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AAremeth was set up already, so the gear that the others procured would do them well,and they would have extra in fact. Aaremeth returned with Quicksilver who was behaving very well. He already had his gear loaded and ready to go.
Aaremeth was thinking about staying at his house, and would certainly offer it if Shana declined them, not that she would. but it would beinteresting to have a night at temple. He had alread told the boy that he was in charge, for the time being, though if anyone pressed him for a bigger decision then he could feel free to stall them and make them wait for him.
"I'd be happy to take you up on the offer Trevor."
Leading the way to the temple, Trevor is lighthearted, feeling happy that a clear path seems to be discernable. Yes, he can see a way. A hard one, but still.
Getting to the temple, he bows politely to Priestess Shana, but the words had to come out and he shortens the bow slightly: "I have good news! AAremeth found the source of the poisoning, we arrested someone in connection with the poisoning of the wells and two newcomers have accepted to accompany us on our journey to find the ingredients for the antidote. Sheriff Baleson is interrogating the fanatic as we speak. He was carrying an amulet with the symbol of a skull on the back of a fly. The censors containing the poison were signed likewise. Do you know this symbol?
"As for the journey, I took the liberty of inviting my friends to stay at the temple for the night so that we could have an early departure." Blushing suddenly as he realizes he went a bit fast on the offer, he quickly adds: "With your permission, of course." Shily, he adds: "Also, we would like to borrow some curing potions, in case we encounter resistance. We would return any that we didn't need."
Diplomacy:
While Priestess Shana moves to a more discreet area of the temple, Trevor follows her to get a chance to talk to her about his genuine doubts: "Priestess, as we were in the midst of the fight, I realized that tactics were employed that put my opponent at a disadvantage. For example, one transformed the floor underneath the zealot facing me into a slippery surface. He remained standing, but I could tell he was struggling to stay upright. Should I have waited? What if he had laid in the ground? He had just tried to hit me. What is your counsel on how to best serve the Lady?"
Priestess Shana listens to the news. Her skin goes pale when she hears of the skull and flyThe goddess Urgathoa; The Pallid Princess, goddess of disease, gluttony, and undead!She takes a moment to recover Yes of course they are always welcome here. She nods to those with Trevor.Come with me we will fetch what I have from my chambers. She walks off down the hall way with Trevor in tow.
Looking over the things that Trevor collected for their trip, Harn nods in approval, at least the kid hadn't forgotten what he had taught him about things one needs in the wild, even if it is a bit much. Once everything had been bought, Harn followed along and lets Trevor do the talking with Shana about a place to stay for the night. A little nervous to be staying in the temple like this, he simply ignores the feeling as Trevor goes off to talk with Shana privately and the rest are led to where they would be spending the night.
OOC: All the items look good, Harn doesn't need anything extra though he will offer to carry a few things so that the mule isn't overloaded.
I have given Trevor the few healing potions the from my stores. I have a few scrolls as well two of healing(CLW) and two of bless they are yours to use if you would like. Shana fetches them for Lueck handing over a simple scroll case. If a cult of Urgathoa is involved in this; which obviously it is, I fear more trouble may be yet to come. Of course the most pressing matter is to secure Laural's antidote before casualties start to mount. I will stay in contact with Sheriff Baleson while you are away. Now get some rest I will awake you all a bit before dawn.
Nikolae bathes and takes advantage of the laundering service, leaving his clothing to dry in his room overnight.
Unsure what sort of dangers might come in the night, he locks the door and produces an old half-burnt candle from his backpack, as well as a pouch. From that pouch, he draws forth a powder made of mixture of ash, chips of bone and flakes of rusted iron, drawing a circle upon the floor, as he lights the candle from the lantern in the room. The candle is flecked with some dried herb, suspended within the yellow wax, and as the wax melts down, tiny green flakes are exposed to the flame, and crack and pop, unleashing tiny eye-watering bursts of a punguent odor.
His voice is low, so as not to carry as he closes his eyes, holding the candle high in both hands. "From the shadow-stain upon my soul, I invoke thee, Black Beast. I light the way that you may come forth. I name thee once, Vermiis. I name thee twice, Draco. I name thee thrice, Umbrae. Attend me!"
The candle flame goes out and from the shadow he now casts over the circle, a hissing voice replies, "I am here."
He opens his eyes to see the sleek muscular figure, all shining black scales and golden-green eyes, coiled before him, holding a position that promises sudden violence, only suppressed by a fragile thread. The stunted wings stretch themselves, framing the Eidolon's horned head, giving the creature a gargoyle-like appearance,
Absently tracing a finger along the green sigil emblazoned on the creatures forehead, matching the serpentine sigil in inky black upon his own brow, he begins to tell the beast what has transpired this day, as he settles in to sleep, comforted by the presence of his shadowy protector.
When the morning comes, he opens a window and waits for a moment when nobody is in sight, calling upon his least magics to enhance the stealth of his shadowy companion, and allowing it to drop into the alley and quickly move out of sight, to wait in the shadows beside the inn for Nikolae to emerge, and then move stealthily behind him.
Aaremeth takes care of quicksilver, regretting that they bothered the mules sleep if they were leaving in the morning anyhow.but alas it was not to be.
Aaremethwill take the time to assure Harn and any of the others that Quicksilver is capable of pulling a fully loaded cart, so long as they are mindful of how to pak him, he will have np problem carrying three times the load he is at the momment. aaremeth has a bit of trouble falling asllep, it isn't that he minds the temple or the religion it is simply a dreary night, Why had such malace presented its self in town, there was no place for such dark cults in the hallow, wasn't the consortium enough?
As the morning came Aaremeth was quick to awaken. and ready himself. he tried not to disturb any of the others as he washed his face and readied himself for the day.
Spending part of the night pondering everything they had learned, Harn decides that if they survive this excursion into the woods, he might actually take the Sheriff up on his offer to be deputized. Nothing like having the law on your side to help with taking out the garbage in your hometown. The Consortium was manageable, because it was an evil he knew. It was the evil he didn't know that made the large lumberjack want to act.
Used to getting up early, Harn was dressed by the time their wake-up call had passed and he spent a few minutes sharpening his axe and preparing this things. Once that was finished, he waited in the main courtyard while the others showed up.
OOC: I hate it when the site eats a post.
Trevor hands out a healing potion to Harn, to Nikolae and AAremeth: "May we face the dangers of the Vale without the need for the Lady's blessings."
During the rest of the evening, Trevor will give a tour of the temple, explaining briefly the frescoes and their relations with the acts. "The morning light, as it passes through this particular stained glass, will lift any soul that is touched by it, and may very well change its life forever..." Those last words are said with a faltering voice. Rafan, your strength survives within me...
Before falling asleep, Trevor prays for an hour, asking the Lady, and Rafan, for guidance through the dark times to come.
When morning comes, he is already up and admiring the sunlight as it shines through the stained glass, remembering his epiphany and thanking the Lady to have smiled upon him. He then rejoins Harn in the courtyard, eager for a brisk walk through the woods.
Harn will thank Shana for the breakfast before heading out. The two might not see eye to eye on many things, but the large lumberjack still respects the woman. Setting out with the others on the road toward the settlement, Harn will say, "I don't think we got much ta worry about, us lumberjacks make trips like these all that time with no problems, but keep yer eyes alert, we got a long trek ahead o' us before we reach the settlement where the man we need ta talk to is."
AAremeth Eats the hearty breakfast and for the first time makes an offer that he never had to Shana, She has always been a strong point to the community and had fair bit to say in the defense of it, he was one of her quieter supporters.
Lady Shana, I will be here for the first sermon after we have this cult squared away and the illness cured. I look forward to it in fact. Its been a long time coming that he got more active in the community and aligning with her was a good first move. He was going to put his bright mind to fixing all the subtle in justices in the Hallows and the first would be a Lumberjacks guild, they need to unify against the outrageous barons and their profiteering on the hard day’s work of the Axe swinger. There was no reason for it to continue. What spurred all this? Well it went through his head last night how terrible it was that the people were suffering from poisoning, but he got to thinking that while the cult was more malicious and strait forward, but the consortium was hurting community and strangling the population into poverty. Things were going to get a lot better for this community and much sooner than later.
I’d say the dark things in the forest should be worried about us after last night.
AAremeth reloads quicksilver with the help of the others and will happily wait for Harn to point the way.
As they part, Trevor will say quietly: "Priestess Shana, please do not let your guard down while we are away. Lueck has heard that Kreed and Denko are brooding revenge upon you and your church. I know this has always been, but somehow this time it feels different. May the Lady guide your arm and strengthen your resolve in these dark times."
Trevor will close the line as they travel through the woods, Axe and javelin in hand as they exit Falcon's Hollow.
You all take care of the little details, and still make it out of town before dawn. The fog limits your vision to a mere 15 to 20 feet. Harn could walk this trail blindfolded though, so it does not hinder your speed as much as one would think. Lueck you can't help but notice that Nikolae seems a bit edgy, and Quicksilver has nickered twice about something to the left of the trail. Slowly the sky begins to lighten and the darkness of predawn turns to a gray overcast dreary day. After a few hours the fog begins to burn off a bit, and all though your field of vision increases the overall grayness persists. The trail stays just at the edge of the Darkmoon Wood, not fifty feet to your left is the edge of the wild forest that is the Darkmoon.
Within a few minutes of leaving the community, Nikolae will work up his confidence, and say, "I will be summoning a creature to assist me, please do not be alarmed."
He moves to stand in such a way that several people, including himself, will block the mules view, makes a few gestures, and calls out the name Vermiis. A scaled beast somewhat resembling a cross between a panther and an enormous reptile of some sort comes out of the mist from his left, and stands beside him so that his hand is resting on it's head. It has black scales, and a dark green serpentine looking sigil on it's forehead, identical to the dark tattoo on Nikolae's own forehead.
"I just wanted to make sure that you have all seen this conjuring, so that you do not mistake it for a threat, or servant of the cultists."
A little shocked that the beast could talk, Harn will say, "Well, good thing ya warned us city boy. Ya'd be surprised what might come out o' those woods." as he points in the direction of Darkmoon forest. "I'll warn ya when we get close ta the settlement, just be sure ta hide that thing when I tell ya because not everyone is gonna be looking at us in a good way with that thing following us around."
With that, Harn will continue down the road towards the lumberjack settlement. As he walks, we will occasionally whistle a few tunes that the locals would recognize as from a song that every Hallower is taught when they are kids to learn about the dangers of the forest.
Trevor frowns and tenses at the sight of the summoned creature.
"My sight confirms your statement Nikolae. Thank you so very much for warning us ahead. My heart jumped at his sight." Trevor approaches the Eidolon, curious: "Tell me Vermiis, are you male or female? where are you summoned from? What's your life like over there? Do you prefer our world?"
As they resume their walk, Harn's whistling becomes contagious and Trevor whistles along.
After covering quicksilver's eye that is toward them and feeding the mule a salt lick, something he has always done to calm him Aaremeth turns and smiles at the incredible beast. So rarely do we get to see such a fine creature with out it coming to attempt to rend our throats. aaremeth reaches for a ration of his own meat and afterr hearing that he understands speech he queries the beast. would you like something to eat? Aaremeth will go along with whatever Nikolae and Vermiis decide.
As they begin to travel again aaremeth takes Nikolaes warning to heart. I suppose as long as we are speaking on unknown kskills I will worn you that in a battle I may augment my form a bit during bottle,I have learened to do so through a potion that I am calling a mutagen, its effects can press wild shapes into me and some of their abilities as well. but don't be alarmed if i take on some natures attributes. he nodded to Nikolae. what about you three anything we should be warned of to avoid misunderstanding later?
Harn was always use to hearing strange things from Aaremeth, however, he was beginning to think that we might be mixing with the wrong group. City boys who summon creepy creatures and now Aaremeth with another wacky mixture. I just hope that out priest friend here ain't gonna change inta some kooky alcohol beast after downing enough ales, Harn thinks to himself though his raised eyebrow lets others know that he was a little surprised by Aaremeth's words. Taking a little bit to recover, Harn says, "Naw, ain't got nothing special like that. I'm a lumberjack, not an alchemist or conjurer. All I can really say is that I'm good in a fight, and if one o' you is between me and my target, then I'd suggest ya get out o' the way. If ya don't believe me, then just ask Trevor here and I'm sure he'd tell ya about some o' the tussles we got in and what happened ta the blokes involved."
The morning passes by dreary, but the rain does not return. As the day goes on you pass a few trails that head off to other small lumber camps. The afternoon sees you looking over the trail-head lumber camp, only a short distance down a hill. A ramshackle of bunkhouses. With a few store houses and a dining hall.
Nikolae smiles at Harn's reaction, "Now you know why I slept so soundly at nights on the caravan-trail. Even while I slumbered, watchful eyes were upon me."
Vermiis, shakes it's head in the negative at Aaremeth's offer of dried meat, apparently trying to keep track of both his comments and Trevors questions. To Trevor, the deep voice replies, "Male. I come from within. There is no other place." As the party begins moving again, he sniffs the trail, as a wolf would, but a tongue flickers forth as he does so, making the action seem more serpentine.
"Well, here we are. If we want ta find Milon, this would be the best place ta look." Harn says as he moves a bit to let the others get a view of the lumberjack's camp. Once the others are ready, Harn will start down the trail towards the camp and hopefully towards finding Milon.
Speaking over his shoulder, Harn then says to Nikolae, "Now might be a good time to be hiding your beastie, cause a camp full of men who face Darkmoon forest everyday ain't gonna believe that thing didn't come from tha Vale"
Returning the waves as they happen, he'll stop when they find Milon and say, "Hey Milon. Well, what with the loss o' workers, I know the Consortium is getting desperate, but no. These blokes are here ta help out with the problem we've been having around here. Ya see, Laural has found something that might work ta fight tha disease that's been going around, but she's missing a few ingredients. Laural said something about the oldest tree in tha Vale and we're hoping that ya might know where ta find it."