Campaign Update #9 (by Ironbeard)

The Northwaite Horror

Campaign Time: August 20-August 28, 1051 HR

What a strange and violent night it was. To recap:

A Succubus name Hela arrived in Northwaite about 6 months ago and, posing as a whore, purchased a brothel, Mirabel’s, in the town’s working class fisher district. She promptly set about using her abilities to seduce her clients and manipulate them to sow fear and horror in the town. Her goal was to ensnare as many of the town’s population possible in order to create as much misery and chaos as she could.

In particular, Hela ensnared Titus Burg, Northwaite’s captain of the guard and chief investigator. Burg is also a cleric of St Cuthbert and the leader of the Grey Watch, Northwaite’s city guard. Hela kept him under her control through a combined use of Charm Monster and Suggestion spells as well as powerful diplomacy and Bluff skills. She used him as a pawn to make several arrests and accusations against the citizens of the town. Her favorite tactic was to cause one of her minions to commit a crime and then use the Captain to arrest and convict some innocent person. Titus would claim to have ascertained the truth through the use of a Zone of Truth spell, though this is a complete lie. He has subsequently confessed to you that he really believed that Hela was a Solar, an angel who assured him that the victims of his deception were in fact thoroughly evil and that he was helping to accomplish some larger good that he could not fully understand.

Recently, a merchant in the town, one Tholeth of Low Street, learned that the new madam in town was more than she seemed (he made a will save and escaped with his life). Hela, fearing exposure had one of her minions kill him and frame Hollyhanna Trickfoot, a rival whore, for his murder.

This is of course where you stepped in, unraveled the mystery and terminated Hela’s existence on the material plane. Along the way you made some new allies, learned much about the Town of Northwaite, and even commissioned a poem commemorating your adventures from the bard, Osgood Greenmantle. Perhaps Hela's mistake was in not finishing you all off when she had the chance during the fight at Mirabel's. Why she chose not to do so is anyone's guess, but Barnabus the Evoker suspects that the demon delayed killing you because she wished to toy with you further. Such fiends often do not wish to merely kill their foes, but to play with, humiliate, terrorize and demoralize them as much as possible first. Perhaps she underestimate you all.

The evening was not without its tragedies, however. Bronwyn, the paladin and chief negotiator of your party, was slain by Quarian the ranger who had fallen under the fell Demon’s enchantment. Fortunately, however, Bronwyn’s body was recovered. Perhaps the clerics of Heironeous at Castle Arwaihir can raise her from the dead.

On the fifth day of your stay in Northwaite, you finally receive an audience with Lord Harold III, the Lord Mayor of the town. He expresses his deep gratitude to you and awards each of you who have survived with 1,000 gp for the great service that you have performed for the town.

1,500 xp for each of the surviving PCs