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Ruined Chapel of Glarias

Page history last edited by Gillian 13 years, 7 months ago

Summary: Just outside of Brindenford lies a ruined chapel of a nearly forgotten goddess. Today it houses a small gang of thieves.

Sights and Sounds: Southwest of Brindenford, where the road becomes little more than an overgrown path, stands a rather simple stone structure overgrown with ivy and other plants. Much of the roof is missing, likely destroyed in a fire long, long ago. More recent boards bar the doorway and windows. The remnants of symbols and icons on the remaining stones are barely visible, but incomplete as if someone intentionally attempted to destroy or mar them.

A close examination (Search check DC 20) of the outside of the building reveals a hole to slip through to get inside, well-concealed by a veil of vines. Inside, the building is nothing more than an empty box of blackened stone, cluttered with rubble and debris. Here and there, however, a close observer can find signs of recent habitation. A thorough search (DC 26) produces hidden bedrolls, caches of weapons and tools, a box of disguises, and various personal belongings of a varied group of individuals.

Background: Glarias, the Moon Goddess, was the patron of the noble family of Chordille. A tree sacred to her grew on a hill in the middle of the duchy, and the family always lived near the tree, eventually building their keep around it. They revered her above all other gods and entreated her with grand sacrifices of silver in the light of a full moon. In turn, she watched over them and the duchy prospered.

The worship of Glarias earned suspicion among the followers of other deities. Rites conducted at night and a reverence for shadow as well as light seemed sinister to them. But Glarias was not an evil goddess. When the Duchess of Chordille took up the worship of a demon lord, her actions--once exposed--were misinterpreted as a part of the veneration of the Moon Goddess. When righteous invaders destroyed Chordille Keep for her effrontery and abominations, then, they also burned the chapel dedicated to Glarias in Brindenford. Today the ruins of the building still stand, an empty stone shell standing testament of those dark, violent times.

Inhabitants: Now the abandoned chapel is used as a hideout for a gang of criminals. Currently numbering only five, these thieves operate as burglars and pickpockets in town, and bandits on the road. They are careful not to draw too much attention to themselves, and have operated in the area with great success for months.

The current gang's roster includes:

1. Ashran Firebrand (male human, rogue3/fighter3) leads the gang. He fancies himself a daring, roguish, swashbuckler--a rakish hero. "Firebrand" is a name Ashran came up with himself to perpetuate this image. He is tall, handsome, and quite charming. When push comes to shove, however, he is a selfish thug in it for personal gain.

2. Gayne Oakbright (female human, rogue4) operates as the gang's best lockpick and burglar. She is short, lithe, and supremely confident, although she prefers actions over words.

3. Osteo Pater (male hobbyt, rogue6+4) trains the other rogues. This old halfling is getting too old and too fat to work anymore, and the others believe that he has a small fortune of ill-gotten gains buried in the woods for his retirement.

4. Tarius Jahan (male human, rogue1) is the son of a well-to-do family in Brindenford interested in adventure and danger rather than money. He does whatever he is told. Despite his promising talents, Ashran is very likely simply using the young, naïve boy as a way to get at his parent's wealth. His older sister is Cord's "girlfriend" Evanya.

5. Elios Inini (male elf, rogue3) is a mysterious figure that wears a silver mask and typically a dark hooded cloak. Secretive and sadistic, once he hones his skills he will likely become an assassin. Elios is likely not his real name. He is most interested in finding new poisons and drugs, and might come into town in disguise to question adventurers who discuss such topics.

 

They are by no means a thieves' guild in the traditional sense, but they are close as Brindenford gets. Ashran actively recruits new members. Specifically, he would like to get some warriors or fighters in the group as muscle. He would even welcome a bard or a wizard.

The gang's existence is known to Sheriff Mansan in Brindenford, but he doesn't yet know that they've made the old chapel their hideout.

Development: PC rogues with a darker bent could make contact with the gang and join with them to gain training from Osteo and maybe even earn a little coin in between regular "adventures."

The Undercroft: Beneath the chapel lies a tomb for a handful of priests. This undercroft is accessed via a sliding stone slab near the back of the chapel. The gang uses it for shelter in inclement weather. Little of interest lies in the well-looted tomb, but one wall that the thieves have always ignored shows a map of the area, including the path to take to reach a spot marked with a moon symbol, a location now known as the Lost Temple because it is not only mostly forgotten but very difficult to reach even if one knows it exists. Unless one knows what to look for, however, this interesting bit of information is very likely to go unnoticed.

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