I am concerned if taking him right back to the danger his father was running from, is a good idea. The temple should be a safe choice, but I am not sure, even the followers of the Good Friend can become corrupt.
Gezzo speaks his concerns to no one in particular.
We could ask Cayden about his mother, if he has any brothers or sisters or other relation. But I agree that his safety should be our primary concern.
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The wagons are soon underway on the trail to the village of Boggy Draw.
The trail continues to wind its way from one hillock to the next, skirting bogs and streams where possible. After about another hour the trail seems to go downward for quite a distance, and then bottoms out in a vale and goes along the shoreline of a large lake. Ahead, around the far side of the lake, you can see some signs of civilization, as several buildings and perhaps a dock area are visible. It appears you will arrive in ½ hour or so…
Gezzo hops in the second wagon and takes a seat up front. He turns to his companions and talks quietly.
I hope we are not taking the lamb back to the lion's den. It could be bad for all of us. I would suggest being on your guard.
As the town comes into view, he calls out to the front wagon.
What is the name of this town?
As the wagons get closer, Gezzo hops up and stands in the back for a better view of his surrounding.
As Fener is driving the wagon and as they approach the town he is on the lookout for anything strange or out of place. He is also looking to see if the town looks normal.
He states Why don't we keep the child out of site as we approach the town
Thorgrim is sitting in the front wagon. Alert for trouble
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Although the village does not have a wall or stockade, there is an open gate across the wagon trail at the entrance to the main street, and a man in a dingy-looking breastplate, a dented helmet, and a longspear stands in front of it. He places himself squarely in the middle of the trail, and says, Not sure what business you folks got in Boggy Draw, but if I was you, I would turn around and skedaddle on out of here. It ain’t safe, and business has dried up, so whatever yer sellin’, ain’t nobody buyin’.
Fener says under his breath to those that are close I can talk a bear out of his dinner but one of you better do the talking here, I'm not so good when it comes to civilized talk.... Although, we could just hit him over the head and be done with it....
"Greetings, we have a mission of mercy," Nästród explains from the first wagon, "We have a child of Boggy Draw who has been separated from his father. We come hoping to find his kinsman to care for him until we can locate his parent."
Well there goes our attempt to keep the child covert.
Gezzo says under his breath, keeping alert for changes in the already tense situation.
Is there a Temple of Septimus in the town? I am a pilgrim and would like to pay my respects.
As the others talk to the guard, Flug clambers onto the first wagon "Do-do you know this p-place?" he asks Sirena, stuttering. Noticing Cayden next to him, he inclines his head towards the child. "H-hello."
The man stares at Cayden for a few moments, expression unchanged, before he speaks again. "You-you seem an excellent sleeper. Have you l-looked at the night sky often?"
Riding in the front of the first wagon, next to Fener.
For a woodsman you seem mightily gregarious my friend. Have you ever considered taking up a more civilized lifestyle. I am sure that with only modest improvement in grooming and presentation you would be quite popular with the the ladies.
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Guard (to Nastrod): You gots a lost child? Well, lately that's nothin' new. Folks have been separated and disappearin' lately, so that's no shockin' news to me! Not my problem anymore, neither. Another day or so and I'll be leavin' here myself, and good riddance!
Guard (to Gezzo): Yeah, there's a Septimus place here, can't miss it really, only place made of stone instead of wood. Pray all you want, you ain't changin' nuthin'. This town is dead and apt to stay that way. All the gods have abandoned this place. This place is cursed...
Sirena (to Flug): I have been here before, but not for awhile. It is too quiet, nobody seems to be around.
Cayden (to Flug): Yep! Makes me feel smaller, it's so big. Lotsa stars moving, too. Sometimes it's so dark at night that I have to make a light to feel safer.
Fener looking down at the guard - Civilized? hmmm. Did I ever tell you about the time I spent a whole winter season living with a family of Dire Badger? Well the living quarters were a bit cramped but the Dire Badger society is actually quite complex.......
Fener continues to ramble about details of Dire Badgers.
When did these troubles start? Do you know what caused them?
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Guard: When did our troubles start? Hah! This place has always had troubles. But, I suppose you are referrin’ to the disappearances and such.
Well, I reckon things started really goin’ bad about a month ago or so. Ya see, this here little place is sort of a collection point, where area trappers, gatherers and hunters bring their stuff to sell and pick up supplies. It weren’t too long that folks here started noticin’ that fewer of the area folks were comin’ to town. And, ya know, without products comin’ in, there weren’t nuthin’ to sell elsewhere.
Folks out in the swamp has been found dead, or their houses burned, or they has just disappeared. Somethin' is drivin' them away.
On top of that, strange stuff was happenin’. Kinda hard to describe, but it seems that no matter how hard you try, things just go wrong, ya know what I mean? It’s kinda like the area is cursed with bad luck. So, folks here started goin’ elsewhere. Gotta make a livin’, ya know? Me and the missus are leavin’ too – there ain’t nuthin’ here for us anymore. And, I betcha, there ain’t nuthin’ here for you, neither.
But, suit yerself. Stick yer neck out far enuf, somethin’s bound to try and hang it for ya. As fer me, I is just givin’ ya a warnin’, you can surely do whatever you want…
He steps aside, and the trail into the village is clear for your entry.
Fener asks the guard : We certainly appreciate the warning, is there anyone one in town the acts as leader? mayor or clan leader? someone we can consult with to get a better understanding of all thats happened? Certainly we will be moving on shortly, but as much information we can get will help keep us safe in our ahhh travels....
"Have a good day!" Nästród says as the horses clop down the road into the town.
Once the wagons start into the town, Gezzo scans the scene, looking for anything odd or evidence of magical involvement.
When Sirena took Cayden by the hand to our wagon, I followed them and climbed up into the back of it, the first wagon. During our ride to town I have been watching the passing countryside for anything unusual, and at the same time listening in on the various conversations. I pay special attention to the conversations at the city gate. A most peculiar turn of events happening here . . . I stay alert as we proceed, hoping to detect any thing strange.
Perception:
"I do—do not think he will," Flug mentions to Nastrod as they pass.
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As you make your way into the village, you notice it is almost devoid of people. Most of the wattle and daub houses are boarded up, and the few businesses look vacant and empty.
Near the center of the village is the remains of a large wood building that appears to have collapsed in on itself. A sign reading "Modoq's Merchandise" lays in the street in front of the ruin. Cayden: Hey, what happened to Papa's store?
The most sturdy building in this small village is a small temple built of stone. Beside the main building a two-story bell tower rises into the cloudy sky. A wagon is parked in front of the temple, and you see an aged man carrying things out of the building and placing them in the wagon. The man is dressed in plain clothes, and his wrinkled, bald pate is circled by a tousled band of white hair. Around his neck is a shiny amulet with the holy symbol of Septimus.
Something unnatural is afoot here, friends.
Gezzo hops down from the wagon and walks to the man loading the wagon.
Ho! Is this the Temple of Septimus?
Hopping down from the first wagon, Argyros follows behind Gezzo. As he approached the priest, he looks over to see what is being stacked in the wagon.
Fener hops down and looks about the village. He then walks towards Modoq's to take a closer look and see what he can see. Rudy walks with him.
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The old man sets a box down in the wagon, and straightens up, rubbing the small of his back. He sees you approaching him, and he smiles and greets you saying, Yes, indeed, this is a Temple of Septimus! I am Tagomas Ilinassus, resident “holier than thou man.” (He chuckles) You can call me Tago. So, who might you folks be?
I'm Gezzo Wrathforge. These are my traveling companions. We were just passing through your town and decided to pay our respects to the Good Friend; perhaps pray and ask for his guidance during our journey. But, I must ask, what has happened here? That building looks as if it has fallen to sudden ruin?
Gezzo points to the shop while attempting the friendliest and most concerned smile he can muster.
Fener makes his way back to the group and joins the conversation.
He comments: Looks like you have had some unusual winds recently, appears almost unnatural since I don't recall any storms in the past weeks of that scale
During all this Thorgrim stays by the carts
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Tago: It’s funny you should ask me those questions, because I have a question for you. I recognize Cayden, the son of Modoq, one of our loyal followers. About four days ago, in the middle of the night, Modoq was seen leaving town driving his wagon. About an hour later, there was this horrendous noise that woke me up. I looked around outside, and lo and behold his store had collapsed like someone had stepped on it!
Several of us poked around the rubble, fearing that someone might be trapped inside, but no one was found. Now, several days later, you show up with Modoq’s son, horse and wagon. It’s all very strange, how the store came down. But Modoq leaving town doesn’t surprise me much.
Normally, I would invite you inside the temple, and we could discuss this at leisure, but you have found me on my leaving day. I submitted my intent to retire some time ago, and someone from the main temple in Kuturka is supposed to be traveling here to take my place. And, if my intuition isn’t failing as bad as my eyesight, perhaps that young one approaching, wearing the holy symbol, is my replacement. I wish them all the luck in the world – there isn’t much left here, and it will take a miracle or two to restore things back to normal.
Can you give us any more information about these problems? When they started? Have there been any indication as to where they started? We have a good crew here and may be able to help this town. The problems have been noticed elsewhere and have effected trade. Once trade is effected, I'm sure you understand, people start to pay attention.
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Entering the town Celif holds a look of disbelief, the conditions of the entire town seem to be on the verge of Ghost Town. By Septimus I seem to have my work cut out for me. She is dressed in Scholar robes, and carries three Holy Wooden symbols on her belt that knock into each other with each step. As she surveys the vacant buildings she see's Wagons up ahead, and while focusing to see the occupants she trips over a large jaunting rock and comes to her knees. Guh... as she grunts her backpack falls to the ground and a few scrolls roll onto the ground, she scrambles to pick them up, hood overcasting her face.
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Tago: I see you are going to answer my question by asking more questions! So be it, I will tell you what I can, but I still would appreciate an answer before we are finished. Oh my, that woman just took a spill! Now, where was I…
Oh yes, Modoq. He was a loyal member of the temple, and quite often would assist me with such chores as maintaining things. He was pretty well off, too, being the main dealer in the area who would buy and sell darn near anything that came out of the swamps. Sometimes he and I would talk about personal things, too. He never confided a lot with me, but I did know he was troubled for many years about something in the swamp, and he always seemed to be looking over his shoulder when he had to leave the village to travel.
He was also very protective of Cayden, and seemed to fear for his safety. Never told me a fear of what, but he would always have someone watch the boy if he had to be away. Lately, Modoq was taking some trips into the swamp, said he was hunting. Hunting for what, I don’t know, but I do know he would travel in a northerly direction whenever he would do so. Come to think of it, he had just returned from a hunting trip on the very day he packed his wagon and left town. Hmmm. Never thought about that before…
As for trade, well, something has been going bad. The trappers and gatherers have been disappearing, or else they return to their homes in the swamp to find them burned down and all their domestic animals killed. Over time, this has scared a lot of folks, who have left the area. Some think maybe there is some kind of bandits or a gang or something operating in the area, but that doesn’t make sense to me. There are a lot more inviting places to steal stuff than this grungy swampland. My thoughts are that someone has a grudge against harming the animals and plants in the swamp, and is taking steps to stop it. But it’s pretty bad if that is true, and there is a resort to murder as part of the solution.
As I sit in the first wagon, looking out the back, I am listening attentively to the conversations the others in our group are having with the cleric, Tago.
Suddenly I see an approaching lady in robes fall to the ground and her backpack go flying with its contents doing the same. I quickly jump down from the wagon and hurry back to see if she is OK, and to help her retrieve her possessions.
Hello there! Are you alright? Here, let me help you up and I offer my hand and do just that and help you gather your belongings, I say as I pick up the last of the scrolls and hand them to her.
My name is Imowen Aroudilee. I just arrived here with the others in our group in these 2 wagons.
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Scrambling to collect her belongs, she carefully brushes each scroll before carefully placing them neatly into her backpack. Not noticing the woman approaches since she was so fixated on not losing any of them, she shakes a little after hearing the voice and turns toward the direction. Her eyes lock onto the scroll in her hand, and snaps, snagging the scroll from her hand. Hiding her face looking down at her bag she replies I'm sorry... Thank you for your help.
She stands up, the clanking of metal coming from her within her robes can be hear as she adjusts herself, she looks the human female over and notices a style to her clothing that might suggest she should double count the scrolls. She looks down into her backpack and does a quick mental cataloging of the items in the backpack.
My name is Celif Ook, I was sent from the Septimus Temple in Kuturka. Would you be able to direct me toward this towns... As she says this she notes the conditions of the town again. temple? I have buisness with a Sir Tagomas Ilinassus. She tries to manage a awkward smile as an offering of kindness.
Fener continues to talk with Tago, keeping one suspicious eye on the newcomer.
To answer your question Tago, we found the boy back along the trail a bit, he was hidden in an abandoned wagon. We think we found his father as well, but unfortunately it was difficult to know, as there wasn't much left of him. It doesn't look like Bandits were the cause as they seem to have left many of his goods with boxes opened and dumped out. There was evidence of boot tracks but not much else.
We also ran into some fell beasts along the trail and had to fight for our lives. I know the wilds and have never seen or heard of anything like those creatures
As for that Woman, your replacement and one of the faithful, she deserves the upmost respect and our assistance with helping this village.
She looks Euraith though.....
lower his voice to a whisper You need to be careful with those folk, you never know what they are hiding under their robes....
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Tago (To Celif): Yes indeed, Celif. I am Tago, the cleric of this temple, and you must be the person sent here to replace me. While my passion for The Great Friend to us all remains unshaken, I can’t say the same for these old bones of mine. Someone with lots more energy needs to take over, so I am glad you have arrived. As you can see, I just about have most of my personal effects packed. You will find the temple to be in perfect order. All materials are in their proper place, and important supplies and records are safely secured inside. The only thing you may find is that the number of the faithful attending the temple has declined, due to some troubles in the area. But I’m sure, with a little work, that situation will resolve itself.
Tago removes the amulet from around his neck, and gives it to Celif. As a parting gift, I’m going to give you this amulet, which was bestowed upon me by the person I replaced here many years ago. As you can tell, this holy Septimus symbol is almost a relic, and I’m not certain how old it is. But, it has been a part of this temple for many years. In addition to being a divine focus, it will aid in your protection and let you make a Blessing once per day. I hope you value this unique item as much as I have over the years.
Let’s see, what else can I give you? He fishes around in his pockets, and pulls out a wand and hands it to Celif. It’s not much, as it’s pretty well used up, but I hate to see the remaining charges go to waste. I’m certain you will be able to use it up over time.
Oh, and before I forget. Here the key that locks the main temple doors.
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She nods wearing a look as though she was trying to remember extremely important information. A look of awe covers her face as she places the Amulet around her neck, the Divine power emits an energy she can feel. Then looks upon the Wand and nods before looking back to Tago. Thank you dearly for the help. I'm only hoping I can bring the congregation back to Septimus. Sacrifice is what is needed, through sacrifice hope can be renewed. As she says this, it's almost as though she has recited it before, a many times.
Clinching the key, she feels the cold metal in between her fingers, and a sense of ownership comes over her. I won't fail this her eyes look down for a moment as though reflecting. Turning to the group Hello travelers, my name is Celif Ook, a servant of Septimus, and a pillar of sacrifice. How may I be of help?
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Tago (To Fener): I have heard reports of strange, warped creatures roaming the swamps. But, I have heard such rumors for many years. There are lots of legends about what I consider mythical creatures around here. I hear the tales, but never see any physical evidence, you know what I mean? Anyway, in this day and age nothing would surprise me anymore. The best suggestion I can give you is to find what Modoq was afraid of and deal with it. He went up the North road when he went hunting, so follow that and see where it leads you.
I don’t know what you are going to do with Cayden, except keep him with you for now and offer him protection. (Whispers) He’s only 6, but he’s a pretty smart boy, so don’t treat him like a baby, okay? And give him a weapon, a club or staff or something – might help him take his mind off of his personal troubles learning how to use it, give him a sense of usefulness and purpose.
Fener eyes Celif, scratches his beard, and grunts. He reaches into his pack and pulls out a Flask of Bitter Grog. Takes a large swig and pours an even bigger amount down Rudy's throat. Rudy seems quite pleased.
He offers the saliva covered flask to Celif and says I myself follow the Old Faith and not any of these upstart ascendents but if you are here to help this village, I believe we can work together.
As long as you don't try to convert me or convince me to take a bath, we are good.
Turning back to Tago Don't worry, that boy is in good hands with me. Rudy and I will look after him
Fener takes another swig of Grog and scratches some more.
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She steps back a bit looking down upon the offering, not familiar with customs she hesitates to grasp the flask before taking a small sip, not before graciously wiping a section clear with her nose in the same motion. Her eyes flutter slightly as she swallows the contents, she smiles awkwardly and nods Thank you, most gracious. I do believe I'll have the self restraint to follow your requests, for the greater good of the people.
Flug takes a look at Fener and expresses his doubt. "There will be no need for that. I can watch him. I'm sure your expertise will be needed elsewhere."