Setup
The party are all inhabitants of the small town of Obora, and there is the upcoming Spring Festival where 3 cows and 9 sheep are sacrificed on the town altar., along with a giant straw doll dressed in white that is burnt. Houses entrances are decorated with animal horns and hawthorn to say goodbye do death and disease (more prevalent during the winter). This tradition has been going on for centuries, and whenever a year didn't commit to the festival, the year's harvest was bad and lead to a starving village. The last time it happened was 20 years ago when thieves from the rival village of Lisky slaughtered all the cows on the night before the ritual.
The festival will happen in 7 days and the village elder, Gustav Jezek has summoned you all to his hut.
Locations
- Obora
- Small village of 800 inhabitants, with a central hill on which the wooden town hut is built, and next to it the altar and ritual place. A wooden wall surrounds the village, with farmland expanding on most direction.
- Nina's House: Was broken in, no signs of any fighting, but it looks like she fell asleep at her table during supper. Her food is poisoned with magical celery powder that makes whoever eat it very sleepy.
- Jenny's character recently talked about it to a young gnome alchemist called Lubomír, as he was asking.
- List with the names Nina, Rehor and Stanislav.
- Rehor was the previous priest of the village, he lives outside in a small hut in the hills and usually just comes by every few weeks to buy some supplied or hire some arms to bring him food and wood.
- Stanislav is the apprentice of Nina.
- Rehor's House
- Was broken in (several times), most recently by bandits, but also older traces of him fighting against several people.
- Thieve's Cant (Chantal) that say "If I was kidnapped, you shall be rewarded. Look behind my chimney for a pre-payment for your deeds"
- 1 potions of invisibility
- 2 healing potions
- On their way out, attacked by some Gnolls who think they are easy pray. Fight!
- Karel Forest
- Track down a camp site where 5 people + 1 prisoner slept for the night.
- A fight broke out against some sort of large monstrosity, Ankhegs. Fight!
- The ankhegs were already weakened by the previous fight, claw and bite marks on them.
- Tomlova Lake
- Lake in the Karel Forest with an island and an old tower on it. Foggy. Torches lite inside the tower.
- Some boats available. Wait for night time to approach?
- 1 Guard keeping watch, asleep/drunk at the entrance.
- Door is locked. After a few failed tries to unlock the door, voice from behind it "Kristian, are you asleep again you piece of shit?" Will come out to kick his ass if no reply, leaving the door open.
- Invisible ladder to go up to the next layer, need to find them. Old wizard's tower? Legend time "Ilona Ševčíková the Enchantress (half-elf)". Danny knows a song about her, that she was feared by most, and only loved by those she enchanted. Wasn't she dead?
- Second level has some cages with Nina and Rehor asleep, cursed?
- Third level has some sleeping units and Fight against 2 animated armor protecting the level.
- Last level has Ilona the Enchantress (volo 213) toned down and her minion Igor (tiefling, Bugbear stats)
- She wanted to kidnap the priestess because she and her predecessor were loved. She used to be a priestess of the spring ritual but people grew feaful of her powers, until the council kicked her off 50 years ago.
- By having the ritual fail, she would save the village with her magic, being loved again.
- She will jump from the tower and transform into an eagle and fly away "this isn't the last time we meet!"
NPCs
- Gustav Jezek (human male, old, missing on eye, crazy voice)
- Has assembled the party because a grave danger has arisen. The village priest and master of the spring ceremony, Nina has disappeared this night. A letter was found in her house.
- He asks the party to track her, maybe by starting at her house, to find more info about her disappearance. It is of upmost importance that the ritual takes place!
- Lubomir (gnome male, young, excited, easily scared)
- Missing from his home. He has several pairs of clothes belonging to different races, which is weird. Could be a doppleganger or shapeshifter.
- Hidden notes about meeting up at the next full moon in Karel Forest.
Encounters
- 3 ankegs in Karel Forest (mm
- Rehor's house: 1 Gnoll Pack Lord (mm 163) and 2 Gnoll Flesh Gnawer (volo 154)