The first round of questioning goes fast, Habe is easily cowed by threats of physical pain, even if the guard that is with you isn’t Grenz. ”Look, my job isn’t easy and no one else wants to do it. Most of those people have been forgotten or purposely left to my care, away from more respectable folk. I take care of them until I can’t. I am also a scientist and in order to perfect my work, I need to use some of them as test subjects for my treatments. Those treatments involve materials that are not easily gotten or entirely legal. As you can see, all of this requires money. When Caizarlu showed up, he told me he was on the run from some bad people and would pay me a lot of money to allow him to do his own work and keep him hidden from those people. At the time, I was already hurting for money, so I had to accept an offer from a fellow scientist. In the beginning, I have to admit, I was a bit appalled by some of what he was doing, but in the end, it was to a better cause, and so I allowed it to continue. That and as I said, I needed the money. A few nights ago, this man shows up in a blue coat and smelling like some of Cai’s experiments. He tells me very plainly that the coffer of coin he had with him is for me to keep my mouth shut and not interfere in his uprising. He also said more would come and our lives would be spared if we did as we were told. I couldn’t turn down more money to keep the place running. I had a good thing going.”
Red Fist, knowing the position he is in, is not as forthcoming as Habe, but what he does tell you is what he believes is the truth. ”Listen short stuff. You may not have noticed, but frankly, I only care about one thing, me and boys getting some coin and running the other crew out of town. If ghouls or goblins or whatever keep you people off our back for a bit longer, all the better. Still, you make a good point. No people, no money. I do not know who ‘RB’ is. They only contact us through notes and dropped off casks of coin and supplies. The stuff is always there, so we do the work. As for X, as far as I know, he’s some weird necro type dude, talking all kinds of zombie army type stuff. Those types of folks get folks like you taking them down all the time, but his money was good, so I told me people we’d do the stuff as long as the money kept coming. I only actually saw him once, at a distance. He stank to all the hells and wore this dirty blue coat.”
The acolyte is simply a fast turn pawn, as you quickly find out. ”I.. I am so scared. I was about to die and then you bring me back and then threaten to kill me again. I just.. I was just helping for a bit of extra coin, that’s all. I had just met him that day. He said there was more if I just let him move freely through the town where I could. That’s all, I swear!”
Blue Coat is a whole other story. ”Please, I beg you tell me what is going on. I am a respected member of society and I don’t know what I am doing in prison. Help me out, I don’t know what is happening to me.” Before he can continue, his voice changes to a deeper pitch and a strange smile crosses his lips. It’s all you can do to keep your distance and not succumb to the stench of death that emanates from him. ”I know what is going on. That simpering fool made a deal with some very bad men and he renounced on his end. Bad form. All for a pretty face. His fits of rage have taken him in and brought him into my fold and now he serves to spread the family fun. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do…” He leans in as close as he can and then breathes in your direction, the guard near you goes down in a fit of coughing and you start to choke yourself. As you try to recover, he breaks the chains holding him in place. [ooc]Make a Fortitude Save and then you will need an initiative check here.
+1 (Medium 4) + 1 Con + 1 Racial
+4 dex +2 spirit bonus to dex checks-3 exhausted
Once Khamul finishes retching, he wipes his mouth and says, talking mostly to himself: "Not bloomed yet, hey. Well fine. You ain't getting taken prisoner again, and I ain't dumb enough to chase after you at night." He pulls himself upright and tells the guards "OK, tell the sheriff I'm wasted and calling it a night. I'll be back as soon as I wake up. Hopefully Gandethus and Quink will be here for a talk. Belor can try and talk Zanthus into letting a couple of his acolytes go to take over at the Sanitorium, then we'll all head out together to the sanitorium to see how Idun's night has gone."
With that, Khamul off to the Rusty Dragon for 8 hrs of bed rest. He'll grab a trio of guards to walk him there on the principle "Oh yeah, nobody walks alone, not with that *(&@! on the loose."
If the Dragon is locked up for the night, he crashes in the stable, sleeping beside his hound... Either way, he gets his needed 8 hrs.
"The reason I am in the basement is to figure out with some of my associates a cure for this ridiculous 'curse' I am under." Caprice does her best to match the temperament and word choice, as the voice was never an option. "I will certainly be having words with the sheriff over the ridiculous vigilante justice his deputies have employed. What is turning me into some sort of elf-thing even supposed to accomplish? They were supposed to help, not whatever this is supposed to be." Caprice tries to spin a tall tale of Habe being cursed into an alternate form.
"Ah, well, was worth a whimsy, it would have been ever so entertaining if you had believed me." Caprice answered with a smile of your own.
"I'm not quite one for the city, so I'm afraid I'll have to pass." Caprice shrugs.
"Do be careful out there with those keen eyes of yours, quite a few canny folk were here, more than just Habe, and now they're all gone."
Upon waking, in a foul mood after his disturbed dreams, Khamul quickly grabs some breakfast and heads for the Garrison, hoping to meet up with Gandethus and Quink. While there, he will get a quick update on local situation; in particular, did blue-coat kill someone on the way out and if so, whom?
Grenz pauses to evaluate his options - remembering one of the many lessons he learned while he was a street fighter, he lets his training take control - "Run and live to fight another day"
Then he takes off at an astonishing speed, using the the pile of stacked lumber as a ramp to jump up toward the farmfolk.
”Habe confirmed he was paid by blue coat to: ‘keep my mouth shut and not interfere in his uprising. He also said more would come and our lives would be spared if we did as we were told’. After seeing our prisoner, he said blue coat was the same guy.”
”Red Fist was also a part of Blue Coat’s network; he told me he had seen the mysterious X from the second note once, that he was ‘a weird necro type dude, talking all kinds of zombie army type stuff’, he also identified blue-coat as X after seeing him.”
”The acolyte says this was a their first meeting and all he was being asked to do is to let blue coat move freely through the town where the acolyte could let him, for a bit of extra coin. If I’d had that story out of him with no context, I’d have believed it, but we managed to overhear a bit of his conversation with blue coat in the sewers. The two don’t square to me, blue coat was talking about having ‘paid him enough money to to fund his own operation’, and how ‘It was a simple task, prevent those interlopers from coming after me until it was time‘. The interlopers are presumably our fine little band, and that doesn’t sound like a first meeting to me. I wasn’t willing to start breaking a priests fingers without direct authorization, so I left it there for now. Maybe Belor can get some more out of him today, maaaybe maaaybe bring in Zanthus to ask the question?”
”But to get back on track: it’s clear blue coat is a busy busy guy. I do not agree with Gandethus’s idea he’s a ghast or a ghoul that has retained some intelligence. I’ve witnessed him repeatedly change personalities, body language, and even his voice in mid conversation. The new personality immediately changes the subject from whatever he was about to reveal. Like last night before he broke out. He started with ‘Please, I beg you tell me what is going on. I am a respected member of society and I don’t know what I am doing in prison. Help me out, I don’t know what is happening to me.’ Then he changed, different voice, strange smile and ‘I know what is going on. That simpering fool made a deal with some very bad men and he renounced on his end. Bad form. All for a pretty face. His fits of rage have taken him in and brought him into my fold and now he serves to spread the family fun. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do…’. He breathes on me and the guard and we both go down choking. He breaks the chains. He doesn’t kill either me or the guard, but says ‘It isn’t your time yet, you have not yet bloomed, but another I will take in your stead’ and just waltzes on out. I’m pretty sure he’s getting controlled and used by something else…something is putting him on like a coat.”
”So now everyone is up to date. Joy.” Khamul pauses and points to Gandethus and Quink, ”You two are here because this mess stinks of the arcane, the ancient and the necromantic. Neither myself, Grenz or Idun have any expertise in the areas in question, and there’s been a bunch of strangeness that needs answers. In chronological order:”
”First, there’s this symbol, a seven pointed star. According to Milah and Zarque, it’s called the Sihedron, and it dates to Thassilonian times. They found it in several spots out at Thistletop. We also found it tattooed on the body of the first murder victim, the trapper who’s body was found outside the gates. When he reanimated as a ghoul, the body ended up burned to ashes. All fine, but the ‘tattoo’ marked itself on the floor beneath the body. No normal tattoo will do that… Questions that arise: what all do you know about this Sihedron, and can you think of what’s going on with that tattoo. In particular, should we be destroying all the copies we find, or should we be making lots of copies to dilute whatever effects on it.”
”Second, there’s the possession effect that blue coat is demonstrating. What do you figure is going on there?”
”Third, and actually of first priority, when we were dealing with the Sanitorium, the orderlies claimed to be ‘bound’ by the tattoos they had been given. They tattoo’s are around their wrists and of intricate design, it made a sketch, here.” Khamul pauses to fish out the sketch (of the tattoos) he made and show it to the two sages. Then he continues ”I think law says that kind of thing is quite illegal.”
”So, today, I’m headed back to the Sanitarium, and you two can come along to see the tattoos for yourselves. We need to know how to free the orderlies from their binding, because I think there are things that they can’t tell us right now. I’ll borrow some of Belor’s lads for muscle and whomever got rounded up into taking charge of the Sanitorium. Hopefully Idun’s been able to keep the lid on there…”
”I believe I may have something. A couple of weeks ago, a young noble came to my book shop, looking for books about old Thassilon. I thought nothing of it, as he wasn’t the first to do so, but he did seem rather in a hurry. Said he had a place down south, past the Sanitarium. There are lots of old manors down that way. He didn’t give a name, but he had a brooch with a stylized fox on it. And his coat was blue.”
”Come to think of it, “, Mayor Deverin continues, ”There was a nobleman who had been asking around about building permits. I’ll have my clerk look into his name for you. In the meantime, take Gandethus with you to the Sanitarium. Brodert can get started on his research and Gandethus can remove those restraints. We may have to think about getting more people from Magnimar to help keep the Sanitarium up, but for now, we can only spare a handful of men. As I said, the Sheriff and I still have a town to keep safe and quiet. Bring back whatever examples you can of the runes, but do not destroy them until we know what that might do. As for your quarry, we can speculate all we like on how he got that way, but I am more concerned about stopping him before more innocent folk have to die. That is your mandate. See to it. And before I forget. Thank you. I know this isn’t easy, especially for a newcomer to our town.”
Before heading off to the Sanitorium, Khamul will seance the Champion spirit for the day.
He will also spend 2 minutes with Cai asking if the manor he was sending us to has a name or something to tie it to a stylized fox device. Then he will spend another 5 minutes (skipping the line-up using the mayor's laissez-passer) talking to the town clerk; specifically, showing him the map that Cai gave us and asking what he knows about this property... Then it is off to the sanitorium, fast as I can, with Gandethus, Mirah and/or Gurin and a couple guardsmen in tow.
"Hi, I am here to help" - Grenz nodded - "For a start we need to get you out of this fire - I will jump down and draw them. Can you get down on your own, and make for Sandpoint?" - he added, and zapped a protective spell from his wand, anticipating the fight.
After getting his information, it's off to the Sanitorium, quick as can be, with assorted NPC's in tow...
As the creatures begin to approach him, Grenz finds his balance - fists and feet ready to strike - "Think we can fend them off?" - he grunts at Scourge, perching on his shoulder, as menacing as hedgehog can be.
2 Defense Rolls
Falling into his inner rage, he then lashes out with a series of attacks.
Another set of Defensive Rolls (for the incoming attacks)
----------
"Run now, and I will not chase you" - Grenz growled in the goblins' own tongue, the flames burning his back. He did not relent his attacks though.
Defensive Rolls
----------
"It was just blind luck that I came across your farm when I did" - Grenz nodded - "I do have urgent matters..." - he pondered, rubbing the weariness off his arms and shoulders - "But I will accept your hospitality" - the half-orc added resolute - "I will stay here and make sure those goblins do not return - I am guessing this is not a common event in the area? And how will you fare come the next days, with the barn destroyed?"
In the morning, she makes you breakfast and wishes you well on your continued journey, saying, ”We hope to see you again soon, Grenz.”
Sunday, 20 Lamashan 4707, 10:28am. 45 degrees, Clear. Habe’s Sanitarium
As Grenz makes his way towards the Sanitarium, he runs into Khamul and an entourage of people. You finish the walk to the Sanitarium within the next half hour and catch each other up on the night’s activities. As you reach the Sanitarium, you see a man dressed in rather fine clothes getting into a horse drawn carriage and speeding away quickly, not even glancing out to see who he nearly runs over. An orderly stands at the front entrance, watching him go. When he notices you, he calls out, ”I see you have brought help. Thank you. Your friend is inside.”
Going in you find Idun…
Checking his hound sideways to dodge the carriage, Khamul takes a good look at it for identifying marks (a noble's crest for example) as it speeds past:
4 ranks +3 trained +1 trait
Perhaps there will be an accounting for this behavior later...
In the meanwhile, he dismounts and hitches his hound, asking the orderly "I take it things went OK overnight?". He proceeds inside, bringing the troupe with him...
"I am sorry to hear about your loss" - he continued to the woman - "I know resources are scarce at the moment, but sheriff Belor seems to be a decent, honest man trying to do his best. So perhaps he can try to arrange for some temporary protection for you and your neighbors, while you try to sort yourselves out. Maybe the occasional patrol. You should talk to him" - Grenz pondered - "I will come back to check on you and the area for further signs of goblins, as soon as I can"
Before departing, he left twenty gold pieces and a scribbled note under his pillow without neither mother or daughter noticing - 'To help with the new barn'
"Thank you for your hospitality, and the breakfast" - the monk waved, and continued to join the others.
"Khamul, how are things back at Sandpoint? I got sidetracked by a roving band of goblins attacking a farm..."
When they arrive at the Sanatorium, Grenz follows his companion inside quickly, eager to know if all went well overnight with Idun.
Khamul's reply is grim: "Things ain't so good back in Sandpoint; let's find Idun so I only have to tell this tale once."
"Good to see you!" Idun emerges a minute or two after the other man leaves, looking sleepless and tired, but still holding together. "Do you have more of that holy stuff to find ghouls and any treatments? I've done what I could."
Idun gets a relieved hug, "Brave lady, good to see you in the morning sunshine again; I see you had a bit of a night but I think all of us did!"
After letting go, he continues with introductions: "These folk I brought with me - you know Mirah and Gurin here, they're here to take over running the Sanitorium until things can get sorted out. This distinguished gentleman is Master Gandethus of the Turandok Academy. He's here to take a look both at what Cai was up to and the tattoos on the orderlies. Finally, Ren and Michael here are a couple of Belor's fine lads along to help things get organized here at the Sanitorium. "
Turning to the assorted NPC's, he says "Ok, this is Idun and you've met Grenz. You all know why you're here, so while Idun, Grenz and I have a talk, you folks may as well get on with your jobs." Waving them inside, he leads Grenz and Idun off into the sunshine of the crisp morning to have their discussions in a bit of privacy...
Then he replies to Idun's query "I have one more pot of Holy Weapon Balm, and I'm minded to keep it rather than use it as a ghoul identifier; I think we might need it in a fight, soon. No developments on treatments unless you've come up with something." He pauses for a deep breath and continues "Now as to how Sandpoint is, well a deal has been cut with Cai, he is now our necromancy consultant in exchange for exile rather than life imprisonment. Habe's in prison and singing. I got a bit more out of Red Fist. But our good friend Blue Coat escaped: he breathed something on me and the guard and we both go down choking. He breaks the chains. He doesn’t kill either me or the guard, but says ‘It isn’t your time yet, you have not yet bloomed, but another I will take in your stead’ and just waltzes on out..." With a forced grin, he asks Idun "So how's your work on Cai's innoculation going? I'm leaning towards testing it myself." Another pregant pause and he continues "We also have another lead to chase - there's a manor house south of here, owned by the Foxgloves. The member of the household wears a blue coat and visited Quink looking for books about old Thassilon. That manor is the one that Cai tried to send us off too yesterday. Who wants to take an excursion this afternoon?"
"Oh... Oh my..." Idun rocks back, leaning against a nearby try as she takes it in.
"On my end... I tried the inoculation, or as close an approximation of it as I could make, but the only way we'll know for sure whether it worked is if we don't get another ghoul outbreak."
"Well, I presume you took care of the goblins no problem." Idun asks Grenz. "... Though, are we gonna need to do something about any bodies? I dunno, can they infect bodies that are already dead?"
”Good thing that you are unharmed Khamul” - Grenz nods at his companions after hearing the recount.
"Well, I presume you took care of the goblins no problem." Idun asks Grenz. "... Though, are we gonna need to do something about any bodies? I dunno, can they infect bodies that are already dead?"
”Good to see you well, and you know me Idun - I scared them off with a punch, a kick and a roar” - he chuckled - ”But from what the farmers told me, the incidents with goblins are not exactly rare, so there may be some dispersed roving bands in the region. That is something we should look into”
Turning to Khamul, he continued -”You can count on me for that excursion today - we need to get to the bottom of this… This Blue Coat guy is getting bolder and bolder. He needs to be stopped”
Sunday, 20 Lamashan 4707, 2:21pm. 47 degrees, Windy, Foxglove Manor.
You travel down the Coast Road a ways, following the directions you have been given towards the manor that has been popping up in conversations about recent events. A side path, overgrown with unkempt weeds and shrubs, attempts to bar your passage, but you press on, determined to figure out if this is indeed the source of problems Sandpoint has been experiencing of late. You shiver as you continue, though your clothes have kept you warm in the winter air, it seems the closer you get to this place, the colder it gets. Finally, after over two hours, you come to a bend that leads up a hill. A broken wrought-iron gate stands agape at your approach. The flora here seems to have lost its will to live, with broken trees and leafless bushes covering the grounds. You notice more than a few crows roosting on various parts of the roof of the manor itself, which seems to be in major disrepair. A few of the holes have been boarded up, but it looks as if whoever was doing the work has given up. The roar of the waves does little to drown out the creaking sounds you hear that seem to be coming from the house. It looks almost as if it is about to fall, or maybe jump, into the ocean below the cliffs it rests on. Every so often you think you hear something on the wind, but your mind tells you that it is only the wind and nothing more.
Khamul pulls up on his hound, and pauses ; he takes a long assessing look at the place...
(and another +4 to detect danger if appropriate)
ranks +3 trained +1 trait +1 guidance
Then he ventures an opinion, "This place looks to have been abandoned to the elements a long time. Strange, given the theoretical owner came into Quink's shop a couple of weeks ago. I don't like it." He digs out the merchant's pomander he purchased for the sewer expedition, but doesn't unseal it yet...
Grenz carefully followed after the others, senses alert to any danger.
"What is the plan? Are we going to simply knock on the door?" - he comments to his companions.
Other than an eerie feeling and the strange, almost voice-like sounds coming from the wind through the trees, you don’t sense anything immediately dangerous. However the house itself, though it still stands, is perched on the edge of a cliff and in its current condition, may not be as stable as it should be. The only other creatures you notice in the area is a slowly growing murder of crows.
Khamul casts a suspicious eye on the gathering crows and replies to Grenz "Doesn't look like anyone's home, I think we can skip knocking..." He rides his hound up to the front of the manor and dismounts, commanding the hound to stay (he does not hitch it, in case he needs to come running for it). He takes a second to center himself He looks over the steps for a possible trap and quietly heads up to the front door, which he also checks for traps. Assuming he finds none, he sets about opening the door (presumably it's locked)...
ranks +3 trained +1 trait +1 guidance +4 detect danger
3 ranks +3 trained +4 dex +4 small
4 ranks +3 trained +4 dex +1 trait +1 guidance +2 MW tools
As they neared their destination, Idun broke marching silence to speak up. "Something I wanted to mention... I feel like I've been getting... Overconfident of late?" Idun is a bit apprehensive, but pushes forward. "Just, I felt like with going around with such a bunch of great heroes, there's no way we could fail! But now, with us getting pulled apart in so many directions, I can't afford to keep being that way, the sanitarium really showed me that. I'm gonna try to start showing everything I can do."
"So, for starters, I made these. I've been lax in making them ever since we cleared the sewers so easily but I need to start making them again. Khamul, you've got keen eyes, but this should make you exceptional! And this one for me should make me a little less of a liability."
"And uh... The biggest part of that is um.. well.. I.. Have a... hero that I made up? Er... that just sounds like an imaginary friend.. Um an alter ego maybe? Um..." Idun is clearly a bit embarrassed to share. "The point is, I'm a fair archer right? Not amazing, not really a hero at it, just kinda competent for a normal person. But... when I pretend really hard that I'm this other person, so hard that I almost believe it myself, I somehow am a really really good swordsman? But I can't focus on tracking anymore? It's weird. Uh.. That is to say. When we think it's more likely that we need another fighter than a tracker, I can pretend to be that other person. And, well, the tracks aren't going anywhere I don't think, so while we explore this probably ghoul infested manor, I should probably be in my fighty alter ego."
Idun rambles a bit nervously, but hopefully gets the point across.