TPS Report 2

The
Pathfinder
Society

Report 2.0



By: Tyack Verumpeto
The Pathfinder’s Society
Tyack Verumpeto


Report 2.0:

Things started out with us planning to visit the Foxglove manor which was interrupted by a local farmer named Grump seeing scarecrows moving about and attacking people. With claims of “Something ain’t right at the Hambly farm”, we decided to investigate. First we warned the surrounding populace to have them keep inside for other creatures, and then we went out to the Hambly farm. There were a number of paths circling around the house, so we developed a spiraling pattern inward. On our way we found a number of scarecrows that turned out to be ghouls. Some were still up on their normal scarecrow supports. We developed a pattern and managed to defeat them rather easily. Coming upon the Hambly farm, we noticed several ghouls in a barn which had been built around this ancient statute. We encircled the barn and began firing missile weapons at them to shoot em down or force them to come out towards us. They swarmed out pretty good and we dispatched them rather quickly. Lodeseeker took on the chief ghoul while I swarmed em towards the group and Voldaire blew em down with his fire spells.
We then decided to go onto Foxglove mansion. We equipped ourselves with healing potions because we still have no priest to travel with us. The mansion is a dilapidated structure. We had heard rumors that it was being rebuilt, but there was no evidence of this. We first took a look at it from a bluff across an inlet. It sat up on a ridge and looked like it was getting ready to fall into the ocean about 100’ below. It looked extremely frightening, and I set the condition, that we would investigate but if 3 things scared the hell out of us, we’d just burn it down. I brought a 10’ pole in anticipation of traps and creatures hiding under covers. It turned out not to be as useful as intended, but it was nice to have the rest of the group envying my pole.
We slowly approached the mansion amidst what looked like hundreds of dead zombie crows hanging around the lawn. Out front there was a broken well but the doors and windows of the mansion were amazingly intact. We went in and saw a trophy room with a big manticore in the center. We wander methodically through the house and see a bathtub on a rickety floor which we avoid. We go upstairs and hear a baby crying. We don’t break our methodical approach and Valdaire goes into this room with a fireplace where only he can hear a voice. The room is covered with fugues and Voldaire hears a voice tell him “What’s on your face mommy?” Voldaire then proceeds to try to rip his face off. He seriously wounds himself before we restrain him.
We wander through various terrors and ‘haunts’ when we come to a room with a portrait that has been turned around facing the wall. Lodeseeker turns it around and hears it say “What do you get up to in the damp down below” no one else hears it, but it unnerves him greatly. We continue on through the second floor and we come to a room with many family portraits in it. As Nando gets close the paintings change. Vorel(GF) explodes with fungus all over him (similar to the strange fungus we’ve seen all over the place) Cassandra (GM) is covered with tumors, Lorey is appears to be a corpse, Traver (F) appears to have his throat cut, Cyralie (M) is burned and broken. Aldern appears to be a ghoul-lord (ah ha we have our villain, whom we sort of suspected anyway), Sindele and Zeera (S) are covered in Frost.
Upon the portrait exploding, I suggest we get out of there and burn the place down. On our way out, the stupid manticore appears to attack but we run from it, only to encounter the zombie crows that don’t want us to leave. Valdaire blows the crap out of them with a number of spells and they are no longer a threat. We set fire to the house and go to the original bluff to watch the conflagration. Amazingly (Deus Ex Machina) the house refuses to burn, so we take a trip back to Sandpoint to resupply ourselves with healing potions and head back in. Nando decides to stay back. I go to the Vindor home to again express my sympathy to Vin and his remaining daughter. I feel strangely protective of the Sandspoint people and want them to think well of us.
Lodeseeker, Voldaire, and I proceeded back to the mansion. It was as scary as ever, though with decidedly less zombie-crows. We investigated up into the highest level. All throughout the house we had noticed the windows facing the 100’ drop to the sea were all stained glass and remarkably intact and seemed to be showing some scenes of necromantic rituals. Also for some reason, which I can’t remember, I seemed to get the impression that this episode was tied into the antivirtues of rule. We had dealt with the Wrath with the well underneath Sandpoint, but we wondered if there could be others. I suspected this one had to do with greed because several of the victims had been meticulous skinflints who arranged their money very orderly. I don’t know the veracity of this, but it is worth mentioning so I can refer to it later.
Anyway as we got to the top floor we saw that one of the stain-glassed windows was broken and I felt the sudden urge to hurl myself out it to my death. Fortunately I was restrained by my comrades. In another room, Valdaire almost felt like slitting his own throat. Like I said this place was scary. Finally we found a key which led us down to the basement. As we were traveling down, I found this really cool monkey door pull that made a loud screaming noise. Ok it was also kind of scary, but I felt I had to have it, so pried it loose to take it.
Down in the basement we are accosted by swarms of rats which are quickly dispatched. We find some fine bottles of wine which we leave there for later, because with all the jumping, fleeing, running scared we’re doing, we didn’t want them to break. We come to a workshop that shows an image of Vorel Foxglove becoming a lich. We find other stuff, such as images of Aldern with a pickaxe screaming “For You! For You!” or some such nonsense and we continue down a long set of stairs. Lodeseeker develops phantom wounds as he is troubled by a haunt that wants to pull him further down the stairs. Finally we get to the bottom. We fight a couple of ghouls and then encounter the Demon-ghoul bat from hell. Valdaire unleashes 2 fireballs on it and we run away as it hops down the passage towards us. We approach it again and Lodeseeker nearly dies. I am chosen to take point due to my nimble ability to avoid being hit while I’m bespelled and because of Lodeseeker’s wounds. Finally we are able to defeat it before it paralyzes and devours us all. We investigate further and find 3 corpses and some treasure at the near-bottom of the broken well. Rather than face the house again we throw a grappling hook to the top of the well and ascend so we can go back to Sandpoint to heal.
Our 3rd attempt at the house involves us avoiding the main entrances and going down the well instead. It should be noted that I removed one of the doors and threw it into the sea and ,unlike the fire, that damage to the house remained. Down past the bats we encountered several ghouls and managed to fight them one-on-one by using the narrow passages to our advantage. After disposing of that threat we went to the BBEG, Aldern (call me crazy ghoul-lord) Foxglove. We fought him well and husbanded our resources mightily. Although he was tough, a smart fight pulled us all through. He seemed to be fixated on me, because I had been involved on saving his life from the goblins, but his interest seemed superficial at best, or he just gets weirdly attached. Upon his death, weird mold-fungus in the room started to move. We really didn’t think about burning it, but were eventually supplied the idea by the Gods who wanted to wrap up the adventure. We received massive treasure, but were informed that until we investigated some of the rooms we had skipped, the haunting of the house might not be over. I would suggest getting Zantus or a priest from Magnimar to come sanctify the place. I am also thinking of enlisting a henchman priest to come with us on the perilous journey’s because we seem to be at a distinct disadvantage without one.
NB. Remember the wine and search the house thoroughly for loot.