Staying in the Hobbit Hills for a couple days, the group entire encountered some issues when Marsheville guards arrived from the south with intent to search homes for any hiding fugitives. Alvaro, the captain of the guard/militia commander/sheriff, resisted enough to draw the players' attention. Castiel managed to convince the guards that he was on a missionary journey to a new settlement up North (which actually exists), and with Alvaro's help that Nymphadora is a new convert traveling with him, so no one found her hidden pointed ears and crucified her. With a couple lucky rolls, the players were able to slip out of town unnoticed.
After a couple nights spent at a cleared out bandit camp just out of town, the gang returned, talked with Alvaro and came clean about what the guards were looking for, and told him about the Wells and why they needed the equipment back. He asked only that they not put the Hobbits in any more danger and promised his support.
So then the game begins. Locke stays in the Hills with Decanus to write a journal of all the things that have happened to the party, both for future members and for his anticipated child. A messenger arrived with a letter for Castiel. The Temple of Weirdunn's Children wants to meet with him. He and Tet gather some gear and set out.
Reaching the Temple after a few days, Castiel goes to meet with the Archbishop and Tet camps to the north because he has red skin.
Castiel learns that the Temple wishes to build a new outpost in the east. Since Castiel and his party are familiar with the area, he has been asked to choose a suitable location and guide the cleric who will be in charge of the new outpost, Abraham, to such a place, which must be accessible via supply caravan for construction and upkeep.
In exchange, Castiel will be promoted to Curator of the new outpost, second-in-command to Abraham, with the power to levy small bands of clerics, access to items gathered by the clerics stationed there, some say in missions, and consultations on matters, so long as he upholds the values of the Temple and the Order of the Clerics and holds his station responsibly.
Castiel asks for two weeks to decide upon a suitable location.
Meanwhile Tet is set upon by a party of bandits. He defeats them, pretending to be a demon (red skin, claws, Ring of Chameleon Power, etc), but is badly hurt.
For reasons of merciless and excessive brutality, his alignment shifts to evil, and some new mechanics are unveiled*.
The two regroup, a potion Castiel took to possibly help Tet instead causes him to grow an eye out of his stomach. Castiel refuses to heal Tet after a scuffle with some clerics, hoping this will discourage him from fighting everything he sees.
The tactic is unsuccessful. Tet spies a bear in the woods on the way to Hobbit Hills by way of Riverton and attacks.
Three criticals later, the bear has torn out Tet's throat and Castiel survives, but is now alone in the forest. Before Castiel camps that night, a starved man wanders out of the woods and demands that Castiel leave Tet behind and go. When Castiel refuses, the man attacks, is killed, and screams "they're coming for him!". Castiel casts Preserve Body on Tet.
The next day, Castiel leaves, and arrives at Riverton a day later. Departing the next afternoon, he finds that Tet's body is missing from the cart.
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*Magic items have a tendency to bind. I alluded to this in an older post but the players have just now discovered this fact. Each use of a magic item makes it more likely to bind to the user.
Bound Items (As well as some permanent magical effects) come with a cost.
Major effects= -1d6 humanity
Minor effects= -1d4 humanity
Humanity is your original charisma score times 10. As it decreases so does your charisma is proportion, i.e. 18 charisma=180 humanity. If you lose 12 humanity, your total is now 168, and your charisma consequently is 16.
As you become more magical, you become less human and lose your ability to empathize. When your humanity reaches zero...
Some may recognize this mechanic from Cyberpunk 2020.
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