Zokama goes by to check on the mayor, to see if he has been cured of his curse and how he is doing, and then she goes to the tavern to get something to eat and to eventually get some rest. She pays attention to see if there is any news, but if not she might sing a song for the townfolk before sleep.
Still unused to call a woman "Brother", Braggi raises a hand, negating with his head. "Thank you, but I guess once my curse is removed, all I'll need is some nice sleep." Then another concept crosses his mind. "Oh well, do you... Do you have anything useful against undead, here?"
"Brother Morgan, so good to see you again. The dour and stolid reality of life with St Cuthbert's laity and clerics has not dimmed your endless light. Pelor would embrace such a servant. But enough of my pleasantries - can you direct me to the Canon?"
At the inn she learns there is much gossip around the taproom tonight, mostly from a small band of soldiers who rode through town last evening, leaving earlier in the day. They spread word that a supposed rain of frogs fell on the lands outside Dyvers last month. An elven emissary has arrived from Celene intent on speaking with the fallen druid Jaroo, about something unmentioned which occurred in the woodlands along the NW edge of Welkwood. She sings well enough but the crowd is mostly locals and somewhat fearful of recent events, they tip less than before but enough to build up a buffer for two more days stay and meals at the Welcome Wench.
Brother Morgan informs Navith that Terjon and Calmert are at the tower for a council meeting with an elven emissary from Celene.
"Blast! Fine, to the tower. Braggi, don't let them fill your head with any strange notions. Other than the notion that you have been completely restored."
With that the Pelorite strides away, out of the Church and back toward the tower, requesting an immediate and urgent meeting with the Canon and possibly Burne or Rufus if they are present.
"Don't worry, Brother. I think I'll be alright at the inn, if I manage to remove this wicked magic from myself. I'll talk to Terjon and Calmert tomorrow if they're busy today."
The group then gathers up and rushes out of the smithy, towards Tent Town.
Zokama gets some rest.
In the morning, she goes to see what kinds of supplies are available that might help them when they go back.
The Pelorite makes do with a conspicuous clearing of his throat and steps one step closer.
"My lords, lady. Forgive my interruption but the moathouse has more secrets I can divulge..."
Braggi raises his hand a bit, negating. "Thank you, Brother, but I don't want to abuse from your hospitality. Just having the curse removed for the proper coin is what I need, and I'll leave the church to its church things while I do my... adventurer things." He tries to show a smile so as not to sound too rude. Back in his land, things are quite different indeed, but now Braggi is here and needs to do as it is done here.
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Lord Burne looks to you, a bit taken aback at your sudden boldness. Master Kanhai I believe. I fear we have visitors at the moment, esteemed guests from Celene, gesturing to the elven woman. The council would be happy to meet with you in the morning if it can wait, several members nodding, or later this evening if it cannot. Several frown at this, the hour already passing dinner time. At the moment we are discussing conditions on our borders and the recent passing of our village elder Jaroo. His stone and it's importance are being addressed at this time. He seems to gesture to you, expecting some reply. The guards have stepped a bit closer, still not fully entering the chamber without invitation.
Filnefillan returns to the inn, takes a quick and quiet meal alone, then retires to his room upstairs, likely intending to study his tomes and prepare himself for tomorrow.
"My lords and ladies, forgive this unwelcome intrusion upon your funeral planning and border concerns. My companions and I were lately discussing the finer aspects of various factions of evil worshippers that dwell below yonder Moathouse with undead denizens who beseeched us to defeat their enemies and how we would inevitably wake their Master from some unholy sleep." the Pelorite spits out with obvious distaste. "While caked with the blood of gnolls, evil priests, troglodytes and wretched floating brains who could only cry in shrill shrieks. If only we had thought of discourse regarding monuments and fences with these worthies we might not be so wounded, cursed, hacked or damaged."
Navith stares at the obviously shocked response. He visibly sags.
"I am a brute. A warpriest and no diplomat. I came to find....advice. Aid, succour. To provide intelligence. Only to be rebuffed until...later. Hommlet will have no later if you maintain this charade of decency and good manner. I see I have offended you all. Pelor cares little for the shade of distrust, and burns ever brighter in the search for truth. " Navith looks aside wearily. "This tower is dark, and I leave it thus. We return to the Moathouse in the morning, and we can be found at the Inn. My lords, ladies."
Navith leaves to find his companions.
Braggi waits patiently for Terjon's return, hopefully knowing thanks to Navith about the sailor's status.
A Gather Information check in the AM may point you to someone who might have a bow they could be persuaded to part with, providing a 25% check for availability passes.
The guards move closer as the mage stands and gestures towards the elven princess, her face reddening at the unseemly situation. We are not merely attending to the funeral of a local hero, that matter has been settled for some time. Instead sir we were discussing a recent attack upon the Faromer Menhir, a druidic stone akin to our own sacred stone, which once resided deep in the Welkwood. On the same day that our Jaroo was slain and his attacker thwarted by your just allies, an armed band of gnolls, bugbears, priests and soldiers adorned with the Flaming Eye appeared at Faromer through a mystic portal and destroyed the standing stone, taking from it's rubble a handful of small glowing purplish gemstones. Looking at you sternly he adds, Sound familiar? Furthermore the priests with them abducted the niece of Celene's Queen Yolanda, the Lady Countess Trillahi and her mentor Sir Juffer the Brown. He moves to stand beside the elven noble, looking at you expectantly, the other council members staring at the exchange. Do you have perhaps something else you might offer this body, or will you let your manners stand as witnessed?
You find both Alison and Ostler active in the taproom, and catch the end of Zokama's performance. The staff are accommodating to your needs, willing to bring you whatever you wish to order.
As you watch, Zokama asks around to the few of the other patrons, looking for something it would seem.
I may be over-reaching, feel free to tell me to get back in my box, but could I also try with my weapon smithing knowledge?
Zokama wakes up early so that she can travel to the farm and talk to the farmer at first light (or whenever he awakens... as a farmer she assumes he will be up early), hoping she can acquire the bow and still get back to her group in case they want to go back and deal with the undead today. She sets off to the west before the sun is up, wrapping her cloak around her to keep off the morning chill.
Druidry? Elven menhirs? The Flaming Eye reached further than we imagined, more is at stake than this tinpot town and its vainglorious protectors. Is this what has come to pass, that Emridy gave rise only to these parasites?
Navith stares boldly at Lord Burne. "Threats of incarceration for ill-manner prove only that you are no Lord, merely a functionary aping true grace through a steel gauntlet of fear. I bring Pelor into disgrace, and now, hereby disavow him."
With a scowl, Navith unfastens the brooch holding his Pelorite cloak and lets it fall to the ground. His holy symbol follows, thrown carelessly to land silently on the blood-spattered raiment of his once-holy master. "Pelor. You are just and good. Your power is unchallenged, and I beseech thee have mercy upon my unhallowed soul. My pride cannot allow me to serve you with honor before these fools."
Tears stream down his cheeks, pain tears at him but with each breath he feels lighter than he has for some time. As if a burden is lifted.
"Lord Burne. I served your people. You stood on formality and castigated me when I brought you aid, however it was delivered. If the elves would survive - if you would, you cannot stand on ceremony. Do as thou wilt, it will not surprise me."
The once-priest stands forsaken, and if not arrested turns and leaves.
The tower guards escort Navith out of the tower, confirming the council will request him and his group to return at the earliest opportunity in the morning to report their findings and hear what information was gathered from the Celenese elves.
Terjon does have one scroll of Remove Curse on hand, which he is willing to sell to the party at full normal value. He also offers to attempt to remove the curse with his own spells and St. Cuthbert's blessing, for a future service to the Church.
Zokama finds the woodcutter's farm on the edge of town and speaks with him regarding his bow. He says that his wife has been wanting him to settle down and stop wandering near and far for rare woods for his business, but he needs the bow for protection, particularly when it comes to gathering Deklo wood which is highly prized in Veluna. He suggests Zokama can either pay a fair market value for the bow, which would allow him to hire mercenaries to clear the grove of it's spider infestation once and for all, or he would gift the bow and a quiver of special arrows to her if she slays the spiders herself, as well as a ornery boar which has been rutting through a copse of Byrnen trees he has always wanted to have a crack at harvesting.
Musami is at a loss to identify the material substance of the knife, nor the purpose behind it. Alison tells him the older boys have been pressuring him to do something for them the past few days, rushing him since Brother Smythe is about to return at the end of the week. What it is she isn't sure but the boy started taking his meals over in Tent Town right after Musami last left for the moat house.
Navith can share whatever information he can with the group, or not as desired.
You find yourselves all at the Inn, it is nearly 9 AM, breakfast is finishing up, the staff are clearing away for the later lunch rush, and it is the middle of the week, the season being Spring, but the weather has been anything but normal. At first it was just sudden bouts of rain, snow, heat or cold, but now these tempests are happening in the same day, lasting a few hours before reverting back to an otherwise chilly spring day. Reports are the weather is doing this from as far south as Celene, as far west as the Lortmils, as far north as Furyondy, and as far east as Greyhawk City.
The elves, as rumor holds, left the village earlier in the morning, taking their hippogriff mounts and flying north by north-west.
Braggi accepts the removal of the curse for a future payment in coin or service, but is not sure about purchasing the scroll. "I know nothing about spells or prayers, this is something I should consult with our priest, Naveth."
Early in the morning, Braggi stands ready for a copious breakfast, a visit to the council and a new day of battling evil.
Musami enters the main room of the inn. His hair is tousled and there are dark circles below his eyes. Morning he grunts. He sits and picks at a simple breakfast, but clearly has something on his mind. There is something going on with the boys in this town. I spent the night trying to puzzle it out, but cannot. The boys are forcing Tomi to make some sort of dagger. It is of a material I cannot identify and is 14 inches long and wavy. Does that design mean anything to any of you?
"You mean wavy like that?" Braggi asks while drawing an imaginary S in the air. "I think once we assau... er... had business with another ship from far away, and I saw some of those." He shrugs and has another mouthful of dinner. "I have no idea where they were from, though, nor anything else about it."
Filnefillan asks Musami a few questions about the blade, it's weight, shape, etc.
From the words of your description the blade does indeed sound like a sacrificial piece, usually meant to pierce the heart, often so in some blood based religions. The wavy nature of it sounds serpentine, though other cults may well use the design for anything from the ebb and flow of time, our journey through life, or even the transition of energy through the various planes from origination to final destination. Without any other markings, or seeing the final blade design, I cannot say further. The material though would be consistent with one of the meteoric ores often prized by the more esoteric for fabled mystical practices. Likely nantan, dark iron, sikhote-alin, or perhaps even ataxite...
Fil's words trouble Musami even more. He nods his thanks but seems lost in his own thoughts.
After breakfast he accompanies the others to the meeting to report on the Moathouse. At the meeting he presents his findings about the dagger, backed up by Fil's knowledge. He also requests that the town take Tent Town in hand. If there is evil taking root there the town needs to do something.
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Zokama accept's the woodcutter's deal gratefully, promising she will return to clear the grove of the spiders and the boar before meeting up with the party for breakfast.
At breakfast she tells the group of her commitment, asking them if they would join her in the effort before they return to the moathouse.
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At the breakfast, Braggi comments on the deal for the spell and the crook scroll, and welcomes Zokama's invitation for a side adventure, seemingly easy and refreshing. "It shouldn't take us more than some minutes" he says, confident and maybe too much.
Terjon indeed lifts the curse from Braggi, his spell taking a bit of time as he forces Braggi to pray with him for Saint Cuthbert's blessing and the sailor commits himself to a future service for the Church.
Afterwards in meeting with the others you discover the grove Zokama is interested in clearing is about two hours South East of Hommlet, along an old game trail. The woodcutter mentions it is infested with spiders, some the size of ponies. With the odd weather recently he is unsure how active they are these days.
For Braggi's previous inquiries at the Church, they have 2 Potions each of Bless Weapon, Protection from Evil, Delay Poison, and Remove Paralysis. They also have a potion each of Neutralize Poison and Remove Disease.
"Did I hear tell of a possible job?"
A slight Suel woman with a shock of pale hair and the look of a determined warrior approaches your table. She nods repectfully to your group.
"I couldn't help overhearing, so apologies are in order for my impertinent intrusion, but this sleepy hamlet appears to have an abundance of activity not usually associated with mundane farming and agrarian idyll. Why just this morning I passed a rather hurried looking fellow riding south bearing a fairly fell looking weapon..."
Musmai casts an eye up at the woman. You are new in town? I had not seen you around when I was last here just a couple of days ago.
"A couple of hours? Mmm..." Braggi is considering wasting the whole day between going and coming, plus the time they'll need at the grove and the possible poisons and wounds they might receive - even if there are some antidotes available at the church, when the stranger enters the inn and greets them.
"Fell looking?" he asks. "How was he dressing? And who are you?"
To Musami:
"Yes, I am just arrived, lately of the Hold of the Sea Princes, and the Lendore Isles before that. I was making my way to the Great City, by a rather circuitous route I admit..."
To Braggi:
The woman offers a quick bright smile.
"My apologies. I am Egesovax Kaaro, monster-hunter." she offers another small bow. Her mind seems to turn to calculating a sum as she half looks to the ceiling.
"Yes, the weapon was topped with a skull. The man himself was dressed mostly in sky-blue, caparisoned as if for war - and a more determined look on his face I have not seen in aeons. If I am not much mistaken...he had the mien of a priest. Though one set on war to be sure..."
Hello. I am Zokama.
Zokama says to the woman who approaches them about a job.
It's actually not a job that we will be getting paid for. I am doing it so that I can get some better equipment in trade, which in turn will help all of us clear out that moathouse. But no one is obligated to help me if they don't want to. I was just asking because they are my friends, and I am a little worried that I might not be able to do it alone.
Leaving Hommlet the four friends agree to check on Egesovax once they return. The trip following the woodsman's directions takes little over two hours before you follow the path to the edge of a large open clearing, cluttered in several places with thick and sticky webs. Here and there thicker bundles are wrapped tightly and hung up from the forest floor, likely past victims of the spiders the man warned you about.
Looking beyond the webs you spy the trees which drew the village craftsman to this grove, three stately paueliel trees surrounded by a small copse of darkwoods, nearly a dozen around the clearing and shortly into the woods beyond. A small fortune if the man is able to harvest them, a task likely to take him years should he manage it responsibly.
That said, it is clear by the thick webbing, the dried and desiccated webs shed and cluttered around the thick and leaf strewn clearing that the place has been home to a variety of spiders for quite some time. The webs look clear of larger beasts at the moment, but several small and normal looking spiders cling to the lower branches and highest reaches in numbers beyond counting.
Musami moves away from the tree line and cautiously advances into the clearing. We don't have things like this in mines
Braggi cautiously advances besides Musami, trying to get his flank covered and that the dwarf covers the sailor as well.
Be careful guys, there is also a boar somewhere around.
Zokama keeps watch for any larger spiders
Meanwhile, she decides to start taking potshots at the smaller ones.
Finding the rustic hamlet interesting and quite different to the settlements on the edges of the Sea of Dust or those on the other side of the Hellfurnaces, Egesovax decides to visit the general store to see if she can rustle up any supplies. Having not seen the northern approach to the town the Suel passes the town hall and the tailor's establishment before crossing the well-used if rough bridge. She casts a slightly confused glance at the money changer's, and then sees the mighty edifice of the strange church with the interesting sigil. Locating the traders she smiles and and approaches it.
"Helloo?" she calls out upon walking in.
Zokama fires off an arrow at one of the small spiders, nearly the size of a child's palm, the creature bursting in a small cloud of dust, powder, and bits of broken legs. At the same moment she and the band realize the large mounds in the center of the clearing are coming to life.
A sickly sweet and flowery smell wafts over the area, like flowers, musky incense, and dried lavender nearly overpowering in it's profusion. The two spiders look different as breeds, yet share many similarities.
The smaller of the pair, the size of a burly hunting dog, is pale and angular, it's hard carapace studded with small puffballs and tubular shrooms, bits of milky thick webbing clinging to it as it rushes up from the smaller nest.
The larger beast, darker gray and infused with paler reddish flesh between joints, is covered with thicker mushrooms, shelf lichen, and other grotesque fungal growths, it's scent stronger and more intoxicating than the smaller beast. It's many faceted eyes seem to gleam with malevolent intelligence, and nearly hidden behind it's massive mandibles a small wolf like maw mouths out a soft, indistinguishable chanting.
Acting in the surprise round the larger spider rushes forward, attempting to spray Musami with it's webbing, nearly catching him momentarily flat-footed, instead covering the area before him in thick webbing, a long rope-like strand stretching back to the strange spider. .
Initiative Order
First Group: Braggi, Larger Spider
Second Group: Filnefillan, Musami, Zokama, Smaller Spider
Holding his sword in a hard-swinging position, Braggi charges towards the big spider, avoiding the sticky area and hoping to end the threat before all of them get poisoned.