Saturday, July 21, 2007

Horror of the Old Ones: Epilogue

After defeating the remnants of the Old One, the party returns to Onuago to a heroes welcome. Unfortunately there are not many colonists left, but those that remain seem uplifted by the demise of the old one. The next few years will be difficult, but at least the immediate menace has been taken care of. The party should receive an amount of experience needed to bring most of them to the next level, unless they have just reached the level. Read the next section aloud.

The remaining denizens of Onuago stand along the docks, watching the action unfold. Under the guiding current of high tide, the hollow carcass floats into port. The once cloud-filled sky which dropped rain only hour before is now clear, illuminated by thousands of stars. Through the crisp night air, the bellows of the Old One gives way to the baying of dogs in the alleys of the port town. A crescendo of cheers rises in intensity as the carcass nudges the docks.

As the party enters the town streets, they are followed by the townspeople in a procession leading to the Old Town Hall. There they are greeted by the ex-lieutenants. If the party brought the Baron's lieutenants together, they are now united in a cause to help the poor town, to bring about an economic resurgence in the Lands of Northbay. If not, the remaining lieutenents become the final encounter of Horror of the Old Ones. The people decide they want these lieutenants to form the new town council, an sentiment which has been gaining support while the party has been away at, in, and below Elsemere Wood and Harpy Point. If the party returns to Onuago six months or or longer in the future, they find the city streets clean, the river continuing to flow in its normal place, and an established trade route between Onuago, Elsemere, and the Jæruel. The sea trade route is also re-established, opening up the south side of the bay, approporiately named Southbay.

Possible solutions/changes to the Lands of Northbay:
* Castle von Stieglitz has returnd to its former glory, the Baron under recovery from his near-undeath experience. Trade continues with the towns of the Jæruel, over the Cyrűk Mountains.
* Onuago streets have returned to normal after the river recedes to its old course. Merchants are opening up businesses.
* Shada Monastery freed from tainted cult, and the surrounding forest no longer encroaching upon Elsemere. The people log only very selectively out of respect for the wood, choosing trees on their way out rather than clear-cutting.
* Harpy Point is clear and there is talk of the lighthouse returning to use to improve sailing. The people of Onuago are looking for a new name for the island and want to use something related to the party.
* Mothers no longer give birth to the begotten of the old ones.
* The weather seems, on the whole, a little bit nicer. Flowers are more fragrant. The party has never noticed just how beautiful is the moon.

Unchanged are:
* The Great Marsh is still the Great Marsh, though the course of the Lazy River has returned to normal.
* Goduanil is still a region of dark moors.

They each contain their own horrors which must be dealt with separate from the Old Ones. But that is another story...

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