 - CoS: The Marionette pt 1 (Whisper)

VII.  The Marionette (DDAL04-04) part 1

5/5/2016  Nerdageddon, Brighton DM:  Lucas  4113342157

Whisper – human paladin (John), Alaric – elven fighter (Jay), Selene – elven ranger (Lisa), Barney – human fighter (Christian), Zhey – elven wizard (Gina), Bill – dwarven rogue (Jacob), Flint - fighter (Logan), Lylium - wizard (Johnathan), Klock – half orc barbarian (Tanner), Garren - cleric (Brogan)



Draft (session notes only)

While resting at the Seven Tables Inn the evening after the undead attack with Lazlo, the owner Marco approaches the adventurers who helped the town and the new outsiders. He informs them that Vasile and his friend Merle had been sent to a nearby village for supplies and had not returned. He offered to reward the group if they could discover what happened and help if needed. Everyone agrees and sets off at first light.

A few hours out from town the group comes upon an overturned cart with two boys lying near by as a pair of harpies pick over the dead mule. The new cleric with the group does not hesitate to attack the creatures and several others soon attack as well. One of the harpies flys away while the first is felled in short order. Upon inspection the party finds Vasile is still alive but appears to be suffering from an undead attack which drained his life force rather than from the harpies. His friend however is dead.

The group crafts some crude litters to bring Vasile and the body back to the town arriving around mid day. They take both to the hospice where Glovia and Soreena explore the injuries and treat Vasile. Not long after getting settled back in town and notifying Marco of what happened the town crier summons everyone to the town square for an announcement.

The adventurers are called out by name and asked to head immediately to the Burgomeister's home. The crier reasures the town that the party is not wanted for any criminal activities and there is nothing to worry over. After some party members debate the prudence of hiding their coin purses before a meeting with the tax collector they make their way to his home. Outside before being greeted by the butler they walk past a colorful wagon out front. This was pointed out to them earlier as a vargo and employed by the Vistani.

The butler brings them to a sitting room and introduces the burgomeister Ivan and his other guest, a young woman in colorful cloths inlaid with bells by the name of Sibble. After introductions Ivan tells the group that Sibble has just done a reading for him and the results were disturbing and involved all of us. He insists that we too have a reading done and after some trepidation by several of the group we begin and Sibble has us focus on a crystal ball in the center of the table.

Once all have focused on the orb and closed their eyes they feel a falling sensation and find themselves in a large room. In this room is a table with spectacles, a pitcher of cider and glasses. Also in the room is a young girl turned away from the group playing a harpsichord. Next to her is a smaller table with a book. Across the room are shelves with toys and dolls and at the opposite side of the room from the group is a bust on a pedestal and a large painting that appears to be Glovia a man and a young girl.

When addressed the young girl turns and the party sees her as afflicted with boils and lesions of some sort. All but Lylium that is who put on the spectacles. He sees her as normal. However he also sees puppet strings leading off of all in the room and when he glances at the bust the eyes meet his, startling him.  Selene goes through the girl's diary discovering some alarming information about the girl's illness and Glovia's research towards a cure.

The girl is Glovia's daughter and the man in the painting is her father Lucian who was, or is, a toy/doll maker. Someone hands the girl a glass of cider and discovers she is either an illusion or incoporeal in some way as she's unable to hold the glass. Garren checks the room for magic and finds everything around them glows with the light of magic. The girl explains that her mother needs a powder box to help make her better. When asked about the box Lazlo bursts in however he is three times larger than normal. There are also puppet strings leading off of him as if he was a marionette leading up to a huge figure looming above who looks like Glovia. Trailing away up above her however are further strings leading into blackness. As this confrontation begins to unfold the party hears “Wake up!” in increasing persistence and volume.

The party awakens in the bergomeister's home with him in a panic. The town is in chaos. The party rushes out the front door and sees Lazlo in the distance at the foot of the mountain. He shouts out to Glovia asking her what she will do now, throws a torch at the town hall roof and flees. The burgomeister shouts for the group to save the food stores at the town hall before they burn.

The party splits up and successfully deals with the following.

Klock, Zhey and Flint make it out with the last of 5 crates of goods as the building collapses.

Lylium, Alaric, Garren(?) and Bill rush to the jail and free a man who turns out to be a wereraven.

Barney, Selene and Alaric confront and defeat a ghast who appears to be directing the attack and some skeletons.

Whisper heads off alone to hold off several zombies while Oleg escapes with two children.

After the chaos dies down the group heads to the Inn. They had no more sat down when someone bursts in to tell them Serena and her father are missing and the party should look for them up at the manor outside of town.


OOC:  Group received the story rewards "Trust of the Burgomeister" and "Eye of the Raven".  A rescued child told the party that the floor in the front room of the manor is weak and could break or be broken easily.  One party member (Garren or Barney I believe) has a key with a stone set into the top.  0 renown 0 down time days, 600 exp, 14gp each