Vasily looks up and down the shore for any indications there might be someone nearby with a boat.
You're sure that there are no boats or boaters nearby at the moment, Vasily.
The Fitcher is unruffled by the situation. If we ride around the lake for a bit, we could find a boat, maybe.
Vasily nods at the Fitcher. "I think that's our best bet to find someone who can take us out there."
You ride around the lake, surveying as you go and confirming the accuracy of the map you have. The survey takes up enough time, though, that you don't quite get back to the Tuskwater channel before dark. As the sun sets, in the long shadow cast by the island ruins you first see a glimmer in the distance, as if someone with a torch were walking along the shore of the island. With the fall of night, more and more sparks appear, at the island and out onto the water. These would seem to be the rumored Candlemere Lights.
Vasily frowns out at the lights. "Ghost lights, and we still don't have a way to get out there."
Beatrix watches the lights appearing with a growing sense of unease. "Ghost lights? Never heard of them, but it makes my hairs stand on end. Don't think we'll want to be there at night - we can make camp and find a boat tomorrow."
Despite the light show, your rest is uninterrupted that night. The next morning, the weather is pleasant, and you continue on to the channel between Candlemere and the Tuskwater. There are a few fishing boats in the channel; there are more out on the Tuskwater, but they're fishing in the deeper water far from shore and likely wouldn't hear a hail from you.
Waving to the occupants of the nearest boat, you're able to get them to come closer to shore. It's clear from their reaction once they get close that they recognize you, as that's when they pull out crossbows and send a volley of poisoned bolts your way steer quickly for shore. "Queen Bea! How can we help you?"
The Fitcher gives the men an acknowledging nod, but his face remains neutral. He waits to see how Bea is going to play this out.
Vasily waits for Bea to respond to the men.
Beatrix grimaces a bit at the title, but waves back and calls out "Hail friends! We could use a ride 'cross the water. Have a bit of room for us?"
"You, definitely. Not so sure about the horses, though!"
With a bit of a chuckle, she replies "Wouldn't dream of it - never known a horse to like boats much anyway!"
Katya shifts slightly as she looks over the boats with a grimace, "The horses wouldn't be the only ones." Looking out over the lake, Katya shakes her head to clear her mind a bit "But I'll manage, hopefully our horses will be safe here while we explore the island." Giving her horses' neck a short rub.
Vasily smiles and pats his horse on the neck. "Sev will keep an eye on them for us. Won't you, buddy?" He nods at his blue forest cat. "And don't worry, Katya, you're not the only one who doesn't want to get wet."
On learning of your destination, they're a little unhappy, and will offer to drop you off there and then row out a little ways so they're not too close to the island. If you haven't come back by an hour or so before sunset, they're going to leave--they really don't want to risk getting caught by the lights.
Beatrix agrees. "Don't want to put you in any danger."
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The Fitcher dismounts, patting his horse on the flank and mumbling a few reassuring words to it as he walks toward the little boat. He gives a sidelong, dubious glance at Vasily's big cat, but says nothing.
He asks one of the fisherfolk, So, why do you fear these ghost lights? What sort of danger do they pose?
There's a lot of hemming and hawing in reply to The Fitcher's questions. "Big. Go out on the lake at night when the lights are out, and you don't come back. Don't know why or how--that's just what happens."
There is a narrow strip of rocky beach on the lee side of the island, and the fishers will leave you there. The majority of the island is covered with thick brambles and stinging nettles; you figure that moving through the brush is going to be slow and unpleasant.
After waving farewell to the fishermen, Beatrix takes point with her sword drawn. "Let's see if there's a way in."
Bea, it looks like you'll just have to bull through, or take a lot more time brush-cutting.
Vasily frowns at the brambles, his hand resting on the hand axe he keeps to chop wood for campfires. "This isn't going to be fun."
Vasily, you don't think they'll deal damage as such. They'll be difficult to push through, but you notice that the stinging nettles are a variety that may leave you debilitated if you get scratched up by them. Without magic, clearing the island is going to take days or weeks. Clearing a path to the tower ruins is probably a day's work.
The brush is damp enough now that although you could burn it off it would also be a time-consuming process, and the nettle toxin is not one that you want to inhale.
Vasily grunts. "Those nettles make you sick if they scratch you up. We could clear a path to the tower with a good day's hard work. Or we could burn it off; it's wet enough right now that I don't think we'd set the whole island on fire, but we wouldn't want to inhale the fumes."
He looks over at Katya and the Fitcher. "Unless either of you have any magic that could do it for us?"
Beatrix looks down at her armor, then over to Katya's exposed skin with a frown. "I'd not worry about scratches myself, but we'll need to clear a path for you all." She sheaths her sword and fingers her dagger, silently wishing she an axe like Vasily.
When asked if he has any magic that might improve their situation, the Fitcher shakes his head slowly, drawing his sickle. We have much work to do.
The Fitcher is perhaps somewhat disturbed to discover a notable lack of creatures living in the bushes. Every now and then, one of you comes upon a dead bird tangled in the brush. The work is backbreaking and slow, and by noon you've only gotten about halfway to the central tower.
Vasily takes a short break to drink some water and wipe some of the sweat and grime off his face. His archer's calluses hadn't built up in the right places to keep his hands from chafing, then blistering, but the young man kept working without complaint.
He splashes a little extra water on his face and hair to cut away more sweat and chuckles. "Now you know what it's like for the people building that town for you. Who says nobles don't know what it's like to a good day's work?"
His cat had spent the morning alternately napping and wandering around nearby, occasionally watching the humans toil with a cat's disinterested gaze. The blue and black striped beast sneezes in response to Vasily's comment then closes its eyes and goes back to sleep.
Katya huffs as her disheveled hair is brushed away from hanging over her face, her staff and dagger caked in mud from the hours of cutting through nettles and pushing them away from the path with her quarterstaff. Shifting away from the group slightly to pull out a waterskin and take a large gulp of the smooth water, Katya turns towards Vasily, "Not anybody who desires a life free of pain," giving a short grin before capping her waterskin again, "This is actually what the Magisters have new apprentices do in the tower, so I guess I have somebodies bright idea to come to this land for remind me of my younger years, thanks for that."
Bea pauses briefly to give Vasily a quizzical look. Does he really think I'm a noble? That I didn't grow up doing hard labour and would still be helping the men build the town if my new responsibilities didn't require so much time away? She shakes her head, thinking better of bringing it up, and turns back to the brush she's clearing.
After Katya's comment though, she's reminded of her own past. "Grew up on a farm myself, before I joined the army. Plenty of work for all, girls and boys alike. Tell you what, I never dreamed I'd be doing anything but hard work for the rest of my life. Only even ended up in the Stolen Lands at all because Adam found I was good with a sword and hired me as a bodyguard."
It's coming on for the end of the day when you break into the clearing around the ruined tower. You figure that you have another half-hour or so before your ride leaves, but the distance that you covered so laboriously through the day is only a five or ten minute walk now that it's been cleared. There is something profoundly unsettling about the ruins...every one of you feels as though something is watching you from behind, or from somewhere just out of sight.
As you're contemplating the ancient stones, a small globe of pale fire suddenly appears next to Bea and flashes angrily, sending an arc of electricity into the paladin!
Round 1:
Initiative order
The Fitcher
Creature
Katya
Vasily
Bea
The Fitcher seems outwardly calm as he regards the attacker. He takes a step back, away from the globe of fire, but still within arm's length of Bea, and casts a healing spell on her.
The Fitcher restores some of Bea's health.
Round 2 (rearranged; ongoing):
Initiative order
Creature-acted
Katya
Vasily
Bea
The Fitcher
The floating globe of light flashes again, inflicting more damage on the paladin.
"As long as I can see, I can shoot it. Watch out, though- it can turn invisible." Vasily whistles, urging Strelka forward to attack as he nocks and shoots a pair of arrows at the evil little glowing monster.
The big cat bounds forward to get behind the floating ball and leaps up at it from behind.
Katya jumps in startled surprise as the floating ball of lightning strikes out twice at Bea, her voice following Vasily's "Its also immune to most of my magic but..."
Lifting her staff, Katya starts an incantation that sets her staff to glowing. "Dronilnr ekik vi soti... dronilnr ekik vi soti... dronilnr ekik vi soti."
Bea recoils, calling out in pain before swinging her sword in retaliation. "Stag's Antlers that hurt! Die, demon light!"
Round 2 (ongoing):
Initiative order
Creature-acted
Katya-acted
Vasily-acted
Bea-acted
The Fitcher
Bea calls on Erastil's power and swings at the creature, but even with the cat flanking it's too nimble for her. Likewise, it dodges both of Vasily's arrows. The cat, though, is able to tear loose a mouthful of something spongy and nasty-tasting.
The Fitcher seems to consider Vasily's words for a moment, then casts a quick spell. Eerie green flames, devoid of heat, flick from his fingers and surround the demon light. This thing can not hide from us now.
The Fitcher's light fails to adhere to the creature.
Round 3 (ongoing):
Initiative order
Creature-acted
Katya
Vasily
Bea
The Fitcher
The wisp continues to attack Bea .
Katya continues her chant of, "Dronilnr ekik vi soti... Dronilnr ekik vi soti... Dronilnr ekik vi soti," until the energy reaches it peak, shooting up her staff and a whirlwind makes her robes swirl around her body wildly for a moment, wind contrails forming into the shape of a hulking thin wind-man in front of the light devil, Katya's chant ending with, "Wer edar slathalinic ihk ve!"
The tall, thin wind elemental scrambles forward as it attacks the will-o'-wisp.
Calling on untapped inner strength, Beatrix attacks the apperition again. "I will not be done in by a floating light!"
"Good one, buddy!" As Strelka continues to slash at the bouncing ball of light, Vasily launches another brace of arrows.