"I guess the first thing is to find out how much the restorations will cost, then to sell enough stuff to pay for them. If needs be I can see about getting a job making scrolls for a bit."
I sure hope not. They're so bossy. A pity the guilds won't let me just sell them myself. I wonder if the temple would entertain the idea of quid pro quo.
Belle feels a bit embarrassed at putting her restoration above the welfare of the child and keeps silent for a bit.
Tony is overcome by a sense a security, being surrounded by so much life.
Finally, a place to blend into.
He hears Brodin's plea, "Why, dear friend. We start by asking questions!"
He turns to Gilda, "You got any ideas?"
"Start with the guard at the gate?"
Gilda ponders this all in her heart for a moment. "The gate guards may know something, if they were on duty when they arrived. As Mayelle mentioned, her father is a follower of the Dawnflower, so maybe they sought refuge at the temple. Or, if something... not accidental happened to them and their cottage, they may have sought out the authorities; the Watch, the Sheriff or even the Governor."
"Very well, let's get started then" - Garrosh nods, heading to one of the guards at the gate - "Well met friend, my name is GArrosh and we have come across the Sheriff on our way here who has informed us the parents of that young child" - he nods at Mayelle from a distance - "Have been missing for a few days. We have the child with us and were wondering if the parents may have wondered in this direction, since we have been trying to follow their tracks" - he nods - "I understand this is a large settlement, but perhaps there is a chance we can try and understand if they have come this way?" - the half-orc adds.
"We're hoping they came looking for their child, but there were some signs that they may have come here for other reasons. Mayelle should be able to give a decent description of them, as may the child. But we would sure like to be able to reunite the child with her parents."
Poor little thing. She is holding up very well considering.
Mayelle clings to Gilda's hand as you speak with the guards at the gate. The guard looks at Garrosh and Belle, at the child and then back at the group. He seems to take note of Garrosh's and Sier's holy symbols. "I don't recall seeing a couple matching that description in the past several days, but I'm not on this gate all the time. If anyone came through here reporting a missing girl, it would have been reported to the Captain." He gives you directions to the Barracks, which is along the south wall, to the west of the gate.
As you begin along your way, you see the way to the barracks will lead you a short distance from the temple. Deciding since it is on your way, you may as well stop there and check.
The temple itself is set back from a side road and surrounded by a collonade of ornate columns. As the weather is warm and partly sunny, there are a few people in the open air part of the temple. A couple priests are speaking with a small group and another acolyte is handing out food to some poorer looking residents. You start into the plaza and hear a woman's voice call out, "Mayelle?" A squat, unkempt, middle-aged woman pushes rushes over to your group and throws her arms around the girl. Behind her comes a huge, deeply tanned bear of a man with a crumpled broad brimmed hat in his hands, of a similar age, with the look of a farmer. He looks at Gilda, "Gilda, you found Mayelle? And how did you find us? And who are these people?"
Gilda introduces you to Tibult and Jervenne, Mayelle's father and mother, and explains how you tracked them North.
"Thank Sarenrae! First she run off, and then the hobgoblins came... I thought for sure we would never see her again."
"Why look for her here? Or did you just look for a safe haven because of the hobgoblins? In any case, I sure am glad we found you. any idea why the hobgoblins attacked?"
Reynaud follows closely behind the group, saying nothing and trying not to be in the way of random passers-by.
Tibult looks at Belle, and replies, "Our daughter had been missing for two days, the sheriff notified, and hobgoblins attacked and burned our home to the ground in the middle of the night. We were not about to continue the search in the middle of the night, barefoot, in our nightclothes with absolutely no idea of what direction Mayelle had gone. We came here to alert the authorities and seek refuge, and hope that we would be reunited with are daughter. As for why the hobgoblins attacked, that is what they do. They are evil creatures who rape and kill and pillage."
Jervenne smiles up at Brodin from where she kneels with Mayelle. "Why no, I have no idea whom this lady in her dream could have been."
Smiling at the reunited family, Seir looks around for a priest who would be able to heal Belle and Reynaud.
Garrosh feels that something may be 'off', though he could not put the finger on what was exactly that made him uncomfortable. Also, the child seemed to recognize her parents - "It was a fortunate event that we have managed to find you here" - the massive half orc smiled - "Do you have means or perspectives on how to recover your livelihood?" - he inquires.
Brodin believes the woman is telling the truth. As Sier looks around, he sees a middle-aged priest of the Dawnflower approaching. "Hail and well met. I see you have found young Mayelle. My heart soars at her return. Ah, I see you are a follower! From where do you hail? The priest indicates Seir's holy symbol.
"I come from a smaller roadside temple to the west, not particularly close to any towns.
Some of my companions were drained by wraiths, and I am not strong enough to heal them. Do you know of anyone who could do that?"
"That would be me," she murmurs when Seir mentions the draining, "and Garrosh."
I wonder if this is what its like to be human and old. They sure do complain about it a lot and it sounds a lot like this.
The priest's face turns grave. "Wraiths? Oh my, they are quite deadly, especially if encountered at night. You are lucky you just had your vitality sapped. If one is successful in draining you of all of your life force, your spirit arises as one of them." The priest takes a look at Belle first, then Garrosh. "Oh my dear. Unfortunately, I do not have sufficient grace to restore your vitality. I have only recently come to Endholme and only started to gather followers of the Dawnflower. However, High Priest Thaban, at the temple of Pharasma, on King's Road offers the restoration you seek.
As you prepare to leave Jervenne profusely thanks you for finding Mayelle. Tibult takes you aside, [b]"I cannot pay you as everything we owned was burned in the fire, but my wife and I owe you a debt. I heard you mention Rappan Athuk. I ain't heard nothing but bad coming out of that place, but I have heard a great oracle can be found beyond a massive cavern. He can tell all to anyone willing to pay his price. I don't know his price, or where to get to this massive cavern. I just heard about this in my younger days." He stands with Jervenne and Mayelle, hat in hand and waves as you leave.
As you stride out into the street to find the temple of Pharasma, Gilda speaks up. "I will take my leave of you at this point. I have some supplies I need to gather, and then I would like to go and investigate the hobgoblins. That they are so active concerns me. When you pass south again, I will know once you enter the forest and may meet you again." She thinks again, and withdraws a bone scroll tube from her belt, handing it to the group. "I do not have much, but I wish to thank you for helping me reunite Mayelle with her Parents. Perhaps these will serve you well." With that, she takes her leave and disappears into the crowd. You open the scroll case and find three druidic scrolls; scroll of calm animals, scroll of cure light wounds, scroll of detect snares and pits.
You follow the priest's directions through the city, finally finding King's Road, and soon enough, the Temple of Pharasma. Ther eis a wait to speak with the High Priest, but Thaban explains that it is within his power to restore your vitality, for a donation of 280gp. You look at each other. Now you know the price.
Belle answers the priest with "Do you think you could take it in trade? I craft scrolls, particularly cure spells, that I could create and offer. Or any arcane spell up to my ability once I scribe the spell into my book."
"It was a fortunate event that we have managed to find you here" - the massive half orc smiled - "Do you have means or perspectives on how to recover your livelihood?" - he inquires.
----------------------
As you prepare to leave Jervenne profusely thanks you for finding Mayelle. Tibult takes you aside, "I cannot pay you as everything we owned was burned in the fire, but my wife and I owe you a debt. I heard you mention Rappan Athuk. I ain't heard nothing but bad coming out of that place, but I have heard a great oracle can be found beyond a massive cavern. He can tell all to anyone willing to pay his price. I don't know his price, or where to get to this massive cavern. I just heard about this in my younger days." He stands with Jervenne and Mayelle, hat in hand and waves as you leave.
"Your thanks are not required friend Jervenne - we are very satisfied we were of assistance in reuniting you three" - Garrosh nods - "Thank you for the information nonetheless - may you live a long and prosper life"
As you stride out into the street to find the temple of Pharasma, Gilda speaks up. "I will take my leave of you at this point. I have some supplies I need to gather, and then I would like to go and investigate the hobgoblins. That they are so active concerns me. When you pass south again, I will know once you enter the forest and may meet you again." She thinks again, and withdraws a bone scroll tube from her belt, handing it to the group. "I do not have much, but I wish to thank you for helping me reunite Mayelle with her Parents. Perhaps these will serve you well."
"I am sure we will meet again" - the half orc replies - "We are not yet certain of our course of action after we leave the city, but you may well find us at your doorstep, offering our assistance in investigating the hobgoblin activity. Stay well"
"It was a fortunate event that we have managed to find you here" - the massive half orc smiled - "Do you have means or perspectives on how to recover your livelihood?" - he inquires.Sorry, missed that. They would have said that they have the crops in the field, which will produce money to survive in the fall, and that they will have to figure out living accomodations until then.
Belle answers the priest with "Do you think you could take it in trade? I craft scrolls, particularly cure spells, that I could create and offer. Or any arcane spell up to my ability once I scribe the spell into my book."If you want to scribe scrolls and sell them for extra cash, or make a trade with the temple, that's fine. They can be sold or traded for half price.
Now that Belle has identify as a spell, she will memorize and cast it on the bottle. She just doesn't trust that it could be real.
It's an efreeti bottle.
Dang. Awesome. I think.
Anyway, what are our options at this point. I think they are:
1) Go after the Hobgoblins
2) Take on the ghoul lair
3) Go back to the main entrance
4) Go to that place we found out about in the caravan
Any others? Which would you prefer - I'd like to take on the ghouls or hobgobs.
As you stride out into the street to find the temple of Pharasma, Gilda speaks up. "I will take my leave of you at this point. I have some supplies I need to gather, and then I would like to go and investigate the hobgoblins. That they are so active concerns me. When you pass south again, I will know once you enter the forest and may meet you again."
The group leaves the city, heading south. If they meet up with Gilda we will join her in the Hobgoblin expedition; otherwise, we head on to the Mouth of Doom.
The road south is uneventful. Tibult and Jervenne's ruined home stands a shell of itself. The barn which was intact and empty of animals when you first came through, also remains. You pass the spot where you buried the gargoyle eyes, and it appears undisturbed. It takes a couple days to pass through the Penprie Forest, during which there is no sign of Gilda. As you are about to leave the shade of the trees, a raucus caw calls your attention upward to where a crow sits perched on a branch. The small scroll attached to it's leg catches your eye. The animal hops down onto the ground and allows you to take the scroll, and then takes off back up to the branches above.
The scroll is from Gilda and reads, "followed hobgoblins south, will contact you at bridge over Canyon River"
You know the Canyon River is north of Rappan Athuk, and the river that Zelkor's Ferry lies.
On Thursday, one week after you leave Endholme, you get to the bridge over the Canyon River. With just a few hours of daylight left, you camp just south of the bridge. Rappan Athuk is just a few days to the south.
You pass your first evening to the south of the river camped alongside the road quietly, pondering if all, or any, of you will spend another night here on the way back to Endholme. One day to the south is where you camped with the caravan, and where you cremated Agyen. Rappan Athuk lies maybe 2 days to the southeast. Zelkor's Ferry lies to the west, maybe 4 days travel, unless you can flag down a barge on the river.
Morning dawns, and you are greeted by Gilda striding into your camp. "Good morrow, friends. Fortuitous that you have arrived. I have found evidence of hobgoblins in the area, but have not been able to locate their lair. I have searched around to the west a half days journey in from the road, and along the river to the east for half a day. While I can find tracks bearing the same distinctive boot tread that were present at the burned farmhouse, they are weeks old, and I loose them frequently. But I am confident that they are in the area."
"Sounds like we need to check south of here next. Since that would be closer to Rappan Athuk, it would not surprise me if their camp was in that direction."
"Would it make sense if they were lairing underground?" - Garrosh suggests - "Perhaps with some sort of hidden entrance?"
Gilda nods, "I wouldn't say the trackls are concentrated anywhere particularly, or spread evenly. I've just found evidence of them all over this area. Yes, my next sortie would take me to the southeast. Rappan Athuk is that way?" Her face betrays some trepidation. "Hobgoblins may lair underground or may build above ground structures. They are very militaristic, so often build elaborate defenses. Now that we have joined up, we should be able to expand our search area, as I won't have to come back here to wait for you. We should be able to cover a good portion of the area to the southeast or southwest today. Any preference?"
"I say southeast" - the half orc nods, staring into the distance, and remembering his initial purpose in this area.
Reynaud agrees and follows along.
Belle also joins the search to the southeast.
meh
Heading off to the southwest, you begin to cover an area. The plan that Gilda shares with you would have you canvassing an area from the road to approximately five miles out. The terrain is rugged and sparsely wooded.
Mid-morning finds Garrosh, Seir and Gilda spotting tracks in the grass, while one of Gilda's wolf sniffs the air. While the three of you are able to tell the tracks are fresh, within the our, Seir wisely deduces there are three of them, wearing the same boots with the rope-wrapped soles that made the tracks at the burned-out farmhouse.
You rise from your crouch, noting the tracks to the others and start to look around. Seir catches movement at the edge of a copse of trees about a hundred yards away; three hobgoblins, two of which are looking in your direction.
Belle casts Mage armor and False Life on herself at this point, and use an arcane reservoir to trade out false life for Web.
"It's a bit unnerving having them watch us as we approach, but its not like we are being sneaky. Better this than an ambush, not that I'm ruling that possibility out."
I wonder how many of them there really are. Hobgoblins, from what I heard, are not exactly solitary creatures.
As Belle begins to start casting, the three hobgoblins also seem to be speaking and gesturing.
DC has been inflated as you are a hundred yards away.
Average Hobgoblin Initiative = 14/
Belle, Reynaud and Tony can act. Belle uses her action to cast Mage Armor. Once Tony and Reynaud act the hobgobs speak and gesticulate.
At that point, I'm going to break it into all of you you and them.
You are 300 feet away.
Mage Armor goes off. False Life is not cast and the arcane reservoirs is not used.
Just remember, Rappan Athuk covers a range of levels from 1 to 20+. Care to wager what the CR is?