Jack walks around the room, staying away from the chairs... In an act of minor defiance, he runs his hand along the backs of the curtains of each window, but he doesn't actually pull them back or move them enough to see around them. "I hate this, but I'll obey their rules... once.. but I don't want to spend all my time here locked away from anything that might tell us what happened to Amenira."
Corwyn watches the tengu stride over to the chair and make as if to sit down. The swashbuckler tenses, as though waiting for the chair to suddenly fold up and swallow Kristoff whole!
Yep, I vote for stay and not cause a ruckus tonight. We've been traveling all day anyway and could probably use the rest. Plus we've just arrived and they'll likely be watching us like hawks. If we don't learn anything tomorrow during the day, likely we can spend time hatching a plan for a nighttime excursion. Looking for good places to hide, maybe trying to spot places where our 'keepers' might be watching us from, etc.
You get a comfortable night's rest, and are awakened at dawn by a quick rap on the door and the scent of fruit and cashews. Once again, you have been provided with food: Mostly the same fare as last night, but easier on the vegetables and onion bread, heavier on the berries and cashew milk.
Come the triple bells, the town is your oyster. The town's layout is not too vast or complicated, and places you see to visit include:
1. Amenira's house, as the sheriff mentioned
2. the temple of Robori (also mentioned by the sheriff)
3. Artisan's Square, where the blacksmiths and carpenters, among others, ply their trades
4. the carriage house
5. the villagers' private domiciles, simple one-room thatched cottages. Each of them boasts a thriving garden, and a message-box just like at the guesthouse (except smaller); many of them keep their windows covered in orange curtains at all times (by now, almost everyone is out working).
Male Human Wizard/1| AC 13 [17] T 13 FF 10 | HP 6/8 |Fort +1 Ref +2 Will +3 | Per +6 | Init +2 |HotA 5/6
Upon hearing that the chair is evil, Ardain studies it with the aid of his detect magic spell. He studies it from a few feet away, rather than plopping down in it like the bird-man had done.
M Gnome Druid (leshy warden/wild whisperer) HP: 15/15 | AC: 19 CMD: 10 | F: 5 R: 2 W: 3 | lowlight vision, Per + 9 SM +2 init +2
Thornberry sends Sam to fly far above the town - perhaps to see if he can spot anything going on that the townsfolk might be trying to hide from the group.
He will also use his gnomish ability to speak with the small creatures of town - the mice for instance to ask if they have ever seen any children.
Aside from that, he will favor making Amenira's home the first stop.
"Amenira's house is where I want to start as well... then I want to check out more about the town, but what we're looking for might depend on what we find at Amenira's place."
Corwyn wakes up a couple times during the night, eyeing the chair suspiciously. But he finally drifts off into a deep sleep. In the morning, he readily agrees to visit Amenira's place.
Wisdom Check:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 Feeling satisfied that he proved his point, Kristoff will lay down for the night. He sleeps soundly through the night and wakes up ready to go. Yes let’s go to Amenira and figure out what’s happened to her, ugh I need my bow back...
It looks like a chair to you. Perhaps its only magic lies in its ability to reflect the Evil inherently present in those who obsessively seek Evil in the certainty that it is there to be found?
Thornberry:
A literal bird's-eye-view reveals nothing you aren't already aware of. You find a squirrel and ask it if it's ever seen children. It takes a bit of work to set the parameters of what that actually means, but eventually it replies in the affirmative.
You make your way to what had up until recently been Amenira's local residence. It's not too hard to locate. This well-kept wooden building, painted in festive shades of orange, is the only painted structure in Mercy. A pair of cashew trees flanks its front entrance.
Knowledge (Engineering) DC 10:
It was built in the last few years, making it newer than most other buildings in Mercy.
It turns out to be unlocked. The interior is a mess of workbenches, tools, toys, and dolls in varying stages of completion.
Perception DC 15:
The house’s occupant packed up weapons, armor, and other items before leaving in a hurry.
Beyond that lies the bedroom, in which a wizard's spellbook and a journal lie in plain sight on a desk. Those handling the journal may make a Perception check and/or a Linguistics check.
Spellbook:
The grimoire holds the secrets to the following spells: alarm, burning hands, comprehend languages, dispel magic, enter image, feather fall, flaming sphere, floating disk, glitterdust, hydraulic push, identify, locate object, mage armor, memory lapse, resist energy, and sleep.
The bed shows clear signs of a small child sleeping there, and also contains small pieces of snapped twigs.
Jack slips in and looks around, notes the new architecture... "This house is fairly recently built, unlike the rest of Mercy. And whoever was here, presumably Amenira, packed up weapons, armor and other items and left in a hurry." He notes the journal and looks at it along with Yanda. "Perhaps there's some clues as to Amenira's activities and disappearance in her journal."
Male Human Wizard/1| AC 13 [17] T 13 FF 10 | HP 6/8 |Fort +1 Ref +2 Will +3 | Per +6 | Init +2 |HotA 5/6
K, engineering:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5Untrained.
Perception DC 15:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Ardain frowns at the journal. He still has his wet-work spell selection memorized. It will take some rest, and study before he can learn what mysteries the spellbook holds.
That's odd. Someone packed up their gear and left in a rush. Left the spellbook and journal behind though. If it was me, I'd have left neither. My spellbook goes wherever I go."
"WHAT! Left a spell book! That's... That's inconceivable. Perhaps it belonged to someone else? Well, when we finally catch up, someone will be wanting this! We should take it back to our room for safety."
Flipping through the journal - which he notices has not been written in for some months - Jack spots a page within detailing what the author calls:
Unspoken Rules of Mercy:
"The people of Mercy are rather secretive, even about their social norms. I have deduced the following unspoken rules.
1) No meat. Everyone in Mercy is strictly vegetarian, but the opposition to the presence of meat goes beyond dietary choices and seems to have a religious significance.
2) No cursing. They have a broad sense of what constitutes a curse word, and even polite words said in a rude tone are taboo.
3) No blue clothing.
4) No unleashed dogs.
5) No gambling. This includes benign references such as, “I bet” as an affirmative.
6) No spreading of false gospel. The townsfolk refuse to even acknowledge the existence of deities other than their own."
Firewarden Yanda:
There is also the matter of the doll you spot under the bed. It looks just like the ones you saw in the cave, save that it is...not in as pristine a condition. There seem to be live plants growing in its chest cavity and bursting out of the side of its neck, for starters. You can also make out a scrunched up piece of parchment in one of its hands.
The doll is silent and still...but it is looking right back at you.
Sorry guys ive been having problems with the website or my internet..maybe both, I haven’t lost interest!
Kristoff takes a look around as well following the others, scanning through the journal with Jack.
Perception:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25 Hey guys it says here this town doesn’t like the color blue...Kristoff examines his dark blue feathers for a moment the peeks back up....You think that’s why the Sheriff is giving me a hard time? Kristoff chuckles, his demeanor changes as he notices what everyone else has pointed out. This is all getting weird guys, and what’s up with these freakin dolls? Kristoff looks to Corwyn and Yanda for a reply on the dolls hoping someone has an explanation.
"I don't know but that one is giving me the creeps. I think it's staring at me." Yanda points at a doll lurking under the bed.
"Its got some note or something in its creepy hand and I'm seriously considering leaving it there. Do you think it bites? And what's with all the vegetation?"
There seems to be greenery growing out of it (see spoiler)
She moves to another part of the room to see if the eyes follow her.
Jack reiterates the 'rules of Mercy' as found in the journal, discussing each one in turn... "THese are very strict rules, but nothing in the journal about no children... I wonder where they all are.. or if there even are any... You don't suppose they sacrificed them all do you? or turned them into creepy dolls?"
Jack crawls under the bed and pulls the paper out of the doll's hand, bringing it up and into the light, where he flattens it out and reads it. "Now let's see what this says..."
Corwyn glances under the bed and backs up a step. "Ugh. That thing IS creepy." When Jack suggests one reason for the lack of children, the swashbuckler cringes. "You think so?" He waits for the wayang to retrieve the note clutched in the doll's hand, is own hand resting lightly on the hilt of his dagger.
"You are 'Nira'? Are you Amenira? or just a doll of her? or what? and you're right, we're not from Mercy... What murder, and why do the children hide?" Jack is small but the doll is probably smaller, so he goes down on one knee to talk to her if he must.
"Yeeaaaagggh!" The swashbuckler shouts heroically as he stumbles backward against the wall, nearly knocking over a table. "What in the Nine Hells is that thing? Uh... Nira? No offense, I mean. I'm just... not used to seeing dolls creep around like that!" Getting himself under control when he sees that it's not trying trip Jack's face off his skull or anything, Corwyn moves forward to stand beside him, hesitantly sheathing his dagger. He lets the wayang lead the investigation into this... creepy situation.
Thanks, DM! That was some awesome timing. And now I won't be sleeping well tonight. :p You certainly live up to your name (and that image of yours...
Yanda half smiles knowingly as the doll slides out from under the bed and watches with amusement and a fair measure of compassion as she fully relates. If not for the few extra yards of distance, that might have been her!
Well, creepy as it may be, it seems nice enough.
She sidles up next to Talondreal and asks very quietly, "Is it evil like the chair? Can you tell?"
Those who are capable may make a Knowledge (Arcana) check to identify this Construct.
The Tiny doll is not Evil. She moves with an unusual lurching motion, and her head hangs at an odd angle as if under great weight.
"I...don't know," She replies to Jack. She sounds confused and a little sad, as though she thinks she should know.
Her eyes make a soft rattling noise as they swivel in their sockets from Jack, to Corwyn, to the others, around the room, and finally come to rest on the scrap of paper in her fist. She wordlessly hands it to Jack.
"Of course you can stay with us... Perhaps we can help each other... You probably know more about Mercy than we do."
Jack takes the paper and looks at it... "Can't make much of this... can any of you figure it out?" he holds it out to whoever might want to look at it.
Kristoff is dumbfounded by this talking doll, and is trying to piece it all together.
Well some of these people get spooked rather easily, I for one, sat in the chair and proved it’s just chair, however I can’t explain how you are talking to me right now...can you explain what’s going on here? Have you always been here? Do you have an owner? Wisdom Check:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13 GM Kristoff is attempting a Wisdom Check to attempt to rationalize the situation, maybe?
"Who's to say what's silly and what's not. Evil comes in many forms, though it always seems to be unpleasant. Perhaps the chair wasn't evil, perhaps it was. But I'll not take any chances, thank-you very much! Anyway, as long as you behave yourself you might as well join us. Say, what powers you anyway? I could use a few reliable servants that won't run away at the first sign of a spark or green gas. And one's that won't complain about smells."
That last comment is paired with an accusatory glare at the other party members, or at least the ones that whined about the smell.
Male Human Wizard/1| AC 13 [17] T 13 FF 10 | HP 6/8 |Fort +1 Ref +2 Will +3 | Per +6 | Init +2 |HotA 5/6
Knowledge, Arcana:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Ardain's training in all things magical takes over; he quietly assesses the nature of the doll. He berates himself internally, as he does. The lack of the spell for reading magic is starting to be a problem.
M Gnome Druid (leshy warden/wild whisperer) HP: 15/15 | AC: 19 CMD: 10 | F: 5 R: 2 W: 3 | lowlight vision, Per + 9 SM +2 init +2
Thornbberry's eyes light up with life as he hears the doll come to life Amenira you're a doll now! A Doll! Oh my goodness! Youre SO CUTE!
He smiles and picks her up You are the best thing to happen to me in years. We are here looking for YOU! And the kids! The kids are where we havent seen them!
"That thing is Ameneira? Huh." Corwyn strokes his mustache in a thoughtful manner as he watches the others look at the note. He glances at it over Ardain's shoulder, but it makes no sense to him. "What does it say? Is that some kind of magical writing?" He is rather wary of Thornberry's reaction to the doll. "You know that's not a toy... right? Uh, Nira? Are there others like you in this town? Other... dolls, I mean? Ones that can walk? And... talk?"
I wouldn’t say it’s silly, but fear sometimes make you hear or see things that aren’t there, at any rate we need to start getting some answers. Do we know where Amenira used to go? When she left this place?
"I'd say it's time for a tour of the town. Maybe we could see if there is an alchemist shop in town? Can we stuff the doll somewhere out of sight while we go a visiting? I could bring my cart and set up a dollhouse on it or something.
