Hilde, with a saddened face, walks silently in the rooms, touching lightly and delicately, as you wouldn't imagine she could, the children's items and drawings.
Back at the entrance, she stands next to the tied up prisoner, but without kicking it... yet.
Zal nods after Iskender, I think the estate. I suppose that is our next stop...I'm glad there seem to be no children here.
As the man awakens Zal steps back to let the bigger, more physical, members of the group get around him.
Waking from unconsciousness, Silam sits up, "free, I am free of it." and he starts sobbing.
There, there. Everything will be all right. Can you tell us how you became a prisoner of it? Kit says nodding his head to the messy pulp on the floor.
"Free of it?" asks Dilwyn, surprised and wuite relieved that they chose not to kill him. "I guess that was a creature, then, and not this same disease. Some kind of parasite, maybe? Can you remember anything from while it was controlling you? It would be quite helpful." He puts a hand on the sobbing man's shoulder in a comforting manner, trying to make sure that his tone keeps it clear that nobody would could bear the man any blame for actions he could not control.
"Indeed, whatever you can remember would be most helpful!"
Shown some kindness by the group, his sobs slow down and he sits up, still tied up, and begins. "An ooze-creature named Vuelib from Arvarenhode Manor put that thing on my head and then spoke words into my head, controlling me and making me do terrible things. The Master infected me with a disease and made me spread it among the villagers of Holver’s Ferry. It also made me abduct people, taking them back to the monster’s lair in the catacombs below the ruin. I took Sheriff Onessa Jerreth there almost a week ago. There is a set of stairs down to some burial halls in the lower level. I left her there and leave."
He looks dejected and starts to slowly sob more.
No need for tears. You can do right by helping us. Is there anyone or thing downstairs besides this Vuelib, and how many people besides the sheriff did you bring down there?
Kit says as he pats the man on the shoulder.
"I must admit that is surprisingly more information than I expected to receive from this guy!"
With Kit's kind gesture, the man continues, "murky, brown water fills the wide corridor at the bottom of the stairs, to just below the burial niches. North of the staircase there is a short set of stairs to a stone door with carvings in it. I don't go no further than the bottom of the stairs. I took three others from town to there."
As he thinks of what he did, he becomes more and more morose.
Did Vuelib mention how the disease is cured by chance? Kit says compassionately.
"Hopefully there is still a chance that those Vuelib made you abduct may be found alive and can be saved," Dilwyn says, hopefully. "That should be our next stop, hopefully to mount a rescue and destroy this creature once and for all. I think this encounter here proves, as well, that we should probably try to subdue rather than kill whenever possible, with the obvious exception of this Vuelib creature. We should probably bring this unfortunate man back to town and keep him with the other recoverees first, though." He returns to a fully standing position, leaning slightly on his staff.
"Even the mightiest of men can fall victim to strange creatures and their powers," he says to their captive-turned-rescuee. "Try not to let what you were forced to do against your will weigh too heavily on your mind, for they were not your actions. Even though it is terrible to have to live with the knowledge of what you were made to do, take comfort that being aware may help bring this calamity to a quicker, easier end than if we had to go in blind."
When Dilwyn mentions the killing of Vuelib, Hilde smiles fiercely.
"No, I don't know much about the disease, just that he infected me and others."
Thank you. You have helped us out a lot. We will make this Vuelib pay for what he did to you.
Kit says as he loosens the man's restraints.
As Kit loosen's the man's restraints, Dilwyn keeps his hands tight on his staff... just in case they're being had. He doesn't think it's actually very likely, though, and if a few moments go by without the man going berserk he'll relax.
Zal listens and agrees with the others but has a thought as the take the man back to town, Should we rest before we take on this creature at the manor? I know we have been told that time is limited but if there is a chance we might make a difference, perhaps we should do so at our best?
Hilde doesn't seem very convinced at Zaladrel words.
"Certainly, if we aren't in shape to press on, then nothing would be gained by a needless self-sacrifice," Dilwyn says, thinking about it. "I do think that without his pawn to do the work, it seems unlikely that Vuelib will be able to abduct more of the healthy citizens before we have a chane to investigate. My concern is, however, that if those that have been abducted so far are still alive or in an otherwise rescue-able condition, the difference between today and tomorrow might mean everything for them."
Hilde nods at Dilwyn words.
It sounds like this Vuelib sounds like a formidable foe. Kit says glancing at the squashed..well whatever it was. We do none of those people any good if we show up spent.
"A meal and to bed then is it?"
Loosing Silam's bonds, the man stands, looking very dejected at what he has done, even though it was not his wish. You head back to Holver's Ferry to rest for the night. By the time you get there it is just after dinner and starting to get dark. You head to Rexel tree house and shop and greet the gnome and the children. Milda is also there. The other two are still in the jail, and Rexel tells you that Milda seems to be over whatever caused her to attempt suicide, that he is not ready to trust the other two.
After spending the night in relative comfort, you set out the next morning for the Avarenhode Manor, refreshed and ready to go. After about three hours you arrive at a bridge that leads to the Manor.
A long, narrow, stone bridge — barely wide enough for a single wagon — arches over Lake Shimmermere, connecting to a small island of rocks and windswept weeds. The jumbled ruins of a fortified manor house dominate the dreary islet, its upper floors and watchtowers having long since fallen into piles of rubble at its base. Vines, creepers, and prickly weeds cover the tumbled stones, atop which a dozen or so crows caw and flap.
Kit is surprised when he sees that the gnome has released the two. Hope that one doesn't try to set herself on fire again. He thinks to himself. After a good-night's rest dreaming of the Laflur Sisters from Westcrown, Kit is ready to start the day.
As the group nears the bridge, Kit sees the disrepair of the surrounding areas. You think this bridge is sound? He asks as he places his toe on it. I would hate for us to come all this way and be done in by a bad bridge!
"I'm sure it's probably fine if Silam had been using it to transport people across to Vuelib," Dilwyn suggests. "Still, it's certainly worth keeping an eye out for unstable places. What worries me is how open it is, there isn't really any way of getting across without being noticed if anyone is watching. But I don't really fancy a swim, and unless one of you sees a boat, then bridge it is." He starts to cross slowly, tapping ahead of himself with his staff almost like a blind man's cane to test the structural integrity before he steps.
Hilde, rashly, after seeing Dilwyn tap the bridge (and if he don't stop her), stands on it and starts jumping up and down as hard as she is able.
As Hilde jumps up and down on the bridge, Kit just shakes his head and laughs. That lass will get us killed yet!
Dilwyn studies the bridge carefully and taps ahead with his staff, hoping to find any weak spots before they cave in. His careful planning is ruined by Hilde jumping up and down on the bridge, but the structure is solid and while her antics just amuse Kit, the bridge stays in place.
Crossing over to the other side, you approach the house. In the northeast the walls have collapsed displaying a lot of rubble. You can see inside as the upper stories of this Manor House have collapsed in.
On the south wall is what appears to be the main entrance door.
Hilde ignores the entrance and moves towards the northeast, checking the collapsed part, and seeing if there is a way in there. As always, she pretends to do it quietly.
Hilde moves around to the northeast and looks at the rubble. While she can see inside thru the cracks in the rubble, it looks to be relatively impassable. What she can see, is a swatch of grass has grown inside, and a tree also has grown in the center of the room.
Hilde moves to the door and, unless somebody stops her, tries to open it.
If locked, you guess it, she will try to kick it down.
Dilwyn, possibly ironically, is too distracted watching for traps and enemies to even really notice Hilde's recklessness at first, until she starts traipsing all around the building looking for entrances.
"This building seems in too much disrepair for being a successful lair," he mutters to himself. "The man we rescued mentioned stairs below burial niches. I suspect that might be behind the building altogether."
While Hilde tries to kick down the front door, Dilwyn checks the ground for signs of repeated, but not fresh, travels by deep footprints that might suggest one big person carrying a whole other person. Failing that, he'll start circling around the manor looking for signs of a graveyard.
When Kit sees Dilwyn looking for traps, he also starts looking. Good idea! he says while examining the ground. He has no doubt that Hilde will find them a way in one way or another.
As Hilde opens the unlocked door, Dilwyn searches the area for tracks. He finds some, about ten days old of a large humanoid that was either quite heavy or carrying something heavy leading into the area, and then the same tracks but without the weight leading out.
With the front door open, you see the northeast corner of this great hall has collapsed, leaving a gaping, rubble-strewn gap stretching from the floor to the 18-foot ceiling overhead, providing enough natural light for a moss-covered tree and swathes of grass to take root among the sunken flagstones underfoot. A 12-foot-wide, 6-foot-tall fireplace dominates the middle of the eastern wall, and two doors lead further west.
Hilde moves to the middle of the room, and scans it around.
Zal slowly follows after Hilde, cast a glance about the room...
Thank you Kit! I knew Hilde is pretty, but I didn't know it was Kit's type! :D
Not finding the tracks that Dilwyn found, Kit will just follow everyone else inside.
"This is definitely the correct way," Dilwyn confirms as he also moves in through the doorway. "There's signs of a heavy person passing this way several days ago, only to return significantly lighter. There must be a way down here somewhere..." he trails off, making for the left-hand door and trying to open it.
Hilde tries the closest door.
Kit stands by the door, his axe at the ready as Hilde attempts to open it.
Zal stands back from Kit and Hilde and lets them "do their thing" at the door.
vs Hilde AC 14
Everyone enters the Manor, and Hilde, Kit and Zaladrel move to the center of the room to allow them to have a clear view of the room, while Iskender stands just inside the door and Dilwyn moves to the closest door and starts to look at it.
Suddenly, the tree in the middle of the room reaches out to bite and claw Hilde, damaging her.
Normally relatively composed the elf cannot help but yell out in surprise. On instinct Zaladrel calls from beyond to aid his allies.