#bascolm

[ravenloftian]

Discoveries in Marais d'Tarascon

November 14, Y356 (Game session 9/1/2023)

As the apocalyptic sky darkens and thunder roars through the heavens, the party begins to uncover the multiple horrors afoot in Marais de Tarrascon. While they camped out at the cemetery, a murder has taken place. A young barmaid was slain during the night on her way home. All that is left of the gruesome ordeal is a pool of blood, part of her body, and a piece of licorice candy. Overwhelmed by multiple investigations, Constable Gremin allows the paladins to help him investigate the bizarre goings on in the village. Both Gremin and Shaman Brucian agree it all started with the death of Marcel de Tarrascon. They discover that Marcel did not receive a proper burial, and his body was taken back to the manor by his twin brother, Jean. Jean hasn't been the same since Marcel's death.

The local blacksmith, Jordi, and his human wife, Nadine, are deeply saddened by the disappearance of Colin, their son. Colin was last seen at the farm with his girlfriend, Teresa, two weeks ago. Jordi hands Val an exquisite Dwarven-forged longsword (+1 Longsword) crafted by his ancestors and begs him to find his son and the source of the evil curse gripping the town. Jordi is wary of Luc, who is related to Marcel and Jean de Tarrascon, claiming he doesn't trust the boy.

As they scour the town for clues, the party comes across the would-be-scholar Mordu, eager to fill their ears with theories about the town's curse. Ylathra, the Moss-Heart, an ancient deity, has apparently been angered by the draining and cultivation of the swamp and is causing the farmers to die. Mordu is a fan of red licorice candy and offers the party some. He is shocked to learn that Licorice has been at the scene of the crimes. Sensing that Mordu is off his rocker, the party quickly gets away and gets on with the investigation.

They stop at Teresa's mother's cottage to find old Fiora raving about flesh-eaters and mourning her daughter's disappearance. Fiora doesn't open the door–it is barred and adorned with holy symbols and garlands of garlic and wolfsbane. Like many villagers, Fiora is afraid to go out and is horrified by all the sudden deaths.

After a quick repast, the paladins head to the Tarrascon home. When Luc refuses to follow them, they resolve to lock him up in the inn for his own safety. When they get to the manor house, they find the doors barred and the curtains drawn. No one seems to be home.

When they head out to the farms, they find that the wheat and barley have been harvested, but no cleanup has taken place. They find not a soul.

As evening draws near, they head back to the Full Moon Inn to check on Luc and have supper. Katha is in the dining room along with innkeepers Jerald and Henrietta Bascolm. While dining, they get a whiff of a disgusting foul odor that causes them to gag and nearly vomit. Val and Perival aren't affected, but Katha retches, faints, and terrible boils appear on Marcus' handsome features. Thanks to the power of the Morninglord, Marcus' contagion abates, but others are not so lucky. When the party hears a thump upstairs, they rush to check on Luc. The boy is seated in the center of the room with every lantern lit, but before they can breathe a sigh of relief, they hear a growl from the adjacent room. Marcus kicks the door just as Duncan de Lute, a local merchant, becomes a zombie and attacks. With one swift sword strike, Marcus cuts the thing in half. Back downstairs, they find that Jerald has fallen over from weakness while his wife is besotted with pus-filled black boils. After helping the staff, they fetch Constable Gremin and Shaman Brucian to the scene. The horrified men suggest a trip to the undertaker for a coffin.

Undertaker Pierot explains that he will be leaving Marais in the morning. Val tells him to seek refuge in Lunamire.

As the sun sets, the party heads to the Tarrascon townhouse. Light spills from the back of the house, and they move closer to investigate. Beyond the window they see a spacious dining room with fine appointments, showing taste and wealth. A chandelier of burning candles fills the room with a warm and pleasant light. Several large, covered serving trays are on the table in the center of the room, and places have been set for five. Four servants enter from a side passage, their heads bowed deeply as they walk. One of the servants goes to the table. With a flourish, he lifts the lid from the grandest platter, revealing the night's meal: the remains of a freshly dead young woman. Dried blood covers much of her pale flesh, and a wicked cut stretches from ear to ear. Suddenly, a face appears in the window, staring with malevolent eyes-the eyes of a ghoul!

One of the ghouls leaps out the window and attacks Val. The others file out of the back door and focus on Marcus. After a fearsome battle that leaves Percival paralyzed, the ghouls are vanquished and the party enters the estate.

To be continued...

Great job investigating the mystery. You've earned 450xp this session.

[ashleymattei-blog]

The movie I've been waiting for since march ! 😭😍