"Just give 20 minutes to get them ready. I'd suggest putting Doyle back in his room before you plan... just in case. At least until he starts makin sense." Warden Horne leaves in a foul overwhelmed-by-magicky-crap mood again.
Tilda responds to Sunny "I'm surious here. We are special kind of coven." Her tone changes, and she makes clear eye contact "Very much like you and your twin chippy..." She closes her eyes and shakes her head. "If I am there, they will be even stronger. And they'll be ready... at least one of the imps got away."
As Drulsk the half-orc bodyguard starts to move to escort Mayor Doyle back to his room, Doyle addresses him.
"So Drulsk... tell us who your friend is here. He is certainly making me feel a tad overdressed right now, I do say"
Drulsk stops and looks at Gromsch. "Gromsch was my master.. my tutor many years ago... Though I do not remember, I sent word to him asking to inspect the curious water here."
Mayor Doyle allows Drulsk to conduct introductions with Corum's help, and then hands his glass of water to Gromsch after taking a sip. "Seems fine to me."
I'll tell you when I see some rolls
Corum
"Mayor, tell me what motivate you, and why you are suddenly so helpful?"
"You have finally come to see me. Isn't that what I asked on the first day you arrived? This might have been far less complicated if you had simply joined me for breakfast as I'd requested."
He did something to the water. You caught what looked like a tiny gesture as he directed attention to Drulsk and Gromsch, but - in the terms of your background - if it was a spell, it was both stilled and silenced.
Sunny reaches out and simply 'tweaks' Tilda's nose. "We's gona'a be havin' a chat whence the trouble with tha' other Witches be dealt with." She says to the girl with her usual bright and pleasant smile, then turns her attention back to the discussion taking place between the Mayor and every one else.
Corum mentions: "I am parched."
Taking the glass of water from the alchemist, he carefully preserves it for further analysis.
"Yes, we need to have a private conversation and make sure we all are in agreement."
Hm, Corum, whats with the water?
Sunny skips along, Suny in tow, and cranes her neck when Corum and Gromsch start talking about the water the Mayor was so keen on
Drulsk takes Mayor Doyle to his room. He returns to find Gromsch inspecting the water.
"There is a reason I am not surprised you received a letter I don't remember writing. Karthak the dwarf, and Corum here found Master Marcotte and myself in some sort of comatose state. We were stuck in a dreamstate for... who knows how long. Wiped much of my recent memories." He then stops having realized something.
"There was some sort of glob attached to our heads... I am sure you could determine what it is." He goes through the north door, and returns with a bluish green blob like moldy gelatin in a glass jar.
It takes just a few minutes after Mayor Doyle leaves, to determine the water is perfectly pure... as if just purified.
"If the rest of you would like to step in here... Bimnil will show you what was taken from your beaten foes at the lumbermill." He gestures to the north door.
Corum holds up his hands and tries to explain his actions to the alchemist:"I saw the mayor manipulating the water. This place is making me paranoid. I see plots and manipulations at every turn. I am having trust issues with those involved."
Corum follows the bodyguard.
"Let us hope we have some good news here."
Bimnil is arranging scrolls, and storing them in tubes when you come in... there's a fair collection here.
"Some intr'esting stuff here." He steps behind the other table where several trinkets are laid out.
"Decoy Ring... you get knocked out, and it makes you invisible, and creates multiple illusions of you runnin different directions... not bad."
"This medallion here will protect your mind... be good against those brain burglars I'd suspect... if there're any still around. Mind Sentinel Medallion is the name if you plan on writin home about it."
"And lastly... these gloves. Something I've never seen before... pretty simple workings though. Stores four scrolls. Snap your fingers and then touch your thumb to the finger the desired scroll is stored in. Haven't quite figured out the nitty gritty details, but that's what it does."
Hm, strange. This water seems purer than it should be. Maybe he has purified it to hide something, that was in it beforer, or he has purified it, after he noticed that his manipulation was observed.
I should analyse the water in the carafe and the water in the well.
Hm, let's see. This seems to be some kind of ooze.
You detect some type of impurity in the water from the well. After you set up the device to extract the impurity from the sample of water, you have a little time to inspect the blob.
It looks very much like Derro brain mold... the substance the notoriously insane underground dwelling creature, subsist upon. This specimen has many active properties, and will take time to fully understand.
At first glance it seems to have some sort of perpetual chain reaction involving alchemy, arcane, and divine magic. You have no idea what purpose it serves... or anything more than that yet....
When you check on the impurity extraction, you notice that the color of the substance dripping from the steaming device matches the blob.
Sunny's eyes go wide.
"Wait? There be somat...weird...in'a waters? Is it growin' there? Or did tha' feller put it there?" She asks, wonders.
Hm, interesting. This thing seems to be like Derro brain mold. A substance these creatures subsist upon. But this especially seems to be treated in many different manners. There are hints for alchemy, arcane and clerical magic. But to determine what this thing does exactly, I have to study it more thorough.
But when I now compare my destillate, that I have gained from the well water. It seems that the water is contaminated by this substance.
"So you're saying they put this stuff in the water, tainted for all the local people to drink? What would that do exactly?"
When you start probing the blob, it begins to break down. With what you have to work with, you determine the main component that would affect the water supply. It functions like a anesthetic to the brain's defenses
Also... seeing the breakdown of the chain reaction gives you some insight to the cyclical nature.
Sunny pulls a face of 'icky-ness' and whispers to Suny,
"An' at's why ye dun't go swimmin' in'a waters about tha' place." Nodding sagely as she warns her companion.
"Well, we can look at the water more closely later. Let us get after the main witch."
Corum turns to his favorite dwarf.
"Keep Tilda safe and locked up. She would gut either us in an instant if given the chance, so watch your back. Keeping her full of intoxicants is probably a solid plan."
"Keep her drunk. You got it... its on me." Karthak pats Corum on the back, and lets his hand slide down to his coinpurse. "And none of that cheap... whats this... some sorta weird ancient elven secret slim-finger knot on your coinpurse?"
Corum hands Karthak a few gold.
"Who would like this mind medallion? I think only I can use the wands we found, so someone else might be due this magic. I nominate our clever alchemist. Having someone with the ability to hurl explosives be turned would be dangerous."
Aura faint abjuration; CL 1st
Slot neck; Price 3,500 gp; Weight —
DESCRIPTION
The surface of this silver medallion is covered in angular geometric shapes that refract light randomly. The medallion grants a continuous +2 resistance bonus on saves versus mind-affecting spells, spell-like abilities , and supernatural abilities. If the wearer fails a save to avoid becoming dominated or confused, the amulet immediately grants the wearer a second saving throw to resist the effect. If this second save is successful, the medallion’s power fades away entirely and it becomes a simple piece of silver jewelry.
CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
Craft Wondrous Item, protection from evil; Cost 1,750 gp.
Sunny reaches out hesitantly and takes a look at the proffered item.
"Ooo...pretty.." She murmurs. She slips it around her neck and turns to show the thing off to Suny. Then takes it off and places it around Suny's neck to see how pretty it makes her look.
(^_^)
Further reporting his discoveries:
I wouldn't drink this water without treatening it with heat. Over time this will anesthetic the brain's defenses.
To Corum:
I wouldn't say no. But being just a few hours here, I wouldn't assert claims.
"You stopped the witch!"
Zed has been remaining silent and listening for quite a while, seeming to be lost in his own thoughts. He seems to just be thinking. About how all the cogs in this great plan are meshing together. As Corum brings up the medallion Zed takes a look at it and nods approvingly. "I actually use a trick similar to this. I can give others a second chance at throwing off debilitating magic effecting them." He hands it back "That being said, I'm pretty good at keeping my own head."
He clears his throat "There is a lot in the dark right now, and I don't like it. Let's go shed some light on this, sooner rather than later. We should keep moving, keep those that oppose us guessing."
"I agree. Enough inaction. Let us go after this Crone. It will be easier without Tilda along to try and kill anyone! I would be worred that third time would be a charm!"
Sunny nods, agreeing with Corum, though she turns and begins to whisper quietly in Suny's ear.
Ok, then I'll take it.
Gromsch packs his laboratory back in his backpack and makes himself ready to get off.
"Let's do this, then...I'm ready to go whack some witches..."
When you step outside Errik's house, Warden Horne is there at the corner. "Got me and three of my men to watch the outside... we will keep back unless you call for us. I just don't want anything gettin out."
He motions for you to lead on. "Ready when you are... we will stay out of sight until you are at the door."
The house is light rose-hued grey two-story building. There is a front porch on the Northeast corner.. the corner you face as you approach.
The first floor has dark-shingled eaves, and an empty front porch.
The second story is less than half the floor space of the first floor. It is topped with a flat shingle-lees roof.. topped with a nonsmoking chimney and wrought iron fencing around the edge.
Each side of the house has at least one window... you see no light or anything else through them from your current position. All you see in the windows is the warm glow of the rising sun reflecting off the glass.
"Somebody stealthy, come with me. Let's see if we can drop down through that chimney. The rest of you should approach from the front, distract them and then we can close on them from inside and out."
Sunny baulks at Zed's comment.
"Down tha' smokey thing? But...but, they's fire an' dirt an' soot an', an' well...dun't people put things at tha' bottom of things like that?" She asks.
Corum waits for the chimney team to be ready to go down. "Should have some ropes for quick entry."
He gestures and an insubstantial creature of air appears ready to rush down the chimney with them.
"Possibly, but if you look at it there's no smoke coming up. There's a good chance there's no fire down there, at the very worst a bed of coals. Either way, I can shoot down a bit of water to cool it down. Corum, when I wave you to start your approach. Make some noise too."
Still looking a little bit nervous Sunny nods at Zed's explanation and trusts to his knowledge about such things as she quietly pads along behind/with him.
Just before approaching the door, Varian takes a moment to cast Shield of Faith on himself.
With a few last, whispered words to her friend/companion Sunny skips off with Zed.
"Owie! Bindsies in ma toes!" (>_<)Sunny curses quietly, even as she skips deftly over the rough garden ground.
Those attempting to glance through the first floor windows - from an angle without the glare of the morning sun, see only variations of dark unmoving, and slightly blocky shapes... what one would expect to see in an empty dark furnished room.
"Ok let's go in."
Corum looks around--specifically looking for traps and hidden creatures.
As they prepare to go up, Zed makes himself and Sunny invisible.
As Zed and Sunny begin to scale the side of the house, the rest of you make your way to the front door. The door appears to be a simple wooden door, but you see the reinforcement over where a deadbolt would likely be.
You don't yet hear any sound coming from within the house.
As you get onto the eaves over the first floor, you see the nearby window - although smudged with grey/brown filth, appears to be clearer than those below. (perhaps more ambient light within).
Zed points at the window, then moves up and peeks through.
Before Zed and Sunny depart, Gromsch some vials to his comrades.
Sunny, this will make you strong for a few minutes.
Zed, this one will protect you.
Varian, this will protect you too.
I have here another one which will let you grow. If anyone want's it, I will give it to him.
Gromsch then follows Corum while makes himself ready to drink a potion before they enter the building
"thank you for the shield potion. i'd love growth but i fear quarters will be too close for such inside so i will pass on that one this time." He drinks the potion of shield gratefully.
(sorry cannot type brackets to format properly from my phone)
Corum sees the door barred.
"We are busting in I guess."