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Grimdoc is thinking resting first as going back at night without a full contingent of spells seems risk(ier).
So what do you say, Joey? Getting patched up before morning trek back?
Grimdoc will share the observation with Ali and Joesef once they are out of the temple.
Psst. I have been to a few temples of Erastil in my day, but something strange happening with those 3 acolytes.
Mark my words. They seem helpful enough...but something odd...like the rest of these parts.
if either you don't trust them, we can head back.
But if you are low on spells, then resting seems wise. Although our space-elf will likely rest too.
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So what do you say, Joey? Getting patched up before morning trek back?
"I am bit worn out. I won't be able to heal you, Grim, except through my wand. But I do have a few tricks left that I could try if you want to go back in."
Ali shrugs at Grim's observation about the men's growths. "I thought that was normal in these backwoods places. I don't think it's anything to worry about yet. They haven't turned into rhinopeople like those elves on the ship. . . yet."
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Ali, I don't need any healing. I can top myself off if needed.
Although I am beginning to wonder if them three acolytes had visited the ship. I hope they don't have some nasty horn-head disease or something.
Are there anything such as were-deer?
Ali, can you cast an invis if we can find one in town? A potion may be better....at least getting to Vlad. Not sure how we get him out...unless I stuff him in my haversack and run like...a deer!
As you search the town market, you believe you can find anything with a low gold piece value, such as scroll of Invisibility or Elixirs of Hiding.
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Ali...you see what you can find on those two items while I finish up here at the temple. We can meet back in the center of town and decide whether we go or not. I feel bad not rushing back to get Vlad tonight...but if we are not prepared properly, we will join him...in the wrong way...if you get my meaning.
Grimdoc is ready to go and leaves it up to Ali and Joesef since they are more reliant on spells than he is.
The lot of you find the local Alchemist and easily procure four Potions of Invisibility and three Elixirs of Hiding before heading to the local inn for rest.
After breakfast, you head out to the crashed ship and see the metal flying box still there.
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Grimdoc nods in agreement with the plan. He then flops down for the night.
"We leave at the dawn. Or right after breakfast ."
He looks at the familiar dragon.
"you have watch tonight ."
....
After stuffing his face with two breakfasts Grimdoc treks with the others and as they approach the hull he repeats the casting of extended heroism on himself while still some 100 yards off.
He will then get out the remove fear scrolls and coordinate the invis after the other buffs are cast closer to the ship.
As you move into the room, you see the sapce elf standing over the dead corpse of Vladek and the invisible Pathfinders quickly grab the body and drag it from the wreck of a ship. The space elf seems bemused as you flee, the body of Vladek jerking and flailing as the group hustles from sight.
With a whoosh in the far distance, you hear the door to the room close and see nothing chasing you.
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"Phew!" Ali pants as the group high-tails it away from the ship and back towards the temple. "So, once we get him back to normal, then what? We know this ship came from the stars and there's some sort of weird transformation going on but we don't know how to stop it. Should we start asking around? Look for more wreckage in the woods?"
The group hustles back to the temple and the Erastilian priest offers the Scroll of Raise Dead once more. "Though, I will need payment upfront as its owner is a bit particular about money."
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The cleric unfurls the scroll over the body of the fallen elf and begins to chant. As each minute passes, various runes on the vellum begin to illuminate in a bright green as ghostly antlers appear about the head of the cleric.
With a start, the cleric's eyes flash bright green and Vladek immediately sits up, coughing and wheezing. "It appears that your time to serve your community has not finished, Ser Vladek." the man says as he claps the elf on the back.
With a quick scan, the cleric frowns a bit however. "You will be a bit weaker and you appear to be cursed. We can solve a bit of your weakness now, but you need to come back in a week for me to properly fix you. Your soul is too strained at the moment to do it all at once." he remarks jovially.
As you wait for Vladek's recovery, Ali heads into town to check with the locals, while Grimdoc checks in with the clergy.
Ali thinks on where he knows best and comes up with two answers: the theater and the tavern. Sadly, this town is too uncouth to have the former, so the latter must suffice.
As the man spends the day there, drinking and eating bits and bobs, he gathers quite a haul of rumors.
"The meteor's already been found. Some prospectors from Druma claimed it and already shipped off the ore in the dead of night a few days ago, so looking for it now is a waste of your time."
"Most of the mines are closed up these days, but the Neshers seem to have had a bit of success scraping a bit more iron ore out of theirs. The thing crashed near their mine, though, and I suspect they might be stuck in a cave-in or some such. No one's seen them for days."
"The Nesher brothers found the meteor, and they've stashed some of the skymetal ore in their mine while they travel to Elidir to sell more of it, but no one wants to check their mine on account of the traps those maniacs
are so fond of."
"I've been sleeping poorly lately. Not sure why ... can't remember the dreams, but I wake up with headaches and a powerful thirst. I expect if there's some sort of sickness going around, that'd explain the tempers around town."
"Some folks say they've seen someone dressed an awful lot like Leeara on the Grackle riverbank, near Old Frog Swamp, only she was running around on all fours. Good luck finding anyone in town who'd admit to seeing that, though."
"Been a lot of folks lookin' for the meteorite crash site, but no one's found it yet. Most of the folks seem to think it crashed somewhere to the west, but I'm startin' to think old Dalviss has it right and the crash was farther south."
As Grimdoc investigates the church, he finds that the clergy have grown a bit more in the horn, but they appear to act normally and greet you happily. "Ah, Brother Grimdoc! It is good to see you! Is your friend well?"
The clergy look to Grimdoc in surprise and look amongst themselves before the Father speaks. "Umm... no, I cannot think of anything odd. In fact, you lot are the oddest thing that has come to Dustpawn in a while!" he comments jovially.
As Vladek uses Detect Magic, he notices a lingering necromantic aura around Joesef and Qadathra and determines that there is a minor curse affecting the pair.
As Vladek casts Diagnose Disease, he notices that the affectation is limited to a curse.
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Grimdoc will laugh back with his clergy friends.
Aye, we probably are a strange sight. Well, if ye be hearing anything strange going on, you let old Grimdoc know, deal?
Grim will join up with Ali and the others to see how they fared.
I don't know what's going on exactly, but my chums in the temple say nothing is strange...so it makes it all the more so! How did you all make out in town?
You remove the curses successfully after three casting of Remove Curse, but you still have no plan to move forward.
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After Ali tells everyone all that he learned, he says, "Well, the first thing to note is that it is increasingly obvious that there is some sort of transformational curse on the whole town and if we don't act fast they'll-we'll-all be animals soon enough."
"Second, yes, we should investigate the Nesher Mine. Something fishy is going on there, even if it's unrelated. I suspect it has something to do with the crash though. Maybe they've stolen something powerful from the ship or there really is a meteorite causing the problems."
"Finally, I think we should follow up on animal-like person who looks like Leeara running around the Old Frog Swamp. If we can get any sense out of her, maybe she stumbled onto the source of this and that's why her transformation happened so quickly. I think we should head to the Swamp first."
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Agreed. I like mines. And yours...if you get my meaning. HAhahhahrhrrr. Actually I worked in the mines before joining the Society.
The dwarf keeps chucking at his own lame joke.
What? Ok, sorry. But that there is funny, I don't care who you are!
He regains his composure.
Ok, to the mine unless we know where Leeara is first. I ain't no fan of swamps. Had bad experience with mosquitoes a the last one.
As you awake, you handle any business you may have and Grimdoc makes sure to enough at least three breakfasts.
The Nesher Mine is located southwest of Dustpawn, and as it so happens, almost directly north of where the Lirgen's Glory went down. The mine itself is relatively unimpressive from the outside-merely a cave opening at the base of a hill that's been widened and braced with timbers. A hand-painted sign above the mine proudly names it the "NESHER MINES."
The cave beyond is relatively shallow, extending only 15 feet underground before it ends. A hole in the center of the cave allows acces s to the mine proper-a wooden lift operated by a hand- cranked winch mounted on the platform allows easy descent 20 feet down. From the looks of the lift, it is quite old and will probably make an awful lot of noise.