Thandir Halftusk |
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Thandir tossed the head and body back into what remained of the net which was covered in holy water. After securing the corpse he lifted it and began to carry it away. He remembered the half-orc beauty with the scar. This would be a worthy trophy to win her favor!
Mary Dawnrose |
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I was waiting to see if Thandir'd do something along those lines.
Belegar, earlier not recalling lore on mananangal, figures burning will probably help, as burning works on -lots- of stuff.
Before any suggestion can be made, however, Thandir gathers the remains and wanders off towards the town center square.
Belegar Elberion |
”Hey, Thrandir! Burn the witch! Burn the witch!”
Mary Dawnrose |
For claymation, that's pretty grim.
It is around halfway the evening, yet it is very dark in the forest surrounded Serenity Hollow. Thandir is easily, very likely to his enthusiasm to show off to his crush, a continuous 40ft ahead of any of the others, moreso if the any other are called Jurgan.
Uke is still KO on the floor.
Rolls: 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (9) - 3 = 6
Rolls: 1d20 - 4 ⇒ (8) - 4 = 4
Rolls: 1d20 - 5 ⇒ (8) - 5 = 3
Rolls: 1d20 - 6 ⇒ (9) - 6 = 3
Rolls: 1d20 - 7 ⇒ (19) - 7 = 12
Belegar and Jurgan notice him bleeding pretty badly from his neck's wound, but the bleeding stops at some point.
Uke is, unless earlier intervened, at -7 and stable.
While everything else goes on, Thandir pushes open (see bumps forcefully open) The Nightingale's front door, seeing a gathered crowd of patrons, and a few girls walking serving the drinks.
Catherine the tavern keep stands behind the counter, polishing some mugs after sweeping clean a spot.
Thandir, however, does get more than a few strange glances, as the net has an arm dangling from the broken spot in the net.
Jurgan |
Knowing better then to stop the half orc Jurgan lets the orc go off to show his trophy. What harm could come of it? so he leaves Belegar to tend to the nagaji while walking at a quick enough pace to see the orc head into the tavern.
Mary Dawnrose |
Catherine also looks questioningly at Thandir and his 'catch'.
"Ehm, sir half-orc, i can only speculate as to what you are here for, but for the meantime, you can place your 'luggage' over there.", she points at a quiet corner of the room with a vacant table still.
"And then we can speak about what you came for."
Thandir Halftusk |
Very happily and with great pride Thandir slammed the carcass down with a wet thump. Then far too loudly he said ”Yes! Talk!”, a grin on his face.
Thandir Halftusk |
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"Wrong? No!" With a toothy grin, Thandir went and picked up the net. "Look!" He said. "The creature which has blighted us...fallen to my axe!" He thought for a moment. What was it women liked? Subtly? Right! "I bring it for your favor!"
Thandir Halftusk |
”An undead monster! It drains life away with a touch. It flies as well, so very tricky. Covered the net in holy water. It tried to eat my dwarf. But take away it’s flight and see what happens!”
Mary Dawnrose |
Many of the patrons try following this, as the kidnapper was a menace for quite a while now, and the adventurers now claim -with a body in a net- to have put a stop to this plight.
Luciana the 1/2 orc woman points at the arm sticking out.
"Alright, say i believe what you claim, that looks like a pale humanoid's arm, mind pulling the net back so we can see what or who it is."
Thandir Halftusk |
With evident pleasure Thandir pulled it away, making sure his axe was in hand to attack if the creature rose again.
Mary Dawnrose |
Practically everyone present stands up, or walks closer to see what is in the net.
[Dramatic reveal]
*murmer murmer among patrons*
Luciana raises an eyebrow in surprise.
"Hang on, that's Christa the leather-worker! Wings and half her body missing?!"
Along with the brutal cleaving done, exposing more of her innards, 1d2 ⇒ 2 people start having problems keeping their dinner down.
"I bought a belt from her last week, what is going on?"
About now, the other three have arrived, in the least Jurgan.
Thandir Halftusk |
Is that what the creature looked like? Right now Thandir will just stare in confusion, while I think up a replacement character as it looks like he is about to be arrested for murder
Mary Dawnrose |
That bad?
If you recall, this morning when you came down, the fortune teller girl was floating, temporarily possessed by her granny who, in the presence of members of the watch, told the kidnapper was a corrupted unfortunate.
Catharine the tavern keep was there as well. You're safe.
Belegar Elberion |
Belegar sees the corpse on the taproom floor and winces slightly.
Oh, boy...
Then he steps forward, "She was corrupted, remember. The job is only half done." He slaps Thandir's shoulder, leaving his hand their companionably, "But it was well done, so I hear. I'm sorry the witch's magic took me from your side."
Then he addresses the crowd, "Lord Kemnon is next. And it will be bloody business, I'm sure." He sweeps his arm out to take in the entire inn, "If anyone here has any information which might aid us, which might aid this town, then speak now. We need to know how to reach this Kemnon through the woods, to know his motives and manner, to have any equipment which could help us... If you know anything, please, let us know."
Jurgan |
Jurgan just looks on unsure what all the confusion is about.
The creature was hiding among these backwater people all this time did they expect her to be something else upon it's death?
Maybe he could get paid and find a more cultured town soon...that is until the blasted half elf mentioned Lord Kemnon.
Jurgan can only look on with a furrowed brow as Belegar continues.
Mary Dawnrose |
The few patrons who were there this morning as well, nod at Belegar's words, they indeed heard that.
An older man, of the grandfatherly type, nearby leans on his cane.
"Hmm, Kemnon, did you say?"
"That name rings a bell, my boy. I've lived here almost since the town was founded. Kemnon was a spirited young man, with some talent in arcane arts, it turned out. If memory serves, he went out with the six to rescue his wife, except neither Kemnon nor the wife returned."
"I have no clue of his whereabouts after his disappearance. Perhaps he went back to a family manor? He did seem the sort for such a thing.
If motive, well if i'd speculate, loss. Take away what someone loves most dearly, and that can turn the devotion to said someone and either turn into a deep desire for revenge, or an obsession with bringing them back."
The which of the two, you've discovered in the journals recently.
Likewise, the diary of the dead huntsman's mentor mentioned, in the late man's delirium, an estate appearing in the western woods at full moon.
Jurgan deciphered parts of those passages.
Thandir Halftusk |
Thandir stares in (brief) mute horror. Was nobody else seeing this?! He slid over to his dwarf and “whispered” ”Little friend, do you not see this? She didn’t look like this when I killed her. What trickery is this?”
Mary Dawnrose |
As the discussion goes on, sir Geoffry of the city watch, and priestess Eileen arrive at the tavern.
Both look at the crowd, then what is holding said crowd's attention.
Eileen says a silent prayer for Christa, quietly saddened one of their own turns out to be the kidnapper.
Belegar Elberion |
Belegar responds to Eileen, ”This is not Christa. She has been dead for a while. This is an abomination created by her murderer. Christa did not kill or kidnap. A manangal did those things, wearing her corpse as a mask.”
He looks down at the corpse, ”Mourn her as the first victim. Bury her with all due ceremony and give blessings, that her soul may pass on to its rest, untainted by her body’s defilement.”
Thandir Halftusk |
Thandir understood now, but he was unhappy. This stole his thunder. He’d never make strong babies now. This was no longer a worthy trophy. He sighed, offering a silent prayer to Korada to give him inner peace.
Mary Dawnrose |
Loving the PCs' rp.
Won't Belegar be surprised he's -mostly- correct. :)
Also, Thandir won't need to be sad for too long. One of the monsters is quite nifty, and by Korada's vengeful fist of redemption, worthy of a trophy.
Eileen nods, a hand of sir Geoffry reassuringly on her shoulder briefly.
"Of course. Christa will get the funeral she deserved.
She will be missed. May Erastil guide her soul to the gardens after judgment."
Sir Geoffry nods, then turns to you with a serious look.
"Then this should stop the abductions, which were too many in number.
Come to the meeting hall tomorrow morning, we'll arrange some compensation and then we can discuss further the course of action."
Mary Dawnrose |
The evening is otherwise uneventful, and the topic of further discussion is obvious.
How could Christa have been the monster?
Who did this to her?
Are there others like her among them?
The latter question is dismissed by Sir Geoffry, who opts that there was but one active kidnapper, as otherwise double the amount would have gone missing.
====================
Cue a quiet night...... on to the next morning.
====================
When you eventually get back into the council's room, all five are gathered.
From Alchemist Whescer you each get 2 potions of CMW.
They had also set aside a sum of 3k in gp for the group.
Priestess Eileen's scribes can write scrolls, total worth of 4, for you.
In any combination of lvl 1 and 2.
2 lvl 2, 1 lvl 2 and 2 lvl 1, 4 lvl 1.
CL of scrolls is 3.
Jurgan |
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"Come on figure out what words you want written on these papers so we can be on our way."
Thandir Halftusk |
”Well if you don’t care...”
Lvl 2: 2x Instant Weapon
”...my axe is ruined. This would help me ask Korada for a new one. Temporarily, but that’s better than using a broken tool.”
Mary Dawnrose |
As there's no other posts, i guess this is it.
You walk around the western forest, eventually coming upon an empty clearing, with a small water spring at its edge.
The diary of the late hunter, mentioned drinking from the spring's water at a full moon, after which he saw an estate.
Jurgan |
"We wait until the moon rises then drink from the pool. It will reveal the place we need to enter"
Mary Dawnrose |
And thus the team waits for the moon to fully show itself. Which it does, as the clouded sky clears up.
Taking a firm gulp from the spring, each of you feels a tingling sensation in your head, as if having stood up too fast.
Looking to the midst of the clearing, a majestic -posh looking- manor appears.
Tbc when i get home.
Mary Dawnrose |
The manor is accompanied by a statue of a beautiful young woman.
There is a small inscription on the pedestal.
[For my beloved Felicia, may your soul rest in peace.]
The doors to the manor are of solid oak, heavy yet fashionable.
If there was any buffing/preps to be done, have at it.
As you push them open, an eerie silence welcomes you in the main hall.
Soft glowing candlesticks adorn the wall and a few paintings of scenery and people in aristocratic attire hang here as well.
Both to your left and right, there are doors a mere 15ft away. Further down the hall is a double door.
Thandir Halftusk |
”I can make a *real* weapon. Something worth holding. But it will only last a few minutes. Shall I do it, or do you all want to try talking to whatever is inside first?”