Halloween Treat: Nicodemus Holyday for Dungeon Crawl Classics

The Woods near the Lieber River are forbidden according to those that live near it. They say that within its canopy are burial mounds made by the elves of Thel'zaag and for generations that kept people away. However, just over a century ago, an adventuring group out of Jarslburg made their way to several of the mounds and pillaged the items laid to rest with their owners. Over the next two decades more and more mounds were pillaged and Claw of Thel'zaag, an ancient elf Earthspeaker came to the region and cursed those settlements closest to the Woods. For three whole years, the crops didn't grow, the animals did not provide food or milk, and even the fruit trees did not blossom. Desperate, a group of representatives from the nearby villages and farms was able to gain a meeting with the Claw and sought a reason for their punishment. The Claw of Thel'zaag listened to their questions, pleas, and even threats, and when they were done he stated simply that the only way to gain freedom from his Curse was to select a host for the Sentinel he sought to create. A Sentinel was necessary to keep the remaining mounds safe and whole to protect them. He explained the Sentinel had to come from their ranks as punishment for what had occurred and that it would bind the locals to the Woods and would reverse the Curse.

Fifteen locals sought a meeting with the Claw and over the course of a night and a day and ended up choosing Nicodemus Holyday, a widower whose family had succumbed to the Yellow plague two summers before. Sadly, Nicodemus wasn't privy to that decision and he was ambushed, gagged, and tied up before being given over to the Claw. 

Though the Claw was not surprised at the decision it saddened hi greatly and he informed them that their fear would infect the binding but they cared not. They quickly left the Claw with his kidnapped agent/

Nicodemus couldn't talk as the binding began but as the Claw of Thel'zaag's magic began to infuse him the only part of the man that was left of the Sentinel was his burning hate for the locals.

Nicodemus Holyday for Dungeon Crawl Classics

Init +4; Atk axe +8 melee (2d8); AC 15; HD 8d8+8;

MV 60’; Act 1d20, 1d20; SP Invisibility 2 x day; 

SV Fort +6, Ref +1, Wil +2; AL NE