Comparing versions of The Tragedy of Mac Dairncuff
Showing changes between October 31, 2019 at 6:31:22 pm (crossed out) and October 31, 2019 at 6:34:08 pm (underlined)
The peasant is an old fisherman who's croft lies hidden nearby, he invites our heroes to stay the night having only room for the leaders of the company. Hirelings are left outside in the cold, a rude screen of dead men's clothes is erected in order to hide the necessary fires to keep all warm. Inside the fisherman (who's name not asked or given) tells tales by the flicking firelight of bandit raids and a terrible unnatural plague the grips the land. A evil foreign sorcerer has made an alliance with Black Angus and those unfortunates taken prisoner are dragged into the ruins of Harpy Rock for what horror our fishermen dares not imagine. Said sorcerer is identified by our heroes as a former hireling of Lentule's, one Calem, a muttering cultist who stole away with a dagger of evil aspect at the death of Lentule. The fisherman describes a bandit camp at the foot of the hill, making a frontal approach suicide, only by way of the sea caves could surprise be won.
evil looking conifer wood. Ewan amuses himself by singing songs of bloody revenge or else of lost loves and suicide pacts. After inquiring of more martial or merry tunes could be recalled it is revealed he knows of no other songs, and who would in grim Mandolia? 3 watches are set,
An evil conifer wood.
The next day the company makes it's way stealthily towards the glowering bulk of Harpy Rock, the fisherman leads them to the sea caves and they enter one by one. Hogarth and his gang take the lead, the dangerous, slippery path being reminiscent of the sewers much traversed in his youth. The sea cave narrows into a tunnel which in turn leads to a wide cavern dotted with stalactites. Unbeknownst to the party some of these are in fact carnivorous piercers. These drop from the ceiling causing pandemonium but little damage before being dispatched.
At the end of the cavern stone steps lead up into the darkness. Hogarth calls for daggers and short-swords to be drawn, for close quarters combat in the narrow corridor. Some way on the faint and pleasant sound of women singing drifts over Hogarth and his men, alas some of his company are enchanted by this melodious song. Charmed men press forth, haranguing Hogarth who barely keeps them from barging past. The cry goes forth to stop ears with cloth.Silent discussion is entered (by way of thieves cant) betweenChuwah and Hogath, wherein they discuss leaving the harpies and pressing on, however the lure of treasure becomes too much for these rogues and it is decided to brave the lair.Chuwah forces the fisherman to listen to the harpies so as to use him as human lure. The fisherman replies he is immune to their temptations, having many times braved this path in his youth as a smuggler. A great rusted iron door stands between our party and the harpies song, enchanted men shout and struggle from behind to see these surely beauteous creatures. The door is slowly opened, and at the very moment a man might wriggle through, one does! Only for blood and viscera to spray back into the jostling ranks of warriors. The harpies are engaged and 2 are slain and a third flees to the skies. Vast piles of treasure, decades of tribute to this cruel beasts, are discovered in their clifftop nest. Chuwah turns to the much put-upon fisherman and demands the poor man makes an account of each coin while he continues on ahead. The fisherman replies he can only count to 20 and Chuwah retorts with threads of death.
The corridor ends at a door which is silently entered by Hogath. it is a miserable sight, a cellar packed with pitiful and moaning peasants chained to the walls. A ragged creature shuffles about poking and inspecting the poor wretches. Hogarth attempts to ambush the thing, but is foiled by over excited villagers crying for their salvation. He falls, tumbling with his enemy who is revealed to be a hideous crone who scratches at his face with blackened and broken fingernails. Support arrives from behind only to trip over a decaying body and wound poor Hogarth who lies prone on the ground. More men enter and woman is finally dispatched. Chewah muses that some prisoners might be afflicted by the plague and should be quickly killed and removed. He calls out to the room they he may heal their illness with magics but the plan backfires as all hopefully cry out their various maladies and agonies in hope of healing.
