"Eee now. Calm thesen. Tha'll do no good wi' bawling. Tell us what's matter."
Healaugh's sympathetic heart is moved by the sobbing man's plight and he does his best to sound soothing.
The man can't seem to hear Healaugh and sits holding his head and sobbing.
While Healaugh talks to the man, Darvyl looks for keys.
Darvyl finds no keys as the man continues to wail incoherently.
"Ddraig lad - reckon we've need of your skills. Canst pull door open? Or happen Ynyr can find way in. He's handy like."
Rootling in his backpack, Healaugh produces a lamp and lights it.
Ddraig, hearing the request for his assistance, strode into the constable's office, and rammed the door with his shoulder.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1898510/ - Strength: (1d20+5=21)
"We come in peace" Ddraig insisted.
Ddraig smashes into the door and it opens with a thud. The man seems startled and frightened, not so much by the sound, but by the sight of Ddraig. Either he has not heard or does not wish to hear the dragonborn's reassurance of peaceful attitude.
As the sun has set, you all hear a mournful song which seems to be all around you, calling you with its sadness. No human voice could sing of such sorrow in such unearthly tones.
Ddraig Goch
Everybody else
"Hey! Can you hear us?" Darvyl shouts.
save (1d20=4)
"Soooo Bonnyyyy...."
Save v being dominated (1d20=2)
"Eee. Can tha hear vocal quality int'song? Masterful that is..."
"Now, wasn't I just thinking that there would be some sort of compulsion thing going on? Hey now! Why do you all walk away like that?"
Ynyr runs to the bridge thing and tries to pull it back before everyone gets there.
"Ddraig lad! Can you help me with these stupified people now?"
Looking slightly puzzled as his comrades start to march away, Ddraig hears some dreary music coming from outside the village. As his comrades seem to be heading towards it, looking slightly dopey, Ddraig decides it's perhaps a good idea to follow them, to make sure they're not getting themselves into trouble.
Before they get too far, however, Ynyr shouts for help in withdrawing the bridge. Ddraig runs forwards and grips the bridge, hauling it back.
Ddraig and Ynyr shift the wooden bridge as the others trudge towards the lip of the pit.
Somewhere within himself, Healaugh finds a tiny corner refusing to let him listen to the power of the music. As though pulling himself out of a deep sleep, he breaks free of the enchantment.
"Reet powerful stuff that. Best be heading others off before they goes into pit."
Ever practical, he hustles towards his stricken comrades and tries kicking a few ankles.
"Ey oop. Darvyl! Nechtan! Greylan! Tain't what you're thinking lads. Promise thee that." His tone is determined, but regretful. The pure, heartbreaking sorrow of the music lingers in his soul.
Scuttling up to Nechtan, Healaugh kicks the small pict hard on the shin and shifts out of the way, in case he gets thumped in return.
Darvl recovers just in time to stop Healaugh from kicking him, as well. "No need for that, halfling," he growls.
"Well now we know."
Healaugh kicks Nechtan in the shin, but it doesn't seem to deter the little raider.
"Happen we do, but stopping lads would be handy. Hang onto Greylan or Nectan canst tha Darvyl. Ddraig mebbe an all."
Even Healaugh realises that trying to hold back Nechtan and Greylan by force is going to be easier for someone other than him.
"Sorry about kick, Darvyl. Wern't rightly sure tha could hear me through tragic melody."
Nechtan speeds up, ignoring the tiny bruises on his shins.
Ddraig prefers the direct approach.
Standing in front of Nechtan, he picks him up with one arm.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1899932/ Strength (1d20+5=24)
In the other arm, he gathers up Greylan.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1899938/ More Strength (1d20+5=25)
"I do not consider your departure to be a wise course of action" he intones.
Neither Greylan nor Nechtan protests as Ddraig grabs them both. They both continue to look doleful.
The two men themselves feel tears springing into their eyes at the sheer unhappiness the singing causes. Even those of you resisting it can't help but feel its pull.
"Ynyr, cover ears. Can't be doing with tha going mopey on us. Don't say it's not moving mind. Puts me in mind of Brigid lass."
Knowing mastery when he hears it, Healaugh can't help listening, never heeding the tears trickling down his own face.
"Ynyr, cover ears. Can't be doing with tha going mopey on us. Don't say it's not moving mind. Puts me in mind of Brigid lass."
Knowing mastery when he hears it, Healaugh can't help listening, never heeding the tears trickling down his own face.
"Now don't you know that I never went 'mopey' as you say in the first place? I was here trying to stop you all, do you not realise? Is the music strange? maybe it is, you know? But I think it is evil now, don't you?
Do you think it would be the right thing to hjold on to the others, if we can, until they snap out of it? And what about that poor man we found in the cell now? what about him? Is he alright?"
Nechtan and Greylan both snap out of it after a while, still being clutched by Ddraig Goch.
"Wern't meaning to cause upset Ynyr, just dint want tha mind turning to lass again."
Healaugh stops explaining, realising he's just done the very thing he was aiming to avoid.
"Reet." He brushes his eyes and sniffs. "Reckon old flying bastard had owt to do wi' this?"
"I figure the poor fellow in the cell is either deaf or was shouting to overcome the music."
"Do you think this was a call to call people to slavery or to call them to some doom that is unspeakable? How do you think that we should follow the footsteps, if they can be followed, to find out where they all went? Do you know, that the verbeeg people may well be responsible as you say Haelaugh? But we have only to go there and to find out, which is what I think we should do, do you see?"
"Verbeeg seemed hard of hearing. Might stuffing cloth in own ears if this keeps up. Can't be doing with sad thoughts it's putting in my head."
Healaugh tears off a strip from his shirt and plugs his ears.
The Sun will soon be falling over the horizon, in but an hour or so. You are within sight of Caer Garrion, your destination; a small village on the isle of Gwynneth,overlooking the Straits of Alaron.
You've been sent here to investigate sightings of foreign ships in the area, which may possibly be connected to the whisperings of spies regarding Luskan interest in mysterious Corriban Isle, one of the many islands in the Korrin Archipelago.
Are the two connected? You don't know, but sightings of foreign ships this close to home is not good news.
The King was clear that he trusted you, after all some of you have quite the reputation.
Carefully, Ddraig lowers Nechtan and Greylan to the ground.
"I trust I did not injure either of you."
Having relieved himself of his burden, Ddraig returns to the constable's office, to see how the constable is feeling.
Healaugh and Ddraig head back to the office, and find the man still slumped there in the cell. In Healaugh's lamplight, you can see that there is blood running from his ears. It seems he has burst his own eardrums.
"Do you think this was a call to call people to slavery or to call them to some doom that is unspeakable? How do you think that we should follow the footsteps, if they can be followed, to find out where they all went? Do you know, that the verbeeg people may well be responsible as you say Haelaugh? But we have only to go there and to find out, which is what I think we should do, do you see?"
"We should join them in slavery or unspeakable doom? I don't think that's our mission. We try to find the Verbeeg flyer, we look out over the straits, that's our job. I don't care to be ensorceled."
Any:
"Should follow yon music. Cannae get aught from puir laddie."
Healaugh tuts as he looks at the self-inflicted damage to the man's ears.
"Nasty that. Can't be doing with abuse of music. Making me angry now."
He does his best to help the wounded man feel more comfortable, but the ever-present music seems to seep through his own plugged ears and make him less than skillful. Heal check on bloke with broken ear drums (1d20 4=10)
"Reet lads. Time to make plans," he shouts.
The man shudders and shivers and pathetically bats the helpful halfling away.
"Plan. Follow music. Attack." Nechtan glances around, looking optimistcally for agreement.
"Plan. Follow music. Attack." Nechtan glances around, looking optimistcally for agreement.
"Grand plan Nechtan. We'll be doing that."
You find that the tracks are easy enough to follow, should you wish to do so at this point in time. Healaugh's lamp seems very lonely in the cold night.
"Um. Wouldn't tomorrow be just as good, if we're following tracks and not the music? We know these things are active at night, and I sure can't see in the dark."
"Dinnae be such a lassie. Darrk is best time fer rraidin!"
"Um. Wouldn't tomorrow be just as good, if we're following tracks and not the music? We know these things are active at night, and I sure can't see in the dark."
"Now, you know, the poor souls who have been called away by the singing of the songs, could they not be in pain? Do you think they wouldn't want us to go as soon as we can follow them? How could I tell my beloved Daelynn that I slept when there was trouble with others, if you gather what I am saying? But do you think that, by saying that, I am thinking of myself only here? Now isn't that a wicked state to be in? Wanting to help others so I can help myself, is that right?"
Ynyr turns to the others with a look of despair on his face. Perhaps the music is getting to him a little...