Marten does his best to ignore the rain. The weather is inevitable; there’s no use grousing about it. Although the occasional use of prestedigitation to dry his clothes helps very much.
When Anneka mentions Marten’s name when talking to Shalellu, he turns to address the newcomer. ”I don’t believe we’ve met. Marten Desato. You are?”
"Shalelu I helped brief the others before about the goblin tribes near Sandpoint after the attack on the Swallowtail Festival. I've known some of the others longer than that."
Martin discovers references to an obscure form of arcane magic native to Varissia from ancient times associated with the Sihedron. The seven pointed star has many other meanings mixed up with it making the whole thing rather confusing.
Each point represented a school of magic, this arcane theory identified divination magic as universal. Each school was tied to a virtue but in most cases this is more as a sin of some kind. This leads to it's nickname of Sin Magic. The specialist wizards of this tradition though few and far between do exist to this day, but it is said that the extreme specialization is even more demanding than normal in ones study.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
When she and Ferocia get to the Inn, Azalia makes sure they choose a small table to sit at, so that there won't be room for all of the others plus Shalelu. She doesn't mind Shalelu herself... she's better than most of her kin, but she doesn't want to upset Ferocia further. Bad enough to have them in the same Inn and the same room. Same table would be going way too far.
"Shalelu I helped brief the others before about the goblin tribes near Sandpoint after the attack on the Swallowtail Festival. I've known some of the others longer than that."
”Yes, they did good work during and immediately after the festival. These giants you mentioned. What’s causing their recent aggression?”
When she and Ferocia get to the Inn, Azalia makes sure they choose a small table to sit at, so that there won't be room for all of the others plus Shalelu. She doesn't mind Shalelu herself... she's better than most of her kin, but she doesn't want to upset Ferocia further. Bad enough to have them in the same Inn and the same room. Same table would be going way too far.
Ferocia sits down with a growl. She glares out the window for a long while before turning to take in her surroundings. She notices the small table and smirks slightly. "Thank goodness." She sighs deeply and shakes her head at herself. "Sorry. At least I'll never be accused of subtlety." she jokes.
Ferocia's trio of birds shuffle off of her shoulders and perch on the windowsill beside her. Ferocia busies herself with sprinkling some bird food on the ledge beside them, then gestures the server over. "A pitcher of ale."
"I think you misunderstood me Marten. That was my guess as to why you were here, to try your hand against the giants in their territory, clearly it's not. There's strange things going on in this area obviously but as far as I am aware so far there is no reason to lay it at the feet of the Giants... for now."
"And what strange events are you aware?"
Shalelu gets a little more distant "I'd rather not go into it truth be told."
”Pardon, but why not? We do have some complicated matters to handle in the area. Additional information from a knowledgeable source could be vital.”
There's some trepidation, mixed emotions and concern. Scared wouldn't be right, anxious would be more apt.
Shalelu shifts uncomfortably "My concerns have a personal inclination I'm not going to discuss. But given what you've said might not be as important as what you are here to investigate. What has you all so concerned?"
”Cult activity, madam. And yes, we are but a small part of those taking note of how widespread this problem is. I’m not sure what the cause of your hesitancy is, but rest assured that we are here for no less a reason than saving lives. Citizens from Sandpoint and surrounding areas have been murdered due to these cultists.” Marten raises his eyebrows expectantly as if giving the elf another chance to answer his earlier question.
"As the others point out, we are both capable and intent on saving lives. Please, Shalelu, if you know something, tell us."
She sighs answering Miron but leaves out how exactly it was personal. "I heard that no one had heard from Fort Rannick in a while and was concerned, it may well be nothing but I wanted to check for myself. I'm not sure how true it is so was asking around town to see if anyone had traded with any of the Black Arrows in town. So far no one has seen any of them but it's a long road. Perhaps the weather has kept them at bay."
"Thank you Shalelu. Do you think it likely they are so delayed by the road conditions?"
"Fort Rannick might have seen trouble," Anneka acknowledges, but the letter to Xanesha had mentioned something about cultivating the town of Turtleback Ferry. "How about local troubles?" she asks Shalelu. "Has anything unusual occurred in town?"
"I doubt it Miron, but they could be occupied with something." Turning to answer Anneka she continues "People seem worked up but that's mostly about the unseasonal weather so far as I could tell. I only arrived in town a few hours before you did."
"Understood. Perhaps the locals will say more tonight."
Anneka visits the local grocer, making idle chat concerning the availability of foodstuffs at the village, the frequency of imports and exports and the like, suggesting that Sandpoint Savories might one day issue a franchise license and open a location in Turtleback Ferry. Turtleback Tasties, on the other hand, also has a ring to it. Perhaps a new, wholly owned subsidiary?
She's also probing for information, patent or latent, that might suggest the presence of Xanesha's ilk.
She does have a bit of trouble reading lips here, as the local vernacular is different from what she's used to.
Ferocia listens to the surrounding conversations at the inn while she eats.
---
Eventually she sighs and gets to work trying to actually be helpful.
"Hey! You! Anything weird going on around here lately?"
*sigh*
"Yes, other than me."
---
Having her attempts at conversation fall flat (like always) Ferocia decides to go back to eavesdropping on the locals.
Azalia smiles at Ferocia attempting to come out of her shell and decides to help. She goes around to the local tables, sharing stories and getting some in return.
Gather information:
Then she returns to the table with Ferocia and tells her everything she was able to learn.
Little of any potential value is said in the tavern that evening but Drazh, Anneka and Azalia make do find out about a few curious ideas... as to whether they'd stand up to investigation...
"No one believes me, but that leader of the Black Arrows—Bayden’s his name, I think—he’s got something going on over across the lake. I seen him comin’ and goin’ from Whitewillow, and so’s my friends. I’m pretty sure he’s up to no good. Nothing friendly lives in swamps, after all!"
"Heard a bunch of fishermen from Pendaka got themselves eaten by Pinkeye the Gar a week ago. Serves the fools right for tangling with a fish bigger than their boat!"
"The rains came early this year. Gonna flood out my crops if they don’t let up soon. Last time it rained this early this much, we got floods. That were, what, 40-some years ago? Turned out there were a witch behind it all—she were tryin’ to turn us all into frogs or somethin’ with all the rain!"
"So I noticed my uncle had a weird star-shaped tattoo on his shoulder the other day. I asked him about it, and he just got all angry and tol’ me to mind my own. Thing is, though... that ain’t the first time I seen that kinda tattoo. Lotsa folks got ’em here. They hide ’em good enough, but you keep an eye out, you’ll see one on an ankle or arm or back here and there, sure enough. I don’t got one, though, I tell you! Tattoos is sinful business!"
Miron bids Shalelu a good night and goes for a wander of the local establishments, for now avoiding the others. He asks a series of innocuous sounding questions about the area, attempting to put people at ease and get them to speak up about their troubles.
"Good work Drazh. It may be worth investigating the Graul family. Did you find out where they dwell?"
Azalia specifically tells everyone about the star tattoos that she heard "everyone" seems to have. That sounds like some of the marking that we heard of before.
Fingering the sihedron medallion that she picked up during their adventures, she asks Could the old religion/cult be spreading?
Sensing that Miron prefers to investigate alone, and noting that Ferocia and Azalia are canvassing together, Marten opts to follow Anneka, silently following her and trying to determine what’s not being answered and why.
Shortly after he returned to Sandpoint, Marten focused his intention to learn as much about his brother’s family’s home as possible to better protect them and the other residents. He applies the lessons he learned during that effort to see what he can learn about recent events in this town.
Anneka orders herbal tea, a dark, local blend made with tree bark. She sips it, worrying over what she'd learned with Marten. "The leader of the Black Arrows, Bayden, has been seen coming and going from the swamps of Whitewillow, across the lake."
"And, speaking of lakes, there's also a monstrous fish that hunts these waters. It's known as Pinkeye the Gar and is reportedly bigger than a boat--large enough to consume grown men."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Miron speaks and signs, concern appearing on his face.
"Azalai, those tattoos sound concerning. Especially given what we know of 'subtle' means of 'harvesting'. It could be that these tattoos are a means to drain from their bearer - to mark their soul for when they do die."
"Anneka, Whitewillow may be our next destination then. It sounds far more dangerous than possible ogre-kin. And it is best to be warned about this fish before we encounter it, should it exist."
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
"Azalai, those tattoos sound concerning. Especially given what we know of 'subtle' means of 'harvesting'. It could be that these tattoos are a means to drain from their bearer - to mark their soul for when they do die."
Sipping his own drink, Marten shares what he learned from his research in Magnimar regarding the Sihedron.
Marten discovers references to an obscure form of arcane magic native to Varissia from ancient times associated with the Sihedron. The seven pointed star has many other meanings mixed up with it making the whole thing rather confusing.
Each point represented a school of magic, this arcane theory identified divination magic as universal. Each school was tied to a virtue but in most cases this is more as a sin of some kind. This leads to it's nickname of Sin Magic. The specialist wizards of this tradition though few and far between do exist to this day, but it is said that the extreme specialization is even more demanding than normal in ones study.
Marten gets the impression everyone is being earnest. He can't recall anything new they haven't discussed before.
"Ogres, stars, sins, arrows..." Ferocia shrugs. "Just tell me when we're moving."
"Let us discover who is scribing these tattoos on the citizens."
"In this weather, people are more likely to be covered up. Perhaps we should wait until morning to begin seeking people with tattoos."
"We can keep a passive eye out. As Azalia's source said, keeping an eye out seems to be an option."
Throughout the night and the next morning the rain continues to pour from the skies and wind howls outside.
How long do you want to stay in town and what do you want to do there?
Ferocia stomps out into the rain and approaches a random passerby. "Hey! I like tattoos." she gestures at her many obvious tattoos that peek out from her shirt, and cover her neck and arms. "Especially stars. Know anyone with a wicked star tattoo I can take a look at? Or a place I can get some ink done? I'm willing to pay good coin for inspiration."
She repeats this process until she gets bored, it gets too late, or until someone gives her some useful information.
|
Drazh sat at the tavern, watching Ferocia work her...charms. He shook his head and turned to the bartender.
”Sorry lad. She’s nay right in the head. A good lass, but nay suitable for polite company. Knowing her she’ll bother all ye customers, or at least everyone outside, until she sees a bloody star tattoo or whatever fancies that broken mind of hers. Ye know anyone with such a tattoo? It’ll get her to shut up and leave us all in peace.”
Sin magic? The information concerning the rune is enlightening. The sihedron's power and purpose somehow relate to ancient sorcery of virtues and sin. Yet these revelations also bring a deeper fear, for the implications are far more vast than Anneka initially imagined. Why is the sihedron appearing now, in Sandpoint, Magnimar, and in Turtleback Ferry? Its sudden emergence in multiple locations across Varisia, among cultists and high-ranking officials, and not to mention her own dreams, suggests that its power, or the power behind it, threatens the entire continent.
She decides she will let Azalia, Marten, and Miron ruminate on matters of arcane heritage for the time being, and instead turns to the piece of information she herself acquired that day: Whitewillow. There is something in the swamp that involves Bayden and the Black Arrows. Whether it relates to the sihedron, sin magic, or the giant and ogre threats, she can't say.
She might have turned to her usual method, but she hasn't packed any knitting needles. And the innkeep would rightly question bird entrails.
Instead, she lays still in her bed, listening to the rain and thinking about the swamp, and waiting to see where her dreams will take her.
"Uhm Grandmother Ulti has a spiraling comet tatoo, you know Pharasmas symbol. She's been midwife here for a long time. Do you think you'd like to see that? There's a Varissian man working at Paradise as well, he might have something."
Anneka meditates but it brings no enlightenment. Perhaps the events are two hard to divine. But it could also be the focus of her divination isn't something that will be. Bayden might be finished with the Whitewillow or perhaps was never going there at all.
Azalia asks around town and there's no established tatoo shop as the area is too small. There are a few folks around town who can make tatoos, as well as visiting Varisians nomads.
Miron follows quietly, keeping a watchful eye on the crowd's reaction to Ferocia's questions.
The person is being honest by and large though as most in town seem to be they are wary of you.
Miron will attempt to look less threatening while he positions himself to see as many of the patrons as possible.
Then over a period of less than a minute, he draws upon a divine gift.
A gift to peer into the nature of people.
When/if Marten hears what Azalia has learned, he “suggests:”
”We should begin by questioning the visiting Varisian nomads that are skilled in tattooing. They and the recent cult activity both share the quality of being new to the area.”