Smiley steadies his aim and puts one bolt right through the Gnoll's left eye. She squirms for a bit before collapsing.
Jann, glad to be rid of the Gnoll, introduces the hyena to a glimpse of the stars and the never ending realm of beyond. The hyena never graduated from school, so he's quite confused about it.
Nithrandyl (Compel Alarcity)
Hyena (9 damage, Confused)
Thannaen (18 Damage, unconscious, prone, stabilization check needed)
Smiley
Jann (12 Damage)
Khāṇa
Rizzlefunk
Thannaen's bleeding stops as the party closes in on the hyena. He foams even more and is not very lucid.
Nithrandyl (Compel Alarcity)
Hyena (9 damage, Confused)
Thannaen (18 Damage, unconscious, prone)
Smiley
Jann (12 Damage)
Khāṇa
Rizzlefunk
Nithrandyl moves around the hyena with a sudden burst of speed and agility. He draws his wand and closes Thannaen's worst wounds.
The hyena seems to get a hold of itself, and continues its assault.
The hyena runs up to the Gnome and snaps at him, no where close.
Nithrandyl
Hyena (9 damage, Confused)
Thannaen (13 Damage, prone)
Smiley
Jann (12 Damage)
Khāṇa
Rizzlefunk
Smiley charges in and knocks the life out of the hyena with a single swing.
Glad to be rid of them, you check the gnoll for equipment and notice a sac it was carrying near the cave.
It seems like this was waiting in ambush outside this cave.
shoes leaving the nearby cave, perhaps a very young human or a halfling
child. There is no corresponding set of footprints entering the cave.
Smiley charges in and knocks the life out of the hyena with a single swing.
Glad to be rid of them, you check the gnoll for equipment and notice a sac it was carrying near the cave.
Judging by the food she brought, it seems like the Gnoll was waiting in ambush outside this cave. You're not sure for what, though.
shoes leaving the nearby cave, perhaps a very young human or a halfling
child. There is no corresponding set of footprints entering the cave.
Pictographs on the walls of this shallow cave show an indistinct winged
creature navigating through a sea of swirling patterns and black dots.
A clumsily constructed altar sits at the center of the cave. Dozens of
small niches are carved into the wall, most filled with an odd assortment
of items; teeth, scraps of clothing, a jar of white liquid, a wooden staff,
several pieces of parchment, a cloth pouch, a leather satchel, and several
identical wooden dolls of exceptional quality.
madness.
this is an altar of the Outer God Azathoth.
sloppily wiped away. This blood has the same green tint the gnoll had.
Looking at the quarterstaff, you notice a sigil inscribed on it. You also notice 2
scrolls and a pouch containing a potion of oil and several gunslinger bullets.
the staff are obscure symbols of Nethys.
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"Some from Alkenstar came this way, it seems. There are three bullets that seek their targets and one that leaves a flash behind . Here is a scroll of mount," Thann adds, handing it to Nithrandyl. "The oil produces a silence effect. I am not certain about this scroll."
"These dolls are curious," the elf remarks. A sketch of the doll goes into his journal, and he doesn't touch one -- at least not yet.
The three identical dolls are very well crafted, in the shape of a young girl.
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"The mightiest of the Outer Gods, Sovereign of the Dark Tapestry - insofar as the Dark Tapestry can have a Sovereign - the monstrous nuclear Chaos at the center of the cosmos, sometimes quite inaccurately called "The Daemon Sultan," that writhes in time with a throng of lesser Outer Gods as they forever dance in a ring about It to the monotonous piping of a demoniac flautist," Khāṇa explains helpfully. "Its herald is madness - or more precisely, Nyarlathotep the Crawling Chaos - and Its visitation to our world would spell Doom."
She looks back at the mutant gnoll's corpse. "Our erstwhile playmate here had evidently earned some small degree of her deity's favor - for all the good it did her." She twists the corner of her mouth into a small wry sneer.
The town of Mercy rests a mile south of the banks of the Ustradi River. A
wooden palisade encircles a collection of its approximately one hundred
wooden buildings. Hardy trees laden with red and yellow fruit dot the
surrounding landscape. The road leads to a wide gate, which bears
a prominent sign with orange-painted letters.
Mercy does not allow dishonesty, firearms, or large weapons within town
limits. Respect the curfew.
You arrive one hour before sunset, passing through fields of cashew trees.
As you approach the town, a male human opens the gate. He seems to be the only
armed person you see, and gives you a polite nod as you approach.
"Welcome to Mercy. I’m Sheriff Molume, and I keep the peace around here.
As you can see from the sign, we don’t allow people to walk around with large
weapons around here. Before I let you inside, I need to ask you to hand them
over."
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"'Dishonesty' isn't allowed, hm?" Rizzlefunk chuckles when he reads the sign, a mischeovous grin on his face.
"Thank you, Sheriff. I am mister Rizzlefunk, a Pathfinder agent like my companions," he points to the group and lets them exchange greetings. "We're here on a mission to find one of our own, should be done by night fall. You'll understand that we expect unexpected dangers in the Wastes, and our work protocol does not allow being defenseless. Nor, may I add, allow it for us to cause harm for locals: so rest assured."
"You understand what I mean, right?"
The Sheriff exhales, slightly annoyed. "Yes. People around here are quite peaceful, and they don't like to watch people running around with crossbows and battleaxes." he shakes his head. "No one tries to attack the town, so no one carries weapons. Not even daggers."
He looks at Jann's staff and Nithrandyl's nature staff. "Your staves are fine, but I'll have to hold onto the sling and the other big stuff. They'll stay secure in my home, the Carriage House. You have my word."
The sheriff doesn't budge from the gate, and waits for the party to surrender their weapons.
"I'll personally deliver these back to you when you finish your investigation." The Sheriff seems sincere. "Thank you for your cooperation."
@Khāṇa: You can keep the mummified hands, he wouldn't recognize it.
As you enter the town, he goes over the curfew.
"We pray and attend temple twice daily, once at sunrise and once just after
sundown. We ask that you stay inside the guesthouse from 1 hour before sunset
until 1 hour after sunrise. That gives you 10 hours each day to wander around.
When you hear the triple bell you can leave the guesthouse, and when the
triple bells ring again, return to the guesthouse and draw the curtains.
Curfew begins shortly."
"This way to the guesthouse." You pass by many adults, wearing yellow-orange scarves and belts. Many give the party a suspicious eye as they pass.
Sheriff Molume leads the party to the guesthouse, a large building at the edge
of town that the people of Mercy leave open for visitors.
"We have no other visitors coming, so it's all yours." He lets you into
the main room. "See this box at the front door, with the orange flag?
That's the message box. Three times a day, there will be food inside. If it's
after curfew and you need assistance, just raise the flag."
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Khāṇa strikes a businesslike posture as she addresses the sheriff.
"First thing's first: Why a curfew?"
"Second thing's second: You're not one of those places that prohibit gambling, are you?"
"Third thing's third: Does everyone here follow the same god? No heathens, no apostates, no loners, no atheists?"
"Related question: Most of us outsiders have never heard of Robori. What can you tell us of your god?"
"Beyond that: Why must we draw the curtains at sundown?"
"Also: Do you have a dress code as well? What's with the scarves and belts?"
"Next, a 'softer' question: I've heard your harvests here are a marvel to behold (from an agrarian standpoint), year after year. What do you think the secret is?"
"Most importantly: Do you know of an Osirian Human woman by the name of Amenira? She's been sending regular correspondence from here for years, but stopped abruptly four months ago."
Two thoughts suddenly strike together in Khāṇa's head like flint and steel: The staff in the warped gnoll's shrine bore symbols of Nethys - and Amenira was a Nethysite. She needs to bring this point up once the sheriff has left them alone.
Khāṇa strikes a businesslike posture as she addresses the sheriff.
"Oh boy. And I thought the Gnome would be the talker." He pulls up a seat.
"First thing's first: Why a curfew?"
"The people of Mercy are private, and they don't like outsiders meddling in their ceremonies."
What the Sheriff said was truthful, but he seems to be omitting details.
"Second thing's second: You're not one of those places that prohibit gambling, are you?"
Sheriff Molume laughs, then regains his composure. "No one here gambles. For your sake, don't mention that around the townsfolk."
"Third thing's third: Does everyone here follow the same god? No heathens, no apostates, no loners, no atheists?"
"Related question: Most of us outsiders have never heard of Robori. What can you tell us of your god?"
"Robori, the God of Trees is at the center of town. The priests say he protects the town with his Circle of Life. I'm sure they can tell you more tomorrow."
Molume doesn't say the name "Robori" with much reverence. It may be his religion, but he's not deeply invested in it.
"Beyond that: Why must we draw the curtains at sundown?"
He shrugs. "Privacy. That's how we do it around here."
"Also: Do you have a dress code as well? What's with the scarves and belts?"
"I never really thought about a dress code... but I guess we do dress alike. The clothing is easy enough to make, although the priests wear finer quality clothing."
"Next, a 'softer' question: I've heard your harvests here are a marvel to behold (from an agrarian standpoint), year after year. What do you think the secret is?"
"Hard work and perseverance. Oh, and Robori's blessings, I guess."
"Most importantly: Do you know of an Osirian Human woman by the name of Amenira? She's been sending regular correspondence from here for years, but stopped abruptly four months ago."
"Amenira lives in the orange house on the west side of town. She's nice enough, and follows the rules. Oh yeah, she also makes toys for the children. Last time I saw her she was going to Alkenstar. Hmm...she's been there a while, now that I think of it. A little rude not to say goodbye, but maybe she got tired of it after a year."
Two thoughts suddenly strike together in Khāṇa's head like flint and steel: The staff in the warped gnoll's shrine bore symbols of Nethys - and Amenira was a Nethysite. She needs to bring this point up once the sheriff has left them alone.
"Hmmm... I thought she was just in Alkenstar." He gets a bit suspicious. "What do you know about her?"
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Khāṇa grew up learning how to talk to the dead rather than the living - she may be one of them by any number of objective standards, but they way they think still causes her consternation, and getting them to give up their secrets in particular is so much harder...but at least she can read them. For now, all she can do is mentally file away her observations of the sheriff.
"Also: Do you have a dress code as well? What's with the scarves and belts?"
"I never really thought about a dress code... but I guess we do dress alike. The clothing is easy enough to make, although the priests wear finer quality clothing."
Khāṇa interjects a follow-up question when the sheriff mentions "the orange house."
"Pale orange...the same color everywhere. And you even paint houses that color? Where does the dye come from? Does it stand for anything?"
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Smiley nudges Jann and whispers He's not tellin' us everything about the curfew. Pass it on.
Smiley has a rare social inspiration.
Amenira is our friend and she recently stopped sending letters. We were worried about her. She goes off an explores a lot. But she's been livin' here a while -- do you have any idea why she might not have returned?
"One of the plants around here, it's kind of like an onion. If you crush it and submerge it, you get an orange dye. We use that for pretty much everything here."
Sheriff Molume keeps his mouth shut when Khāṇa starts asking about Amenira, but he opens up a bit when Smiley shows concern. "Truth be told, I haven't seen her in about 2 months. She was heading to Alkenstar to deliver some letters to her family. I thought she was taking her sweet time, or maybe the townsfolk upset her." He shakes his head. "Now I really don't know what's up."
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"Not that I personally care for it, but it *is* a rather distinctive color."
Smells pleasant, too, Khāṇa thinks, but avoids saying, lest her superhuman olfactory faculties be better off as a hidden ace up her sleeve.
"You might make a lot of money if you started harvesting these bulbs for export." She finishes.
The more cheerful news dealt with, Khāṇa's demeanor turns grave as she reconsiders her approach to the sheriff. She holds forth the staff from the mutant gnoll's cave with the Nethysite symbols.
"Do you recognize this staff? She asks the sheriff gravely. "The symbols are obscure - especially obscure - hallmarks of Nethys. Was it hers? If so, we have clear and present reason to fear for her life...and worse."
"She always did carry a staff with her. When she first came she wore many symbols of uh, what was that name? Nethys, yes." The Sheriff thinks deeply. "She got rid or hid most of her symbols during her year here, though. Not many people would speak to her otherwise."
"Mercy is a quiet town- well, the carpenters and blacksmiths like to argue- but the worst we have are bat infestations. We grow a lot of cashews, and those bats love the smell of them. I see why you came all this way though. If this is hers..." The Sheriff eyes the staff. "I'll keep my eyes open. The people of Mercy are a bit untrusting of outsiders, but if you can earn their favor, maybe we can find someone who knows something about her. There are a few places of interest you can look into tomorrow:"
Sheriff Molume notes a few locations and ideas you may be interested in finding.
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Smiley chats up the blacksmiths and carpenters in Artisan's Square.
Y'know, my brother Durgo is a carpenter, an' his twin Drego is a blacksmith. Always quarrelin' about who's more important, y'know. Myself, I think they're both important. Just fer different things, if you catch my meaning.
He was doing pretty well until he felt the need to bring himself into it.
Did I mention I'm the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son? Why, you're probably extra lucky today because I'm here. Here, I'll stand a little closer to ya. Oops, ya moved away!