Document 4 – The Invisible Bond (Part 4)

Document 4: The Invisible Bond (Adventure)

Details (Part 4)

Country Roads

The countryside between Maheto and the Verduran Forest is a tangle of small rural roads through farmlands, shallow ravines and rocky hills. There are more homes closer to Maheto, but as one travels towards the forest, the homes become more spread out and self-sufficient.

The main road west from Maheto is pleasant to travel with many farmers, locals and hunters passing by frequently. If the party asks about signs of the cultists, most will either feign ignorance or hurriedly change the subject (DC20 Per to detect Deception). There are plenty of rumors in the region about finding remains of unholy rituals deep in the wilderness and the more frequent nightmares worry most people of the region. About a day’s journey from Maheto is a large campground which serves as a gathering point for travelers of all types. It is a bit more wild and lawless and has a variety of semi-permanent tents and pavilions so it is locally known as “The Carnival”.

Uninvited Guests

When the party arrives they will see that people here are suspicious and wary at first, but then more relaxed once they start interacting. If questioned, with a DC20 Diplomacy check, they will find out that there are rumors of undead roaming through the edges of the Verduran which has everyone on edge. A few people are trying to organize their travels with larger groups, but there is more argument than cooperation.

That night, the Carnival will find out first hand that these rumors are true as a band of wandering Skeletons (10) attack the camp. The party may be able to hear them approaching with a DC24 Per check.

10 Skeletons – 10×15= 150XP (680)

If the party tries to find the source of the marauding skeletons, the trail will lead them into the Verduran and will be a dangerous quest.

The Demetrias home is another day’s trek from the Carnival and the group will see other farmsteads much less frequently as they get closer to the forest. When they finally reach the retired military man’s home they will notice that it is different than what one would expect from the ones they had passed before on this road.

The house is a well-built two-story manor with a thick wall surrounding the property like a small outpost. Many years ago, that is actually what this home was – an outpost near the large forest that was manned by a small garrison from Maheto. When Demetrias volunteered to allow Maheto troops to periodically use the estate for staging movements in the Verduran, the city gifted the soldier the manor and its grounds. When he married and started a family, Kendrick made the manor more of a home.

Demetrias Estate

Kendrick Demetrias has been living alone in his old manor for the past 5 years, ever since his only daughter left for military training in Maheto. News of her loss eventually reached him and in her honor, Kendrick had a stone plaque made and laid next to the grave of his wife Anabel on the estate grounds. To this day, he keeps fresh flowers on both graves and an oil lamp burning within his daughter’s favorite dollhouse in his bedroom.

About 3 weeks ago, his mundane life changed when a stranger came to his gate and rang the bell. A pretty woman, calling herself Iolene, soaked through and through from the rain, pleaded with the man to allow her to get out of the elements for the night and then move on the next day. She knew his name from a group that she was travelling with in the forest when they were attacked by a huge pack of wolves. She told Kendrick that she believes she was the lone survivor after they told her to run while they fended the beasts off. (the wolves were actually under Iolene’s control)

But Iolene was not what she appeared. The young woman was actually a rather old vampire who had heard about the estate and its sole owner in her travels and thought it would be a grand idea to take it over and force its current owner to serve as her private butler and slave. At the first opportunity, after a helpful tour of the grounds and manor house, she successfully used a Dominate spell to enslave the old lonely soldier. She now poses as his new wife and welcomes any visitors warmly, gaining intel and if they are alone or perceived as weak, she lures them into her bed to feed upon them, or use them for her unholy rites raising them as undead vampire spawn.

Arrival

If the party leaves in the morning from the Carnival, they will reach the Demetrias manor as the sun is dipping behind the forested hills. When the party arrives at the gate, they will see an 8’ tall, sharp-tipped wrought iron fence surrounding a small estate and a closed (not locked) ornate gate with a weathered brass bell hanging to one side. If the group arrives during the day, Kendrick will emerge from the front door, peer at the visitors then motion them to come in.

If the group arrives after dark, they will see lit lampposts illuminating a switchback path to the front doors. Assuming they ring the bell, a minute or so later, a young woman dressed in servant’s clothing will come to the gate to see who it is. Unless they are threatening or obviously evasive, she will guide them to the manor and introduce them to the master of the house, Kendrick.

Outside the Manor

If the party ranges outside of the fenced area for more than 20 minutes they will run into a pack of wolves that Iolene has tasked with keeping unwanted eyes near the manor or at least informing her of any weaklings that may be useful.

Iolene has been able to murder and convert 3 people into her thralls. A young human woman named Polina was the first along with her brother Jacobis. Then a lone hunter named Arki who had the unfortunate luck to meet Iolene one evening when she was gathering spell components. Polina and Jacobis act as servants in the employ of Kendrick and his lady, but Arki is introduced as a younger brother who is a little wild in his ways and mostly bored although he does enjoy a good adventure book.

Kendrick will inquire as to who they are and their purpose and if it seems like the story will be a long one, he will bid them to make themselves comfortable in the parlor while calling for Jacobis to bring food and warm drink. He will send Polina upstairs to fetch his wife Iolene. She will join them shortly and will make the introductions.

The story he tells them is that he met Iolene a couple years ago when a group of merchants was passing through the area on a trade delegation from Yanmass to Wispil. It was love at first sight and he jokes that she must have cast a spell on him because he never thought he would find someone after his wife passed many years ago. They soon married and she and her brother Arki moved into the manor.

If asked about Arki, he mentions that the young man is always bored but he can usually be found in the upstairs library with his nose in a dusty old book.

Once they have told him their story and the purpose of their visit, Iolene will insist that they stay for dinner so Kendrick can tell them what they need to know and she also enjoys entertaining when she has the opportunity. She will tell them that they can spend the night as they have several extra unoccupied rooms. As she ascends the staircase, she lets them know that the right side leads to the couples’ private suite, so she wishes to have their privacy respected, but the left side leads to the upstairs library and guest rooms.

She bids them to relax in the guest parlor until dinner is ready and they are summoned. Polina will attend to any of their needs including cleaning travelling clothes, providing fresh clothes if needed, etc.

Dinner

About 45 minutes later, Polina will come upstairs to summon the group to dinner. She will lead them through the parlor and into the dining room where 5 extra place settings have been added for a total of 7 seats. Almost the moment they are seated, Kendrick and Iolene will enter with smiles and take their seats. Jacobis will begin bringing out the dinner and placing large platters on the table. The dinner consists of lamb stew with leeks, carrots and turnips, fresh oat bread, smoked pork off the bone, au gratin potatoes in a brandy reduction and a traditional shepherd’s pie. (the meal sounds better than it tastes – nothing seems too fresh, just heated).

Kendrick’s Story

Once the group is settled in with dinner, Kendrick will tell them about his family. He speaks about his former wife, Anabel, an elf warrior-mage that he met when they were travelling through the Verduran from Kyonin. They married and had a daughter they names Sertia. Several years later, his wide contracted a deadly disease that the healers could not cure and she died. So it was just him and his daughter for many years after that. He taught her what he could about swordplay and fighting but he sent her to a proper trainer in Maheto when she turned 16. They wrote to each other over the next two years until she got her first official assignment on the Galt border. That was the last he would hear from her until a few weeks later when a letter from her superior officer, a man named Commander Rastagian who was in charge of the recently renovated Broken Bridge Fort. Her name was in a list of casualties and she was killed in a skirmish on the border.

TWO NOTES –

The party may notice (DC24 Per) that Kendrick is very dispassionate with this story
The bracelet will suddenly come to life in Merle’s mind, displaying the face of a grizzled man with grey and black hair and a scar over his left eye. He is scowling disapprovingly.

As for the bracelet, Kendrick remembers it as a gift that his wife commissioned from Maheto and gave it to their daughter when she was 5 years old. The bracelet senses something very wrong in this house and is spiteful of Kendrick’s new ‘wife’. If Merle tries to hand it to him, the bracelet will attempt to prevent him from doing so. Merle will need to make a DC30 Will save to be able to do so until Kendrick’s ‘condition’ clears up.