NIGHTWICK ABBEY: The Purple Eater of People Session 96

 

If these horrid halls of Nightwick Abbey call to you, then please join Miranda Elkins' Patreon!

Previously in Nightwick...

This week's adventurers:

Liminal Space (Changeling 4)
Krupe (Cleric 3)
Lump (Frogling 1)
Blossom (Rogue 6)
Mayfly (Magician 5)
Thekla (Magician 3)
Mectilde (Fighter 5)
Poppy (Fighter 2)

AT THE MEDUSA'S HEAD...

The party assembled once again at the best bar in Nightwick Village after a month-long rest & reprieve. The party decides to rove out down the long road south to see what is going on in the Dark Country and make a mental note of allies and enemies and find some adventure! Two rumors reach the ears of the party:

1. The jousting tourney being held by Ann of Blackleg has reached a bizarre conclusion

2. Gaunta Fat-Staff has been killed in the tourney (this piques Mayfly's interest because Fat-Staff was in possession of a wand at the end of the battle of Vollage)

But departure is delayed as many party members negotiate for a mount as horses are non-existent in Nightwick village and mules are in short supply. Which means you're payin' more for that ass! 21gp per ass in fact. The party heads south toward the ruined manor that once was inhabited by the Corbis

...THEN ALONG THE ROAD...

FROGGER: After a few hours of travel, the party arrives at a troubling sight, before them is a wrecked caravan that contains a well-perforated collection of 20 men-at-arms and 5 froglings. The party takes the frogling badges to return to the VanToad family and then decides to give all a proper burial.

But there was only one broken shovel so...um...yeah...tough on those folks. The bodies The party mounts up and decides to continue to the ruined manor to see if there are some clues to what happened here.

OUR OLD FRIEND, ELGAST: Pushing toward the manor, the party begins following a trail of several hoof and footprints. The party slips to the tree line and Blossom scouts ahead. Returning a while later, our sharper returns reported that a large camp of soldiers had taken up in the manor.

Soon the party is confronted by 11 horsemen, wearing the Bishop's livery, who question what the party is doing. When Mechtilde steps forward to inform them of the tragic fate of the froggling caravan, they seem suspiciously unmoved. Discussion seeming stall with the lead soldier which causes Mayfly to ride up and cast charm person-- "Hey friend!" After learning that the soldier's name was Elgast, the party asks for an escort to the manner. And is a little dismayed that, yes, in fact, there is a large camp of soldiers there to the tune of about one hundred plus led by Lord Dippelt.

As night takes center stage in the sky and the party prepares to dine with the Lord, Mayfly creeps off to find a dark corner to speak with The-Thing-In-His-Pocket and releases it to find out some secrets of this Lord and see if there is anything useful to piler. At dinner, Liminal and Mechtilde learn that the remaining Corbis were run off by this group and that they were responsible for the frogling caravan destruction (PC NOTE: We as a party reacted pretty poorly to that). Why did they kill the caravan? Because the Bishop of Lychgate has deemed no frogling should perform trade anywhere south of Lychgate. The party sets off in the morning.

BLACK DRAGON, FEAR OF A: The party decides to swing through the swamp a little ways before heading into Knightspath. As they are picking their way through the area, a large black shadow flies over them. Looking up the party spots a green-eyed dragon of envy just as it wheels to give them a closer look! 

Understandably panic sets in until Thekla pipes up that in their possession is a potion of Dragon Control. Now instead of hiding the party does their best to attract the dragon's attention. As it lands, Thekla downs the potion ("tastes like chicken") and latches onto the dragon's mind. New goal: destroy everyone in the courtyard back at the ruined manor.

Mayfly becomes visibly upset and tries to talk the party out of this course of action. Mayfly offers instead that we have the dragon reveal is hoard! Great idea thinks the party and so they ask it that information and still tell it to destroy Dippelt's encampment. Mayfly grows more distressed.

With that done, the party turns towards the town of Knightspath.