Odinsday Update #4

[I had lunch with Stuart today. He reminded me that today was Wednesday and thus time for another campaign update email. Here's what I came up with on the walk back from lunch.]

Your first night back from the ancient pyramid is spent at one of the local farms hardest hit by the vaporous spirits you fought. Madness and disease afflict members of both the hardy family of homesteaders and their herds. Crops are blighted and several outbuildings have been crushed to splinters. Speaking to the head of the household you are told that several neighboring farms are similarly in ruin.

Upon your return to Beppo's Keep the castellan questions you at length regarding the your adventure. He's obviously spooked by your tales of unkind spirits lurking so near to the keep and urges you to resume your mission at the earliest opportunity. He rather brusquely reminds you of your oath and the gift of magic weapons he made to you on his lord's behalf.

Zoyd Sampson has not remained idle during your absence. A few days after reaching the keep he shows back up having returned from a journey of his own. And he brought a friend. Arnfinn Shape-changer is an old friend of his father Samp and a somewhat famous druid. The next day Arnfinn sets out to minister to the people and animals affected by the evil spirits. He's in no hurry to join you on your quest, but if a druid spell of some sort will aid you on your quest, he might be able to cast it for you.

While at the keep you find out more about the strange corpses you found. The creatures were duergar reduced to a primitive state after the fall of their mighty empire millenia ago. Now they eke out a stone age tribal existence in the forests near the Five Seas. They still possess some vestige of the psionic powers wielded by their more advanced ancestors and live specimens should be considered a serious threat. Rumor has it that the Mayor of Osvar is organizing some sort of mercenary force for a punitive expedition against the local duergar tribe.