Connects to: 20.16, 20.18 and 22.16.
Overview
Long before the Witch Queen (23.16) appeared, a small monastery dedicated to St. Dulaine rose from an island above this marsh. Its remoteness made its monks unusually esoteric. The theological texts from the monastery remain among the few scholarly works devoted to the Green Lady.
The monastery’s last abbot, Moldenke the Aloof, believed himself above worldly temptations and tempted his faith by summoning imps and other minor demons. He defeated their temptations through faith and logic, but his repeated conjurations drew attention from more powerful entities. One night, when the stars and moon were right, the minor demons he summoned and caged for his own theological exercises broke free and destroyed the abbey with infernal glee. Many of these demons still lurk in the catacombs beneath the abbey ruins. Their presence has corrupted the local flora and fauna. The berries around the abbey are poisonous. The bats are huge, malicious, and their wings erupt with flames when threatened. Adventurers who delve into the dungeon seeking old texts and relics report that skeletons, zombies, toads and spiders fill the tunnels.
Connections
- Lady Spiriwin (20.16) is convinced that some of the berries around the abbey could fatally poison her awful husband.
- Moor hounds (22.16) refuse to chase prey into the catacombs. Their quarry’s relief is always short-lived.
- The Foolish Sages (20.18) desire any scrolls that record dialogues between Moldenke the Aloof and the conjured demons. They are rumored to be hidden deep within the crypts.
Hooks
- Who was St. Dulaine?
- Which demons dwell in the catacombs?
- What secrets do Moldenke’s dialogues contain?
- What relics await liberation?
- Why don’t moor hounds follow their prey into the catacombs?
