Noiraigue steps in and stabs under the water at the struggling grindylow. Between the net hampering its movement and the fatigue settling into its muscles, Noiraigue is able to stab the thing right through the skull, killing it instantly!
Glickly chants a few words, and then slashes water into his face. Then he retrieves and begins folding his net.
Given the shallow depths, the grippli just walks to shore.
'The Dread Mage Arcandantilus' sighs in relief as Noiraigue finishes off the second creature.
This is worse than I expected...danger everywhere! I can't keep this up forever...
The gnome casts a quick spell and turns to the others.
"You have proven worthy of this venture, and I shall entrust you with my continued companionship!" he says, his voice echoing loudly as if he's speaking into a metal bowl.
"Because of my great power, it would be better if I disguise myself as a typical gnome...one without the overwhelming power I normally wield at my fingertips! Though my bodyguard Grimnir will remain at my side, I shall assume a simple identity. You may refer to me in our travels as Mr. Copperpot. I will try to limit my powers to a few select spells so that no one sees through my disguise. Trust me when I say that we will all be safer if those seeking my great power think I am but a simple gnome."
Well, magic has a lot of uses. I guess that's one of 'em.
"Alright Mr. Copperpot. I think I can manage that."
"Sure, Mr. Copperpot, you do you." Anastasia says nonchalantly, then returns to the matter at hand, "As soon as as Noiraigue we can row the boat to shore and catch up with Glickly."
Given the shallow depths, the grippli just walks to shore.
Glickly pulls in his net while Noiraiggue climbs back into the boat for the rest of the trip to shore. The boat covers the last bit of distance into the cove and finally approaches the dock. As you move in and prepare to dock, you notice the pall of silence hanging over the colony site. No smoke rises from any chimney, and no animals give warning to your approach.
A solitary dock extends from the beach into the bay. The construction is solid and looks recent, suitable for tying off a small boat, although no watercraft are visible. The beach inclines to the east before giving way to grass and trees. Further on in that direction, buildings and a palisade wall stand on the rise.
As you tie off the boat and take a closer look at the vista laid out before you, you see that not even a single footprint mars the pristine beauty of the white sand beach.
His target dead, Noiraigue seems to come back to his senses. He looks at the floting dead bodies and shrugs, displaying a wide smile.
"Oh my. Have let myself go in anger again? Well bad luck for these souls. MWAHAHA !"
Seeing the transformation happen, he stares with wide eyes at the gnome. "Woah! Are you a wizard or something?" he asks genuinely.
--------------
Arriving at shore, he waits for the boat to tied securely and puts his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice.
A cloud of birds erupts from along the shoreline at the sudden explosion of sound from Noiraigue.. but no returning call comes back from the colony as you strain your ears for any reply.
|
Mr. Copperpot nods solemnly at Noiraigue's question. "A most powerful wizard! But that will remain our secret for now. I must remain in this disguise unless absolutely necessary."
Grimnir, the dwarven bodyguard, nods.
The gnome looks apprehensively at the ghost town. "No one's here," he says, stating the obvious. "Maybe there's a celebration or something that everyone's attending..." he says hopefully.
"Though there are other possibilities: more of those water goblins, the plague, rampaging dinosaurs..." the gnome goes on for several more sentences of possibilities without taking a breath.
Mr. Copperpot begins to perspire as he considers all the things that could happen. "I guess we should check out some of the buildings?"
Anastasia helps to tie the boat off on the dock like she was an old pro, then looks around as well, "It's dead as a door nail, I've got a bad feeling about this."
She quickly arms herself with her rapier and moves off the docks for a closer perspective of the town.
"Maybe they are just planning a surprise for us? I don't see anything to indicate foul play."
Glickly hops out of the boat onto the dock, and heads for the buildings.
Katria opts to follow Anastasia's example and arms herself with her longspear as she moves down the dock. "We should look for signs of what happened... Maybe the town center will offer some insight." She gets off towards the biggest building in town, or towards the Town square; whichever is more obvious.
Noiraigue nods profusely.
"You're both right. Let's investigaaaaaaaate!!!" he says, his voice and attitude overflowing with excitement.
A well-worn path in the grass rises up a slope toward a cluster of buildings to the east. The buildings are arranged in a rough triangle, with each point ending in a wooden circular enclosure with rectangular notches cut intermittently, like battlements.
These round enclosures are clearly meant to be three points of a wooden palisade fence, which would enclose this first group of buildings once completed. The palisade fence, however, is complete only along the southeastern side of the triangle and is obviously unfinished elsewhere.
The grass around the settlement looks like it was cropped at one point, and many paths exist between locations in the settlement, but in less well-trafficked spots, the grass has started to regrow. All the buildings are constructed of either rough timber or mud bricks set in a wooden frame, and have pitched thatch roofs. Many have open window frames, but only a few have actual shutters or even a canvas curtain for privacy. Doors are basic, wooden affairs, too simple for locks, and some buildings lack them entirely. The construction is new, quite rough and unfinished.
The unnatural quiet pervades the stillness of the colony as the team gears up and moves inland off of the dock. Striding up the main path, you see to your right what must have been the tent city used while the rest of the colony was being built.. or maybe currently used by those with homes yet unfinished..
Seven canvas pavilion tents were set up here, all of which are large enough to shelter two to three people each. All but two tents have collapsed due to wind, rain, and lack of maintenance. The two that remain standing lean haphazardly and do not appear to have been entered for a long time. Grass has begun to grow around them.
Ahead, the unfinished palisade gives view of the backs of several buildings as you advance. One looks like it may be a smithy, the others are solidly built without adornment from your current position. Ahead of you, the town center opens up beyond the skeleton of the palisade and under the looming shadow of the buildings surrounding it.
Katria pauses in her stride and glances at the tents, then stops to point at them. "Should we dig through those before we go into the center of the pavilion?"
"I don't see any signs of disease or death, though. And nothing looks like there was an attack. Could they have simply left?"
"Yeah, let's go check out the tents first." Anastasia says in agreement as she makes her way in that direction and looks around.
Glickly nods and follows.
Noiraigue, loud as ever, goes over happily towards the tents.
"Wakey wakey! Someone in there?"
Concerned, the team moves towards the canvas tents. They cautiously hail anyone that may be in the area but the only response is the lazy flapping of canvas sheets in the breeze.
Seven canvas pavilion tents were set up here, all of which are large enough to shelter two to three people each. All but two tents have collapsed due to wind, rain, and lack of maintenance. The two that remain standing lean haphazardly and do not appear to have been entered for a long time. Grass has begun to grow around them.
As you get closer, you can see within the two remaining tents and peeking out somewhat from under fallen canvas of the others what looks to be personal effects scattered about.
Katria pulls out her spear and uses it to poke at the canvas and or lift it up to see what might be underneath. She also looks at the personal effects for anything that might be significant.
Noiraigue sighs, visibly disappointed. "Well, I dreamed better for our arrival on this island. I guess it's no use searching too much in the tents. Give me just a few minutes..."
After a silent prayer to Desna, Noiraigue makes a few dancing steps and begins scanning the ground.
I wonder if they left in rush and towards which direction...
*************************
After doing this, the man realizes he's still wounded and not in top shape. He asks the party "Does anyone have healing magic? I'm still wounded from the fight."
With a wordless grimace, Anastasia joins Katria in looking through the scattered personal effects.
"Sorry, no healing here. Maybe someone left something useful for your wounds?"
Glickly looks around, but besides looking for something to heal Noiraigue, he also looks for anything familiar from his friend's family.
|
|
Mr. Copperpot paces back and forth with increasing concern.
"Not only is everyone gone, but it appears no one has been here for some time," he says as he looks at the grass growing around the tents.
"Unless that grass is Carnivorous Morning Glory, in which case we will want to maintain our distance..."
He looks around and wipes his brow. "Why don't we try the main building over there. Maybe they left a note..."
Katria and Anastasia begin digging through the remains of the tents while Noiraigue and Mr. Copperpot stand back, waiting anxiously for the results of the search. Noiraigue scans the beach, but sees nothing but the remains of wind and surf.
Six of these tents seem to have served as temporary shelters for those waiting to have a house built, and one was reserved for work crews constructing the palisade as evidenced by the multitude of tools and such laying about.
The tents are salvageable, though one had some small animal nesting in it for a time and reeks of musk. Oddly enough, many of the tents still have common mundane personal items in their folds, such as clothing, mementos, cooking pots and waterskins. Some of these items are ruined, but much of the mundane gear seems like it could be cleaned or repaired.
Among the tents, Anastasia manages to find four potions and an odd shirt scattered among the tents in different bundles of personal items. The shirt is light, gossamer-thin fabric embroidered with arrangements of winged feet.
Glickly searches about, trying tto find some trace of his adoptive family. Oddly, nothing really stands out to him. It seems that most of the people housed here were lower in the hierarchy of the colony, and many of the personal items suggest single individuals living in a community area.. perhaps he would have more luck in one of the family structures already built inside the palisade.
|
|
Mr. Copperpot looks at the potions carefully.
"Those are likely curative potions," he says. "Or poison left for unsuspecting people to find," he adds hastily.
"We should probably divide those up, though maybe one of you should drink one before I do."
All the gnome hears is the sound of nature.
"It seems like not only is everyone gone, but that they left in a hurry. Why else would they leave all this here?"
"I wouldn't trust them."
Glickly looks around, and then starts heading for one of the buildings to investigate further.
Katria nods and joins the others in heading into the palisade. Though she walks with her longspear, she does not seem to be concerned about an ambush.
Noiraigue squints his eyes. "No clue what these are. What is your final advice, Mr Copperpot?"
Katria takes one of the potions and resumes walking.
Anastasia also takes one of the potions and follows the others towards the palisade. "Did those octopus things do this? They didn't seem so tough."
The team cant quite decide what the potions are, but the vials very closely resemble the usual curative potions yall are used to. Everyone takes one before heading closer to the colony.
At the center of the colony, in front of the Government House, is a public well. The well water is clean and potable, and the rope and bucket are still intact. Just southwest of the well is a wooden scaffold with a set of steps. It looks suitable for use as a platform to address a large crowd, though it would take minimal effort to convert it into a gallows. North of the scaffold is the remnant of a well-used community fire pit surrounded by stones, large enough for a reasonably sized bonfire. Most of the ashes in the central fire pit have been rained on repeatedly and are now mixed in with the soil. It is clear that no fire has been lit here for weeks.
Standing here and looking around, you can see the triangular lay out of the buildings surrounding the "square" and backing against the partially built palisade wall. Barely a breath of air stirs the silence pressing in on you as the empty buildings stand as sentinels and loom over you.
Noiraigue takes the potion, thinks back a few instants and then gulps it down.
"AAAAAH ! Desna be praised, I feel refreshed. Thank you, dear Copperpot."
"Let's go check out the official looking building first. There might be some clues to what happened here."
Katria nods in agreement with Anastasia and heads towards the large building.
Glickly will grab the shirt and stick it in his pack, for later discussion.
"Yes, maybe there are some records in there about how the colony was operating, any visitors or merchant ships coming in?"
Noiraigue's face brightens even more when he hears Glickly.
"Oh, but indeed! Where was my mind! Let's try to find a logbook or something like that." he says, already traveling towards the main buildings.
The team hands out the cure potions and Noiraigue drinks his down, healing up his few wounds. Evaluating the surrounding buildings, the group decides on the large, official looking building and heads that way.
This wooden-framed, mud brick structure is currently the colony’s only two-story building, as well as one of the largest structures.
It has the appearance of a rural courthouse or city hall rather than that of a residence. The front features a small porch supported by rough log pillars, with double wooden doors facing west. Numerous window frames with shutters, some of them open, wrap around the building on both floors. The roof is not thatched, but has wooden shakes instead. The construction suggests this building was intended to be a source of community pride, but it still has a rough, unfinished appearance due to lack of paint and coarse materials. A few small shrubs have been planted around it. The group tromps up onto the porch and approaches the double doors, which swing open under your gentle touch.
Through the main doors is a foyer opening to a large chamber that occupies most of the main floor. This room is open to the second floor, and two flights of stairs lead to a gallery that overlooks this space, supported by columns on the main level. At the rear of the chamber against the east wall is a raised desk, like a podium. Tables and chairs are arrayed in front of it like a courtroom. The gallery above has simple wooden chairs so that citizens can observe whatever business is conducted here. Doors at the north and south ends of the main floor lead to what appears to be separate offices.
Before going in, Noiraigue asks the others: "Should we try a subtle approach or break in if there are enemies? I'm not too subtle myself." he says, waving his scythe.
Once inside, he'll look for an office or something that look like one. When he sees the doors, he motions the team and himself for the right one. While moving into the room, he watches his feet.
Noiraigue sighs and tries to be stealthy.
Mr. Copperpot looks around apprehensively.
"Enemies?! There are almost certainly enemies. Plots...counter-plots. Secret plans. We must take great care," he says as he waits for someone else to go in first.
"Enemies? Really? I don't see any signs of fighting. Slavers, maybe? I think we would find at least one person left behind."
Moving through the building, the explorers look around and notice that a thin layer of dust covers everything in the building. You move through the court room and into the office area. The individual offices are furnished with rough looking tables and chairs, obviously made on site. Stationary, ink pots, and quills lay on top of the desks awaiting the next days work that seems to have not yet arrived...
At the end of the northern hallway a closed door bars your progress. When you try the handle, the door is securely locked.
"Can anyone disable the lock? If not, I guess we should probably knock it down to see what's on the other side. Nobody is using it now."