This is more of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventures that were played in 2015-2016. Now the adventuring party is back in Crystal Shores, although Lightstep and Opalent have left the group under mysterious circumstances.
Day #2-35 (Spiritday, 15th Dewsnap, 4333 BCCC): The party awoke by 6:30 am after an uneventful night, ate their customary cold breakfast of hardtack and jerky, then made their preparations to depart for the last leg of their journey to Crystal Shores. The sisters, Flenda and Gwenette, were particularly excited to start because they were headed back to their home. The sisters once again saddled Vox’s horse, then helped him up into the saddle. The party made sure their fire was out before leaving camp, which was easy since the river was close at hand. Also, the day started out cool and clear, like the storm had flushed away the heat and humidity of the two previous days.
It took about two hours to journey the last five miles to Crystal Shores, and when the village came into sight, Flenda and Gwenette surged ahead of everyone else. Flenda almost forgot about her new fiancé, Jorgio, but then turned and motioned for him to catch up. Coming into town from the east, they passed by the home of the carpenter, Baduk Soderman. They noted, quite ominously, that the front door to the house had a couple of boards nailed over the doorway. But then they saw the elder druid, Herschel Gobinmyer, standing in front of his dwelling.
Flenda and Gwenette wanted to just say hello to Herschel and then continue on to their home, but Herschel made a hand gesture and asked them to stop for a moment. Said Herschel, “Girls, I’m afraid I have some bad news. Your mother has become a zombie. She turned on the morning of the day after you set off for Karnack’s castle, so she has been in that state for nine days now. Fortunately, though, your father is all right.” By then, the rest of the party had caught up and gathered around Herschel.
Herschel noted, “I see you have three fewer members in your party. Are they just lagging behind, or did some harm fall upon them?” Falafela said, “We didn’t have anyone killed, although some had severe injuries. Do you remember our dwarf friend Tureg? He was nearly killed in the tomb we went to, although he did survive. He told us at Karnack’s that he was giving up adventuring for a living. He plans to return to his home in Garzan. Also, on our way back here from Karnack’s, Opalent and Lightstep just seemed to wander off in the middle of the night. But, we did have success! Karnack told us about an artifact named the ‘Pendant of Winstone’ that was reputed to have been buried along with Koban Hairfoot in a tomb that was in the Anshar Forest. We did find that pendant, as well as a scroll that described its use. Although, we had to mark time for a day until Karnack could decipher the scroll for us. Here is what Karnack wrote down from the scroll.” At that, Falafela fished into her backpack and retrieved Karnack’s written instructions, then handed them to Herschel.
Herschel perused the instructions for the Pendant of Winstone for a moment, then said, “Do you have the Pendant? And the chalice?” At that, Flenda and Gwenette went and helped Vox down from his horse, then they rummaged through his backpack, producing the pendant and chalice. “What’s wrong with him? Can’t he walk?” asked Herschel. Vox said, “I was struck by a foul creature in the tomb. Karnack thinks it was a wight. I have lost my energy, and can barely stand without assistance, much less walk. I am really hoping that the pendant can cure me, as well as the zombies!” Herschel mused, “Hmmmmmm….”
Herschel continued, “I should let you know the situation around the village. As of this morning, we have 19 villagers who are currently zombies. I already told Flenda and Gwenette that their mother was among the zombified. The others are Simius Soderman, the carpenter’s wife. On your way into town just now, no doubt you saw that their abode was boarded up? We have basically tried to confine the zombies in whatever building they were in. Some others that were wandering around have been confined to my garden. No doubt you can see that I had to make the briars grow tall around the garden to serve as a wall?” The party noted that, indeed, the briars and brambles were about 10 feet tall all the way around the garden, although a second gate had been put at the side of Herschel’s cottage to provide an entry into the garden, as usually the garden had totally surrounded his cottage, with the gate by the road being the entry to his property.
Herschel then continued, “Alas, poor Wider Velder, our cleric, has also been stricken by the curse. Boatmaster Cardon Dragone has turned, and you of course remember your hosts from the Inn of the Blushing Trout, Sathe, Beefa, and Lido Lidorn, were all zombies before you left. Over at the Tavern of the Cracked Mug, the proprietor, Moosecavelli Wirth is a zombie, as are two fishermen. We discovered that the tinker, Melchar Furrowbrow, and his wife and son, Vinar and Loftus, are also zombies. There are six others who also are zombies. The last ones to turn did so two days ago. I am hoping we won’t have any more turn, as nobody else seems to have a sore throat or is coughing. I have also been having everyone drink from some barrels in which I conjure up some pure water. I am hoping this rainstorm that just passed through will have helped to flush away any residue from the tainted water coming from Mont du Plat.”
Flenda and Gwenette then spoke up. “We would like to go and see our parents, now.” Herschel then cautioned, “OK, go and see them, but do not approach her, and even though she may be your mother, she will attack you on sight! By the way, we have been having everyone who is not a zombie either sleep alone in a building, or else sleep in Mylene’s barn. Mylene has devised an interesting solution of using boxes, barrels, and crates to create individual sleeping compartments to ensure nobody would get attacked by any zombies while they slept.”
At that, the sisters, with Jorgio in tow, went off to find their father. Herschel invited the other four adventurers, Falafela, Douag, Vandin, and Vox, into his cottage for some spiced pumpkin ale. When all were seated within the cottage, Herschel mentioned how Mylene had fashioned some long forked sticks that could be used to herd the zombies. He also mentioned how the town blacksmith, Aslan Valkyie, fashioned some iron rings that he attached to the ends of the forks to hold a rope in a loop until it was dropped over the head of a zombie and then the rope could be pulled tight to further confine said zombie. Herschel said, “We use two or three of those forked sticks to control a zombie, then we moved them around until we could put them up in a safe place. I also had to use a couple of entangle spells to confine some roaming zombies, causing various plants to grow and twist themselves around zombie legs, until we could get the forked sticks on them.” The party then noted how they had seen one of the forked sticks leaning against the front of Herschel’s cottage, and they had all guessed that’s what its purpose was.
Since the party had arrived in town after sunrise, it was too late to start brewing a healing portion using the pendant and chalice, so the four guests chatted some more with Herschel. Falafela said, “After we brew a potion, I think it would too risky to try to pour it down the throats of the zombies without risking getting bitten. Does anyone in the village have any small bottles we could pour the potion into from the chalice?” Herschel said, that’s a very good question. I do believe the goatherd, Rivatha Kafar, has small bottles as you suggest. He sometimes sells some goat’s milk in small bottles, and of course, he always wants the bottles returned so he can use them again and again. We shall go over and ask him.”
Leaving Vox behind to rest in Herschel’s cottage, the others walked over to Rivatha’s home. Rivatha lived immediately behind the home of the Deathmars, and Vilan Deathmar, who had been standing in front of his home talking with his daughters and with Jorgio, came over to talk to the others as they were about to pass on by. “Thanks to all of you for finding a cure! I sure hope it works! Life has had lots of surprises lately, what with many villagers becoming zombies, even my dear wife (Vilan had to supress tears when he mentioned his wife), and then I find my eldest daughter wants to take a husband. I have given my approval for the union, although I want Vilanious to also give permission.” Herschel raised an eyebrow and a slight smile came upon his lips. “Ah, so Flenda is getting married. May I guess it is to this young man standing by her side?” Herschel indicated Jorgio as he spoke. “I thought something was up, what with the way those two were casting sly glances at each other!” Then, after a few more pleasantries, the party moved on.
When they came to Rivatha’s home, they knocked on the door and were pleased that a normal, unaffected human answered the door. It was Rivatha’s wife, Niccius. She invited the party in, but asked them all to please wipe their feet on the door mat, as most of the village was still muddy from yesterday’s strong rain. Inside the home, Herschel detailed the plan to create a healing potion, and that they would need to use some small bottles to make it easier to give individual doses to the zombies. Niccius said she would be glad to contribute in any way she could, and would get to washing and boiling the bottles straightaways.
After that, plans were made for Herschel to start the potion at sunrise of the next day. The bottles were all taken to Herschel’s by Rivatha later in the day. The other party members of Vandin, Douag, and Falafela, returned with Herschel to his house. They fetched Vox, helped him to mount Horse, then led Vox and Horse to Mylene Ackmard’s barn. Mylene’s face really lit up when she saw the horse that Vox was riding, but then she said, “Oh, darn! Why is it that when we finally get a horse in town that it’s not a draught horse?” After an exchange of greetings, Mylene was glad to stable Vox’s horse, and gave him a good feed of some oats after unsaddling him and giving him a rubdown and a thorough brushing. It was arranged for the party to stay in a corner of the stable, on the ground floor, instead of their old sleeping spot upstairs, as Vox was in no condition to climb ladders.
Once everything was planned out for the morrow, the party ate a good meal that Mylene prepared for them. While Jorgio had eaten a hearty dinner at Flenda’s home, with Flenda doing most of the cooking (although she had Jorgio peel some potatoes and carrots), Jorgio joined his companions at Mylene’s when it came time to go to sleep.
