Urram winces behind his mask as Anya trips, before readying his spear.
”Sorry folks, guess I was wrong,” Anya grunts as she stands. ”Just my luck.”
She readies her axe as the ankheg predictably bursts forth in front of her.
Her strike lands, but the ankheg bites back.
Round 1 (Inspire Courage +1 attack and damage rolls)
Urram <- UP NEXT
Round 2
Fenna <- UP NEXT
Kari & Hrolf <- UP NEXT
Anya (12 damage, grappled)
Ankheg (5 damage)
Urram
"Damn!" mutters Fenna. She's not sure what happens to someone who the Ankheg has grabbed, but she bets it's not good. She casts Liberating Command on Anya, and moves up to strike the ankheg.
"Hrolf, flank!", Kari barked. She waited for him to move around the creature, before conjuring her ice blade and attacking.
Obeying, Kari's order, Hrolf moved around the giant bug to threaten it from the opposite side.
Luckily, the ankheg fails to bite Anya in half.
Urram steps forward and jabs with his spear.
Once Anya and the ankheg exchange blows, Urram steps in for a strike, piercing the insect's carapace, but not significantly.
Fenna shouts some words of encouragement to Anya, who tries to slip free.
She BARELY wriggles free as Fenna steps up, striking the ankheg hard and cutting deep.
Hrolf circles the bug, no longer occupied by Anya, it strikes at him.
With Anya free from its mandibles, the ankheg strikes uselessly at Hrolf as the wolf circles him harmlessly. With her companion in place, Kari smashes the bug with her ice blade.
”Thank you kindly my dear, Anya looks determined and strikes her axe out at the ankheg.
The ankheg strikes out, this time at Kari, but the gnome dodges as deftly as her canine friend.
Round 2 (Inspire Courage +1 attack and damage rolls)
Urram <- UP NEXT
Round 3
Fenna <- UP NEXT
Kari & Hrolf <- UP NEXT
Anya (12 damage, grappled)
Ankheg (29 damage)
Urram
Kari continued her aggressive pest control efforts.
Hrolf shifted to continue flanking with Kari, and tried to bury his fangs in massive creature.
Urram tries again to land a blow, but he overpowers the thrust and it costs him accuracy.
Fenna stays in close to the Ankheg, thrusting at it with both her blades.
Fenna slices deep into the underside of the ankheg's thorax, sending a spray of ichor across the field it burns slightly as it wavers. Fenna swings wildly, but Hrolf gets hold of the creatures leg and tears it straight off like it was one of the smaller bugs. Injured, the ankheg wavers a bit, and falls onto the field.
In the distance, you hear a few faint cheers from the colony. A handful of workers had stopped to watch from a distance, and call out encouragement as they see the large creature has fallen.
"Well that was, embarrassing," Anya says through a pained chuckle. She holds her side as she fetches the bear trap. "Well this was a bust. I think I shall stick to the old ways for my future hunts." She holds the trap up, as if to offer it if anyone cares to take it.
As you check over the field quickly, you see plenty of holes all about with decaying ankheg eggshells. Lying in the middle of the field, you find a skeleton with its flesh gone. A male skeleton, you see no cloth or flesh, yet it wears an intact ring on one of its hands.
Kari replied to Anya, "Well, I appreciate you help! The last time, I was the one caught in the creature's jaws, and I can say that it was not an enjoyable experience!"
She walked over to Hrolf, and patted him affectionately. "Good job, Hrolf! You did very well today; I don't know what I'd do without you!"
She surveyed the field, and went over to check the skeleton. "Poor fellow — one of the previous colonists, I'm sure." She cast a spell and examined the ring.
Hrolf wagged his tail happily, basking in his mistress' praise.
As Kari examines the skeleton, the bones show signs of being disolved by acid, probably ankheg acid. The coppery ring is engraved with arcane symbols and is unharmed by the acid. It gives off a faint magical aura. An abjuration aura. It appears to be a ring of protection +1.
"Here, let's take a look at you" Fenna says to Anya. She has Anya lean back against the ankheg and raise her arms so she can check her injures. "It could have gone much worse. You should have seen us running from this field the first time we found it. The thing nearly did us in. Thanks for your help."
Fenna checks Anya and applies healing to her. She looks at the trap for a moment thinking, then takes it. "The trap's a good idea, but like I said, the bug is hard to track moving around underground. It can pop up wherever suddenly. I might have a use for this in the next couple of days though. How about I borrow it as a loaner. Just ask for it back whenever you want."
Urram waves away the bear trap, but watches over Kari's shoulder as she examines the ring, muttering quietly in Azlanti as she does so.
Luckily his mask hides the look of confusion and when Kari makes her pronouncement on the ring's effect he nods sagely. "Good item. Who gets it?"
On the way out of the field, Fenna gives the Azlanti sword a couple more practice swings.
"Y'know, I'm really liking this new blade. It handles very much like my thorn blade, but it's a little lighter. And magic of course. And thousands of years old. What's not to love?"
"Great timing," Ramona waves you over as you come back to the colony, "How did it go?" She listenes intently to your report before moving on.
"I'm about to start assigning people places to stay," she continues. "We certainly weren't expecting any houses available this soon. If you guys want to go pick out a place to stay, and I can start getting other folks situated. I've promised a couple folks the big homes inside the pallisade, but you can pick any house by the farmlands."
"We finished off the big ankheg quickly and efficiently," Kari told Ramona. "I think we really worked well together!"
After checking in, she went to look through the houses to pick out one to her liking. Naturally, there were a few things to finish up to make it comfortable, so she started tackling the small carpentry jobs.
Urram follows Kari and, once a suitable house is found, hijacks the largest available table and begins unpacking his bag. The table is soon filled with numerous, meticulously arranged and sorted piles of clockwork pieces, spell components and other bizarre and complex items. Most obvious is a small concave item that looks like an egg-cup, heavily engraved with runes, which Five floats into and settles, glowing gently like a small gemstone.
Once he has unpacked and arranged all his things, Urram gives Hrolf a ferocious stare, which quite clearly says Do not touch! before moving slowly around the house, muttering the same spell over and over again as dust sweeps itself off the floor and out of the open windows, plaster folds back onto the walls and damp spots in the roof slowly begin to dry out.
Kari spent the rest of the afternoon making making some finishing touches on the house. When it was time for the evening meal, she headed over to the communal dining hall.
"I'm fine with any of the houses as long as there's sleeping room for three. There's no place you can't walk to in five minutes anyway."
Fenna brings her potted rose bush from the ship and finds a place to put it outside the front of the house. She doesn't plant it yet though. She thinks it's best to give the house a try and see if it sticks as their long-term place before committing the bush to the ground.
When she sees the table full of things Urram has brought, Fenna fetches the spider ball and gives it to him. "We found this lurking around in the town hall. I deactivated it... I think. But I've no idea what to do with it. Want to see what you can figure out?"
For the rest of the afternoon Fenna collects seeds and starts from the abandoned gardens. She figures it won't be possible to grow too much food at the colony. It seems to her a shame to let the stuff that had already been planted just go to waste.
Kari takes the lead out to the old Levin farm, the only home with multiple rooms, as well as the one furthest from the bustle of the colony. As you arrive, you pass Kurvis assisted by another colonist, as they retrieve the large barrel of ale taken by the structure’s dead squatter. After a quick clean up of the mess left by the choker, the gnome starts tinkering away at the small carpentry jobs as Urram lays out his clockwork and starts some tinkering of his own.
As Fenna works in the garden, a few more colonists begin coming out to the fields. They generously start at the Levin farm, clearing away the rotten vegetable matter before moving on to the next. With the exception of Hrolf, who finds a sunny spot to lay, you all feel you get a good deal of work done. As the sun dips lower, you hear a dinner bell from the town again, and are brought back for the evening meal.
The atmosphere of dinner is much more relaxed then lunch earlier. Perrell and Lyra seek out Urram, hoping to practice speaking Azlanti with a fluent speaker of the language, rather than from a book as they had learned.
Fenna and Kari get many cheers for their martial work; even Urram receives a few kind nods, though people are still very wary of the elf. Hrolf is the hit of the social group dinner; the colonists are much more relaxed interacting with a relaxed dog on land then a nervous dog trapped on a boat. The food is decent, though it tastes as though it’s primarily prepared from stores instead of fresh ingredients.
A fisherman Jim corners Kari, hoping for a lengthy conversation about bay fishing. Ramona takes Fenna into the Government House with Kuris, to assist in her review of the logbooks and other written material. More questions than answers seem to come up as the hours get late, though she finds the spellbook belonging to Una Hendrake particularly interesting, insisting that she show it to Alba at once.
At the end of the very long day, you make your way up the hill to the Levin Farm, and lay down your heads, anticipating a morning bout with a ghost.
Urram greets Perrell and Lyra politely, somewhat flattered by their interest in his language. He speaks to them at length, slowly and patiently repeating words until the two women understand and doing his best to explain when they mis-speak or mangle the meaning of a word.
Kari spent a good deal of the dinner trading fishing stories with Fisherman Jim. She discussed her fishing afternoon two days ago, and also her experiences fishing up and down the coast of Varisia. She also chatted with the various colonists who were congregating around Hrolf.
After basking in the sun for most of the afternoon, Hrolf was ready to meet and greet at the dinner. The occasion did not disappoint; he thoroughly enjoyed himself as a constant stream of colonists gathered around him, and fed him generous amounts of treats.
Fenna goes through the documents and books with Ramona. As she does, she works in the other things she and Kari found that might yield some clues about what happened to the previous colonists.
She mentions the wedding ring found at the priest's house, and the spellbook of course. Fenna also brings in the lack of missing tools and the fairly well stocked supplies of food. There are also lots of personal items around.
While she can't give Ramona a fully formed theory, there are certain things Fenna thinks can be concluded with confidence.
"1. The colonists left without violence. Only two bodies have been found. One was almost certainly killed by the ankheg. The other was probably a murder that was covered up. The body was still hidden in the church."
"2. When the colonists left, they did so very quickly, practically at a moment's notice. So rapidly there was no time to collect personal items or basic supplies for the journey."
"3. While the documents make references to some kind of internal conflict among the colonists, it was not the reason the whole group left. Even if a small number did go, maybe led by Una Hendrake, one of the two groups resulting from the split would have remained. Probably the more powerful or numerous of the two. The conflict could be resolved with only one of the two leaving, why would the other then abandon everything here as well?"
"4. The more likely reason to leave seems to be some external threat. But the threat didn't actually set foot in the settlement. If the colonists spotted something like Ulfen sea raiders, or something that scared them off on the island itself, the colonists left before there was direct contact. There are no signs of violence, and raiders or another intelligent threat would have looted the place, not just take the people."
"5. Moving off island would have been an extended and difficult process, leaving plenty of time to provision before going. If I had to make a bet, I would say they are still on this island, but moved to a different place. Either because they believed it was safer, or because they found something very interesting somewhere."
After she's finished meeting with Ramona, Fenna hangs out for a little while and chats with the other colonists who remain instead of quickly finding their beds. She doesn't stay too long though, bed is sounding pretty good and she would like to get back to the waterfall tomorrow.
Well... on the other hand if Harcourt is staying longer, maybe she will too.
Urram and his two new lady friends converse until after the sun goes down. When the bonfire finally dies, Perrell offers the elf a half dozen candles, "In case your studies keep you up late."
Excited and engaged, Fisherman Jim, Kari, and Hrolf end up down on the dock after the meal. Jim is eager to get some fresh food available for the colonists, as they've been living on mostly stores since departing Almas. He thanks the gnome kindly before heading to bed early and get an early start in the canoe.
Last to return to the Levin Farm, Fenna works late with Kurvis and Ramona investigating the written clues left behind. They are able to match all the names of Fenna mentions on the Talmandor's Bounty Colony Charter. The document even reveals that 'Livvy' would have been Livvy Felton, the husband of Father Adran Felton. The couple occupied the home where the ring was found, but Ramona is clueless as to why it was left behind, and why the ghost in the chapel speaks the name of the former ringbearer's husband. She mentions that would prefer to take the ring, and send it to Livvy's family with a letter.
Ramona and Fenna trade theories late into the evening as Kurvis reads manifest after manifest.
"Look here," Kurvis startles Ramona by suddenly and randomly breaking his silence. He shoves a logbook into her hands and faces two more from the desk at Ramona, before putting a fourth book in Fenna's hands. "Fenna repeated eleven times tonight that the tracks she and Kari found were three to four weeks old.”
”It’s called brainstorming,” Ramona retorts.
”Regardless,” he points at the open page of the book. ”Sixty-seven days ago, this person’s signature differs from their signature on the charter. So does this one the next day, and these two the day after.” he points out the strange references across the many books. ”Another five signatures change the following week. The week after, five signatures are different before the entries stop completely. Fourteen in all, or perhaps fifteen….do you think these are the same? Ramona?”
Ramona is stunned as Kurvis hovers over her about the fifteenth signature.
”Okay...well we have more questions than answers,” she responds finally. ”We have to make sure The Peregrine is unloaded to leave with the tide on Moonday. To do that, we all need to get some sleep. We’ll see you at church tomorrow,” she says with a smirk.
Fenna spends her quiet walk to the Levin Farm lamenting that Harcourt has gone to bed hours ago with the rest.
Expedition Day 48: 5 Arodus, 4717 AR; Sunday
The sun rises on a new day.
The sun was already bright when Kari woke in the morning. She fed Hrolf, ate a light breakfast, and headed down to the dock with her companion. She sat on the edge of the dock, watching the seagulls and listening to their cries. She took particular note of their flight patterns, which she could use to divine solutions to many different problems.
Her observations complete, she returned to the farmhouse and conferred with Fenna and Urram about the matter of the poltergeist. "My theory is that we need to get the body out of the space in the alter. I can't see how the spirit can be at peace, when the body remains at the scene of the crime!"
"You said he wanted to speak to someone?" Urram asks. "Perhaps that is the problem..."
The problem of fighting a poltergeist has the arcanist pondering over his strange clockwork contraptions for some time before he twists each one into a new combination, or more than one. "I am ready."
"Oh I agree completely!" Fenna tells Kari.
She hadn't bothered getting up particularly early, knowing by now that Kari spends some time meditating or communing or whatever it is exactly first thing in the morning. Fenna takes the extra time to commune under her sheet.
"Even if it makes no difference, the poor man needs to be put to rest. It might not be all there is to it though. Having the priests there ought to make it all easier to figure out."
Fenna walks down to the chapel with Kari and Urram to meet the priests.
Kari and Hrolf made their way to the chapel, mentally preparing herself for the task ahead. "You can stay outside, Hrolf; I know you don't like the nasty ghost!"
You arrive at the chapel as you see folks rousing from their own rest. Kurvis has a small ration of dry food he’s doling out to the various workers.
In front of the chapel, Ramona is talking to a very sleepy Alba Divenvaar ”Good morning, Ramona greets you cheerfully. ”I hope you slept well. I had Alba up late last night working on the spellbook that you found.”
”Aye,” agrees the sleepy dwarf. Standing, she rubs her eyes and hands Una Hendrake’s spellbook to no one in particular. When its taken, she produces a pair of vials, each holding a slightly blue liquid. ”Sadly I haven’t skill beyond making a pair of infusions. These will, however, let you see a creature with the power of invisibility. Hopefully it helps with whatever is going in in there. Don’t suppose you have a magic weapon, that might help,” She shrugs, but manages a sleepy grin. ”I’ll be getting some coffee if anyone needs me.”
Eamon and Kurvis make their way over as you prepare, each petitioning their god for aid, and ensuring they can heal any wounds you may sustain. When you are ready, they crack the door open for the three of you.
Map (link)
-----------------
The chapel is still very much a mess, but not all the objects sit in the same place.
The interior of this building suggests a modest place of worship—not quite a temple but more than a mere shrine. A table near the center of the west wall appears to serve as an altar, draped in a white but dusty cloth. Behind the table, a large wood carving of a humanoid figure with a stag’s head leans against the wall. Two rows of benches face the altar, although some have been knocked over and two piles of ashes are visible in the aisle between them. Scattered throughout the room are assorted objects related to public worship, such as a chalice and a ceremonial rod. An ornately carved longbow hangs on the wall near the altar, as if on display.
Against the north wall is a smaller shrine, but the small plinth is empty.
"What now?" Urram asks quietly. "Ghost come out?"
His spear is levelled, leaves quivering as though they want to leap out and perforate something.
Fenna takes the spellbook back from Alba. "Thanks" she says to the dwarf, meaning for both the book and the potions.
"We do have an enchanted weapon." Fenna draws the Azlanti gladius.
"Alright, here's a plan A. Urram and I will take the potions. We have the means, well hopefully, to fight back against the ghost. Kari, Eamon, and Kurvis remove the body in the alter as quickly as you can. Once we have it, we give it a burial and rites. Then we come back to see if we've done all it takes to be rid of the ghost."
"I wish I'd thought to bring a sheet or something of the kind to hold the body."
Kari offered, "I think my water blast, being infused with elemental energy, should be able to damage the ghost! I'm not the strongest, so I'd struggle moving the body!"
"Alright, you and Urram take the potions. I'll help move the body."
Fenna says it without enthusiasm. Icky rotting body!
"OK, everyone ready?", Kari asked. She drank the elixer and said two prayers. "Hrolf, stay," she instructed, and advanced into the chapel.
Urram swallows the extract quickly and advances, trying to surpress a shudder as the sour liquid runs down his throat. Ugh! If only I'd had a chance to look at that spellbook!
As you all prepare to enter, Eamon also rolls up his sleeves, following Fenna to assist with fetching the corpse.
The open floor of the empty chapel is eerily silent, your footfalls echo throughout the room. As you all reach the middle of the chamber, a book of hymns from a pile in the back flies at Eamon.
vs, flat-footed 1 damage
It strikes him squarely in the back.
The ghostly figure rises up from the altar, only visible to Urram and Kari.
Round 1
Kari <- UP NEXT
Fenna <- UP NEXT
Poltergeist
Urram
Eamon (1 damage)
"I see it!", Kari called out. Addressing the spirit, she said sternly, "Father Adran isn't here; he's gone! We're trying to retrieve your body for a proper burial!" She didn't expect her words to do any good; her understanding was that such spirits were often beyond reason. She sent a torrent of water towards the poltergeist — hopefully that would distract it while Fenna grabbed the corpse.
Fenna takes special note that Kari's blast flies directly over the altar where she found the body.
"Uh, you see it where exactly Kari?" Fenna puts out an arm in front of Eamon to slow him down, and slows down herself.
Mostly though, Fenna is dreading the idea that he corpse might just start falling apart when they try to move it. Hard to know if that or a ghost is worse.
Fenna's tummy feels unsettled and maybe a little gurgly.