Rise of the Runelords

About half way back to Ardrinn, you saw several men chasing another man who is running erratically. You quickened your pace and soon realized that the men doing the chasing were town watch. By the time you caught up to them they had tackled the runner. It seems that Farmer Crump had approached the guards rattling on about some walking scarecrows. The guards 'suggested' that he accompany them back to town to talk to the Sheriff. The farmer then took a swing and connected with Smith's eye. He then took off and the guards took chase. You questioned the farmer a bit. You could smell the rum from several feet. He said that several farmers had gone to the Hambley farm because no one had seen any of the family for a few days. When thay got to the fields, they were attcked by scarecrows who pulled themselves off their poles. Crump says all were lost and he only escaped by luck. The party agrees to check the place out and the guards take Crump into town.

The Hambley farm is not too far out of the way. You follow the paths into the fields. You expect to find people in the fields, but see no one. There are numerous scarecrows throughout the fields. The first one you approached seemed normal. Closer inspection revealed it to be just that. When you were 30' from the second, it dislodged itself and attacked. You destroyed it quickly. It smelled of rot. Inspection showed it to be a ghoul - one a farmer perhaps. It looked like a scarecrow because of its torn clothes and bits of protruding straw. It hadn't been stuffed, but looked like it might have rolled in some hay. The next one you approached moved as you came closer. Henrik detected no evil. You investigated and found a man in an advanced state of ghoul fever, but not yet beyond hope. You tried to get him to head to Ardrinn, but he refused saying he felt safer if he could stay with you.

Henrik used detect evil when approaching all scarecrows from this point. You encountered two more. You approached the house to find it open and ransacked. Inside was a mutilated body with a note pinned to it. It was addressed to Ishan. The body had similarly shaped claw marks as Harker's corpse in the Mill. You approached the barn and Henrik said to prepare for a fight. Only one of the main doors was opened and Bach moved in. Several others went around to use the side door. There were about a half dozen ghouls inside. Bach was paralyzed before Edwin could attempt a turn. Most fled to cower in a corner. One did not. The less combat oriented went after the turned ghouls. The others surrounded the remaining one. It furiously bit and clawed. Henrik and Golian were paralyzed and quite wounded before it was finally destroyed. The farmer in tow recognized the tough ghoul as Rogors Craesby, Foxglove Manor caretaker.

You searched the rest of the scarecrows and discovered a couple other locals. You moved as best you could back to Ardrinn where Father Zantus and the herbalist were waiting. A couple of days past while you were all cared for. The party pulled through. It wasn't so good for the rescued locals. Zantus says they were hours away from completely succumbing to ghoul fever when you arrived. There was no way to save them.

After resting (and leveling) you went back to the Manor; this time armed with the knowledge that the haunts might be 'controllable' by using positive energy and that many haunts manifest through a person's fears. If that is the case, staying close to Henrik may help protect you. You entered and moved quickly past the stuffed manticore to a hallway beyond. Here Ishan noticed a mummified monkey head with a pull cord coming out of its mouth. Sensing what he was about to do, Henrik said "Don't even think about it." Too late. A loud simian shriek pierced the air, but that was all. Exploring a few more rooms, you noticed some stained glass windows depicting some arcane ritual. You were able to resist one haunt you thought due to Henrik's presence. Faced with the choice, you descended to the basement rather than see what was upstairs. In the kitchen you were assailed by a couple swarms of diseased rats. You killed many and scared more off but not until several had been bitten. Moving on you came into a long abandoned workshop / lab. In it were more stained glass windows showing a different ritual or a different part of the same one seen on the main floor. As you gathered to move through an opened door, a few people 'noticed' the images in the windows move as if they were watching the group. Ishan suddenly yelled something about his children and started to run upstairs. Edwin tried to stop him and Ishan responded by attacking him. After a few thumps and wrestling moves, Ishan was himself again. You moved on. You opened another door to find a spiral stair descending into darkness. It was clear the floor had been dug up to reveal this stair. Bach and Ishan suddenly recoiled and were fending off some unseen attackers. It quickly passed, but not until they were covered with slashing claw wounds that manifested from no where. They reported the same story. They saw Aldern digging up the floor and attacked by ghouls as he penetrated. The ghouls then came back for Bach and Ishan. A little healing and onward.

Your exploring first stopped when you were attacked by a giant, ghoulish bat. Edwin was able to get in and turn it after it bit Henrik. The party waited for its return and quickly destroyed it. You found some treasure amongst the bones. There were a couple more encounters with groups of ghouls before you reached a large, funnel shaped cavern with slippery floors and a door part way down. You cautiously approached.

Inside the room you found Aldern, or what he had become. His clothes were ragged and the stench was nearly unbearable. He attacked, almost unerringly hitting with his dagger. Luckily he was using the weapon instead of his bite. You pushed him back until Ishan entered. At that point, Aldern's face appeared as Ishan's and he tumbled through most of the party to attack him. You tryed to rearrange ranks in the narrow hallway. About this time, Malloric started to ignore the fight and was absorbed with a portion of the rear wall. He approached and looked as though he might begin to eat some of the mold on the wall. You eventually beat Aldern-Ghoul and surveyed the room. Amongst the scattered items was a pile of wooden shards that many thought looked familiar. You soon realized that there was a seven-sided wooden box that appeared in many of the stained galls windows. This could be that box, although shattered. Malloric started to put it together and severl questioned the wisdom of that idea. You found a crumpled latter addressed to Aldern and gathered what you could find of value and headed back to Ardrinn; many of you feeling ill.