"A scepter is an insignia of power! Mine looks like this." the ghost tells and a ghostly image of his scepter appears. It is a thin stick, finely worked with finely worked carvings of flames and a ball bordered at one end.
"Ghost? Ghost! Ghost :-("
"Brina, come back!!" he calls out as the cat disappears. Its unclear if she went invisible or teleported but she certainly is nowhere to be seen :-)
"Uh, no, sir, haven't seen it. But we could go try and find it. If, uh, you promise to not kill us and everything. Oh, and Praise Erastil. He is the bestest of all the Gods!!"
Jewel moves forward to examine the ghostly image of the fancy stick. "So a septer is a signia, and yours is a fancy stick with flames and a ball on the end. It looks pretty but I haven't seen it." She reaches toward the image to get a clear image of the size of it. "But we can look around and try to find it. How long has it been missing?"
She glances back at Tobar, "Erastil is a God? I don't remember Mom telling me about that?"
"Let me see." The ghost replies and reaches in his pocket. "I got this small marble from the bottom of the scepter, that still lies in my coffin. It fell off long ago, but it ever so slightly pulls into the direction of the scepter, since it went missing."
While Jewel is surprised that the ghost is being so helpful she guesses that he can't leave the area of his coffin. She is even more surprised by the actions of Tobar and Clara. The ghost had been very nice so far, hadn't even done anything scary since his announcement about disturbing the dead. And since they weren't technically disturbing him, even that shouldn't count.
"Hey guys. That sounds magical. Maybe the septer's magical too. If it is maybe we could find it with a magic detecting spell. We'd just have to be close and it couldn't be covered up.... Well, maybe the marble will be needed."
Jewel is totally fearless. Reaching through the the ghost, she dives into the coffin and searches for this marble. Feeling around in the dark she finally finds it in a corner. It is a red and silver marble, made of polished mineral.
Holding it in hand, Jewel notices, that it indeed pulls in a direction. It isn't much, but if one knows and concentrates on it, it is clearly there.
Once she finds the marble Jewel moves back to the lit area. She can faintly feel a pull from the marble. She realizes that she actually moved through the ghost and turns back to him. "I'm sorry Mister, um Dawnbreeze. That was kind of rude of me. I get kind of distracted by some things. Magic, and new things, and some animals. I like to chat with them."
"Anyway, I'll let the others try this 'cause I can't do this by myself. Then we'll go and find you septer and bring it right back to you." She holds the marble out toward Tarjun while she talks.
Tobar looks in utter and complete astonishment as Jewel actually runs THROUGH the ghost. He is waiting for her to explode, or die of some horrible disease, or for the ghost to kill her.
None of which happens.
He steps forward and grabs the marble out of Jewels hand. Being careful to walk around and NOT through the ghost. While trying to look like he is NOT staying as far away from the ghost as possible.
"I can feel it too!!!!. Lets just follow it and see where it leads"
|
At the mention of a fancy stick, Tarjun is slightly more interested.
"Strange that it disappeared if the gobbo hasn't taken it," he says. "Sir, when did you notice it was gone? Was it recently?"
It finally strikes him that something has been smelling funny for quite a while, and it doesn't take him long to realise that it's coming from Clara. He's had enough younger siblings to know what it means.
Not to mention that he's never been more grateful for emptying his bladder before going to play.
He hasn't got a solution yet, but he still clasps her shoulder, and whispers into her ear:
"We'll be done in a minute, okay?"
"I have no grasp of time anymore." The ghost answers.
"Can we go home now?" Clara asks.
With Tobar ready to go Jewel feels Clara's words almost like a splash of cold water in her face. Then she also notices her condition and glances around at everyone. "Sure Clara. We've got to go and see where this marble leads us, and going by home is a good start. Mr. Dawnbreeze, we'll be moving along now and should be back soon.... Ah, I'm not sure how that will translate since you say you don't grasp time now, but I'm sure you remember." She makes shooing motions to everyone so they can start moving out of the place. "Yeah, we'll be back really soon, as soon as we can find your septer."
Once outside she pauses for everyone. "Should we lock this again, or leave it open? Take the key back to Dad's coat? If our parents spot us we will probably be delayed, 'specially if Dad has noticed that the key is missing.... Clara, Do you think you can sneak in and get clean cloths without getting caught?"
Clara doesn't answer until they are far enough from the ghost. "Why not get caught? she asks. She throws herself into the next puddle of mud to cover up the embarrassing wet spot. That looks at least uncomfortable if not even painful, but it hurts less than the wet spot hurt her dignity. "I'll just go in getting fresh clothes." she explains, still pale, but her wits coming back.
As the village comes close she runs all the way into the the house. "Hi mom." she calls on the way in and "Bye mom." on the way out with fresh pants on.
The bead draws on in the same direction, away from the village, into an area of the wood, that the kids don't know well. This is a perfect recipe to get lost, as nothing will pull back to home.
"Right, now that Clara is ready lets follow the bead. I know these woods very well so there is no chance at all of us getting lost!!. And I want to see what the scary ghost stick is"
Following the lead of the marble the group walks through the woods further from home for almost an hour. Finally the marble pulls towards half a circle of large moss covered stones standing in front of and a small, but steep hill. If it weren't for the magic compass they would have walked past it.
Jewel directs Chirp to fly up and perch on a tree branch and watch for any people that might approach. "Just chirp really loud like a normal bird if you see anyone other than the four of us."
She follows behind Tobar and Tarjun approaching the stones and hill. "I hope it isn't buried. We don't have any shovels and I don't want to try to sneak back home and back out here. No way the folks'd not wonder where we've been for that long!"
Chirp Chips like crazy in the tree. After doing so for a moment you hear a curse in a strange language, and a stone flies towards Chirp from inside the stone circle.
Hearing Chirp's alarm, and seeing the rock Jewel forgets caution and races forward yelling. "Chirp is my bird and you better not hurt her!"
"YEAH!!! You hurt any of our pets and we'll hurt YOU!!! BAD!!.
Uh, hello? Who is there? You don't hurt us OR our friends and we won't hurt you. Who are you?"
"Food!" the voice from behind the stones tells and you hear a commotion from several persons grabbing weapons.
A goblin in makeshift armor, with a crude blade weapon jumps up on the stone circle. "Tender young hoomans." he tells, licking his lips. Or her lips? Hard to tell with those gobbers.
Clara moves out of sight, behind a tree and starts mumbling magic incantations.
Surprised to see another gobber Jewel realizes that she doesn't have a weapon, or even an offensive spell prepared! She stumbles backwards to Tarjun, reaching out to the gobber with her charms hoping at least to confuse it a little.... "You don't want to eat me! I'm too nice. And I know where there's lots of better food that you can get, really easy! Lots and lots of chicken, and not guarded by anyone!!"
"Gobbos!!!! We're not food you green, green uh, meanies!!"
With that, he looses an arrow at the goblin while Brina advances ready to defend any of the children should the goblin charge
for (1 non lethal
"Let that be a warning. Next time, its going to hurt!!"
The goblin falls for Jewels charms, but only short as Tobar pulls him back to the hard ground of reality. Another goblin jumps over the stones, approaching Tarjun, who heroically stands between the gobbers and his friends and siblings.
The first goblin tries out if that first line of defense will hold. Drawing blood from Tarjun.
A third goblin tries to sneak away on the other end of the stone circle.
Tarjun and his twin both miss the gobber standing in front of them.
"Green thing. Attacking us. I must kill it!!"
Brina suddenly transforms into a whirlwind of fur and claws and tries to kill the goblin
for
for 1 pt of damage
for 1 pt of damage
Tobar goes in on the other side and tries to hit the goblin that Brina is attacking
"Stay. Away. From. My. Cat."
for
Clara finishes casting her spell, and the dog all the kids know from the crypt appears again next to the goblin.
She looks angry at the gobber wishing him bad luck.
Between Clara's dog and Brina the gobber doesn't look well.
As the fighting escalates Jewel realizes that she doesn't have any weapon or even a cantrip ready for fighting. She scans the area for a rock to throw or a stick that she might be able to swing as a club....
A crude stick lies on the ground.
The gobber slashes around like crazy, trying to get out of this carnage. He hits Tarjun.
The other gobber shoots an arrow with his shortbow, but it is not clear whom he wanted to hit.
The gobber in front of Tarjun gets his spine broken in multiple places, as Tarjun's staff comes down on him hard.
"Woo hoo!!!! Way to go Tarjun!! Gobbos, you better run or Tarjun will get all of you!!!!"
With that, he sends Brina in to attack the remaining gobbo while shooting it with his bow
for
"Ha, take that!!"
for 1 pt of damage
for 1 pt of damage
Tobar hits the gobber with his arrow. Brina charges the green guy jumping at him, but she misses.
Clara notices the other Gobber running away. "Jewel, where does the marble point to?"
Meanwhile the summoned dog supports Brina.
The dog misses, but the goblin is not interested to stay alone with all those crazy hoomans with their dogs and cats and evil magics. He withdraws to follow his companion.
Seeing Tarjun bleeding, Jewel forgets about the stick and moves up to heal him.
Once she casts the spell she hears Clara's question. She focuses on the marble. "Crap! Towards where that gobber is running. She starts after the running goblin. "Hey! Stop you stupid gobber! Drop the septer now!
Clara jumps out from behind the tree and hurries to look at Tarjum. "Are you okay?"
The gobber runs really fast. And with only Jewel following it could go on for a while until one gives up.
Jewel checks the marble again. If it seems like the thing is with the goblin she continues after it, yelling "Clara! Tobar! Can you call a bird or something fast to attack it? I think it has the stick!
"Brina, go chase him down!!"
"Me? He wants me to attack him all alone? The things that I do for that boy! Ok, but he is going to owe me LOTS of sausage. AND belly rubs"
Brina chases after the goblin, fairly quickly catches him (speed 50 :-))
While she goes, she feels herself getting stronger for some reason
for and attempts to trip the goblin