Tales of Vengeance

Investigation into Midwich (County of Rufford, Dutchy of Keswick).

Friday
The Harts with allies from the Gryphons and Vipers transported to the Keswick Beacon which was located by the Village of Midwich (Mydwych). We found daemonic spell casters and unliving there. These were dispatched and the village was checked to make sure there were no lurking enemy. We found it a scene of carnage, with bodies ripped and torn. The three gates were manned (mostly by the House of Glass, the Storm Ravens and the House of Glass). In one of the huts some pages of a Diary were found, these indicated that the writer had been hearing voices in his blood which caused him to commit foul deeds in the name of Nethras and later from Nethras in his head to tell him that he had done wrong. After this he had quickly decended into madness. We met some men claiming to be Daemon Hunters from
the local area, come to see why the village had dropped out of contact. They left to continue their patrol.
Whilst investigating the vicinity several Scarecrows were found, these appeared to be imbued with ancestral power and set on scaring and fighting the daemons, any daemons in fact, which considering that we had many items of power that either contained or were possessed by daemons made things a little difficult.
A villager ran screaming to the gates being pursued from the forest. The gate guard brought him into the village and killed those following him. The villager then failed to answer the regent truthfully and was killed (With the benefit of hindsight and the visions and dreams sent by Nethras, it would appear that this man and the woman that he was escorting had come to us for help and we had killed them).
Some of us had visions from the Trinity, telling of their displeasure with the situation and that we had to do something about the corruption of the land.
It was clear that we had to call on their wisdom, but Nethras made it painfully clear to me that now was not the time.
Saturday
Several people had the uncontrolled urge to write, but they could not see that which they had written. So others aided them and started to decipher the writings. These writings were to describe the rites that had to be performed. A diary from Miles Hulce was found (although it’s
information appears accurate there were some doubts that it was written by Miles) detailing the Nishak daemons and an Altar of Souls. This was located and we moved to investigate it. We found a large stone altar, covered in blood.
The Harts decided to abandon the village (either to interupt a daemonic rite or because the scouts reported the enemy approaching in force, I forget which) and as they fell back the daemons streamed in through the far gate. I stepped forward to slow their advance with steel and incantation but was beaten down as our line stepped back and I lost conciousness. I came to under the tender ministrations of the healers that had punched through the enemy defenders to get me. The scareye goblins had been causing trouble in the area, and given the losses to them at Dunwich Vale several years previously many charged off looking for vengeance and to rescue villagers being held captive. During this action some were trapped by a cave in. The Harts forces once again abandoned the village, but Violet, unwilling to take the rescued villagers into danger stayed in the village. I stayed to render my assistance too. Unfortunately the village was attacked once again and I was quickly overwhelmed as Violet lead the villagers away through the back gate. When I regained conciousness again (it appeared to be a common theme for the day) Violet was tending my wounds, the leader of the enemy had agreed to let her into the village, alone and unarmed to tend the injured. As I left the village (having given my word to leave) the Harts swept back in and secured the village.
The visions. dreams and rites were discussed further and Robert told us that the Pendragon rite had to happen, Elizabeth Falcon gave her pledge to the Pendragon, her task to slay 10 of the enemy before the sun set, and was recognised as a Knight of the Pendragon by Robert.
Attacks and defenses for the village. Howls from the woods, the Hounds of Calagar. Unliving, daemons.
At last it was time for the Nethras rite, Violet Mortimer pledged a lifetimes service to Nethras, her tasks to right a wrong and never to back down from a fight. She was recognised as a Knight of the Crow by myself, Solstice and Eclipse.
The book of Ebon Bindings had been unchained and the Knowledge Daemon held inside it had been released and imprisioned within the Altar of Souls. It was decided that a rite would be performed to release the daemon and return it to it’s home plane. It was partially successful in that the daemon was released. In the struggle to deal with the daemon many of the items of power with us were destroyed.
Sunday
Those investigating the Altar decided that they could deactivate it by releasing the patterns that were imprisoned within. All the incantors with the power to do so performed the rites to send the patterns to their ancestors. Rather than destroying it Georgiana decided that we should take the Altar with us, just in case we needed it, so we fought a fighting retreat whilst the altar was carried to the village.
Cirrion lead others to chase down and destroy the leader of the Hounds of Calagar, when they returned the rite to the Hunter was performed. Cirrion stated how he had fulfilled the tasks as woodsman and consort, but was a little taken aback when asked to detail how he had failed. Finally he fought William Hulce to prove himself as alpha.
All three of the chosen then came together in a rite, shedding their blood and calling their ancestors together in unity to cleanse the land.
Their rite appeared to be successful, at least in the immediate vicinity, and the dead Hounds of Caligar were no longer rising.
Cirrion used his magic to teleport to Keswick circle and send out the army there, in the meantime we were going to leave and have to make our way on foot, the Altar being abandoned in the village.
Solarian, Company of the Blackened Staff