Swyvers – The Bells of St Evenage, Ep. 2

Summary

Last session, Maisie & The Mummers continued their search for the missing boy, Jim Jim, inside the piranha-infested cathedral. Sneaking to the second floor, they discovered a room ominously labeled the ‘Hall of Silence.’ Upon entering, the deafening church bells rang, and a strange vapor filled the air, paralyzing the entire party. They soon discovered the room was a cruel trap; any sound, from a tossed coin to clumsy footsteps, re-triggered the paralytic mist, much to the amusement of several onlooking cultists.

After repeatedly falling victim to the trap while attempting to destroy the offending statue of Saint Avena, the party was captured. The cultists, wearing silent felt booties, dragged the paralyzed adventurers outside to be exiled. However, once free from the Hall of Silence, the party turned the tables, launching a surprise attack on their three escorts. The sounds of battle quickly drew reinforcements from the church: four more silent cultists, a formidable young woman, and an old Choir Master who appeared to be their leader.

A chaotic battle erupted on the cathedral steps. Lucky Clover used his dark magic to tear the soul from the young woman, incapacitating her instantly. Maisie, Nabi, and Jasper fought fiercely against the silent cultists, while the Choir Master took cover and cast a spell, temporarily enthralling Lucky and turning him against his allies. The old man then commanded a choir of children to ring the bells continuously, creating a deafening and disorienting battlefield.

While Lucky briefly attacked Jasper before snapping out of the spell, Nabi and Krusty charged the Choir Master, who was attempting to escape up a ladder. Together, they grappled the old man and pinned him to the ground. Beaten, he yielded, offering a spell scroll and the location of Jim Jim in exchange for his life. With the cult leader subdued, the party found Jim Jim and a dozen other children, terrified but unharmed, in the church library, bringing their perilous rescue mission to a close.

OUTLINE:

The Hall of Silence Trap

The party entered a room on the second floor labeled ‘Hall of Silence.’
They were immediately paralyzed by a vapor released when the church bells rang.
They discovered any sound they made—a coin dropping, loud footsteps, weapon strikes—would re-trigger the paralysis trap.
Multiple attempts to smash the source statue failed, resulting in the entire party being paralyzed repeatedly.

Capture and a Sudden Reversal

Three silent cultists, wearing felt booties to muffle their steps, entered the room.
Amused by the party’s failure, they captured the paralyzed adventurers and began dragging them outside.
Once outside and no longer paralyzed, the party launched a surprise attack on their three captors.

Battle on the Cathedral Steps

The fight drew reinforcements: four more cultists, a young female acolyte, and the old Choir Master.
Lucky cast ‘Exchange Mortal Shells’ on the female acolyte, tearing her soul from her body and incapacitating her.
The Choir Master cast a spell on Lucky, enthralling him for one round, during which he attacked Jasper.
The Choir Master commanded the children inside to ring the bells continuously, creating a disadvantage for the party.

Subduing the Choir Master

While the others fought the cultists, Nabi and his dog Krusty charged the Choir Master.
Krusty initiated a grapple on the old man as he tried to climb a ladder to escape.
Nabi joined the grapple, and together they subdued the cult leader.
The Choir Master yielded, begging for his life.

Resolution and Rescue

The Choir Master traded a spell scroll and information for his life.
He revealed that Jim Jim was safe in the church’s library.
The party confirmed the boy was unharmed, along with a dozen other captive children.
The party now controls the cathedral and must decide what to do with the remaining cultists, the children, and their new base.

NPCs:

Choir Master: An old man who is the apparent leader of the silent cult at the cathedral. He is a spellcaster capable of enthralling his enemies and commands a choir of children. He ultimately proves to be a coward when confronted directly.
Female Cultist: A young woman who appeared to be a higher-ranking member of the cult. She was the first victim of Lucky’s soul-tearing spell and was left for dead by the party.
Jim Jim: The young boy the party was hired to rescue. He was lured to the cathedral by the choir’s singing but was found physically unharmed in the library.
Krusty: Maisie’s scruffy and crusty dog, a ‘gutter mutt’ mix of a Scotty and a Pitbull. He is fiercely loyal and a valuable companion in a fight, able to track scents and grapple foes with his powerful bite.
Saint Avena the Penitent: The founder of the religious order that devolved into the silent cult. A statue of her in the Hall of Silence serves as the trigger for a sound-based paralytic trap.
Silent Cultists: Members of the cult whose mouths have been sewn shut. They act as guards for the cathedral, armed with crossbows and billy clubs. Most seem to be teenagers who have ‘graduated’ from the choir.

ITEMS:

Big Boss Cleaver: Lucky’s large cleaver, a powerful weapon dropped by the ‘Mouse King’ in a previous adventure.
Book of Confessions: A book found near the statue of Saint Avena, filled with whispered confessions that can be used as blackmail material.
Desiccated Tongue: A dried-out tongue found among the cult’s possessions, likely a spell component.
Felt Booties: Small felt slippers kept near the Hall of Silence. The cultists use them to move silently and avoid triggering the sound-based trap.
Spell of the Despots: A spell scroll surrendered by the Choir Master in exchange for his life. It was given to Lucky.

LOCATIONS:

Cathedral Library: A room containing rotted books and papers where the cult kept the kidnapped children, including Jim Jim. It also contained valuable occult texts and a chest with spell components.
Hall of Silence: A trapped room on the second floor of the cathedral. A statue of Saint Avena weeps a black goo, and any sound triggers a paralytic vapor, rendering intruders helpless.
St. Evanage Pond Cathedral: A large, imposing church surrounded by piranha-infested waters. It serves as the base for a silent cult that lures children with enchanting choir music. The party has effectively cleared it and may use it as a base.

FACTIONS:

The Silent Cult: A cult operating from the St. Evanage Pond Cathedral, led by the Choir Master. Their members have their mouths sewn shut, symbolized by an upside-down spade with a line through it. They kidnap children to join their choir.

QUESTS:

Rescue Jim Jim: The party was hired by Blayden Bessie to find and rescue her son, Jim Jim, who was lured away by the mysterious choir at the cathedral.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Jasper: Nabi’s friendly and loyal putter, tasked with all the physical labor Nabi himself refuses to do. Jasper is a capable combatant in his own right, often fighting alongside his master with a crossbow or shank. He is surprisingly resilient, able to soak a great deal of damage.
Lucky Clover: A charming bootlegger and a powerful, if risky, spellcaster. He is accompanied by his rat son, Charles Entertainment Cheese (who was not present this session). Lucky is the party’s primary magic user, capable of casting devastating spells that can tear the soul from an enemy’s body, but he is also vulnerable to magical attacks himself.
Maisie Faye: A street fortune teller who claims to be a spirit medium, though the accuracy of her intuition is questionable. She is resourceful and brave, fighting with a hatchet alongside her loyal gutter mutt, Krusty. Despite being unable to read, she has a keen interest in collecting magical artifacts and spells.
Nabi: A very fancy man who disdains physical labor, preferring to let his putter, Jasper, handle such uncivilized tasks. Despite his refined demeanor, he is a formidable fighter, wielding a large halberd without hesitation. He has a surprisingly ruthless streak, especially when it comes to cultists and their leaders.