Lost Memories of Sorrow
Game Master BinkyBo

Braxton takes his shots and listens in, "You maybe need to give her one of these." He says holding up an empty shot glass.

Marcotte responds to Errik "Yes I'm certain it was a trap... but I'm... fuzzy on the whole thing. I have had countless dreams of that moment. Something urging me in the voice of Bimnil my dwarven colleague. (nodding to Karthak to acknowledge he heard his question) He kept pushing me to tell him everything I knew about the Sol D'Argent and its studies, and how to bypass the seal on the door."

He leans in and talks a little more softly "It wasn't a seal. It was a portal which, I believe, required a key and a command phrase. By the time I determined this, I had been able to remember the previous dreams within my dream and will myself into a semi-lucid state. I tried to feed this dream-Bimnil misinformation. When you woke me the seal was destroyed. I just hope they were not able to find their way in before that happened."

Marcotte turns to Corum "...and no. All I knew of his whereabouts was that he was in this village... and later learned of his discovery of the ruins below."

Karthak looks at the man, obviously confused by his tale:"That's all well and good but... you didn't answer me, was the dwarf of "swarthy coloration" so to speak? And did you ever heard a man named Sirius Horth Mentioned?"

Marcotte replies to Karthak
"No Bimnil was... or is, if he is still alive... far from swarthy. Sirius Horth? Exiled member of the Whispering Way if I remember correctly... don't know too much about him... haven't heard his name for a while, and don't know what his connection would be here."

The little witch begins to sway a bit, and you hear a faint "ugh" come from her.

" Ha. Well done! " Errik replies to Mr Marcotte. " Do you know where in the underground complex this portal was? "

What time of day is it?

Sense motive check:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30

Karthak concentrates on Marcotte to discern the veracity of his words

"We may have to make sure that the bad guys didn't get through the portal."

it is around 5pm

"Near where you found me... the hole in the east wall."

" Perhaps after we eat we could go back down there and check it out? " Errik looks about for Thulfi or a servant to order some food.

"How about crack of dawn when I have spells?"

" Well we have to meet with the mayor in the morning. I guess we could get up in the wee hours and check it out before seeing the mayor. I hope our enemies don't get an advantage while we rest though. "

"What's the matter elf? Do you need your beauty sleep? Count me in for an excursion into that dungeon, of course!" barks Karthak with a laugh.

"The only thing is how to keep this little pest under control while we go down there!" adds the suddenly perplexed dwarf.

" Excuse me. " Errik says to Marcotte getting up from the table " Hold on. " he says to Karthak. He walks into the Inn and up to the counter. " Hey Thulfi, could I get a meal for everyone and a bottle of your strongest spirits? "

After hearing Errik's order Braxton brightens up, "Alright my friend I like this plan, let us celebrate our deeds for today!"

Thulfi hands Errik a bottle before he gets to work, and returns to the table twenty minutes later sheepishly... "Hope you like it. Pressed duck cakes with whipped hagfish slime mustard.... and boiled potatoes. Yesterday's special.. all I got, sorry. Butcher stall never opened today..."

The little witch looks queasy as the food is served.

Thulfi excuses himself "...maybe I'll go bake some bread."

Errik comes back to Karthaks table and waves the others over. He sets the bottle down and pours some shots. Offering one to Braxton, Karthak and the witch and then the table in general. " Listen, " He says to the witch " We're not really going to let you go till you give us some good information. We're friendly people, right guys? " he looks around the table but doesn't wait for a response. " So we aren't going to hurt you or anything. Why don't you start by giving us your name and telling us exactly who you work for, hmm? "

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

The witch gives a tipsy smile and gestures slowly as she speaks. "My name is Tilda, and don't worry about letting me go. Who I work for... and my whooole happy family will be coming." Her smile turns coquettish... "Can I have a potato? Please?"

+2 from her condition... any aid another attempts to help Errik's diplomacy roll?

" Of course you can Tilda " Errik says passing her a potato with a smile to match hers. " Why don't you have another shot of this too. " he says as he refills her glass and his as well. " As you've probably worked out I am called Errik but come now, what can be the harm in telling us who you work for if you are so confident in their ability to free you and defeat us? "

"Cheers mates!" Braxton takes the shot as well. "See little one we be funnier then any old cavern crawlers, hehe."

Aid Diplomacy:1d20 ⇒ 16

Seeing Errik offering up a refill Braxton accepts one as well, "Here's to lands we be from! Like yours miss....wheres that be any how?"

Tilda devours half the potato, then throws back the shot and winces before responding to Errik. "You make an excelellent point. Buuut it wouldn't be a very nice thing to do to my cohorth... cooohorts, heh." She starts munching on the rest of the potato.
"Anyway... you already know I work for Horth. Mmmm (she shakes her head) I am working for Horth. And maybe if you're nice to me, I'll convince him to uh err.. I'll let you err ask him to let you choose whether you wanna be a zombie or a skellie. Bah. No more... I'm pickled."
Her slouching turns into half-lying down and she holds her head as she replies to Braxton. She speaks slowly and succinctly... "I was raised in the mushfens by Gilvorgione the Crone. I was there when they came for her... They had discovered a diviner from your world, and in his memories was her face." (she sits up a little bit as her dizzy spell passes) "I know the day she must have come into contact with you and the diviner. She had been out all night... I found her near our home... unconscious with no memory of the previous twenty four hours. Found out later, Horth's employer had a bit of a rebellion among the subspecies of derro... a few of the ones with innate telepathic abilities had gone soft, and mindscrewed Gilvorgione into assisting in some ritual that brought you here... somehow... but it is impossible. Those taken from your world don't come here... they can't." Tilda is rather emphatic with this last point, and it appears to jar her. She seems to realize how much she has said, closes her eyes and presses her lips together.

" Home... " Errik says a little forlornly, thinking briefly of Reave Every step I take seems to be another step away, now I'm impossibly far from you, he sighs. " So we were dragged here by some Derro. " He says quietly, more to himself than anyone else. He looks at Tilda almost lying down and smiles at Karthak. " Might of over done it, Haha! So you work for Horth, he works for someone else and Braxton and I aren't supposed to be here. At least that's on our favour hmm. Why don't you tell us where Horth is? It will save him the trouble of coming to us."

"That seems like a wonderful idea, actually...Karthak butts in with a smile meant to be reassuring but failing at that by a wide mark.

Corum tries to be convincing,
"Since these two technically don't exist in this timeline, you can tell them anything. The laws of time magic cannot allow them to take advantage of this information."

When she doesn't answer Errik frowns " Oh well, let's all get some sleep and in the morning we can check out Master Marcotte's portal and then go visit the mayor. Should we all stay at my place? Have one person watching Tilda here and one person watching for intruders? "

"Thank you, I would appreciate a place to stay. Maybe you have a dunking tank for our witch here?"

Tilda remains silent but gives Corum a slight sneer.

Master Marcotte speaks to Errik "You have saved our lives, we feel most humbled imposing on you... but we are penniless and quite vulnerable at the moment. We will find some way to repay you."
Drulsk nods, and adds "If a fight comes we will stand beside you."

You return to Errik's house without incident.

Errik's

" On the Contrary Mr Marcotte, you have done much to help us already and I'm sure if you had found a fellow man imprisoned unjustly you would do everything in your power to help him."

Back at home Errik organises things so every one has a space on the floor, giving up his bed to Mr Marcotte and puts Tilda in the middle room with no windows after removing his most treasured books and then locks the doors. Then he tries to have a quiet word with Corum. "Have you considered lending your spell book to Marcotte in the morning? He is obviously missing his own and will be of more use to us with spells in his command."

So splitting up the watches will be hard with so many casters... We need someone to watch the door and someone to watch Tilda as well. Any suggestions?

You are inside for just a few minutes when there is a knock on the door. You hear a muffled "It's Warden Horne." from the outside the front door.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31 "What's the problem Warden? " Errik says and then turns to the group "Seems he has a lot of men out there... " he whispers looking worried.

"No problem, sir. I have the crates from Fawni's here for you, sir.... and Mayor Doyle, sir. Mayor Doyle said to make sure no harm comes to you tonight." There is a distant rumble of thunder.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28
"Hey Braxton, the warden has a present for you from Fawni's" Errik opens the door looks about at the crates and men and then looks Warden Horne in the eyes. "Expecting some new attack Warden? I don't want to be a burden to Doyle's Run and we are capable of defending ourselves."

per/SM: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 211d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Corum catches the concern: "What is the problem and why so many men? Do you need our help with something?'

Perception:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

"Excellent, it is about time I get a pay off from our old Fawni haha." He quickly scavenges the crates from Fawni ignoring all the fuss the Warden is going on about.

Taking 20 in searching through boxes, and will set aside any items such as books or maps for Errik.

Warden Horne ducks his head in after handing the crates over to Braxton. "People are scared. Whole village has been holed up in their homes since the murders, but somehow rumors still spread. Thought of shapeshiftin killers don't sit too well with most folk."
He looks reluctant to continue, but sees the acknowledgement of concern.
"What I heard, and Mayor Doyle didn't deny it, is that if we were to hand you over tonight to this Horth fellow, he won't raze Doyle's Run tomorrow night with an army of undead." he shrugs.
"All he said when I asked if there be any truth to it was '..just make sure no harm comes to them tonight.'" Warden Horne straightens up and points in a few directions as he adds... "I've got eleven men out on patrol tonight, four including myself around your place. Everyone is in line of sight with someone else. Hopefully folks'll sleep well tonight knowin we're out here."

Master Marcotte lingers over Braxton's shoulder as he looks through the crates, and points to one of the blank spellbooks. "Do you mind if I put that to use?"

"I hope so too, and thank you for the support Warden. Make sure you wake us if anything happens... Like I said I'd hate for anyone to be hurt on my account"

"Hey buds, I gots some scrolls here though some I can't use, I'll let you all take a shot at them first if you give me first picks of the next 2 treasure troves we find? It's better then paying for them, har har."

" What ones were you looking to let go of? Maybe Mr Marcotte could make use of some of them too? " Errik will look through the scrolls before turning in for the night.

Corum is interested as well.

Marcotte smiles appreciatively at the offer "If I could just use a few to copy into this spellbook, I will be quite alright, thank you. I will take first watch over the young witch, Drulsk can take the next two watches, which leaves just a couple hours to be covered." He then sets up to fill the spellbook and watch the bound witch.

"Well Well, Errik and Corum, as I said I let's you both have first pick of them right here. So I might have first picks later, most of them I can use with a couple secrets I know but I bet you all can put them to better use." he arranges them for all to see and if you need to know them just check the crate spoiler above.

"Sounds good to me, I need my beauty rest." He turns to the little witch, "But listen here little darling, I sleep with one eye open so no shenanigans."

Are the cure x wounds scrolls arcane or divine?

Errik wakes taking in a loud gasp of air. Euchrid? older and the Derro "Ugh" getting up he goes to check on Tilda and then checks through a window to take stock of the situation outside.

You wake just after first light to find Marcotte still sleeping, and Drulsk standing over Tilda... now hogtied and gagged. "Caught her trying to cast somethin. Interrupted her in time, I think... .. used a little more rope on 'er too."
He cocks his head over toward Marcotte. "Master Marcotte could use a couple more hours of rest. As could I."

"Kinky......whatever floats your boat man.....zzz" Hearing Errik wake up in a huff, he looks over to his friend hand on crowbar. "What's a matter mate? Something here or else where?" He points to his head, since he has had random dreams in the past about there homeland, his curiousity over takes him.

Corum nods.

"You take advantage of our hospitality too much. I need to find that dunking booth."

"A dream, yes " Errik replies to Braxton. " It was strange, Varro, you and Euchrid were locked in a cell together I was there too. The guards came for Euchrid, we fought with them but were over come. The next thing I know I was lying on a table unable to move and not breathing... Euchrid was working with the Derro. He was older. Grey haired. There was someone else stuck in a glass tube full of water flailing about and beating against the glass. " Errik holds his head and shakes it slowly from side to side as he relates the dream.

"What the....." He moves over to his friend offering him a drink from his flask to get rid of them shakes. "Can you remember anything about the cell? Something to narrow down its location? If not, no problems lad."

" It was familiar to me, but no I... I don't know... " Errik replies deep in thought searching his fractured memory. " Let's see how the warden faired during the night and then continue our investigations. " Errik gets up and claps the Druslk on the back " Good work. " Before opening the front door. " Warden Horne? "

Leaning on a watch lantern pole a few feet away, Warden Horne turns to the door."Morning. Only one hiccup in our vigil. One of my men started to doze off standing. Luckily, we heard his lantern fall to the ground. Not really like him to fall asleep at his post like that... magicked maybe? Either way, didn't see anyone." He absently looks off to the west suggesting that was the direction the mentioned watchman was facing.

"In my past a guard snoozing on the job was a good thing, but in our current situation.........What part of town was the lad watching?" Braxton asks as he wakes himself up.