Chasing The Curse

Ashe Wistleblit

**"Chasing The Curse"** is the fifth session of The Exiled Abyss. NovaTome finds out that the "witch" is not the cause of The Gloverwood Curse. Rather she presents an unlikely ally while the time on NovaTome's humanoid forms runs out.

## Synopsis

### Unwelcome

Our adventurers received a not so friendly welcome to Gloverwood with an ambush from a Ryevalene Spy. Clearly, something suspicious was afoot. The town itself was also quite cold and mysterious. It’s streets quiet and empty, it’s townsfolk rude and suspicious. Then the loud and daunting sound of a church bell echoed across the city and the townsfolk froze in fear as if the bell held the entire town in a cold grasp. Without a discernible pattern, the bell of Gloverwood would ring causing someone in the town to take the shape of an animal. This was the curse of Gloverwood.

Our adventures had to act fast as the more they talked about the curse and investigated it, the more likely the curse would target them. The more our adventurers chased the curse, the faster it would consume them. They did have a lead, it was a rumored witch who lived in White Oak Woods. The short white trees were scared with burns and contained roaming minor fiends called dretches. Our adventurers tracked this demonic trail to a small nice looking house in a break in the woods. Protecting the house was a chain demon who warned them to come no further. This was not about to deter our adventurers who engaged the fiend. It was a tough battle that wore the party down, but Inxibis managed to subdue the fiend with a charm spell. It was time to meet the witch.

### The "Witch" Girl

However, our witch (or Sorcalock) was not what was expected. What greeted them was a young girl having a tea party with an imp. This young girl was named Ashe Whistleblit. She was quite annoyed at the unwelcomed company, but Jenavive played an understanding diplomat. While Ashe was magically gifted and responsible for the demonic presence in White Oak, she was not responsible for the curse and was in fact also cursed. Our adventurers stuck a deal with Ashe, she would give them the information and tools to fight the curse and they would do the dirty work. Ashe’s studying led to a few interesting notes. The curse is racist, it’s more effective against elves but doesn't affect goblins.  The curse is activated primarily through auditory means in this case words with a lot of them being political. The curse could also be deactivated with a word when spoken to the caster or the death of the caster. Ashe also gifted the adventures amulets that allowed our adventurers to take their true form for a limited time and the assistance of her imp, Forehead. Ashe also exchanged some secret words with Inxibis before they left. Ashe also happened to be the child Eshes was looking for, but reserved her problems for later.

Our adventurer’s first priority was to secure sunstones so Ashe could craft them more Amulets of True Form. In order to reach the mines, our adventurers would need to trek through the Midnight Forest. Cursed with vire the forest is encapsulated in a dark shroud. This meant our adventurers were on a clock as darkness drained the amulets of true form. To add to the danger they encountered a beast of the forest, Umber Hulks infected with vire. However, it wasn’t something a few moonbeams and a spider body slam would take care of. Our adventurers made it to the mine and with the efforts of Sog made an impressive hull. They also happened to run into something quite interesting.

### The Swallowed City

Following the sound of pickaxes striking worn down rock led to an abandoned mining city, The Swallowed City. Undead goblins with their minds enslaved to work forever. Our adventurers noted an uncooperative goblin and a large statue with a keyhole, but nothing they needed right now.

On the way back to Ashe’s place, Torglug befriended her imp Forehead. Feeling he deserved a proper name. Despite Ashe’s warning not to get attached, the imp is now known as Kevin to the party. With more amulets in hand our adventurers decided to pay the elect king a visit with the curse being linked to politics.

At the heart of the midnight forest the castle stood cold and imposing. Castle Gloverwood like the rest of Gloverwood was made on the principles of function rather than presentation. The guards who stood at the gate were less than welcoming and forbid the elven members of the party from entering and warned of kicking any animals out. Our party entered the tall castle gates and meet with Elect King Wilford. Wilford was old and ragged, his hair unkempt, his pupils faded and his voice was that of a mad man. He claimed the curse was a lie, called it fake Lyrian propaganda against Gloverwood’s independence. In a strange turn of conversation Wilford said that if the party could figure out his real name, he would help them. Baffled the party began to investigate the rest of the castle. Using her newly gained raven form Inxibis snuck into Wilford’s chambers. His chambers were decorated in a similar sense as The Swallowed City and hidden in a secret cabinet was a key labeled statue. The link between the Elect King, The Curse and goblins was made. All that was left was to get to the bottom of the mysterious curse.