Chp. 8 - Please Save the Children!

[OGRE MAGE]

Fingal looks at the ashy elf.

How could you know that. It's just eating.

[AleBelly]

"Can anyone imitate the voice of a child?" asks Wulfhart. "If that beast does indeed feast upon children, perhaps that would lure it out."

[Pulpatoon]

Porphyry: "I have a technique for divining the location and nature of remains, but it requires preparation. If we were willing to wait until tomorrow, I could tell you exactly what or who our ursine friend is feasting upon. Otherwise..." the satyr wiggles his fingers, "I could attack the bear from here, using the same spectral hands that so heroically saved you all from that monstrous worm, yesterday. Should it be able to stagger its way out of the cave, the rest of you could... " he flicks his hand dismissively, "Pick it off."

[Grognardsw]

Groyn the dwarf quietly steps back from the cave entrance and rejoins the group. They formulate a plan of action. Porphyry the satyr psychopomp begins preparing an incantation.

Assuming the plan is as described, I'll pick up it tomorrow, but feel free to add or refine.

[Pulpatoon]

Porphyry carefully pretends to pace out the proper distance between himself and the entrance of the cave for maximum thauma-harmonic resonance (actually just making sure the rest of the rest of the party is between him and the bear).

[OGRE MAGE]

Fingal looks confused.

So, we're just going to kill it?

That's the only thing we can come up with?

He looks around for a druid or a wood elf or something.

[greyarea]

Asherrion says, I'm pretty sure it is mad, dear Fingal. You may try to talk to it if you must, but I fear that giving it a quick and merciful death might be best for all involved.

Of course, Porph might just be putting it to sleep...

[AleBelly]

"Fingal, clean the wax out of those filthy ears!" laughs Wulfhart. "That smelly goatman is determining the nature of those bones..."

[Pulpatoon]

Porphyry extends his arms. "Are we all girded and armed and ready?" He clutches his hands into gnarled claws, as spectral hands reach out from his body, and fly into the darkened cave.

First of four rounds: [1d4] = 3

Choke
Level: 2
Duration: 1 round per level Range: 90'
This spell causes a pair of spectral hands to clasp the throat of a single target and to begin choking them. Each round of the spell the victim suffers 1d4 damage and makes attack rolls at -2. The victim is allowed a saving throw when thespell is cast, with success reducing the choking damage by half (rounded up).
Due to the ghostly nature of the choking hands, it is not possible for the victim to wrench them away. However the choke is negated if the caster is killed or knocked unconscious.

[AleBelly]

sorry Fingal! I thought Porph was using the other spell

[Grognardsw]

The goat man intones syllables of sorcerous semiotics and spectral hands materialize within the cave. The clawed hands startle and begin to choke the bear, which lets out a roar and slashes at an unseen foe. The great bear struggles, continuing to be choked (second round damage), before it rushes out of the cave hoping to escape the spectral hands.

The adventurers are poised outside, weapons ready. A volley of arrows and knives bloody the surprised beast and the spectral hands continue their punishing clutch. The bear staggers, overwhelmed, as another onslaught of steel ends its life.

With some trepidation the heroes enter the cave to look upon the bones. It hits them like a blow to the stomach when they realize the small bones are indeed those of chidren. Many gnawed and dismembered skeletons, the flesh long gone, the clothing torn to shreds. After all of the last few days, it comes down to a bear. 

Congratulations, or lamentations, you have just completed the infamous, banned-in-some-stores Lamentations of the Flame Princess module...





Only Asherrion came, head-to-head with the walking phallus creature, an alien with mental wavelengths that caused the orgy. One of those you-had-to-be-there moments.

[saalaria]

Whoa - nice one Bill. And I just thought it all came from your mind (yes I was slightly concerned!).

Swilbosh passes a webbed hand across his face when the realisation dawns.

"Thisss wasss it?...I need a sssswim, I need to think."

He will look for a stream or river on the next leg of the journey.

[OGRE MAGE]

Fingal

A bear?
A bear was eating the children?

Well, we didn't save any of them but.......at least we solved the mystery?

Uhhhhhhhh............now what?

[Pulpatoon]

Porphyry insists that the party linger at the cave so that he can organize the children's skeletons properly. If they don't drag him away, he'll eventually reassemble the skeletons with all their available pieces, and begin talking about reanimating them and marching them back to the village for a reunion with their families.

Hopefully, at this point, someone will drag him away. Or at least explain just how bad an idea this is.

[greyarea]

Asherrion pulls Porph aside. Perhaps graves are a better option than zombies. Let's dig.

[ChubbyPixie]

Wrenly the Brown, MU

Ha!... I mean... Oh no, the children... Could this have been anything other than an LotFP scenario? I guess not...

Wrenly stares at the remains of the children, genuinely horrified, the wind completely taken out of his sails. His "ready to incant" posture slackens as his hands drop to his sides. He for once in your short acquaintance seems to drop his dramatic attitude. "Oh... Oh dear... he says.

When he realizes what Porphyry is up to he snaps out of it and gently helps pull him away. "Ah, good idea, Porphyry. Well intentioned, I'm sure. However, in matters such as these we must consult the parents before, ah, revivifying any... remains. Let us return to the village, shall we?" he suggests.

[Grognardsw]

The adventurers somberly gather the remains and torn clothes of the children and return to the village. There is great lamentation and sorrow from the villagers. They are thankful for the party's dispatching of the bear and solving of the mystery. 

Asherrion the grey recognizes a handful of the men in the village, who avert their gaze and withdraw. The mood is grim in the village as the adventurers rest and eat in the tavern, deciding next steps.

 They recall when they found  themselves on a small mountain top after their release from the Cataphract in the Plane of Law. To the east was a peaceful looking but cursed village, which is where they are now.



To the west a strange... standing stone?



To the north a large lake with a village along its shore



To the south, far away, is the Keep on the Borderlands. 

[Pulpatoon]

Porphyry is eager to return to the Keep (although his Player is more curious about the seaside village).

[ChubbyPixie]

Wrenly the Brown, Conjurer

Wrenly mourns the children in an abstract way and his faithful mule, Beatrix, in a more concrete fashion. He had foolishly allowed himself to become attached to the silly creature. Ah well.

So far my mule retention in these forums is 0%. They have an average survival duaration of about three posts.

"Well, I'm game for anything, though the standing stone holds less interest for me than it did when I believed it to be the key to our mystery..." he says. "What is the significance of this Keep I've heard you mention?"

[Pulpatoon]

Porphyry: "The Keep is nothing special. Just a human outpost. But it is near a den of monsters with whom I would redress certain grievances."