The Ghoul Preservation Society

Summary

Scribe Notes: Session - Summer 805
GM: Bernard Hoggins
Level: Low.

Party:

• Menolly Farstrider, Scribe, Elf, Earth Mage
• Thorn, Party Leader, Human, Military Scientist, Healer (They needed lots of it) and owner of a cool tower
• Elenna - Human E&E Mage and cuisine specialist
• Mira - Human meat shield, Earth Mage
• Robert - Human Bait, Mind Mage and rabbit scarer.
• And part way through the adventure we were joined by Faith - Fearless Elven warrior princess

Job:

Hired by the Guild to travel to the Plane of Farwey to locate and retrieve, alive and in one piece, 3 guild members (Marvin the ex-jester, John and Fred) that had been on another mission on the Plane of Farwey and had ended up cursed into unusual ghouls. They were now hanging around a blighted swamp on the borders of Pretrenco and Gamlin.

Places of note:

Plane: Farwey

Places visited: Petrenco(many weeks) and then a quick trip through Gamlin, Prabach and Cryde to Biltadon and then back again.

Travel Notes:

1st day of Meadow: I'd only just joined the guild a few days previous, and after attending my first meeting found myself on a mission to rescue some wayward guild members. Seemed their party had been sent to clean out a tower infested by something, and the tower also contained an evil corrupted book. They grabbed the item but on the way back the presence of the book caused 2 party members to be lost/killed, 3 turned into ghouls and 1 who went slightly mad but made it back to the Guild in mostly one piece to tell the tale of what befell them. The 3 turned into ghouls were now in a swamp on the borders of Pretenco and Gamlin which was apparently infested with blight and the towns around the swamp were having weird ghoul problems. Our job, we were informed, was to go, locate the ghouls and capture them as is, so the Guild could perform a special spell thing to return them back to normal. Seems they aren't dead ghouls but still alive. Very Weird.

We spent some time working out the best way to capture and carry three ghouls, and then set about equipping ourselves. We commissioned 3 sturdy coffin-like boxes made of metal and wood, with various wards to keep the ghouls in and various manacles and chains to keep them safe. We also purchased a wagon that could be dismantled and this was stored in Thorn's amazing shrink and grow tower. We stocked and loaded the tower, purchased healing potions and restoratives, some greater enchantments and we were set. We also researched all that the library had on ghouls, Farwey and Petrenco to arm ourselves with prior knowledge.(see notes/maps at the end) It took two days to prepare. Our plan of action was to locate the ghouls, capture them somehow, lock them in the boxes and cart they back to the Guild. We bought some skin changes as we thought this might be the bast way to capture them. We also looked into some protection from undead for ourselves.

3rd day of Meadow: We then headed for the portal. It seems the portal travel takes most of a day, and completely fatigues you. I've never been through a portal so I'm looking forward to my first trip. I hope I don't get travel sick.

4th day of Meadow: We arrived early morning through the portal and it is a slightly different Pretrenco than was previously recorded. It seems that the portal opening has been seen as a possible security problem and the Baron of Pretrenco has set about redesigning the building that the portal arrives in. More guards were posted and they are building a ramp up from the basement where the portal comes out. Apparently anyone coming through the portal in the past, had to climb up through hole in the roof, or be pulled up. This would make bringing horses and other equipment a bit tricky so the ramp is a good idea I think. They have a ladder set up at the moment, so that is a bit easier. I'd hate to fall off though. The trip wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. And I wasn't sick.

We rested the morning in what looks like barracks and then went to seek an audience with the Baron. The town buildings showed new repairs, minor modifications and scorch marks from the siege that hit the city recently. There was much building going on to replace all the wood structures with stone, and a number of new structures looked like the Baron was tightening the security on the city.

We meet briefly with the Baron, asking his permission to travel through his lands seeking our fellow guild members. As Marvin used to be the Baron's Jester and Master Spy, we thought he would be keen to help us, which he was. He offered us a letter of introduction, which he will send along to the towns we are travelling though, with a particular request not to go ghoul hunting until after we have retrieved the three we were looking for. The Baron's court was much changed from what I could make of the previous scribes notes. No heraldry showing anywhere in the Baron's castle. And several of his guests were orcs.

The stable master Oswyn lends us a number of riding horses and draught horses for the travel ahead and we head off towards the first village towards the swamp. The travel was fine, nothing much happened along the way. The villagers were a bit weary of us so Thorn set up her tower away from the town. The villagers were very impressed with the tower. I'm amazed at the use of magic that people come up with. This tower of Thorn's is a super idea.

5th day of Meadow: Last night passed uneventfully. We set off along the road to the next village. I am trying to map our way but I don't have much idea about the proper way for mapping. It seems the Barons people also don't know, as we asked after maps before we left Pretrenco, but there were none. I wonder what the next village will be like.

(to be continued)