The team heads to the orchard to scout out what the apprentices might be doing there, and where. The orchard is int he center of the town which is convenient as a meeting place since it inst too far from anywhere in town to walk to.
Rows of neglected apple trees sway in the wind, and the occasional rotting, worm-eaten fruit falls with a wet thud to the ground below. The earth is heavily trampled near the southern end of the orchard, and an overturned barrel of apples lies broken on its side, exuding a sickly sweet scent.
victor half-carried the loser—a very large person—away to the south.
As you walk down the rows of trees towards the trampled area, you hear a loud buzzing sound coming out of the trees. Flying out of the trees, you all see (and hear) a trio of beetles. The beetles are almost the size of Sammakko, and their spots are glowing in an eerie yellowish-green light.
They appear to be flying at you in a very hostile way, and are about 10' off the ground right now.
1st RND
Speaker, Wolfgang, Eris, Deldri
Beetles
Sammakko, Manaria
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Darting forwards, the Speaker chants a soft prayer to the Dawnflower and runs their nimble fingers along the edge of their Scimitar, bringing upon a glow. Setting their feet apart, the Sarenrite waits patiently for the beetles approach, ready to cut them apart with their graceful Dance of battle.
for
Both Speaker and Eris prepare to attack once the beetles get in striking range...
The beetles come flying in and one of them gets shot out of the air by a crossbow. Another moves to attack Speaker but does not get an attempt due to the Speaker's readied action. The last beetle moves to eat one of the smaller folk but Deldri wounds it as Eris moves in and finishes it off with her rapier.
After the fight ends the group discusses the beetles and the clues found in the orchard. The sings of dragging footprints end at the edge of the orchard and traces of the bile found earlier can be seen as thin
strands of a purplish-black substance clinging to a nearby tree. A patch of bark beneath the strands has begun to decay, and all of the tree’s fruit has fallen to the ground.
A closer look of the beetles reveals these beetles resemble normal fire beetles, but their spots shed light like torches instead of their usual greenish-yellow glow as if tainted somehow.
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The Speaker lets out a deep breath as the beetle is cut apart, watching the bile dissolve from their cold-iron blade with interest. Examining the tree and the other signs of ichor, the Speaker cuts at the bile on the tree, seeing if it dissolves as before under the cold-iron onslaught.
"Interesting. Though, we seem to have a clue as to where someone has gone. Maybe whoever sent the note struggled with the Tavern apprentice and was dragged off?" the Satenrite concludes as they pace the scene. "I believe we should follow."
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"Stop!" Wolfgang yells at the Speaker.
"This stuff was present at the graveyard where we faced those giant ants. Now it's here and there's giant beetles. It seems what the stuff touches mutates, sickens and dies..." he goes on pointing at the trees.
"... And as Sammakko pointed out there's been a fight here. Possibly the one spreading this taint ambushing a victim? Anyway, we need to find out more about this stuff as it seems to be the only clue we have about what's really happening in this backward little town, so stop destroying all of it" he finishes.
Once the Speaker has stopped he adds:"Anyone here's knowledgeable enough about this kind of evil stuff?" he asks the others.
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The Speaker looks at Wolfgang with squinted eyes, and indicates the patch on the tree. Shaking their head, the Sarenrite chides the rude Ustalav man. "Yes, this is Demon Bile, Deldri told us about it in the Graveyard. If left untouched, it spreads and kills life in the area. It can also spawn hellish vermin such as beetles and the ants before."
The Speaker raises their Scimitar to cut away the offending bile to hopefully save the orchard from further rot. "If someone has been corrupted by its influence we should press on and follow, not stand here forgetting."
The goo found in the orchard is of similar make up as the one found in the graveyard...
While searching the area the group finds a discarded and very ornate and perfectly balanced sap (the hitting kind; not the syrup kind) on the ground.
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Taking hold of the cut off bark, the Speaker nimbly tosses it to Wolfgang wiyh an unpleasant look. "I am sure the Alchemist can work from that, but it is best not to leave it to spread. One tree has already withered." she remarks, finding a blue handkerchief amongst their robes and wiping any remaining bile from their fingers.
"You are right I am sure Samm. Perhaps with their rumoured magical one experimentation has begun to practice wizardry and has bonded with a familiar." the Speaker muses.
The group decides to head back to the apothecary to speak to Majara Pricknettle about Gellion and the bile they found.
"I had hoped all of this would be just children at play but it seems you brought me proof that something is amiss and danger is afoot. I will give you directions to Gellions house and maybe his parents can tell you more of his whereabouts than I could. I truly have no idea where that boy is." and she writes down on a piece of paper how to get to Gellions house inside the town.
The Vazarro home is a simple, well-kept, two-story structure of bricks, wood, and plain shingles. Smoke billows from a brick chimney, and minimal light escapes from the windows, from which partially closed, thickslatted shutters hang. The front door bears a tarnished brass knocker.
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Thanking the Alchemist for their help, the Speaker follows the given directions to Gellion's home. Stopping before the path, the Sarenrite's eyes dart around.
"It would seem people are home at least. Let us see how we are greeted by the townfolk here, but I hold little hope for a warm reception."
Striding to the door, the Speaker waits for everyone to be ready before sharply knocking on the door.
The group makes their way to the entrance of the house and looks around...
You notice a dark, greasy-looking stain oozing from between the slats of the shutters on the ground floor windows.
You also notice that the door’s knocker is lightly smeared with a dark, dried substance. And it appears rigged with a trap
You identify this substance as blood that is likely only a few days old.
The front door is locked, although the window glass looks flimsy and would break easily. Then you remember the Mayor's request to keep the investigation as discreet as possible.
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Taking a closer look at the shutters once pointed out to them, the Speaker lets out a soft sigh, worried for the people inside. "Eris is correct, there may be someone in danger, though breaking the windows would draw attention we would not want. Is anyone any good with locks?" They ask the rest of their gathered party.
In the meantime, the Speaker starts to circle the house, to see if there are any easier ways in, or at least, windows with less people watching.
Eris finds all the windows and closed and the sole door is indeed locked. The group doe realize if they have to break a window to let someone in then they should break the window in the back of the house away from the busy street.
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The Speaker sighs and silently prays for forgiveness for their next act of vandalism. Ushering their companions around the back of the house to a window they had spied. Drawing their scimitar in a fluid motion, the Speaker waits for the window to be broken.
"It looks like our only option is here, a necessary task as someone suffers."
Eris tries to smash the window as delicately and as silently as possible but she is unused to this type of profession and while she manages to beak open the window she does make a mess of things.
Sammakko peers inside from above as the others try to peer inside from below, except for Deldri who is just too short to see over the window ledge and listens to the others describe what the see inside the house.
Scratches and dark stains cover nearly every surface in this spacious living room. To the east, paintings and other once fine objects give fuel to a fire roaring in the hearth. Bent, broken, and bloody cutlery juts at odd angles from the table in the center of the room. Books lie scattered in heaps next to broken shelves, and shards of shattered dishes spill forth from their cabinets. An open door to the west looks into the filthy kitchen, and stairs to the southwest lead up to the next floor. Tiny bloody footprints cover the stairs, heading in both directions.
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Wincing at the noise made from the broken window, the Speaker looks around to see if any had noticed them before throwing their robe over the broken window sill and squeezing through the hole. Drawing their scimitar, the Sarenrite steps away from window and looks around the gloom, a sigh escaping their lips at the wanton destruction.
"It does seem we are too late, but we may be able to determien the cause."
Eris makes her way to the kitchen and stands at the door...
The smell of rotting food and stagnant water rises from the filth in this small kitchen, mixing sickeningly with the strong, coppery scent of fresh blood. Broken jugs, upturned trays, and scraps of food litter the room. In the sink, a large bowl filled with chewed and spat out food floats in thick, bloody water in the sink. An open door to the south reveals a ransacked pantry.