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Seems like a nice enough chap. A little odd rules, but small towns like this often have peculiarities.
"Thank you kindly, Sir. We are of course happy to abide by the laws here, assuming there is nothing else than the curfew and restricted church services that we need to know about?"
As they walk to the guest house he adds, "you said that Amenira left town and has not returned? Would we be able to check her residence tomorrow and try to determine where she might have gone?"
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"Ah, yes, traditional worship. We are complete strangers, so I understand why we can't attend. My hometown was a bit picky about who could attend the sacred ceremonies for Erastil."
Jiggo follows the sheriff to the guest house. "Wow, a messaging box! Thank you for your hospitality."
Once the sheriff leaves and Jiggo has a chance to sit down, he winces as he still feels sore from one of the hyena bites. "We did find a staff with the symbol of Nethys in a cave patrolled by Gnolls. And a bloody altar dedicated to an outer god." Jiggo shudders. "I hope she wasn't captured and sacrificed..."
"Before we start a good night's rest, I'll use the rest of my power to heal your wounds."
Jiggo heals everyone's immediate damage. "Is everyone okay now? Let's get a good night's rest and prepare for a new day."
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Azrael nods, and follows quietly to the lodgings to retire for the day. He thanks Jiggo, "Much thanks, I feel refreshed." He adds on, "I find that the man means no ill will towards us. Let us hope for Amenira."
Azrael agrees that the group abide in making a rest, not to stir up trouble, and continue investigations come morning. He takes some time polishing his weapons prior to bed.
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"Yeah, must have." John considers for a moment. "I guess we should still keep watch. I'll take the first go, though I'll warn you that I'm easily distracted so company to keep me on task isn't unwise." He looks around at the 'guest house', "I think I'll search the place too while you all get some rest."
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Omar thanks Jiggo for the healing.
Thank you for the healing. I suspect we will need it before long.
I will take whichever watch is available. Something odd lurks within the normalcy here.
He takes whichever watch and sings softly while keeping a look out and yawning for the dawn.
He will also cast detect magic and concentrate on their room and rotate, trying to see if any auras are detected.
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Jiggo remembers these nights when he was young. He lay in the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to recite the sermons he should have memorized. He remembers Old Man Silvers, a man whose memory was lost to time and only asks for more silver pieces. Ellen, who was always so lonely. And who could forget Taggart. He never wanted Erastil's help but eventually admitted he needed it.
Jiggo leans his quarterstaff against the wall and lies on the bed. "I hope I don't screw up this village." He mumbles as he drifts asleep.
As he leaves, the sheriff nods at the request of John. "Yes, I suspect that would be ok." Without another word, the man is gone.
You see several people wearing orange shirts and belts with faded scarves around their neck. The scarves are a yellowish, though you believe they were once orange in nature. The citizens don't seem to notice you, all intent on reaching their destination. Following the group, you easily locate the temple they file inside.
The temple is the largest building in Mercy. Wooden pews line the east and west side of the building, with a garden on the south. An enormous, twisted tree takes up the north side of the building. A pleasant walkway snakes around the tree up to the temple opening, which has no door. Animals made of twisted twigs adorn the branches, and vanilla orchids flourish in the shade.
The stench of rotting vegetables assaults your nose as you look inside. You spy a row of pews, away from the adults, lined with what appear to be children. They are dressed in the same clothing as their older counterparts, though they seemed to be wrapped with numerous bandages. Their exposed sections of skin have a yellow-ish hew.
An ornately dressed man with bright orange robes stands before the congregation and begins a sermon.
As you make your way back, the streets seem empty. Judging by the crowd you saw at the temple, it's reasonable to believe the entire town is in attendance. You note a large square in the center of town containing the equipment for trade skills.
You pass a carriage house containing a massive garden and a large bell tower. Several carriages stand nearby.
A well-kept wooden building, painted in festive shades of orange catches your eye. Being the only painted structure you've seen it stands out. A pair of cashew trees flanks its front entrance.
At the beginning, you can hear the townsfolk moving about in the distance. Sounds as though they move away from you. A couple hours pass and you hear them return. Shortly thereafter, all is quiet.
The rest of the night passes uneventfully.
Shortly before sunrise, you hear the town stirring in the distance as the townsfolk head back to the temple. Then, all is quiet for approximately 1 hour.
Suddenly, 'DONG.DONG.DONG.' rings out through the still air.
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John awakens with a yawn. His form shimmers briefly and he snaps into focus, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Breakfast can wait, I must meditate.
Finding a quiet corner he spends the next bit of time doing his normal morning preparation and then joins the group for some food. "How did everyone sleep?"
John is wearing his usual explorer's outfit (sturdy boots, leather breeches and belt, tan shirt w/ navy blue vest, and a crimson cloak w/ hood if needed).
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Another day, another sunrise. Jiggo wears his favorite outfit: dark blue pants with a white shirt with gold trim. The symbol of Erastil hangs proudly around his neck. He grabs his staff, and puts his daggers in his pouch.
"I slept pretty well. Let's hope we can discover Amenira's whereabouts quickly."
Jiggo raps upon the door to Raijan's door. "Wake up, sleepyhead! We have a town to see and a mystery to solve!"
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A string of Tien curses erupt from his room before Raijan staggers out in a loosely belted robe; he looks around blearily to make sure the party's still alone.
So I went for a bit of a walk last night, thought I'd check out the temple. The good news, is no one was sacrificed in the night, but it's definitely odd. The place looks nice from the outside, but reeked of rot. Looked like there was something wrong with their kids too. They were all swathed in bandages, and their skin wasn't a pleasant color.
The good news is, that if they didn't put a guard on us the first night, they probably won't in the future unless we arouse suspicions, and the curfew wasn't hard to avoid.
He wanders back into his room to get fully dressed when a thought strikes him. Oh, they were all wearing orange, especially the priest. Either they were all in the middle of a major fashion embarrassment, or the color's important to them. Could be they'll be offended that we're wearing their sacred color, but hopefully that won't be what starts the humanoid sacrifices.
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Azrael has his usual outfit worn, akin to a ninja garb, but perhaps more vibrant in colour, primarily a mix of grey and red. His weapons sheathed and stowed behind him, and his half mask covering his face. He does not remove it without reason.
He follows along, but knows little "I know of not." He shows eagerness to make move and gobbles quickly on a fruit.
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John will excuse himself to the restroom and when he returns he will sling his pack over his shoulder and stand at the door with a smile, "shall we go do some investigating?"
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Thrugg wakes and starts putting on his plate armor. He goes into a panic looking for his trusted warhammer, but forgot he turned it in to the sheriff.
This is trouble some.
He then hooks his boulder helmet onto his belt, grabs his shield and heads out the door.
"Well we better start now. While the suns still up"
After partaking of the supplied breakfast and finalizing your morning prep, you venture out into the town proper. With Raijan's guidance, you find your way to your destination easily enough. As you travel, the villagers seem to be going about their day as they would any other. All wear matching attire; shirts and belts of orange with faded orange-yellow scarves. They scowl at a few of you as you pass, but say nothing.
You manage to follow their gaze to the blues splattered around your parties clothing. This color choice seems to unnerve them.
You quickly realize there is something strange about the plants here. In spite of the harsh climate, they are all exceptionally healthy. The townfolk are even growing crops in their gardens that typically are incompatible with flourishing results.
Approaching the well-kept wooden building, painted in festive shades of orange, you find it stands out quite obtrusively against the unpainted buildings of Mercy. A pair of cashew trees flank its front entrance.
The house was built within the last few years and is newer than most of the buildings in town.
You find the front door unlocked. Swinging open smoothly on its hinges, you see a mess of workbenches, tools, toys, and dolls in varying stages of completion. A short hallway leads off this open room to a bedroom containing what you would expect to find and a desk stacked with papers. An open book sits atop the pile.
Other rooms include a small kitchen and a sparse bathroom.
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Jiggo walks through town, waving hello to all who would greet or speak in his direction. It was important to establish trust among the people.
As some of the villagers frown at the party, he shrugs. He keeps his thoughts until he finally follows their gaze. "Raijan, my good friend. I don't think they like these blue stripes in your clothing." Jiggo pauses. "Hmm, I don't think they like my blue pants, either. I'll have to find or purchase a different pair..."
Jiggo continues his trip to Amenira's home. "Well, I'm sure she won't mind my attire...Amenira? Are you there?"
Jiggo goes to knock on the doorknob only to see the door open. "Maybe we should take a look inside..." He walks over to the dolls. "Amenira was a toy maker, right?"
Jiggo moves into the room and sees the book on the tableshelf. "What's in here, I wonder?" He sits down and starts flipping through.
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John files the information about the blue clothing into the back of his mind for use to both distract or blend in later.
He smiles as they move through the town and to anyone who responds to Jiggo's hellos, he gives a friendly nod. As they approach the bright house, he mentions a minor oddity. "It seems this was built recently, more so than the rest of the town. But if Amenira only came here within the last year, who was the house originally built for?"
He follows after Jiggo into the house. Assuming no one stays outside he will remain in the normal marching order.
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Azrael notes the same observation as Jiggo, and nods to reaffirm. I will never understand people. He continues to walk casually to the house ignoring the uncomfortable gazes.
Within the confines of the orange place, Azrael attempts to search for any clues, anything of usual circumstances, and possibly signs of a struggle.
You note someone, presumably the previous occupant, packed up any weapons, armor and other items before leaving in a hurry.
No signs of struggle.
You recognize the book you are reading is a Journal, though its been some time since any entries have been added to it.
As you search through the pile of notes, you discover another book with strange sigils on it. Though you've no need for one of your own, you recognize this is a spellbook.
Beneath the spellbook is a parchment with similar writing. Inside one of the drawers of the desk, you discover a coin pouch with 20g and a jar containing a sickly gray paste.
The dolls here seem similar to those you spotted in the cave, though the skill used in making them was more refined. Most of the faces appear identical.
As you venture through the house into the bedroom, you find the bed unmade. It appears as though a small child has slept on it recently. A few snapped twigs lay on the sheets.
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"Wow, this book is pretty complicated, must be someone's journal. Probably Amenira's." Jiggo scratches his head. "Is anyone a linguist?"
He takes a look through the book, but it doesn't make much sense to him.
Jiggo stands up and looks at the bed. "Snapped twigs. Based on the amount of bedding displaced, I'd say a small child has slept here recently."
Jiggo looks around the bed to see if he can find more clues.
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John activates a spell with a word and motion, "reveal!" With glazed over eyes he checks the ether for any auras in both rooms.
He will then take a look at the book Jiggo has, if no magic aura's he will suggest, "I have a scroll if it is an unknown language, but if it is just coded then I probably can't help."
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Raijan produces a coin pouch, another book riddled with arcane sigils, and a jar of unpleasant grey paste.
Well, she left her spellbook here. I can't imagine she thought she was going anywhere for very long without it... I assume she wouldn't want to leave her awful gunk behind either, though if someone knows what it is they'd be a better judge of that.
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Azrael notes something of interest, "Amerina left in a hurry, it would seem that she might have expected trouble as she had gathered her armor and weapons." He paces around the house looking for any sign of a trail.
In the bedroom, Azrael is somewhat disturbed of the coincidence of a child. "Perhaps it might be wise to ambush this child, perhaps the child would be able to shed some light on the situation."
This book contains the following spells: alarm, burning hands, comprehend languages, dispel magic, enter image, feather fall, flaming sphere, floating disk, glitterdust, hydraulic push, identify, locate object, mage armor, memory lapse, resist energy, and sleep.
Flipping through the journal, John locates a piece of paper depicting some unwritten rules of the town. Searching the house from top to bottom, you fail to find anything else of interest. Azrael believes whomever has been sleeping in the bed was here within the last 24hrs.
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John shares his magical findings and suggests either Jiggo or he keep hold of the scroll and unless someone can use or wants to hold onto Amenira's spellbook he can keep it in his pack until they find her. Looking intently at the fluid he adds, "okay, so this is magical but I don't have a clue what it might be. Anyone else have an idea?"
He takes a look at the book and a small slip of paper falls to the floor. After looking through it he shows it to the group. "Well, that certainly is useful information if we wished to blend in better. Anything on that list trigger any memories of specific deities they may be worshiping here?"
"Anyone have any thoughts as to what to do next? I would suggest if we attempt to talk to anyone that we adjust our clothes at least so we don't piss anyone off. Other than that, we should probably have someone sneak down here tonight and try to talk to whomever might be staying here."
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If they get an opportunity to change, John will remove his blue vest with a sigh. He points out to anyone who will listen with annoyance, "see these little flaps? They cover nasty little barbs. If anyone punches or slams into me it grabs on and tears their flesh. Makes them think twice the next time..." He mumbles, "stupid rot worshipers just happen to hate blue." He stores the vest in his pack and readies to head out to the church.
"We could also look into blacksmith and carpenter rivalry if we don't get any luck at the church."
You make it back to the guesthouse with ease, receiving similar glances as you travel.
Following his path from the night before, Raijan leads you to the temple. The temple is the largest building in Mercy. Wooden pews line the east and west side of the building, with a garden on the south. An enormous, twisted tree takes up the north side of the building. A pleasant walkway snakes around the tree up to the temple opening, which has no door. Animals made of twisted twigs adorn the branches, and vanilla orchids flourish in the shade.
Upon arrival you notice a severe lack of odor. There is no obvious scent of decay anywhere near the temple. Inside, an older couple prays silently, and the robed figure seen the night before stands near the tree.
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Jiggo switches to his pink pants. "I tried using really strong soap on my white clothing and I forgot to take out a red hat. The ink spilled everywhere." He laughs.
At the temple, Jiggo looks at the roots. "Wow, you're right Azreal! Such a beautiful tree. It would be ashame for it to not survive. Let's find out more about this- maybe we should tell the clergy?"
Jiggo runs up to the robed figure. "Excuse me. We're not from around here- I'm sure you can tell that already, hehe. I was hoping I could learn more about this beautiful tree. Who is in charge of the temple grounds, here?"
The man looks Omar up and down, glancing towards the others. Smiling, he replies "Ah, good day to you. Pleased to see you have changed from those blasphemous clothes. It is a good day, thanks to Robori!"
Turning towards Jiggo, he continues. "Certainly, sir. Myself and the other clergy handle most of the needs. Our fellow citizens chip in where they can of course. As for the tree? Well, this is our revered Robori. He protects us in times of need and keeps our crops healthy in this land."
"We weren't always this well off. Many years ago, when our citizens fell ill, we changed our mindset. Started worshiping the god of the land and following his will. Once we figured out what was required of us, our situation improved exponentially."
"If it would please you, I could grant you a blessing in his name." he adds.
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"Incredible! This is Robori? And you say his blessings fought off a plague of some kind." Jiggo ponders. "Speaking of which, I have bad news: the roots of this tree seem affected by some kind of blight. Over the next few decades the tree will rot." Jiggo leads the clergy towards the tree roots and bends down to show them the discoloration on the roots.
"See? If you get close you can really smell it. Any ideas of what could be causing this?"