- The Cultist
- Arena Games
- Phoenix Sorcery
- The Half-Moon Crucible
- Castle Mistamere
- Bringing Back the Dead
- The Curse of House Lightwalker
- Captured
- Far from Home
- Through the Underdark
- A New Port of Kings
The Tale of the Heroes of Silvermoon
Chapter 6: Bringing Back the Dead
Leah of the town watch of Waterbrink commended the heroes for their work in purging Castle Mistamere from Azulius and his minions, and she told the heroes they could keep the castle as a base of operations for their adventuring if they so chose. She was wary about the orcs who had remained, but Gorthuk assured her that any damage they did would be compensated for personally, and she reluctantly agreed. She gave the group her sympathies about Julian's death, and recommended they see the town harvest witch, Gwynedain, to see if she could help bring him back to life through magic.
The group were led to a strange hut just outside of Waterbrink, where they found a short, senile old woman. Gwynedain sympathized with the adventurers, but said that she herself did not know how to "unzombify" an undead corpse for reanimation. She did, however, remember a gnome lover of hers from years back who had spoken of an artifact that could do such a thing. She gave the adventurers directions to hike northwards through the hills to find a gnome named Mungo, advising them to take gems with them to pay for his services, rather than coin.
Gorthuk knew the laws of divine magic gave them ten days to raise Julian from the dead before his condition required more powerful and expensive spells. What's more, he could not use his gentle repose spell to extend the time or prevent his decomposition, because of his undead status. The group set off quickly toward the hills to find Mungo before it was too late.
Nysae used her ranger skills to navigate, but despite her expertise in the wilds, she ended up leading the group to a dead end cliff and losing them a day's travel. They also were attacked by manticores in the night, but were able to fend them off without a problem.
After three days of travel, they finally found the remote hut out in the middle of nowhere, where they met the eccentric gnome. Mungo was exasperated that Gwynedain still remembered him (and was amazed that she, a human, was still alive after all these years), but seeing the gems they had brought him, he agreed to hear the heroes out. Examining Julian, he was impressed to see that his zombified corpse still had a shred of humanity left in it. He asked if Julian had dabbled in necromancy, since exposure to necrotic energy while alive could help in the resistance process. Mungo declared Julian only "mostly undead" and told them there was still hope to bring him back, provided they acted with haste.
Mungo spoke of a type of artifact called a "deva prism," which converted necrotic energy into the same raw radiant power used to bring the dead back to life. He only knew of three deva prisms remaining, and one of them was thousands of miles away. The other two were held by creatures a few days' travel away from his hut. The first was three days' travel westward down the river, at the home of a cyclops. Mungo didn't know much about the cyclops or its attachment to the deva prism, but since Nysae spoke Giant, he imagined that they had a chance of bargaining for it. The other prism was held two days' travel northeast in a marshland by a medusa baroness named Moivette.
Being as time was of the essence, the group decided to take the shorter route to the medusa, though it was a more dangerous and wretched path through swamplands. Mungo promised to take care of Julian's corpse in their absence, and would start the preparations for the ritual as he awaited their return. He also sold them a jeweled mirror that they could use as a weapon against the medusa.
The trek through the swamp was miserable for the group. The toxic gases and vapor of the swamp spoiled their water and food, forcing Gorthuk to use some of his spell slots conjuring more. But thinking of Julian and their quest, they pushed forward until they found a half-sunken stone temple. They entered in cautiously, finding an ancient structure, somewhat clean and filled with decor despite its ruined status. After looking around for a short time, Gorthuk found the doorway to an immense hall filled with strange, eyeless froglike creatures. They were all bowing and chanting praises in a croaking language to Moivette as she stood at the top of the balcony speaking to them. Seeing Gorthuk, she demanded that he be brought forward. When he would not look at her in the eye, she assumed he thought her ugly, and attacked.
The group burst in to aid Gorthuk, slaughtering the frogfolk and making their way up to Moivette to fight her as well. None of the group got a good look at Moivette, averting their eyes, which made the battle all the more difficult. They often missed their attacks as they fought to keep her out of the corner of their eye. Gorthuk specialized in necrotic attacks, but he soon realized that the gem Moivette wore around her neck healed her wounds whenever he used them against her.
Throughout these setbacks, Moivette fought firing arrows from her bow and biting attackers with her poisonous snake hair. At last, with Gorthuk using his staff of swarming insects, the group killed the medusa. Cristoff was unconscious from blood loss, and after rousing him and catching their breath, they claimed their prize from the medusa: the small gem called a deva prism.
Ari was curious to find what other loot the medusa was hiding, and found some fine wine and gold, as well as a room filled with shattered mirrors. His curiosity got the better of him, however, when he pried open a boarded-up door and found a ghost haunting a room. The ghost attacked the wounded group, possessing Cristoff and attacking the rest of the group with his prodigious strength. Once again, Gorthuk came to the rescue as he channeled the divine power of Bwonsamdi to Turn the ghost and expel it from Cristoff's body.
At last, quiet fell again in the sunken temple. Carefully examining other rooms, they found three more frogfolk in a bed chamber downstairs. Rather than killing them, Gorthuk used thaumaturgy to scare them away from the temple, likely never to return.
The trip back was uneventful, and they found Mungo ready to perform the ritual on Julian. Gorthuk was sad to sacrifice the deva prism, having seen its power and usefulness in fending off necrotic damage, but he knew he owed it to his friend to bring him back to life. Mungo placed the deva prism on Julian's rotting corpse, and asked all those present who had necrotic attacks to focus them directly on Julian. Gorthuk cast empowered blight spells, and Ari was able to channel some of Raksha's energy through an inflict wounds spell. Mungo himself revealed himself as a spellcaster as well as he blasted Julian with necrotic energy.
Instead of withering his corpse further, the spells were funneled into the deva prism, which radiated golden light around Julian until he looked like a normal corpse again. Finally, the deva prism shattered, its power spent and its job finished. Gorthuk excitedly asked if Mungo had the components for a raise dead spell, but he did not. They would have to make their way back to Waterbrink before Julian could be brought back. The group's spirits sank as they realized that seven days had passed, and that they may not make it back in time to save Julian. However, Mungo reminded them that, now that Julian was no longer undead, he could be preserved by a gentle repose ritual. He offered to join with Gorthuk in casting it, but Gorthuk simply used his ritual knife to carve the symbol of Bwonsamdi into Julian's shoulder, a method of accomplishing the same thing, though it shocked Mungo.
The group made their way back to Waterbrink, then, using a rune they purchased from Gwynedain, Gorthuk cast a raise dead spell to bring Julian back to life. Julian was grateful and glad to see the group, though they were surprised to see that his blue eyes had turned green. His brush with death and his experience with necromancy had granted him powers few other necromancers had ever been able to gain.
The group were led to a strange hut just outside of Waterbrink, where they found a short, senile old woman. Gwynedain sympathized with the adventurers, but said that she herself did not know how to "unzombify" an undead corpse for reanimation. She did, however, remember a gnome lover of hers from years back who had spoken of an artifact that could do such a thing. She gave the adventurers directions to hike northwards through the hills to find a gnome named Mungo, advising them to take gems with them to pay for his services, rather than coin.
Gorthuk knew the laws of divine magic gave them ten days to raise Julian from the dead before his condition required more powerful and expensive spells. What's more, he could not use his gentle repose spell to extend the time or prevent his decomposition, because of his undead status. The group set off quickly toward the hills to find Mungo before it was too late.
Nysae used her ranger skills to navigate, but despite her expertise in the wilds, she ended up leading the group to a dead end cliff and losing them a day's travel. They also were attacked by manticores in the night, but were able to fend them off without a problem.
After three days of travel, they finally found the remote hut out in the middle of nowhere, where they met the eccentric gnome. Mungo was exasperated that Gwynedain still remembered him (and was amazed that she, a human, was still alive after all these years), but seeing the gems they had brought him, he agreed to hear the heroes out. Examining Julian, he was impressed to see that his zombified corpse still had a shred of humanity left in it. He asked if Julian had dabbled in necromancy, since exposure to necrotic energy while alive could help in the resistance process. Mungo declared Julian only "mostly undead" and told them there was still hope to bring him back, provided they acted with haste.
Mungo spoke of a type of artifact called a "deva prism," which converted necrotic energy into the same raw radiant power used to bring the dead back to life. He only knew of three deva prisms remaining, and one of them was thousands of miles away. The other two were held by creatures a few days' travel away from his hut. The first was three days' travel westward down the river, at the home of a cyclops. Mungo didn't know much about the cyclops or its attachment to the deva prism, but since Nysae spoke Giant, he imagined that they had a chance of bargaining for it. The other prism was held two days' travel northeast in a marshland by a medusa baroness named Moivette.
Being as time was of the essence, the group decided to take the shorter route to the medusa, though it was a more dangerous and wretched path through swamplands. Mungo promised to take care of Julian's corpse in their absence, and would start the preparations for the ritual as he awaited their return. He also sold them a jeweled mirror that they could use as a weapon against the medusa.
The trek through the swamp was miserable for the group. The toxic gases and vapor of the swamp spoiled their water and food, forcing Gorthuk to use some of his spell slots conjuring more. But thinking of Julian and their quest, they pushed forward until they found a half-sunken stone temple. They entered in cautiously, finding an ancient structure, somewhat clean and filled with decor despite its ruined status. After looking around for a short time, Gorthuk found the doorway to an immense hall filled with strange, eyeless froglike creatures. They were all bowing and chanting praises in a croaking language to Moivette as she stood at the top of the balcony speaking to them. Seeing Gorthuk, she demanded that he be brought forward. When he would not look at her in the eye, she assumed he thought her ugly, and attacked.
The group burst in to aid Gorthuk, slaughtering the frogfolk and making their way up to Moivette to fight her as well. None of the group got a good look at Moivette, averting their eyes, which made the battle all the more difficult. They often missed their attacks as they fought to keep her out of the corner of their eye. Gorthuk specialized in necrotic attacks, but he soon realized that the gem Moivette wore around her neck healed her wounds whenever he used them against her.
Throughout these setbacks, Moivette fought firing arrows from her bow and biting attackers with her poisonous snake hair. At last, with Gorthuk using his staff of swarming insects, the group killed the medusa. Cristoff was unconscious from blood loss, and after rousing him and catching their breath, they claimed their prize from the medusa: the small gem called a deva prism.
Ari was curious to find what other loot the medusa was hiding, and found some fine wine and gold, as well as a room filled with shattered mirrors. His curiosity got the better of him, however, when he pried open a boarded-up door and found a ghost haunting a room. The ghost attacked the wounded group, possessing Cristoff and attacking the rest of the group with his prodigious strength. Once again, Gorthuk came to the rescue as he channeled the divine power of Bwonsamdi to Turn the ghost and expel it from Cristoff's body.
At last, quiet fell again in the sunken temple. Carefully examining other rooms, they found three more frogfolk in a bed chamber downstairs. Rather than killing them, Gorthuk used thaumaturgy to scare them away from the temple, likely never to return.
The trip back was uneventful, and they found Mungo ready to perform the ritual on Julian. Gorthuk was sad to sacrifice the deva prism, having seen its power and usefulness in fending off necrotic damage, but he knew he owed it to his friend to bring him back to life. Mungo placed the deva prism on Julian's rotting corpse, and asked all those present who had necrotic attacks to focus them directly on Julian. Gorthuk cast empowered blight spells, and Ari was able to channel some of Raksha's energy through an inflict wounds spell. Mungo himself revealed himself as a spellcaster as well as he blasted Julian with necrotic energy.
Instead of withering his corpse further, the spells were funneled into the deva prism, which radiated golden light around Julian until he looked like a normal corpse again. Finally, the deva prism shattered, its power spent and its job finished. Gorthuk excitedly asked if Mungo had the components for a raise dead spell, but he did not. They would have to make their way back to Waterbrink before Julian could be brought back. The group's spirits sank as they realized that seven days had passed, and that they may not make it back in time to save Julian. However, Mungo reminded them that, now that Julian was no longer undead, he could be preserved by a gentle repose ritual. He offered to join with Gorthuk in casting it, but Gorthuk simply used his ritual knife to carve the symbol of Bwonsamdi into Julian's shoulder, a method of accomplishing the same thing, though it shocked Mungo.
The group made their way back to Waterbrink, then, using a rune they purchased from Gwynedain, Gorthuk cast a raise dead spell to bring Julian back to life. Julian was grateful and glad to see the group, though they were surprised to see that his blue eyes had turned green. His brush with death and his experience with necromancy had granted him powers few other necromancers had ever been able to gain.
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