The exorcism of St. Oswin

Mirtul 8th

After a leisurely breakfast we once more make our way to see the Lord Protector.  She asks what have we found out, if anything, about the Terror.  We explain what Barnaby's ghost told us of St. Oswin and the curse placed upon him by Sha making him a ghost and compelled to terrorise the town he loves every 50 years. Our tale shakes Darathra to her core, the shock plainly visible on her face.  

We also mention our little encounter with Sharky's crew, and ask whether she would like us to seek him out.  Darathra says she will deal with him, she doesn't consider him much of a problem, although she expects that he will tread lightly for a while.  I get the feeling that it's better the devil you know.

We say she has two choices: either we leave St. Oswin to scare the townsfolk for a few months and allow the curse to run its course and goes back to rest until he once again rises in another fifty years, or we can deal with his ghost this evening and put him to rest.  Darathra doesn't think long before setting us on a course to deal with St. Oswin, after which she promises that she will speed us on our way with what help she can give.  As we take our leave she wishes us good luck.

I head back to the inn, and spend the time before sunset preparing.  I also take the time to speak a short prayer to Selune to watch over and protect me whilst we exorcise St. Oswin, and a much longer prayer to Tempus to explain why I was praying to another deity.

At sunset we move through the deserted streets of Triboar to the south graveyard.  St. Oswin's memorial stands in the centre of a stone square, ringed with flags and bunting in preparation for St. Oswin's day.  The memorial is a statue of St. Oswin riding a warhorse standing atop of his sarcophagus.  Around the sarcophagus are carvings illustrating his great deeds.


As we wait, the weather starts to turn miserable.  Drizzle begins to fall slowly as the sun sets. "Sir Oswin, where are you?  Barnaby sends his regards", I shout, but all is quiet.  When is he going to make his appearance?  I pace backwards and forwards but there is no sign of his ghost.  Eventually, I tire of pacing back and forth and sit on one of the stone benches nearby.
   
As midnight approaches, the moon still shining bright in the sky, the area around the statue begins to burn with a spectral blue fire. A loud, slow grating of stone across stone cuts the quiet of the night.  Slowly, the top of the sarcophagus slides open, the stench of death and rot building as the gap widens.  An undead monster rises slowly from the sarcophagus, it's appearance nothing like my expectation of Sir Oswin's visage.

As he appears, more ghosts rise from the graves surrounding the memorial.  Balthazar points at the apparition rising from the sarcophagus, "St. Oswin is a ghast", and moments later, "and he's brought ghouls too.  Beware, they are driven by an incessant hunger for living flesh".

I jump up from my bench, twirling my Great Axe in one hand, and raise aloft my Holy Symbol of Tempus in the other. I whisper a short prayer to Tempus to repel these aberrations.  One ghoul immediately turns and begins fleeing from my divine presence, but St. Oswin and his remaining ghoul follower both seem unaffected by my prayer.  The follower closes on Balthazar and grabs hold of him.  For a moment Balthazar seems paralysed with fear, before coming to his senses.

St. Oswin looks at me, and then turns his head to look at the rest of the party, seemingly undecided on whose flesh he hungers for the most, before reaching out towards me with his claws.  Decision made, I react too slowly, and St. Oswin manages to scratch my face.  I call upon Tempus and the wrath of the storms to punish my assailant and thunder reverberates all around him.

Grasping weeds and vines sprout unnaturally from the ground, growing rapidly in a perfect square bracketing St. Oswin and his ghoul, and wrapping around their legs.  A small bubble of liquid shoots into the ghoul, sizzling like water dropped on a hot skillet, and burning the undead flesh on impact.  Erdan rushes in with his arms and legs, striking the ghoul who roars in pain.  An arrow speeds from the shadows, entering the ghouls head on one side, its point coming to rest sticking out from the other.  The ghoul seems confused before falling limp in the restraining vines.

The stench of death and decay emanating from St. Oswin is overpowering and affecting my ability to fight.  I reach out towards St. Oswin, imploring Tempus to inflict wounds upon him.  Purple tendrils reach out from my hand and grasp St. Oswin who writhes about in shock and pain.

Balthazar draws back the string on his bow, fitting an arrow, as he rapidly backpeddles.  He releases the bow string, but his aim is poor, and the arrow speeds off into the distance. 

Once again St. Oswin tries to draw my blood with his claws, but I raise my Greataxe and deflect his arms wide.  An icy knife explodes in St. Oswin's chest and shards fly all around.  Tempus is watching over me this night, the sharp shards don't find a way through my chainmail, no thanks to my companion.  An intensely hot line of fire scorches the statue on its way towards St. Oswin.  I've never seen a dragonborn use their innate talent until now, and I'm not disappointed.  St. Oswin bursts into flame, fueled further by the burning vines that are still trying to hold him.  Erdan's fists continue to pummel St. Oswin.  Surely he can't take much more of this.  Another arrow strikes poor St. Oswin in the mouth. He whails in pain and collapses held in place by the smouldering vines.

I pray to Selune to release St. Oswin from his torment, and the body of the ghast disintegreates into dust. The blue flames that surrounded the sarcophagus, turns to a golden light colour and the sarcophagus grinds slowly until it is shut.  

I rest on my Greataxe, catching my breath as I wait for the fear temporarily imparted on the ghoul by Tempus to fade, and return slowly to this place.  While I wait, Arjhan is intent on looting the undead corpses, although I don't think he will find much on an 800 year old corpse.  Vollum is intent on robbing St. Oswin's tomb, stopping the lid before it fully closes.  He's rummaging around in the dark, head in the sarcophagus, feet waving about wildly in the air.  Vollum pulls himself out holding a gold necklace dangling through the fingers of one hand, and silver glinting between his fingers from the moonlight.  I feel disquiet and sadness from the desecration of St. Oswin's resting place. While he waits, Balthazar conjure's some berries and munches on them.

After a short wait we hear the ghoul slowly shuffling back towards the square.  As soon as the ghoul becomes visible in the darkness, Vollum And Starchild volley arrows; Arjhan conjures darts and flings them from the end of his outstretched arm; Erdan walks determinedly up to the ghoul and takes a great swing with his right arm but swings wide.  The uppercut with his left though strikes true, and the ghoul flops to the ground.

Without a look back to see if my companions follow, I begin trudging back to the inn, "Our job is done here".   

I greet the barkeep from the door, and order a large flagon of ale.  As it arrives,  I tip the flagon towards the barmaid, wish her a happy St. Oswin's day, swallow the luke warm ale in one long draught, and slam the flagon back down on the table.  Celebration over, I head back to my room to sleep, somewhat disgusted with my companions for robbing the dead.