"This is a feather token," Eldon says as he holds the feather up. "The kind of feather token that would normally create a swan boat, but... this one's different, somehow. It will create a large boat, but I'm not sure what kind of boat exactly."
Eldon gives the feather to Wren. "For your collection, fair feathered maiden."
Whiskeyjack looks at the small statues, twisting his beard in concentration. "Seems tha' we keep comin' up on these statue thingies. First, tha' sesage effigy thingie, and now these."
Wren takes a moment to examine the feather...
Spellcraft
...and agrees with Eldon in that it would make a nice addition to her collection. She immediately weaves it into her feathered 'armor'.
Wren now waits for the secret door to be opened.
Eldon figures he'll do the honors and moves to open the secret door.
Arval seems to be getting a bit nervous as the contents are identified.
"We are going on a boat trip? I will sink like a brick!"
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"Wai' a minute! If'n Arval sinks like a duck, which dinnae sink a' all, wouldnae tha' make 'im a witch? We don't want th' townfolk hereabouts tryin' t' burn 'im."
Whiskeyjack looked around, as if someone might have overheard him. Not an impossibility, given that the dwarf didn't exactly have an "inside voice".
The door pushes inwards, and you're greeted with a grisly sight.
A pool of dark water takes up the entire northern portion of this simple room. A plain bench stands against the far wall. Neatly arranged on the stone floor are several bodies, each of which is missing its head.
Wren looks around but doesn't go in. She waits for others to engage the Hall of Death totally safe area with no threats at all, nuh uh.
Eldon, devoid of petty emotions like fear, threads into the possibly unsafe area that might hide threats. He does some exciting detect magic stuff and takes a good look around, to see if the room's safe for those who posses less bravery to also enter.
Whiskeyjack pauses in the doorway to see through arcane eyes, looking for any sign of a magical presence.
"That'd be female skullbiters, Lena. Not the males, as those always make a mess while eating."
Eldon steps into the room and is not destroyed and/or eaten. He looks over the area - his detect magic spell doesn't return anything of note. Patting down the bodies, which appear to be dressed like typical Illmarsh common folk, reveals a few interesting things.
- One of the bodies is dressed very differently - like a wealthy merchant.
- He has 22 gold pieces on him
- A small ceramic egg, similar to the one you found on the stablemaster in Thrushmoor
- A scrap of paper in his pocket which reads as follows
"“Rider on the way with effigy. Meet at Old House outside town for exchange.”
The paper also looks like it was torn from the sales ledger in the local stable.
Considering the headless bodies, there is not more gore in this room. It is likely they were killed elsewhere and brought here.
Rather than being decapitated - the heads look like they exploded through the neck.
Arval stays at the edge of the room, not wanting to get any closer than necessary.
"They're really dead?"
After Eldon reads the note out loud the responds.
"Is that where we'll go next?"
"It probably should be," Eldon responds as he takes the items from the body and looks them over once more.
"Hmm... I think these people were killed because they got in someone's way... The lack of blood would suggest we're either dealing with someone who decided to clean things up after killing them, which I deem unlikely, or these people weren't killed in this location. Though I don't quite get why their heads are missing, I'm guessing that location would be the stable this paper originates from." Eldon points at the paper he's holding.
Eldon shrugs and decides to turn his attention to the ceramic egg , which he opens the same way he did open the previous: he takes one of his bolts and gives the ceramic egg a couple of firm taps with the tip, applying enough force to break the material yet keep whatever is inside from being damaged.
Eldon holds the carving up. "The Whispering Way... again."
"Another ceramic egg?" Wren reaches out to take the egg so that she might examine it with Detect Magic.
"I really wish we had some sausages right now. That would be keen," Wren's mind wanders as she ponders. "Yes, I'd like some sausages."
Whiskeyjack stomped into the room and looked at the bodies closely. At one point, he nearly made Arval gag when he shoved a finger down into the ragged stump of the neck and sniffed it.
"Looks like they been exploded righ' off, then dragged in here fer use or display. No' sure which. Either way, if'n they been killt here, there'd be blood paintin' th' very walls."
"I Be thinkin' ye be righ'. We need t' be meetin' th' rider an' takin' th' effigy back, wit' steel if necessary."
Eldon's instincts are correct enough. He smashes open the egg to reveal a delicate puzzle mechanism that would have been fun to unlock - and inside is the carving of a gagged skull marking the body as a Whispering Way agent. It is not magical.
The only way onwards is south through the door. A quick listen reveals... that there are people on the other side. The group gets ready for a fight, counts down, and opens the door.
Within are two frightened-looking villagers, a young man and woman.
"We heard fighting! Wait... who are you? What happened to th-- WHAT DID YOU DO TO THOSE PEOPLE?!" The woman screams as she points at the headless bodies behind you.
"We aren't covered in blood and don't have any spare heads with us. Could you bury the corpses? Give them a sending off and tell their family?"
Arval says to the newcomers, not even reaching for his sword. He is ready to move on, but not sure if they will attack or not.
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"Umm...Arval, lad, ye be covered from head t' toe in th' stuff. Ye be lookin' like someone been flingin' red pain' a' ye from ten foot away. Like one o' them paintings we saw in Lepidstadt by that Johnson Haddock fellow. Still, ye ain't be wrong abou' th' missin' heads, nor abou' th' need t' be treatin' th' bodies wit' th' respect they be deservin'."
The dwarf looked at the scared couple and said "We be some travelers lookin' int' some strange rumors. We came here t' ask a few questions an' were attacked, most treacherously, by th' clerics o' this place an' their giant lobster. Now, who be ye? Simple folk jest happenin' t' be sittin' all alone in a temple full o' murderers an' monsters?"
Wren stares at the villagers, hoping that they understood at least a bit of what Whiskey Jack said.
"Yeah, we didn't do this. We did that..." Wren points the evil parboiled lobster that they soaked in butter to eat.
Eldon steps forward and puffs his chest.
"I am, as you certainly realize upon seeing my epic face, the one and only Eldon Appleton! I am no murderer, I am perfect. My assistants are... well on their way there."
He motions at the bodies. "We did not murder those, we just found them. As one of my assistants pointed out; we don't have heads on us, do we now?"
As the group chatters, and Eldon steps in to soothe things with his mellifluous voice, the couple seem to calm down. They peek into the main room and shriek as they both see the dead super-lobster. After a while they calm down more.
"W-we were here for the fostering. Our daughter - we didn't give her a name, why bother? Was to be fostered. But the priest was worried; the Neighbors never came for her. Father Voltiaro took her to Undiomede House to try and contact them... we've been waiting here for a while."
Wren squawks in incomprehension.
"You brought *who* in for fostering? With these *people*?" Wren replies and makes it very clear how bad of an idea that was.
"Who is Father Voltaire? And what is the Undiomede House?"
"Our daughter, she's three months old. All second and third-born daughters are given to the Neighbors for fostering - it brings Ilmarsh peace and good fortune. But the Neighbors never came for her. We don't know what's happened. Father Voltario seemed really upset about something and we heard some smashing. Then silence... and then we heard fighting and you're here. And those bodies!"
The man speaks up.
"Father Voltiaro is the Vizier - he runs the temple. Undiomede is the name of the noble family who used to run Ilmarsh, so its their manor. Their line died out and the mayor runs things now. I don't know what's so important about us. But they've taken our daughter there to be fostered... I hope the Neighbors turn up. If not, it could be very bad for the town!"
"Blight and ruin," says the woman grimly. "Those horrid dead bodies, that giant dead lobster... something is wrong here."
"What's wrong is you're giving your daughter away. To strangers, I may add," Eldon comments, almost snaps.
"We should pay these Neighbors a visit, to see what they do with the children. On to Undiomede House!"
Eldon points a finger at the couple. "You're coming with us to pick up your daughter."
Wren blinks and stares at the villagers, trying not to pry too much into the horrible decisions that they have made.
She will let Eldon handle them, keeping quiet and trying not be rude (like a human).
Wren preens and fluffs her feathers.
The couple look absolutely panicked. The man stands up to Eldon, towering over him and yelling down at the halfling. "No! We cannot interrupt the fostering. Our daughter will be raised with care and love, and our gift to the Neighbors will bring joy to the town. It has always been this way."
The woman smiles a little oddly. "It has always been this way. We have been asked by the Father to remain here, and so we must remain here... even with those bodies."
Behind the group, you see four strange, flat-bodied worms with circular, toothed maws slithering up to you.
Eldon frowns as he tries to figure out why the couple acts so strange. He's too distracted to notice anything else.
"These Neighbors... What do you know about them?"
Perception
Wren continues to fluff, wondering where Kawrock is.
Arval visibly shivers, those people were not normal...
"Is it me or... Is something wrong with them?"
He says in a whisper.
"Seems t' me tha' there realyl be somethin' tha' ain't raigh' around here. Le's be off t' see this Undersea House and talk t' th' good Father. Mebbe we ken be gettin' more sense outta him."
"Come on!"
Whiskeyjack turned and started heading for the doors.
Kawrock is to involved in the couple's story and who these "neighbors" are to notice anything.
Eldon is fairly sure the couple absolutely believe what they're saying - or they're masterfully cunning liars.
"These Neighbors... What do you know about them?"
"Oh well, we don't know too much. Just that the Neighbors have been with Illmarsh a long time. They come from down bay, and they bring peace and good fortune to Illmarsh. All second and third daughters are fostered by them. We don't seem then again, but t'Father says that they live long and happy lives with the Neighbors. Wives of powerful village headmen who hold positions of great power and honour!"
Whiskeyjack, disgusted with this whole mess, turns to stomp off northwards. And then something happens.
Whiskeyjack, Lena, and Wren all notice strange brown slugs on the ground. With astonishing grace, the slugs leap high into the air, flinging themselves at your necks! Worse yet, Arval does not see the slug, which slaps itself into his neck and begins burrowing inwards.
The strange mouths on the slugs are a giveaway to a strange, very rare creature. These are slugspawn, the larval stage of a strange, baerrant creature known as a moit, or seed of the Outer God Shub-Niggurath.
Once a slugspawn has infested someone, it can be removed very early on with extreme cold or a skilled healer. If it has reached the subject's brain, it cannot be removed without killing the host. Magical disease removal is the only option at that point. The host only has days to live before a horrid creature is birthed at that point.
Wren seems confused about something
Know (Dungeoneering)
Reflex
The slug going for Wren finds her a difficult target and flings itself at Kawrock!
Arval grabs at his neck and starts clawing trying to get the bug out.
"HELP ME! GET IT OUT, GET IT OUT, GET IT OUT!!!!"
Kawrock manages to narrowly avoid the worm. "Now the food is trying to eat us? This is such a strange place!" Kawrock exclaims, clearly confused by the situation.
Wren squawks and flaps her wings, trying to get away from the infected and fearful that yet more might be nearby.
"What are those?! Someone kill those!" Wren flutters angrily.
"These are slugspawn, the larval stage of a strange, baerrant creature known as a moit, or seed of the Outer God Shub-Niggurath!" Eldon exclaims, immediately recognized the creatures for what they are.
"Once a slugspawn has infested someone, it can be removed very early on with extreme cold or a skilled healer. If it has reached the subject's brain, it cannot be removed without killing the host. Magical disease removal is the only option at that point. The host only has days to live before a horrid creature is birthed at that point!"
Eldon looks at his allies. "Anyone able to use cold magic, instead of just fire? We need to get it out of Arval!"
He then draws his rapier and raises it to the sky. "And quick, kill the other slugspawns before they infect someone!"
Wren keeps her wand of Magic Missile handy in case it is needed to deal with the spawn.
Kawrock and Wren both manage to avoid the flying slugs. Lena blasts one out of the air with a firebolt twelve times its size, while Kawrock just squishes it.
Eldon, having done some research on the stranger spawn of the little talked about Elder Ones, knows that Wren's ray of frost won't hurt enough.
Whiskeyjack was torn between rushing to save Arval and avoiding the slug heading for him. His indecision proved to be his undoing as the slug launched itself at his throat. He had taken off his bassinet to talk with the couple, and the thing hit him just under the chin.
GAsping and choking, Whiskeyjack called out to Eldon, "HOw can I get rid of them? What, gack, is needed?"
"Wait didn't you just say magical disease removal works? I do have that!" Kawrock calls out. Trying to be helpful as it looked as if Avral and Whiskeyjack were both in trouble.
"Or better yet I can see if I can cut the thing out." Kawrock says as he draws his war razor. "Hold still Avral this might sting a bit."
"That might have worked!" Kawrock exclaims as he wipes the blood from his razor. "Your turn Whiskey Jack."