5.19.2005
Greyhelm: Brogg's Story
Okay Brogg, there is a temple to Grisbane here in town. Well, not really a 'temple', and not really 'in town', but there are some guys in the woods by the lake about an hour's walk along the West Greyhelm Lake Road. You and the zombies head off out of town while Cinder and Dave hoof it into Helmetown.
Brogg, you can find the place without too much difficulty, especially if you Speak With Animals again or just ask around. Some peasants will tell you, without a lack of trepidation, that some strange half-breeds have been seen congregating at an old lumber mill out in Greyhelm Wood. You take the morning to find them.
It's raining a little bit, just a bit, one of those obnoxious drizzly-kind of rains. But you don't get that wet, especially with all the tree cover. And the zombies don't care. You smell the temple before you see it... smells like a cookout! And that's exactly what it is.
You find a run-down old mill, non-operational, at the edge of a stream through the woods. In a clearing you see a campfire surrounded by some logs acting as benches. Propped up against a large pine tree is a wooden statue of great Grisbane. It's maybe not the most exquisite statue, but at least the proportions are right, and it's pretty big too- 12 feet tall or so.
Seated around the campfire, cooking some frankfurters, are three figures. A fourth figure lies off to the side, snoring. The first figure is High Priest Arvid Crossbones, a half-orc like yourself, who calls you on over. "Hey there. You want one of these? Fresh off the fire." He holds up a sausage. The second figure is a smallish half-ogre, contentedly munching his food, staring silently into the fire. The third figure is just freakish. Looks like a man, kind of a dressy shirt, average size, but a grossly abnormally large head. He's a half-bugbear, but he's basically a guy with a giant bugbear head. Eyes the size of your palm, face covered with thick brown bristles. "How's it going. I'm Ralph" he says. The fourth figure, the sleeping one, is a straight-up half-elf. Imagine Legolas, right? But all hippied-out, after a three-day bender. Scruffy blond beard, long straggly dreadlocks with leaves in them, dirt under the fingernails... next to him are a few empties. Looks like the whole lot has gotten an early start hitting the firewater. But this winner must be a lightweight and is snoring, mouth open, out cold.
Arvid hands you a brew. "Drink up, have a seat, tell us about yourself. Hey, you poisoned? Let me take care of that for ya. There you go." He casts Neutralize Poison and you're not poisoned anymore. What a great guy, you think! He's gotta be pretty strong in the Grisbane to cast 4th circle.
"Grito, huh?" says Arvid. "I've heard some pretty crazy shit out of Grito lately. Don't know if you know much about that. In any case, it's cool if you want to kick back with us." He pulls out a spliff, lights it, takes a long puff. "Mm, you cool?" he says, still not exhaling in that eyebrow raised, slightly-high pitched stoner way, offering you a drag. "Your pals over there don't look so good. (Gesturing at the zombies.) Then again, Grisbane never was about the pretty little fashion show, if you know what I mean."
"Anyway, if you're in some shit, maybe we can help. If not, that's cool too." He passes the joint to Ralph the insanely freakish half-bugbear, who takes an extra drag before offering it to the ogre, who just holds up his hand and says "No; 'my soul is unpure, but my flesh remains to reflect on God'. Book of Grisbane 537:13.1, Prefect Ughbeak's second letter to the Slavers."
Henry nods thoughtfully and says "yeah, that's cool bro. Here ya go" and hands it back to Crossbones. Crossbones takes another puff and looks at you, kind of looking down at your neck. "Hey. You a priest, right? Where's your symbol? You gotta have a holy symbol. Here, take mine." He takes off a leather necklace from around his neck with one of the symbols of Grisbane on it; it's a clawed hand shaking a human hand, well-carved in black stone.
You ask him about the ancient weather station. Arvid nods thoughtfully and says "yeah, I know the place. It's a bit of a hike from here. I've never been up there myself... it's kind of a crazy magic-users' lab or something. Old weather control group I think." Toke, inhale, slow exhale, pass the dutchie. "But I know this owl who flies around there all the time. Says some other people have been interested lately. Now maybe it's none of my business, but why are you interested in this? Ancient magic, man... it's bad shit. Weather control... those mages never know what they're getting into." He looks at you thoughtfully. Ralph chimes in unhelpfully "shit dude, controlling the weather? Like doing a crazy rain dance! Make it stop raining on MY parade man!" He laughs the stoner laugh, shoulders heaving.
Well Brogg, do you tell him about the Grito situation, Vrill, the zombies, and all that? Or what?
Brogg, you can find the place without too much difficulty, especially if you Speak With Animals again or just ask around. Some peasants will tell you, without a lack of trepidation, that some strange half-breeds have been seen congregating at an old lumber mill out in Greyhelm Wood. You take the morning to find them.
It's raining a little bit, just a bit, one of those obnoxious drizzly-kind of rains. But you don't get that wet, especially with all the tree cover. And the zombies don't care. You smell the temple before you see it... smells like a cookout! And that's exactly what it is.
You find a run-down old mill, non-operational, at the edge of a stream through the woods. In a clearing you see a campfire surrounded by some logs acting as benches. Propped up against a large pine tree is a wooden statue of great Grisbane. It's maybe not the most exquisite statue, but at least the proportions are right, and it's pretty big too- 12 feet tall or so.
Seated around the campfire, cooking some frankfurters, are three figures. A fourth figure lies off to the side, snoring. The first figure is High Priest Arvid Crossbones, a half-orc like yourself, who calls you on over. "Hey there. You want one of these? Fresh off the fire." He holds up a sausage. The second figure is a smallish half-ogre, contentedly munching his food, staring silently into the fire. The third figure is just freakish. Looks like a man, kind of a dressy shirt, average size, but a grossly abnormally large head. He's a half-bugbear, but he's basically a guy with a giant bugbear head. Eyes the size of your palm, face covered with thick brown bristles. "How's it going. I'm Ralph" he says. The fourth figure, the sleeping one, is a straight-up half-elf. Imagine Legolas, right? But all hippied-out, after a three-day bender. Scruffy blond beard, long straggly dreadlocks with leaves in them, dirt under the fingernails... next to him are a few empties. Looks like the whole lot has gotten an early start hitting the firewater. But this winner must be a lightweight and is snoring, mouth open, out cold.
Arvid hands you a brew. "Drink up, have a seat, tell us about yourself. Hey, you poisoned? Let me take care of that for ya. There you go." He casts Neutralize Poison and you're not poisoned anymore. What a great guy, you think! He's gotta be pretty strong in the Grisbane to cast 4th circle.
"Grito, huh?" says Arvid. "I've heard some pretty crazy shit out of Grito lately. Don't know if you know much about that. In any case, it's cool if you want to kick back with us." He pulls out a spliff, lights it, takes a long puff. "Mm, you cool?" he says, still not exhaling in that eyebrow raised, slightly-high pitched stoner way, offering you a drag. "Your pals over there don't look so good. (Gesturing at the zombies.) Then again, Grisbane never was about the pretty little fashion show, if you know what I mean."
"Anyway, if you're in some shit, maybe we can help. If not, that's cool too." He passes the joint to Ralph the insanely freakish half-bugbear, who takes an extra drag before offering it to the ogre, who just holds up his hand and says "No; 'my soul is unpure, but my flesh remains to reflect on God'. Book of Grisbane 537:13.1, Prefect Ughbeak's second letter to the Slavers."
Henry nods thoughtfully and says "yeah, that's cool bro. Here ya go" and hands it back to Crossbones. Crossbones takes another puff and looks at you, kind of looking down at your neck. "Hey. You a priest, right? Where's your symbol? You gotta have a holy symbol. Here, take mine." He takes off a leather necklace from around his neck with one of the symbols of Grisbane on it; it's a clawed hand shaking a human hand, well-carved in black stone.
You ask him about the ancient weather station. Arvid nods thoughtfully and says "yeah, I know the place. It's a bit of a hike from here. I've never been up there myself... it's kind of a crazy magic-users' lab or something. Old weather control group I think." Toke, inhale, slow exhale, pass the dutchie. "But I know this owl who flies around there all the time. Says some other people have been interested lately. Now maybe it's none of my business, but why are you interested in this? Ancient magic, man... it's bad shit. Weather control... those mages never know what they're getting into." He looks at you thoughtfully. Ralph chimes in unhelpfully "shit dude, controlling the weather? Like doing a crazy rain dance! Make it stop raining on MY parade man!" He laughs the stoner laugh, shoulders heaving.
Well Brogg, do you tell him about the Grito situation, Vrill, the zombies, and all that? Or what?
