In that case I just need to find a woman scorned.
It's not long before the rumor mill churns up whispered suspicions that Aleksa Strovich is a prime candidate for either following Gyronna or having been courted by the Gyronnans. She was dragged to this frontier land from comfort in Restov by her husband after -- again, rumors say -- he lost his fortune gambling or her own rampant spending. She lost one infant son due to early hardships in founding the settlement, her oldest daughter was one of the tributes to the barbarians, and then her husband Sergei died four weeks ago after slipping off the roof he was repairing. She is six months along with her third child and longs to go back to Restov but doesn't have the means, nor is she in the condition to travel.
Several of the decent ladies of the town have reached out to her, but she's so bitter about her circumstances that she's become hard to talk to.
Kage hadn't really expected much of Fort Drelev, there wasn't much to it! Clearly the place was clearly punching over it's weight when it came to gossip if the things Jon-Wyn learnt where anything to go by.
Kage smiled when Jon finished regaling them then story of Aleksa Strovich, "I think we should pay her a visit, today in fact." He grinned when he added, "By we, I of course mean Eris and Alenaya. Kindred spirits or something. Jon and I will be doing, er ahm. Propping up the bar, it was my round wasn't it Jon?" His face was all innocence when he looked at Jon questioningly...
The Strovich house is a run-down affair, unkempt with weeds growing wild in the garden and walkway and the windows dirty. The roof does appear to be patched, but only in what would be a temporary fashion.
Aleksa Strovich is toiling in her small garden on the narrow side of the house with the looming temple of Calistria casting enough of a shadow to make growing anything difficult. Her small bunches of tomato plants and cabbages are wilted and scrawny, even as she is on all fours trying to coax life into them with a small hand trowel.
"Let's discuss it over drinks. I'm sure we'll get it right after a few rounds." Jon leads the way to the bar.
Eris eyes the house, not altogether impressed with what she sees. It was easy to see what Aleksa was feeling scorned though, house being run down, her very backyard being a temple of Calistria, as well as her recent circumstances. It was definitely a miserable existence at the moment.
"Do you need assistance with that Aleksa?" Eris asks in a quiet tone, watching the woman struggle with her gardening.
Aleksa pushes herself up onto her haunches, pulls a sweat-soaked strand of hair from her face, and eyes Eris warily. She glances around suspiciously, then scowls at the sorceress.
"Who are you?" she asks in a sour, distrustful voice. "How do you know my name?" She waves the trowel at the scrawny plants. "Not like there's anything that can be done with them anyway."
Alenaya accompanies Eris to meet with Aleksa, but lets the honey tongued sorceress do the talking.
"Who I am, isn't really that important, I'm more interested in people such as yourself. Someone that has fallen upon hard times, found themselves scorned, and ideally looking for a way to strike back at the world. My friend and I tend to follow this philosophy and were hoping to find some like minded or kindred spirits. Would that be you, or if not, could you point my friend and I in the direction of those that might also support our ideals?" Eris answers Aleksa smoothly, deftly sidestepping the woman's questions and attempting to direct the conversation to the Black Sisters.
Aleksa scowls at Eris, real hate showing on her face. "No. No, and I've told your sisters no. So quit coming by. If I change my mind, I have the token Gemma left with me. But I'd rather sell it for passage out of this hellhole. So don't come around again, or I'll call the guard on you. I've got enough problems; I don't need the townsfolk looking at me any more than they already are."
Back at the bar, Kage looks at the half-dozen empty shot glasses in front of him and Jon-Wyn. "Another bottle, or maybe something different?" he asked, the local fire water hadn't been anything to write home about although it did have a kick to it.
Eris forms her face into a puzzled expression. "What do you mean, my sisters? There is no-one else that speaks for me, I'm my own person. Heck, I'm an only child, no other family members to speak of. So, before you get the wrong idea, can you tell me who the heck is bothering you before I get myself caught up in something I know nothing about?"
"Let's try another bottle and more women." Responds Jon. "And more singing." He calls out to the band and tosses them a gold.
Kage and Jon-Wyn go through the somewhat meager selections at the tavern. They do find a local spirit made from the stalks of a local marsh plant that has notes reminiscent of rum, but with a much grassier overtone. The barkeep is rather proud of it, though it's definitely not for everyone.
Meanwhile, Aleksa looks bewildered as her eyes move from Eris and Alenaya. Finally, she throws up her hands. "You know my name. I've never seen you around. You're asking about 'striking back at the world' and now you don't know what I'm talking about?" She musters an incredulous laugh.
"I'm talking about the Sisters. The ones in black. If you're not with them, then you stay away from them. I've told them to stay away from me."
"Darling, wearing black doesn't narrow things down, I like to wear back, its fashionable, and I look good in it. It doesn't make me a Sister, whatever the heck that is" Eris replies still putting on a show of confusion before holding up her hands.
"That said, that said, you seem to be serious about avoiding them, so I'll take that under advisement and avoid them as well. Where does this Sister hang out, so I know where to stay clear of?" the sorceress continues, deliberately fluffing the term 'Sister' as if its some sort of individual rather than a group.
Aleksa shakes her head and turns back to her tomato plants. "Don't know. Word has it that they're all run out of town. So don't go wandering around in the wilds and steer clear of their piles of rocks and you should be fine."
She looks back up and eyes both Eris and Alenaya with a squint. "So, are we done here, or do you want to tell me why you sought me out? If you're not a Gyronnan, then who are you?"
Kage nodded and turned to the bartender, "Do you have anything imported? If so we'll have another bottle..."
Drinks sorted Kage muses to Jon, "I wonder how they're getting on? Probably like a house on fire..." It had been a while since Kages true skills had been really tested and he was getting antsy. It was often this way before a big mission, the alcohol helped up to a point. The thing was to know when to stop, technically that was halfway through the previous bottle. Oops.
Eris frowns at Aleksa, before indicating the shadow of the temple in her garden. "You jumped to Gyronnan as your first guess for revenge and not, say, Calistria where the temple is right there in your backyard? I'm not from here, I travel a lot which is why I was a little unfamiliar when you said Sisters. Still, you appear to be happier alone, so I might take my leave, if that is acceptable to you."
Aleksa bites back a bitter laugh at being called "happier" alone, since she doesn't appear happy either way. She moves to stretch her legs painfully, her pregnant belly slowing her movements. "How is Calistria supposed to get me revenge? Against the roof? The ground? It was all a stupid accident that's left me a widow."
She pulls herself up to her feet with a grunt. "I gotta go pee. Are we done?"
Eris hides a smile at the rather straightforward way Aleksa brings the conversation to an end. She is rather used to doublespeak so someone speaking so honestly and bluntly was a refreshing change of pace. Nodding, she steps back, taking her leave, and heads back to find the others.
The boys are pretty much where the ladies left them, though the number of empty bottles arrayed around them have multiplied. The bartender seems a bit nervous, as if he's rapidly running out of anything imported and will be sadly left with just the local spirits.
Kage looks up from the table filled with empty glasses. Noting Eris he pushes a chair from the table with one boot and without asking pours her a double measure from a dusty bottle. Lackadaisically he drawled, "Apparently this is Linnorm Mead. I'm not entirely convinced of it's provenance, but it's certainly got a kick to it, eh Jon?" They where really scraping the bottle of the barrel here...
Glancing at her he asked, "Success?"
”Very little actually. We know the sisters made contact but not where they are located now which was the main purpose of the chat. Short of finding one of their stone alters I find it had to find other ways of contact.” Eris replies to Sa’Kages question.
"I'd bet it's just a matter of time now. If she is one of them, then they now know we want to make contact. If she isn't one of them, they will be in contact with her and she'll tell them about us, and they'll make contact. All we need do now," Jon pours drinks for both ladies. "is wait.... and drink."
"They have already spoken Jon, and she did not give the impression she would let them make a second visit. Nor did she appear to be one of them. So by all means wait, but it is unlikely that will actually achieve anything" Eris replies, looking disapprovingly at her drink.
"It's not that bad..." Kage told Eris before adding with a sardonic grin, "It's worse. Still after a few you get used to the taste, although the room may start to spin." Kage got up and looked Jon in the eye, "On the other hand perhaps we should go for a walk? Who knows what we might find?"
Rather than return immediately to the guys, Alenaya goes off and searches the town for any signs of these altars. She figures since they are designed with the intent of being found by villagers, surely she could find one...
Alenaya is not successful in finding any of the makeshift shrines within town during her search. It appears that the locals are doing a decent job keeping the religion suppressed.
The next day, however, leaving the town becomes fruitful almost immediately. The town is barely out of shouting distance when Kage comes upon a deliberately-stacked pile of rocks alongside the road into town. It's not immediately obvious, but it's just a short distance from the road and rises to about waist high. The "eye" is a painted stone with a vertical slit that appears to glare menacingly at the passers-by.
Even Kage can't help but get an involuntary chill when he steps into the shrine's "view." Maybe it's just the folk tales surrounding the Gyronnans, but there's an air of menace surrounding the shrine.
Even unattended the shrine had a palpable aura, subconsciously Kage found himself skulking in the shadows. He was irrited by his reaction, what was this to the Red Mantis?
'Hold it together!' he admonished himself before cautiously circling the area looking for any evidence of others walking to and from the shrine. Should he find something he'd following it a ways to get an idea of where it went before reporting back to the others.
Sa'Kage doesn't spot anyone or anything lurking around the shrine, but when he inspects the ground he finds clear tracks leading away from the town and the road. It doesn't take long before he finds a small game trail that has seen recent use by medium-sized creatures. The path is wet and muddy but isn't fully within the mire. After following it a short while he finds another pile of rocks, but this one appears to not be a shrine itself but a supply of materials to build more of the makeshift unholy sites. Kage recalls that the locals talked about throwing the stones into the swamp whenever they discover and dismantle the shrines. Several more paths lead from the supply of rocks.
You come downstairs for your morning meal at the inn. The crowd is sparse, but business is moderately better than usual due to the people dispersing from the Rushlight Festival having caught up to you and getting rooms.
The meal is plain and simple fare, hardly inspiring despite its nourishment. However, of interest is the scrap of parchment that just slightly sticks out from beneath the plate.
Its message simply reads, Speartooth's den.
Kage decides it's best to return and find the others, he could spend hours following the paths and without the girls an encounter with the cult would likely end poorly.
"Speartooth" is the local name for a notorious sabretooth tiger that had plagued the region for some time. At least 24 people had died to it, and likely lots more random travelers that no one ever knew were passing through. The Council of Five managed to track it to its lair and kill it, bringing back the two massive canines as proof and collecting the sizable reward for its death.
The tiger's den is in the rugged foothills roughly fifteen miles west of the town. The locals now say that it's haunted by the souls of those killed by the beast, even though some relatives of the deceased will venture there to leave flowers or other mementos.
Eris glances at Sa'Kage, giving him a significant look. "Someone splitted a note into our morning meal, mentioning Speartooth's Den. It could be a trivial trap, but its still worth checking out, if nothing else. You should come with us, but maybe hang back, I have no idea how favorable they are towards men."
Kage nodded before glancing at Jon-Wyn, "It seems like we should ignore manners go for a walk ahead of the ladies and get ourselves nice and comfortable." Turning back to Eris he added, "Assuming you can give us directions..."
"Wait and drink. Though we should probably stop drinking until after we meet with the women with a grudge against men."
"Wait and drink."
Kage made a face as if he was considered it, if only for a moment.
"Though we should probably stop drinking until after we meet with the women with a grudge against men."
"Probably for the best if they don't meet us in a drunken stupor." he agreed with a roguish grin.
Kage makes his way towards the river's den, making sure he wasn't seen. He searched for a good spot to observe, and if he found one he settled down to wait for the girls. He was growing eager for action, but the need for patience had been beaten into him. He would be like the mantis, patient yet deadly.
The Mantises are able to ascertain that the old tiger's den is in a narrow valley between a pair of hills visible from Drelev. A few hours of overland travel brings them to the valley itself, which is filled with thorny bushes and tall, reedy clumps of grass. The signs of an apex predator lairing nearby are still lingering for those with the Survival skill, and the presence of a few birds and ground animals give clues that the predator is no longer lurking about.
The den is deep within the valley, a gaping mouth that is dark and ominous. The lingering pall of death still hangs over the area. From the outside, not much can be seen within except for some bones still littering the floor of the cave. The air is close and still inside the valley.
Sa'Kage takes up a hiding spot within view of the mouth of the cave, watchful, but he sees no sign of the sisters.
Eris fearlessly decides to walk deeper into the cave and see what lies within.
In his full Dark Mantis Armor, Jon also stays within view of the cave. He tries to stay out of sight so that any casual passerby wouldn't see him, but he's not hiding.
Alenaya walks alongside Eris into the cave. ”Lovely place. Love the energy here.”
As Eris and Alenaya enter the tiger's den, they see the bones are mostly from animals. While it's likely there are a few human remains still among them, most have been taken away to be properly buried. The cave isn't deep, but it is shrouded in dark shadows.
A low, chilling moan rises just as a ghostly apparition appears floating in front of the Mantises. Lacking anything below its waist, the image is that of a dessicated human corpse. Wispy hair floats and waves in an absent breeze. What skin remains on the floating torso has been flayed by claws. It raises a gaunt arm and points at Eris and Alenaya.
"Tribute! Pay tribute or be cursed!" comes the haunted, echoing voice that echoes about the den.
The echoing voice is definitely an illusion.
While the figure was scary, Eris wasn't exactly trembling. As a Mantis, she had seen much worse. "What kind of tribute would you require then?" she asks calmly.
The apparition continues to float menacingly. "Offerings of gold! Jewels! Treasures to ease our restless spirits!"
Eris folds her arms. "Well, I don't have any of that on me, so you might need to accept something else. How about revenge for someone scorned? I hear that's popular around these parts."
The ghostly form is silent for a moment. After the pause, the echoing voice says, "What-- what do you mean by that?"
From deep within the shadows Kage smiled fiercely. 'That certainly set the cat among the pigeons.' he thought. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on here but an Apparition seemed increasingly unlikely. He scanned the treeline looking for anyone lurking.
Alenaya freezes at the sight of the apparition, but chooses to let Eris do the "negotiations" with this ghostly being.
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but you look kinda dead. Surely you were scorned by someone and would like...retaliation?" Eris responded smoothly with a quick smile, amused by the apparitions hesitation.