Episode 7: Rats in the Corn

Game Date: 3/11/2015

Quest Information:

 * 10th Arah Abu, 837
 * Title: Rats in the Corn/Unspeakable Crimes
 * Level: 3
 * Locaton: Ag-Rakade

Primary Cast:

 * Dylan Minglewood, halfling satiric bard
 * Ket-Ramat, human soldier-scout
 * Lugal, human Mage of Learning
 * Shoklen, human swamp ranger

Part 1: Rats in the Corn

 * Misnarta, tavernkeeper
 * Ibbi-Adad, captain of the Ag-Rakade militia
 * Amata, farmer's wife
 * Amata's children
 * Amata's mother
 * Hillbilly children

Part 2: Unspeakable Crimes, Part One

 * Ibbi-Adad, captain of the Ag-Rakade militia
 * Entara, Chief Matriarch of Ag-Rakade
 * Yethniri (deceased)
 * Various country farmers
 * Zombified(?) Guards
 * Zombified(?) Hillbilly Dad

Summary (Part 1)
The party of adventurers had been spending the last couple of weeks doing the most boring work possible: cats in trees, drunks accosting passers-by, stolen coinpurses. They were off duty, kicking back in Misnarta's Tavern, listening to town gossip.

According to the talkative barkeep, the surrounding farm country has been experiencing some murders. It started with a farmer, living way on the outskirts to the northeast, many hours away. About two weeks ago, he comes into the bar, and starts babbling about his neighbor. Apparently that man had been killed by something: he saw the party's captain, Ibbi, and the militia commander, Tat-Babu, carrying a body out of the building, wrapped in a bloody sheet. They carted the body away and ordered the house boarded up. Then another farmer came in, with a similar story. Finally, one of the temple clerics came into the bar, saying he had to perform The Rites on a body that was torn apart in a gruesome way. Apparently, the cleric was supposed to keep it a secret, because Prelate Lib-Loth came in and dragged him out of the bar, and since then Misnarta hasn't seen a single cleric in her tavern in a week!

At this point, Ibbi-Adad storms in and berates the party for getting drunk while on duty (even though they are neither drunk nor on duty). He orders them to grab some horses and ride out to Amata's farm. Apparently something has been eating her corn, probably ankhegs, and the party has to go check it out.

Following orders, the party heads out. An hour or so up the road, the come across Amata's. The jovial, thirty-something mother of three comes bounding out of the house, blonde-haired children in tow. Joined by her graying mother, she tells the tale. "Something is taking my corn. Not eating, but taking. Here and there. It's not really much of anything, really, but I thought you'd want to take a look."

With a heavy sigh, the party heads off into the cornfield. This looks like another boring mission. They enter the cornfield, and just like Amata describes, something has cleared a 5' x 5' section of corn, apparently with a sickle. Following some small footprints, they come across another cleared space, and then another. Eventually they hit the river, clear tracks in the mud suggests someone crossed the river. Ket does some heroic swimming and manages to tie off a rope for the others to follow. Sure enough, there's a shoddy boat anchored there, partially covered by reeds.

Once more following small footprints, the party crosses a low hill and spots a ramshackle house amongst the scrub trees. Dylan, Ket and Shoklen all take turns yelling into the house, asking for any corn thieves to come out. No response. The party then tries to surround the house, and realized the entire grounds are trapped. A swinging log almost caves in Ket's skull; Dylan finds himself pelted with rocks; and they all spot spiked pit traps around the house. Dylan makes a few very weak attempts to force open the door, Shoklen the Swamp Ranger has to show him how it's done. Taking a running start, he throws his shoulder into the door ... and crashes through, falling to his knees. He hears the :fwip: of blowgun darts, looks around in a panic ... and finds himself surrounded by children. Yes, children. Five of them, ranging from a 14-year old boy down to a wee lad of barely 4 years old.

After a very brief scuffle, the party manages to calm the hyperactive children, and learns their story. Apparently, their father headed north to another village, or perhaps the capital city, on one of his regular trips to show his wares (he's a part-time bronze worker). He's been gone far longer than normal, however, so the kids did what their daddy taught them: they protected their home. They rigged it with traps, and had to steal Amata's corn to feed their milk cow.

The party gave the kids some rations, and the oldest boy takes Dylan and Ket outside. He tells more of the tale. "I followed Daddy's tracks", the boy says. "On top of the hill, I found his horse, dead, and no sign of Daddy." The party follows the boy into the woods. About two or so hours in, there is the well-scavenged corpse of the horse, leg broken in a gopher hole. The saddlebags are missing, suggesting the father left on foot. The trail does lead to the road, however the intense rainstorm 3 weeks ago -- most likely coincident with the father's disappearance -- washed out any trace of a trail. At least they have two clues: the missing saddlebags and a supply of bronze leather studs.

Realizing they can't find the father right now, the party offers the children aid, which the kids reject. "They'll be fine" says the oldest boy. They agree to accept Amata's aid, though, were she to give it. "She's nice", says one of the girls. "We took her corn cuz we knew she wouldn't whip us if she caught us."

Summary (Part 2)
The party returns to Amata's farm, and tells the jovial matron of the plight of the hillbilly children. "Of course I'll help them", she says, much to the relief of the party.

Also at the farm, acting more surly than ever, is Ibbi. "Come with me", he orders, turning his horse and heading down the road back towards town. Obediently, the party hops on their horses and follows. Eventually, as dusk settles on the countryside, they come upon a candlelit farmhouse. Ibbi turns and glares at the entire party: "now what I am going to show you is to be kept absolutely secret. Do not discuss this with anyone else in the village, especially that nosy bartender of yours!" Leading the party inside, they see a typically farmhouse kitchen. Kneeling over what appears to be a corpse covered in a sheet on the floor is Entara, the chief matriarch of Ag-Rakade. "What we are dealing with", she says "is murder. Not just murder, but something horrible, something unspeakable."

Lifting up the sheet, she shows the party something horrible indeed: the mutilated corpse of Yethniri, the mother of Annibelle, the little girl the party rescued in "Sticks and Bones". She has been nearly torn apart, and partially eaten, apparently by human hands. "Zombies", suggests Lugal. "Perhaps", replies Entara, "but zombies aren't known for their penmanship." She reaches for the kitchen door, closes it, and there, in large red letters, are the unmistakeable words: "Kill Me." There's something else strange about at least one of these "zombies": the red letters aren't scrawled in blood, they're scrawled in tomato sauce.

Ibbi then briefs the party on the other murders in the town. There have been four -- or perhaps five -- other murders in the area before this There are a few commonalities among the murders: There's something else that has Ibbi worried: earlier that day, he sent another party down a game trail in search of the killer. It was a party of roughly the same experience as Ket and company, consisting of a ranger, a fighter, a rogue and a cleric. They left earlier that day, and have yet to report back. Ibbi is afraid they've succumbed, they were instructed to report back before dark. He has a new mission for the party: "stay here in Yethniri's for the night, and if the other party doesn't return, head down the trail, find them, and rescue their sorry asses. And find these killers!" He and Entara load Yethniri's body in a wagon, and head off down the road. The party, as ordered, spends the night.
 * About four weeks ago, a traveler was discovered on the road to the capital city (Bakretah), torn apart. They suspected it was an animal attack, even though the traveler's horse -- still tethered to his wagon -- was found only a few yards away, chewing on some grass.
 * A few days later, a family of three closer to Ag-Rakade was found ripped apart and mostly eaten. It was then that Entara thought they were human bites.
 * The third murder was about two weeks ago. A lone, elderly farmer was clawed to death but not eaten. The words "help me" were found scrawled on the wall of the very gravy the farmer was cooking for his supper.
 * The fourth murder was another grisly, horrible death of a young married couple in their own barn. That one apparently happened in broad daylight.
 * Then there was Yethniri here.
 * The missing bronzeworker may be the sixth murder (although, if the timing is to be believed, he would have been the third murder).
 * The fourth (fifth?) murder happened in daylight, as did Yethniri's.
 * No one has witnessed anything. In the case of Yethniri, her daughter was napping in the room next door!
 * There is no sign of struggle, no reason to believe any victim fought back.
 * No one has come forward as having escaped any attack. It seems like whoever is doing this is surprising their victim somehow, and not attacking if it can't attack with surprise.

In the morning, the party follows the trail, but doesn't see much sign of the missing party. They think they saw where they ate their lunch, but beyond that, their comrades seem to have vanished. The party heads down the road, asking farmers along the way if they've seen the other militia members. Through a process of elimination, they deduce the other party must have taken a barely visible, weed-ridden carriage road. The party takes their horses up the road, and realizes this road is in a perfect spot: it wanders between some low, scrub-covered hills that hide road quite effectively. The party continues up, and finds a small warehouse. Carefully entering this building, the party discovers the four members of the missing party. Three are in a deep, coma-like sleep; the fourth has been torn apart by some creature (or creatures).

While they are investigating, the luckless Ket carefully moves past some boxes and a table, which holds four potted plants with cone-shaped red & white flowers. As he sneaks by, two of the plants turn their flower cones towards the rogue, and shoots small darts at him! Luckily, the cloak of barkskin he borrowed from Shoklen saved his hide. What are these odd plants all about?

While this is happening, Shoklen is nearly surprised by two new entrants into the warehouse: two men, groaning unintelligibly like zombies, and smelling vaguely like milkweed, come in and attack! They whittle away at Shoklen's defenses, fortunately the scout and the wizard back him up, defeating the enemies. A third man shambles into the barn, but this one seems to be hesitating. It seems conflicted about what it is doing, and whether it should attack. Lugal, ever the prudent wizard, decided not to take any chances and killed with with a well-placed ''magic missile. He also used his prudence to decide it was far safer to burn the plants with scorching ray. ''Whether or not these choices were wise is yet to be determined ...

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