A Curious Malady
1/24/1999
Summary of the Adventure
The group arrives in time for the "Festival of Colors", an annual festival which is known for its splendor. They find the town and the festival in disarray: tents are pitched badly, the streets are unlit and filled with trash, and the people are unkempt as well. Making their way to a local inn to arrange for lodgings, they discover that all the townsfolk are suffering from a curious lethargy.
They find Brazel, the innkeeper, seemingly in good health and good spirits. He steers them away from several local foodstuffs including the water and eventually tells them in private that they should go see Pendergast, the Baron's adviser.
Pendergast tells them that the malady is magical and asks that they head north to find its source. His divinations have given him a rough idea of the source of the attack, but he can't pinpoint. Time, he assures them, is of the essence. He then loans them several horses from the Baron's stable.
On their way there they meet with a halfling who gives them some cryptic warnings then shows them the path before he leaves to go fishing. The attackers are holed up in the dungeon of a long collapsed tower.
The adventurers fight past about a score of Kobolds and their pets and make their way to the catacombs below the dungeon. The entire area is suffused with an eery green glow, which is concentrated in a pool in one room. The party leaves the glowing pool and presses on, hoping the source of the magic can be found soon, as they are all sorely wounded by now.
The very next room holds an unholy alter which seems to be the source of the magic. The group is nearly defeated when a shadow attacks. Luckily, Androth's recently found sword seems very effective against the creature and his attacks, combined with Taernac's magic, defeat it. Urbane destroys the altar and its fixtures with his axe.
The party pursues but is unable to capture a priest of the evil god. Urbane's skills prove most useful as he recognizes a dangerous trap left behind for the party and is able to disarm it without ill-effect.
In Character Moment of the Night
To be honest, nothing really leaped out at me, although everyone played well.
Player Moment of the Night
Joe: I hand Dave a piece of beef jerky and watch him eat it, just so we can get it out of the way.
....general laughter....
Joe: And you (addressing John) when you get a dozen or so magic items share them out, okay?
Dave: Fine. Any dead baby jokes and you can just start rolling a new character.
Treasure Summary
200 copper pieces, 20 electrum pieces, magic longsword (currently wielded by Androth), magic cloakpin (currently worn by Daran).
Experience Summary
Player Adventure Total Androth 1250 1250 Calidon 1100 1100 Daran 1250 1250 Taernac 700/700 700/700 Urbane 1400 1400 Variances in experience points are due to good ideas, roleplaying and class abilities. The monsters killed were worth less than 1500 total)
