Standing before their worst nightmare, the party tried to stop the involuntary twitches that were occurring in their feet and hands. Feet wanting to run away, hands almost dropping the weapons they held.
Ursina, hurting badly from the battle with Zandalus, downed a potion and retreated to the hallway. Armani, out of spells, fired magic missiles from her wand and then watched as the wounds healed themselves. Erevel moved up to attack but missed. She took a serious wound from the War Razor that the Tatterman swung.
Ciprian identified the creature as a monstrous human with a Frightful Presence. He also started to yell, use silver or good weapons, he can regenerate. He then moved forward and bathed Erevel's Great-sword in oil. "That makes your weapon aligned to good, use it well!" he demanded.
Paullus fired arrows that didn't hit but was appreciative as Armania slathered silversheen on a score of his arrows. Ursina downed another potion and covered her mace with silversheen.
Erevel and Gavril flanked the Tatterman and drawing on their inner strength hit the monster with their weapons. The Tatterman disappeared leaving them then flailing at where they thought he was. Ciprian began orating on the strategies to defeat the creature.
Armania tried to hit the space where the Tatterman disappeared with a Ray of Frost but nothing seemed to happen. Erevel took off to the south and west trying to run into the creature, which by luck he managed to do. Drawing on deep strength she managed to hit the creature again. Gavril followed Erevel's lead and moved to flank, taking damage as he slid in behind the monster.
The Tatterman appeared with the on attack on Gavril and cast a scare spell. Emboldened by Ciprian's performance Erevel, Gavril and Ciprian managed to avoid being frightened although Ciprian was shaken.
Ursina now moved into the fray and managed to hit with her mace. The party was using all their wiles to attack this monstrosity from their dreams. Their fury was unabated as they continued to be successful in damaging the nightmare while also keeping him from regenerating.
Armania again used magic missiles, Paullus slid into the room taking a silver dagger from Ciprian and managed to avoid taking any damage as he slid into an empty space. The Tatterman swung the War Razor and almost put Erevel on her knees, but only almost.
Erevel again attacked and Gavril, after much studying his victim stuck the Red Destiny deep into the gaunt body doing extra damage. The body crumpled to the floor.
Usina yelled out "Keep hitting him! Don't let him regenerate!" as she again swung her mace into the creatures head. Ciprian took some time to cut off the head of the Tatterman. What a souvenir this would be he thought.
As the rest of the party continued to make sure the Tatterman could not rise again, Armania began scanning the room for magic. She noted that Zandalus had a mace and several potions and an oil that glowed in her view. The Tatterman's War Razor and a ring on his finger were also magic. She began the work of stripping Zandalus' body of those items. When the crew finished with the Tatterman they took the two items from him also.
Armania then began searching the bed of Zandalus as it appeared there may be more magic there. She found and wand, an elixir and a scroll. Other more mundane items were 8 bags of 50 gp each and a large book entitled "The Chain of Nights". Recognizing this from the information in Administer Losandro's office, she took the book and started to scan it for information. One item of particular interest she wanted to find was a way to reverse the groups amnesia.
Ursina and Ciprian set to healing the party members who needed it the most. Gavril, wondering what was happening outside, traversed the hall back to the Oneirogen's Room and looked outside. The yellow fog had completely dissipated. It was still dark and gloomy, heavy clouds hung in the sky like a low ceiling in a dark room, and the rain was pouring down. "At least it is not pancake batter." thought Gavril to himself. Outside he saw a couple of yellow gowned Apostles cavorting in the rain. There were also several patients running outside, reveling in the sight of the familiar sky and the barest shadowed light coming from the rising sun(?) in the east.
Ciprian suggested that the group return to see if Dr. Elbourne required any help with the survivors. Gavril was only interested in killing the Apostles and Ghouls that were left. Down to the large hall the party traipsed finding Wren in the midst of the patient. He was trying to calm them all down and keep them in the hall. He looked exasperated as the group caught his eye.
"What did you do upstairs?" he asked as he headed toward the group.
"Will have killed Ulver and his apparent controller the Tatterman," said Ciprian holding up the Tatterman's head as Gavril presented Ulver's head swirling it around by its long ponytail. "What is happening here?"
"Well we need a way to get off the island. We can't stay here, there is no food and the building could collapse at any moment.' stated Wren. "Get back in here," he yelled at a couple trying to enter the courtyard.
"There is a Royal Accuser in the chapel with some other survivors. They will contact you after we talk to them." said Ciprian. "Let's go back to the chapel," he encouraged the rest of the party.
"I think we should make sure the ghouls are gone and maybe those Apostles in the kitchen," suggested Gavril.
Erevel spoke up "I think we can leave the Apostles alone now, and look out in the courtyard. It seems as though the fog is gone and I don't see any ghouls. Maybe they disappeared with the fog."
The rest of the party convinced Gavril to just go back tot he chapel. He reluctantly followed them. The trip to the chapel was uneventful and at various places they could see outdoors where there was no yellow fog or mist.
At the chapel they found Winter and York trying to organize the patients into several groups. Winter asked about their adventures and the group again explained what had transpired. No heads were presented as there were children present in the chapel. Winter wanted to talk with the group separately so they moved into the entry hall.
"We believe there is a boat still at the pier. We expect to take it down river to Thrushmoor. I want to bring all the patients but it will take a few trips to move all the patients. Can you help determine if the boat is still at the pier? Also can you make a check outside for any creatures or threats left?" asked Winter. "You can come with us to Thrushmoor. I'm sure that Accuser Omari would like to talk with you."
"Sure, we will make a transit around the building and check the boat." said Ursina.
"We also know of another group of patients with a man calling himself Dr. Wren Elbourne. We are not sure he is a real doctor but he has kept a whole group of people relatively safe and he can provide some healing." relayed Ciprian. "You will want to send a guard up to the large recreation room to collect them."
"Who in Thrushmoor will be able to deal with all of the patients?" queried Armania.
"I plan on taking them to the Temple of Pharasma. They acolytes will be able to take care of them and get them returned to family or other temples closer to their homes," answered Winter. She also called Naysa Walika, a asylum nurse, out to the entry hall.
"Do you know a Wren Elbourne? and is he a doctor?" questioned Winter.
"Yes I recall that was an unusual case. Wren Elbourne is a patient here at the asylum. I recall that he sent here by his family in Ardeal for treatment of his persistent "self-abuse and refusal to wed," but I think they worried about the embarrassment his defiant bachelorhood threatened to bring on the family. They must have donated heavily to have him accepted. He was never a problem as a patient." answered Naysa.
"So, we can use his help with the patients he has?" asked Winter.
"Surely," Naysa replied.
They group headed for the pathway with the worm swarms as the easiest exit from the building. Outside the rain was still pouring down and the group was soon soaked through. Ursina headed directly to the pier to "guard" the boat. She looked anxious to leave as soon as they could.
The rest of the party made a transit around the building, finding great piles of debris where whole sections had collapsed. They met patients and former Apostles frolicking in the rain. Since the Apostles were empty handed and made no move to attack, the group, even Gavril, let them alone.
Gavril wanted to find the standing stone mentioned in Ulver's file. They party made their way to the northwest corner of the island, where indeed there stood a weathered stone stela. If there had been any writing or carvings on the stone they were long worn away. There were also no recent tracks anywhere around the stone. The group found two more stones stelae in the northeast and southwest portions of the isle. They seemed identical to the first and no hint of their origin or use was derived.
Finding that the out of doors seemed safe, beyond the rain falling, the group headed back into the asylum where Winter and York were organizing groups of 10 patients to take turns on the boat trip to Thrushmoor. Depending on how many people Wren has we probably need to make 4 trips to Thrushmoor and back. Vaustin York had kindly volunteered to row the boat back a forth between the Asylum and town about a 2-3 hour round trip. Winter asked the group for their help in organizing the groups and keeping them quiet and safe here on the isle.
Gavril was fine with anything, "I'll just relax and wait here for the last trip. That will be fine with me."
Ursina was insistent, "I think we should leave first. We could try and get help from the townsfolk, maybe one of them has a boat also."
Ciprian volunteered to go with Naysa to talk with the priestess at the Temple of Pharasma. "They will need to prepare for the influx of patients."
Finally it was decided the group, York, Naysa and the patient Loic would make the first trip to Thrushmoor. They would scout for more boats, advise the temple and maybe even report to Omari for Winter.
The down river trip took about and hour to come to the shores of Avalon Bay and Thrushmoor. As the boat passed into a channel to dock, the party saw a town gallows on a spit of land. Strangely a metal cage was set as a counterbalance to the gallows. The buildings had lights shining through the windows as the persistent gloom and rain continued.
At the pier a worker approached the boat and asked about the groups business. They told a short synopsis of the happenings at Briarstone and asked for directions to the Temple and a local tavern and or inn.
As the dock worker looked at Gavril, his face blanched and he stuttered "Well I guess you could try the Stain or the Silver Wagon."
The party thought his reaction was strange but they were on a mission and said farewell to York as he prepared to journey back to Briarstone.
Naysa asked for directions to the Temple, which lay to the east over a couple of bridges. Ciprian and her set off for the Temple. The others were looking for a tavern and shop to buy clothes or magic, anything of the ordinary. Most of what they saw were houses and apparently a closed book shop with an insignia of a bricklayer constructing a wall of books. All was quiet and dark inside although some of the shelves still seemed to hold books.
The people on the streets, went about their business doggedly. There was the rain of course but the citizens seemed on edge, pushing forward just to complete their tasks. Around the fish market Armania cornered a middle aged woman and asked about the town and the attitude of the townsfolk.
"It has been foggy for days and most of the days are full of rain." She looked around warily, "The magistrate is missing, and we haven't seen any of the guard. It is rumored that they have fled since they were not paid. Also there have been kidnappings, people have just up and disappeared. A second Thrushmoor Vanishing looms." the woman responded shakily.
Armania looked confused about the Vanishing but as they walked further Ciprian explained that they had read about the Vanishing during Library Research. It was tied in with the Briarstone witch.
The party split as Ciprian and Naysa headed to the Temple. The rest of the party headed north on a major street where there were a few shops. Along the way a couple of townsfolk saw the group and quietly and quickly crossed the street to far side to pass.
Ciprian and Naysa made it to the Temple where there was little activity. After a longer than usual wait, an acolyte answered the door and ushered them into two story building. Inside the sanctuary were freshly painted frescoes adorning the walls. They depicted the Lady of Graves pronouncing prophesies, judging the dead in the Boneyard and overseeing births like a midwife.
The acolyte told them that the Priestess Trilliss Mavaine had been missing for several days. "I don't know if she is off helping some one or has abandoned her pulpit. The town is close to chaos with the Magistrate missing and it is said that Count Lowls has left town. But I can help you."
Naysa explained the situation and started off helping set up the infirmary for the influx of patients. Ciprian asked if anyone was in charge in town.
"Constable Barawyn Cesyll is supposed to be in Fort Hailcourse and the Sleepless Agency building still has staff. Cesadia Wrentz is in charge of the Sleepless Agents." the acolyte responded.
Ciprian then set off for the Sleepless Agency building.
DMs' Notes: The party earned 533 XP for the night and are now at 4th level. This is the finish of Book 1 "In Search of Sanity" of Strange Aeons path.
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