Garethane and Kalaman:
At Fort Redemption:
Mila remains silent for a moment before saying, "Goody has always treated me well. She took me in when I was younger and in need of guidance and needing to learn the ways of the world, she has taught me most of what I know."
Glancing at all of you she continues, "As to why some of the townsfolk complain about her, that's not for me to say. If I had to take a guess, it is more about many of them being former city-folk who are not used to how things are done in the wilds."
Turning to Tove in particular, she adds, "Being and Erastilian, I'm sure you understand."
Azen thinks that she is purposely avoiding something, but tracking it down isn't important right now unless she is actually involved in the murder, so she just says
Okay, I think we're about done then. Just one more question from me. Yes or no: Are you involved with any group that is harming people in our community?
As long as she says no, she turns to Tove and says
I think we can let her go back to her day then, unless you have another question?
"I suppose that depends on your definition of harm." she says. "An unfortunate reality of midwifery, is that sometimes both the child and the mother can not be saved...occasionally a choice has to be made."
Azen's internal alarm bells go off at that answer, but she says calmly
Okay, that makes sense. I'll rephrase the question.
Are you associated with any group that intends to cause harm to this community, other than normal choices involved with childbirth?
"To the community? Certainly not."
Azen smiles and thanks Mila for her cooperation, then turns to Tove and says
I think we can let her go back to her day then, unless you have another question?
If she is turned loose, she recommends to Tove (one she is gone) that someone keep an eye on her and Goody Niska. They don't seem to be murderers, but they could be up to something else.
Celebeth just folds her arms and watches and listens. She remains impassive but doesn't seem to have any questions for the suspect... for now.
Calling upon the his infrequently used knowledge of the arcane and truly glad for Kalaman's presense, Garethane focuses on the abjuration aura:
"Let us retreat from this door."
After moving off into the brush a bit, he continues his conversation in low tones. "With such a warding in place I'm even more worried about what may await us inside. I agree, let's see if Ivo and Tove can get rid of the thing. We need backup. How about I stay here while you gather it. I can hide fairly effectively in this overgrowth."
Tove feels slightly uneasy about the way the woman is avoiding giving straight answers, but she has to trust the other Erastilian, and if she truly wished the community no harm, she couldn't be too much of a threat, at least.
"Very well Mila, I'm sorry you found yourself caught up in all of this. As a follower of Old Deadeye, you will understand we must do the utmost to ensure the strength of this fledgling community..."
She pauses.
"You haven't noticed anyone suspicious around have you? Anyone who might be associated with the cult of the Hag Queen?"
"alright then, I will gather the others to make an assault on the hideout. I will be back shortly." kalaman replies before turning and running back in the direction of the settlement. Recalling where he had seen azen drag the struggling woman, that is the first place he checks for the council if he doesn't see them immediately.
upon our search, garethane found the same scent as was in master bassius' quarters on the outskirts of town, we followed it until we found a small door, hiding in the side of a hill, with a magical trap of warding guarding said door. The culprit is inside the dwelling to which this door guards, hurry, we are close!" kalaman says as soon as he has found the group.
Sigefrid remains impassive.
Garathane uses the combination of Greensight, Woodland Stride, and Stealth to good effect to disappear into the brush.
upon our search, garethane found the same scent as was in master bassius' quarters on the outskirts of town, we followed it until we found a small door, hiding in the side of a hill, with a magical trap of warding guarding said door. The culprit is inside the dwelling to which this door guards, hurry, we are close!" kalaman says as soon as he has found the group.
"Then ve," Baldur begins before catching himself. "I mean you must go. Ve vill help if you vish."
At Fort Redemption:
"Anyone suspicious? No, can't say that I have seen anyone that seemed suspicious to me. Who's the Hag Queen?" Mila asks.
"Anything else, or can I go Councilor?" Mila asks.
Before Tove or any of the other council members present can respond, Kalaman returns with news of the door in the hillside.
Azen just assumes that she and Celebeth are invited, and tugs her sister's sleeve and gives her a questioning look, making sure that they are on the same page about going along.
Tove will hang back with the girl, realizing that she's phrased her question poorly.
"Do you know anyone in league with Gyronna or the Black Sisters?" she will ask more bluntly.
"What are the Black Sisters?" Mila asks. Following up that question with, "Gyronna is just an old tale to scare children, isn't she? I guess in all the stories, she's a hag. Is this the Hag Queen you speak of?"
Celebeth nods eagerly to Azen but then leans in and whispers something to her sister.
Tove is torn as she can plainly see the woman is stalling now, but the lead conveyed by Kalaman's lead seemed too urgent for her to ignore.
Celebeth pipes up and says, "If I may have a moment... ?" to Tove, and tilts her head to request a sidebar audience.
Tove looks back to Mila, then moves to speak with Celebeth more privately. "Yes?"
Azen whispers back to Celebeth
Oooh, good idea, but if you go, do not engage, okay? Come back and tell us what you found out and then we can all go confront the group. No putting yourself in danger, understand?
... Or, actually, maybe I should come along, invisibly, to watch your back?
Tove will nod curtly to Celebeth, before relaying to Mila that she is in fact free to go. She will then follow Kalaman and the others to investigate Garathane's lead.
Celebeth and Azen:
Mila quickly scurries off after being dismissed by Tove. Shortly after, the newly arrived sisters follow.
The first place that Mila runs off to, is a small home at the western edge of town. Glancing around before proceeding, she enters the cottage.
At the hidden door in the hill:
Garethane continues to watch the door from his hidden location, when he sees other councilors and their new found allies arriving on the scene.
As everyone arrives, Garethane and Kalaman point out the door and remind the others of the warding on the door.
==Following Mila==
Azen casts invisibility as soon as Mila leaves, and then walks along with Celebeth, brushing her hand with her own occasionally to make sure she knows where she is.
When they arrive at the cottage, Azen will approach and listen at the door to see if she can hear anything from within.
"Sigefrid and I can lead." Baldur offers, "But ve are not vitches. Someone else vill need to open the door."
"Can you grab my weapons? I don't think my illusion can change them, but I want 'em nearby in case we need 'em," says Celebeth just as Azen blinks out.
Celebeth waits briefly for Mila to get out of sight, then casts a quick spell. Suddenly she turns into a middle-aged washer woman, complete with a change to all her clothing and accoutrements; she puts her elven blade and her bow to one side to pick up later, as her costumery assumes the form of the kind of traveling garb appropriate to a farmwife who's come all this way from Brevoy.
With a tilt of her head she indicates for her sister to join her, and she starts to follow Mila.
When she arrives at the cottage, Celebeth pauses, looking slightly nervous. The farmwife-facade frowns, then she rummages through her back - purely an idle motion - and waits to see what Azen does.
At the hidden door in the hill, Ivo frowns slightly and then listens carefully at the door.
"Probably faerie-work," he says.
"We'll need magic to open this door, I think."
Speaking quietly, "If we can't dispel it, can we set it off? With perhaps a summoned creature perhaps?"
" if you can summon an entity able to open a door and able to understand you commanding it thus. If we direct this creature to open the door, we should stand a decent way away, as any number of decently powerful arcane spells could be primed in the glyph, and as such, we should be out of their area of effects." kalaman replies to garethanes inquiry of the door. "however,if the door is locked, it could be a moot point, as the glyph could be triggered by the opening of the door, or possibly the unlocking of the lock without a key, and I dont think we can summon a creature to pick a lock."
At the door in the hill:
Ivo listens carefully at the door.
Back in Town (Azen and Celebeth):
Azen listens at the door while her sister waits by.
Azen backs off and (whispering) tells Celebeth what she heard.
So, should we report back to the group, or did you want to do anything else? ... I mean anything else non-foolhardy, of course.
Celebeth whispers to her invisible sister, "Aww, I was going to do something foolhardy. I was going to pretend to want to join their little group."
Hmm, that actually sounds like a good idea, but should it be so soon after their scare? I don't want you putting yourself in unnecessary danger.
Sigefrid chants softly, warding himself and his brother from danger in anticipation of a fight.
Baldur nods to his brother and the temperature drops dramatically as ice forms up his arm, moulding itself into a thick shield.
Celebeth whispers to her invisible sister, "Yeah, they'll probably be extra-suspicious, but if I tell them I'm wanting to be one of them, they might also want new recruits... oh, but if they question me for too long the disguise spell will wear off. Hmm. You may be right."
Celebeth gives a "harumpf" like a washer-woman who's made up her mind about something she doesn't like, lifts her illusory skirts, and starts making her way back toward the heart of the "town."
"Let's at least tell the leadership of what we've discovered here."
Good idea.
Azen is relieved that Celebeth decided not to go further without more backup, but wisely doesn't say anything further about that, and accompanies her to try to find the leaders of the settlement.
With Sigefrid and Baldur readying for a fight beside her, Tove will utter a quick prayer to Erastil and knock an arrow to her bowstring.
After thinking for a few moments, Garathane says "Well, I could summon a small earth elemental. I don't know that I could give it much in the way of precision instructions, but I'm pretty sure I can point it at a door and perhaps pantomime operating a door knob."