Straehan shakes the bone fragments and Attic Whisperer dust from his robe after the giant's strike smashes the creature into particulate matter. "Nice work. Remind me to never step in front of your blade."
The gnome looks around the room, searching for anything relevant overlooked by his compatriots. He quickly skims the child's notes. "Well, this is a black tale. We have Chopper, the boy who probably starved to death in this miserable place, and presumably Chopper's patron - the Bishop. I'm assuming we'll be taking the child's remains for a proper burial?"
If this Red Bishop was directing the Chopper, then he has much to answer for. Everybody stopped looking once they found the Chopper's body.
I had not been in town more than a few weeks when they found him, and I was still young, but I remember the uproar it all caused.
"Is the Red bishop more of a local bogey man or a illusion of the chopper."
KN Local
"Then it is settled, we put the remains to rest. Then we make sure this island is cleared out. Finally we see how much this island costs so I can build the Brindolfin Inn."
"Probably best to search downstairs first, unless he'll get back in in a few minutes. It makes me angry, reading those papers, letting him turn into that 'thing'. But if there is something else here, I'd rather we deal with it first."
There are no local rumors or legends about anything or anyone called the Red Bishop. It could have been a hallucination of Stoot's, especially if he'd found that statue...but...he was found with his eyes and tongue removed. What if he hadn't done it to himself?
"Poor lost and lonely child. If the townsfolk had taken more than a cursory glance at this place, they might have staved off much heartbreak.
Kaddoc gently collects the child's bones.
"These need to be returned to his father, but Sparrow is right, we had best not repeat the mistakes of the past and should finish searching downstairs before we leave."
"Where we built the previous pyre could a new one easily be made. I believe the father could accept the stuffed animal remnants as proof too, and I worry we may find some labyrinth downstairs that could take so much time for us to get out that the Attic Whisperer returns.
Then again, I have no idea what the religion of the kid or its parents are, so if you say you know what it is and the funeral can't be done with a pyre, then that is also fine with me, just don't blame me if the undead we once defeated returns for revenge.
This kid was not even slightly related to me unlike the other two so I only worry because the ensured return of the creature if no funeral is done, and not because I am obsessed with rituals or fire or even with the idea that all dead have to be put to rest properly."
Ryu sighed. "The bed and other things in here would probably burn well and could be used to create the second pyre. The weather is clear now so another reason not to risk to have it changed later for the ceremony. Of course if you prefer to show the already half-crazed parents the remains be my guest, but maybe they wouldn't even believe us even if both the remains and the toy are pushed into their faces. So that may be a reason to forget the whole funeral and let them handle the undead once it appears." The reason they are on the island is to give the parents a closure. Would they be willing to accept such a closure though? As Ryu said there is a possibility that another pyre funeral would be the best, but there is also a chance the parents would demand to see more than just the toy, of course dragging this out may result in getting the undead attack them or the parents too.
"You asserted your family right to decide how and when the woman and babe should be cremated. Given that, you have no right to decide this child's fate in place of the father. I'd rather face the child's spirit again, should it reappear, if we can ensure it is put to rest for good." Straehan nods to the half-orc, giving his silent support to Kaddoc's packing of the remains.
"Biter, do you want to scout down the stairs first or is it my honor?"
Biter -- quietly huffing and puffing his adrenaline fatigue away by the floor whole while the team decides what to do with the boy-body -- nods at the gnome's question and heads downstairs... blade once again stowed and bow in hand
The spiral staircase continues downward from the main floor for about 80' further before ending at a point seemingly at sea level where the stairwell collapsed and is flooded with seawater lapping the steps next to the Chopper's woodcarving blade.
Straehan catfoots after Biter down the stairs only to stop abruptly - staring at the ruined stairwell ending at the water's edge. He pulls out a coil of silk rope speculatively.
He speaks more to himself than to his equally small companion. "No one sane digs 100 feet of stairway without a reason. If we can't find a way through here, perhaps there is a connecting cave we can reach from the outside - wherever the shoreline is closest. Or maybe we have to wait for the tides to be right."
Sparrow casts Detect Magic, searching for magical auras, focusing on the blade. "Might want to be careful around that knife. Could be cursed."
Straehan glances at Sparrow further up the stairwell then gives her a thumb's up gesture. "I have a strict policy when it comes to dealing with cursed items imbued with the evil spirits of homicidal maniacs... If they leave me alone, I'll leave them alone."
Brin carefully scoops the blade into a pack with his energy sword. "I bet there is a passage under water or otherwise close."
Brin looks around carefully .
Per 20+7=27
Ryu sighs. "So, shall we return, or prepare the second pyre? The way down will have to be cleared later anyway, but not everything has to be done by us."
We could survey the remainder of the island. At least we solved one mystery
Straehan stares moodily at the lapping water for a moment, sure there is more to the stairwell but not sure how to get to it or the risks involved in doing so. Being, at best, an indifferent swimmer - the idea is daunting.
The gnome seconds Cilyanka's idea. "A brief survey, particularly along the cliff-face nearest here, might prove worthwhile." He glances at Kaddoc's pack, full of remains, and Brin's pack, with its cursed contents, before adding, "And then we should probably visit the local church to drop off our discoveries and see about putting the dead to rest."
"Sounds like we look around a little before we leave."
Catch-up: No auras on the knife.
"Just a warning, if you want to prod around down there, the whole place has some kind of magic aura. I can't identify the type, and it's really faint."
The giant follows the elf around to be ready in case trouble comes up. Brin dismisses the huge sword and replaces it with a huge psychic two handed axe.
I think I'll try an axe for a while.
"Is it just the room, the building or the whole place?"
"Everything down here, the whole area. I can't pinpoint anything specific."
He escorts you to a seat and heads into the back of the house.
As you wait, you can hear muffled conversation from the room.
Present time:
As you try to learn more about the odd aura it suddenly shuts off.
After satisfying yourselves that you've searched the entire place you return to the ruined stairway to the beach. It looks like the tide is just coming in, but you can make it back to Sandpoint before the beach floods.
Where are you going first?
"This whole place needs a spiritual clean then."
Perception (no one else to see me?)
Perception (try to hear some details)
edit: well, if they are loud it may still work
Present time: You all troop over to the Rusty Dragon first for advice.
With a relieved sigh, Cilyanka pushes the doors to the Rusty Dragon open. Looking around to see who is present, she heads over to the bar to get herself a drink. Cold milk.
Well, I wanted to be an adventurer. Now I know what the living dead look like.
Now I understand why Pharasma says they cannot be permited to exist. I just wish the news was better for poor Dras.
"Hello Tsuto, I am busy right now but if you want we can talk later, we didn't have a chance to do so yet." Ryu smiles at him with a small nod then turns to Lonjiku. "Sorry father, but I do have business to discuss with you what may be very profitable for our family, and it can't wait, as I will have to leave tomorrow due to it, can we talk inside? I will try to keep it short and to the point."
Diplomacy
Ryu lets his father calm down, and meanwhile awaits not just the response of his father but also the leaving of Tsuto. Lonjiku may not be in a "giving mood" but for sure in "receiving" one, if Ryu's father is anything than it is a shrewd businessman so Ryu is sure this will interest him enough to dismiss his anger.
Ryu meanwhile disappears at the Dragon in the kitchen and then in the rooms, trying to find Ameiko, after that he still has business to do. Master Ignatius may have also arrived by now.
"Don't suppose you've got a bottle of something a little stronger back there, Cilyanka? I think we could all use it."
"If you leave it to the girl there, you may get water as something "little stronger", so just open up one of the smaller kegs hidden behind the old empty wine bottles. I will clear it up with sis once I find her." Ryu says it in a tired voice as he runs around looking for Ameiko, he still flashes a smile at Cilyanka trying to show that this was meant as joke and he doesn't look for a fight now as he tries to persuade Sparrow to try open of the Dragon Spirits.
Diplomacy
"Don't suppose you've got a bottle of something a little stronger back there, Cilyanka? I think we could all use it."
Straehan leans against a chair and casts his eyes on the packs filled with bones and the Chopper's blade. "Don't crawl too far into that bottle yet. We may have a task or two that need doing."
Ameiko spots Ryu. "Oh, you're back. How did it go?"
She heads back to the main area with him and greets the rest of the group. "Welcome back. So, are you folks about to earn a discount room with a good tale of adventure?"
She pulls up a chair, plops herself down, and waits for your tale.
Cilyanka will retreat out back, returning a few minutes later with a small cask of dark brown ale.
You guys are going to want a few rounds of this before breaking the news
Straehan leans against a chair and casts his eyes on the packs filled with bones and the Chopper's blade. "Don't crawl too far into that bottle yet. We may have a task or two that need doing."
"Just to take abit of the edge off." As Ameiko enters the room with Ryu, she shuts up abit. "Please don't let me be the one to tell her what we found. But should we make Ryu?"