Ghosts near Clansblood Lagoon

GM: Robert

Players:

Barna (Jess)

Juliette (Chris)

Remy (Ian)

Report from Barna (Jess)
What you need to know now: Olig-Pon is back and he has a baby dragon (Yaig?) with him.

I met with Juliette after seeing her request for aid in investigating the presence of ghosts near Clansblood Lagoon. There had been reports of whole villages being found dead in their beds. I had encountered ghosts before and knew that ordinary weapons would have no effect on them. We needed magic.

So, our first stop was the Keepers. Remy wizard, elf and bookworm was present to lend us aid. We spent a great deal of time watching Remy flip through his books to discover which methods were best for the banishment of ghosts. He finally settled on a circle drawn of triangles. We recruited a mage named Ingrid and a southern dwarf to aid us in both drawing the circle and holding off the ghosts long enough to draw. In his perusal of all things Ghost Remy came across the recipe for a ghost bane oil. After a quick trip to a quartermaster and the graveyard compost heap we had the oil ingredients. We also needed the blessing of the unicorn. The unicorn extracted promises from my compatriots to not intentionally harm innocents. It sensed dark thoughts within my mind and insisted that I give a stricter oath not to recklessly endanger innocent lives either.

Remy had a scrying crystal that he used to track down the ghosts. He saw a peaceful village with graffiti scrolls on the walls. Scrolls are the symbol of Pon, Olig-Pon was trapped when the ghosts were released from the black gates. It does not take a genius to see the connection. The villagers were also acting oddly. The villagers were collecting fish eggs, hiding their activity from a goblin camp to their north and were visibly starving. Remy informed us that as the fish eggs had been laid in the lagoon, a place of power thanks to the black gate summoning by Olig-Pon, they had magical properties. I heard enough rumours about the summoning of the bone dragon to be fearful that the fish eggs would be used in another summoning ritual. I proposed many excellent plans including, but not limited to: asking a dragon to breathe fire on the village (shot down because “we don’t kill innocents, Barna”. Maybe the unicorn was right.), trap the ghosts in a box and use them as a weapon (“no, Barna, that is too close to necromancy”) and walking into the village acting like we were returning after a long absence and were old relatives (shot down because none of us are convincing actors and it was a stupid idea.  Retrospectively, this may not have been the worst idea). We planned to teleport, via Remy’s most excellent never fail portals, to the outskirts of the Goblin camp. We would then eliminate the goblins and spy on the villagers to ascertain their plan. As is usual of plans I am part of creating, this went completely to plan. I jest, we sort of failed.

Before departing the Obsidian Fist, Ingrid decided that an impromptu and unwanted therapy session was in order. As some may know my son, Anrab, was present at the Granite Citadel when it was attacked. I was not present at the time having let to investigate rumours of an army we now know to be the mind-controlled army. His name had not appeared on the list of executed, but I had assumed him dead. Remy agreed to scry for my son as I watched over his shoulder. We saw Anrab standing in the former Sentinels barrack. He was teaching some Hobgoblins Common. At one point he rapped one of them on the knuckles with a ruler and threatened to report their lack of proper pronunciation to Keerla’n. Anrab is one of the most honest, law-abiding people you will ever meet, it is a touch scary.

Remy then opened a portal for use to teleport outside the goblin camp. He messed up and the portal opened to a construction site full of goblins. Naturally, I ran through to see more. Goblins in Granite citadel garb are repairing the granite eye. The others followed and we were involved in a short skirmish before Remy opened another portal to take us to our intended destination. In her panic to escape Ingrid backed through the portal too quicker and ended up in sight of the hobgoblin at the camp. I was able to make a make a quieter entrance. A short altercation took place and Juliette was badly hurt. A little goblin snuck up behind me and tried to stab me in my kidneys. Luckily my armour protected me. I responded by turning around and hugging him tightly and telling him about the ghosts. He freaked out a little and stopped attacking.

We called a truce with the goblins as they were as concerned as we were about the ghosts and the harm to the villagers. The leader, Zhou qi, and the little goblin who stabbed me were the only ones of the group who spoke common. I and Zhou qi used his amulet of Strom to heal Juliette. Zhou qi ordered the little goblin to go into the village to see what the villagers were doing. We headed to a nearby shrine of Strom and Zhou qi went to fetch a few villagers under the guise of giving a service.

When the three dwarven villagers arrived Remy pulled the ghosts out of all three of them. Will killed them all, but not before learning that their ritual would take place at noon…and it was noon. We sprinted back to the village centre and Remy opened a portal to speed us along. Unfortunately, we were too late, one of the villagers slit the little goblin’s throat and his blood mixed with the fish eggs. The possessed villagers began to chant and the black gates appeared. Olig-Pon flew out of the gates holding a baby dragon. As he grinned and laughed manically, we used our collective magic to expel all of the ghosts and shut the gates. We were unable to do anything to the Olig though. He flew away towards the east.

Zhou qi took the little goblin and left saying that he needed to report the events to his higher ups. Juliette definitely has a crush on Zhou qi.