At The Marsh of Madness

REP has been awarded for this quest.

DM Name: Sorrowdusk

Quest Name: At The Marsh of Madness

Participants:
Ginko, Level 4
Kira, Level 3 Scout/Ranger
Gajendra, Level 2 Loxophant Fighter
Yuria Townsend, Level 3 Human Psion
Kathryn, Level 3, Wizard, Elf.

Challenges:
1x CR4 Ekolid (CR4)

Experience:
Ginko: 240xp
kira: 270xp
Gajendra: 270xp
Yuria Townsend: 270xp
Kathryn: 270xp

http://www.incorporeal.org/rpg/tools/d20/
[If XP is wrong, please let me know how to fix it, as I normally use this calculator but something is…0.o; just compared to other quests]

Treasure:
Ginko: 500GP
kira: 500GP
Gajendra: 500GP
Yuria Townsend: 500GP
Kathryn: 500GP

[Figured it myself as 1.25x XP x 1.5]

Quest Summary:



[NOTE Gajendra and Yuria are still infected by Obyrithian Form of Madness. This class of demon is the eldest, and all their ilk possess a Lovecraftian "Form of Madness". From the Ekolid they have the delusion of being infested with tiny insects, and take a -1 on all skill checks, and a DC 10 concentration to cast any spells, psionic abilities and the like. They can remove it with a »>Heal«< spell. Albeit, Wish, Limited Wish, and Miracle can be used as well of course. I elected to make it THEIR CHOICE whether they would simply "handwavium" it away and say that they went back to Avalon and found a temple in which a capable cleric figured what was wrong with them and cured them OR decide to continue on and seek a healer IC that could identify their ailmentas a magically curable form of mental illness. I have left it up to them.]

The party was hired on by a camp of swamp loggers run a dwarf, exactly why they neglected to say but the posted call for sellswords was marked URGENT. In the camp they met the camps dwarven leader, an old elven druid who gave them permission to scavenge the dead wood, and a handful of humans. From what they gathered the loggers were attacked late the other day, but most of them escaped some kind of creature. The men mentioned tentacles, three heads, fleshless skulls, and dozens of soulless eyes. When the Dwarf tried to play down the situation sating there had been no casualties, one of the humans explained that "The Thing" had killed his dog, that Riely was "as good as dead" and that William "Might as well be!"

Riley was the only of the group that had not escaped and had been left somewhere in the swamp. After over 24 hours he had not returned, this mission in a way, was not only a mission to slay a monster, but also to rescue a survivor…if they were still alive. The dwarf insisted that William was simply shaken by his experience, and was injurred from having cut himself with a razor from his shaving kit. However, the men elaborated that it seemed William had gone completely insane from his encounter, and that he had taken the razor…and begun peeling his skin until he was disfigured, gibbering that he "couldnt get them off" all the way.

The druid lead the party into a night darker than blackest pitch, and thicker than mud. The canopy seemed obscured the sky, and there was no moon that night. A thick hazy mist dispersesed their guides light.Together they stumbled and tripped over tangled roots, sticks,and stones, save the druid who was sure of foot.

They were slightly disgusted, although not nauseated by the stench of decaying plant matter. They saw nothing, save the trees, and more trees, and brackish water. They heard no frogs, no insects, owls or any of the things they might expect at night. There was nothing but an eerie silence that if it disturbed them, it disturbed the druid much more. The night was oppressive, like the void, and intolerably still untill….a soft splashing sound allerted them.

Not far away, a strange oblong form writhed in the mud at the base of a tree The party armed themselves, and were ready to shoot or charge at the slightest provocation. They slowly approached until they they were sure what it was. It was a man! Stripped of his clothes, he lie nude in the brackish water tingled lightly with red, writhing and scatching himself bloody many times over. The druid recognized him as Riley, and kneeled beside him, hoping to tend to him. He muttered incoherently, "…ge…gethe….way…geeether..gethew…."

Then…Kathryn noticed the mans knees had been pierced, crippling him, and spotted something in the tree- a thing that should not be! Her mind resisted its maddening form and fired upon it, no effect all. The Thing was unphased by the fire, and descended upon the druid, lashing him in the eye with one of its flexible appendeges tat ended in a cruel stinger, taking out one of his eyes. Seeing it the others beheld its form, stared into the abyss of its soulless black eyes, and the abyss stared into them…some more than others. Yuria and Gajendra were stricken by uts Form of Madness, and in their dellusions believed they were infested, crawling with mites, and little things over every inch of their bodies. Gajendra tripped it, and swung at it ferouciously striking what was likely a critical blow in the struggle.

The creature revealed its four or so pairs of wings and took to the air, out of reach of Ginko. Yuria and Kira fired on it, one with psionic powers of the mind, the other with sturdy arrows, both to little effect. It seemed to resist Yuria's various energy types including Fire, Cold, and Electricity. The Thing spoke in a horrid but somehow distinctly feminine voice. <Abyssal>"Fire? Is that all you mortals know? Oh, my young will find feasting on you delightful! Ia Ox-Obob, Ia Father of Vermin!" Moving with a supernatural quickness, it flew for Kathryn and stung her, injecting her with something that would manifest only later.

Just then… Gajendra and Ginko ran to close the distance, while the druids one eye burst open, along with a sizeable portion of what must have been his brain. A fat maggot like thing, as long as a middle finger and as big around as a thumb with a humanoid face like a mewling baby with empty eye sockets. Was it a glimpse of what was to come for Katharyn? What was as bad or worse was the fact that the party had become aware that it was regenerating…if it got away, it could perhaps come back full strength if given even a minute.

Kathryn backed away and Shielded herself with magic, and then Gajendra ran in, snatching the creature from air, slamming the creature into the ground! "KIll me if you want." it professed in a tongue only Yuria understood, "My children will live after you…In this way I am IMMORTAL!!" At those words as if on cue another baby faced maggot burst from Kathyrn's navel, and thankfully, not her heart. Gajendra put his foot…or rather his mace down, and right in its face in another critical, decisive blow! Splattering the full length of his arm as well as his weapon in its thick, noxious ichor, he watched as the Thing turned to ash…the night was won. Or so it seemed….

Riely was alive, but crippled and out of his mind; the old Swamp Warden, guardian of the wetlands was dead; and Yuria and Gajendra's flesh was still crawling with vermin-how long could they last? They were heroes, and so their heats and minds, not to mention their bodies were of far sterner stuff than the common man, but how long would these delusions go on? The party crushed the maggots all they found, but the thought lingered in their minds…was it really over?

One of the men mentioned his dog had been killed, but whether that meant a demonic larva had burst from its heart or brain, who was to say? The owner did not know. The Thing seemed to enjoy having its young infect man, taking pleasure in filling them with utter insanity, but what of animals? Indeed if any living thing could serve as a host to breed more abominations there could have been more. And how could they search the entire swamp, and be sure they missed nothing, or that no Horror escaped to make a few more? Such a Thing could so easily be the demise of any wilderness where it was allowed to exist. Where had it come from? Was it called by a dark cult that had worked their evil under the now deceased druids nose? Had it come from some other place far away, and if so, did it leave more mockeries of nature in its wake? They had no way of knowing…for those that didnt have an Obyrithian insanity gripping their minds, there was always the doubt that might invade their nightmares or come to mind whenever they were awake at night. The dwarven foreman paid them his price, but lamented that the men were too scared to go there again, so they decided to abandon the bog and look for a new place to earn their living.

Was it a victory?

They were alive.
They did what they came to do.
They were paid.

It seemed that was good enough for them, and so the adventurers quit the swamp, returning to town, seeking relief after their ordeal.


+Quotes

*Trying to Identify the Creature*
<+Kira> roll 1d20+5 GO GO RANGER KNOWLAGE!

*The Thing is Flying*
<+Gajendra> Jump at it Gin
<+Gajendra> Leapin bears!
<+Kira> leaping flying bears of doom!

  • +Gajendra thinks you might clear 20ft *chuckles*

<+Tammuz> so..is Gink gonna try to air bear and dunk on its ass or range ir or pass?
<@Ginko> hmm
<@Ginko> roll 1d20+7
<+Vault> Ginko rolled 1d20+7 —> [ 1d20=6 ]{13}
<@Ginko> I think running gives some bonus…
<@Ginko> but i probably fail =p
<+Kathryn> No
<+Kathryn> No
<+Kathryn> running prevents a negative.
<@Ginko> k
<+Tammuz> I would have actually let you do it if you got a nat 20.
<+Gajendra> hehe

*after failed for save*
<+Kathryn is doomed
<+Kira starts to play the Doom Song
*The druid dies*
<@Ginko> eww… eye maggot
<@Ginko> good luck Kat :D
<+Gajendra> High in protein
<+Yuria> Ewww
<+Gajendra> Apparently a slightly nut-like flavour, at least according to the folks of the Brit navy back in the day

  • @Ginko keeps a polite distance from anyone that is feeling itchy… it wasn't that he was heartless… but bears needed to scratch enough without any kind of infestation… so he waits for that to resolve itself and goes to talk to Kira for a bit
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