Mask Campaign Chapter 3a: Plague of the City

Chapter 3 Overview: The party will be sent to a major port city to retrieve some information on the next mask. While there the city comes under quarantine and the PC's cannot leave.

   Terror grips the city as disease and murder travel through the night. The evil cleric Malchor, from the marauders has come to give the city of Laribus the "blessing" of his god and retrieve the same info as the party. He sets up a hidden shrine and creates disease ridden zombies to later attack citizens in the street, all the while spreading more disease.

   When he realizes the party is also in town he kidnaps the NPC Elan and sets the party up to be killed by his newest creation, disease created wolfweres. The party, with the aid of the city watch, manages to track the wolfweres back to Malchor's shrine and destroys the evil priest and his servants in a final battle.

   The party having successfully gained the mask of abjuration make it back to the village of King's Reach without incident. They can spend the rest of the winter in the village, as welcome guests if they helped the innkeeper, or they can head back to Landover right away.

   Either way, once they get back Charilus is anxious to examine the mask. He Identifies its properties for the players if they have not already. Elan convinces him that the PC's should hang on to the mask since one of them has likely bonded with it already anyway. Charilus then informs the group that he needs them to "run some errands" for him before they look for the next mask. By errands he means travel and research of course, so the party is off to the bustling port city of Laribus.

   The errand is to give a scroll detailing the information that Charilus needs to the sage Fero. Fero, an old friend of Charilus, will then give the party the information they need to retrieve the next mask.

   While en-route to Laribus the party will mostly travel on roads and encounter only the king's patrols, since this is civilized territory. However they could have 1 or 2 small side adventures, see side adventure #2, for a likely encounter. Elan tells the party that her temple is located in here in Laribus. She wishes to visit her superiors and visit some old friends, she intends to stay with a fellow acolyte named Ileen.

   Once they reach the city, they will probably spend some time exploring it and finding lodgings. While in the marketplace a strange incident happens. A man suddenly falls violently ill, collapses, and dies. The townspeople give the body a very wide berth and concerned PCs who ask discover that there have been incidents of disease spreading throughout the city.

   The party is recommended an inn, and undoubtedly seeks out the sage Fero. Alas his shop, when they manage to find it, has been burned to the ground. A patrol of the city watch are checking the area. A constable Kangran will notice the party and come up to ask their business. After listening Kangran will explain that the building was set ablaze last night by arsonists probably concerned about the disease. He will further explain that Fero was found dead 2 days ago from the deadly disease that seems to be sweeping the city.

   Suddenly one of the watch will call out to Kangran. The watchman has discovered 2 bodies in the alley, both dead of disease. As the watch members uncover the bodies both corpses rise up to attack them! Their is one round of automatic surprise during which one zombie will break the neck of one watchman and the other one clubs a man unconscious, pretend to roll dice for drama.

   A combat will then break out between the watch, Kangran, and 4 1st level warriors, and the 2 plague zombies. The party may help of course, afterwards Kangran will thank them for their aid, ask where they are staying, and send someone to seek aid for his men. While waiting the man who was clubbed down begins to develop signs of the disease. Kangran has no knowledge of why these zombies are here but he feels it bodes ill.

   The players are free to leave. If they can cure the wounded guards they will be very grateful, but if not a harried cleric will eventually show up and complain about not being able to keep up with the spreading disease in the city. At this point the city is quarantined by royal order, no one leave or enters until the disease is destroyed. The party will find this out if they decide to leave, from the gate guards, or if they decide to stay and help, from the local gossip.

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