A chill suddenly fills the air inside the chapel. A low moan echoes from all around, and a sepulchral voice seems to whisper in Kip's ear.
"Get...out..."
The wooden statue of Talmandor shakes for a moment before flying past the grippli, slamming against the covered altar behind him!
"Wait! We want to try to fix your wing so you can fly properly!" Kip exclaimed as the statue awkwardly flew past. "Can you tell us anything about what did all this damage?"
Victrix draws her axe.
"Enough o' that! Get out 'ere an' show yehrself!"
|
"Kip, I doubt that the statue actually attacked you. It was likely either a spirit or a hidden creature. The safest and least threatening choice would be to back out of the temple now." Simon attempts to perceive where the voice came from. +2 if this counts as a "hidden thing" "We mean you no harm. Please, speak with us. Can you tell us what happened to the settlers?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
Simon is unable to determine where the voice came from. Kip tries to reason with it and Victrix tries to challenge it, but its only response is to groan more loudly. "Go...away!"
A chalice flies off the altar at Victrix, but it whizzes past her!
Kip had been talking to the statue, but suddenly the chalice flew past. "Haunted...?" Kip thought aloud. "We can help you! Did something terrible happen to you here and now you're trapped? We can help make it better if you would just talk to us."
|
|
Simon makes another effort to determine the location of the voice, while backing toward the entrance.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Victrix stands her ground, but stays in a defensive position.
Ema was about to tell them who the other wooden statue represented when the ghostly voice threatened them. When it suddenly cause a statue to fly she felt concerned and when a chalice went flying at Victrix the arcanist decided she had enough. Realizing that something was off about this ghost Ema cast a spell and then began to look for magical auras.
Ema notices the presence of magic auras in the chapel. She'll have to concentrate further to learn more information.
As Simon backs away, he notices a trail of dried blood leading from the altar to the front entrance. The dust on the floor and benches seem to indicate nobody else has entered this place in the last few weeks, possibly a month. The voice seems to be coming from near the altar.
Victrix stands her ground, while Kip pleads with the unseen menace to try to help it. As the grippli nears the altar, he can smell the stench of rotting flesh lingering in the air, but nothing obvious suggests the source of the smell.
"You...want to help me?" the voice says. "Find...Rayland Arkley... Find out...why he...KILLED ME!"
For a moment, a ghostly, skeletal figure appears, floating above the altar! It lets out a terrifying shriek before vanishing once more!
Ema realized there was magic here, and that it was possible that there was no ghost but when she was about to say as much the skeletal figure appeared and drove a spike of fear into her mind causing her to turn and run right back out that door just as fast as she could, loosing the magic that let her see the auras.
|
|
"It's a shame. There is so much we could have asked the poor soul to help us understand his (or her) problem.
Like who are you?"
Simon will look about the structure looking for anything to help identify the mystery voice.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Victrix flinches for a moment, but refuses to be affected by whatever fear this... ghost... can conjure up.
Despite the sudden spectral appearance, Kip managed to keep a welcoming smile on his face. "We do want to help. Being trapped here as a spirit is a terrible fate, and we'd be happy to help bring you the rest you deserve. Rayland Arkley killed you? All of the townspeople are gone. If you know where they went, we could track down Rayland and find out."
The fear overwhelms Ema, and she takes off running, but the rest of you manage to hold your ground.
Simon looks around, but isn't able to immediately find anything hidden here.
"My name...Silas..." the spirit rasps. "Don't know...where they have gone... Find Arkley! Or you will suffer the same fate as me!"
With that, the cloth flies off of the altar, and a panel on the back slides open. Inside the compartment is a man's rotting corpse. The stench of decay is overpowering.
The spirit falls silent, and will speak no more.
Ema runs halfway down to the dock before she is able to regain control of her wits. It's a long walk back to the chapel, but nothing impedes her if she wishes to return.
|
|
"Kip, check the registry for those names. Does it indicate their professions?"
Simon, undaunted by the stench of decay when there is a mystery to solve examines the remains, looking for an obvious cause of death or any other clues.
Once the examination is complete, he will bundle the remains up and carry them outside before heading to the tool shed for a shovel.
[b]"Silas, if there is a specific place you would like your remains buried, let us know. I think behind the temple here is fitting.[b]"
-Posted with Wayfinder
Kip nodded and searched through the document for Silas and Arkley.
Silas' body sports multiple stab wounds, though none seem fatal in their own. He does not respond to Simon's question.
Kip finds the name "Silas Wetherbee," listed as a farmer. And Rayland Arkley was the leader of the colonists. You were inside his house just a short time ago. Ramona expected to assume command from him upon your arrival.
Once Emma had rejoined them, Kip explained his findings. "Why would the colony's leader murder someone and then stash the body in an altar? Widespread insanity? Something went very wrong here, and if we don't figure it out we might share the same fate."
As she recovered from the fear that was instilled in her by the ghost Ema returned, reluctantly to the church. She reached the doors and, rather then enter inside again, remained resolutely out front until they were done. When Kip told her about what they found out the lovely mage nodded and said, "I agree, finding the source of whatever happened here is of vital importance. I suspect that it won't stay a threat only to this island if we don't find it, these things never seem to be that easy, so we might as well get to work." She looked at teh group and asked, "Where to next?"
You place Silas' remains in the grave behind the chapel, covering them back up with the soft dirt. Once complete, you head to the last building in the palisade.
This L-shaped building is constructed of mud bricks on a wooden frame. The western portion is of the structure is enclosed by four walls. This section has a single open window on the south side, with a canvas curtain hung across the opening. The single entrance is a wooden door, standing slightly ajar, on the southern end of the eastern face of the building. A ten-foot extension connects to the building on the east side. This extension has only a northern wall and is otherwise just a roof sheltering the space below, which is open to the outside. Underneath this cover is a forge with an exhaust flue directly above it, a worktable covered in metal scraps, a small tub of black water, and a partially sheltered anvil.
As you look around, Simon spots three creatures hiding--one behind the table, one behind the tub, and the third behind the anvil. They look like goblins with simian hands and feet, and long, ratlike tails. They grip daggers and are poised to throw them!
|
|
"Watch out! Goblins!"
Simon will get out his whip and if he can five foot step behind some cover, he will.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Simon ducks behind a water barrel right before the goblins throw their daggers. The one targeting the half-orc clatters against the barrel, but the other two find their mark, striking Kip and Victrix!
|
|
"Vile Beasts! Go find softer prey."
Simon moves within 15 ft and attempts to trip the closest goblin with his whip.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Exploring the palisade and being rewarded with a knife to the cheek for her efforts seems to have finally pushed Victrix over the edge.
She screams in fury and makes a beeline for a nearby goblin, her axe chopping in a wild arc! Her hair seems to flash gold for a moment before returning to its blood-red hue.
Simon wraps his whip around the closest goblin's legs, yanking it off of its feet.
Victri flies into a rage as she rushes a different goblin. Her axe comes down in a powerful strike, tearing open the goblin's chest cavity. Blood sprays from the wound as it goes down!
The prone goblin scrambles back to his feet and moves in on Simon, drawing his spear as he does so. The other one shrieks and steps up to Victrix, stabbing the barbarian in the side!
Victrix spins on her heel, the spear still stuck in her ribs, and swings her axe more wildly than before.
|
|
Seeing Victrix in trouble, Simon does what he can to help out.
He steps out of the range of the goblin attacking him (5-foot step), and attempts to trip up the goblin currently attacking Victrix.
. 15 total. I hope that's good enough.
Simon wants to rush to her aid, but finds himself backed into a corner.
He has no choice but to drop the whip, draw his dagger, and attack the goblin in front of him.
Caught by surprise, Kip struggled to make sense of the chaos around him. Victrix cry snapped things into focus, and Kip summoned his healing waters and quickly rushed to her aid.
"I'm all out of magic, so make that count!" he cried and waved his rapier menacingly at the goblin beside him.
Seeing just how vicious the goblins were in their attacks Emaliandra focused and called in another creature to fight for them. Right behind the goblin that stood up a divine portal opens and a dog leapt out, smiting the goblin, as it attacked.
Ema summons a dog behind the goblin, but it misses with its bite.
Kip moves up to heal Victrix, waving his blade at the goblins.
Simon stabs the goblin in front of him with his dagger. It screeches angrily as blood drips from the wound in its shoulder.
Victrix tries to cut down the other gobin, but it dodges her attack.
The goblins stab with their spears, one at Simon and one at Victrix. Both land devastating strikes!
At this point, Victrix is only standing through sheer anger. She screams even louder (this time, it's more likely because of the pain) and swings her axe...
With the fight underway, and her summoned creature attacking, Ema focused and began to cast another spell. When she was done a glob of acid sailed across the way at one of the goblins. She didn't have a lot of time to aim so she wasn't sure that the spell would hit.
At the same instant the celestial dog attack her target once more. Unlike before the dog's teeth chomped down hard on her prey and tore into the goblin's flesh and began worrying at the creature in her jaws.
Ema hurls an acid splash into the melee, but it sails over the goblin's head. Fortunately, her summoned dog does much better. It tears into the goblin's side, worrying he wound. The small humanoid shrieks and falls to the hound's jaws.
Simon moves to help Victrix, but the goblin parries his dagger strike. The distraction gives Victrix the space she needs to swing her axe down in a powerful slash that splits the goblin's skull! He slumps to the ground, blood pouring from the fatal wound.
With the goblins defeated, you can look around the smithy some more. The space is divided between personal living quarters and an indoor tool storage and work area. A pungent animal smell lingers in the air and a tussled pile of blankets on the wooden cot is soiled. The room is in a state of disarray, with tools such as tin snips, pliers, and files carelessly strewn all over.
Among the mess are several valuable items.
Victrix exhales, and staggers over to the wall. She fumbles about in her pocket with shaking hands, pulling out a vial of blue liquid. She yanks the cork out with her teeth and starts chugging the contents...
She moans in relief as the potion takes effect, healing her wounds significantly.
"Is everyone ok? Nasty guys, weren't they? Good thing you all were so quick to put them down," Kip said as he hopped about the room checking on everyone's wounds. "We really need to find some berries so I can use this wand."
Once he was sure his friends weren't too seriously injured, Kip looked about the room. "Do you think these guys drove off the townsfolk, or just moved in after they had already left?" Kip picked up one of the shortspears and tested its weight, then tucked it through a loop on his pack. "Might come in handy if I need to throw it at something, don't ya think?"
|
|
When the battle is over, Simon sighs in relief and leans against the wall of the forge.
Once he has recovered from the near death encounter, he gathers up his whip and retrieves the potion that Kip had found, drinking it and feeling the healing warmth spread through his body.
That out of the way, he moves to help the others search the forge.
"Goblins! Well, something like a goblin anyways.
This is the second creature we have come across that appears to be a mix of a goblin and some other type of creature. Could we have a mad scientist on the island?"
Kip gulped audibly. "You think some crazy alchemist made those things on purpose? Octoblins, monkiblins... what's next, froblins?!"
With the fighting over Ema gave the summoned dog a quick scratch behind the ears before sending it home. She looked at the others and saw their injuries before saying, "I think we need to rest soon, you look in bad shape and while I have spells remaining but can't handle this on my own."
As they found the various weapons and armor Ema examined each one. The buckled stood out and she focused on it intently as she tried to understand the enchantment.
Victrix winces and straps the buckler to her arm. "Yeah. Those two hits took quite a bit outta me."
She then picks up one of the machetes and makes room on her belt for it. She looks to be absolutely festooned with weapons now.
After looking at the buckled intently Ema said, "The buckler has a fairly weak enchantment to make it provide a little better protection than a normal buckler."
"Oh, good. Might actually stop a spear for a change."
|
|
"I agree that we will need to rest soon.
I don't like the idea of trying to rest without securing the town though. We only have one more building inside the palisade, I think.
After we clear that building, we can discuss if we want to camp now or check out the plum tree first."
-Posted with Wayfinder