"A fire?" Obelin asks, eyes wide. "That could have been quite the disaster!" He gives the man a pat on the shoulder. "Sounds like you took care of it though. What happened, exactly? Was the boy mistaken?"
Ovis nods along understandingly as Lawson explains, taking a single sip from the round of beer that had been ordered. "Yes. Yes, well, Obelin is right -- thankfully ruin was averted. Putting out fires must tiring work! Why, excuse me for saying so my friend, but you look as though you haven't slept a wink. Something been keeping you up? ... Something like, say, quickmetal mayhaps?"
Ovis leers at Lawson over the top of his mostly-full mug. The wizard studies the man's expression and gestures, measuring his words carefully. Even ensorcelled as he was, Lawson's reaction was likely to give away something vital.
geth roll 2d6+1 to Discern Realities
What should I be on the lookout for?
The Parrot seems panicked for a moment and gives your finger a bite, but eventually seems to settle down. It is still making noises, but they seem friendlier at least. As far as you can tell that is. Where do you investigate first?
Meanwhile at the tavern Lawson waves off Obelin's question. "Just a cooking fire that had been knocked over in the confusion, but then once that was settled there was more confusion and one thing just led to another. You know how it is I am sure."
He pauses for a moment after Ovis asks his question with a frozen expression on his face. "Ahh, a learned man like yourself would recognize the marks on my fingers eh? Priestess Herren is well and good, but most of us here keep to the old ways as well. Want as many gods on your side as you can. I did pray last night, after the attack. I was hoping for guidance, but none came."
Ovis you can tell that he is lying, but does not seem to mean any harm. Whatever ritual he conducted last night was more successful then he is letting on.
Rook nods at the bird and turns to examine the home. Seeing the writing desk, he decides that he should start there and then head to the bedroom. He's keeping an eye out for hidden compartments and secret panels. Experience has taught him where folks hide things they don't want others to find.
"If guidance did not come, what did? The Gods would not ignore the dangers Elefsina faces." The confidence in Freya voice was all too easy to conjure up, despite her own struggles to get the Forge's aid.
The writing desk contains few papers of interest. Mostly letters to nearby villages, and notes written in what must be the Headman's handwriting. There are no sign of any panels there. Moving into the bedroom you find a chest underneath the bed. It is locked and will take you some time to open.
Rook, either continue searching the house or roll +DEX to pick the lock
"I leave such thoughts to priestsess like yourself!" Lawson says with a nervous chuckle and a pat on Freya's back. "Perhaps the group of you are my answer, sent by the gods in response to our prayers."
Ovis places his elbows on the table and leans closer to the conversation. "Lawson, please. You don't need to be so modest. How did your ritual fare, hm? I am very curious -- academically of course. We're friends, aren't we? No need to obfuscate the full and entire truth," the wizard insists, forcing a smile. "If... we're not friends, however, perhaps my companions shall leave your village, and won't be here to defend it from the next attack by the animated dead."
I'm hoping to Parley the headman, using the threat leverage that we'll no longer be friends or be there to protect the village from the next attack, to get him to tell the truth about the quickmetal ritual.
Lawson seems taken aback by Ovis' words. "I wouldn't dream of keeping you here, southerner, If you want to take your chances outside the wall with the undead then you may do so. I'll be here with the brave men and women of Elefsina, who wouldn't dare accuse their friends of lying to them."
Lawson stands up, setting aside hi half finished drink. "Now if there is nothing else you have to say I think I should be on my way."
Meanwhile in the Headman's house Rook's attempts are going much better. There is a pouch containing four strange candle, and a small coinpurse with 12 coins in various denominations. There are a few ledgers which contain accounts of taxation paid by he citizens to the village and the village to the Crown.
Tied to the top of the chest is an odd, knife, made from wood and obsidian. A small pouch is tied to the knife containing two teeth that you easily recognize as the canine teeth of an orc. A couple pages are tied together and attached to the knife as well. The writing on these pages are the same penmanship as the desk but with worse penmanship. Words are written and then crossed out. There are strange diagrams written on the pages and lists ingredients like the candles, the eyes of a crow, the blood of a yearling calf and boots taken off a dead man. None of the notes really make sense either on their own or all together but they paint the picture of a man desperate to find a solution to something.
Freya was taken back as well by the Wizard's brazen threats. "Lawson, please sit, ignore this fool's empty threats. We were sent here by the Forge to relieve this village from it's suffering, not abandon it during its time of need! Please, we must know what it is you asked the spirits for, and what happened. Only then can we begin to unravel the mystery of what plagues Elefsina. Tell us, I beg you."
Lawson shakes his head. "You are welcome to stay, but I must take my leave of you. I am sure I will still see you around." He makes his goodbye to the tavern keeper before leaving. Several of the other patrons there mutter and stare at your group as Lawson leaves.
Rook makes his way back to the tavern uneventfully. More people are beginning to wake up and the village is beginning to come to life.
After Lawson had gone, Ovis offers the cleric a sheepish glance and then shrugs. "Well, it was worth a shot..." he murmurs to the group, so that the rest of the tavern might not overhear. "I had thought the charm would render him more suggestible, but perhaps the spell forumlae emphasizes enhancing amiability over docility. I suppose I'll need to take that into consideration, in the future."
Rook strolls back to the tavern and finds his companions. He brushes past Ovis before he takes a seat and scoots close to Freya.
With a wink he says a little too loudly, "How are you doing this lovely morning my fine dwarven lass?," then quiet enough that only she can really hear, "I found a couple things I'd like you to take a look at if you have a few minutes."
Then he nods to Ovis.
I'm going to assume that since Rook is a practiced pickpocket, it would be easy for him to slight of hand one of the candles into Ovis's robes. I hope that's ok.
Freya sighs as Lawson walks away, and turns to Ovis. "No matter, we were just talking in circles. A pity Rook couldn't be in two places at once, Forge knows few secrets are safe from him." She says to the wizard.
Freya's sour mood lightens as the halfling arrives. "Much better, now that you're back Rook. Come, let us take our leave. You can regale us all with more tales of my beauty." The cleric says with a smile.
Yeah I don't think there was any way we could get him to talk without falling back on Parley unfortunately, and only Rook and Rurik don't have Charisma as a dump stat
Not sure where we could go for privacy, were there rooms we could use at the Inn or the Temple? If not we could start heading toward the Fort and examine Rook's find a bit outside the village.
Ovis shoots Rook a very wide, guileless smile as he feels his pocket grow heavier with the candle.
"Yes, Freya is right, we should be going." The wizard rises in rush, and clutches his spellbook to his chest. "I suppose it's time we visit the fort? Rurik, Obelin, you've been quiet -- what do you say?"
passing off the candles is easy for a thief of Rook's caliber, no roll needed.
Any of you who stayed at the Inn can go to your room for privacy, otherwise it is still early, you could meet by the blindfish pond without being disturbed. Otherwise you could head for the fort and discuss matters on the way.
While no one in the village asks you to stay, you can see worry and fear in many faces for both your party and themselves if you do not come back. Herren stops by before you go, saying goodbye to Rurik and pledging that he will hold the fort down while you are gone. A few of the guardsman watch you from the wall as you walk through the field surrounding the town but soon you are in the forest and out of sight of the village and any other civilization.
The forest seems oddly quiet to you, especially Ovid who knows there should be birdsong and squirrels gathering nuts and fruit this time of year. The forest is not devoid of life though, you startle a rabbit at one point and at another can see a trio of deer eating from across a clearing. They raise their heads to look at you and you can see their muzzles are red with blood. The tree themselves are also unhealthy, many of them have enough dead branches that they will not make it another year.
As you walk you begin to also raise in elevation as you walk up a ridge. You still don't have a good view as the trees block the way so you are almost surprised when you come to the top of the ridge and see an old decrepit looking fort of wood and stone. There are signs of recent repairs on parts of it and a fresh banner is hanging above the gates.
When you are done speaking with each other, if you approach the gate you will hear a surprised yelp and a nervous voice shout out to you "Halt and go no further!" A young human boy will jog out holding a spear and stand a distance away from you and begin a short speech, pausing occasionally and looking to the shadows behind him seemingly for confirmation he is behaving correctly. "I..I am the emissary to our lords lands. State your business that you have come to the august court, are you petitioners for some justice, have you come to pay your taxes, or are you here to join his loyal forces?"
As they walk and see they corrupted foliage and wildlife, even cityborn Rook knows something terrible is happening here. When Ovis asks what else he found he takes out the knife and all of it's attached writings and ritual-components.
"This stuff, I don't know enough about that sort of thing, but I hoped you or Freya would be able to figure something out about it."
Freya gave a cursory glance to the ritual components, before passing them to Ovis for a closer look. Instead Freya spent her time studying the Fort from the ridge, hoping the way forward would reveal itself.
"Forge grant me the vision to see with eyes unclouded by fear." she whispered to herself.
Geth roll 2d6+2 to Discern Realities about the Fort
- What should I be on the lookout for?
- What here is useful or valuable to me?
- What here is not what it appears to be?
Freya, you can sense a powerful evil in the fort, the aura is that on an undead, like those you encountered yesterday buc much more powerful. It is also the same thing that observed you yesterday. The fort is of human manufacture but decaying, you can spot a couple of places where you could break through a wall to pas to another room, or possibly through a floor to make a quick entry below.
As you get closer to the fort you can tell that while it is old, it is not as ancient as you first thought. Signs that you initially took for the damage of the year have the mark something more deliberate. In some cases they have been covered up, as if whoever controls the fort wishes to hide the fact that it was sacked.
Obelin glares at the forest around them. "The very air is tainted in this place," he whispers. "Even the animals are corrupted. This cannot stand."
At the fort, as the boy comes out and speaks, Obelin steps forward. His voice is filled with anger. "We come not to petition for justice but to demand it! Your lord's people suffer attacks nightly. The land is choked by an oppressive filth and things that should lie at peace rise, tortured and rotting to threaten the living. We demand your lord answer for these crimes against nature."
The boy takes a step back at Obelin's comments. He looks back at the shadows behind him for a few moments before turning around. "My..My lord is justice, he is the lawful ruler, so whatever he says is the law." He glances back behind him one last time. "You must go, your presence is unwelcome in this land."
Rooks looks at the kid and thinks, 'Here's a poor lad completely afraid, not just for himself though.' and decides to do something about it.
"It's obvious you're scared and want to get away. If you talk to us, we can help. Tell us what is really going on in the fort. What has you so frightened?"
The boy looks back again nervously, then takes a couple steps forward "I'll tell you alright, but then you have to let me go, and you can't tell anyone you saw me here! Or..you can say that you saw me but I was a prisoner ok? You're going inside the fort right? To fight the baronet?"
"It is obvious you are being coerced, son," Obelin says, letting his anger go for the moment. There was no need to direct it at this child. "Tell us and head back to the village. We will deal with the baronet."
Rook nods to the druid and looks back to the boy, "We're here to help. I fought enough undead last night to last a lifetime, and I don't want another person in this village to suffer that way."
Freya told her companions what she had observed before they approached the Fort. The cleric nodded in agreement at Obelin's angry speech, as well as the clemency he and Rook offered. It was a pleasure to be reminded of the goodness within the two men.
"The Forge itself sent us here to rid the land of this scourge. Please, tell us all you can young one."
The youung man takes a few hesitant steps towards you and pauses as a terrible shriek it let out from the shadows behind him. He falls to the ground cowering for a tense moment until he realizes that nothing has actually happened. He drops the spear and runs towards you.
"I was traveling from Andfall, thats where my sweetheart lives, and those things, the undead found me on the road. They said that I was in the army now, I didn't really understand. But then they brought me here. I saw him. The Baronet I mean. He is terrible to look at, it made me knees buckle just to see him and when he spoke everything just made sense. I didn't even think about the fact that he was dead until after I left his sight. I don't know what he is, or why he's here but I can't see him again! Not ever. He told me I would die if I betrayed him, and he set his captain to watch me in the shadows." He points behind him, where the shriek was from. "It can't come out in the sun,I never even saw it really but I can feel it watching me. Can I go now please? I can't be out when the sun goes down."
"Flee, foul thing!" Freya said, brandishing her amulet at the shrieking shadow.
Turning to the boy, the cleric said "Where in the Fort did you see the Baronet, do you recall? Did you see any other living souls under the Baronet's control?"
There is a shrieking noise in the darkness, the fort quakes around you and an old stone falls from the top of a wall and shatters on the ground near you. The boy is shaking now, though whether it is in fear or relief is unclear. The presence in the shadows is gone now.
"He's under the Earth, in an old winecellar. They've built a throne for him there, away from the light."
Freya nods in agreement at Rook's sentiment. "I saw a promising spot where we might be able to break through the floor to make our way to the wine cellar directly. Let's hurry before reinforcements are roused."
Turning to the boy, the cleric says "Thank you, young one. Forge bless your courage."
The young lad nods his head and then takes off down the path at a run without looking back.
Freya leads the group to an area where the floor is weak. Through a crack in the stone you can even see the darkness below. There is no sign of anything below, but some undead do not need light to see so that isn't a reassurance. Freya estimates that you could break the floor here in a short time with the tools you have, and the group could easily go down with a rope afterwards. It would make some noise, but you should be able to do it fairly quietly.
Posts
Ovis leers at Lawson over the top of his mostly-full mug. The wizard studies the man's expression and gestures, measuring his words carefully. Even ensorcelled as he was, Lawson's reaction was likely to give away something vital.
What should I be on the lookout for?
Meanwhile at the tavern Lawson waves off Obelin's question. "Just a cooking fire that had been knocked over in the confusion, but then once that was settled there was more confusion and one thing just led to another. You know how it is I am sure."
He pauses for a moment after Ovis asks his question with a frozen expression on his face. "Ahh, a learned man like yourself would recognize the marks on my fingers eh? Priestess Herren is well and good, but most of us here keep to the old ways as well. Want as many gods on your side as you can. I did pray last night, after the attack. I was hoping for guidance, but none came."
Ovis you can tell that he is lying, but does not seem to mean any harm. Whatever ritual he conducted last night was more successful then he is letting on.
PSN: Boozer_777
"I leave such thoughts to priestsess like yourself!" Lawson says with a nervous chuckle and a pat on Freya's back. "Perhaps the group of you are my answer, sent by the gods in response to our prayers."
geth roll 2d6-1 to Parley
Lawson stands up, setting aside hi half finished drink. "Now if there is nothing else you have to say I think I should be on my way."
Meanwhile in the Headman's house Rook's attempts are going much better. There is a pouch containing four strange candle, and a small coinpurse with 12 coins in various denominations. There are a few ledgers which contain accounts of taxation paid by he citizens to the village and the village to the Crown.
Tied to the top of the chest is an odd, knife, made from wood and obsidian. A small pouch is tied to the knife containing two teeth that you easily recognize as the canine teeth of an orc. A couple pages are tied together and attached to the knife as well. The writing on these pages are the same penmanship as the desk but with worse penmanship. Words are written and then crossed out. There are strange diagrams written on the pages and lists ingredients like the candles, the eyes of a crow, the blood of a yearling calf and boots taken off a dead man. None of the notes really make sense either on their own or all together but they paint the picture of a man desperate to find a solution to something.
PSN: Boozer_777
Rook makes his way back to the tavern uneventfully. More people are beginning to wake up and the village is beginning to come to life.
With a wink he says a little too loudly, "How are you doing this lovely morning my fine dwarven lass?," then quiet enough that only she can really hear, "I found a couple things I'd like you to take a look at if you have a few minutes."
Then he nods to Ovis.
Freya's sour mood lightens as the halfling arrives. "Much better, now that you're back Rook. Come, let us take our leave. You can regale us all with more tales of my beauty." The cleric says with a smile.
Not sure where we could go for privacy, were there rooms we could use at the Inn or the Temple? If not we could start heading toward the Fort and examine Rook's find a bit outside the village.
PSN: Boozer_777
"Yes, Freya is right, we should be going." The wizard rises in rush, and clutches his spellbook to his chest. "I suppose it's time we visit the fort? Rurik, Obelin, you've been quiet -- what do you say?"
"gods below, I've been so bored since last night. I think this is the longest time I've ever had to go without some kind of confrontation"
Rurik gives a quick glance to Rook
"You weren't spotted, were you?"
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Any of you who stayed at the Inn can go to your room for privacy, otherwise it is still early, you could meet by the blindfish pond without being disturbed. Otherwise you could head for the fort and discuss matters on the way.
The forest seems oddly quiet to you, especially Ovid who knows there should be birdsong and squirrels gathering nuts and fruit this time of year. The forest is not devoid of life though, you startle a rabbit at one point and at another can see a trio of deer eating from across a clearing. They raise their heads to look at you and you can see their muzzles are red with blood. The tree themselves are also unhealthy, many of them have enough dead branches that they will not make it another year.
As you walk you begin to also raise in elevation as you walk up a ridge. You still don't have a good view as the trees block the way so you are almost surprised when you come to the top of the ridge and see an old decrepit looking fort of wood and stone. There are signs of recent repairs on parts of it and a fresh banner is hanging above the gates.
When you are done speaking with each other, if you approach the gate you will hear a surprised yelp and a nervous voice shout out to you "Halt and go no further!" A young human boy will jog out holding a spear and stand a distance away from you and begin a short speech, pausing occasionally and looking to the shadows behind him seemingly for confirmation he is behaving correctly. "I..I am the emissary to our lords lands. State your business that you have come to the august court, are you petitioners for some justice, have you come to pay your taxes, or are you here to join his loyal forces?"
"Rook," he wizard says off-handedly, his nose still buried within his tome. "What else was it you found in the headman's home?"
Obelin, right?
"This stuff, I don't know enough about that sort of thing, but I hoped you or Freya would be able to figure something out about it."
"Forge grant me the vision to see with eyes unclouded by fear." she whispered to herself.
- What should I be on the lookout for?
- What here is useful or valuable to me?
- What here is not what it appears to be?
PSN: Boozer_777
Freya, you can sense a powerful evil in the fort, the aura is that on an undead, like those you encountered yesterday buc much more powerful. It is also the same thing that observed you yesterday. The fort is of human manufacture but decaying, you can spot a couple of places where you could break through a wall to pas to another room, or possibly through a floor to make a quick entry below.
As you get closer to the fort you can tell that while it is old, it is not as ancient as you first thought. Signs that you initially took for the damage of the year have the mark something more deliberate. In some cases they have been covered up, as if whoever controls the fort wishes to hide the fact that it was sacked.
At the fort, as the boy comes out and speaks, Obelin steps forward. His voice is filled with anger. "We come not to petition for justice but to demand it! Your lord's people suffer attacks nightly. The land is choked by an oppressive filth and things that should lie at peace rise, tortured and rotting to threaten the living. We demand your lord answer for these crimes against nature."
"It's obvious you're scared and want to get away. If you talk to us, we can help. Tell us what is really going on in the fort. What has you so frightened?"
"The Forge itself sent us here to rid the land of this scourge. Please, tell us all you can young one."
PSN: Boozer_777
"I was traveling from Andfall, thats where my sweetheart lives, and those things, the undead found me on the road. They said that I was in the army now, I didn't really understand. But then they brought me here. I saw him. The Baronet I mean. He is terrible to look at, it made me knees buckle just to see him and when he spoke everything just made sense. I didn't even think about the fact that he was dead until after I left his sight. I don't know what he is, or why he's here but I can't see him again! Not ever. He told me I would die if I betrayed him, and he set his captain to watch me in the shadows." He points behind him, where the shriek was from. "It can't come out in the sun,I never even saw it really but I can feel it watching me. Can I go now please? I can't be out when the sun goes down."
Turning to the boy, the cleric said "Where in the Fort did you see the Baronet, do you recall? Did you see any other living souls under the Baronet's control?"
PSN: Boozer_777
"He's under the Earth, in an old winecellar. They've built a throne for him there, away from the light."
"Let's rid the land of this blight."
Turning to the boy, the cleric says "Thank you, young one. Forge bless your courage."
PSN: Boozer_777
Freya leads the group to an area where the floor is weak. Through a crack in the stone you can even see the darkness below. There is no sign of anything below, but some undead do not need light to see so that isn't a reassurance. Freya estimates that you could break the floor here in a short time with the tools you have, and the group could easily go down with a rope afterwards. It would make some noise, but you should be able to do it fairly quietly.