Mists of Madness, Session 1: Disgusting Diseases

Aletha and Regnor along with the help of their new recruits Corvus Tremaine and Chiana Xan investigated the outbreak of a hideously debilitating disease among the common people of Punjar and determined that the source was originating from the strange new monstrous idols appearing in the markets of Squalor Court. In addition, due to GoHAC's excellent advertising campaign, they were hired by one of the High Quarter nobles to locate her missing daughter, who was last seeing slumming it in Squalor Court with a mysterious new suitor.

The trail led outside the protective gates of Punjar, through an abandoned ramshackle hamlet of the queer swamp folk, and into the foreboding Black Salt Marsh. In the marsh they battled ambushing crocodiles as they balanced on rotting log bridges. Eventually the sound of distant drumming drew them to a huge stone spire surrounded by a collapsed and sinking fortress. They had to fight their way past giant toads and blood draining stirges making their homes in the sinking moat-house before gaining entrance to the inner courtyard.

Once there they stumbled into the middle of a blood sacrifice, the subject of their rescue mission lain out on an altar surrounded by a crowd of raving revelers, their evil mistress Ursula and her huge half-ogre bodyguard beating out a frantic rhythm on an equally large drum. Quick thinking and acting on the part of the heroes halted the ritual, as the fast-talking bard and deceptive warlock convinced them that they were recent converts that had come to join in the celebration.

They spun a tale that cast doubt onto worthiness of their chosen victim of sacrifice and then implied that Ursula was not fit to lead the ritual and a new sacrifice was called for. All their bluffing would have amounted to naught, however, if it had not been for Corvus's thundering voice apparently coming from nowhere and everywhere at once claiming to be their “god” Skoulos and demanding a new sacrifice. To add impact to his words he summoned a fiery angel
into their midst who strode up to the altar and pointed menacingly at Ursula. The awe-struck revelers were swayed and as one surged forward to eagerly lay hands on their former mistress and offer her up to the false aspect of Skoulos.

Seeing her minions turned against her, Ursula lost no time and called down a wrathful curse on Aletha and Chiana, inflicting them with a magical disease, while her loyal bodyguard rushed to her defense. From the far end of the courtyard a sleepy eyed dwarven sentry, recently awoken by a loud booming voice coming from the courtyard, rode into view astride a giant crocodile, followed by another pair of smaller crocs. Regnor, who'd been waiting patiently this whole time and watching the shadows for movement, launched a barrage of arrows at the startled dwarf, who then closed into melee with Regnor and Corvus. A chaotic battle ensued in which Regnor ended up leaping onto the neck of the giant crocodile to trade blows with the dwarf, Corvus was being crushed by its massive jaws, Chiana viciously mocked the crocodiles calling them alligators, and Aletha bit eyes safely from a distance as the minions took most of the brunt of the damage.

When the dust cleared, Ursula, the half-ogre, dwarf, and the crocodiles where all slain and only a handful of bloodied revelers remained. They told the party that “Malikai the Mad” had brought the them the poor victim and had ascended into the rock spire via the Maw of Madness looming above them. The swamp folk returned to their homes vowing to destroy any remaining cursed idols and never to return to this place. The party then revived the noble brat, but not before Chiana had sated her urgent craving for blood from her wounds, a newly acquired quirk due to the magical disease.

The party gathered up their new found treasure and the girl and headed back to Punjar. Regnor had to exploit influence among the guards watching the gate to gain access back into the city after dark before they were able to claim their rewards and send the girl back home. Now they ponder what to do about this horrifying disease. Maybe the cure lies somewhere deep within the Maw of Madness? And who is this “Malikai the Mad” and what does all this have to do with “Skoulos the Undying”?