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• Arhian Vos – Human Monk
• Hartmut Helmsworth – Elf Monk
• Sindri Waggletop – (Forest) Gnome Wizard
• Rettniss Kulvith – Water Genasi Druid
• Avacyn “Jolyne” Uloth the Merciless – Half-Orc Paladin
• Twilight Skybane – Tiefling Bard
  
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• Everyone is enjoying the evening, having helped the Stormblade family (Niela, her husband – Duriden, and her oldest son Bran and her younger son Leran), learning more about the Ivory Coast and seeing wave, after literal wave, of would be adventurers coming off the numerous ships that dock here – all hoping to find the great treasures that have been rumored to be found out here
• One night, while the party is enjoying some downtime at the Lion’s Pride Inn and Tavern, a disheveled human bursts into the inn and pleads for help. He explains he’s the Grave Keeper and that he and his friend live in a wagon, just outside the graveyard. For several days now there’s been unusual sounds and activity in the graveyard; but tonight it escalated, and he claims to hear the wailing of spirits – and as he and his friend fled, his friend ran towards the wagon while he kept running for the town.

• The party approaches him to learn more, and he explains – while profusely coughing non stop, that tonight – the graveyard turned cold and grey – colder than it’s ever been and his vision was impaired so much by the dense fog when he began hearing all kinds of strange noises, so he dropped his shovel and went to get his friend – his friend ran for the wagon while Ergus ran to get help. He heard his friend crying out in pain behind him, but Ergus – not having any weapons, and not a fighter – and admittedly a bit of a coward – thought it best to simply run to town and get help. Surly a town bustling with would be adventurers, someone would be interested in helping him in his plight.
• Sindri observing Ergus’ persistent cough, manages to determine that it would seem that Ergus has an affliction called Flesh Rot – it’s when the mouth and nose are exposed to magically rotten flesh for more than a few days – that causes the nose and throat to feel as though they’re rotting. There’s no cure, other than waiting for the effects to wear off by being around clean air for a week or two. He advises the others of this, and Arhian cuts off a piece of her common clothes and uses it to cover her mouth.
• The party heads out to the graveyard to the north in the Great Hills
  
  

• Rettniss and Avacyn go to examine a body of water and note that it’s putrid and stinks horribly with a black like fungus floating in the water
• Twilight, Hartmut, Arhian and Sindri go around the other side, where they see a wagon and tent and find the corpse of Ergus’ friend, Muarin Sorllin.
• However, before they can examine too much more – it becomes clear what killed Maurin as two Giant Spiders come out of the tree

• The Spider startles Sindri, making his Fire Bolt misfire, catching the trees in front of him slightly on fire
• The Spider nearest Sindri lunges forward, seeing what should be a small, easy, quick meal, however, Sindri is able to use his Reaction to cast the Shield spell, which provides just enough armor class to prevent the spider’s hit from landing!
• The other spider tries for Rettniss first, but misses
• Rettniss responds with a Frostbite, which the Spider is quickly able to avoid
• Hartmut rushes up to the spider next to Sindri but is taken aback by the sight of the giant arachnid and thus misses with his sword and unarmed strike
• Arhian is however able to rush up and not only hit it with her magic quarterstaff, but also with her unarmed strike
• Meanwhile, Avacyn roars and tries to cut down the giant spider going after Rettniss, but in her rush to kill the giant spider, she miscalculates and cuts Rettniss for some minor damage (Critical Fail)
• Twilight tries to keep her distance and fires her crossbow, but it misses, the bolt landing soundly in the tree next to the spider
• The giant spiders now feeling threatened (these did not prove as easy to kill as the other Graveyard Keeper) lunge forward – landing a Critical Hit on Arhian – and manages to inject lethal venom into Arhian, knocking her down to unconsciousness!
• The other spider also follows with a Critical Hit on Avacyn, knocking her unconscious – but her orc blood allows her to stand back up (to 1 hit point!)
• Hartmut disengages; and the spider attempts a free attack, but misses
• Hartmut does a successful Medicine Check on his turn, stabilizing Arhian (so that she’s longer bleeding out)
• On Avacyn’s turn she uses her Paladin ability to restore some health to herself as well as quaff a healing potion to regain some more health
• Twilight uses healing word, restoring health to Arhian, allowing her to jump back on her feet
• Realizing that they’re in trouble, Sindri turns to Magic Missile which guarantees a hit, doing maximum damage with the Magic Missile
• The Spider near Sindri and Arhian lunges again at Arhian – upset that it’s meal has gotten back on it’s feet – and lands a hit, doing trivial damage, and Arhian this time is able to avoid the spider’s venom
• The other spider lunges at Avacyn, once again hitting, but doing significant damage, but Avacyn too is able to avoid the poison damage
• Hartmut manages to hit with his shortsword, but his two flurry of blows miss
• The party is finally able to kill the spider near Arhian and Sindri, but the one near Avacyn and Rettniss remains unscathed
• Arhian fires an arrow at it, but misses
• Avacyn finally hits with her magic longsword, doing significant damage, then quaffs yet another healing potion
• Twilight is able to move in close and use her rapier and successfully stab the spider
• Sindri tries Ray of Frost, and misses (but it helps put out the fire that had been growing)
• The giant spider lunges at Avacyn again, hitting yet again, but not doing too much damage, but Avacyn is unable to avoid the poison damage this time, forcing Avacyn to fall unconscious, yet again.
• Hartmut races over and hits with his sword sword, doing some damage, and follows with a flurry of blows and puts the spider down
• Twilight tries to use her Medicine skill, but inflicts more damage in her haste
• Rettniss however is able to successfully stabilize Avacyn
• Sindri uses another Ray of Frost to put out the rest of the fire
• The party examines the corpse, and verifies that the spiders were definitely the demise of Muarin Sorllin
• Hartmut checks the insides of the wagon and doesn’t find much; while in the tent, Arhian finds a small pouch with ten gold coins inside of it
• The party looks around and determines that there’s nothing else close by and after that beating that they will long rest in the tent and wagon; and thankfully, that night nothing disturbs their sleep, save for the haunting sounds that Hartmut hears in the cemetery to the north
• After the long rest the party makes their way to the cemetary, where upon entering it – they experience the dense fog that Ergus Arkthorn had described; where throughout the graveyard, small beams of light from flickering torches could be seen; ignited so that people can visit those that passed whether day or night

• Upon entering the graveyard, the sickly smell of decay fill their senses, as the thick, grey fog seems to force itself down their throats
• Upon venturing further in, the party finds themselves encountering Skeletons and a Ghoul
• In one round Arhian is able to quickly dispatch the ghoul and send it tumbling back down into the fetid well
• The skeletons seem to keep coming; as the party moves and dispatches of them; more just seem to rise out of the grave until they move towards the southern half of the graveyard and Hartmut spots what appears to be a dismembered hand moving; and he also notices it seems to cast a spell – and right then – more skeletons appear and he’s able to deduce that the dismembered hand has something to do with it

• Arhian rushes over to fight the hand – and discovers quickly – it emits a stench that chokes Arhian and forces her skills and attacks at Disadvantage
• Rettniss blasts the hand with Frost Bite, giving it Disadvantage as well
• Arhian is the only one who engages in melee; the others stay back and offer distance attacks and it’s Hartmut who lands the killing blow with one of his arrows
• Sindri wraps up the dismembered hand after examining it and noting that it seems to be that of a younger person – probably male, by the size of the hand
• Hartmut notices that the “Well of the Damned” – where those accused of Necromancy are thrown down after being hung (and their eyes removed, so that they can never find their way to the Afterlife)
  
  • From the Religion section –

Those who follow the Gods and Goddess of Light, believe that in the afterlife, if they have lived a positive and worthy life style that they will be brought forward to the Halls of Aftgrand, where they will be reunited in a heavenly place, with family and friends, all of them forever in their happiest moments in life.

Those that are worthy to be brought to the Halls of Aftgrand by Dedinsyn’s ravens, who carry the souls of the deceased upon their wings. Those that have committed great, vile crimes are punished by Dedinsyn’s ravens, who seek out the souls and remove the eyes of the soul, trapping the souls forever, unable to find their way to the Halls of Aftgrand as punishment. Note: In many cases, the living will often remove the eyes of a deceased person, if they believe the person has committed horrible crimes and does not deserve to have their souls enter the Halls of Aftgrand.

• Hartmut notes that the protective runes have been scratched out and both he and Sindri are able to see a woman’s footprints that are near the Well of the Damned – that leads out of the graveyard and further into the hills, but the tracks are quickly lost after that, due to wildlife crisscrossing along the tracks
• The party heads back to the town and speaks to Ergus Arkthorn, where Sindri explains that the problem was caused by this hand – and reveals the hand – and asks about it. Ergus goes on to talk about a young boy named Varek Greystone, who was the son of a young farmer named Arvil Greystone. Varek’s mother died during childbirth, and Arvil tried to raise his son right; but being a farmer, he was always busy and Varek never got to experience the tender care of his mother which made him bitter. Arvil had managed to get a hold of some books that dealt in Necromancy from some adventurers leaving the Broken Lands and paid Arvil for shelter in the form of these tomes that they couldn’t translate. But Arvil seemed drawn – perhaps by his desperation – and the words became clear. He performed Necromancy that summoned and trapped his wife’s soul into a Crystal Ball so that his son could speak to her. This did little to ease Varek’s anger, Ergus goes on to explain, and he soon ran away – stealing the crystal ball as well. Arvil hired some adventurers to go seek out and find his crystal ball that he claimed had been taken by goblins. The adventurers returned and learned of the Necromancy and turned both Arvil and his son, Varek, over to the local authorities, where they were hung for their crimes. This all happened two year ago, Ergus notes. But adds, the following month, Varek’s grave had been dug up and his hand had been severed.
• The party asks where they can find out more information and Ergus explains they should go to the Church of Dedinsyn (God of Death).
• However, just then – Avacyn sees a familiar face standing in the doorway to the tavern – and their eyes lock
• With wide eyed wonder – she realizes it’s her mother Jacqueline!

• Avacyn knows that her mother was deep into Necromancy – Avacyn jumps to her feet and tries to point out her mother is here – but the others don’t understand the significance, and Jacqueline quickly makes a run for it – but one of the pages of the tomes in her hands gets caught and rips and falls to the floor
• Avacyn quickly rushes over and picks it up

• Avacyn scans it and quickly translate it –

TO BE CONTINUED?