"You want to come with us, Rexel? We could, whrrrr, probably use a hand. Sounds like the orphanage is the next spot to visit."
"Would that I could my friend... I fear time has not been kind to this old body - my arthiritis bites terribly with such damp weather and, without my apothecary, I cannot brew anything to alleviate the pain. I fear that I would just slow you down... Far better that I stay here and, so much as I am able, keep an eye of the village. Besides...", Rexel manages a weak smile that suggests he doesn't believe what he says next, "Maybe the Sheriff will return whilst you are away".
* * *
Back in the Sheriff's office
As Illonna breaks into the locked cabinet, Zoreck lets out a laugh.
"All right! Let's see what's in there..."
The Numerian gunman helps himself to a hand axe and a quiver of bolts.
He then picks up the sword and tests it for balance.
"Now, this is a fine weapon. I think we could really use it. Illonna, you opened the door, so you have a stronger claim."
* * *
In the apothecary's shop
Zoreck stays fairly quiet through the conversation. At a lull, he asks, "Hey, do you have any gunpowder in this shop? I've run out." He pats the pistol holstered at his side.
"Thank you for the information Rexel, we will return for you once we have found the root of these troubles." Locke turns to the others, "To the orphanage then?"
"Yes, I think we should be off. I think time is running out on us here. Is anyone else feeling like time is running out?"
”Hmmm, gunpowder you say? Why of course.”, Rexel roots around in various drawers before he finds a small earthenware container, handing it to Zoreck, he apologises, ”… it’s not very much I’m afraid – most of my ingredients were destroyed or spoiled when my shop was ransacked… but what there is, you are welcome to it”.
As the gnome rummages around, he hums and mutters to himself… eventually and after looking in, under and on top of the various cupboards that line the room, he has collected six vials. Offering them to the friends, ”Maybe these might be of some help… it is still so very dangerous out there and you are helping my friend… it is the least I could do”.
"Rexel, did you have a chance to study the affliction at all before the chaos?"
”The sickness hit town a few weeks ago - it weakened a lot of folks and drove some of them mad. It made some kill themselves or each other, driving them into a murderous rage. I’ve never heard or read of anything like it before. They tore the village apart in just a few days… and there was nothing the sheriff, the town council, or militia could do about it. There’s still a few crazed people in the village but the worst seems over… unless something is happening to those folks who are going missing”, Rexel shivers at the memories.
As suggested by the map, Mother Oddle’s orphanage lies about four miles east of Holver’s Ferry, along the same cart path which ultimately leads to Arvarenhode Manor. Weeds, saplings, fallen logs, and a number of ruts filled with muddy water have taken over the route rendering the journey a hard trek of nearly two hours. Somewhere beyond the leaf canopy, the sun has drifted to a midday position by the time the friends arrive at the Orphanage.
Surrounded by gnarled oak trees, an unkempt apple orchard, and an overgrown flower garden, this ramshackle, two-story farmhouse has clearly seen better days. The plain, rectangular building is covered in gray- green moss and white, sun-bleached planks showing signs of rot. Even the roof sags heavily, displaying multiple holes and missing shingles. Aside from the chirping of crickets the area seems quiet and abandoned.
The walk was a tiring one for the young man as he was not used to such physical exertions. He is glad to have arrived at the spot where the old Orphanage lies seemingly abandoned.
"Perhaps we should circle the building here? There might be some tracks around which could shed some light here."
Walking around the perimeter of the building and looking through the cobweb covered windows, there is no sign of life within... There are two entrances to the building - one to the west of the building and one, slightly larger, at the eastern side... There are multiple footprints in and out of the building at this eastern end...
Rikkan gladly takes the potion of Dragons' Breath. "Ooo, interesting!".
The ratfolk follows behind the human looking for anything out of the ordinary. "It looks deserted, all right, click."
Perception
Locke says a fond farewell to the gnome, finding a familiarity in his mannerisms that the other denizens - in their various states of panic - they had met lacked. I hope to see you again soon friend. He allows the more human of their group to take the potions of keen senses, who no doubt needed them more.
----
"Perhaps we should enter through the entrance less traveled? I fancy being the ones who get the drop on any danger rather than the other way around." Locke looks around at the other for confirmation.
Astraea happily accepts one of the potions of keen senses, knowing that if there's one thing she needs help with, it's her awareness. Especially without the stars out to guide her...
She bids farewell to Rexel, and promises to help him put his apothecary back together when they return- hopefully with the Sheriff in tow.
"I'm with Locke," Astraea says as the party investigates the Orphanage. "Let's try not to upset anybody, if at all possible."
Drancis nods silently in agreement with Locke and waits for the others to head towards the western entrance.
The door into the Orphanage creaks open with an alarmingly loud noise… waiting for a few moments, the friends are satisfied that nothing has heard the sound of the door opening – and step into the building. The room they are stepping into is a kitchen with a large oven and, in the north west corner, a fireplace – both show signs of recent use. A set of filthy pots and pans, dented cooking utensils and a stack of simple, wooden plates rest on the brick hearth.
As eyes adjust, the dark stains on the wooden floorboards can be seen… starting as an irregular circle, several bootprints track the discolouration to a door in the south east of the kitchen. Cautiously, the door is opened… to reveal an empty larder.
Doors lead to the north and to the east from the kitchen.
Drancis keeps his eyes peeled for any threats of ambush as he follows behind the others.
Illonna waits behind silently as she can while Drancis creeps forward. Her heavy armor and clumsy movements made stealth practically impossible.
Perception
Rikkan points out the badge he discovered that was emblazoned with the seal of Holver’s Ferry. "Urk, was that the Sheriff's? That might be blood, too." Rikkan pocketed the badge after making sure the group saw it.
He quietly moved toward the door to the east.
Stealth
Locke follows after Rikkan toward the eastern door, trying to keep his movements quiet. The badge sends a shiver of disappointment through him, could the Sheriff be dead already? Another I failed to save.
"Ugh... I don't like this at all. That's the Sheriff's badge, isn't it? ...Look, this doesn't necessarily mean the worst. Chins up, guys. We'll find her."
She wishes she believed the words coming out of her own mouth.
Gently cracking the door to the east open, Rikkan peers into the parlour... Furnished with a mildewed sofa and three dusty rocking chairs, this parlour’s floor bears a thick layer of grime, as well as a few hardy weeds growing between the floorboards near the front door. On the walls, some painted portraits have started to fade and peel, and a well-worn path leads through the dust between the kitchen and a flight of stairs along the east wall.
...and as he considers the room, the deathly silence is obliterated by Astraea stumbling over a particularly creaky floorboard ...and knocking a pile of wooden plates to the floor - almost instantaneously, the sound of heavy footsteps comes from upstairs...
Rikkan turns and glares at Astraea for a half second before turning his attention to the footsteps upstairs. "They know we are here. Can we set up an ambush to keep them pinned in on the stairs here? If there are evil doer's here, pinning them in will help us deal with them, whrr."
Illonna nods from outside and quickly moves to the point Rikkan indicates to set up an ambush.
Locke sighs at the sounds of the footsteps. "I suppose we best do as Rikkan says." He follows Illonna's example and takes up position to ambush in the case of hostility.
"How do we know whoever it is will try the stairs? There may be another way out!" Drancis replies urgently. "We need to cover the other entrance too!"
Rikkan's whiskers twitch at Drancis's words. "Didn't think of that," he whispers to the others.
With any attempt at stealth within the dilapidated orphanage abandoned, the friends prepare themselves near the foot of the stairs…
From up the stairs, which lead to a corridor that turns to the west, comes the sound of someone large stamping around…
A deep, yet strangely child-like, voice seems to be remonstrating with itself, ”Another intruder…”
”No… it’s another guest – Mother said we should always be kind”
”We weren’t kind to the Sheriff though… were we?”
”Vuelib made us do it… Vuelib made us do it… Vuelib made us do it…”
…the footsteps, slow and heavy, approach the top of the stairs…
* * *
At Rexel's...
Zoreck thanks the gnome for the gunpowder and re-loads his pistol. He takes a potion of keen senses and a potion of cure moderate wounds.
* * *
At the orphanage...
Zoreck cocks his crossbow and loads a bolt, pointing it at the stairs.
Putting the apothecary's words and the heavy footsteps together, Rikkan calls out up the steps. "Are you Silam? Rexel, click, sent us to find you and the Sheriff. Have you seen the Sheriff," he asks, not letting on what he had just heard from the upstairs.
Drancis grimaces when he hears Rikkan announce their presence before he belatedly realizes whoever it was must have already heard them coming before.
I don't like this, not one bit!
He keeps silent while casting out with his mind looking for a blunt object to use at the unknown figure, hopefully to just knock him out.
We need to take him alive here.
Astraea looks apologetically at the rest of the party after blowing any chance they had at a stealthy approach. Idiot, she berates herself. Can't see worth spit, and you're still trying to play hero? You're going to get yourself and your friends killed!
She shakes off her inner voice and prepares herself, unsure how to best approach the situation until she knows what she's dealing with.
But it sounds like whoever they are, they did something bad to the Sheriff. That doesn't bode well...
The heavy footsteps and the argumentative voice precede the arrival of a veritable giant of a man. Maybe eight feet tall, and slightly hunched against the ceiling, the bearded man is dragging a large axe behind him...
Seeing Illona at the foot of the stairs, "Who are you? What happened to your arm? Have you come to visit mother?"
Illonna stands up to her full height, though still a good two feet shorter than the hulking man.
"My name is Illonna." she says calmly "I am an emissary of Ragathiel. As for my arm..."
she takes a glance at the empty space below her shoulder.
"I haven't had it for a long time."
"Who are you?"
"You lost it? You never had it? Oh mother tells us we should never pry... I'm Silam by the way... My mother runs the orphanage... Looks after all of the lonely children", spittle flecks the long beard of the man... and he has a terrible nervous tick.
Perception.
"Where is your mother? And the other children?"
Illonna eyes the axe quietly but elects not to say anything.
Locke casually steps around the corner, as if he hadn't been hiding in ambush a moment before. He offers the childlike man a smile, attempting to keep his eyes from the blood on the axe. I fear that blood may belong to the sheriff... "Silam, we are only here to help whoever needs it, but a chat with your mother would be lovely."
Zoreck whispers to his friends, trying not to let Silam hear him, "'Vuelib?' Isn't that what those crazy former priests of Abadar worship now? And don't they slay all nonbelievers?"
The Kellid keeps his crossbow trained on the large man with the bloody axe.
Drancis only nods silently in agreement, his mind firmly fixed around the bubble surrounding a chunk of rubble near the giant man.
That blood is recent...it could be the Sheriff's...are we already too late?
"My Mother? You want to talk to my Mother?"
Silam's voice changes in pitch a little, "My Mother's sleeping... You can't talk to her... You can't talk to her..."
...and hefting his axe in both hands, he screams, "No-one but me talks to Mother!!!"
Swinging his axe, Silam rushes down the stairs and slams his axe into Illona's midriff...
Perception
"He's got a strange black growth under his neck!". Rikkan delays to see if the others can put the man out before he has to use a bomb.
"A what? You said a growth?!!" Drancis exclaims. "That could be the clue we need! Try to take him alive!"
He then puts actions to words, as he flings a large hunk of rubble at Silas' head cushioning the blow at the last second.
Round 1
Taken aback at the sudden display of violence, Illonna quickly draws her sword and retaliates. So pressed, she gives little thought to properly restraining her blow and instead lets the sword strike where it may.
Locke sees the growth under Silam's neck just as Rikkan calls out to confirm it. He attempts to pop the growth without killing Silam with a delicate and precise swing of his longsword.
Zoreck squeezes the trigger of his crossbow and lets the bolt fly.
"Damn!" mutters Zoreck as Silas unexpectedly moves to the left and the bolt thunks into the wall behind him.
"I see it!"
Wait-- have I seen anything like that in the old metal ruins back home?
- the strange growth on the rear of Silam's neck is, with the limited amount you can see, quite unlike anything you have seen before.
Illona, responding purely on some level of instinct, slashes back at the massive woodcutter... her blade cuts open a crimson gash on his chest yet Silam shows no sign of stopping. Locke, heeding Drancis' call to take him alive, manages to crack the flat of his blade across the back of Silam's neck... staggering the hulking brute somewhat.
Zoreck and Drancis, both struggling with the close quarters fighting, don't land their blows...
Rikkan throws his tiny dagger at the man as he headed down the stairs and attacked his friend.
Ranged attack
Damage
Astraea gapes in horror as the maniac charges down the stairs and tries to cut Illonna to pieces. When the rest of the party assaults Silam in reprise, Astraea figures her best bet is to call out to the stars to guide their hands; hopefully, the melee won't last long.
Despite Astraea’s efforts to invoke celestial guidance, Rikkan’s dagger embeds itself uselessly in the wall behind Silam…
…and grunting with the effort of swinging his weapon, Silam slams his huge axe into Illona’s midriff – the blade deflects from her breastplate and is driven downwards onto her thigh… cutting a grievous wound; a wound that sends the one-armed paladin crumpling towards the floor.
”No-one tries to take Mother away from me… No-one!!!”
Rikkan pulls a goal and tosses it to the spot just above the hulking brute on the stairs, trying to splash him and not hit the unconscious paladin.
Blessed RTA to hit AC 5 .
Splash damage is 4.
Rikkan then moves 20' away from the stairs and the angry human with the axe coming down them.