Sacrificing Innocents

"Sacrificing Innocents" (C1.S09.3) is a one-shot in the first campaign of The Vanguard.

## Synopsis

The Vanguard party arrives in the city of Miststad a week before its annual Reaping Festival. Miststad found much fortune in its early years, as countless fiends and aberrations were slain and banished by many a traveling mage or cleric. As part of the festival tradition, a fiend or other such beast is captured and slain in the town square, banishing it from the material plane and celebrating the numerous nameless heroes to which Miststad owes its success.

Some reconnaissance also reveals that the demon this year is being held in a large cage of pure silver provided by Baron Algaron Hojarath of Hojarath Holdings, who appears to have survived to have survived a "barbaric attempt on his life" by another Vanguard party. On the night of the festival, they "look to the moon", and spot the Dread Dwudgewella on a nearby rooftop with a collection of little girls she claims as her "children".

Two of the party members speak with her, and she informs them that the demon within the cage is of a unique nature. She says its name is Hidrastes, and it is a demon formed by the chaotic blending and merging of numerous demonic souls. She also claims that if it is sacrificed by the town while inside of that cage, then it will result in a catastrophic loss of life among the civilians, though she does not specify why. She also claims that this latter outcome is by the Monomaterial's design. They want the festival to be an example of even well intentioned magic having tragically devastating outcomes, furthering their propaganda.

Dwudgewella tasks the party with freeing Hidrastes from the cage before it can be slain. She claims that if they do, she will aid in its defeat and by extension, the minimization of casualties. The party debates with her and amongst themselves. Dwudgewella is adamant that although there is a risk of casualties if they free the demon Hidrastes, there will be more casualties if they allow him to be sacrificed within the cage. She is also that if that occurs, the party will receive no aid from her.

The party decides to trust her. One of the party members turns invisible, and frees Hidrastes. Dwudgewella aids by casting a spell that appears to freeze the passage of time for all but the party and the demon. After the battle is over, Dwudgewella's girls are seen collecting pieces off the demon's body before it can ultimately fade into the Abyss. The party manages to disperse just as Dwudgewella releases the time spell. They return home hoping that they made the correct choice.

## Guild Dispatches

The following are messages from the guild members who participated in the mission. They contain valuable information the guild can use to piece together clues.

>
> *From: Opal Daraln*
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> *To: Graph Daraln*
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> *Dearest brother,*
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> *I hope you are doing well back in Duanting. It has been several days since my second mission with the Vanguard, and I still find myself troubled. Speaking, or I suppose writing now, with you has always helped me sort through my thoughts. So, I’ll start at the beginning.*
>
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> *We traveled to the small but growing town of Miststad. All of these new places can be overwhelming at times, but this one wasn’t so bad. Nothing close to home, though. This was all in response to a message received through a hag's tooth, if you can believe it! I was rather off kilter, learning that the Vanguard had some kind of connection with these witches, but the Revered Mother has put me on this path and I aim to follow it.*
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> *The town was in full preparation for their Winter Reaping festival, where they celebrate magic and the good it has bestowed upon them by banishing a fiend. We were quick to try and learn as much as we could, and eventually some of our party found the beast, a Hidrastes subdued within a silver cage. I pray you never have to see such a creature. Yet, it was our meeting with a hag that left me the most worried. The temple at home had taught me of Hags and their ill dealings, but once confronted with one I found myself at a loss.*
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> *The witch spoke so resolutely, and my thoughts were scrambled. And brother… I fear we gambled with lives that were not ours to do so with. There were innocents there, unknowing of all the dangers just beside them - I should have done more to protect them, should have told the hag to go back to whatever dark wretched hole she crawled from… but I didn’t.*
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> *We tried to get them to flee, then we released that beast. That lying hag didn’t do much in the way of helping us at all, in fact she put the innocents in more danger by freezing them in place as they tried to run. I’m grateful that my fellow Vanguards were able to ensure we kept any of them from falling. Then that hag swept in, taking pieces of the beast we managed to slay, and off she went with more promises. My blood has never boiled more, thinking back to those moments.*
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> *Next time I’ll be more prepared. I’ve sat in prayer for days, thinking on the teachings of our Matron of hearth and home, and asking for her guidance. I feel she is testing me and I cannot, will not, fail her. Please stay safe, and give the rest of the family all my love.*
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> *Opal*
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> *- Opal Daraln*
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> (Original Source)
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> Dispatch from Emi Moonriver
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> *Another adventure with the Vanguard that begins at a pub.  This group is definitely Emi’s type of company.  Although this adventure had a very different “feel” than the last one. Following a tip from a talking iron tooth from one of the Coven of Hags doesn’t set the stage for an honorable adventure, as we all know Hags Are Not To Be Trusted.*
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> *In Mystad, the more stealthy of our party quickly discovered a demon trapped in a silver cage guarded by MonoMaterial with plans for banishment at the Winter Reaping. And who is funding this caper? Barron Algaron Hojarath, who managed to survive death and is ready to wreak havoc on the Vanguard.  Then the Hag Dread Dwudgewella comes along with promises to assist us if we release the demon and save the lives of the entire town. Nothing in this adventure adds up, but we agree as a group that if there’s a chance of saving lives, we should follow the path.*
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> *And what a mess! Working together we manage to kill the demon, and heal the wounded, but the Baron escapes and Dread Drugewella proves she can’t be trusted.  Her ending words sound more like a threat than a promise and it takes all of Emi’s will not to attack her on the spot. She fears our “frenemies” are likely to return with a vengeance.*
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> *- Emi Moonriver*
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> Dispatch from Miststrad from Dahlia Dagino
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> *I did not chose to join The Vanguard. I would rather have to stayed in Eagle Cove, roaming the wilds with my companion wolf Guy. But the elders of the Order of the Eagle, to which I owe allegiance, insisted that I needed “seasoning”. So I'm here to “learn”. I was assigned to an eccentric cadre–Emi, Opal, Chase, Belarus, Amazi, and myself. I dubious that we would be up to a challenging mission. Luckily I was wrong. A cryptic message from a coven of Hags who had a tenuous alliance with The Vanguard sent us to Miststrad. As evil creatures are wont to do, the coven's missive was rather vague on what we were to do or why. And, Hags can't be trusted.*
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> *We arrived a week before the festival, allowing time to investigate. Guy and I scouted out the wilderness around the town but found little of value. The others discovered that a Baron Elderon, rich owner of silver mines and MonoMaterial ally, donated a demon in a silver cage to be sacrificed at the Reaping Ceremony. As the time approached, Emi saw a silhouette of a Hag on nearby roof and met with her. The Hag told her that the demon must be released from the cage or there'd be a reaping of innocents. We heatedly debated whether we could trust her and do so. At the ceremony, the Baron gave a boring speech on the evils of magic and then left the stage. Our party members tried to scatter the crowd, Emi by setting a fire and Amazi by setting off a loud firearm. The frightened townspeople began to run away, but then appeared frozen in place. Meanwhile Chase opened the silver cage. A vile creature of flesh and bone emerged. We engaged the fiend, each in our own way. The fiend spit out poisonous bones and flesh at those in melee with it, causing severe injury. When the creature finally fell, the Hag mockingly thanked us for doing the dirty work for her. Although the Baron got away scot free, we did succeed in saving many townsfolk that day. Thus, began my journey of learning!*
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> *- Dahlia Dagino*
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1. ↑ Be aware that this is told from the player’s perspective of the adventure. Details and happenings may have been presented with some liberties taken to fill in the blanks from poor memory and scribbled notes. Other players should be asked about their views of what happened, and are also welcome to type their stories to share.