Main / SkullChurch

Skull Church

The Skull Church became a recurring location for the group. The first adventure there was simply called that and occurred during the Stretching Their Legs Era. Then during the Alia Valebat Dragonslayer Era the group returned again in The Enemy of My Enemy. When Branwyn received her Royal land grant and chose to start Dragon Fen the church came back into the group's concerns with Third Time is Tradition.

Time Line

-122 SKR - Founding of Skull Church during the reign of King William III
-120 SKR - The remains of Tiera - shield man for Lemminkainen; "Will come back to protect his liege" are moved here from their previous location and interred in the crypts below
-87 SKR - -89 SKR - Second Drillian Civil War - three significant battles are fought in the Craniate Wastes
-86 SKR - The Hobgoblin Chieftain Thorg the Merciless slaughters all humans he can find within two miles of Skull Church. He claims the first floor nave for himself and his lieutenants are given the caves below to expand. After being haunted by visions of death coming from the crypts he shatters the altar and ornate staircase that lead down, sealing it with stone.
61 SKR - Adriana Quellcon establishes a mine 2 miles north of Skull Church, initially looking for iron the occasional gold and platinum veins create great wealth for the Estate. Battles with Hobgoblins that are living under Skull Church result in that location gaining notice again. Prince Edward, Priest of Kiputytto takes advantage of the death of the majority of the Hobgoblins to reclaim Skull Church.
66 SKR to 89 SKR - Rule of Queen Elina Quellcon, this is a time when the Kayugan church is in ascendance over the Suomi church. Skull Church is reduced to a small group of very devout followers.
98-102 SKR - The Grey Death sweeps through the Craniate Wastes. The Suomi priests of Kiputytto at Skull Church are despised for celebrating the results.

174 - 228 SKR The preeminence of Holy Mother Humlibart, the Princess of Kiputytto, the high priest at Skull Church, who brought about a renaissance of the Cathedral and rebuilt it to its former glory.

178 SKR - A powerful Necromancer Tyrin the Mighty attacks the workers at the Quellcon mines, bringing a plague on them, causing almost complete destruction of all creatures.
178 SKR - Baron Ifor Quellcon captures Tyrin the Mighty. Tyrin is tried for the deaths of the miners and sentenced to death.
179 SKR - Saint Tyrin, interred in the crypts beneath Skull Church after being burned in a fire and then crawling out to praise Kiputytto on the streets for a year and a day before he died.
187 SKR - Several battles are fought in the Craniate Wastes during the Third Drillian Civil War
228 SKR - Holy Mother Humlibart, the Princess of Kiputytto, the high priest at Skull Church, interred in the crypts after she died
248 SKR - The last priest of Kiputytto dies and is not replaced. Hobgoblins move back into the caves under Skull Church from elsewhere in the Craniate Wastes
298 SKR - The Quellcon Estates retreat from their mines unable to defend them from attacks coming from below and above
300 SKR - the ranger Arahael Mosskin takes advantage of confusion during the time of no Queen to take possession of the far southeastern corner of the Craniate Wastes. Being of the Kayugan faith he chooses to build on the south side of the Valoris Wood, to keep it between his lands and Skull Church.
307 SKR - The Quellcon Estates send an army south to increase the protected lands around their rebuilding of their mines. They rout a Hobgoblin army that was centered around Skull Church. Goblins that had been subservient to the Hobgoblins quickly take over the empty caves. A series of Necromancers move to take possession of the church when Ilianna Quellcon chooses not to reconsecrate Skull Church and convert it to the Kayugan faith to instead focus on continuing to defend their mines from intrusion from below.
10-3-338 SKR - The Necromancer Brip the Dangerous is defeated by the Necromancer Red Cloak. Red Cloak makes a pact to defend the goblins living below the church if they provide scouts for his direction. Red Cloak uses his small goblin army to capture several merchant caravans along Farmers Turn over the next year, using the bodies to create an army of undead; drawing the attention of the Order of Brotherhood.
9-4-339 SKR - The First time the Dragonslayers focus on Skull Church
6-4-343 SKR - A Greek army on Crusade marches south attacking Kayugan lands. They leave several priests with supporting guards to convert Skull Church with the intention of claiming the Quellcon Estate's mines nearby.
2-12-343 SKR - The Second time the Dragonslayers focus on Skull Church - The Enemy of My Enemy
18-2-345 SKR - Lord Charles Witherbane IV, aka Black Cloak moves into Skull Church the first time
9-7-345 SKR - Lord Charles Witherbane IV retreats back to the Quellcon Estate mines after suffering continued attacks by Goblins
4-8-345 SKR Queen Willimina Mosskin grants Branwyn Dragon Fen Estate in the Craniate Wastes

1-9-345 SKR to 13-11-348 SKR - Building Dragon Fen

26-11-345 SKR - Lord Charles Witherbane IV announces that he will rebuild Skull Church to protect the Quellcon Estates from unwanted intrusions
15-5-347 SKR - Baron Ulgin arrives from Blackwater to reconsecrate Skull Church for Kiputytto without prior invitation by Lord Charles Witherbane IV
15-11-348 SKR - Third time the Dragonslayers focus on Skull Church - Third Time is Tradition
21-11-348 SKR - Death of Tiberius Branadarus in Skull Church
9-1-349 SKR - Branwyn returns to Skull Church in force
10-1-349 SKR - Death of Lord Charles Witherbane IV, aka Black Cloak
14-1-349 SKR - Branwyn declares Skull Church to be part of the Protectorate of Dragon Fen

Skull Church and surrounding environs

Skull Church the cathedral stands on the top of a large hill that from a distance has the appearance of a skull with a large church on the top of the hill. There is a small farmhouse to the side of the hill where in the past followers of the church lived to raise food for the priests.

The church originally is consecrated to Kiputytto of the Suomi faith. The large nave of the ground floor of the church has two flanking aisles. One the Eastern aisle there are four incarnations of Kiputytto as four saints. These are the blessings of Kiputytto as the sun rises. On the Western aisle are four representations of her devoted followers as saints. These are the blessings of Kiputytto as the sun sets. The central nave is open to the ceiling with a balcony on either side over the aisles. The balcony continues across the end of the nave to look down on the chancel with an altar in front of a large statue. At the end of each aisle is a door leading to the balcony above that previously had a square stone tile in front of each one. These two stone tiles are magically warded to give damage to those with an incompatible religion or alignment. True believers take no damage, non-believers who are chaotic take minimal damage, non-believers that are lawful take more damage and those who are priests to a different pantheon take the most damage. Those two testing stones were destroyed during Third Time is Tradition.

The chancel has one large raised platform that has the altar with space for one large statue behind it and two smaller statues in an alcove to either side. Each alcove contains a large stained glass window area, that is currently empty, with protective wooden shutters. There are two rooms off the chancel for priests of the church. Under the altar is a passageway, stairs that lead down to the crypts where the worthy believers of Kiputytto are buried.

In the crypts below there is space for 72 stone coffins to hold remains. Of those 10 have not been filled. Of the remaining 62 coffins 6 have been broken into pieces and the remaining 56 are now secure.

Some of the noted burials in the crypts include:

The cathedral has a moat surrounding it with small local graveyards on the grounds. There is a derelict farmhouse down the hill where previous caretakers resided.

Goblins have a strong presence in the caves at the bottom of the hill that give this complex its name. The Krigjon tribe has their own history of this location.

Just over a mile away down along the Farmers Turn there is a small burned out village that is the closest possible habitation nearby.

Interesting People

Protectorate Administration

Skull Church staff

Strasilo Mining District

Gnome Mining Group

Skull Church The Adventure

Stretching Their Legs Era

From 9-4-339 SKR to 15-4-339 SKR

This story came about from a problem that occurred in the Ophioglossum adventure. During that trip Foriso Fairhand contracted a wasting sickness in the Great Swamp. During the group's time at home they managed to get the Paladin's of the Order of Brotherhood in Drillian to help heal him. In exchange for their help the Paladins had the Dragonslayers deal with a problem they had with a reputed haunted church in the Craniate Wastes in central Drillian.

There is a large hill that from a distance has the appearance of a skull with a large church on the top of the hill. There is a small farmhouse to the side of the hill where in the past followers of the church lived to raise food for the priests.

The church originally was consecrated to Kiputytto of the Suomi faith. The large nave of the ground floor of the church has two flanking aisles. One the Eastern aisle there are four incarnations of Kiputytto as four saints. These are the blessings of Kiputytto as the sun rises. On the Western aisle are four representations of her devoted followers as saints. These are the blessings of Kiputytto as the sun sets. The central nave is open to the ceiling with a balcony on either side over the aisles. The balcony continues across the end of the nave to look down on the chancel with an altar in front of a large statue. At the end of each aisle is a door leading to the balcony above with a square stone tile in front of each one. These two stone tiles are magically warded to give damage to those with an incompatible religion or alignment. True believers take no damage, non-believers who are chaotic take minimal damage, non-believers that are lawful take more damage and those who are priests to a different pantheon take the most damage.

The chancel has one large raised platform that has the altar with one large statue behind it and two smaller statues in an alcove to either side. Each alcove contains a large stained glass window area with protective wooden shutters. Both windows have been broken although the one to the west still retains about half the glass in the frame. The statue of Kiputytto behind the altar has been replaced by a large deamon statue.

Notes:

Crypts found:

Discusion Threads

Character Quotes


Brother Elmond (Master)] these are troubled times
Brother Elmond (Master)] people will seek solace as they can
Kristelle (Kaz)] There is another problem, one that I wish I did not have to report to you.
Brother Elmond (Master)] how many problems can you come across?
Kristelle (Kaz)] Oh, you have no idea.


Feed Back & Recollections

I wanted a small story to run for a favor thread of adventures that the group had incurred. This was an easy premise and a straightforward mission. Then as we play it out the twists can take the story in other directions. The group revisited the church during another story arc later on also.

Chat Logs

Nov 19 10 Nov 26 10Dec 03 10Dec 10 10Dec 17 10
Jan 07 11Jan 14 11Jan 21 11Jan 28 11Feb 04 11
Feb 11 11Feb 18 11Feb 25 11Mar 04 11

The Enemy of My Enemy

From 2-12-343 SKR to 9-12-343 SKR

This story arc took place after the group had recovered from their trip for Say it with Flowers and Athenĉum. The group was home at the Jistille Estates when they were given a task by the Church. Indigo took some of the group and went to handle a problem for the Queen while Branwyn and the rest went with Tristan to solve a problem for The Church of the Defending Mage.

The Church hierarchy was informed of a new group moving into a nearby abandoned church....

Discusion Threads

Third Time is Tradition

From 15-11-348 SKR to ??? SKR

After the end of Building Dragon Fen during the For the Love of Mist Era the group started out to tie up loose ends. The first one seemed obvious. Skull Church had already cropped up twice again since the group moved back and it had been nine years from the first time the Dragonslayers first encountered the undead lair and five years after Tristan had abandoned his plans to convert the church to the Kayugan faith. Previous visits included Skull Church and the The Enemy of my Enemy stories.

After Tiberius died in during this adventure Branwyn took a group to Loosend to have him resurrected. In exchange for this favor the Greek church tasked her with finding the sacred Scallop Shell of Aphrodite during the Court of Thanes story arc.

Discussion Threads

Claiming Skull Church

From 14-1-349 SKR to ???

After the group cleared out Skull Church for the third time it was decided to make it part of Dragon Fen permanently. Branwyn appointed Snee as her vassal to be the Governor over these lands.

Snee was appointed Governor of the Northwest Craniate Wastes, protectorate of Dragon Fen with Talwin as her Steward. They chose to make the center of the settlement at the town of Hourglass along Farmers Turn. Baron Ulgin will be the priest in charge of Skull Church, with Brer providing a guiding hand for a few months before he intends to continue on with his mission. Skarp will help with territorial administration and will work on finding natural resources the area can develop.