Corinna Valdemar |
"No, but keys tend to travel less distances from their locks than arrows from their bows. Melon has at least given us a plan if we do come upon a building that isn't crumbling enough for us to push down."
Corinna shrugs, unconvinced. "I've a key in my pocket that fits a lock in Korvosa," she replies, following the elf.
If it becomes necessary, Corinna can use her bonded item to cast mending, but that's a serious waste for a cantrip. If at all possible, I'd prefer to wait until after we rest and prepare the spell normally, leaving her arcane bond available for a combat spell.
Gilfroy Fezziwig |
Malan wrote:"No, but keys tend to travel less distances from their locks than arrows from their bows. Melon has at least given us a plan if we do come upon a building that isn't crumbling enough for us to push down."Corinna shrugs, unconvinced. "I've a key in my pocket that fits a lock in Korvosa," she replies, following the elf.
If it becomes necessary, Corinna can use her bonded item to cast mending, but that's a serious waste for a cantrip. If at all possible, I'd prefer to wait until after we rest and prepare the spell normally, leaving her arcane bond available for a combat spell.
Or at least wait until we are confronted by a lock, upon whose opening the entire adventure path depends, and will clearly break the key (which is the only means in the multiverse to open said door) upon use.
"Just another mystery," Gilfroy replies cheerfully as he follows Malan, though his cheer is short-lived.
Navior |
Leaving the question of the key for another time, you make your way back along the path to where you first exited the forest. From there you head south and into the village itself. The first buildings you encounter have almost completely collapsed, although one partially standing structure looks similar to the old glassworks building in Sandpoint. A little further on, the buildings are a little more intact, but all of them look ready to collapse at any moment. Just to the southeast, there is a wooden fence with an iron gate in the middle (the gate is marked by a little red line on the map). The gate is flanked by a pair of statues of a woman with butterfly wings.
The centre of the village is dominated by an algae-choked lagoon. A bridge crossing the north side of the lagoon has collapsed, but a path around the south end remains intact.
Where would you like to go from here? The gate? The longship you saw earlier? Search any of the buildings? Search for the way to the castle? Or anything else?
Corinna Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Gilfroy Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Malan Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Melon Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Tevyn Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Corinna Valdemar |
Knowledge (religion) 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28 Well, that's a useful time for a 20 to turn up when I only needed a 2. C'mon, with that level of expertise, she ought to know the specific historical period when that particular representation of Desna was in vogue or the splinter of her church that favored it or something. :P
"The boat isn't old enough to have been here when Ameiko's grandfather was," Corinna says, "although it could be where the person whose tracks we've been following came from." She glances around nervously, as if expecting someone to leap from the undergrowth at any moment. "That's Desna," she points out, nodding to the statues on either side of the iron gate. "Could be a temple."
Navior |
You make your way over to the remains of the glassworks building, passing a couple of completely collapsed buildings along the way (in the rubble of one, you see the remains of another statue like the ones by the gate, so the building may have once been a temple to Desna). What remains of the glassworks is in terrible shape. Through a missing wall, you can see that the interior is nothing but rubble now. Once up close, you have serious reservations about looking through the rubble, as any disturbance might just bring what remains of the roof down on top of you.
Corinna Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Gilfroy Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Melon Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Corinna Valdemar |
"Just a moment," Corinna replies, passing her fingers in front of her eyes and speaking a few syllables. She stares intently into the rubble, slowly turning her head until her gaze has passed over all of it visible from outside the broken wall for a few seconds.
Casting detect magic to look for any auras in the rubble of the buiding.
Navior |
Corinna does not detect any magical auras emanating from the remains of the glassworks building.
Moving on to the westernmost pier, you are able to get a better look at the ship. As you suspected earlier, it's definitely out of place here. It's been heavily damaged and half-sunk, but the damage is clearly quite recent. There are tremendous claw marks across portions of the hull as well as long scorch marks.
Corinna Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Gilfroy Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Malan Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Melon Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Tevyn Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
Tevyn |
Tevyn studies the claw marks more closely, trying to think if he'd ever encountered or heard of something that fits the size and shapes of the claws.
Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
After the examination he turns back to the others. "So where to next? If that statue was of Desna, perhaps the gate leads to a temple? It might warrant a closer look. If Desna favors us, perhaps there are items remaining there that would help us."
Navior |
You make your way back southeast, past the ruined glassworks and the completely collapsed buildings near it, to the fence with the iron gate. The fence is quite rickety and up close, it's quite easy to peer through the gaps in the wooden planks if you lean up to the them. The gate is sturdier and in better condition. Indeed, it's in the best condition of anything you've seen so far in Brinewall. There are only a few hints of rust here and there.
The gate is unlocked and, although heavy, swings open with relative ease. Beyond is not a temple, but instead, a low hill containing numerous graves. A stone crypt sits atop the hill to the east. The entire graveyard is surprisingly well-tended. The grass appears to have been weeded and the gravestones are quite clean. A single gravestone sits apart from the rest near the northern edge of the cemetery.
Corinna Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
Gilfroy Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Malan Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Melon Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Tevyn Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Malan |
"That is nothing unusual. Many elves learn not to leave tracks before their first century. I do, however, doubt that it is an elf is the caretaker here. Perhaps it is a creature strongly aligned to the element of earth." Malan reads some of the headstones. He will make his way to the lone one in the north.
Tevyn |
Just a clarification: There are signs of small animals. Note I said, "no signs of any tracks other than small animals." :)
Sorry - I must have been rendered temporarily blind. Some of the reports I'm working on tend to do that.
Tevyn stops. "Oh. There's a squirrel track. I don't know how I missed that. Still, it seems strange that there'd be any caretaker here at all, much less one that leaves no sign of its presence."
He makes his way toward the single gravestone standing alone and looks for an inscription.
Malan |
"Look! Divine provenance has provided us with a chance to speak with Desna about her housekeeping efforts." Malan teases. "I don't mean to be presumptuous, but would you mind saying a few words of thanks, Gilfroy? We have had a very relaxing journey so far, and don't forget about Ameiko."
Melon Sash |
Melon spends the first few minutes looking over the place curiously; but then - once she's satisfied that nothing exciting is happening - she offers a prayer to Desna in front of the statue. Then proceeds to an open space in the graveyard and practices her forms. Strangely, for a girl generally so lacking in regard to etiquette, her stances and poses are filled with purpose and discipline. Precise position, exquisite control of motion.
Navior |
Oops. Missed Gilfroy's detect magic. He has not detected any magic in the cemetery. Note the holy water doesn't detect as magical.
Gilfroy is able to remember a few things Koya has said regarding Desna's faith, although he's rarely actually seen her lead worship services or prayer.
"You worship Desna?" a high-pitched, somewhat musical voice suddenly says as Gilfroy finishes speaking. You all whirl around to see a tiny figure rise up from behind one of the gravestones. Like a miniature elf or gnome, the figure floats above the gravestone on butterfly-like wings. She wears studded leather armour and has a pair of miniature starknives attached to her belt. "It is unusual to see worshippers of Desna in a place of such evil."
Gilfroy Fezziwig |
Gilfroy recovers from his no doubt startled expression.
"No, my good mistress. I serve the goddess Sivanah, though a very good friend of mine, who stayed back on the main road, is a priestess of Desna, and she recently made me aware of our patrons' similarities. There is certainly a great deal to respect in Desna. I hope I did not offend in offering such prayers."
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26
Corinna Valdemar |
Knowledge (planes) 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
Corinna almost laughs in relief at the sudden reversal of fortune: expecting danger and finding help beyond what they could have hoped to find even in more hospitable environs. "She's a lyrakien, a kind of azata from the plane of Elysium," she murmurs to whoever's nearest. "They're known to serve as messengers to some of the goodly gods ... like Desna. Please, we were traveling by caravan to Kalsgaard when these people's employer fell ill. We think there is some malign influence here in Brinewall affecting her, as she can't be taken away without getting worse. Could you possibly help her? Ameiko worships Desna, doesn't she? With the wanderlust and the flightiness and the lack of any sense of responsibility?"
Gilfroy Fezziwig |
Corinna feels a sharp pain in her foot as Gilfroy "accidentally" steps on it.
"I'm sure you meant her celebratory attitude of the self-worth of the individual and expulsion of the pedantic, allowing creativity and inspiration free rein."
Melon Sash |
"Nu-uh, Ameiko is a free spirit; but I think her artistic side draws her to Sheylin first. She sees beauty in all things and only wants others to share in what she sees." Having not heard Corinna's quiet aside, she looks at the creature with big eyes as she approaches, "Are you a pixie? I haven't seen any before!"
Malan |
Knowledge: Planes 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
"It is no more unusual to see such a staunch servant of good such as yourself in a place of such evil." Malan responds. "Well met. I am Malan. This is Miss Corinna, Gilfroy, Melon, and Tevyn."
Navior |
The small, floating figure listens with an amused expression as you each speak. She smiles and flies swiftly over to the shrine, where she hovers over the small statue of Desna. "My name is Spivey," she says. "Yes, I am a servant of Desna. No, I'm not a pixie. Yes, I am a lyrakien. I saw you arrive here, but I couldn't be sure of your intentions, so I hid and watched while you looked around town. Few travellers come to Brinewall these days, and most who do are warlike. Just a few days ago, a ship full of warriors arrived intent on plundering lost treasures. You seemed reasonable people and when you prayed here at the shrine, I decided to announce myself."
Spivey begins to flutter about you as she speaks, coming up to each of your faces, then flying around you and on to the next of you. "One of you is ill? Where is this person? It is possible Brinewall is the cause. Or rather something in Brinewall Castle. There is great evil there. I do my best to keep this cemetery tended despite the evil. The corbies mostly ignore me here. If I could, I would tend the whole town." She shakes her head sadly.
Flying back over the shrine, she says, "I will do what I can to aid you. Tell me more of your situation."
Tevyn |
Tevyn inclines his head in greeting. "As Corinna said, our friend, Ameiko, has been struck by some sort of illness when we approached the outer borders of Brinewall. When we tried to take her away from here, she worsened and began to shake uncontrollably. Coming back she stilled again but she is still unconscious. We suspect that something in Brinewall is the cause and have come here to ferret it out."
Corinna Valdemar |
"Add to that that she was specifically told in a letter from beyond the grave guarded by the walking dead that she would be in great danger if she ever came near to Brinewall, and it's not that hard to make the connection really," Corinna adds dryly. "It's like telling a small child that a stove is hot; rather than heed a well-meant warning, they just have to see for themselves."
Spivey aka Navior |
Spivey tilts her head in thought. "Whether her reasons for coming were wise or unwise, your friend came and is in trouble. It does indeed sound like it is some effect from the castle, though I do not know how the corbies would have achieved such a thing. Where is your friend now? Are there others with her?"
Spivey aka Navior |
"Terrible creatures," Spivey says, circling slowly around the statue of Desna. "They are like humanoid crows. They are vicious and cruel, and they rule over Brinewall castle now. They moved in many years ago after the town was abandoned and have remained ever since. I do not know what they would want with your friend."