The Chronicle of Tears

SETTING Red Guard Cairn, Fobin
AIDS Red Guard Cairn article, Navehian Temple Article
SUGGESTED READING Thardic Republic Kingdom Module, Alternate Army, Lia-K'avir Article

The following adventure combines a location in Fobin, an article and the Red Guard Cairn in one of many possible adventure ideas. The chronicle of tears is only loosely mapped out to allow for flexibility and because my PCs have not yet been through this one.

Local Lore

- Martha (Chandler's Wife)

"Didn't cha know dearie? Well, don't be going up there. No. For now that holy place holds a barrow wright."

Sharley, owner of the general store - and general rumor monger.

"Ah yes well. The Burial mounds have a new inhabitant. It will sneak down the overgrown paths and spy on all you youngsters. Any of you out past yer bedtime - it will come hobbling along, with its long arms and big white teeth. As fast as you can run - it can run faster. As small a place you can crawl into - it can reach with its great long arms. And once it catches hold of ya, ye-ll never get free. It will rap its great long arms around you and eat you all up in one gobble.

...

"Nah - that's just the story I tell the little one's to keep them away from da place. But there is something up there. Gallen of Talen claims to have lost a mare when it wandered in there. He spent three days looking for it. Its prints went in, but never came out of the area. Claims to have searched amongst the burial mounds - but I wouldn't call him a coward for lying. Dogs, beasts and even a few travellers have been lost to that place. The priests may claim it's just the souls of the restless dead in there, but I say there's something more. And you couldn't pay me enough to find out what!"

Lordai, Tribune of the Fobin Cohort

"Officially, we've received no complaints from the area. And since it is some distance from the local roads our patrols have seen nothing unusual. This year though, Sharl has asked that I send a few men to accompany Jarel into the area. She won't say why, but she does seem worried about something. Maybe she's been listening to Sharley too long."

Tarel, The Ostler

"Aye, I lost a mare around the burial mounds. She went it, and didn't come out. But me dogs never got no harm going through the area. I've hunted round there a few times. 'Taint no game. Deeper into the woods, away from them mounds there is, but not nearby. Go figure. I aint the superstitious sort mind, and so long as Jarel says there ain't nothing to worry about, I aint gonna start a worrying."

Others

No one seems to trust the place. Burial grounds are usually avoided by the cautious and the superstitious - but this place is given an extra wide berth. The creature the locals claim live there is a "Barrow Wright" - something that lives in a barrow. No one, but Sharley, dares give it a description and no one's seen it. A few have claimed that the thing has been known to break into local cellars and steal alcohol (specifically apple brandy); but no one will admit to having their own cellar robbed (Sharley said it was mine? No, no - he must have meant Madia's cellar. Mine's not been robbed.)

The tale makes a good ghost story; but no one's particularly enthused (or worried enough) to find out exactly what is living there. No group's been organized to route it out, nor kill it.

Unrelated (?) Goings On

Someone has broken into Sharley's General store twice, the local jewelsmith's once and the ostlery once in the past month. Everyone's begun locking their doors, and the rumors are flying fast and furious. Some are blaming the thefts on the mysterious resident of the Red Guard Cairn, others on a new group of Lia Kavir, or perhaps wandering bandits. A few claim there must be a Night's Their temple in the area - but this last suggestion is often met with nervous laughter.

As mentioned previously, the tale does make a good ghost story. There is a creature living up there, but it's primarily in hiding from the locals. The creature is the Barrow Wright. See the Red Guard Cairn article for more information.

The thefts are caused by the Navehians in town. Refer to the Navehian Article for more information.

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