With a final rush of wind, leaves stir and swirl around the Sarenrite as she presents her holy symbol and stands defiantly in the wake of the haunting.
Finally, the event subsides and the Pathfinders turn their attention to Zadim, who managed to take a sizable bite from his own arm.
As the Pathfinders meander into the stone circle, they discover nothing of note and realize that it may just be a matter of time before the haunt returns.
To the east, a babbling stream can be heard.
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*Before* the party leaves the circle, though, Shardra will take a look at the stones, to see if perhaps they may offer some insight into the location of the chalice.
Now, the question is... do the stones want to give her a hint quickly enough that she doesn't get nailed by the haunt?
She'd really rather avoid getting caught by the haunt, but if there's information to be had that isn't 'Autocannibalism'...
Amiri paces around nervously as the group tries their divinations.
Enora, knowing what she knows about haunts, pieces together that a haunt would typically be appeased by righting whatever wrong led to the creature's death.
Based on the little she knows about the Famished Shaman, she suspects that would have something to do with feeding him.
Shardra does a thorough investigation of the stones and the altar, realizing she can approach them without fear of consuming her own arm like her companion Zadim. However, she finds little of note that would help her locate the lantern or appease the shaman, only discovering ancient scratches from whatever implements the Famished Shaman carved up his meals on the stone altar.
To the east, the babbling stream continues to babble on, reminding you all that Ulisha said something about hiding the lantern near such a place...
Lets move on, I hear something to the east. Amiri sugests.
Zadim is dazzled and sickened by what he did and spend a little time retching... his own flesh. "Uuurgh... What happened to me? I'm becoming mad! Uuuurgh!"
He takes some time to recover and eventually follows the others and scans the stream.
Amiri stays alert as they search.
The party begins their search in the misty fog, approaching the stream and a strange rocky island formed in its center.
Zadim, with the help of the others, can make out a faint orange glow through the mist, seeming to emanate from just under one of the boulders on the islet.
"Look! Over there!" says Zadim pointing at the orange glow.
He approaches the stream and readies himself to cross it. "Anybody has a rope? It's just in case I fall in the water..."
Once a rope is tied around his waist, Zadim will begin to cross the stream.
Initiative:
for
for
As Zadim lifts the lantern from its hiding spot, the bushes and shrubs on the western bank jostle and a half-dozen tiny animals composed of rabbits, squirrels and a skunk emerge and line up along the bank. Each of the tiny animals hisses at Zadim while a vaguely humanoid shape made of light seems to stumble forth, wearing a familiar, mangy bear head upon its shoulders.
Just as Zadim is trying to ascertain if the shape is friend or foe, the bear head hurtles forward at the slayer, crashing into his chest and knocking the wind from him.
Flitting about a few feet from him, apparently having thrown the head, he spots a tiny green-skinned winged creature carrying a tiny sewing needle as a weapon.
The shrubs rustle once again, and a large majestic elk emerges. The elk lowers its head and bleats, seeming to put itself between the fey and the rest of the party.
Round 1
17 Atomie : Hurls bear head at Zadim, hitting him for 6 damage
17 Elk : Moves from forest, readies, bleats at party
15 Amiri :
13 Enora :
11 Zadim :
7 Shardra :
6 Kyra :
Now Up: Everyone!
Through the mist, Zadim tries to study the atomie's attitude and weaknesses.
After that, he tries his best to defend himself for an incoming threat.
Zadim blinks a few times, imagining what it would feel like to be his by the hurtling bear head. As he comes to his senses, he realizes he was in fact not hit.
Shardra can definitely sense some sort of deep connection between the elk and the fey and it seems like the elk will defend the atomie if it is attacked.
The little green woman giggles at what she's done.
"Hee hee! Oh, that would've been so funny!"
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"It would have been, wouldn't it? Say, maybe we're just off on the wrong foot to start? We're not here to harm the woods, honest. Your friend the elk agrees because otherwise half of us would be gored through right now, right?"
Shardra has not drawn a weapon yet, and is keeping Kolo close, as she attempts to diffuse the situation...
The winged faerie flits about, clearly understanding Shardra as she hears the shaman's words.
Almost like a young child, she exaggerates the process of her thinking, as if she were debating an alternative offered by a parent.
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm....."
She then snaps her tiny fingers.
"Look! I'm bored! It's boring here. Ol' Birdy is so...."
The little fairy rubs her temples as she thinks.
"Old!"
She continues to rub her temples.
"I know! Let's play a game? What do you say!?"
She appears quite eager to play a game.
Zadim blinks with a gaping mouth. He really felt like he was hurt from that head. "Eeerm, a... a game, you say? Well, I don't know... Why not?"
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Enora stumbles forward in the stream, trying to eyeball a distance at which the elk and the fey will both be in an arc for a color spray, and asks, "Will you teach us to play before we start? I only know a couple games, and both hide and seek and kick the can would be neigh impossible in this mist."
The atomie claps her hands at Enora's words.
"Oh! Hide and seek! That's one of Sicklewit's favorites!"
Before she can say another word, the atomie disappears with a pop and her voice can be heard to be getting fainter and further.
"Come try to find meeeeee....."
The elk almost seems to sigh as the tiny fey vanishes. It begins lapping at the water from the stream.
After a few minutes of searching for Sicklewit, Zadim feels a tug on the lantern he earlier secured to a loop on his pack.
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Shardra is very thankful that the game wasn't 'Make Ol' Birdy Kick the Can'. Because that... would not have gone over very well.
The dwarf gives the elk a smile and a bit of a shrug before attempting to look for the atomie. Hide and Seek, in this mist? Are you NUTS, Enora?
Still, she does try to look for Sicklewit!
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"None of us can likely find a fey, especially in these mists. Perhaps the best option is for all of us to help one another with the task? No matter really."
Enora curls up next to the rocks and begins counting, with her eyes closed, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, TEN! Ready or not; here I come!"
Realizing the task is doomed for failure, but is a game after all, Enora walks through the mists searching for the Atomie, making a loud over-dramatic production of the whole process.
"Are you in HERE!" the halfling exclaims, quickly pulling back a branch on a tree. "Nope. . . How about HERE! she asks, again, suddenly picking up a rock. She repeats the process until the Atomie gets bored and re-appears, or until she can hear the fey giggling to help her locate the odd little creature.
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Kyra gives a sigh, but decides to indulge the fey in this childish game. She lets herself be surprised by how much she enjoys it despite the impossibility of the task. "Where aaaaare youuuuuuu?" she repeatedly says, barely suppressing a giggle.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Zadim spends a few moments trying to figure out if that was a joke or not. When he eventually decides to start searching for the fey, he feels a tug in his backpack and turns himself swiftly to try and face the assailant. "Hey! What is it? Is it you... fey? I found you! You lost!"
As Zadim grips the lantern tightly, the atomie reappears, puffing and flapping her tiny butterfly-like wings in a flurry.
"Unnnhhhh..."
"Unhhhh...."
"Haagghh!!"
Despite her repeated attempts, she appears unable to liberate the lantern from the slayer and finally abandons her attempts.
Crossing her arms, she sticks out her lower lip and pouts.
"Pah! You can keep that lousy lantern! It looks cursed anyway!"
With that, she decides she's had enough fun and flits away skyward, disappeared into the trees.
Weeks after the visit to Birdy's and the retrieval of the grim lantern, Enora uncovers the third lead buried within Ulisha's notes.
Her note seems to indicate a jeweled rod may be able to be obtained by visiting the town of Allenstead on the outskirts of Razmir.
Zadim knows no more than the shaman about the area.
Like your prior travels to Gralton and Ustalav, the journey to Allenstead passes without incident.
As you step into the town, you note that Allenstead consists of a few dozen buildings built along either side of a solitary dirt road..
At the center of the village, construction is nearly complete on a large stone statue of a masked priest that stands nearly twenty feet tall.
The area is bustling with activity as townsfolk seem to be taking a few moments from their daily routines and congregating here.
You all observe as a man, apparently a baker by trade as evidenced by the flour dotting his apron, approaches and takes a position up next to a woman who was standing alone in the market.
He gives her a curt nod, and speaks in a droning, monotone.
"Greetings, Imelda."
The woman barely blinks or nods in response, but she responds to the baker, her voice sounding strangely monotonous as well.
"Greetings, Baker Florent."
After this exchange, both turn their gazes to the stage and statue, apparently having little else to discuss.
The baker barely blinks.
"Father Folloch should be here soon. He does not miss his daily sermon each day at noon. We will soon be reminded of the joys of servitude and obedience."
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"That's actually not too far off from dwarven hierarchy, even, Enora. I'd say that perhaps this is some effort by humans to adopt some of the stability and structure of our people, and as a result..."
Yes, Shardra will chat with Enora ad nauseum once she learns what she knows herself. Comparing notes never hurt in such circumstances, and the discussion will mean the rest of the party will get the information via osmosis.
This gathering in town doesn't seem to bother Shardra at all. In fact, it seems almost normal. Okay, everyone referring to *one* singular person is a bit creepy, but... obedience, order? That was bread and butter of the dwarves.
It's a bit stilted for her own personal tastes, but hey, that's why she's out exploring on behalf of the Pathfinder Society. In part.
As the Pathfinders stand in town square among other assembling locals, they continue to pick out other bits of scattered conversation.
Everyone's voice seems to drone, with little emotion betrayed.
"It wasn't until Folloch that I found joy and meaning in my life through obedience."
"Yes, the joys of servitude are splendid."
"The sacred task will be completed soon."
"The monument is worthy of Razmir's greatness."
Just as you consider prodding the locals for further information, a bell rings and folks turn their attention to the stage. Enora creeps closer but two rather large men begin to advance in her direction, seemingly intent on intercepting the halfling's intentions. She does her best to hunker down and disappear into the crowd.
A man in a mask, flanked by two apparent guards steps up to the stage's center. He scans the crowd, and quickly identifies the assembled Pathfinders before addressing the full town.
“Ah! My dearest children, it appears some stray lambs have wandered into our flock! Surely Razmir can uncloud the minds of these wayward souls.”
With a flourish, a golden rod emerges from one of his sleeves and he gestures toward you all while uttering an arcane word.
"Kre-ZAM!"
The rod seems to respond meekly to his request.
FZZZZ-rooooooo.
The masked man turns his head to regard the item in his hand before he shakes it a few times and points it again.
Rooo-fizzzz-mmmrmmmm.
This seems to further agonize the masked man on stage.
"Argghh!! Blasted rod! People of Allenstead! Do not allow these non-believers to harry your faithful voice of Razmir! Detain them!"
The man quickly leaps from the stage and seems to flee southward, while the townsfolk shuffle and turn their attentions to you.
Meanwhile, Enora's short legs betray her as two of the Razmir's charmed "guards" seem to close in on her and reach to detain her. With a flash of colorful light, both flop to the ground, unconscious.