The Ghost of Veedle House

(return to DM's Corner)(return to Sleepless Nights in Barrowhill)

Introduction
"The Ghost of Veedle House" is the first adventure in the Sleepless Nights of Barrowhill campaign. It has the

Benefactor: Arthur Kynesgrove


 * Halfling male bookkeeper at the Barrowhill Public Study Room
 * Extra short for a Halfling
 * Many tufts of brown hair tied with ribbons all over head
 * Talks like Batman's Butler

Beginning of the session reading:
''The days are gloomy and an odd, yet peaceful, stillness fills the air. This peace is not constant, but rather, skewered with sudden jolts of eerie darkness. These happenings do not last long, and while in the past they were less common, they are not altogether unfamiliar to the people of Barrowhill. The frequency and intensity of such events is what puts the residents of Barrowhill on edge, making them question why. Speculation looms around the pubs and markets, as well as the farms and shops, about what may be the cause of these Sleepless Nights in Barrowhill.''

''The party, a group of adventurers from various parts around the vast continent of Geros (as well as places abroad), have met by chance after noticing a flyer on a well-known signpost near the center of town by the gates that the locals call "The Thought Exchange". This signpost is the home of many peoples pleas for work and workers alike, as well as the perfect passive-aggressive way to shame your neighbor anonymously. One posting of particularly fair design claims that a reward would be given to anyone willing to investigate the increased supposed paranormal activities happening around Barrowhill. Many locals don't believe the paranormal to the the cause, given the frequency of ghosts who roams the city at night and their mostly peaceful nature. One Arthur Kynesgrove (the man who posted the reward) claims he has more information, but is not the man for the job. The post said to meet at the high bluffs above the city in three days time on Mid-Summer's Eve, and whoever arrives can work together and get a handsome one hundred gold pieces. Each.''

''Over the course of the past three days, all the party members have entered into the city. First to arrive was Redpath, a mixed-race wizard seeking knowledge of the whereabouts of his friends and his mentor. He entered the city and during the evening of his arrival a warforged bein known as St. James stumbled into town and Redpath took a great interest in him.''

On the second day, Lorkas and Namuh both arrived in Barrowhill, Lorkas in the morning, and Namuh in the evening, meeting at a grand music hall known as Feanor's Roaring Hall after not seeing each other for almost a year since they studied together at Saitolynn's School of Song.

On the third day in the very early morning, Mara entered into town with her companion Lydia and while they were first strolling into the town market square a blast of chaotic magical energy issued in from some other plane of existence and laying at her feet was a seemingly unconscious satyr whom she later learns is named Ren, and after providing medical services Ren and Mara began to talk to one another as Ren tried to explain her outlander past.

''As the party members made their way up to the bluffs that night they crossed paths while following a known hiking trail called the Whispering Weeds, learning that all of them were there to participate in the search for what is causing the trouble in Barrowhill, and to meet this Arthur Kynesgrove. They all came around a corner into a plateau on the cliffside and saw a small fire with a much smaller man sitting on a tipped-over tree trunk, wind blowing across the long grass with a warm smell of nature, and the sounds of a subtle ocarina lullaby dancing upon the gusts of wind. This man, a halfling wearing a a drab button-up coat with dozens of different color ribbons tied in his hair, looks up and seems to be surprised by the number of answers to his posting.''

"Oh good oh good so many have arrived to answer my distress, maybe the issue will be solved after all! Please! Take a seat! I've brought snacks for everyone!"

Starting out:
Party starts around a campfire on the slopes of Mt. St. James enjoying the cool breeze and gentle sounds of a clear and crisp mid-summers Eve. With them is a curious looking Halfling named Arthur Kynesgrove, who is smoking a pipe and playing a song on his ocarina.

Information that Arthur knows:

 * There is something higher in the mountains, an old ruin with an enchanted well that the people claim is haunted.
 * Inside well is a crypt of Veali Tenderbrow

What’s happening
Something is keeping the residents of Barrowhill awake at night, more than the usual howls from the mountains or the moans and groans of spirits who freely roam the city at night.

What's really happening
A rich family known as the Gildenmartens have moved into town as are building a new home in a district of the city that was previously a holy site known as The High Wait. In doing so, they have disturbed a powerful animal spirit that inhabits an obelisk just below the new courtyard of the manor.

Jhoal, the Lion Spirit


 * Takes the form of either a tall elven man or a large white-furred lion
 * It never speaks aloud
 * Wants the land everywhere within 100 foot radius of the obelisk to be cleared and returned to nature
 * Instead of helping him, he can be defeated:
 * AC: 15 HP 50 Resistant to Non-Magical weapons
 * Speed: 45
 * Str: 17 Dex: 13 Con: 15 Int: 13 Wis: 18 Cha: 10
 * Attacks:
 * Big Paw - +5 to hit, 2d6+3 damage
 * Sacred Flame, but double damage
 * Intimidating Presence: Cha Save DC 13 else frightened

Clues

 * Cats in town have began to act weird, running around like they are sick and hissing at anybody who is friends with the Gildenmartens or the Gildenmartens themselves. Feul  and May Gildenmarten’s youngest boy, Max, has been repeatedly scratched by cats of the town.
 * Max is being targeted since he is playing in the courtyard, digging in the dirt.
 * The spirits of the town who float about at night seem to be on edge, much like HP they are usually pretty friendly though some are pretty insufferable, acting more like poltergeists. They will say things like:
 * "The air is thick with frustration."
 * "From down on high the eyes always follow."
 * "The songs of old are paused, giddy with anticipation."
 * "It stalks them."
 * "The gods are letting the spirits do as they please."
 * "Time drones on and things change, and sometimes I can’t tell if it’s for the better."
 * "Something’s rotten in the state of Barrowhill."
 * Strange rocks are being found around the city with symbols that look like a paw on them, the same symbol as on the obelisk.
 * The creator of these stones is a very old cat that was enchanted by a hag long ago. The cat's name is Scruffles and he inhabits an old house known as The Wayward Manor that has been abandoned just outside the city on the edge of the Barrow Downs and The St. James Mountains.
 * Scruffles originally lived in the upper ward of the town of Barrowhill and used to live with a long-dead human man named Issac Bentworth, a rich land developer who is personally responsible for marking out most of the wealthy property in Barrowhill, and specifically measured out the plot for the Gildenmarten's home.. He made notes in the old records that the property includes what is believed to a monolith, but since construction of the house the land in the plot was leveled to bury the structure.
 * After they talk with a couple more cats, one will mention "Aye, this be the work of Scruffles the git." Whoever tells them will mention that Scruffles got in one-too-many scuffles with the other cats and was bannished from town, now living in The Wayward Manor outside of town.
 * One person in town known as Viola Entwater claims to have seen a spirit floating down from a mountain pass and thinks it's the cause of the sleepless nights, saying it has come in her room at night.
 * This is a red-herring, and is caused by the poltergeist in town known by the locals as Bringzee, a tall and portly ghost of a man who used to preform in a circus and died in a horrific accident, and now he haunts the town.
 * If the party goes up the mountainside they will find a bit of parchment that tells of a treasure that resides in the possession of goblins in a valley a mile north of Steady Reach
 * Viola's Attic contains many cats, including a main cat named Iseldorf who has information on Scruffles.

Session 1 Notes
Party (except for Eytan who flaked on us again) met with Arthur Kynesgrove and learned about the weird happenings that are occurring in Barrowhill and end up following his hint about an enchanted well in an old ruin further up the mountainside. They got lost once but found their way again and eventually reached the ruins. They searched around for awhile, found 5 copper pieces, and Ren saw what looked like a small creature among the rubble of a small building who didn't want Ren's food. They then found the well and saw glyphs all over the top of it with an enchantment in dwarven that either was keeping something in or keep something out. Lorkas saw the potential for treasure in the well and dived in and bonked his nose on the bottom. They realized that there was a door at the bottom of the well buried by sand and rubble and they all worked together to excavate it.

They entered into the door and learned it was a crypt with all kinds of wolf paintings and drawings. The party explored it, finding 6 ivory wolf figurines and more paintings, and eventually entered into the main room of the crypt and fought three spectral winter wolves and then a spectral werewolf. They defeated them all and in the sarcophagi there was the corpse of the werewolf body and a Wolf-Teeth Necklace around it's neck which they took.

Recap of Session 1
''Last time in The Sleepless Nights of Barrowhill... One by one adventurers from across the land stumbled upon the quaint and quirky town of Barrowhill for reasons all their own. Through various paths they all found themselves noticing a post on a well-known notice board in Barrowhill called "The Thought Exchange" written by one Arthur Kynesgrove looking for brave souls to investigate the likely paranormal phenomenon that is causing the residents of Barrowhill to go without their much-needed sleep. After following the instructions on the post they met Arthur, a somewhat wacky halfling in an old drab coat and multiple colored tassels tied in his hair upon a high bluff of the mountain above Barrowhill called The Whispering Weeds. He offered them food and told them all that he knew of the activity plaguing the people of Barrowhill. The party, currently comprised of two humans named Mara the combat medic and Namuh the bard, a warforged named St. James, a half-elf bard named Lorkas, and a young Satyr named Ren, trekked up to some old ruins where an enchanted well was said to exist, following Arthur's only lead. Upon reaching the location they noticed that the ruins were moderately old, though not ancient, and the well seemed to have some kind of Glyph on it of warding or protection. Following Lorkas's swan-dive into the well, the party noticed a buried doorway at the bottom of the well and escavated it to find an old tomb of what seemed to belong to a werewolf. They treaded carefully, but ultimately fought off wolf spirits and an undead werewolf before being too tired to go on, deciding to rest in the tomb. This gave Lorkas time to attune to a wolf-tooth necklace he found in the werewolf's sarcophagi.''

The party left the ruin and headed down the mountainside down towards barrowhill around 1pm the next day. At the same time, that morning Redpath entered the town he found the notice board and headed up to the bluff and met with Arthur who pointed him towards the ruin. As the party trekked down the mountain towards Barrowhill they were attacked by wolves which were pretty gnarly. Redpath was heading towards the ruin and heard the howling and intervened, helping fight off the wolves. They joined forces and headed down into the market square and checked if the figurines were magical which they aren't. Lorkas and Namus ended up taking their 5 figurines and tried using magic to make them worth more, which worked out well enough in their favor, selling 5 figurines for 50gp each to Vindle's Oddity Shop. The oddities shop will eventually realize that they don't all have the enchantment and will put a bounty out for Lorkas. The rest of the party bought some supplies at Keldin's General Store and spoke with the owner Victor Keldin who told them about Viola Entwater being a crazy old lady, and also about how the ghosts have been saying weird things: "The air is thick with frustration." + "From down on high the eyes always follow."

They visited Viola that night and she showed them inside and made them lots of tea. She told them how the cats have been living with her for a long time, even before her husband passed away. She has a portrait of her and her husband Reginald on their wedding day made by Stelecanarisis that was enchanted to be "animated". She brought them upstairs after talking about the clown ghost from the mountains and showed them where the ghost has been coming in for the last five days. As she was describing it, the ghost itself (Bringzee The Poltergeist) showed up and terrorized Mrs. Entwater, and the party tried to attack it but their attacks were only half-effective and Bringzee left up through the ceiling. This lead the party to check her attic and found more cats, and a stone with a cats paw on it. After asking her about it, Mara used Speak with Animals and learned that there are many stones inscribed with the paw all over the town. They left her house after finding another stone in her garden, went to the tavern known as The Cracked Tusk and went to sleep, having nightmares about their fears that weren't super bad since it was their first night, but everyone's dreams ended with a cat's meow that started out normal but down-pitched to a deep creepy disturbing tone which woke everyone up. That's where the session ended.

Recap of Session 2
''From wolves to talking cats, last session was filled new faces and a mystery that just seems to be getting more and more convoluted. The brave adventurers trekked their way down from the mountains back towards Barrowhill in search of more answers, finding little at the ruins their benefactor, Arthur Kynesgrove, had directed them too. On the way, wolves, mostly small, but accompanied by a great wolf preyed upon the party, attacking them. An unlikely ally arrived just in the nick of time, a wizard named Redpath with his owl named Dowel, flew in and helped fend off the mighty wolves. The party, now including Redpath, made their way down to Barrowhill in the early evening, arriving around 6pm. The party split up at first, some going to a general store to pick up supplies, while Lorkas and Namuh went to Vindle's Oddities Shop and sold their magically augmented figurines for more than they were worth. While the rest of the party was at Keldin's General Store, Victor, the owner, told them about Viola Entwater, someone who Arthur Kynesgrove had mentioned that he believed about her sightings of things coming down from the mountains. He mentioned that Viola was a crazy old crone, and likely was too crazy to be believe. Despite that, the party went to pay her a visit as she was known for being up at all times of the night and day.''

''As they approached her home, Viola was outside feeding the cats and went inside as they walked up. Upon knocking on her door she invited the party in and was magically coerced to provide lots of tea as opposed to a normal amount of tea, which she did. She told the party about her sightings and even showed them her room where she usually saw a great clown-like ghost come down from the highs of the mountains. Just as she was telling them about it, a ghost looking like a man-eye-ical clown came swooping down and entered into Viola's bedroom, frightening her and being mostly unaffected by the magical spells and attacks from the party. They investigated the attic as that was where the ghost floated up to to escape but only found many cats and a curious rock with a cat's paw-print on it. After talking to the cats using her magic, Mara learned that there were many of these rocks turning up around Barrowhill. The party went outside into the garden to find another stone in the corn rows Viola had planted, and eventually headed back to The Cracked Tusk to get some shut-eye. They all had bizarre dreams, but everyone woke up at the same time to the sound of a cat's meow starting out cheerful, but quickly changing in pitch to get lower and lower into some demonic howl, awakening them.''

It's just then that the sound of the kitchen's bell can be heard ringing from downstairs indicating that the kitchen is now open and serving breakfast.

The session began with Mara, Ren and Lorkas heading down to the Wet Stone River market to meet a guy named Jeremey who sells fish to buy a fish for the cats back at Viola's house. They ended up finding a really high quality Black-Spotted Salmon and paid 15 gold for a 20 pound fish. Redpath, St. James, and Namuh (who disguised himself as an old dwarf professor at a university) headed over to Vindles Oddity shop and learned about the guards investigating the scam Namuh and Lorkas set up at Vindles, taking a sketch of what Lorkas looked like. The guards left and Redpath learned about two magic items, The Wind Fan and the Bloodwell Vial. St. James bought a symbol of Moradin and Namuh bought a knick-knack. On their way to Viola's they stopped at a church of Moradin and met with the Bishop of Moradin Ya-Loom who did a pseudo light blessing on St. James's symbol, and offered a full blessing if St. James were to complete a mission on behalf of the church. St. James agreed and Ya-Loom told him to return in three days time to be given a mission.

Mara, Ren, and Lorkas ended up heading to Viola's house and waiting outside and had a big cat try to take their fish which they denied before heading inside and Redpath and the gang showing up. Namuh helped Viola make tea for the party and saw Viola had a magical vase/jar which always has fresh herbs in it (it can be drawn from 5/day and you can choose mint, parsley, oregano, sage, or dill).

They met with the cats in the attic in Viola's garden and learned about a cat named Scruffles who is the cat making all the rocks. They traded this information for the fish and another cat who was easedropping named Varnish offered to take them to Scruffles, to which he lead them there while riding on St. James's shoulder (since St. James could understand written languages). Varnish told them that Scuffles traded stones for stolen toys and other possessions of the children of Barrowhill as he was some kind of sadistic hoarder. Traveling the rest of the day, the party reached The Wayward Manor, and stumbled into the southern room through a broken down wall where there was a fighting chamber, eventually following varnish in to meet Scruffles. As they walked in they also noticed a large pile of stolen toys in the center of the fighting ring. Scruffles spoke common and told the party that he collected the stones from the property itself and used magic to imprint the symbol upon them.

When pressed about how he was able to use magic, speak, and all that, he said that his master Issac Bentworth used to live in Barrowhill and he was a wealthy property owner, but in a sudden happening Scruffles was imbued with power, and after Issac died he was kicked out of the cities by the other cats for being different, eventually stumbling upon The Wayward Manor. Scruffles refused to show the party where he finds the stones, but after St. James offered to help bring Scruffles a family to join him here since he was clearly lonely, Scruffles agreed to show them the stone's 'farming location' if they deal with whatever is haunting the upstairs of the house. [I'm thinking of it being the ghostly remains of the family that used to live there, and their terrible pet dog]. The session ended with them all hearing an incredibly loud dragging of furniture from upstairs, followed by a loud, low growl, and a number of screams / wails from upstairs. When St. James went up to look for a second, he heard footsteps come running towards him but saw nothing, then they stopped and went away.