Seems that the young priestess is the center of all this. I wonder what she's up to."
Kiri had been quiet and watchful the entire time, almost seeming to disappear. She was there though, quietly watching in the background, and keeping an eye out for trouble. When the gnome nearly cast a spell at them is was only an instants hesitation that kept her from sending a hurt of wind at him to try and disrupt his spell. Things calmed quickly down after that and she was glad it didn't come to a fight. It never ended well when one made an enemy of a wizard.
Next up was a hat shop. It was another place where she didn't have much to do and so she continued to maintain her watchfulness. When they found what they could there Kiri considered what they knew and said, "So, some priestess huh. I take it you don't know who this priestess is Davina?"
"I do but I don't want to send our friend off. Treilla is the ring leader if you ask the parents and mentors of the teens. " She leans in and quietly says, "She might be causing trouble or she might be like Apprentice just up for some fun, but doesn't think first."
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The clothes-maker finally gives your group enough clues to move your investigation on to the next level.
You notice something strange about the note: How would the writer have known that the recipient would be crying? Perhaps its some sort of code or hidden message.
Pinch's mention of a graveyard and the note's strange mention of crying makes you think of the Tears of Aroden graveyard--an old, small burial ground that is technically still considered part of the Temple Hill Gardens collection of cemeteries, even though it's in Redroof and is all but ignored by the Asmodean overseers and caretakers. (It's the small park located a block east of Pinch's Haberdashery on the map.)
"There's a graveyard just a block from here, the Tears of Aroden," Domitius jerks a thumb in a roughly easterly direction. "It's the closest one, might be a good place to start looking. Hey, Leora, betcha another sail the Firefly Man is mixed up in this. Whaddya say?"
Having no more questions for Mr Pinch, Leora thanks him and waits for her friends to finish up any questions or hat purchases they might have.
Once they are outside, Leora says to Dom, "You're on, Dom! I bet that firefly guy has nothing to do with this! Now let's go check out this graveyard! Why do you guys think that's where they were meeting, anyway? " She knew something was odd about the note Mr Pinch showed them, but hadn't picked up anything about a graveyard. Seems like Dom was learning some of Davina's detective skills along with the alchemy!
Leora is thrilled that they are finally a step closer to finding the the kids, and Jessi too.
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T'chazzar's nose twitches as he raises his hood once more and he mumbles, "Seems like a trap." Nevertheless, he acquiesces to following his recent acquaintances.
"You're on, Dom! I bet that firefly guy has nothing to do with this! Now let's go check out this graveyard! Why do you guys think that's where they were meeting, anyway?"
Dom grins as he shakes on the wager with Leora. He'd been itching for a chance to win back the sail he'd lost when the wasp statue hadn't come to life. Which, be honest Dom, it's probably for the best that didn't happen. But still, that would've been awesome...!
Thinking about the question, Domitius shrugs his shoulders. "Pinch said his daughter mentioned a graveyard as a possible gathering place for the kids. Tears of Aroden is the closest one, and - Ms Eradon can correct me if I'm wrong on this part - the last I heard, the Asmodeans don't pay it a lot of notice. Kind of a good place to meet up on the sly. Or, conduct whatever sinister business the Firefly Man is up to!"
In response to the drow's comment, Domitius replies, "Hell, I'd be shocked if it's not. But we gotta start somewhere. If it's a trap, we see what dummy tries to spring it on us." Realizing he still has no idea who the newcomer is, Dom tries breaking the ice. "So, uh, you're not from around here, are you?" So much for subtle, Dom...
"I wouldn't take that bet. I'm pretty sure the firefly guy will be with our missing teens when we find them. You are right Dom. That graveyard isn't maintained well. Almost irresistible to teens with big imaginations like this group."
"Yes T'chazzar I don't doubt it's a trap. Let's hope we are prepared enough. Dom this is T'chazzar. He helped us with the dwarf situation before we ran into you. Good fellow in a fight. You should get along in that regard." She follows Dom to the graveyard.
T'chazzar bows his head to Dom. "I happened to overhear some comments about slavers and I couldn't let it slide. Met your associates here and gave them a hand. Looks like I've been roped into this business of disappearances, which has me curious about how this is going on under the noses of the dottari." He offers a handshake to Dom. "Definitely not from around here, but trying to avoid too much notice."
Domitius returns T'chazzar's bow with a nod, and takes the hand that's offered with a firm handshake.
Man, if someone told me ten years ago where I'd be today, shaking hands with a drow as we try to save Chelish humans... well, I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought as the rest of the tribe tied that person up for the sacrificial bonfire. Strange days I live in.
He gives a small wry smile at his new companion's mention of the dottari. "You must be new here. And I don't mean that to be mean or nothin', I'm serious. Time was, yeah, the dottari woulda at least tried to figure it out. But ever since... he came to town..." Domitius finds himself reluctant to use the Lord Mayor's name out in the open street, "They're more about keepin' folks in line. Barely a step better than the Queensmen. What a poganyy way things've gotten to." Dom mutters the last part half to himself.
"Thanks for jumpin' in with my friends. I wasn't available, as I spent the last few days as the, uh, 'guest' of my former master..." Dom trails off, glowering.
"He grabbed you? Even after we paid him for your freedom. He really doesn't like to lose. Do we need to visit the barrister again? "
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T'chazzar replies to Dom, "At some level the dottari have to be interested in maintaining social order, and there's a tipping point where solving problems is easier and cheaper than suppressing dissent. What I'm curious about is if these missing people are because of the dottari and whatever other secret police are active in the state, or in spite of them. Basically, who's taking all these people and why? These disappearances are too related to be coincidence."
”He grabbed you? Even after we paid him for your freedom. He really doesn't like to lose. Do we need to visit the barrister again?”
Domitius shakes his head. “That is quite kind, sudarynya, but if there is a next step to be taken, I do not think it will be one for the barrister.” The half-orc balls his fists tightly at the thought.
At T’chazzar’s comments, Dom replies, “What you say makes a lot of sense, but events in this city have a way of, well, not making sense. If you doubt me, try and get a sprig of mint in your drink. ‘Be not the cretin!’” Dom rolls his eyes at his mocking repetition of the proclamation’s wording. “Anything goes, as far as how involved the dottari is, or isn’t, with what’s going on.”
Your group travels east about as far as you can in the city, arriving at the old graveyard known as the Tears of Aroden Cemetery. The place gets its name from the four small pools or ponds that decorate (and perhaps once irrigated) the grounds. Now it's in disrepair, with some weeds growing here and there and many of last autumn's fallen leaves still littering the grass. Besides the dozens of small and simple grave markers, the only other noteworthy features (besides the pools) are three leafless oak trees in the southeast corner standing sentinel around a small stone building that may be a crypt or perhaps just the caretaker's storage shed.
You think you saw a hint of motion coming from the second-northernmost pool.
There seems to be a black object atop the crypt or storage shed.
T'chazzar squints against the bright daylight. He seems taken with the gravestones, oddly focused on them.
Leora looks around for any sign of Jessi ir the missing teens, but is too excited to be paying close attention for anything out of the ordinary, despite T'chazzar and Davina's warnings of potential traps. She stays close to the rest of the group.
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Possibly a bit distracted by the recent topics of conversation, Domitius approaches the cemetery.
Davina enters the graveyard, and notices a couple of things. "There's movement next to that pool over there. The north most one, and there's something black on top of that crypt or storage shed. We may be attacked from two fronts or it might be clues to the location of our missing teens."
"Keep an eye on that pool," Dom says softly. Threading his way through the tombstones, he heads toward the structure. He doesn't have a weapon drawn; just in case he ends up confronting a groundskeeper, he doesn't want to come off as any more of an armed maniac than necessary.
T'chazzar points in the direction of Dom, then cuts northeast to head between the pools and see if this draws anything out - hopefully while the rest of the group is able to assemble safely.
Davina nods at Dom, and keeps an eye on the building.
As T'chazzar moves northeast and nears the pool that Davina reported seeing movement from, he discovers the source of that movement: the first water striders of spring! Dozens of the water-walking insects skim across the pool's surface. Then the drow notices something unusual: there's a small patch of purple-and-green scum floating in the southeast corner of the pool. Swarming on and around this flotsam are hundreds, maybe thousands more of the insects...a bit larger than the usual specimen, especially so early in the season.
Dom, too, discovers signs of life in the realm of the dead: the black lump atop the stone building stirs, revealing itself to be a halfling-size raven. As it turns its beady eyes toward the intruder and stretches its wings a bit, Dom notices a gooey purplish substance clotted in the corners of the bird's eyes and beak. Strands of stringy purple slime can be seen stretching from the creature's wing feathers to its torso, elastic like a line of spider's webbing.
"Mistress left us!" the giant raven caws, perhaps unexpectedly. "The mixer took her away! Now it's just Blackfeather...and bugs...and buzzing! CAAAAW!"
Drawing his sword but keeping it lowered, Domitius looks over the hideous bird. That purple stuff looks pretty awful. I bet Ms Eradon can figure out what it is. Not relishing the idea of climbing or jumping up after the bird, Dom tries engaging in conversation. The talking, f***ed-up looking raven might even provide a clue. Wow, there's a sentence you wouldn't have thought you'd be saying a year ago.
"Where did the mixer take your mistress? Is she nearby?"
Dom's question seems to take the intelligent but distressed bird by surprise. It gives the matter some thought before replying.
"Yes...mistress alive, must be close. Weak. Blackfeather must find...or AVENGE!"
Okay, so now I'm talking to a bird. Almost as surprised as the raven is, Domitius holds out a hand. "Okay, okay. Cool your tail feathers, there." Unsure of what he's gotten involved with, Dom calls out, "Anyone know what I'm dealing with here... Awww, yuck! As he turns around to ask his friends, he sees the writhing mass of water bugs. "Where the hell did they come from?"
The raven is certainly acting like a familiar might, but its enlarged size seems to go against such an assessment.
Davina, Kiri, and Leora would remember that Lydia mentioned Triella Winters had a raven familiar named Blackfeather.
Leora moves to support Domitius, intrigued by the talking bird the half-orc's found. A bit to the north, T'chazzar sees that there are enough water striders in the pool to form a potentially dangerous swarm if they all act against a threat, but at the moment the bug colony doesn't seem aggressive...though that might change if he gets much closer to the pool.
Kiri looked at the strange bird creature curiously, it reminded her a great deal of the tengu sisters though not entirely.. Since it seemed that Dom was successfully communicating with the bird thing Kiri turned her focus to the bugs. There were a lot of them and she was somewhat worried about what they might accomplish if they attacked in mass. Fortunately she had dealt with swarms of insects before and knew that she could handle them fairly well. She turned her gaze to the bugs, watchful in case the insect attacked.
T'chazzar moves cautiously away from the water bugs, heading south toward the rest of the group, now that he knows what to look for.
Davina moves closer to Dom and the bird. "Blackfeather? Do you know where your mistress is? We'd like to help her if we can find her or avenge her if necessary as you asked."
Since T'chazzar and Kiri choose not to approach the water strider swarm, the bugs seem to calm down and appear unlikely to attack unless provoked.
Blackfeather, while agitated by your appearance, seems willing to talk when Davina makes her offer to help his missing mistress.
"CAW! Stop buzzing when you speak!" it shouts shrilly at Davina. "Mistress told me to flee before mixer--Gavin--took her. When I flew back, mistress was already gone." After a moment of ruffling his feathers and picking at the stringy purple goo, the oversized familiar adds, "Saw where he took the others, though. Can lead you there...close by."
T'chazzar rejoins the group and says, "Serendipitous. A good lead."
"Please show us where Gavin took the others. Do you know why you look different than a usual familiar? Are you feeling alright?" Davina is prepared to follow the raven. Gavin the good boy? Gavin the ring leader? Gavin the levelheaded took the teens? That seems odd. Something more must be going on. Either that or the adults didn't know the teens at all.
The giant raven turns its purple-eye-boogery orbs in Davina's direction and again stretches its wings, revealing more stringy purplish-black goo. "I'm bigger, stronger. It's hard to think with the buzzing in my head, though! And I'm angry that the mixer took my mistress...and that she hasn't returned for me."
You're not sure why the familiar's bigger than normal; you're pretty sure it's not from a magic spell or alchemical agent. If you could get a closer look at or a sample of the purplish-black goo it seems to be oozing, however, you might be able to make a guess.
Davina looks with interest at the ooze coming from the raven. I wonder what that's from. "Can you come down here for a moment. I want to take a look at you. Maybe I can help with the buzzing."
Domitius is almost taken in enough by the fact that he’s talking to a bird - not a tengu, not a strix, an honest-to-the-gods bird - that it takes him a moment to put together something the raven said. "Hold on. Gavin was the one who took Triella and the others?" Dom looks at his friends. "Paqshari's 'good boy' seems to have a darker side, eh?"
When Davina wants to look at the goop-encrusted Blackfeather, he whispers, "Please be careful, sudarynya." Dom sheathes his sword, but keeps a hand on one of his knives, juuust in case.
Blackfeather takes wing, gliding down to land in front of Davina. The purple stuff indeed seems to be oozing out of its eyes, mouth, other orifices, and even areas of its skin beneath its feathers.
Davinda nods to Dom in acknowledgement of the request to be careful.
"I'm sure it will be fine. He just wants to help find his mistress." She kneels and examines the bird. "Oh you poor dear. That looks like it hurts."
The purplish-black goo is called demon's bile, a substance that sometimes sloughs off a newly-created demon. Demon’s bile is biological in nature, and if left in an open area unchecked, even a small amount of it can begin growing, until, in 1d4 months, the substance takes up a 10-foot-by-10-foot area of filth. Demon’s bile that covers an area of that size or larger then begins growing in earnest, expanding at a rate of about 5 feet per day. Demon’s bile attracts vermin, and those that wallow in it (as well as some other creatures exposed to it) often grow in size, gain the fiendish template, or both. Additionally, demon’s bile that covers a 10-foot-by-10-foot area or greater has a 50% chance to spew forth fiendish vermin every 1d4 days.
Since Blackwing's not a vermin, you're not sure why he's been affected, unless...perhaps he ate some demon's-bile-infected insects. You're not quite sure what that would do to a creature. Neither are you certain how to destroy the stuff.
Leora waits quietly near Davina as she inspects the bird. Gross.
"This isn't like any sort of disease I've heard of," she murmurs to her friends.
It's called Demon Bile. I'm not sure how to fix it. We should follow him now." She stands dusts of her hands, and says, "Lead the way Blackfeather. Take us to where Gavin took everyone."
Blackfeather lets loose another annoyed caw and takes flight, heading due north...but not very far. He circles over a weather-beaten but still-intact warehouse just northeast of the burial grounds, alighting on the roof over a single door near its southwest corner.
