The Arwich Grinder

[Raven_Crowking]

Those examining the Very Large Man discover that his tongue was cut out a very long time ago. The wound has long since healed. His skin is pasty white, like it had never felt the touch of sun, but there are deep marks around his neck, as though from a collar. It is about two hours’ brisk walk to the Curwen residence, up in the forested hills. It is doubtful that the Very Large Man covered the same distance as quickly; he was simply not in a physical condition to move that fast.

[marshal kt]

The man walked in and collapsed, dead... no obvious signs of a wound. (it's in the first post of this thread)

Doh> I didn't read it before I posted my characters, then forgot it was there.

[marshal kt]

"Wow. I don't want to have to pick him up. I wonder how he got down here. I can't believe he walked that far."

[drpete]

Godwin nods to Badr, not really sure what he's talking about, but impressed nonetheless. "This man was chained up somewhere.. An attic or a cellar maybe. He was probably an imbecile. He didn't suffer from the famine, that's for sure... Does he look like a Corwin, do you think?"

Robin catches the beggar's glance, understands the meaning behind it, and gives a grim nod, putting his hand on his sword, then nods over to Bill, who isn't paying attention to them.

For his part, Bill, a butcher, and not squeamish, squats over the body, checking the nails and the genitals for signs the big man's been up to no good.

Milo sees the generally positive reaction of those remaining, except for the squabbling wheelwrights. "Guys, an idea... Let's leave the rocks and the tomatoes here, and bring the people up... We'll probably get there faster if we let the old men ride, no?"

[drpete]

OOC: a couple questions... Just how twisted should we be thinking? Lovecraftian degeneracy, splatterpunk like Texas Chain Saw, or is there sexual horror as well? There are many places this could be pointing... And technically, Robin has leather armor, but it looks like the generator doesn't add it to his AC. Should I?

[MrHemlocks]

Balin looks over at Godwin. "You are wrong on one account. This man's tongue was cut out to keep him quiet... not because he was an imbecile. Maybe those Curwen's have a few skeletons in their closets and one of them escaped?"

Zorathus walks over and grabs a drink of mead. "Well, whatever we do we best be doing it before long. If there is trouble up in those woods waiting till first light might find our help a bit too late."

Thulan and Pratel likewise drink away the memory of the dead man on the floor. Agreeing that if something is to be done than now is the time to do it.

[GlassEye]

"What!" exclaim the Lammerson twins in unison. "That's valuable cargo, Milo. We can't just go dumpin' it any old place. Besides, if there's trouble it might be useful to have some rocks to chuck at it. And if you get hungry a 'mater sandwich just might be the thing you need. You can count on us to deliver."

Badr Balik rises creakily to his feet and fastidiously wipes his hands on his clothes despite not having touched the Very Large Man. "We must not jump to conclusions. Perhaps the Curwen's are in trouble, perhaps not. Perhaps they had some hand in this unfortunate's misfortune, perhaps not. The portents are not good and Bessie's bonnet in this man's hand point to the Curwen farm. Without a doubt we should investigate and I agree with Zorathus: immediacy in paramount!"

Abram Cove rolls his eyes and moves across the room to stand near Robin. "I'm in," he says quietly.

[MrHemlocks]

"What!" exclaim the Lammerson twins in unison. "That's valuable cargo, Milo. We can't just go dumpin' it any old place. Besides, if there's trouble it might be useful to have some rocks to chuck at it. And if you get hungry a 'mater sandwich just might be the thing you need. You can count on us to deliver."

Badr Balin rises creakily to his feet and fastidiously wipes his hands on his clothes despite not having touched the Very Large Man. "We must not jump to conclusions. Perhaps the Curwen's are in trouble, perhaps not. Perhaps they had some hand in this unfortunate's misfortune, perhaps not. The portents are not good and Bessie's bonnet in this man's hand point to the Curwen farm. Without a doubt we should investigate and I agree with Zorathus: immediacy in paramount!"

Abram Cove rolls his eyes and moves across the room to stand near Robin. "I'm in," he says quietly.

OOC...Balin now has the bonnet. He took it from the man's hand in my earlier post.

[Raven_Crowking]

Bill the butcher notes that the man's nails are ragged, cracked and torn - almost as if used as claws. There is a great deal of dirt or mud on or under them, and signs of blood. The man's genitals are on the small side, especially for so large a man. As a butcher, Bill cannot help but feel that this man's muscles are marbled like those of a prized steer bred for table.

The man does not look like a Curwen.

OOC: a couple questions... Just how twisted should we be thinking? Lovecraftian degeneracy, splatterpunk like Texas Chain Saw, or is there sexual horror as well? There are many places this could be pointing... And technically, Robin has leather armor, but it looks like the generator doesn't add it to his AC. Should I?

Leather armor adds +2 to AC.

Arwich = Arkham + Dunwich.

[GlassEye]

Badr Balik clears his throat and looks around. "If this man escaped confinement and did harm to the Curwen's we should make haste. Let us, errm, make haste!" He walks over to the door and opens it for those following after.

Rogett and Randow Lammerson put their drinks on the table and exit the Hound to get their pushcarts and begin the trek up to Curwen farm.

Abram Cove walks over to the tavern keeper and tilts his head towards the dead body. "We ain't lugging Mr. Long Pork up into those hills so you might want to fetch a grave-digger." He follows after the others but waits just outside the door for more to join before following the Lammersons up the road to the Curwen place.

OOC...Balin now has the bonnet. He took it from the man's hand in my earlier post.

My earlier post was referring to who the bonnet arrived with not who currently holds it.

[Raven_Crowking]

OOC...Balin now has the bonnet. He took it from the man's hand in my earlier post.

My earlier post was referring to who the bonnet arrived with not who currently holds it.

OOC: My brilliant secret plan: the bonnet of bickering!

[Raven_Crowking]

It is a dark night outside, all the darker for the events which have just occurred. Choruses of whippoorwills keep you company as you wait, rising eerily from the blackness.

[drpete]

Godwin, Milo, Bill and Robin join the group heading outside, ready to go up into the woods.

[MrHemlocks]

***Outside Tavern***

Thulan, Pratel, Balin and Zorathus finish their mead and head out the door to meet up with the others that will be traveling to the old farm.

Balin, looks back into the light of the tavern and yells. "You really need to bury that poor chap. He needs his rest. For gods sake the man suffered enough in this life already." Crushing the white bonnet within his thick dwarven hands and jamming it in his shirt pocket Balin spits on the ground. Than he starts talking to himself. "Those darn Curwens might have some of these folk fooled but not me. Hell no not me!"

[marshal kt]

The Dwarves, Beergut and Lefty; look back and forth between the bar and the door, several times. Then finally they shurg their shoulders and head out.

Stovey says, "Hmm.. so that's one less taxpayer."
OOC: Does Stovey, as a tax collector, know much or anything about the Curwen's? How many people lived there? How well-off they were or weren't? Was this guy a known worker, or family member of the Curwen's?

Red, thinks a few seconds and says, "This looks like it will be interesting".

[Raven_Crowking]

There are eight Curwen’s: The elderly Grandfather Ike; Uncle Charles Curwen, who lives with his brother as a confirmed bachelor; Ward and Caroline Curwen – she having married into the family from nearby Ipsam; their son Wilbur: their older daughter Eliza and her husband Allen Merritt; and their beautiful younger daughter Bessie, who cannot be more than sixteen, and who has set many a village lad’s mind to courting.

OP

[marshal kt]

There are eight Curwen’s: The elderly Grandfather Ike; Uncle Charles Curwen, who lives with his brother as a confirmed bachelor; Ward and Caroline Curwen – she having married into the family from nearby Ipsam; their son Wilbur: their older daughter Eliza and her husband Allen Merritt; and their beautiful younger daughter Bessie, who cannot be more than sixteen, and who has set many a village lad’s mind to courting.

OP

Ok, that's how many, but where do they get their money? and are they rich, poor, in-between? Did anyone work for/with them?

[drpete]

Speaking of money, I didn't buy anything with starting cash, but I see some did, can I buy some stuff retroactively (oil for the lantern, etc, before we set out?)

[Raven_Crowking]

There are eight Curwen’s: The elderly Grandfather Ike; Uncle Charles Curwen, who lives with his brother as a confirmed bachelor; Ward and Caroline Curwen – she having married into the family from nearby Ipsam; their son Wilbur: their older daughter Eliza and her husband Allen Merritt; and their beautiful younger daughter Bessie, who cannot be more than sixteen, and who has set many a village lad’s mind to courting.

OP

Ok, that's how many, but where do they get their money? and are they rich, poor, in-between? Did anyone work for/with them?

No one works for them, and they are not rich in coin, although they do well with hogs.

[Raven_Crowking]

Speaking of money, I didn't buy anything with starting cash, but I see some did, can I buy some stuff retroactively (oil for the lantern, etc, before we set out?)

Sure.

[DM Cojo]

I've already read the adventure, and it is fantastic. Love the Lovecraftian feel of it. I can't wait to run my group through it!

[Raven_Crowking]

I've already read the adventure, and it is fantastic. Love the Lovecraftian feel of it. I can't wait to run my group through it!

Thank you, kind sir.

[GlassEye]

Abram Cove pulls a torch from a sack he picked up in the Hound and lights it. He holds it aloft and walks over to Rogett Lammerson to walk alongside the man and his pushcart of rocks. Rogett Lammerson stares suspiciously at the beggar until Abram says, "The man with the rocks is the man to stand next to when you have an empty sling." Randow Lammerson looks across at his brother and the beggar thinking hard and trying to parse what Abram just said.

Badr Balik looks at the torchlight and then up into the dark hills. "You wouldn't happen to have another of those, would you?"

Abram smiles. "I do." He hands over the torch, pulls another out of the sack and lights it. Badr nods his thanks and then marches off in the front of the hefty sized band of men (and women?) seeking out the Curwens for justice of one sort or another.

[Raven_Crowking]

The song of the whippoorwills forms a sinister chorus as you set out toward the Curwen homestead. The night is dark, and your torches are comforting in the darkly wooded hills. Shadows pool beneath the trees, and common spider webs strung along the trail offer startling moments to the unwary.

You are maybe half an hour from the Curwen's when you see a dark shape on the trail ahead.

"Ayah!" a voice calls. "Who be you with the torches?" The voice seems human enough.

[Raven_Crowking]

The song of the whippoorwills forms a sinister chorus as you set out toward the Curwen homestead. The night is dark, and your torches are comforting in the darkly wooded hills. Shadows pool beneath the trees, and common spider webs strung along the trail offer startling moments to the unwary.

You are maybe half an hour from the Curwen's when you see a dark shape on the trail ahead.

"Ayah!" a voice calls. "Who be you with the torches?" The voice seems human enough.