As Korunar goes downstairs he hears Emerich and Trini talking about some blue boy.
"I have seen no boy", Korunar says. "Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?"
He doesn't seem to care much about their talk as he walks to the breakfast. He takes a plate and loads as much bread and fruits on it as he ca, sits down besides Arnek and starts to eat.
(Yawn)
Daniel stretches as he gets up.
"I'm in a weird place and i dream of Janderhoff.
Best be on my way down."
Moving down the stairs, he hears Emerich and Trini talk.
"Erm, what's this about, ghost talk?", as he takes a plate and takes a decent meal on it, before sitting down at the table with Arnek and Korunar.
Emerich takes the paper.
Emerich's stomach ties into a knot as he sees the picture.
He shows the sketch to everyone.
This "ghost" visited Trini last night. It also appeared in my dream.
Trini shivers. "I wish I knew what kind of creature could walk between dreams as easily as walls. Anything you might have seen in your travels, Daniel?"
I wonder if that was the source of the laughter that woke me up last night... I heard a child laughing.
Korunar looks at them with a little disbelieve as he empties his plate.
"I slept like a log."
Anything you might have seen in your travels, Daniel?
"My travels haven't been too extensive, and i have not yet run into spirits.
The clerics or runepriests could shed more light on the topic, but they are in Janderhoff. Of course, there should be a few clerics in Terrace, right?"
I would really rather not go back to Terrace with out some thing to show for our time here. Especially considering that the other guilds are all planning their raids on the mine. I kind of think we are all in a race with them. It's unusual for an iteration of the Abyss to last as long as this one has. If we delay too long we might lose our chance to earn our place in the Guild
"Well, maybe talking to the townspeople at the morning rituals will tell us something. At least we already have a way into the mines, thanks to the smith."
Trini heads towards the door, eager to see what these morning rituals are like.
As you make your way to the Mother Tree, conversing along the way, you come across what can only be described as worship.
Almost every single denizen of this small town must be gathered here, most lying down against the grass and mighty roots of the mother tree, with an almost blissful look on the face. The light breeze is pleasant, and before long one Vivi comes to greet you.
"The day always begins with relaxation." she explains. "Afterwards, we begin the ceremony, each person picking up a fallen leaf and placing it above their heart to signify there thanks to the heart of our community. Would any of you care to join?"
Seemed weird to me the first time I saw it... seems weird to me still... It's a tree... maybe a magic tree but it's still just a tree.
Arnek will find a place to sit where he can watch what's going on with out getting to close to or interacting with the crazy tree cult people.
Trini shushes Arnek, afraid the townspeople will take offense, and steps forward to join the townspeople.
"I will join you!"
She looks up at the Mother Tree and wonders about the townspeople's attachment to it. Might they be open to suggestion in the matter of sharing her own god's ritual, perhaps?
Interesting...
At Arneks thought, he chuckles.
He whispers:
There are crazier faiths, Arnek
He joins the people.
Vivi nods eagerly and show Trini an empty space where she may lay. Its odd, but you do feel a sense of peace as you lay there resting, as if everything will be okay.
Before you close your eyes, you see Vivi holding out a leaf for you to take.
To Vivian;
"I will pass, thank you."
Daniel sits down near Arnek.
"Here i thought only elves worshiped nature.
Not even in the silliest stories of bards i've heard, were even elves doing this stuff."
"I will pass too. I prefer cold iron over spiritual rituals. But don't be bothered, I won't disturb your ceremony."
Korunar sits down besides Arnek and Daniel.
Arnek quietly talks to Daniel and Korunar so as not to disturb the ritual.
Well Iv'e never been one to be big on worshipping the Gods... I always felt that you make your choices... and those make yo u who you are... Sounds like Korunar puts his reust in steel... How about you Daniel... what kind of things do you trust in?
"What i trust in? Common sense.
It can't be denied the gods have power, but the choices are ours."
Trini lays, takes the leaf as instructed, and closes her eyes.
Though she's comfortable, she can't help but think, I hope this doesn't do anything strange...
It does something strange. More specifically, you can feel it cling to you and though you panic for a moment, you feel a sense of peace and understanding wash over you.
Trini, you gain a +1 temporary bonus to Fortitude, Reflex, and Wisdom, until you take off that leaf.
Eventually, morning rituals comes to an end and the villagers leave to get started on their own business. Vivi waves at you all before leaving back to the inn, and you find yourselves at the center of town, under the tree, with only a few stragglers who are mostly children playing some sort of ball game.
Daniel watches the entire foreign custom, under some words with Arnek and Korunar.
It doesn't exactly elude him, that something was going on with the leaves.
"Wait a moment.....Trini's not moving like she's enjoying herself, that's the movement of someone who's nervous."
When the entire thing had passed, and Trini comes back, Daniel asks her about it.
"What was going on with that leaf? You looked uneasy. They didn't put some mojo on you, did they?"
Trini tucks the leaf into her pocket as she returns to the others. She feels slightly dazed, as if waking up after falling asleep in the sun.
She smiles serenely at Daniel. "No, I'm fine. I was nervous, but it was... lovely. Very peaceful." She pokes the others. "You should all have tried it too!"
Her gaze, which had been a little unfocused, hones in on the game happening in the town square. "We may want to ask the children over there if they know anything about the boy in the inn."
Good idea. Maybe its a local legend.
He thinks for a moment
I wonder if we may have heard anything about the boy in Terrace. I know this place is different, but we're dealing with ghosts, who knows what they can do?
That's a good Idea... here let me see if I can get the attention of some of the kids...
Arnek casts dancing lights and start pretending to juggle the balls of light in front of him to get the children's attention. Then tosses the balls up into the air where they get stuck. Then he pretends to get mad at the balls and shakes his fingers at them yelling at them. Finally he stomps the ground seemingly causing the lights to fall from the sky to the ground where they wink out of existence.
I hate it when that happens.... Oh hey kids... mind if my friends ask you a question or two?
The group of three kids stop their ball game at Arnek's request, and quickly huddle together. Two young boys and a girl approach you all shyly.
"Whatcha want, mister?"
The young boy taking lead seems to be a couple inches taller than his friends, who stand behind him.
Korunar stays back as Arnek talks to the children. He doesn't want to scare them with his presence.
Trini crouches down to the children's level and pulls out her sketch. "Do any of you know this boy?" she asks.
Then she apologizes for her drawing skills again.
All three children peer at the drawing curiously.
"Think they mean Rickson?"
"Nah, Rickson's ears are much larger than that, but might be Teddly"
"Teddly's mah smack you upside the head if she heard you thought he resembled that scrawl."
They continue to squabble for a coupe minutes before reaching a conclusion.
"No one in town like that miss."
Arnek smiles at as Trini tries to get the boys to recognize the spectral figure from the night before through her crude drawing.
You see kids the boy in this picture... you may not know him. But maybe you have heard of him. We've heard a story or two about a ghost that looks a little like the picture here. Have any of you ever heard a story about something that sounds like that.
"Not much of a surprise.
But if the boys say he's not from here....there's bound to be some site where he's known."
"You still believe in ghosts mister?
The children giggle to each other at the thought of it.
"we haven't seen your spooky friend."
This ghost might be real, you see.
Emerich points to the general direction of the inn.
He lives there
The lead boy shakes his head again.
"Vivi don't have any kids, though sometimes she cries when she drinks to much. But yeah mister, no idea what you're talking about."
The children look like they have genuinely no idea what you all are talking about.
Trini sighs. "Well, thanks for your help, kiddies."
To the others, she says, "Maybe Vivi is the person we should talk to next. She's probably back from the rituals now."
So back to the inn? Arnek does not sound excited about the prospect of seeing Vivi again.
"Yeah, let's ask Vivi, maybe she knows something about a dead boy."
With consensus of the group being returning to the inn, they make their way over. On arrival, they find Vivi setting up some late breakfast for the early risers who went for morning rituals first. There's a general peaceful air about, and the mood everyone has makes them seem almost younger.
"Back for some more breakfast, are you?" She greets you with a smile.
"I got some fresh bread from the baker. I can whip you lot some sandwiches for a few coin."
"Oh, that sounds lovely, Vivi," Trini chirps. "Thank you. But we must ask..." She hesitates and decides to keep it vague. "Have any of your other guests mentioned seeing a boy at night?"
"A boy? You mean like a lost child? I haven't any complaints of pranks or the like if that's what you're after."
Seems so far no one has heard of it. Maybe we weren't being specific enough?
You must think us insane when I say this; but...
Emerich sighs.
the child was an apparition. It appeared in my dream and Trini's bed room.
Trini nods emphatically. "I saw him as a glowing blue figure that moved through the walls." She smooths out the very crumpled drawing to show Vivi.
Vivi examines the drawing, an awkward expression on her face. She turns it 90 degrees once, and then again. She eventually hands it back to Vivi.
"Well, not that I'm trying to protect my business from rumors, but there's been no talk of an apparition of any sorts. Sorry. But let me get you those sandwiches."
Vivi goes to the back to get sandwiches made for you all, at 1 sp each. While waiting for her to return to either ask more questions, or depart with your lunches, a sudden quiet falls over the inn. You turn to see an human man walk inn, flanked by a female elf and large male half-orc.
"Vivian!" He yells angrily. "Get out here! We have business to discuss!"
Daniel sees the newcomers coming in loud mouthed.
He silently motions the others at the table.
"My impression is we've just found some of those thugs."
Daniel silently loosens the straps of his crossbow, in case this escalates.
Korunar nods to Daniel. He casually puts a hand on his greataxe.
"Who is that?" he whispers to the nearest dweller he can find.
The closest man Korunar can find is quite the contrast to the trio that walked in. The leading man is clad in engraved leather armor, a beautifully decorated sword scabbard hanging from his side. The female elf is entirely clad in plate mail and has air of elegance to her, with the large male half orc hefting a large greataxe. It was odd though, the half orc's wrists bound in shackles and chains.
The man Korunar questions is dressed in simple clothes, and is quite alarmed that Korunar is drawing attention to him.
"Member's from the groups at the mines," he hisses,trying to slink away without making any noise. "Vivi's been acting as a mediator to ease tensions. Most people who come with requests are fine, but this guy's..."
He doesn't finish the sentence, not wanting to risk what might happen if he was overheard.
Eventually, Vivi emerges from the back, a pack of sandwiches in her hand and a stern look on her face. The newcomer motions with his hand for her to follow him outside.
The look she gives you all as she passes by is worried, but calm. She gently places the sandwiches off before following the trio outside.
Nobody moves to follow them.
Arnek has never seen or heard of this Trio before, and doesn't recognize which guild from terrace they might belong to from their bearing. He keeps his mouth shut and his eyes and ears open to be ready for anything.
"Should we follow them?" Trini whispers. She scurries over to the door to eavesdrop.
"Thank you Sir!" he whispers before he withdraws from the man. He doesn't want to endager him.
Alarmed by his words Korunar studies the trio, trying to estimate their strength and skills.
Then the half-orc's shackles draw his attention.
Did they enslave him?!
He studies his behaviour wether he is with them by his own choice.
Well if we're going to spy on them then we might as well do it properly.
Arnek gets up from his chair and crosses to the door. He opens it just a little and slips out looking for a good place to find cover and listen in.