A Paladin's Lament

A Paladin's Lament

The Situation

Sir Edgar Darkbane died in the line of duty. The Order of the Golden Grace has granted him his dying wish of being laid to rest at the Monastery of Saint Fillian near the village of Pittenweem. His coffin is being escorted by the Paladins of his order, Sir George McKillan, Sir James Sutton, and his former Squire, Arthur Cain. They have traveled far from where Sir Darkbane died and they seek to fulfill his wish.

The paladin's arrival in Pittenweem has been met with great clamor. Many villagers were curious about them. The player characters have been sent by Squire Cain to meet the paladins to help them complete their mission. They are given Sir Darkbane's coffin and tasked with escorting through the swamp to the Monastery of Saint Fillain. The paladins have their own fake coffin and they explain that the reason for this is because they are being pursued by the Oathbreaker Mendax Blackheart. He is the servant of Olig the Necromancer. Sir Darkbane was the most defiant enemy of Olig and with his death, the necromancer seeks to resurrect his corpse to use against the Order of the Golden Grace. They know that Mendax is on their tail and to avoid harm coming to the people of Pittenweem, they have devised a plan of tricking Mendax and getting Sir Darkbane to his final resting place.

The original and fake coffin can be carried easily by two people, or one that has a six or more in swords. Sir Darkbane's coffin is ornate and stately but it has been swapped out with a plain coffin. The well preserved body has been interred into the new coffin along with a Darkbane's plate armor, silver sword and enchanted shield. The old coffin is filled with rocks. Once the party gets Sir Darkbane's coffin in the Monastery's Church the paladins will meet up to perform Sir Darkbane's burial and give a reward of something rare and magical that they picked up on their adventures.

Locations

Pittenweem Village

A small border village surrounded by swampland. Its primary export is eels. They have a single Inn, the Dancing Pig, along with a blacksmith, and alchemist. The people are friendly but curious about what the paladins are doing in their small village. One rumor says that they have treasure in the coffin and a couple of village ne'er-do-wells have their eye on the coffins.

The Ternbach Swamp

A large swamp that surrounds Pittenweem, it is known to be the best breeding ground for eels. Due to the interference of Olig's dark magic, undead have started to roam the swamp. Ghostly Willow Wisps seek to lead unaware travelers astray and bog mummies have risen from their flooded graves to terrorize the living. Olig has dark bats that patrol the skies seeking out the paladins. However, Olig's influence has inadvertently awoken the spirit of Shadow, the loyal companion of Sir Darkbane when he grew up in the monastery. He is still loyal to his master.

Monastery of Saint Fillian

Once a remote monastery and orphanage, now abandoned. Though the monks have long left, the ground of the monastery remains blessed and is where Sir Darkbane will be laid to rest. The church and attached rectory are the only structures that remain, along with the hallowed earth of the churchyard. This earth can ward off undead and demonic influences. The ghost of Brother Thomas haunts the ruined monastery. He knew Sir Darkbane when he was an infant.

Dramatis Personae

Sir Edgar Darkbane

An orphan that was raised in Saint Fillian's Monastery under the monks, including Brother Thomas. He left it to become a paladin for the Order of the Golden Grace. His coffin includes a set of armor, a silver sword and his body, which is well preserved. If the party awakens his spirit and talks to him, he can give information on the paladins, his order, Olig the Necromancer.

Sir George McKillan

A paladin that fought beside Sir Darkbane for many years. He has an eyepatch and wields a great axe instead of a shield. Though reckless and stubborn he has agreed to let Sir Darkbane go for the sake of the mission. He will always look for reasons to distrust outsiders. He sustained an injury in his fight against Mendax Blackheart.

Sir James Sutton

A young paladin that was knighted by Sir Darkbane and holds him in high esteem. While he wields a rapier and buckler, he prefers to use his bow to pick off opponents from afar.. He sees himself as the most logical and reasonable of the group and prides himself on coming up with this plan of swapping coffins.

Squire Arthur Cain

The squire that served under Sir Darkbane before he died. Only sixteen years old, he is eager to prove himself in battle. If his mission is completed, he will become Sir Cain. Unknown to him but Sir Darkbane took him under his wing to train his innate spiritual sensitivity.

Mendax Blackheart, Oathbreaker

An Oathbreaker that previously served under the Order of the Golden Grace before his greed and ambition forced him out of the order. Swearing vengeance against the order, he serves his master, Olig the Necromancer. He wears a suit of black plate armor and wields a two handed sword that drinks blood and can track any living being that it has tasted. It is currently tracking Sir George Mckillan. He can enter hallowed grounds but cannot use magic on it.

Kullen O'Carthy

A ne'er-do-well that has caught sight of the paladin's coffin and thinks there is treasure he can get from it. He eavesdrops on the meeting between the players and the paladins. He and a group of ruffians (3 Bandits) seek to take Sir Darkbane's coffin for themselves and will follow the players through the swamp. They will employ all manner of tricks to try and get the coffin and only attack directly if they can overpower the group.