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Oakley checks out the house, and settles in. When the others talk of sneaking out, he says "The law here... says no wandering... at night. We really should... obey."
Of course, he won't stop the others, but his training has ingrained a strong sense of following directions, and so he is not willing to break the law at this point.
Deciding to wait until they know the lay of the land better, the tangle of leshies set about exploring their temporary digs while Norv and Ruby flop down on a nearby bench.
"Like wow, this place kinda gives me the creeps," your guide remarks. "Not this place itself but like, the town. Who has curfews like that outside Cheliax??"
A thorough examination of the guest house reveals nothing that seems out of the ordinary. There's a small kitchen, well-stocked with cooking pans and utensils as well as herbs and spices, as well as a privy, central sitting room with a dining table, chairs, and benches, and two rooms that sport several wooden bunk beds. Windows can be found in most of the rooms, each sporting a set of orange curtains.
When Tacca peeks back outside at the message box, it appears to be just that - a large wooden box with a lid and an orange flag currently located in the 'down' position. Glancing around at some of the nearby houses Tacca can see that each of them also boasts a similar sort of message box outside near their front doors.
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"If you are all that worried about it, should we keep at least one person on watch through the night?" Captain Chlorophyll asks. "The sherif seemed pretty reasonable to me, but I've been surprised by mammals before."
They are willing to take one of the watches overnight if people want to watch in shifts.
"D-d-demon?" Norv gulps, sitting up quickly and casting a fearful look around. "Like...maybe Ruby and I should stay here and hold down the fort tomorrow...guard the supplies..."
*RYEAH!* Ruby barks in agreement.
And so that settles the matter.
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Deciding to behave yourselves - for now - everyone settles in for a nice dinner of grilled hyena steak, cheesy livers, and blood gelatin for dessert. It's a surprisingly good meal, aided by the freshness of the ingredients and the modest but well-maintained kitchen. Who knew that Norv was such a good cook? After a bit of chatter on what to do in the morning, everyone then beds down (if you haven't already) in whatever manner they see fit - the guest house has several bunk beds but there's also plenty of room to spread bedrolls on the floor if you wish. Watches may or may not be set, but either way the night thankfully passes quietly and without incident.
The next morning you all begin to stir as hints of the morning sun peek through the closed curtains. Remembering that curfew lasts until an hour after sunrise, you mill about and go through your usual morning routines until the sound of the triple bell ringing out signals the end of curfew. When you peek outside one of the windows or open the front door, you notice that there are several baskets sitting outside next to the message box - presumably the rations that Sheriff Molume had said would be provided to you. Closer investigation reveals that the baskets are filled with onion bread, fresh raw vegetables, berries, cashews and cashew milk, as well as jugs of fresh, clear water.
A few other early-risers can be seen passing to and fro on their way to work or whatever other business they might have for the day but otherwise the village is still relatively quiet. There's 10 hours until the bells will sound again to signal the start of the town's curfew - surely plenty of time to have a look around and hopefully learn more about what might have happened to Amenira...
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"Dauswil, best you stay scarce today. Scaring people is the last thing we need to do right now." Motueka says as Dauswil fades into nothingness.
Fine but when they come for you I wont be there to defend you...I will fail once again. Oh hush.
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He joins the others as the prepare for their plans to scope out the town.
"During the day it should be safe enough to split up a bit? I think I will head to the Artisan's Square. Curfews are bad for business and business is good for talking...and I need to sample the local brews." he adds in chuckling.
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Boom Sticks spends the night in plant shape. As the rays of the sun come through the curtains, the blackened vines once more become the excitable little leshy.
"Morning! Ah, some water, good. Er, best hide these other 'foods' from Tacca, I think."
They drink their fill of water, and partake of Norv's cooking.
"I don't mind where we start, but we should remember to visit Amenira's house for certain."
Deciding that it's surely safe to split up during daylight hours Motueka and Captain C. decide to visit the artisan's square and maybe hit up whatever watering hole Mercy possesses.
Making your way south from the guesthouse, you wander into an open square lined with various shops, most of them smithies and woodworking shops judging by the signs out front, but you also spot a building emblazoned with the simple sign 'Hoop & Grapes'. As you begin to make your way toward it, the two of you notice two groups of citizens who appear to be engaged in some sort of heated disagreement. Oddly enough, all of their clothing - tunics and slacks with scarves and belts - is of the same orange hue. You recall that Sheriff Molume also wore orange.
"Oh yeah!?" one of the men from one group bellows at the second group. "Well you wouldn’t even be able ta’ sleep at night iffin’ it weren’t for us, making your houses an’ your furniture an’ patchin’ up all the holes in your walls!"
The second group offer boos and hisses of disagreement. "Stuff it, Fergus! You’d not be able to do any of that if it weren’t for us making the tools and nails you do it with!" screams a woman in reply. The first group grumbles mutinously and the whole situation seems very tense...and Sheriff Molume currently is nowhere to be seen.
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Leaving Captain Chlorophyll and Motueka to see what sort of scuttlebutt they can pick up in town, the rest of you strike out towards Amenira's home, purportedly on the western edge of town. Even with following the directions the sheriff gave you it's a bit of a walk, but the weather is surprisingly pleasant for being so far out in the Mana Wastes. What's less pleasant for some of you are the strange looks and whispers you get from the villagers you pass; mostly wary but more than a few seem curious as well. However, no one bothers you and you're able to reach Amenira's home without any trouble.
This well-kept wooden building, painted in festive shades of orange, is the only painted structure in Mercy - just as the sheriff had said it would be. Thus, it stands out quite a bit. A pair of cashew trees flanks its front entrance and a small, overgrown garden runs the length of the house's eastern side. The windows are covered by orange curtains and the front door, the only visible entrance, is closed.
A quick study of this home reveals that it’s much newer than the other buildings here in Mercy, likely built only within the last couple of years.
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"This house is new, no more than a couple of years old. Every other building here in Mercy looks to be a lot older."
Tacca runs a calloused hand down the trunk of one of the cashew trees. "What crimes against flora have you witnessed in this hell-hole, I wonder."
He turns to his companions and opens the door. "Well, shall we step inside?"
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Looking back and forth between the two groups, Captain Chlorophyll is worried it may come to blows. He tries to step in and calm both sides down.
“Pardon me, but why are you so angry at each other? Seems to me like you are like the sun and the rain, both needed for the community to stay healthy and blooming.”
As Tacca places his hand on the cashew tree, he would almost swear that it seemed to tremble slightly. What horrors indeed...if only these trees could talk!
Ready to proceed, Boom Sticks gives the front door a quick examination and determines that it's (perhaps surprisingly) unlocked and seems to be free of traps and other shenanigans. Reassured that the door is safe, the leshy quartet slowly swing the door open...and are greeted by a mess of workbenches, tools, toys, and dolls, all in various stages of completion. Doorways lead off from this main room, seemingly a workshop of sorts, into a small bedroom, a kitchen, and a washroom.
The scatter of belongings around the workshop as well as elsewhere isn’t entirely random. It appears that the occupant packed weapons, armors, and other items in a great hurry.
In contrast to the messy workspace, the bedroom is much less cluttered. The bedcovers are thrown back and some of the drawers in the small wooden dresser are partially open, but it’s in a far better state than the workshop. A quick search of the bedroom reveals a spellbook as well as a journal. Flipping through the journal you can see that it hasn’t been written in in some time and largely details the day-to-day life that Amenira led in Mercy.
Within the pages of mundane entries you come across something much more interesting - a collection of various quirks and unspoken rules of the town that Amenira discovered while living here!
Amenira’s spellbook contains the following spells:
Alarm, Burning Hands, Comprehend Languages, Dispel Magic, Enter Image, Featherfall, Flaming Sphere, Floating Disk, Glitterdust, Hydraulic Push, Identify, Locate Object, Mage Armor, Memory Lapse, Resist Energy, and Sleep.
As you peek under the bed, you suddenly spy, back in the far corner, a doll...and as you look at it, it shifts slightly and you realize with a start that it’s looking back at you!
Both groups of people turn as Captain Chlorophyll and Motueka speak up and attempt to calm the situation down before it comes to blows; surprise flickers across the faces of several of them but it's quickly replaced by uncertainty for some, thoughtfulness for others, and sheepish embarrassment for all.
"Well! Hello strangers," the man addressed as Fergus replies, awkwardly scratching at the back of his neck. "Sorry you had to hear all that. It's your first day here in Mercy, right? The Sheriff told us we had some visitors but, ah...got to admit, wasn't expecting anything quite like you two."
The woman, ostensibly the ringleader of the second group of artisans, coughs and finally offers her hand, callused and dotted with small burns, for a polite shake. "Fergus is right, we didn't mean to get outsiders involved in our problems. Name's Olivia. Blacksmith by trade."
"Think they probably figured that out on their own, 'Livia," Fergus remarks wryly. Olivia shoots him a dirty look but he ignores it. "Look, fact is, these little folks have a point - I guess we wouldn't have our houses without folks to shape the wood and folks to make the nails to hold the wood together. Never thought of it like the sun and the rain but it makes a heck of a lot of sense when you put it like that."
Olivia sighs and rubs at the bridge of her nose. "Yeah...yeah, I guess. At the very least we shouldn't be bickering out here in broad daylight in front of everyone." Her expression brightens a bit as she looks down at Motueka. "You said something about a drink, right? I like the way you think, stranger. What's your name?"
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As Tacca places his hand on the cashew tree, he would almost swear that it seemed to tremble slightly. What horrors indeed...if only these trees could talk!
If there are any vines near to or part of the cashew trees, Boom Sticks will speak with them.
Boom looks around...
"She left in a hurry. Look how the room is arranged. Amenira took weapons, armour, other useful equipment, whilst leaving the rest... What's this? See here, in the journal? Amenira found 'unspoken rules of Mercy.' Oh dear, Tacca. You may be right about Robori. Amenira says their vegetarianism is religious! No cursing, not even polite words said in a rude manner. Watch out on that Bad Seed, or they might eat you first! Did you notice how the Sheriff looked at you? What else is there? No blue clothes, no unleashed dogs, no gambling of any kind, and no gods other than Robori. These vegetarians deny the existence of all other gods! This is a dangerous place."
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Looking around at the mess, Tacca nods in agreement. "You're right, Boom-Boom. She must have been frightened of something or someone."
He picks up Amenira's journal. "Yeah, at least now we have a better understanding of their 'rules'. The only cure for these fanatics is to eat a few chicken wings. But not until we get to the bottom of this caper."
"You guys find anything else interesting?"
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“I am Captain Chlorophyll, Green Knight of Taldor, Protector of Gourd!” they proudly proclaim.
Turning towards Fergus, they add “Yes, we are new here.”
Gesturing towards both of them, they add “I am glad to have been able to give you a different perspective to see things from. It really does sound to me like both of you provide valuable skills.”
“So, where is the best place to get drinks here?” They look hopefully towards Fergus and then Olivia.
As Boom Sticks looks around at the cashew trees outside, he actually does spot a morning glory vine creeping its way up at the backside of one of them! Placing a small, viney hand on one of its flowers he reaches out to the consciousness within...
...and feels a wave of surprise but also welcome as said consciousness greets you in return.
"Hello! Hello! Who are you?? Your voice is new! Are you a new sprout?"
Meanwhile and a short time later, the investigation of Amenira's home yields even more disturbing information and ominous signs; not only does Mercy boast a number of strange, apparently unspoken rules, but all signs point to Amenira having left her home in a hurry for reasons that remain shrouded in mystery. The one thing that does seem clear, however, is that Mercy is truly a dangerous place - for plants and fleshy outsiders alike!
"The best place? That'd be the 'Hoop & Grapes', just across the square there," Fergus points.
"It's the best place because it's the only place," Olivia adds dryly. "And Roderick's basement moonshine doesn't count!"
Fergus waves his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But they asked a question and it's only polite to give 'em an answer. Anyway yeah, that's where you'll wanna go. Probably don't have the selection you folks might be used to out there," he gestures to mean the world beyond Mercy's walls, "but it's good stuff, made with care."
As you chat with Fergus and Olivia, you catch movement out of the corner of your eye and you glance over to see what appear to be a group of small figures peeking around the corner of one of the shops. All of them are dressed in orange just as the other citizens you’ve seen are but, disturbingly, their faces, arms, and legs all appear to be covered in bandages.
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Captain Chlorophyll looks worried as they peer at one of the shops. Injured halflings? I wonder why they are bandaged up like that.
“Any chance the Hoops and Grapes would have dandelion wine?” they ask in a distracted tone.
They will slowly follow Fergus and Olivia across the square, occasionally looking back. I will have to remember to tell the others about that!
While the rest of you watch and wait curiously - or stand and sulk in Bad Seed's case - Boom Sticks seems to be enjoying a surprisingly pleasant conversation with the morning glory vine he's found...
"New sprout! New sprout!" the vine exclaims happily. "The Warmth and the Light made you, like we were made! You'll love the sunlight, so warm and bright! And eat the food the earth gives to us! Happy, happy, happy~" it continues in a singsong tone.
It's weird - you're not sure with who or with what but you're positive that these vines are used to conversation...even if they don't seem particularly bright.
"Oh yeah, their dandelion wine's pretty good actually," Fergus remarks amiably. "And, uh...normally there would be more work to be done, but...well...I reckon maybe it won't hurt to take a break for a bit and have a drink." He looks at Olivia. "Whaddya say? Truce over a pint or two?"
Olivia finally smiles, a slow smile but one of bemusement. "I guess it can't hurt. Especially since these folks were decent enough to talk some sense when they had no earthly reason to care anything about our little local squabbles."
"That settles it! Come on then," Fergus nods, moving to follow Motueka and joining him in beckoning for Olivia, Captain Chlorophyll, and the rest of the workers to come join them.
As you continue to throw occasional glances back over your shoulder, you spot what looks to be another citizen - likely a human judging from the size - hurry up and begin shooing the smaller figures back out of sight around the corner.
Convinced that this so-called Robori is at the heart of Amenira's disappearance and all the other strange things the group has witnessed, the four of you leave Amenira's empty home and make your way through town towards the temple - an easy enough task since the tree and the temple that adjoins it are by far the tallest things around.
Upon making your way to the center of town, you're finally able to truly appreciate the size of this great, gnarled tree, stretching high towards the sun - judging by its size it's quite an old tree indeed. Animals made of twisted twigs adorn the branches, and vanilla orchids flourish in the shade. A pleasant walkway snakes around the tree up to the temple opening, which has no door that you can see. From what you can see through the opening, it appears that wooden pews line the east and west side of the building, and another large garden runs along the outside wall to the south.
Though the great, twisted tree appears to have a healthy trunk and branches, you notice that there’s some sort of blight affecting the tree’s roots when you look more closely.
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From a distance the great, twisted tree appears to have a healthy trunk and branches, but as Tacca approaches, he notices something's wrong. "Look, there’s some sort of blight affecting the tree’s roots."
"Boom-Boom, can you try talking to the tree? I think it's sick."
Tacca looks around for anyone nearby.
As Boom Sticks looks around for any vines growing nearby he's in luck! Around the backside of the great tree, a small but hearty-looking morning glory vine slowly seems to be winding its way upward.
Then, as Tacca and Boom Sticks ruminate on the strange blight that seems to be affecting the great tree, a middle-aged woman dressed in robes of orange peers out of the temple's doorway, seemingly drawn by the sounds of their conversation. For a split second her eyes widen with surprise at the sight of you but it quickly passes and she offers a polite smile.
"Hello, travelers! Have you come to worship under the mighty arms of Robori, God of Trees?" she calls.
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"Not exactly, ma'am, but we're mighty interested in learning more about your deity." Tacca says with a measure of courtesy.
"Funny thing, words. Ever notice how 'deity' and 'diet' are almost anagrams?" Tacca runs a hand through his corn-rows. "Just can't fathom, how a Tree God can call for its followers to dine exclusively on his or her relatives." He gives the woman a look. "Please, help me understand your strict observation of vegetarianism."
He jerks a gnarled thumb back at the giant tree. "Robari's a bit under the weather, by the way. Root rot, looks like. Maybe we could help?"
"Well, that in itself is a start, isn't it?" the woman smiles as she comes out of the temple and down the winding walkway. "And I'll do what I can to help - I'm Zuri, High Priestess of the Church of Robori," she explains, giving the gathered leshies a small bow.
She glances up at the great tree, reaching out to gently place her hand on the trunk. "It's thanks to Robori's greatness that our town has survived all these years out in the Mana Wastes. The trees protect us from the storms that rage, the crops grow strong and healthy in spite of the climate." Zuri takes her hand from Robori's trunk and turns back to Tacca. "What else can we do but eat of the bounty he provides to us?"
The High Priestess' expression is calm and approachable, if not completely welcoming. However, she frowns when Tacca points out the blight affecting the tree's roots. "Why...I hadn't noticed this at all," Zuri murmurs as she kneels down to take a closer look. "This...oh my. No, whatever is causing this, it must be stopped - the God of Trees cannot be allowed to suffer a blight!"
Meanwhile, Boom Sticks sidles around behind Robori's great trunk and casually reaches out to speak to the creeping morning glory vine....
Once more you sense surprise as you reach out to touch the vine's consciousness - and then the same simple joy, as well.
"New Shoot, hello New Shoot! We're Rivea! Rivea is what the big ones call us! We like that name, we like it a lot! Just like the sun, warm and bright! And we eat the food the earth gives us, yum yum! We feel happy, New Shoot, happy happy!"
Then, there's the slightest of pauses when Boom inquires about the 'Big Wood' that Rivea is currently growing atop of.
"The old tree! He's mean! He never talks with us, he never talks with the Warmth and the Light like the rest of us do!"
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