PF Shackled City SCAP

Game Master Freddy Honeycutt

It appears that the knight was mobbed, killed, beheaded and dumped here.

"Soun's like th' villag'rs 'r get'n a big dose'eh payback," Broccan says. "P'raps we shou' let'em starve, get shot 'r get trampled n' jus' go 'ome."

"I suspect yer right tha eventually tha elves is gonna kill everbody cept for those adventurers, an they seem tha most likely source o tha problem."

"How bout we head over to tha other interesting place an see whas thar?"

"May's well," Broccan says with a shrug. "The folks'n Ossingt'n are'neh goin' ann'where."

while still swimming in the water.
"I'm guessing that if we return the head, he'll be at peace, but we'll need to find the culprit."

Edrukk chuckles a little at the fighter's wit.

"Aye, let's be movin' t' th' next."

"Or he could be resurrected!"

"If we had the head tha is."

Refer to Ossington vicinity map. you left Ossington, visited the massacre site and are now at the Tarn (or the lake near the Tarn to be exact).

Where to?

Alkaid swims some more

"True we could revive him, but a number of factors come into play, like; how long has he been dead the spell to revive him, etc"

She swims to shore and gets out.

"I suggest some of you boys go for a quick swim as some of you reek of sweat from the past few days, I would also suggest giving your clothes a quick washing as they also reek some.
Mind you my senses are a sharper than most folks."

She gets behind a 6ft tall thick wall of cedar trees that give total cover to her as she changes.

"So where do we go to next, gentlemen?"

after a few moments she comes out from the bushes dressed for travel.

"Th' hill with'eh big 'orse on't right ov'r there. May's well check there, first," Broccan suggests.

Edrukk raises an eyebrow at her remarks. After she steps out of view, he kneels by the water and, with much splashing, brings a couple handfuls up to wet his face and beard.

"Aye, le's check nearby 'fore we move 'n."

The large hill northwest of town with the figure of an animal carved in its side.

The effigy somewhat resembles a horse, though the image seems to be intentionally done in Red.

Knowledge nature/arcane DC 15

Knowledge nature/survival DC 15

"This landmark could be something to get folks to stop by and stay a night."

Knowledge (Arcane): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

Absent-mindedly, "Mm-hmm." After a moment of looking around as they travel, Edrukk offers, "Seems 's 'is area 'ave fewer trees, donchta think? Like mebbe th' 'ole area was burned clean a bit back. Couple hunnert years, Ah'm thinkin'."

"Shirley yer right Edrukk, must abeen a fire, a big one some time ago."

Nodding as he looks around, "Lotta fire. 'ow old didja say th' stones were? Older 'n th' fire, mebbe?"

Know(Nature) 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Hermes looks at the carving, disinterested "Primitive, not worthy of my time. It doesn't make for a beautiful landscape, abnormal you say Edrukk. Certainly is." The bard looks back at the town, screwing his face up at the discomfort of continual travelling.

"Tha lake bed looks like where tha standing stones were originally mined, you guys think this is tha quarry?"

Profession (miner): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Broccan shrugs. "Cou' be. Stone looks all 'bou th' same 'round 'ere."

Broccan has seen both a lake and a water filled former quarry before, but danged if he can tell or reason why it makes one whit of difference.

Edrukk shrugs. "'ard t' tell."

Other than a former area that was where the standing stones were mined and a cliff with a red horse upon it, there is not much other of interest in the area.

Where to?

"Shall we take'eh look at th' Barrows...where th' one lass won 'er sword?"

The next morning you head away from the Tarn.

The forest is a smaller presence here than the plains of the Greenbelt. A large family of pheasants takes to the air as you approach (Survival DC 18 or attack vs. AC 18 to take 1d6 pheasants on the wing).

As you reach the mid-way point and are ready to settle in for the evening.....

"Ho! hearty adventurers I have found you!"
Tulley the female fighter from the village approaches.....

"Dyson thought you could use some aid...and I wanted some adventure, you mind if I come along?....or at least share your camp tonight?"

"I would not mind having another lady with us for a while.
As it's nice to talk to another adventuring woman after all."

Hermes, tips his hat to Tulley as she joins the group, "Always glad to have someone so fair join us to help protect on our travels." his hand makes a large arc, as he bows towards her. "Our wandering have not been very productive so far, although that horse cut into the hill might have not have seemed so primitive, had we known more of its history. My lady Tulley, do you know its history and mysteries?" He continues to prattle on and make the lady at home in the group.

@Hermes
Tully: "Dyson thinks the red horse is a depiction of tha dragon Ashardalon, draw to scale."

"Are you heading to the barrow? I bested the door guardian, but didn't get any further in than that."

"We were think'n o' head'n tha' way," Broccan responds. "Wha' sort'eh thing was th' barrow guardian?"

@ Broccan

Tully: "It was nothing but bones, wearing some ruined chain and carrying this sword."

As you are discussing that the horseman shows up again, still at a distance and in the darkness and in the mist of the fog.

Tully draws her sword and notices the figure
sense motive DC 18

Bravely she yells at the figure "Come on then!"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

"'tis th' ghost o' th' murdered paladin. Question be, 'oo kilt 'im?"

The ghost fades from view in the darkness and the fog. Fog though is what you get this close to a lake the size of the tarn.

Tully looks confused...
"Rider has been on a rampage killing innocent townfolk, not the actions of a paladin, that sounds like non-sense!"

Sense motive checks still apply

Gestures to the divers, "Th' ghost led 's t' th' body. They seen th' body 'n 'is 'oly symbol. Remember, lass, when ye become one o' th' walkin' dead, 'oo ye were 'n life dinnae always work n' more. If'n we c'n find why 'e 's still ridin' 'round, we mebee c'n send 'im 'n 'is way t' Pelor's embrace."

Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24 Hope that justifies the theory - or maybe it earns him some hard facts about ghosts and such beyond what his player surmises?

"P'raps th' villag'rs haven't tole th' whole story. Sum'n stabb'd the knight t' death 'n dump'd 'im 'n 'is 'orse in th' lake."

Tully takes a seat by the fire and sighs heavily.

"Let me then be the first to confess and the first to talk about the deep darkness into which my fellows have sank."

"It is true enough that Dyson, Henwen, the Cuckoo and I were a group of adventurers, and that Dyson's mentor owned the tower in town. When word reached us of the mentor dying and Dyson receiving an inheritance we all had hopes of good in store for us......"

Sanstree sits down to listen as well

”All were drawn into evil Dyson found enscripted upon the stones a spell that warps nature itself, Henwen aided his understanding of it and even now he requires her aid to complete the ritual; giving human and Halfling shape to simple animals, the ritual can be done but one per day, but now the village lacks in all humanity as every villager is an animal warped into evil, the woods are silent now and the elves have set themselves in the way of Dyson’s scheme.”

”Henwen too has fallen into evil magic and necromancy at the chapel and near the funeral pits, the cuckoo revels in leading and bossing the human animals of the village around and hopes he will lead the army of animals in conquest over the land.”

Knowledge arcana DC 18

”I went along with it for a while simple explanations that someone was needed to do this or that task for the town to run, or it is ok that the villagers kill and eat each other, as they are only animals after all."

"The paladin arrived and saw the starving masses and the fighting with the wild elves, but he was un-swayed by trickery and soon learned the truth, when he came back to town the faux humans attacked him with knives and stones, eventually killing him. Dyson had his head removed so that he could not be brought back!"

"Th' animals dinnae know 'ow t' till th' land, Ah suppose. What 'appened t' th' villagers? Th' one 'ere before Dyson's magic?"

Tully: "The real villagers all left...is what I was told."

Do you guys want to go on to the barrow or return to town to confront the wizard and faux humans?

"'n ye believed 't 'cause ye wanted t', din'ye? D'ye believe 't now? Yer friends killed a 'ole village, lass. 'at side 'er ye 'n - revengin' th' dead 'r defendin' yer friends?"

"It was when I went to the Barrow and fought the door guardian, while I was gone, when I returned only the faux humans remained, I was told the humans all braved the road....though now I have my doubts."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

"Didja ask yeself why 'ey would all leave th' 'omes they built 'ere? Seems unlikely none o' 'em stayed t' fight fer 'earth 'n 'ome."

Tully: "The druids were buying out the town and the people went to sell there homes is what Dyson said."

"What d'ye think now? Where be th' druids?"

He is doing the gruff voice, piercing stare thing, trying to make sure he's getting the truth from the lass.

"I dinn'eh rememb'r any druids," Broccan says suspiciously. "Are they out'n th' woods with th' elves?"

The druid council wants the area back.......from the beginning info.....

Page 111....

But we haven't seen any druids _here_ and those druids haven't heard from anyone in a year.

"Sounds like we have our path laid out before us."

"What a story, this will make an epic, should we come through this." says Hermes enthusiastically. "But we should have a plan and not blunder in with nothing more than our weapons."

"Might be bettr weapons at tha barrow then."