Swyvers – The Bells of St Evenage, Ep. 1

Summary

Last session, Krusty’s Barkers were approached in their local tavern by a desperate woman named Bladen Bessie. Her nine-year-old son, Jim Jim, had been lured away to the supposedly abandoned St. Evanage Cathedral by the sounds of an ethereal choir. Promising she would become their occult fence if they returned her boy safely, the party accepted the grim task.

Following rumors of strange bells and disappearing children, they hired a boatman to ferry them across the foul pond surrounding the island cathedral. Upon arrival, they were met by three children with vacant, glossy eyes. When Nobby attempted a gentle pat, the child shrieked and attacked, revealing the youths were under some malevolent influence. The encounter turned bloody in an instant; Maisie Faye shot one in the foot with an arrow before Nobby, declaring he was letting the devil out, slit the child’s throat. Another child was tossed into the piranha-infested waters by Tom, an act which shockingly seemed to break the spell just before the fish swarmed. Nobby dispatched the last with his halberd.

Entering the cathedral’s flooded foyer, Nobby promptly fell into the murky water, attracting a school of vicious, piranha-like fish. After fending them off, the party found more enthralled children. Attempts to subdue them non-lethally proved difficult; one was accidentally fed to the piranhas, and another was killed by Nobby after it attacked. The final child was captured and, after being dunked in the pond water, was freed from their trance. Terrified and crying, the child was sent back to shore with the boatman.

Deciding to bypass the main chamber where they could hear the choir singing, the party ascended a stairwell to a gallery overlooking the nave. There, perched silently on the high rafters, they spotted three adults and six more children, all watching the room below. The session ended as they prepared to confront the mysterious puppeteers behind the cathedral’s horrors.

OUTLINE:

An Offer from a Desperate Mother

The party was approached at Luckies Tavern by Bladen Bessie.
She asked them to rescue her son, Jim Jim, from the St. Evanage Cathedral.
Bessie offered to become their occult fence as a reward.
They learned of strange bells and a beautiful choir luring children to the location.

The Approach to St. Evanage

The party decided to investigate the cathedral just before dawn.
They hired a boatman to ferry them across a disgusting pond surrounding the cathedral.
Upon arriving, they were met by three silent, glossy-eyed children.
The constant ringing of bells from the cathedral created a distracting penalty for their actions.

A Bloody Welcome

Nobby patted a child on the head, causing it to shriek and attack.
Maisie Faye shot one of the children in the foot with her bow.
Nobby flanked and killed the wounded child with his halberd.
Tom threw another child into the pond, who was then eaten by piranhas.
Nobby killed the last of the three children.

The Flooded Foyer

The party entered the cathedral, finding it flooded and filled with trash.
Nobby fell into the water and was attacked by piranha-like fish.
They encountered three more enthralled children inside.
In the ensuing conflict, two more children were killed.
The party captured the last child, broke his trance by dunking him in the water, and sent him back to shore.

A Glimpse of the Choir

The party heard a choir singing from the main chamber but decided to go upstairs first.
They ascended to a gallery overlooking the main cathedral floor.
They spotted three adults and six more children sitting silently on the rafters above.
The session ended as they prepared to confront the figures in the rafters.

NPCs:

Bladen Bessie: A desperate mother with one eye and a skin condition that makes her hands bleed. She hired the party to rescue her son, Jim Jim.
Boatman: A local man who, for a few shillings, ferried the party across the pond to the cathedral and later took a rescued child back to shore.
Jim Jim: Bessie’s nine-year-old son. He has tousled hair, freckles, and a lazy eye. He was lured to the St. Evanage Cathedral.
Krusty: Maisie Faye’s loyal gutter mutt. He is trained to track, steal, and attack on command, proving to be an invaluable, if furry, member of the party.
The Enthralled Children: Street children lured to the cathedral, now with glossy eyes and under a malevolent influence. They attack on sight.

ITEMS:

Bucket with Six Pence: A bucket Nobby found while searching the flooded cathedral foyer, containing six pence.
Jim Jim’s Toy Cart: A small toy cart belonging to Jim Jim, given to the party by his mother so Krusty could track his scent.
Nobby’s Halberd: A fancy, decorated halberd wielded by Nobby. It has seen grim work, being used to murder multiple children.

LOCATIONS:

Luckies Tavern: The party’s favorite tavern, also referred to as ‘Allspice’. A local joint where they were hired by Bladen Bessie.
St. Evanage Cathedral: A supposedly abandoned cathedral on an island in a foul pond. It is now occupied by a mysterious choir that lures children, and is surrounded by a palpable darkness.
The Smoke: A massive, polluted, and squalid city, perpetually covered in smog. It is a cesspit full of wretches and dark dealings, and the primary setting of the campaign.

FACTIONS:

Choir of St. Evanage: A mysterious group that has taken over the abandoned cathedral. Their angelic singing lures children to the location for an unknown, sinister purpose.

QUESTS:

Rescue Jim Jim: Bladen Bessie has hired the party to venture into St. Evanage Cathedral and rescue her son, Jim Jim, from the clutches of a mysterious choir.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Dermot: A former shepherd whose flock was killed by the polluted waters of The Smoke. He presents himself as a simple man, unused to the city’s violent ways, yet he can be fiercely defensive when provoked. He was taught to read and hunt by his grandfather and is trying to find his way in the city.
Devin: A mysterious man who goes by the alias ‘Tom’ and refuses to speak of his past. He is pragmatic and resourceful, wielding a mint-condition shank and a crossbow. He demonstrates a cold, practical approach to problems, such as throwing an enthralled child into a piranha-infested pond.
Maisie Faye: A 78-year-old woman whose prophetic abilities are questionable at best. She is often accused of lying, but seems to have a softer heart than her companions, often attempting non-violent solutions first. She is accompanied by her loyal and surprisingly capable gutter mutt, Krusty.
Nobby: The self-proclaimed ‘Baron of Rookery’. Nobby is loud, boisterous, and ostentatious, always dressed in fine clothes. He is quick to violence and justifies his brutal actions with a warped sense of righteousness, such as claiming to be ‘letting the devil out’ of his victims.