Module 1: What Lies Beyond – Ch.1

[DexterWard]

Module Background
Ockenfel, a towering sentinel of basaltic pillars, rises above the salty waves like a giant redwood looming above the delicately pedaled flowers of the forest floor. Commoners have called Ockenfel home for nearly a thousand years, as the written word tells it. Elder scholars tell of an emptiness, a time where nothing existed, a darkness, the beginning of Ockenfel.

There sits atop a small hill, near the center of Ockenfel, in Windham Village, an abandoned empty keep, stark of any furnishing, once occupied by Ferros Windhammer, a Tinker Dwarf; or so the tales say. Windham, named over 900 years ago by its founder Ferros Windhammer, has led a very uneventful existence. Ferros, as it is told, single handedly led the Commoners in a mining effort that gave Ockenfel and all Commoners access to the salty seas. His engineering prowess was renowned and unmet in all of Ockenfel. Also known for his thirst for adventure, he was always out in search of secrets and treasures, and would not be seen for weeks or months at a time. Many suspected he was hoarding treasures in his keep, mining deep into the earth creating passages and bunkers to store his treasure hoard. No one knows for sure what he was doing, then one day he never returned.

Rumors have always run rampant on Ockenfel. Of monsters, hidden treasures, of secret tunnels and magnificent Dwarven castles beneath the placid surface of fields and farms and forests where the Commoners carry out their daily lives with disinterest. Occasionally a rusty shield, a tarnished sword or dagger, a single gem would be unearthed in the fields, which only fueled the rumor fires.

On the surface Ockenfel appears to be nothing more than an island of Commoners stranded in an ocean of salty waves, carrying out their simple lives with simple pleasures, nothing more challenging than a broken wagon wheel or rusty spade, with no other signs of life or land to be seen or heard of in the history of Ockenfel. Sure, Ferros had boats crafted, and sailors trained, and expeditions mounted, but nothing was ever found; that anyone knows of. For thousands of miles there is only salt water. But for all the mining and searches for the past, nothing of significance was ever found. But it hasn’t stopped the occasional adventurous mind from setting out in search of treasure.

Very near Windahammer keep is a tavern known for its generous conversation, plentiful mead, and salacious fare. The Salty Tusk has comforted generations of miners, farmers, cowherders, trappers, and blacksmiths. IF a tale was to be had The Salty Tusk is where it could be found on the lonely Isle of Ockenfel, amongst the sparse houses of Windham Village.


The Party Embarks...
The Party, with an ear to the wind, ever listening for rumors and tales to jumpstart their adventures, and having heard of the troubles at The Salty Tusk, hastily packed their adventuring gear and set out to discover what mysteries lay beneath. News spread quickly of the kitchen cave-in and the sick townsfolk who claim to have been bitten by giant pale monster bees, something never heard of in Ockenfel.

Upon arrival at Windham The Party is met with silence. There appears to be no one in sight, in fact the village seems to be abandoned. The heavy wooden front doors of The Salty Tusk glide open on well-tallowed wrought iron hinges revealing an ample dining space filled with tables, but not much else. Only a few days ago the party would have been met with the heady scent of musk ox stew, a pub specialty, and ample mead vapors. Tallow lamps line the walls but have long since been snuffed by the gaping maw where the kitchen used to be. A mixture of aromas from fresh cut hay, leaf mold, the distant salty decay of marine life, and now a hint of dank earth fill the space.

Where the kitchen used to be, on the north side of the building, is now a gaping hole in the ground. Most of the roof, part of the back wall, and a large chunk of the kitchen floor have all been consumed by a dark void in the ground. Peering into the dark hole reveals an occasional glimmer and ripple of blue sky, but not much else.

Time of Day: 1pm
Actions?
Questions?

[Bluetongue]

Denny

"Tis the strangest thing I ever saw." declares the dwarf. Hearing of 'trouble at the mill' or in this case the tavern, he had run to help. Of course, the community stuck together and whatever cause it was, there was a civic duty to rally round. Not least since the tavern was a great place to meet and greet, arm wrestle, sing and well, just about anything social.

He had been expecting perhaps the wind to have blown the chimney in or the kitchen fires got out of hand. A sinkhole was unexpected.

And more eerily still, the silence and absence of townsfolk. The dwarf peers over the precipice below.

"Hello. Is anyone down there?" he asks.

[dice_monkey]

Bowb is a tall man of ample girth, bald with a crown dewed with sweat. When he speaks his jowls quiver. "Verily, my friends, the rumours are true. That there, " Bowb says with a gentle touch of sagacity while pointing with the tip of his staff, "is quite a hole."

Pausing to wipe the perspiration from his brow, he continued. "Hmm, now is this simply a sinkhole or...did something dig it's way out, or in?" This last made him uneasy to dwell on. His stomach grumbled and he wished the kitchen was still open. He could do with a meat pie, or two...

Bowb will then survey the hole for any sign of a natural collapse and for anything to suggest something dig it's way out or in.

[SilverBen]

Tore gently pulls his heavy companion back by his clothes in concern. Yes, Bowb, a hole indeed, but if I was your size, I wouldn't be dawdlin' near an edge I couldn't trust underfoot.

Tore scans the kitchen area and takes any nearby utensil of significant weight. He ties the utensil as an anchor to the end of a length of fishing line he retreives from his hip pouch.

Let's just take a quick measure of how deep. He tosses the anchor into the gaping hole and slowly lets it descend.

[Nemesis]

Rand watched the three people enter The Salty Tusk and followed suit. As he walked through the empty streets of Windham, a chill went through his body. Was it the wind or the uncomfortable silence of what should be a bustling village center?

Rand entered the tavern and heard the three men talking in the kitchen. He opened the door and was surprised to see a black-within-black hole on the kitchen floor. He watched silently as one of the men lowers a what appears to be a utensil down the hole.

Rand raps on the door.

Do you think that fishing line will be long enough?

[OGRE MAGE]

Bigsby

An average looking elf, Bigsby doesn't say much at first. He searches all around the interior of the building for anything else that might appear out of place before moving closer to the gaping hole in its floor.

He watches as the others attempt to ascertain the depth of the hole, but stares intently through squinted elven eyes. "I'm sorry, but is that a glimmer of some kind that I see illuminating from below? And ripple of blue sky? Does that seem......odd to anyone else?"

He concentrates on those two things, attempting to discover any more visually, if he can.

[Monsieur Rose]

Silky

A boisterous figure is heard before he's seen.
"Come, come, don't be shy! The rumors are true! Silky Johnson has indeed come to Windham!"

He enters the Salty Tusk with style, a confident swagger in his step, and a broad smile on his face. A tall, muscular elf with richly tan skin and a chiseled jaw steps in. "Barkeep! Spread the word: Silky is here. Hide the women and free the beer!"

Silky waits with his eyes closed for the usual cheer...and waits...and waits. Finally, he opens his eyes to the empty bar. An audible gasp escapes him as he sees the horror within: a complete and utter lack of audience.

"Um. Hello?" He listens for a moment and moves towards the voices in the kitchen.

"There you are. What happened to everyone?" His eyes fall on the hole. "Whoa! Big hole!"

[Nemesis]

Rand creaks open the kitchen door and looks back to hear a boisterous voice coming from the tavern's main lobby.

"Come, come, don't be shy! The rumors are true! Silky Johnson has indeed come to Windham!"

He stifles a laugh as he watches the elf, who called himself "Silky," request a beer from an empty room.


As you can see, friend, there is no one around. A couple of us discovered this interesting hall in the kitchen. Tore here is using a fishing line to see how deep this thing goes.

[Paladin]

Christian Carpenter, as he's known among the plain folk, strolls into the empty tavern and gazes about him. As is his habit, he notes every post, beam, brace, board, and shingle and assesses the quality of the craftmanship. Not even giving up the carpenter's quiet life for one spent adventuring can break some mental grooves, it seems.

He finally glances around and frowns. "Well hullo. Where is everyone?" Crowding into the kitchen/hole, he jostles for a spot near the edge and gazes intently down. "Blue sky, you say? Queer, indeed."

"Daft bugger," he mutters with a good-natured chuckle at Silky and his theatrics. "There's none here to fall prey to your charms, mate. Less'n they be down this great hole."

[DexterWard]

The Party arrives to find an 18’ x 20’ hole in the floor of The Salty Tusk’s kitchen. Initial probes and inspections of “The Hole” reveal it to be very new, as evidenced by the fresh earth and broken timber around the floor edges. Denny attempts an inquiry of the hole for potential victims, but hears only his own voice in return. Bowb seems to think the hole was formed naturally, like similar sinkholes he saw in his youth that would occasionally eat his family’s sheep. Further inspection by Tore with a soupspoon and fishing line uncovers new data. In less than two seconds of fall, a wet landing is revealed by the telltale splash of soupspoon on water, revealing the source of the occasional glimmer of blue sky. Tore’s assessment with fishing line and soupspoon reveals a 30-ish foot drop into stagnant water.

Bigsby and Christian’s inspection of The Salty Tusk reveal it to have been constructed by very skilled hands, with precise timber frame joinery, heavy hardwood beams and rafters, and thick flooring. Most of the construction appears to be a minimum of 10 years old, with some parts even older. The structure has been maintained well over the years. Otherwise, plates of food and cups of drink have been left unfinished or bussed. Given the high quality construction the cave-in still seems highly peculiar. One would think the owners of such a fine community centered establishment would still be there starting cleanup and repair activities.

But perhaps the next discovery by Bigsby sheds a little light on the mystery. In a dark corner of the kitchen he finds a very peculiar beast, or rather giant bug, but nothing like The Commoners of Ockenfel have ever seen or heard of before. About the size of a mango with opaque ash-grey flesh, titanium colored transparent wings, and many dark grey long fibrous hairs, it resembled something like a honeybee but much larger and certainly significantly stranger. As Bigsby inspects the strange creature, it’s wings suddenly jolt to life, rapidly vibrating without any noticeable audible sounds, yet Bigsby could feel them vibrating in his head, passing back
and forth, like a skull-received noise, making him momentarily nauseous. The wings stop vibrating as quickly as they start and the beast remains motionless once again.
Meanwhile Christian’s inspection of the floor joists around the sinkhole reveals the hardwood timbers and floorboards have been gnawed on by something. Not necessarily a toothed animal like a beaver, but much smaller teeth, like the damage a larger version of normal bugs might do to wood.

Bee.png (106.13 KiB) Viewed 1434 times

[Bluetongue]

Denny

An underground hive of some kind?
What ever creatures they are must have scuttled away."

He begins to think that the creatures are ravenous for more than wood and earth.

"We must search the village quick. Help any survivors of this infestation."

He will go check the upper rooms of the tavern with his hammer out ready to squish any bugs he comes across.

[Nemesis]

Rand recoils in horror as the "bug" near Bigsby unfurled its wings.


Great, scott! Is...is that a bug? I hate bugs!

He slowly backs away from the hole and bug, gripping the handle of his sword and watching the others to see if anyone will make a move against it.

[dice_monkey]

Following Rand's gaze, Bowb too sees the same thing and involuntarily takes a step back. His grip on the staff tightens as his appetite disappears (if only for the moment).

He mutters a fortifying prayer under his breath before speaking out loud. "What the **** is that!?" he blurts in a manner unlike himself. "Verily, that is one big-assed bug. Yes indeed. I didn't know they could be so big. Of course all I know of bugs are the garden variety and flies, of course, and midges. I can't abide midges. They swarm you know, midges. I hope whatever this is, I pray there's no swarm of the things. Maybe there's a nest of them down there, like a beehive or the like." A chill rippled through his porcine bulk at the thought.

"Is it dangerous?" Bowb inquired aloud. "Should we kill it? Or do we let it be?"

[Paladin]

Christian squats down and frowns. "Here now. It looks like some sort of critter gnawed upon these," he says and points out the marks with his axe. "I wonder if it weren't our buzzing friend there and his ilk." He tilts his head to one side and watches the flying thing. "P'raps we watch this beastie and discover where it goes. I'd hate to squash it and have it broadcast an alert of sorts to his comrades below us."

[Nemesis]

Rand laughs nervously.


You're right, Christian. But that... thing only came alive when we got closer to it. It seemed dormant before. Might anyone here have any knowledge of this... kind of animal?

[OGRE MAGE]

Unlike the others, Bigsby does not back away from the oddity, instead actually moving in for a closer look. Fascinated by the strangeness, as is his way, the elf takes out his magnifying glass and a large sack, looking carefully through the device before comparing the size of the "bee" to see if the sack is large enough for the creature to fit inside. He also looks for a stinger or any other appendages that might double as a weapon.

"There there now little friend, we aren't going to hurt you, are we fellas? How did you come to be here, I wonder. And where pray tell is everyone else?"

If there is no immediate negative reaction from the thing, Bigsby address the others.

"The fact that there are no townsfolk left around here leads me to ponder three possible outcomes. They might have fled a swarm of these things that came through the hole. Or, they might have all decided to go into the hole to investigate, though it seems unlikely that they wouldn't have left anyone behind to keep watch and inform anyone else of their plan. But a more likely and far scarier assumption......." The elf pauses for dramatic effect, as he sometimes does. "...is that this bee here might actually be one of the missing townsfolk, transformed into this.....this thing we see before us."

Moving to the kitchen area, Bigsby tries to find a large pot, crate, or basket that he might use to trap the big bee inside without injuring it.

[Monsieur Rose]

Silky

Silky has his ax out and in mid-swing when the others suggest not killing. "Uh...why can't I kill the giant monster thing?" He tries to follow the explanation from Bigsby, but only gets that the bee is a barkeep.

He laughs a bit. "That's funny, you know, because you need honey for mead."

"Wait? Does that mean that all the people are now bees? Even women?" He seems very distraught at this information. Silky sits down nearby and absent-mindedly picks at a plate of food and drinks some leftover something.

[SilverBen]

Tore startles and stumbles back from the creature in disgust. He inadvertently releases the fishing line and grasps his spear in a two-handed stance that can quickly raise the blade to engage a threat. He pauses with intrigue at Bigsby's comment...

The elf pauses for dramatic effect, as he sometimes does. "...is that this bee here might actually be one of the missing townsfolk, transformed into this.....this thing we see before us."

As the elf moves to the kitchen area to search for a container he might use to harmlessly trap the insect, Tore challenges Bigsby: "Bah! Nonsense! What ever gave ya that idea - transformin' villagers ta insects? These're foul spawn of somethin' bigger yet and my guess is they came from down there..." points to the gaping hole. "Ha, I'd sooner collect 'em and use 'em as bait if they wasn't so revoltin' and scare my fish away."

When Tore sees the elf ignores his challenge, he adds, "Fine, then! Ya gonna need a few more pots 'n pans for safe keepin' yer new pets. I'm guessin' where there's one of these, there's a whole lot more nearby." He eyes the party for acknowledgement and prompting commentary.

[DexterWard]

Day 1: Sept 9th
Time: 1:30 pm

Denny suggests the group perform a quick search of the village for any surviving/hiding townsfolk, then begins checking rooms in the tavern. He finds several rooms with unkempt beds and belongings left where there were last. No apparent attempt seems to have been made to retrieve or take their belongings with them when the sinkhole struck and whatever events transpired shortly thereafter. A search of the town might reveal additional clues.

Christian’s close inspection of the chewed timbers reminds him of termite or carpenter ant infestations he’s seen before, but on a much larger scale. These bugs would have to be an inch or more long to cause damage of this scale. The pincers biting and chewing and grinding at the hardwood timbers would have to be mighty impressive.

As to the disposition of the Bee-Thing…Randal and Bowb wait to see if anything else develops before proceeding, while Bigsby gets in close to comfort the bee, certain it might in fact be one of the townsfolk transformed…To Randal’s horror, and his correct hypothesis, the bee is in fact dormant, or perhaps just stunned, for anytime someone gets close and makes noise the Bee-Thing’s titanium colored transparent wings begin to vibrate rapidly as its many dark grey long fibrous hairs begin to vibrate, causing the Bee-Thing’s body to shimmer.

A wave of nausea and dizziness rolls over Bigsby threatening to topple his balance and relieve him of his last meal. He drops to both knees as the burn from the pit of his stomach churns at the base of his throat and his skull pounds and vibrates in unison with the Bee-Thing. He just manages to keep things down. Everyone else in the kitchen fair somewhat better (minus Denny who went to search the rooms), with only a minor skull-wracking vibration deep in their head making them wobbly-kneed for a few seconds. The Bee-Thing buzzes for about fifteen seconds total then ceases. It becomes very clear, the closer you are to the Bee-Thing when it goes off the more zing you get deep within the skull. Perhaps it’s some kind of defense mechanism or psychic attack. More investigation would be needed to ascertain the true nature of the thing.

No sounds of villagers are heard this round from either the tavern, the village, or the sinkhole. No sounds of any kind issue from the sinkhole for that matter. All is eerily quiet in this place aside from the creek of floorboards beneath feet, and an occasional wisp of breeze.

Options:

1. Search the Sinkhole
2. Search the Village
3. Play with the Bee-Thing some more (if you dare!)
4. Something else

Actions!

[Bluetongue]

Denny

At a loss over the sudden disappearance of the townsfolk. No sign of fight or flight. No packing, preparing to take resources with them.

Did they all get summoned to appear somewhere. The Keep always had a bad reputation.

The dwarf decides to search the village starting with the houses closest to the tavern on the south.