"R-right, right...let's step inside then," the sheriff agrees, beckoning you all inside his home. It's a surprisingly modest and cozy affair, the former carriage house having been converted into a more typical dwelling. Before following, Captain Chlorophyll takes a taste of the well water. It has a slightly tangy taste to it but the clarity is clear and there's no discernible odor to it.
Once inside and off the streets, the sheriff bids you all have a seat at a small kitchen table. Though still unnerved by the moving, talking doll, he pulls up a chair as well and gazes at everyone with an intensity that you've not seen before.
"Okay. You said that Amenira has been murdered and this...doll...backs that up. How? By what? What can I do to help?"
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"Crazy Space Ghost. Like I said. Well, like Nira said. A mad shadow that dances on rooftops and put out their lights. So. Do you know how to stop a crazy space ghost? I'm guessing magic bullets. I've got magic bullets. Have you got a gun?"
Boom Sticks leans in and looks earnestly at the Sheriff. Real sheriffs have guns. He must have one somewhere! The excitable leshy peers under the table, as if they might find a firearm secreted there.
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“We should probably take that a little slower.” Captain Chlorophyll says to Boom Sticks.
Turning to the sheriff, they say “I think we told you something about the weird cave we found out in the wastes.”
Captain Chlorophyll then makes sure they hadn’t left things out. They mention the tiny footprints, watching Nira for a reaction. They also check with the others to make sure details weren’t missed.
Having finished with the cave, they then tell of finding Nira under the bed and what Nira said about the Mad Shadow.
“It really sounds like there is some sort of threat that comes out at night, likely well past the curfew. I have no idea what it is, but Nira doesn’t like it. I think we are lacking in evidence, but have enough that further investigation is warranted.”
“We don’t know the answers yet, but this seems like the best lead we have.”
"A gun? I feel like you asked me that earlier son," the sheriff responds, shaking his head. "I know we're close to Alkenstar and all but we don't carry equipment like that around here; never have. A good club or blade works just as well, don't it? Bolts and arrows, too."
As Captain Chlorophyll explains all of the relevant evidence they've found regarding Amenira's disappearance - and probable murder - Sheriff Molume sits and listens closely, nodding and occasionally shaking his head. When the explanation is done, he utters a low whistle.
"That's quite the story you've got there. Truth be told, if it weren't for...well, our own history, I'm not sure I'd believe any of it," he admits. "But we can't really talk, can we? I know how strange our town is compared to most places. And apparently you do too, somehow. Zuri, maybe?"
He shakes his head. "Nah, not worth worrying about right now anyway. So...there might be something in or around the town that only comes out at night, eh? While I can't officially give the okay for you folks to be out after curfew, well, it just might happen that if anyone that's a visitor happens to go out for a late night stroll tonight that I'll just happen to be looking the other way...and that any calls I might get about such things'll just be someone's wild imagination."
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Tacca gives the sheriff an exaggerated wink. "That's right, it'd just be somebody's wild imagination."
The leshy gets serious. "We'll keep you posted on the progress of our investigation, Sheriff." He turns to his companions. "Shall we visit Zuri on our way to the weaver's?"
"Mighty obliged," Sheriff Molume nods as he sees everyone back outside - but not before taking a quick look around to make sure no one is around to notice everyone coming out of his home. "I'll be here working my garden until it's almost time for curfew. If something else comes up and I'm not here then just ask around and someone'll point you my way."
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Departing the sheriff's home you quickly make tracks back towards the great tree and the temple that sits in its shadow. With the time now being early afternoon there's a little more activity in and around the temple as other priests and acolytes bustle about, cleaning and making preparations for the evening worship service.
'High Priestess' Zuri is sitting within the small room that passes for her office as one of the temple acolytes directs you inside. Once the door is shut she gives a long-suffering sigh and regards you wearily.
"Back already? I'm guessing you've got more questions if you're back this soon, but I don't know what else I can tell you - I really don't know anything about Amenira's disappearance."
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"Seen any crazy space ghosts, Zuri? 'Cus that's what did for Amenira! We're going to bring it to justice! You can help if you can tell us what these things are that we found in a cave in the Wastes. Show her the stuff, guys."
Whilst the magic items and other strange paraphernalia are sroted out, Boom Sticks quietly asks another question of Zuri: "So, even though you're not really a priestess, you do have a real affinity for Old Tree and for the people and the land here in Mercy. I think that makes you someone that me and my Concordance friends would like to stay in touch with. I promise I'll keep your secrets. Maybe we can exchange letters? You'd learn stuff too. Interested?"
Zuri's expression shifts to one of reluctant curiosity as you place all of the items you've found on the desk in front of her, including the scroll you found Nira clutching. She sits up a little straighter when Boom Sticks and Tacca ask about vampires and shadows and space ghosts, giving them a sharp look.
"Normally I'd tell you that it's bad luck to talk about such things, but...well, I already know how that would turn out if I did," she remarks, voice slightly tinged with sarcasm. "So...what I will tell you is that everyone that I've spoken with that's seen this supposed vampire say it flies through the air on giant wings. It has a horrible maw filled with sharp teeth and a tail with a stinger as long as a sickle blade."
Hey, wait...that's not a vampire but you *have* heard of such a thing that fits the description - cloakers. Resembling hideously evil flying manta rays, cloakers are mysterious and paranoid creatures. A cloaker’s motives are hidden and confusing, and they distrust even their own kind. Their strange shape allows them to disguise themselves as a variety of cloaks, tapestries, and other mundane objects, and stories linger of cloakers that ally with other creatures, hitching a ride on their backs and aiding in their ally’s protection for their own inscrutable reasons. A rare few are priests of ancient gods, leading cults of cloakers and skum to undertake all manner of hideous rites and working toward singularly sinister goals.
"So, you think that maybe this 'vampire' killed Amenira then?" Zuri then asks as she begins poring over the items you've brought her. "Why? I mean, I'm happy if that means that we're not the focus of your investigation now but it seems like quite the leap to make."
After spending some time examining everything, even tasting the potion and the oil, the 'priestess' sighs, shaking her head. "There's been a lot to happen today and that's making it hard to focus. I can tell you that this first scroll here is a scroll of Speak with Plants but I'm afraid I can't determine anything about any of these other items. I don't know how much time you have but maybe I can sleep on it and give the rest of them another look tomorrow," she offers with a shrug.
"And...maybe your offer wouldn't be such a bad idea," Zuri adds quietly to Boom Sticks. "Especially since I'm sure you won't be the last group of outsiders to come through here and refuse to take 'no' for an answer," she continues, a slight smile flickering across her face. "Learning more about the outside world would make it easier to handle situations like that in the future."
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"That's not a vampire, but I *have* heard of something that fits that description: a cloaker. Resembling hideously evil flying manta rays, cloakers are mysterious and paranoid creatures. A cloaker’s motives are hidden and confusing, and they distrust even their own kind. Their strange shape allows them to disguise themselves as a variety of cloaks, tapestries, and other mundane objects, and stories linger of cloakers that ally with other creatures, hitching a ride on their backs and aiding in their ally’s protection for their own inscrutable reasons."
Tacca gives Zuri a closer, not quite suspicious, look. "A rare few are priests of ancient gods, leading cults of cloakers and skum to undertake all manner of hideous rites and working toward singularly sinister goals."
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"I'd like to find its lair. Think we should head back to the cave? Maybe it was hiding or somewhere else while we were there."
Tacca considers the information he's recalled and shared with the team. "If a cloaker sometimes works on behalf of an ally, who might be calling the shots?"
He turns back to the priestess. "Besides Amenira, and us, anybody else new in town?"
Tacca knows that cloakers are capable of engulfing creatures of medium size and smaller, holding them fast while delivering bite after bite with their sharp teeth. Even worse, they're still capable of using their whip-like tails to strike at other targets while they do this. Cloakers can also emit an infrasonic moan that produces a variety of effects in their foes as well as manipulate shadows to create defensive effects.
Engulf (Ex) - A cloaker can try to wrap a Medium or smaller creature in its body as a standard action. The cloaker attempts a grapple that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and bites the engulfed victim with a +4 bonus on its attack roll. It can still use its whip-like tail to strike at other targets. Attacks that hit an engulfing cloaker deal half their damage to the monster and half to the trapped victim.
Moan (Ex) - A cloaker can emit an infrasonic moan as a standard action, with one of four effects.
Fear - All creatures in a 30-foot spread must save (Will negates) or become panicked for 2 rounds.
Nausea - All creatures in a 30-foot cone must save (Fortitude negates) or fall prone and be nauseated for 1d4+1 rounds.
Stupor - A single creature within 30 feet is affected by hold monster for 5 rounds (Will negates).
Unnerve - Anyone within a 60-foot spread automatically takes a –2 penalty on attack and damage rolls. Those in the area for more than 6 consecutive rounds must save (Will negates) or enter a trance, helpless until the moaning stops.
Cloakers are immune to these sonic, mind-affecting attacks. A creature that successfully saves against the cloaker’s fear, nausea, or unnerve moans cannot be affected by that same moan effect from that cloaker for 24 hours. All of the save DCs against a cloaker’s moan are DC 15.
Shadow Shift (Su) - When in dim illumination, a cloaker can manipulate shadows as a free action to create one of the following effects: blur (lasts 1d4 rounds, self only), mirror image (CL 6th), or silent image (DC 15, CL 6th, save DC is Charisma-based).
"No, there's not anyone new in town besides yourselves and that guide and his dog," Zuri remarks with a shake of her head. To Tacca's 'look' all she can do is give him a 'look' of her own. "Really? Under the circumstances I think I've been shockingly nice and quite cooperative with your investigation. If Amenira's disappearance is due to this 'cloaker' creature, I promise that I had nothing to do with it," she sighs.
Suddenly Nira, silent ever since you returned to the temple, slowly turns her head to look at Zuri. "No...no malice from you..."
Zuri gives a startled shriek and rocks back in her chair so hard that she nearly topples backward. "YEEEEEE! What in the world!?!"
Zuri stares at the doll, her expression flitting between horror and what seems to be some sort of morbid fascination or curiosity. Tentatively, she reaches out a hand to touch one of Nira's outstretched hands and then quickly draws it back again as her fingertips brush the wood.
"A doll...just like the ones that Amenira would make for the children," she murmurs. "And she talks? How...how strange...! Um but yes, mentioning this earlier would've been nice, you know!"
Nira continues to stare unblinkingly at Zuri. "Dolls...they see why children hide. A vessel for a soul...our soul...mine..."
Nira turns her head to face Tacca and there's a pause.
"I...I think? We do not remember clearly...just binding shadows and pain, pain, pain..." Nira answers, sounding uncertain. "Words..our words...my words. Then...a shattering, pieces swirling away to the other side of the sky! But a splinter, one splinter for the vessel...just one..."
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"It sounds like Nira is trying to tell us the children might be in danger from this creature. We need to end its existence, before it harms others."
Tacca looks at this companions. "Let's make a quick stop at the weaver's. Then, warn the sheriff. Unless you've got another idea, maybe we should head back to that cave."
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"Nira is Amenira. BOOM! Hey, Zuri, why don't you keep that scroll we found? Use it to talk to Robori if you like. I don't think any of us can read it, and talking to plants just comes naturally to me, only I can't talk Robori's language and the other plants seem to think he doesn't want to talk. Maybe he'll talk to you though? Anyway, thanks for your help Zuri."
Boom Sticks then looks to their fellows. "Good to go."
"Amenira's soul...in that little doll? How awful..." Zuri murmurs sadly. "If this cloaker creature is responsible then yes, please, do what you can to put an end to it! No one should be subject to such a fate."
As you prepare to leave, Zuri takes up Boom Sticks' offer of the Speak with Plants scroll. "This little paper will let me talk to Robori directly?" she marvels. "Thank you then, for giving it to me. Even if he isn't a true god, Robori has surely seen much in his time and it would be...well, quite a feat to be able to hear some of it. If he's willing, I mean."
"Oh! And you mentioned paying the weaver a visit? That'd be Kato," Zuri adds as she walks you out of the temple. "They live just down the lane, last house on the left - you can't miss it!"
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A short way down the lane from the temple, last plot on the left, you see a small cottage that looks much like all the other cottages you've seen in the town. Three sets of orange robes hang from the clothesline outside; two of them are sized for adults, while the other one is sized for a child. The orange flag on this house’s message box is raised and orange curtains cover all of the windows. A small, fenced-in garden lies next to the cottage and you see a woman who looks to be in her early 30s working within. She happens to glance up and starts with surprise as she sees the six of you standing just beyond the fence.
"What are you doing outside??? Don't you know-" but then she stops as she gets a better look at you. "Oh! Oh. Um...I'm sorry, I thought...well, never mind." Although she regards you all with something of a guarded expression, she rises to her feet and dusts herself off before stepping up to the fence.
"You must be the visitors that Sheriff Molume talked about at worship," she remarks, staring down at everyone. "Is there...something I can help you with?"
"Kato? Actually no, my name is Efua," the woman responds, relaxing after Tacca's polite introductions. "Kato's my husband though, so you've come to the right place if you're looking for anything from netting to rugs to a new pair of pants. Is there something in particular you're looking for?"
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"Coupla things, actually, Mizz Efua. Our colleague, Amenira's missing, but you already know that. We're trying to help the sheriff figure out what happened to her.
He holds up two fingers, "First, In her letters, she mentioned the weaver had a special ointment? Do you have some we could get? P-Oakey's got a burning, itching rash, you see. Might help. Second, Amenira's hobby was making dolls. We've seen a few, and they all kind of look like her. Do you have any here we could look at?"
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"Coupla things, actually, Mizz Efua. Our colleague Amenira's missing, but you already know that. We're trying to help the sheriff figure out what happened to her.
He holds up two fingers, "First, In her letters, she mentioned the weaver had an special ointment? Do you have some we could get? P-Oakey's got a burning, itching rash, you see. Might help. Second, Amenira's hobby was making dolls. We've seen a few, and they all kind of look like her. Do you have any here we could look at?"
Efua pauses, looking uneasy. She glances back over her shoulder at her home, the curtains covering the windows flapping gently in the breeze. "Um...w-well, I don't know how she learned of that but the ointment we have is for our daughter. She's got a, um, skin condition that leaves her terribly itchy all the time. I'm sorry, but maybe you could go talk to Z-"
From beyond the curtained window comes a voice, that of a young girl. "Um, it's okay mama, I don't mind sharing if he's really itchy...and didn't you and papa say that it's our responsibility to take care of our visitors? Oh! And they can come see my dolls, too! Really, I don't mind!"
Given what you learned about Mercy's inhabitants from Zuri you're positive that Efua is fearful of you seeing her daughter. It also makes sense given that only Zuri and Sheriff Molume know that you know the town secret.
Efua shoots a look of consternation towards the window and then heaves a great sigh. "I suppose it won't hurt to have visitors for just a few minutes," she says as she moves to open the door and invite everyone inside. From the window there's a cheerful laugh and a fluttering of curtains as whoever is standing behind them turns and rushes further into the house.
As everyone steps inside you see that the interior of this house is quite similar in layout to Amenira's house, if a bit larger and without all the clutter. Efua ushers gestures towards a table and some chairs that sit close to a small, cozy fireplace. "Ah, just have a seat if you like and I'll uh, find something to put this ointment in..." she offers awkwardly. From a nearby hallway you hear the sound of running feet and a small girl in an orange dress bounds into the room, arms full of dolls of various shapes and sizes. More noticeable, however, are the bandages that wrap the girl's form from head to toe, leaving only her eyes visible and part of her nose.
"Hi! I'm Roboria," she gushes. "Um, I'm sorry, I wasn't meaning to spy but the window was open and I heard you talking to mama and so I couldn't help but peek! It's really nice to meet you and um, I heard you wanted to look at dolls so I brought all of mine!"
"Um...most of them are just ones that mama and grammy gave to me. They used to be theirs but now they're mine. And if I ever have a little girl I'll give them to her," Roboria answers. "But this one is the newest and Amenira did make it for me," she continues, setting the pile down on the table and fishing out a doll that looks exactly like your Nira - sans the broken neck.
"She liked to make her dolls look like herself for some reason...but that's okay. Amenira's really pretty, you know. I hope..." she glances down at her bandaged hands, "...I hope I'll be that pretty when I grow up."
Roboria then looks up at Tacca, genuinely confused and a bit uncomfortable. "Um, no...I just...itch a lot..." she responds shyly, fidgeting a bit. "What's a skateboard? Mama, do you know?"
Efua, rapidly rummaging through the kitchen cupboard for an ointment container, shakes her head. "I don't know sweetie but it sounds like some sort of toy. Maybe a wagon?"
Roboria's face falls slightly. "Oh...you have to leave already? I was hoping you'd stay a little longer..."
"Sweetie, they can't - see the sun? It's almost time for curfew; we need to let them be on their way back to the guest house," Efua remarks with a shake of her head as she hands Poison Oakley a small jar of ointment. "There you go, hopefully it'll help you as well as it helps Roboria. If you end up needing more though, Zuri should be able to help you better than we can, okay?"
With that, barring any further questions, Efua rather pointedly - but not unkindly - shows you all to the door. As you step outside you realize that the hour is indeed growing late, the late afternoon sun casting its long rays over the town...
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"Say, Efua, what do you think is in this ointment, anyway?" Tacca takes a close look at the medicine, then raises an eyebrow and holds the ointment out to Captain Chlorophyll, encouraging the alchemist to take a look.
"That's a lovely doll, Robaria. What's her name? Can I hold her for minute?"
After examining the doll, Tacca nods, "Yeah, we should head back to the guesthouse. We can always explore outside the gates tomorrow, after a good night's rest."
"Hmm? Oh, I think it's mostly oatmeal with a little bit of yogurt and honey mixed in," Efua remarks as Tacca inspects the small jar of ointment. "It may look disgusting but it really does work wonders!"
And as Tacca stares at the ointment, he does indeed catch a whiff of oatmeal wafting from the jar.
Meanwhile, Roboria smiles happily as Tacca inquires further about her newest doll. "I named her Bessie," she explains, picking up the doll and holding it out to him. "And she's the prettiest, even out of all the other dolls that Amenira made," Roboria declares.
The doll feels wooden and stiff in Tacca's arms, much different from Nira's weight. Less...alive.
After leaving Efua and Roboria's home a quick discussion (away from the prying of open windows) ends with a decision to return to the guest house for the start of curfew and then proceed from there. And right on cue, just as you reach your destination you hear the tolling of the bell that signals the beginning of curfew. As you head inside, you see Norv and Ruby puttering around over in the house's kitchen area.
"Boy, are we glad to see you!" Norv exclaims. "This entire town's like, weird, man. After you guys left Ruby and I thought we'd get out and look around a little, maybe try some of the local food. But, like, we kept getting all these dirty looks until the sheriff pulled us aside. How was I supposed to know this town had a leash law???"
*RRRRMPH!* Ruby huffs, clearly indignant.
Norv shakes his head. "Anyway, so like, I rigged something up out of some rope and that stopped the dirty looks but...I dunno, everyone was just really...distant, I guess, when I'd talk to them. And I'm pretty sure I saw some little bandaged things peeking at us from around a corner at one point! That was enough for us; we decided we'd just come back here after that and wait for you guys to get back."
"I just hope they don't come out after dark, whatever they were," he shivers.
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"G-g-ghost!?!?"
Norv and Ruby both bolt under the kitchen table, trembling.
"Like, you don't need to tell us twice! We'll stay right here until the coast is clear!"