The Curse of Salem

Having returned to Corvis, the three companions encountered a thief in the city marketplace. Capturing and questioning him led them to break up a small-time ring of thieves, the Coven of the New Moon. An undead creature of some sort named Salem was leading the coven. The party destroyed him, and captured his two minions, Sarin and Polera. They were duly tried and sentenced to a year aboard a prison ship each.

Adventure Log

After returning to Corvis, Kimo was disappointed to discover that no one in town actually had the power or skill to identify magical treasure - that power resides with the Order of the Mind of the Prophet. He then spent a week and a half killing time in bars and practicing his spin kicks.

The party rejoined at the appointed time, and Perrin, a few days later, decided to have a custom bow crafted, that could take advantage of his above-average strength. He also decided to have the Greatstag's antlers crafted into arrows.

Wandering in the market a few days later, the party saw a small boy steal the purse from a fat wealthy man, and gave chase - Kimo, as usual, outdistancing the rest of the group by virtue of his monk's training.

They captured to boy, who (with some persuasion) revealed that he worked for a local thug named Four-Finger Jack - a name that made Karmann start to feel a little uncomfortable. He was able to return to Corvis at all only because Jericho and Kimo had spoken on his behalf, and promised that he would behave.

The group decided to set an ambush for Jack, and set up quite an elaborate stakeout. Jack was taken by surprise. At first, he wouldn't talk, but when he recognized Karmann, he changed his mind, and he revealed that he, too, was working for someone - a group based out of the old Mayor's house, in the Darkling Quarter of town. Uneasy about his sudden change of heart, the party tied him up and left him in an alley - something they would later regret.

Another stakeout was planned, this one at the Old Mayor's house. However, the party decided to split up - Jericho and Kimo went to the Church, to arrange for the future care of the boy they had captured, while the sneakier pair, Kimo and Perrin, stayed watch.

Eventually, someone entered the house, and then came back out. Perrin followed him into an alley, where he was taken by surprise and nearly killed before he was able to fend off the rogue's attack. Knocking him out, he carried him to the Church where Jericho and Kimo were waiting.

Meanwhile, Karmann decided to snoop around the house. Entering through the back door, he snuck around and investigated, until, tripping over some loose clothes, he made quite a commotion. Choosing to flee the house immediately, he ran out the front door - setting off a trap and injuring himself in the process. He was captured.

Tied to a chair, he eventually wormed his way free of his bonds and ran out the house. Right out the front door. Right into the trap. Again.

Where he met the rest of the party, sitting on the street pretending to be drunk.

They decided to raid the house, and come in by two directions. They were met by Serin and Polera, the two who had captured Karmann earlier. The party proved to be too much for the duo, overwhelming them and knocking them out.

As they were planning to take the two and exit, intending to deliver them to the constable's, they were interrupted by a raspy voice chanting something they could't understand. Turning, they saw a dark figure standing near, and then a curtain of dazzling shimmering light dazed half the party. Jericho, in a moment of panic, channels the power of Pelor - something he is prone to doing in moments of stress - and, miraculously, the figure hisses, turns, and runs. He was one of the walking dead.

The party followed him into a tower at the back of the house. Perrin, climbing the stairs first, triggered a trap which sent him tumbling down the stairs. The other boys leaped clear of his falling form, and continued into the top chamber. Perrin picked himself up and followed. However, the shadowy figure has cloaked the room in darkness, and the party - too late - heard him running back down the stairs. As they moved to follow, they realized that there is no way for them to catch up to him and prevent him from escaping.

Until, that is, Kimo leapt off the stairs into the stairwell, falling more than 30 feet and passing the running figure of the undead, Salem. He hit, rolled, and sprang to his feet in a beautifully smooth motion - and found himself face to face with an ugly and very surprised animated corpse - which he promptly beat the crap out of. The figure crumbled to dust, his gear clattering to the floor at Kimo's feet.

The party searched the rest of the house, but found no one else. Jericho, the merciful one of the group, healed the most grievous of Serin and Polera's wounds, and gave them over to the custody of the town's constables.

The party then spent a few days searching the house and examining the little crime syndicate's records. Karmann, who is trying to leave a somewhat larcenous lifestyle behind him, realized that the financial records are a bit funny - there was lots of money coming in, from purse-snatchers, mostly, but there was also a lot of money going out. Most of it is notated only as "CNM".

A few days later, while the group went over the records and checked over the house one last time, Perrin answered the door, and promptly crumpled to a heap on the floor. Entering, wand in hand, is small man - elf, actually - wearing the emblem of the Order of the Holy Compass. He is a Mage Hunter. When he saw the two priests - Kimo and Jericho - he relaxed his wand, and called in his two companions - who entered through the back door and the side window. He explained that the Priest at the Church had filed a report which indicated the presence of an undead arcanist in this house, and he wanted to be sure that the influence of his evil hadn't spread to those who conquered him.

His companions, another Mage Hunter and an Undead Hunter (who was clearly not in charge and clearly resented it) scoured the house. They confiscated all of the arcane magic items they found - which included a wand, several scrolls and a number of potions - and then left.

Before they left, Jericho questioned their leader about something - his detect magic spell indicated that the wand the leader had used on Perrin was of arcane origin - how was he able to use it, and did he know that was against the law?

"We of the Holy Compass use the power of arcana against itself - to destroy an arcanist with his own power is fitting in the eyes of the God."

Notable Treasure

• Ceremonial priest's garb (Medium)
• Mithral Chain Shirt +1
• amulet of natural armor +1