Protect the Abbot

## Overview

The players are all friends of Fredrik Throburn, a semi retired adventurer and well known quest negotiator. He contacts all of the players and has them meet up to escort himself and his friend Abbot Joacab Siggi, figurehead of the St.Bernard abbey at Blackwall fjord, West over the Deathsong ridge, through the Foulmoore swamp, and Northwest along the coastal road to Joacab’s abbey. Joacab has been East of the mountains for the last few months visiting other abbeys in his order, but now urgently needs to return home to see to some internal business at his own abbey.

Secretly the Abbot is returning due to reports of children going missing from the Abbey. The Abbot would rather not admit to this and only says that it is important he gets home quickly, hence the more treacherous and direct route, rather than circling farther north past the mountains which would take weeks rather than days.

## Characters

* Fredrik Throburn
* Abbot Joacab Siggi
* George The Kenkin
* Barthon Beartooth

## Places

* The Sly Crow
* Lochiris
* St.Bernard Abbey
* Blackwall Fjord
* Deathsong Ridge
* Foulmoore Swamp

## Opening

\**Ask players during character creation what their characters greatest fear and darkest secret are.*

The players all meet up at The Sly Crow, a middling tavern in the lakeside town of Lochiris. Fredrik Throburn is waiting there with Abbot Joacab Siggi. He explains to them that they will be travelling West over the Deathsong ridge, through the Foulmoore swamp, and Northwest along the coastal road to St.Bernard Abbey, and the party's job is to protect the Abbot.

Fredrik pays for their drinks and lodgings for the night and tells the party to prepare anything they need to for the journey the next day. He has prepared a horse and cart to carry the Abbot's belongings including a small chest containing important religious artefacts which the party must guide on the trail to the Abbey.

Across the road from The Sly Crow is Barthon's Provisions, an adventuring supplies store where the general list of adventuring gear is available. The owner is Barthon Beartooth, an orc from the beartooth tribe that lives in the mountains along Deathsong ridge. If players take interest he can offer a very potent brew of Galeberry syrup mead from his home tribe.

That night, all players roll wisdom checks. Any under 10 have a difficult sleep. The lowest in the party has a vision of a group of sailors coming across an unmapped island made of flesh. In the centre is a plinth with a porcelain urn atop it. They watch as the sailors inspect the pot, picking it up to reveal a crack down one side.

## Road to the Pass

The path up the mountains takes approximately 1 day to reach via the king's road. The journey is relatively simple but players should learn to take journeying roles, eg: scout, scavenger, navigator. As they turn off the king's road toward the mountains the forest slowly gets thicker. When night falls the party will reach the foot of the mountain where Fredrik pulls the cart into a small clearing to make camp for the night.

It is the player's decision if they choose to take watches. During the night they are set upon by an Invisible Stalker.

During the night all players once again roll wisdom. Only the lowest roll sees another vision picking up where the previous one left off.

Play this backing track

The sailors are grouped around the urn, inspecting it. They decide as a group that it's best left well enough alone. The sailors turn back toward the ship, discomfort on their faces as one goes to put the urn back. When he goes to place the urn something changes on his face. His muscles tense as he grips the urn, seemingly struggling to place it down. He throws a glance over his shoulder at the others as they walk to the ship, then he quickly stows the urn in his backpack and hurries back to the others.

In the morning a crow-like bird arrives at the camp calling out "Squawk! Siggi! Squawk! George!"

Siggi holds out his arm and the bird lands. It is his pet Kenkin, George.

Siggi retreats into the cart to receive a message from George. If a player manages to listen in they will hear mumbling about the Abbey and missing children.

(In a Scottish voice) "Squawk! More have gone missing these past 3 days. We've sent out search parties but we're short-handed. Hurry back. We need your wisdom. Squawk!"

Any players with a passive perception above 15 will notice on the ground where they were attacked the night before there is a sigil burned into the ground. A three-headed snake coiled in a circle. A religion check can be made to discover that this is the sigil of the god of thieving, Vetaldir, as well as the sigil of the international thieve's guild.

A player with a passive above 15 will also get the feeling they were being watched last night. Not by only by the invisible beast, but by someone else.

In truth, the players are being followed by a group of 5 theives (2 bandits, 2 bandit captains, and 1 prerolled level 5 character) who are attempting to steal the religious artefacts from Siggi. They are the ones who set the Invisible stalker on them the night before using a summoning sigil from their guild.

## Mountain Pass

The mountain pass takes approximately 3 days to cross.

At first, the players will arrive at the base of the mountain. A forested area with a lightly overgrown cart trail winding through it. It is easy to navigate but someone will need to clear the path for the cart, that player will be unable to make stealth or scouting checks while they move.

Halfway through the first day, they will ascend above the canopy of trees and the vegetation will recede. There are still trees and shrubs but it is a medium to light density. There are also large rocky outcroppings around the path and the path itself is getting steeper and rockier. One player will need to help the cart along to keep it on the path and prevent it from tipping. This player must succeed a DC 10 Strength check, otherwise, another player will need to help as well. Two players are an automatic success.

As they climb the mountain it starts to lightly rain and thunder can be heard in the distance.

### Thief Encounter

As the group moves into an area surrounded by rocky outcroppings, if a scout has rolled above 15 they will notice that someone is hiding behind some of the rocks, if they roll above 17 they will notice there are at least 3, if they roll above 20 they will know there are 5 people hiding in the area and will spot all of them.

If not, they are ambushed by the bandits.

Drew Bergurd, L5 thief - 15init

Bandit Captain 1 - 23init

Bandit captain 2 - 12init

If looted, the bandits are carrying 40 GP, all their weapons, an ivory chess piece with the 3 headed snake symbol, a theive's tools kit, leather armour, a medallion with the same symbol (was magic but has been expelled, could be recharged), a family illustration of Drew as a baby with his parents.

### Continuing to travel

The rain gets heavier as they travel, now mid-afternoon. As they travel they see the skeletons of two travellers, one human or elf, the other orkish. With a high enough medicine roll they can tell they died of exposure, a high enough investigation will tell them they were caught in a flash flood and were thrown against the rocks, with broken bones they were unable to move until they died. At this point, the thunder is getting louder and storm clouds are looming over the ranges.

Now late afternoon, the party come across a stream that is rapidly flooding. The bridge has been washed away. They must figure out how to get across.

On the other side is a cave that is raised above the area of flooding, if they enter, there are a gold and a silver dragon wyrmling in the cave.

***Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6).*** The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons.
***Fire Breath.***The dragon exhales fire in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
 Silver Wyrmling | 8
***Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6).*** The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons.
***Cold Breath.*** The dragon exhales an icy blast in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
***Paralyzing Breath.*** The dragon exhales paralyzing gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Inside the cave is a small pile of gold totalling 200gp, it seems the dragons just moved in. There is also a pair of golden archery bracers with a magical aura. Upon attunement, these are revealed to be Bracers of the Sharpshooter which give the wearer the sharpshooter feat.

### Night in the mountains

That night the players can choose to take watches. Halfway through the night, a boar enters the cave to take shelter from the rain. If it sees the players it will panic and run in a random direction.

All of the players must make a wis save for dreams again. The lowest will continue the story.

Music

The ship sets sail away from the island of flesh. In the distance, it seems to break apart and sink. The ship is surrounded by fog and moves only slowly in the soft breeze. The crew sets about making their way back to shore as one member descends below deck. He pulls out the urn, running his fingers over it and inspecting the crack running down its side. He is sweating. He takes off his shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead as he hears steps coming down the stairs into the bay. He quickly hides behind some barrels picking up a fishing spear and clutching it to his chest. A member of the crew walks down the stairs, seeing the urn he looks confused and approaches it. He picks it up, looking uncomfortable, and mutters something. The player can read the word "overboard" on his lips. The man behind the barrels looks panicked, the sweat beading more on his brow. He launches out from behind the barrels and skewers the fishing spear straight through the other sailor's neck. They both look shocked as he falls silently to the ground, blood pouring across the wooden floor as the urn rolls away from the body. The urn comes to a stop at the attacker's feet. He picks it up. The last image that runs through the player's mind is the blood of the dead sailor pooling together and creeping up the other man's body as it flows into the crack in the urn.

### Second Day in Mountains

The next morning is fine. The sky has cleared and birds are singing in the trees.

The party moves on, continuing up the mountain. The path is still rocky and a player must once again keep the cart upright. In the underbrush along the sides of the road are some Galeberry bushes.

The morning is mostly uneventful. They come across a dwarven prospector testing soil samples and panning in a small stream. His name is Able Coldweather. He claims that there are precious minerals in these mountains. A trove of them hidden deep in the earth. He claims that he'll find it and be rich beyond measure, and his whole clan will be able to come and help him excavate it.

If he sees Norn, he will ask what clan he is from. If Norn doesn't know, he will check the nape of his neck where there is a birthmark in the shape of a hammer. This signifies he is from the Damascus clan, the same as Able. The Damascus clan is renowned for their smithing and crafting.

Able says he hasn't had anyone to talk to for almost a month now, and he offers the players some food and strong wine in exchange for them sitting and chatting for an hour or so.

Siggi also talks to Fraser about Brother Seamus

At midday, the party come across an orc strung up on a cross with the word HERETIC scrawled in blood on a sign above him. Fraser will recognise the area as the home of the beartooth tribe, a peaceful orcish people.

Up the road is a small town surrounded by a tall pine fence with smoke rising from behind it.

The tribe has been attacked by a group of religious zealots from the Bearclaw tribe who claim that the Bearteeth are worshiping a false god, and those who refuse to bow to their god must die as heretics.

(note: Beartooth tribe speaks in an upbeat sweedish/german accent, while Bearclaw tribe speak with a cockney accent)

The town is being held by 5 Orcs and two Orogs.

If players clear out the village of the invaders they are welcome to stay the night and enjoy some Galeberry syrup mead. They will also be rewarded with a health potion and 10gp each, as little as the village has. Yourg (Fraser) Will also be told that the mother of his illegitimate son left the village some time ago saying she was tired of waiting for him to come back. She left behind the enchanted ring which Yourg had gifted her. The ring is too large for Yourg but he can attune to it and will grant him +3 to AC when worn as a pendant and not wearing armour.

The orks may also mention during the festivities that Galeberry syrup mead that is highly concentrated can be used like oil for lamps and torches, which is one of the main reasons they brew it. The syrup is also good as a base for medicines as it helps them keep longer and covers the taste of other ingredients.

### Second night in the Mountains

That night once again the players roll wisdom. The lowest scoring player continues the dream.

Music

This dream picks up with a man crouching in the bay of a ship. He is covered in blood and muttering to himself while cradling an urn. He is trembling and slowly shaking his head, from his lips you can see he is saying "no" over and over. His body tenses, muscles in his neck taut with effort. Suddenly his head snaps up, a wild look in his eye. He gently places down the urn and walks over to the body lying on the ground behind him. He pulls a knife from his belt and holds the hand of the dead man in his own. He shakily brings the knife towards the hand and begins to saw off a finger with the cerated back of the blade. He then crawls back to the urn and brings the finger towards it. A tendril of congealed blood writhes its way out of the crack in the urn, snaking its way towards the finger. Clearly terrified the man drops the finger on the ground. The tendril wraps around it and pulls it back into the urn. The man looks on, horror all over his face. A smile slowly creeps across his lips. He begins to giggle, then falls to his knees and starts cackling. With a sudden purpose, he gets up and runs over to a chest, throwing it open and rifling through it until he pulls out a hatchet. He stands over the body for a moment, breathing heavily, before whipping the hatchet into the air and bringing it down on the body with a passionate fury.

If Cameron has the dream, he will awake from his sleep with his sword already in his hand and sweat running down his face. The sword will be glowing a pulsating white and he will feel a surge of energy coming from it. If he attunes to it he will see its new list of properties - Ancient Blade of the Dwarven Order.

### Third Day in Mountains

#### Hurnin's Morning

During the celebration Last night, Hurnin ducked away to reinvestigate the Abbot's belongings. Pass him the following note:

"*When searching the cart, you again looked into the small gilded chest. You saw the same 3 items as before, but this time decided to more closely inspect the heart. You went to pick it up and the moment you touched it saw a vision. In the vision you observed the world as if from miles above. You could see the material plane stretching off into the distance, noting where it diverged into the prime material planes. Far below, you could feel the presence of the Heart of Eliurd's Lover. Its presence was calm and warm, but then it changed. You felt it become twisted and demented. Then as you watched, a darkness crept out from it swallowing the earth below, enshrouding it in an aura of negative energy. The vision only lasted a moment, but it gave you a foreboding sense of power. This instantly reminded you of another religious item. What did you do?"*

He replaces the heart with a bag of sand and hides the heart in his horse's saddle bag for now.

#### Smoke's Morning

Relay this to Smoke:

*"Smoke, last night you went to bed with a young orkish woman named Sana. The two of you enjoyed your time together, but as she drifted off to sleep you found yourself alone with your thoughts. Your night with Sana dredges up memories from your past that you'd much rather forget. Memories of your homeland far to the NorthEast, and of another woman that you laid with. You find yourself fixating on your last day in your homeland, and the events that would lead you to leave it behind. Eventually, you find sleep, and after a dreamless night you awaken with a strong burning pain in your chest."*

The burning pain is from a symbol burned into his chest. The symbol is that of the Tabaxi Swarm Keeper. When he steps outside he will be greeted by an Orkish villager who remarks on how early he's up considering how later he was out and about the night before. If asked he will mention seeing Smoke wanter out into the forest in the dead of night and thinks he was cooking something as he saw him light a fire and smelled cooking meat.

#### Norn's Morning

Norn awakes from his dream already clutching his blade somehow on the other side of the street from where he fell asleep. The sword is glowing bright white and he feels a power flowing from it and into himself. And then the sword says in Norn's head (Posh old British voice)"Hello, it's nice to finally meet you".

#### Yourg's Morning

Yourg awakens from his dream shaken by the images he saw. He is in a barrel in the street and when he crawls out he can see that townsfolk are already cleaning up from the night before. Helga, the orkish woman who gave him back his ring, is already standing next to him and says she was wondering when he'd wake up. She hands him a piece of paper and says "for if you ever feel like being a better man." On the piece of paper is a sketch of Yourg's son and on the back is an address in the town of Sulsbury to the southeast.

The orcs see the players off as they get back onto the road. The morning is still mostly an upward climb over the second ridge, but by midday, they have reached the final summit. They can look out and see beyond the mountainous downward trail to Foulmoore swamp below, and beyond that, the ocean.

The players begin to descend the mountain along the rocky winding road. On the way Siggi asks Yourg if he's read the book he lent him yet.

More vegetation starts to pop up along the road and the mountain side becomes more craggy as the path winds through large rocky outcroppings covered in liachin and spatterings of snow. The air is cold and brisk, and wind slowly starts to pick up as they descend.

Eventually they see a large lumbering figure emerge from over a rise of rock and thicket. He is a cyclops, but a gentle one named Gurt. He carries a large staff with a bell on it and as he shakes the bell a herd of around 25 sheep come following after him.

As the afternoon draws on a strong icy wind picks up making movement hard, but they continue on until they reach a massive ravine with a series of three naturally formed ice bridges that lead from one island to the next. Each bridge is 30ft long and below is a crevasse leading down into an icy river.

When they approach the final bridge, two trolls launch themselves up over the ledge and howl at them in a deep guttural tone. One is a regular troll, and the other is smaller, around 7ft, known as a trill.

As the players fight the wind keeps up. At the end of every round, all players must make a strength save or be pushed 1d4\*5ft. The troll doesn't need to save but the trill does.

On the other side of the bridge is the lair of the troll and trill. Inside is a firepit, two skinned elk hanging from the ceiling, and furs strewn about the ground. At the back of the icy lair is a fur that seems to be covering something. Underneath is a small hoard. Most of the items in the hoard are strange trophies like teeth, mouse spines, or cool rocks, but amog them is 100gp and a silver shuriken with a subtle purple glow. Once attuned, this is discovered to be a Shuriken of Loyalty.

### Final Night in the Mountains

Once the players cross the bridge the descent is easy and they can make it to the base of the mountain by nightfall where they find themselves at the edge of Foulmoore swamp. Here there is a clearing where the players can rest for the night. A small mountain stream flows through the clearing and it is a clear night.

That night if the players take watches, one will see a large black cat, like a puma, prowl around the edge of their campsite but not enter. Another will hear the sounds of a large bird sqauking as it is killed within the swamp. Otherwise the night is uneventful. All players must roll a wisdom check. The lowest will continue the dream.

Music

The dream picks up on the deck of the ship. The ocean is still and heavy fog makes it difficult to see more than a few feet beyond the bow of the ship. There is blood spattered all over the deck but not a body in sight. The blood trails all lead in one direction. You follow them to the stairs that lead below deck. As you descend into the cargo hold you struggle to see in the dim light of the swinging oil lamp. When your eyes begin to adjust, you see a dark mass at the back of the hold. You move closer to get a better view and see that the mass is made up of limbs and organs in a sort of pile. At the bottom of the pile there doesn't seem to be any structure but as you look up you see veins and arteries growing up like vines creeping their way up the walls. Muscles weave their way into the wooden boards of the ship, twitching and pulsating. You continue to look higher and in the ceiling you see a sort of fleshy cocoon dripping with a pinky fluid. The cocoon spasms and you see limbs inside. A hand presses against the membrane and stretches it from the inside. Fingernails begin to rip through and more liquid pours through the opening. A second hand reaches out abd begins to tear a hole through the flesh and after a moment a man falls out, still attached by a sort of umbilical cord and long tendrils that are hanging from the ceiling. The man goes limp on the ground and the membrane seems to shrivel back as the tendrils writhe about above him. With all of the goo and viscera, it takes you a moment to notice that the man has 6 limbs, four are arms with strange elongated hands the other and are legs. You move closer to get a better view when his eyes suddenly open. Each one staring at you with two pupils. He launches up, crouching on four of his limbs and hunched over in an attack-ready stance. He stays perfectly still staring at you with a blank wide-eyed gaze and you feel the hairs on the back of your neck prickle. As you turn around you see the mass of flesh writhing about. Large masses of muscle and organs and bone shift around opening like a flower and at the center a ribgage fans open to reveal the urn, veins sprawling out from the crack, and in the unnatural darkness within you see the eye, its piercing gaze touching your soul. The mass of flesh begins to lift itself up, forming itself into a large almost humanoid shape and towering over you. It leans in close, long jaws formed from shin bokes and clavicles with curled jagged teeth open and you watch as within the hulking form three pairs of lungs heave and you feel hot, wet breath against your ear and for the first time in one of these visions you can not only see but hear as the creature whispers, "See you soon".

And then you wake up.

Everyone levels up to level 6!!

## Foulmoore Swamp

1-2 days through swamp

The swamp is warm and humid. There is chaotic birdsong and the chorus of cicadas is almost deafening.

As the players enter the swamp they are plunged into dim light as the canopy above closes in. The terrain is difficult to move through but there are branching overgrown pathways that, with some effort, they can guide the cart along.

Using a time pool of D6s, keep track of the time the players spend in the swamp. Mark down every hour spent moving and note that it will take a total of 12 hours of actual travel to get to the other side. Every hour roll for complications.

Once they have reached 12 hours of travel, go to Leaving the swamp.

Swamp features:

1. Red berries
2. Various mushrooms
3. Small fairies flitting about and giggling

Other events:

1. Siggi cames back with some research. He says that he only knows of two gods with
2. Siggi mentions that this swamp has a connection with both the feywild and the underdark. It is a rare feature in the midrealm

Complications:

1. A player slips into the swamp and is pulled under by vines
2. Cart starts to sink into mud
3. Fork in the road (can be multiple)
4. Half submerged shrine to Phebuec
5. Hag coven who has taken a two children hostage
6. Hag lair in the roots of a great willow
7. Swamp dwelling of a green Slaad
8. Swamp dryads emerge and fawn over Smoke
9. Flesh golem encounter
10. Giant crocodiles
11. Two Ettins around a campfire
12. Bugs get into the cart

#### Complication 1

One of the players slips while walking and can make a dex save of DC 15 as vines emerge from the water and attempt to wrap around their leg. If they fail they are pulled under the water and everyone enters initiative. Each vine has 5 HP and there are 1 D6 vines.

#### Complication 2

The cart starts to sink into the mud and players must find a way to get it out. Multiple players can help in different ways with a combined DC of 35

#### Complication 3

At multiple points, there are forks in the road. Fredrick knows that all of the paths lead out to the other side of the swamp and take similar amounts of time. These exist largely because the swamp is very dangerous and having multiple paths allows you to avoid dangers.

#### Complication 4

At the base of a tree, half-submerged in water, there is an obsidian statue in the form of a tentacled beast. It is wrapped in vines and moss, but the vines are singed and the moss is dying away. If a player touches it they see a flash of darkness filled with an unknown writhing mass. At the centre of the statue is a carving of an eye with two pupils. If Siggi sees this he becomes worried and goes back to his books to keep researching.

#### Complication 5

A hag coven has taken two children hostage. The children are crying from inside of a cage and the hags are cackling while prodding at them. The children are siblings named Timothee and Annabella.

#### Complication 6

Could happen at end of complication 5, Players find the lair of the hag coven. Inside are strange brews and concoctions. 3 of them are greater health potions which can be discerned with a DC 15 medicine check. There is also another statue to Phebuec inside.

#### Complication 7

Players come across a small ramshackle hut which is the dwelling of a green Slaad. His name is Deli Monclaire and he is a fisherman. If the players approach aggressively he will fight back.

#### Complication 8

Dryads emerge from the water in the form of beautiful women. They take a liking to Smoke and begin to faun over him. If he gives in they will drag him under the water and attempt to drown him.

#### Complication 9

Players encounter a flesh golem. This may happen after Complication 4

#### Complication 10

Two giant crocodiles emerge from the water and block the path ahead.

#### Complication 11

Players stumble across two Ettins around a campfire. They are cooking meat and arguing between the four heads.

#### Complication 12

Siggi yells out and the players find that cockroaches have gotten into the cart. They have to get them out or they will infest their food. If they fail to get them out then they will each lose 3 days of rations.

### Leaving the swamp

The players find themselves out of the swamp and it is only another 2 hours along a calm road to the port town of Port Dewhurst. The sun is setting as they enter the small town.

Arrival at Port Dewhurst