Torchbearer – Cursed Lands
Episode 25

June 21, 2019

Billy makes a brief visit to drop the map down the shaft leading to the rotten hole. He ran away shortly after.

The party underneath deep underground, hungry, thirsty and sick decided to travel out to rest. They quickly climbed out and made their way to the Pool of Sorrows. Samson takes a quick look about to treasure of the edge of the waters and spots a spirit wanting to lead him to his doom. He managed to escape the spectres lure and warned the others.
Aldormo’s pouch breaks open as he is setting camp. Everyone takes a break. Jack stalks off into the woods a short ways away. Samson uses his pack as a sort of blanket and Aldormo has a nap, to calm his anger.

Travel back down after a quick discussion. The party inspects the dark water trying to decern its safety. Looking about for other clues, Jack spots the dead giant rat caught in a slow process of reanimating. Collect suspected cursed inky waters they travel to the edge to the grisly fey ring.

When Aldormo tries to cross the ring, the water in his pouch slows down and becomes difficult to move. It feels as if it pulling through molasses. After a hard tug, it releases energy, as several skulls fall of the spears that line the ring; the spot where this happens the grass dies and no living thing remains in the dirt. After thinking about what to do, they decided to take the soil to see Merigold the shapeshifter and woods witch.

They greet Marigold and pour dirt onto the ground, and argued if she should help or if they should leave out of rudeness. After some convincing, she agrees to help, but they have to do chores for her. They agree and head back armed with the knowledge that the water is most likely cursed and would prevent them from leaving the ring of protection lining the First Tree.

Travel montage back to under the tree: Crossing the threshold into the ring and climbing down into the depth of decay.

After each member taking a swig of holy water, Mad Jack leads the swim through an underground tunnel. At the other side, he opens his eyes, and inky water gets into them and burns as a fever begins to take hold, his eye stained black.

Torchbearer – Cursed Lands
Episode 24

May 19, 2019

Samson had to hike back to Town by himself. He managed to look for supplies. Jack and Aldormo left the gates of Crowthorn. Meeting Initial Samson, they decided to head back to the Tree: A long, long trek. The ever sharp-eyed adventurer Aldormo tries to retrace their steps back to the First Tree and ends up at Merigold’s the woods witch’s hut. Followed by Jack, huffing, and puffing with along his wheelbarrow he rented.

They meet a young girl sitting on a log. She is skinny, waring an oversized cloak bound with rope so that it fits like her child frame. She says that they shouldn’t be rude, and offers direction to the First Tree.

Aldormo trots off with the knowledge of the right direction, while Samson looks out for trouble. They get to the Tree, but somehow it was Aldormo shifting eyes and memories of the unspeakable plot that they got embroiled with that served to correct the path.

When they get back to the edge of the horrible fey ring, Samson unties the gear bundle to take out a cloak, but thinking better he leaves some stuff from his bag here to make room in his pack.
Jack strikes a lite a torch and hands it to Samson to light the way down.

Jack lead the team on their trip underground, while Samson lights the way down as they all climbed down into the dark shaft, beneath the surface. It was damp and had a decaying sour, earthy smell. And having to hold everyone’s hand down left Jack both angry and irritable.

The dark inky pool lay off to the side of the chamber and a crawl space that led to the lair of some unknown animal at the other. A dead giant rat lay on the ground, and a foul smell emanated from this whole region. Brave and perhaps a bit foolish Samson and Aldormo set off into the belly crawl of a cave to search for the effigy of the corruption. Dropping their packs, Samson leads the spelunking and Aldormo tried to grab the hips of Samson to guide him, but Samson would not have it. Crawling forth on their bellies, torchlight and smoke only a few inches ahead and the smoke not having anywhere else to go but your eyes and lungs, made this super unpleasant. Remains of bones and trash cover the room’s floor, and you hear a faint whooshing sound. The torch goes out as fear takes your heart.

Samson ever the adventurer, looks around for treasure and in his exhaustion tries to push through digging into his reserve, but is caught up in the safety of “Mad” Jack. There is a belly squeeze in the rock. It is constricting, but in there, he can see some shining copper coins and a chute lower into the bowls of the earth. Alerting Aldormo and Jack about his plan to go further in, he yelled that to Jack and went into the hole. Feet first using kicks along the wall to shuffle forward.

Aldormo and Samson inched forward, and Samson fell in after Aldormo, getting stuck together in a chute. Aldormo’s knees are jamming against Samson’s head. Samson is starting to feel ill over time spent in the dungeon.

Samson decided that it was time to head back after he saw water in the tight tunnels. Samson feels its time to leave and leaves the torch behind. Aldormo tries to escape and ends up hitting their head on the low ceiling, making their vision blur.

Near-death and beat up they discuss their next move.

Torchbearer
Cursed Lands

March 10, 2019

Rasotto and Billy are lead up, into the home of the an essentially a forest god by a creepy forest bush person. They call themselves Forest-kith. They are spirits which inhabit the woods and can possess the trees themselves. His face in the woods appears old and cracked in the bark. He occasionally drools black tar and coughs out smoke periodically throughout the conversation. He wants them to go on a journey to the first tree and find a dark effigy that is the source of this mysterious power. He suspects that is located somewhere in the depths of the tree. He believes it was put there by a man who turned his heart cruel in search of power.

The great forest spirit is the eldest spirit in the forest. All the others are young and not as powerful. He put his roots in and took a more permanent position as a tree to fight and contain the rot in the magic circle. He is waging a war with the cult and it seems now the castle too, all while maintaining the corruption from creeping and decaying the ole forest. He asked the party to travel to the first tree while he fights a forest fire set by the slavers at Liar’s Castle.

The other members of the party were already there and were present for the conversation. They agreed to travel the first tree and set off toward it, this is when they realized Billy the halfling wasn’t present and they lacked the map. Without a charted part, they were forced set off to make their way to the cursed grove, trying to follow the paths. They heard drumming approaching drum, drum, drum. Mad Jack set off to see what was causing the noise. There, hiding in the trees, sat Korben. He saw Mad Jack and yelled run! Barreling through the woods after him and chasing the party was a massive, twisted troll with beady eyes, coarse wiry hair and a huge puss filled nose. They ran and managed to escape and afterward were left breathing heavy, afraid, but alive. They set off once more and this time only made it partway and needed to reorient themselves in order to continue. They made it to the lost on, top of a hill and were unsure where to go next. Samson went to go look for a trail and fell down a ravine. His boots sliding and he landed unharmed but at the bottom of a steep 15-foot cliff, with only up as the way out. Mad Jack retrieved some dead wood and hurled it down the ravine. He told Samson to position it so he can boost himself up like 5 feet or more, with Samson’s reach around 7 to 8 feet and the boost of about 5, they were able to easily reach down and pull Samson up. Growing tired they rested. Mad Jack tried to sow together Samson’s pack but was out of rope, he’ll have to remember to restock when he goes back to market. The group rested and tried to steel themselves for the trials ahead.

Samson started saying how he can’t manage alone, and that he feels hopeless, and was comforted by his companions’ reassurances, but was unable to rest due to Korben’s insistence that if something were to happen that he’d take his friends bones. The dwarf Rasotto’s tough façade was lifted and he had a good messy cry as only dwarves know-how, which settled his anger, for now. Mad Jack sought refuge alone walking through the woods. But before the dwarf cried he had tried to make a meal out of a young rabbit he caught. His mouth-watering, but he lit it aflame in his haste, ruining it. Rasotto remembered he had water to share with everyone. But the subtle wafts of cooking meat would attract predators… next time.

Torchbearer
Cursed Lands Session 18

March 3, 2019

Running through the woods, Rasotto and Billy separated from the rest of the group. They were lost and as midday approached light from the suns rays directly above shone through and managed to dimly light the forest a bit.

They were in a small groove, with the trees vaulting overhead. In the middle of the groove standing batter and worn arch about the size of a doorway. The arch stood on a platform made out of concentric steps leading to the top. As Rasotto neared it, the hair on his arms and beard felt static in the air and as he passed through an audible pop. A small shock and that was all. Intrigued, he put his eyes real close and also listened to the stone. His mastery of stonework allowed him to ascertain that this was a magic portal and that to use it the secret phase and ritual must be performed and the magic will hurl you through space to a different location. Curious they cleared off the moss and felt the runes. They decided to bring the cleric back hear, once they found him to translate. So set off, looking for any trail leading from the portal. They found a long seldom used, slightly overgrown stone path heading back in the direction of the Cathedral. They followed it away and found a secret wagon trail, South would lead to the Cathedral and North, to the edge of the forest. Not wanting to have anything do with the wood and hoping their members of the group would assemble at the gates of Crowthorne they set off. Exhausted and run ragged they hunkered down to camp on the edge of the woods just South of Crowthorne, when small animals and other creatures starting moving real fast. A raging wildfire started in this section of the forest. They had to break camp immediately, this was going to be a long night. Wary they set off to the west, travelling for some time before entering the forest following their map circumnavigating the fire.

The sought the Forest-kith. And they found them, walking the ground started to give way, and Rasotto manages to throw himself aside, but Billy wasn’t so lucky. He was at the bottom of a near 20-foot pit. Rasotto was going quickly search for a branch or vine to extricate the halfling from the hole, but Rasotto instinctively scouted the area for danger, to which he saw the waiting eyes of the Forest-kith. They tree-like nature and leaf-like voice creepy and alien, started to accuse them of starting the fire. After a heated argument, both sides agreed that the blaze was the work of the beastmen, for Liar’s Castle and that they were searching the forest for the party and so they were responsible for mediating the punishment to the beastmen. Agreeing that the beastmen should die for the crimes, they helped Billy out of the pit and relayed a message that their leader wanted to speak with them.

 

Torchbearer
Cursed Lands Session 17

February 24, 2019

Billy and “Mad” Jack found the party.

Billy had woken up before dawn and wandered off. He found a waterfall and took a swim. By the time he got back, the rest of the party had left.

When “Mad” Jack awoke, he found himself alone with the body on the once sleeping man. He trudged after Rasotto the scout but tired and took rest.

Finally, back together, they decided to travel back to the Dark Cathedral. Billy successfully navigated back to the Cathedral with Rasotto and Samson’s help, with “Mad” Jack bringing up the rear carrying the body. When the group was discussing how to proceed to get past the guards, “Mad” Jack’s grip on the body faltered, and he dropped it with a thud.

As the guard called for reinforcements and started to search, Rasotto put on his robe that he stole early from the cathedral. He proceeded to attempt to convince them to get in, pontificating on the various positive aspects of being apart of the Dark Church of St. Viscous. Rasotto sacrificed himself, allowing himself to be captured but not before making a scene to allow time for the party to dig a grave. After a few moments of grave digging while Rasotto tried flipping pews and kicking candle down, he was restrained and chained to the wall. In the proceeding rescue, Billy snuck in and freed him from the chains while Samson and “Mad” Jack ran interference. Struggling to flee they managed a short-lived victory, as the adventurers once again found themselves lost in the woods.

 

Torchbearer
Cursed LandsSession 16

February 10, 2019

Rasotto and Samson found themselves alone, scouting out the trail to the Cathedral. After a brief discussion about whether they should turn back or scout out the Cathedral, they travelled there. They spotted a thin shirtless muscled man with tattoos running down both of his arms. He sat on the steps tending a small brazier for warmth while sharpening a dagger with a rock to a razor point. The two decided the best course of action was to sneak and check out the back.

The Cathedral of St. Vicious was a tall, imposing structure. White marble wall that was painted black with ash and tar, its stain glass windows glazed over with some red viscous liquid. They made their way to the side where there was a door barred on the ground level. A horizontal sliding latch adored the door.

The Initiate Samson recalled his days as a street urchin and decided to push the latch open peer inside and lower a fishing hook and release the bar from the inside. After stealthy freeing the latch from the catch, the way was free. They made their way into the red-tinted main chamber.

After spotting robes and quickly changing they made their way into the pews onlooking an altar, that was ringed with skulls and had a large red tapestry with a foreboding symbol on it. Behind the alter a mezzanine with a large organ with tentacle-like pipes softly played. The whimpers of a man in the corner could be heard, he was chained to the wall. They sat there and attended a black sermon.

A wizened old man called for the deaths of the adventurers that were disrupting their work in Liar’s Castle, and the importance of their work to attain a place in the Halls of Chaos and join the tables of the Lords of Shadow. After the sermon, the people who filtered in went to their own devices. Some gambling, others selling wares, while some disrobed and went behind tapestries. While others still went to torment the man chained to the wall. In amidst the chaos unfurling, Samson tried overhearing peoples’ conversations, but the most crucial thing he heard was, “Samson is that you?” To which he turned and walked back to the way he came in. While he was doing that Rasotto went over and talked up this man. After distracting the man until Samson left, Rasotto too left. They hurried away, exhausted and scared. They made camp, and while setting up, they realized they had some luck, a small stream nearby allowed them to fill their water skins.

 

Torchbearer
Cursed Lands Session 15

February 3, 2019

The grove was dimly lit by starlight. Making their way through the thinning tree line, they spotted in the middle lying down, a sleeping man. Rasotto and Billy stood on one end of the grove with the porters Ludolf and Sledgey, while Mad Jack and Bruick the other.

The party stomped over hoping the man would awake.

The guide Bruick heard rustling in the bushes and was scared. He said that he thought they had dealt with the forest creatures and that they wanted him dead for cutting down a tree. Rasotto told the forester that they liked making sacrifices to the forest creatures and so he would be next. Mad Jack in through confusing released the man from service and he ran as the soft rustle of laughing trees made there way after him.

They poked, kicked, punched and kicked the sleeping man again to no avail. Splashing water on his face to no avail. They made camp, Rasotto making a map with the help of Billy and Billy preparing the Rabbit as jerky for later, and Rasotto teaching Billy how to fight.

Rasotto decided to plug his nose and cover the man’s mouth. He slowly turned blue, then purple. Upon release, he was no longer breathing. They lamented not having a cleric there to help this man. They decided to leave this man now slowly losing colour in his cheeks, but not before checking his pockets. They found copper. Counting their luck, they set off to find the Cathedral. While simultaneously blazing a trail, Billy also searched the forest for signs of deer. He got turned around, but Mad Jack managed to find a rabbit to eat.

Rasotto ever the vigilant scout, was up ahead a bit and so was the first to hear muffled music floating through the trees. There was a man eating food, fat and sloppy, and another man, more creature than man, his goat legs tapping a beat and this slighting goat head was blowing into a set of pipes, whose music beaconed them to eat. Shrugging off the music Billy talked with the beast, and so struck a deal after talking about the nature of meaning and reality. The agreement was they could take the man out of here and the Sleeping man too, back to the lands of men, and to make sure that they never return to the forest. So, they set off after the man puked behind the bushes for quite some time. He came back a little lighter. They travelled again in the direction of the Cathedral, Billy leading still but this time not hunting, and paying close attention to the direction of travel.

Torchbearer
Cursed Lands Session 14

January 27, 2019

Billy and Rasotto discussed the next course of action a bit. They decided to go back to town, drop off the porters and get new ones to allow these ones some time for self-care while taking the goods back to get rewarded. But first, they decided to go to the first tree and get Rasotto’s bottle and iron spikes.  Since it was on the map, it was just an easy few days journey into the words.

Afterwards, they went to Crowthorne and gave the large sack full of goods to the merchant from Crossroads Keep. Of note, in Crowthorne, the stables had burned down. The merchant gave them a preserved ration which is accepted as trade-in Crowthorne. Billy used the gold to bribe the butchers’ guild for a job. They wanted a stag, and they will be waiting to cure the meat at the gates of Crowthorne. Rasotto used the preserved rations as trade to hire the porters Ludolf, a third-generation immigrant and Sledgy, an old farm hand with a coarse voice. Billy emotionally unloaded on Rasotto about not knowing his real parents, and one of the only clues is that St. Vicious might know more.

The next course of action was then to travel to St. Vicious’s Cathedral deep in the woods and see if anyone there knew anything. They set out and went to My Son Rock. As soon as the party sent out, Rasotto went out to start scouting and immediately ran into some beast-men on the prowl. The beast-men recognized Rasotto as the slave who was apart of the slave escape up near Liar’s Castle and so tried to capture them. A scuffle ensued, and it resulted in a buckle on Rasotto’s leather armour being torn, and the beast-men at weapons’ point. They realized these were the beast-men who the Forest-kith bargained the heads for. They broke their ankles and were planning on dragging then back to the Forest Place when the wind spoke with the voice of the children. They were to drag their bodies onto the rock and decapitate them. The beast-men were eyed wide as Billy and Rasotto callously discussed how they need to decapitate the body on the inside first since they don’t have a large blade. They pummelled the neck with a large wooden mallet. It was hammer time…

They quickly collected the porters, since they didn’t make it far in the dark wood, and they took off in the direction of the cathedral. After hours of travel, they came across a strange clearing in the leaves thinned, allowing rays of light through the canopy. The leafy pattern of light through the canopy danced wildly across the mossy ground. In the clearing lying face down in the moss, sleeping, was a man.