Caspian watches the boar combust.
"Where I'm from a victory like this is only temporary as devils reform and rise again to harry us mortals.......what's that chain?"
"Where I'm from a victory like this is only temporary as devils reform and rise again to harry us mortals..."
Caspian's experience with devils back in Aramni is indeed far greater than the others'. After his initial fear that the boar will come back, he deduces that, as a devil summoned by the Necromancer and encased in flesh, this particular devil likely can't return unless summoned again.
Wyvurn coughs and sputters and sits up. Realizing what he just drank he reaches for another drink from Kelgan's flask.
"Thank you Kelgan, I was just starting to come to when you started the first aid. It's much appreciated. I should be fine in a minute or two. Is it dead?"
Miralda is amazed and relieved to see Wyvurn alive. She's still in mild shock, especially when contrasting this 2-round fight with her long, protracted standoff with the ogres earlier.
"Is combat always like this with heroes? The enemy attacks, one of you falls, and you pull out all the stops to slay it in haste before it drops another? Somehow I never thought it would be so sudden. There's no time to think!"
Yup, we're heroes.
Cricket examines the amulet using detect spirits and asks if anyone needs healing.
"Nope we just like to stay alive is all, we got a certain pernache for doing so."
Caspian grins widely "When Jaegr or Wyvurn hits stuff it knows it's been hit!"
Caspian pulls the elf aside
"I been watching some fighters an think I have learned how to avoid some of their blows, tis a theory mainly but it is mine just the same."
"Is combat always like this with heroes? The enemy attacks, one of you falls, and you pull out all the stops to slay it in haste before it drops another? Somehow I never thought it would be so sudden. There's no time to think!"
"Most fights are that way, quick and violent. Better just to trust your instincts and not think about it too much once it begins. Thinking and planning is for before things start, then you might as well throw away most of that once it begins. It will get better Miralda, once you have been in a couple of these you will begin to trust yourself even more."
Cricket: The amulet is dead wood; no spirits present. It might be magic, though; you're not sure.
Hmmm, Miralda, can you get a reading off of this? And I'm assuming no one needs healing?
Jaegr looks around at everyone, "Looks like we are all feeling ok after that fight. Wyvurn that was a nasty blow you took there. So should we see if this 'thing' had a place it hunkered down for the night?"
Jaegr begins to look for tracks that might lend a clue from where it came from.
After handing the amulet to Miralda, Cricket helps out.
Takes 10: 18
The boar's recent tracks, where it charged you and then ran, are fairly obvious. After that, they get mixed in with the other tracks, and are nearly impossible to follow -- even for Cricket, who is at home in the forest.
Miralda studies the amulet, then says, "It has several weak auras of abjuration magic."
"I'm guessing it's an accursed charm that provided a minor boost to the beast's resistances and toughness of hide."
"Any idea who could make such a thing?"
Caspian thinks of the thing like his ring but the elf did say accursed.
"Accursed? as in a curse?"
Wyvurn will cut the tusks out of the boar before joining the search.
"The question is, how would a boar get such a charm? I suggest we tread carefully, remember the kech don't take kindly to strangers and I am sure the sound of our battle were heard for quite a ways."
Cool.
Cricket puts the amulet around Wolvie's neck.
"Well that is the first task we set out to do. I'm not sure if this gives us a clue on what may be hidden here or where, but we should bring back proof of its death back to the town at least."
"I doubt the boar crafted such a talisman for itself, so some agent must be behind the boar."
Caspian thinks for a bit....
"We can hope the boar was meant by one man to remove his romantic rival and he kept up attacks to maybe make himself a hero at the end.....I remember several such tales...."
"Three curses, is what they said: the boar, the vampires, the bandit army or whatever. But all of them have the same source: this necromancer, so dealing with him should take care of the others, or so it would seem. We've opened our escape route by slaying the boar, so if we can avoid the vampires altogether and get out of town before the army shows up, we should be in good shape, I think! That said, let's get back to town before nightfall..."
Cricket:
Yes, let's.
Cricket starts following the trail back to town.
Getting back to the Boar's Tusk, rustling some grub, and arranging lodging occupies most of the rest of the afternoon. Jed is on duty at the bar again; he greets you with manly 1-armed hugs across the bar and provides free drinks. Victor, for once, is nowhere to be seen.
Caspian realizes that he has not enough information for a serious song, yet he sticks with the old stand by song....
"Knock knock goes the rock...."
Later on he mentions to the barkeep....
"My music effects the dead I heard a rumor that a vampire is near here, have you heard that?"
Wyvurn finds the absence of Victor odd.
"Jed, where is your permanent fixture patron that was in here when we first met?"
Cricket sits in a dark corner and plays tug of war with Wolvie over his boots.
Jed shrugs. "Victor is always going off about vampires, when he gets drunk enough..."
He stops short. "You know what, now that you mention it, it is really odd that he's not here tonight -- he's been in every other night for the last year or so. I don't suppose you'd be willing to drop by his farm and make sure he hasn't hurt himself?"
"Aye, and I'll take a tankard to go."
"Great!"
Great lets do it
The approach to Victor's house is simple; he lives near to town, and Jed gives you good directions. He's down a side lane, with a small area of farmyard, now fallow, and an empty chicken coop. There's a barn to one side, and the main farmhouse is directly off the lane. Specks of colored paint on the front door indicate a hex sign (such as those on the doors of all the other houses in town) has been scraped off, possibly prior to being repainted.
Cricket raps on the door with his quarterstaff.
After a small delay, Victor answers the door. "Who... oh, the people from the Boar's Tusk. What brings you here at this hour?"
"Jed the bartender asked us to come by and check in on you. He thought it odd you hadn't been by. Everything alright?"
He nods vaguely. "Sure, yeah, no worries. Thanks for coming by. Tell Jed thanks."
He then starts to close the door.
Jaegr looks at the man before the door closes and doesn't see anything odd. Jaegr shrugs as if that is good enough for him and turns to head back to the tavern.
Senses
Perception
+2 in urban terrain
"I thought so, and brought you a drink just in case your nerves were a bit shakey, would you like it?"
diplomacy
Perception: You guys fail to see or hear anything really unusual inside the house.
Diplomacy: Victor smiles at Caspian as he closes the door. "Sorry, I should probably cut down. Even Jed says so."
Bluff to Sense Motive?
It's clear that Victor wants you to go away, and most particularly, doesn't want you in the house. You also note that he's sober, and, from the lack of tremors/withdrawal symptoms, it seems likely he's dosed himself with something that counteracts these symptoms.
Caspian's Perception roll was good enough to note that, while there's stale alcohol smell on Vic's clothes, there is none on his breath or coming from his pores, adding support to your conclusions.
Wyvurn will observe the situation and also try to see around Jeb into the house to see/hear/smell anything unusual.
Darkvision 90', See Ethereal
Cricket starts muttering to himself, making strange gestures, and hopping on one foot and then the other.
It looks like he's casting a spell or saying a prayer, but actually it's old Tuelvi witchdoctordom with no magical effects. It does, however, draws attention and focus.
Meanwhile, Cricket perceives
and detects spirits.
You guys catch a whiff of incense and candle smoke, but there's no line of sight to wherever those were being burned; all you can see is a rather plain parlor.
Cricket, there are no spirits in the house, but catching a flicker out of the corner of your eye and turning your head, you realize that's not true for the barn. Concentrating, you realize there are a dozen and a half or so spirits of moderate strength there.
Caspian rubs his chin and watches his companions to see what that are about....
Uh, guys, there's some wicked spirit action goin' on over there.
Cricket points to the barn.
"Come clean Victor, you know us and you know we can beat the truth out of your or beat you to death...whichever comes first."
Jaegr draws "The Finisher", just in case.
Victor looks up at the evening sky -- night is falling. He sees the shape Jaegr's pick silhouetted against the fading light and disregards it, but the pure menace radiating from Wyvurn is enough to make him buckle under hobgoblin's will:
"Please, sir, don't kill me, too. You may search the house if that's what you wish. I'll wait in the barn until you're done and won't be a nuisance."
"I think you'll be staying away from whoever or whatever is in the barn."
Victor nods. "I'll stand right here in the yard, sir, if that what you'd have me do."
You guys got the house? I'm gonna check out the barn.
Cricket and Wolvie walk over to the barn and open the door.