[PFS][PBP Gameday VI] 8-06: Reaping What We Sow (1-5) (Inactive)

Game Master Lady Ladile

Although a few whispers can be heard among the crowd, ("Korada? Who's that?"), the combined efforts of the group to protest their innocence seem to reach both Constable Tivareau and Armeline. The constable takes a deep breath and slowly exhales.

"Very well...I believe you," she says slowly, obviously trying to choose her words carefully. "I'll not confine you to quarters tonight on one condition - help us track down whoever or whatever murdered Elm. You do that, and, well...I guess that'd prove your innocence to everyone, once and for all, eh?"

For her part, Armeline gives the group a very hard look and folds her arms across her shoulders. "Fine. If Elise is willing to give you a chance, then I'll trust her judgement. Do what she asks and prove that you and the Society aren't the ones behind all this. If you do, I...I'll at least listen to what you've got to say. That's all I'll promise. Deal?"

"Deal!", says Igna, to Armeline.

Looking over at Constable Tivareau, she asks: "Do you have any lead we can help you with?"

Bowing very deeply Xiao replies.
"This is well bargained and accepted. We have a deal!"

Quentin arches an eyebrow. "Armeline, you were a Pathfinder long before me and very skilled, I hear. There's something that may be a clue that we could not figure out. Would you be willing to help us help the constable and take a look at this map?"

Constable Tivareau sighs and shakes her head. "Right now I know about as much as-go on now, show's over folks," she begins but then pauses to shoo away the small crowd that's gathered around. "Like I was saying," she continues after a few moments, "I know about as much as you do. The only clues we found were that map and that strange message and that's not much to go on if we can't make any sense of it."

When the constable mentions the map, Quentin steps in and pulls out the two pieces of paper in question and offers them to Armeline. She gives the constable a dubious look, but relents when Tivareau gives her a nod. "Please. I didn't fare any better than they did but maybe you'll see something we didn't. And if not, then maybe Bertinard would know something."

"Well, alright then...deal or not, I can't just stand by and not offer my own help if it might make a difference," Armeline says as she reaches out to take the map and the strange note. She studies them intently for several minutes before giving a satisfied nod.

"Huh...looks like this note is the record of some kind of conversation Elm had with someone or something," the half-elf finally says as she looks up from the note. "The flow is strange, like whoever it was didn't really use speech the way we do. But Elm had a special connection to the land and I've heard folks like that can talk to all sorts of things most people can't - like animals or even plants. And whisperwort's definitely a plant - it's a red-colored peat moss, fairly common around these parts."

Then Armeline holds up the map, drawing everyone's attention to the Xs depicted on it. "Look here - I noticed the number of Xs on this map match up with the number of times that the word 'whisperwort' is underlined. Not only that, but there's a pattern here that's pretty darned hard to spot unless you're really looking for one," she continues. "See? Here, here, here...follow the Xs but not in a circle or a line or anything like that. Circle around and around, like a spiral." And now that you've had your attention drawn to it, you can all see it as well - the Xs spiral around and around the town, eventually ending at what appears to be a small home just on the eastern outskirts of Rosehaven.

There's a beat of silence and suddenly Constable Tivareau's widen with surprise and horror. She looks up from the map.

"That's Bertinard's home."

"We should go there then. Now."

Looking at the map Xiao Hua nods.
"Well that is a start. Let us investigate!"

Igna calls out to Armeline: "What a shrewd mind! How good you are with words, and maps! THANK YOU!"

"Yes. Thank you," Quentin says as he turns to follow the sheriff to Bertinand's home.

"Yes, thank you Armeline and these folks are right, we've got to get to Bertinard's at once! Come on, follow me!" the constable beckons as she turns and hurries off back across Rosehaven's square towards the east, where you can see a small dirt road leading out of town. It doesn't take the group long to reach a small, white cottage with a small, fenced-in garden that surrounds a small rock path leading up to the front door. As you arrive, you spot the old priest from the festival - Bertinard - in the process of heading inside but he turns at the sound of your heavy footfalls and jangling gear.

"Oh! What brings you folks here?" he asks, looking surprised. "I figured you'd all be quite a while out at Elm's with the constable." He hurries back to the gate and opens it for the group. "You just caught me about to head inside for my evening prayers. Please, come in," he beckons, then stops when he catches sight of your tense, worried faces.

"What? What's wrong?" he asks, his own voice now tense.

"We fear that whatever killed Elm is after you as well," Quentin says grimly.

"Yes, we are here to protect you."

"Nice cottage, sir," says Igna. "Has anyone come to join you in your prayers? Or are you alone right now?"

Igna looks around at the same time, trying to see if she spots any whisperwort in the garden or close by, but keeps on looking back at the very nice cottage.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Bertinard's jaw drops but he quickly snaps it shut again. "Whoever murdered Elm, you think that I'm the next target? What makes you think-" he begins to ask but before he can finish his question, the small enclosed garden explodes into chaos as a horrific creature made of thick, ropy vines and sporting a flaming jack-o-lantern head comes crashing out of the front window of the house! More shattering glass can be heard and two misshapen pumpkins come floating out of the house from two other windows; one of the pumpkins seems to have two noses and one eye and the other sports a crude carving of a dinosaur in its surface!

"Shelyn preserve us!" Bertinard gasps, his face growing pale as he quickly falls back through the picket gate. The jack-o-lantern advances on the priest, its eyes glowing with hate and hellfire, and the two floating pumpkins follow suit...but then find themselves confronted by some of the Pathfinder Society's finest. "Bertinard, to me! Let them handle those fiends!" Constable Tivareau calls to the old man, drawing her own sword as the battle is joined...
_______

The battle is fierce and more than one of you suffer burns and painful bruises at the hands of the hellish pumpkin creatures but in the end, the group triumphs and leaves the creatures as so much pumpkin pulp.

"I...you were right," Bertinard stammers as he wipes the sweat from his face with a trembling hand. "Th-thank you, my friends - and you, Elise. If you hadn't turned up when you did..." he shudders. "You saved my life and I'll not forget it. But I'm still wandering in the dark. These creatures killed Elm, you say? Do you have any idea why? Or what they were?"

Argor is taken aback as the group is attacked by pumpkins clearly made by children and not adults.

Nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

"They are nothing I've seen before. But they are clearly dangerous."

Igna taps Argor on the shoulder, quite pale and distraught: "You saw that before... you and I made those pumpkins. I remember, because I thought yours was better carved than mine!"

"But they were only pumpkins when I saw them."

"Well, I fear some dark, evil magic is working here. We have to investigate and stop it!"

"No. No idea what they are," Quentin says with a shake of his head. "Do you or Elm have any reason to have drawn the ire of evil spirits?"

Quentin's question seems to strike a chord in Bertinard; the spark of a thought flashes across the old priest's eyes, followed by a look of half-incredulity and half-fear.

"No...no, surely not, not after all this time..." he whispers. Constable Tivareau cocks her head to one side, giving Bertinard a quizzical look. "Not what? What is it?"

Bertinard looks at the constable and then at the equally-questioning expressions the rest of you wear and sighs deeply. His shoulders slump and he somehow seems even older. "What happened 30 years ago was a terrible tragedy," he says, wearing a haunted look. "We, all of us, allowed fear and division to triumph over mercy and love. A group of worshipers of the hag goddess..." Bertinard swallows and shakes his head, "...Ah Hell with it, we have her attention anyway. G-Gyronna. A group of worshipers of Gyronna attacked our village. They used illusions to walk among us and tore us apart. They framed us for betrayal and murder and in the end, we turned against each other, hands full of blades and hearts full of spite," he explains, closing his eyes as a shudder sweeps through him. "I felt the poison that had taken hold here gnawing at my faith, but knew deep down that something was terribly wrong, and with the help of my lantern, I revealed the truth behind their disguises. And, well, I’m not proud of this, but I led the charge against them. I let rage take over. I cried for their blood, for their hanging. When it was over, I followed their tracks back to their home, dropped their bodies within it, and set the whole mess ablaze. I may have put a stop to the threat, but in so doing, I succumbed to their influence nonetheless. However, Shelyn forgives me, and I have forgiven myself. What happened here just has to be tied to those hag cultists somehow. I’ll tell you where I left their bodies. Please, Rosehaven doesn’t deserve to go through that nightmare again. Help us."

After a moment, he clears his throat, clearly trying to reign in his emotions. "Gather around," Bertinard beckons. "I'm not much use in the thick of things anymore but I've still got a trick or two up my sleeves," he says with a grim chuckle as he calls upon Shelyn's divine power, sending a gentle pulse of positive energy washing over the group.

"That's about all I can do for you - Shelyn knows I wish I could do more," he sighs. "There's a swamp that lies several miles north of the town, past the pumpkin fields and along the river - in some old ruins, that's where you'll find the resting place of those hags."

As Bertinard instructs you on how to reach the final resting place of the Gyronna hags, Argor notices that there's an obvious trail leading from the back side of Bertinard's home that seems to lead in the same direction that the old priest indicates. When Argor points it out to everyone else, Bertinard nods grimly. "I knew it. Sounds like those horrible things must've came from the swamp. You might actually be able to reach the old ruins more quickly by following the trail instead of the river."
_______

Argor's Survival skill is high enough that he's automatically able to spot and follow the trail leading away from Bertinard's home. Good thing too, because the dice roller has *not* been kind to you folks this entire scenario :\

Igna thinks that one slip towards Evil deeds is never forgotten, alas.

"We should follow the trail then."

After making your preparations and perhaps making sure that Bertinard makes it back into town safely, you all set about following the trail that leads away from Bertinard's home and out into the fields. By this time the sun has nearly set and you find yourselves in need of some light to navigate by. The sky is dark, with the moon and stars only occasionally peeking out from behind the gathered clouds. Aside from the sound of your footsteps, the only sounds you hear are the chirp of crickets and the rustling of the breeze through the tall grass and vines.

Thanks to Argor's excellent tracking skills, the group manages to remain on the trail left by the jack-o-lantern as it and its eerie pumpkin guards made their way to Bertinard's home. You eventually make your way out into the pumpkin patch and you realize that you must have worked your way back to the edges of Elm's fields. All around you and for as far as your lights can carry, you see the shapes and outlines of rows upon rows of pumpkins, sitting silently as you pass. All is quiet. And then....

*THWACK!*

You all hear a wet, splattering sound from somewhere close by, or at least you think you do. Maybe it was just your imaginations?

*THWACK!*

It sounds again and now you know that you're not imagining anything. You're not alone out here. Someone or something is very close by.

"None of the townsfolk are out, are they?" Quentin asks rhetorically as he draws his greatsword. He makes his way carefully, if noisily, through the field toward the splattering sound.

Stealth: 1d20 - 4 ⇒ (1) - 4 = -3

"No, but something else is."

Igna looks at Quentin, who is making more noise while trying to stealth.
She whispers: "Like this!", as she bends low and hides.
Stealth: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34 (Ha ha! Nat' 20!)
Having disappeared like a whiff of smoke, Igna giggles, then she then looks around...
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

As you draw closer to one another and peer into the darkness, you hear a shuffling sound approaching you. Out of the darkness comes a small, person-shaped plant creature walking on legs of tangled vines and sporting a tiny pumpkin head, with carved eyes and a mouth. A small feathered necklace can be seen around its neck and it wields a wooden mallet in both hands. When it sees the group (except for Igna, who has become one with the darkness), it stops and seems to gawp for a moment before it frantically begins jumping up and down and pointing north. Then it pauses for a moment and swings its mallet at one of the nearby pumpkins.

*THWACK!*

Pumpkin seeds and pulp fly in all directions and the strange little creature points at the shattered remains, then back to the north, before turning and bringing the mallet down on another pumpkin.

*THWACK!*

It's pretty difficult to read the expression on a carved face, but whatever this little plant-creature is, it seems pretty distressed.

Nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

"What is wrong, small leshy?" Argor states, leaning over to speak.

Igna frowns: I meld with the shadows, but it is useless..., and remains hidden, enjoying the moment.

Quentin squashes a pumpkin with his sword and then points to the north. "Do you need our help?"

The little leshy cocks its head curiously at Argor and Quentin as they attempt to communicate.

"Elm? మీరు Elm లాగా మాట్లాడగలరా?" it asks, its voice slightly hollow-sounding but hopeful.

Taking out a scroll Xiao Hua quickly reads it.
"It asks if someone can speak druidic. I can understand it now. But not speak!"
Answering in Sylvan she replies."Can you speak Sylvan?"
If not she will try to show she understands it, but not speak it with handsigns.

Igna answers in what she believes "druidic" might be, smiling, and using and calm and soothing tone: 'Ghtrtta trruuna pprffppr ohoh...".

"Put that away. I can speak to it just fine." Argor then turns to the leshy.

The leshy's entire demeanor seems to brighten as Argor addresses her in Druidic and Xiao in Sylvan - though she jumps with alarm as Igna's voice is suddenly heard from somewhere just outside of the range of the party's lights. But before she can reply, an eerie, high-pitched laugh sounds from the fields just to the north of where you stand gathered. Another jack-o-lantern stands to face you, eyes glowing with malevolence as two more possessed pumpkins rise into the air, ready to strike!

Immediately, the entire group springs into action - you've already tangled with these once and you know that they can be destroyed just like any creature of flesh and blood. Igna takes advantage of her hidden position to get the drop on one of the possessed pumpkins as it comes zipping towards Argor and Quentin ducks under the second, neatly slicing it in two before it has a chance to strike. Together, Argor and Xiao team up against the jack-o-lantern, battering it with staff and bursts of acid. Even the leshy helps, stepping up behind the fearsome creature and delivering a nasty blow with her mallet. And just as quickly as the battle began, it's over, your foes once more lying defeated and splattered all around you.

"వావ్! మీరు నిజంగా బలంగా ఉన్నారు! ఆశ్చర్యమే!" the leshy exclaims, staring at everyone with an air of awe. She then switches to Sylvan, for Xiao's benefit. "কি দারুন! আপনি মানুষ সত্যিই শক্তিশালী! এটা অনেক সুন্দর ছিল!"

Then she stops and looks at the group, wringing her hands anxiously. "আপনি সাহায্য করতে এখানে? তারা...তারা এলমকে মেরেছে! আমি জানিনা কেন তারা এমন কিছু করবে...Elm সবসময় আমার কাছে এত সুন্দর ছিল..."

Since Argor speaks Druidic, no need for Xiao to have used that scroll :)

Igna mutters: "Will not be able to freely enjoy pumpkin pie... for at least a week".

Quentin wipes the pumpkin off of his blade as he looks between the leshy and his companions whistling and chirping at each other.

"Eh?"

"Elm! నన్ను చేసింది! అతను నా స్నేహితుడు! మరియు అతను అన్ని మొక్కలు మరియు జంతువులు ఎల్లప్పుడూ చాలా బాగుంది...ఆ విషయాలు అతనికి హత్య ఎందుకు నేను తెలియదు," the leshy sniffles, her shoulders drooping. "వారు చెడ్డవారు మరియు అర్థం! వారు ఇక్కడ ఉన్నారు ఎందుకు నాకు తెలియదు కానీ వారు ఎక్కడ నుండి వచ్చారో నాకు తెలుసు. వారు ఉత్తరాన నివసిస్తున్నారు, చిత్తడినేలల్లో. నేను...గత రాత్రి వారిని చంపిన తరువాత, వారు Elm చంపబడ్డారు. అక్కడ ఒక పాత, దహన చోటు ఉంది....ఇది చెడుగా భావించబడింది, నిజంగా చెడు, నేను ఉండలేదు," she continues, shivering with fear. But then, she puffs her chest out and hefts her mallet.

"నేను ఇంటికి తిరిగి వచ్చాను మరియు గుమ్మడికాయలు వంటి అనేక ముక్కలు చేయగలిగాను, నేను ఎవ్వరూ గాయపడలేదు! కానీ చాలా ఉంది మరియు నాకు మాత్రమే ఒకటి. కానీ మీరు అన్ని పెద్ద మరియు బలమైన మరియు చక్కగా ఉన్నాము! మీరు వాటిని ఆపలేరని నాకు తెలుసు! చిత్తడి లో ఆ స్థలం స్కేరీ ఉంది...కానీ Elm ఎల్లప్పుడూ ధైర్యంగా నాకు చెప్పారు, నేను ధైర్యంగా మరియు అక్కడ మీరు పడుతుంది!" she exclaims, reaching out to tug at Quentin's pant leg.

Sorry, forgot to note that I'll assume that Argor and/or Xiao translates for the rest of the group and vice versa so feel free to read the language spoilers and ask questions if you have any!

"Yes. Yes!" Quentin sheathes his sword and gestures for the leshy to lead the way. "I am ready to follow."

Like the little leshy that could, she stands as tall as she's able and then offers a salute, clearly inspired by everyone's words. "నా ఉత్తమ, ధైర్య ప్రజలు చేస్తాను! నడవండి, నన్ను అనుసరించండి!" she cries before hefting her mallet high and heading off north, across the pumpkin patch. After a few paces though, she pauses and turns to look at everyone. "ఓహ్...నేను మర్చిపోయాను! నా పేరు ఫెదర్ సీడ్! మీరు కలిసే బాగుంది!" she calls back before continuing to lead you north.

Feather Seed leads you north, past the pumpkin patch and onto an old, largely-overgrown trail. You follow the trail through the darkness for several miles, with only Feather Seed to guide you and your torches and other implements to light the way. As you proceed you notice the cover of the trees gradually begins to fall away, as does most of the other foliage. The ground now offers a bit of give with each step, seeming almost spongelike. You know that you must be getting close.

After a few more minutes of walking, the trail ends and you can see the ghostly shadow of a ruined, burned out building looming ahead just at the edge of your lights. Nearby, to your right, you also notice what looks to be an odd pile of stones. An occasional glint can be seen as you shine your lights in that direction.

Your leshy guide looks around, clutching her little mallet tightly in her hands.

"ఇది...చెడు ప్రదేశం," she whispers.

Argor searches the pile of stones before heading further into the ruins.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

"I agree with that assessment, Feather Seed," Quentin says, more to Argor than to the leshy. He wards himself with a simple cantrip before drawing his blade and moving slowly toward the ruins. "The hair on the back of my neck is standing up."

"ధన్యవాదాలు!" Feather Seed responds, brightening just a tiny bit. She edges up with the group, taking care to remain close to Argor and Quentin as they move up to investigate the area.

As the group fans out, ever wary, Argor shines his light on the small rock formation that sits a few feet away to the group's right. No...not a rock formation - rock formations are natural. These are rocks that have been purposefully stacked atop each other, forming a small pyramid atop which sits a small gem that seems to wink at you as the light strikes it.

Quentin keeps his eyes trained on the burned out ruins to the north, but doesn't see any movement. Or hear anything beyond the party's own movements.

Or does he? It's faint, faint enough that he almost misses it, but Quentin is certain that he hears the sound of something rattling in the direction of the ruins.

Argor moves over and picks up the gem as the Society may be interested in it. He then starts moving towards the ruins.

Argor quickly picks up the gem and drops it into his pocket, making a mental note to examine it more thoroughly at a later point when circumstances seem safer. He then turns and follows after Quentin as the collector of haunted oddities slowly approaches the ruins. As the pair move ever closer to the ruins, the strange rattling and clattering that Quentin heard moments earlier grows audible enough for everyone to hear it. Light suddenly flares in the darkness and a being of bones wrapped in flame steps forward out of the blackened ruins. Three other skeletons also assemble and step forward, hands ending in wicked claws that flex in anticipation of rending soft flesh! Realizing that these must be the skeletons of the hags that Bertinard told you about, the group boldly steps forward to answer their silent challenge...
_______

The battle is not an easy one, with the skeletons being resistant to all but crushing weapons and the burning one radiating a painful aura of heat that blisters the skin of those lingering too long in its presence. Additionally, the group at one point find themselves beset by an eerie screaming that grows in volume until it seems to be emanating from Hell itself before fading. A terrifying experience to be sure but ultimately your group manages to triumph over the skeletons and the burnt ruins are silent once more.

After a few moments Feather Seed comes running up the group and bounces excitedly, her mallet still clutched in both hands. "
అది చాలా అద్భుతంగా ఉంది! ఇది నిజంగా భయానకంగా ఉంది...క్షమించండి నేను నిజంగా సహాయం చేయలేదు...కానీ పోరాడడాన్ని చూడటం నిజంగా స్పూర్తిదాయకంగా ఉంది!" she chatters. She pauses for a moment and looks around before giving Argor and the rest of you a questioning look.

"అయిపోయిందా? ఆ ఎముకలు ఇప్పుడు చనిపోయాయి కానీ ఇక్కడ గాలి ఇంకా చెడ్డది అనిపిస్తుంది..."

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

"This place is haunted, probably by the events that Bertinand described," Quentin says. "Maybe we ought to bury the dead before we leave."

"That sounds wise." Argor states as he searches for some loose earth to dig some graves.

"If you dig, I can make nice markers for them!"