When Anna appears out of nowhere, Dena almost let out a scream, clutching her chest. "Ah... Wha..." She manages to calm down a bit as anger appears in her eyes. "What in the nine hells are you trying to do? Scaring a old woman like that... No respect..." As Anna offers the pastry, the woman just looks at her for a second. "A what? A wretchy parrot?" She turns to look at Tolvan. "Did I miss pronounce that bad?" She look back at Anna. "I was trying to say that the walls have ears. But if it would make you feel better." She takes one of the pastry and stuff it in her mouth. "There, happy?" She talks as she is chewing then swallow the dessert.
Finally, once Anna is happy with the result of the pastry tasting, Dena frown a bit and you can feel a change in her attitude. "To answer your question fully, we would need more time than the spell gives us. But I'll do my best to be precise. The danger isn't aimed at me, but rather at those that ask questions. There are multiple factions at play here, and almost none of the them like the adventurer type like yourselves. You know, the ones that ask questions. We did have two men that rode here a few days ago. They came here and meet another that was waiting here. The three of them spent a day here, moving about, talking to people. Eventually, the third man left with one of the two riders. They were last seen heading East, possibly to Illmarsh. The other left in another direction, but I'm not sure where to."
"Oh," Anna says abashedly when her suspicions are proven false. "Well, can't be too careful." She stays quiet and listens attentively to Dena's information.
Ananias settles into his room, setting up his armor truss and doffing his armor as he prepares for bed. He sits in quiet reflection by the window, pondering his feelings towards Iomedae in her ascended state and what that might mean for his feelings towards Pharasma.
Dena, I am sorry for the lack of trust on Anna's part. She is sometimes overzealous, but in her defense we have faced a lot together and we are fighting a great enemy who is capable of poisoning, and worse. We appreciate you coming to us and telling us what you know. Strangely I know of Illmarsh and have been there before.
Can you tell us who they spoke with? I'd like to find out what they were up to here before we depart. And I'd really like to know where that third rider headed.
Kimberly mostly has kept to herself and making sure Ananias finds his way around.
before retiring for the evening, she takes a small tray of food to his room. Rest well friend. Pharasma has plans for us and we must be ready when she calls.
Danica make the arrangements of getting a room with either a large bed or 2 single beds, hopefully one that is close to Ananias' room. Danica offers her payment and heads towards the room behind the young oracle.
Danica catches up behind Kimberly then guiding her to their room. "It's you and me in this room young lady." Danica opens the room and enters before her, doing her typical suspicious search, confirming that it is safe. "Best we stay together. Tolvan and Anna have a room then it is us two in this one. You know how I don't like to separate the team but in this case we leave the 2 lover birds alone."
Danica begins to settle into her room. Removing her gear is quite an easy task for the inquisitor. The only item of gear she needs to remove besides her backpack is her magical belt and her daytime clothing. Perhaps she will think about getting herself another set or two of adventure clothes, something that will allow her to freely move around during combat.
Ananias sits alone in his room, allowing him to reflect on what the priest told him in Lepidstadt. "Serving two goddesses is a possibility, especially if you are not tied to the divine energy of one for spells or abilities." He then took a pause, weighing his words. "In your case, however, you are torn between two goddesses that have a complicated history. Ever since the death of Aroden, Iomedea got upset at the Lady of the grave for not warning anyone about it. The Inheritor felt that something could have been done to prevent that death if Pharasma had said something. On the other hand, the follower of the Gray Lady would say that it isn't her duty to warn or prevent others death, but to help those souls to pass to the next stage."
"Now, what would be the next stage for a dead god? That's a question no one seems to be able to answer. But whatever it is, his death did leave quite the impact on this world. As for you, you said that you you are torn between family tradition and some sort of personal debt to Pharasma and a new found attraction to the Iomedaen faith. My best recommendation to you is time, soul searching and prayers. Take your time before making that decision, it isn't something you should just rush into."
There was other talk about faith and history. The priest was impressed by your knowledge of the past during the shining crusade, but more than once he looks puzzled by your lack of knowledge of the more recent history.
Still eyeing Anna, Dena answer back to Tolvan. "It's ok, I probably shouldn't have been surprised by the suspicion." With the tension leaving the room, she sits down and starts explaining what she knows. "I don't know where the third rider went after he left, except for the fact that he didn't go in the same direction of the other two. As for what they did in town, well, I didn't have them followed. But I do know they went to the High Mart and one of the Star Stelae. There is also some rumor that they spend some time at the old chapel, but I didn't pursue that. They most likely did other stuff, but questions sometimes lead to people disappearing, so I only gather what information that come my way."
Anna sits down on the bed, dejected. "All three left? Then we're too late." She begins fuming to herself. "Dammit, dammit, DAMN IT! Why'd I bother with the Lodge? If we'd have left right away, we could've caught up to them!"
She groans in frustration, smacking herself in her forehead with the heel of her palm. "Stupid, stupid, soft and sentimental!"
She calms down after a moment. Dejected, she looks at Dena. "Does this town have any legends about a tentacle monster with tree trunks for legs? If so point us in its direction and we'll be on our way."
"Tentacle monster??" She raises an eyebrow and tilt her head slightly. "Not that I know of, and I think people would have heard about that if such thing was around here. Why do you ask?"
Anna exchanges a look with Tolvan. "Well, we're professional monster hunters." She holds up a finger to her lips. "Don't tell anyone."
Not too late. We know were two were headed. And after some investigation around town, your specialty I believe Anna, we will head there. I know the place well enough that we could choose to teleport there, but I its close enough that I think we should take our horses. We might need them there and such a small town might not have good horses for sale. And the third, well how many roads are there out of this town? We know he did not take one of them, so he took another.
At the monster hunter comment Tolvan only smiles. Thank you Dena for your help. Know that you have done you entire nation good by sharing this with us. Can you tell us of these places: The High Mart, the Star Stelae, and the old chapel? And thinking of horses, is there any chance they might have bought or exchanged horses here?
"The High Mart is basically a big indoor market. You can find pretty much everything one could need. Clothes, furnitures, meat, fish, fishing supplies, almost every merchant of the town are there. That's also where any traveling merchant will set up shop during their stay. There are a few stalls that sell the slightly more exotic stuff. Armors, weapons and alchemical supplies. Sometimes you can get lucky and find some magical gear."
"The Star Stelae are menhirs of a forgotten age. They have been here for way longer than the town. They have runes carved into them, and every scholar that passes through here take a few days to study them. So far, no one was able to make sense of them, even with the help of magic."
"As for the old Chapel, well, that's an old abandoned temple to Pharasma. The last priest that was tending to it apparently went mad and some bad things happened there." She looks at Anna. "No, no tentacle monster, sorry. But whatever happened, ended with the death of the priest and the temple as lay there, ignored by the townsfolk for over fifty years"
"Fifty years ago?" Anna says with a groan. "I wonder if that's related to our first 'monster hunt.'" Anna looks uneasily at Tolvan.
She sits down on the bed and rubs her shoulders. "Any other good news you got for us?"
I see no reason to visit this market. Any business done there would have been overt and likely mundane. But I'd see this Star Stelae before I leave this place. He shoots Anna a knowing glance and adds And I think we must have a look at this abandoned temple to Pharasma for Kimberly's sake if for no other reason.
Anna nods in agreement, though the market would have definitely been more her style. "Okay. Thanks, Dena. Tolvan, let's go fill in the others what we learned then get some skeep. You don't want to go tonight, I hope?"
Then she leans her head on his shoulder. "And we can do some more practice tonight before bed."
No, Anna. Not tonight. There is a promise in his voice.
tanding up, Dena looks at Anna and Tolvan. "Well, I'll leave you alone. The spell is about to expire anyway. Don't forget to keep your conversation to small talk when in public places. You never know how is listening." With that last advice, she quietly leaves the room.
Tolvan and Anna go and find the others. Bringing them together Tolvan will cast Message to help hide the information he needs to impart and tells the group what he has learned, leaving out nothing.
Anna follows Tolvan to help him relay the information they learned from Dena. She still appears bitter that they're again behind the Way.
"I'm not excited about going up to the old church, but if the Whisperers were there, it's a good bet they stirred up some old spirits."
Once they've told the others, she pesters Tolvan about practicing. "Come on. I'm serious. I want to keep trying."
You wake up the next morning, refreshed from a good night in a dry bed. When you get back downstairs in the common room, you don't see Dena or any of the evening staff. Instead, there is a gray old man behind the counter. He looks at you and then grunt has he points to a table. A few minutes after you sit down, he walks over with a basket of bread, some fruits and water. Without a word he walks back behind the counter.
Before coming down Tolvan completes his daily ritual of study and meditation to commit his spells to memory. As Part of this he casts Mage Armor on both himself and Danica, and Overland Flight on himself.
Seeing the old man Tolvan chooses not to sit but casts Detect Magic immediately and studies the man for a moment before asking Who are you, and wehre are the normal staff of the Inn?
Danica remains quiet and allows her friend to do the talking. In the meantime Danica casts Detect Evil....then Law..... then Chaos.
They're probably still asleep, Anna thinks while grabbing an apple from the basket and casually polishing it on her sleeve. She leans back and watches with interest.
The old man looks up at Tolvan. He then talks, but to everyone's ears, it sounds more like a series of grunt. He then brings his two hands together, palms touching. He then brings them near his face and lay the side of his head on the hands, closing his eyes for a second.
Danica, from her current position, slightly tilts her head in confusion. Taking advantage of Tolvan's message/whisper spell Danica says <Is this guys planning on taking a nap?>
<I think he means to say that the night crew are sleeping. I imagine it would be quite rare to have the same people staffing an inn from morning through night; that would be a long day indeed.> Ananias tears off some bread as he sits, then addresses the innkeeper. "Do you have any hot food to break our fast?"
When the others have all sat, he's had some time to process what Anna and Tolvan learned from Dena last night. "I think this church sounds interesting." His eyes flick away from Kimberly at this. "Especially since it sounds to be abandoned. This seems like just the place that would interest... well, you know."
Ananias is right. The man seems to be mute. Let us eat and then go check out this church.
Anna bites loudly into her apple. She nods when they agree to go to the church.
"Okay," she says after chewing and swallowing. "I like checking these things out in the daytime, too."
Kimberly was silent all morning, she seemed to still bee groggy from the night before.
she picks at her food as she listens to the others. I don't like the thought of those whispering way folk in Pharasma's holy place is rather upsetting. perhaps we can look to cleaning the place up. I may look to taking up residence there when we are done with all of this.
With the meal over, the group travels through the street of the town. They cross the path of multiple inhabitants going about their business. Most of the people smile at them, some even say hello. On their way there, they pass the Fort and then some sort of an indoor public market that can only be the High Mart. After that, it is just a few more houses before they exit the town and onto the poorly maintained road to the Old Chapel. Traveling for a little more than five hundred feet the group finally sees the building. It does indeed look abandoned and in bad shape, one has to wonder why was it never demolish instead.
While the villagers seem polite and friendly, you get the feeling that you are not that welcome and they would rather that you leave.
<Their pleasantries are rather false and they would rather for us to be out of here.>
Danica is not bother by the villager's resentment. She remembers how the Beast was treated and how the towns people treated them for defending the Beast. She realizes that people only know and care within their little circles and most are unwilling to coming out and experience outside of their realms.
Danica is quite grateful for life she has experienced even though it is wrought with dark creatures but she has made some very good friends along her journey.
Really. They seem nice enough to me. I'm sure they appreciate our coin being spent in their town at least. the mostly oblivious Tolvan adds.
He considers the decrepit structure before the group, looking it over appraisingly.
Anna saw the same feigned politeness that Danica did. She shakes her head at Tolvan's naivete. "Oh, they'll take our gold, no doubt, and with a smile. But I've seen it before in the old bitties' eyes back in my home town. They don't know us. They don't trust us. And they'll be much happier when we're gone."
She sighs when she sees the old chapel and it's state of disrepair. She checks her weapons and loads her crossbow as they approach.
She studies the building, looking for signs that it might be occupied.
The group walks closer to the chapel. The old building has seen better days. There is not a part of it that doesn't need some repairs. The windows are all broken, the roof has missing singles and maybe even some holes in it. The outside walls are all bare of paint and sign of mold and moss are visible. The path to the front door is almost all covered by grass, but while the door is still there, it seems to be just barely holding there.
"Seems pretty empty. And that front door looks ready to fall off its hinges. I'll betcha there's another way in. Let's circle around."
It does look bad. Could certainly stand some repair, but I believe its sturdy enough for our investigation. Tolvan readies his bow as he advances. Yes, lets circle around once and then enter. Anna, traps?
Danica moves about looking to see and hear if they are the only ones around. When she gets the feeling of safety she then slightly diverts herself from the group in order to investigate the area more in detail. <You guys continue. I want to investigate a little bit more in detail for any tracks besides our own.>
The inquisitor kneels down on the ground looking for any signs of recent tracks. At the same time she uses her Detect Magic spell to aid her investigation.
"I'll let you know if I spot any," Anna replies to Tolvan. Letting Danica study the ground for tracks, she puts her practiced eye toward finding any unpleasant surprises.
Ananais stays close to Kimberly, making sure that she is protected as they approach and investigate. He simply nods when Anna suggests circling around the crumbling building. <Lead the way; I'll have your back.>
The group circle around the building, trying to find any clues before getting closer. The back of the chapel is just as bad as the front. You do notice another entrance, however. While the front would lead into the temple itself, this one seems to be for the private quarters of the priest that would be stationed there. The door of this entrance is nowhere to be seen and from what you see on the inside, no one has used that space in ages.
Anna moves cautiously inside the parsonage, peering inside. If nothing moves and there are no traps, she steps inside for a more thorough search.
Tolvan, bow in hand, moves just to the entrance, and standing to the right of it, just outside watches Anna expertly move in. He enjoys watching her work; a true expert in her craft.
Anna walks into the building under the watchful eyes of Tolvan. The place is simple as one would expect from a priest of Pharasma. Time wasn't nicer on the inside. The place is a total shambles of broken furnitures, dust, cobweb and dead leaves. She finds no traps, no tracks, bigger than small rodents and no hint that someone used this place since it was abandoned. In a way, it is unusual. A place like this in a city this size should have had squatters using it.
Anna shivers and rubs her shoulders as she finishes looking around. She meets the eyes of Tolvan watching her from outside. She gives him a shake of her head.
Stepping out of the abandoned shack, she reports. "Nothing. Completely empty. Which is kind of odd, 'cause you'd think that someone might have squatted here at some point. But no."
Hmm. There is some force at work here I'd wager. Lets all go in and investigate further. Perhaps we can clean it up a little and Kimberly cna do something to reclaim the place?
Danica stays in a kneeling position as she continues to investigate the area. Using the whispering spell that Tolvan casted upon the group <Guys, I found some tracks. Couple of days old by the looks of it. Kind of fits the same timeline of the agents we are pursuing. Tracks leading north west into the woods.>
<There are a couple of questions here. Why would the agents come to this chapel? What is north west from this location? Does anything look out of place, like something was moved or remove from the place? I know that is probably looking for a needle in a haystack.>