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Chapter 1: A Visit to the Witch's Cottage
Whatever your story, circumstances find you in the Village of Canmillion, a population of just under 1,000 nestled on 16 acres in a heavily forested valley.
Zydia Meljnid, the Headmaster of the Consolidated Assembly of Carpenters, a local guild, has called a town meeting. It seems several prominent members of the community have suddenly fallen drastically ill. Zydia wishes to hire a group to find the witch that lives in the forest outside of town to either find the cause of the sudden illness, or, more importantly, a cure before the illness spreads.
As most of the villagers leave the town hall, mumbling about curses and worse things to come, six intrepid adventurers stay behind to speak further with Zydia.
Zydia Meljnid appears to be of the wealthier of the citizens of Canmillion. She is a middle-aged human and has a round face with greying brown hair pinned up in a bun. Her eyes are a slate grey color. She wears fine raiment of green and blue and silver bracelets on her wrists.
Yarin is one such would-be adventurer who lingers after most of the townsfolk refuse and filter outside. His skin is the color of dwarven ale, and he wears comfortable traveling clothes, lightly armored in a shirt made of interwoven plates of boiled leather. At his hip are two starknives, and he proudly sports a Desnan holy symbol around his neck.
"I'd be happy to offer my services," he says to Zydia in a rich voice made for laughter. "The name's Yarin, apprentice healer and servant of the Song of Spheres!"
Unk is another standing nearby.
He is wearing black boots, wool breeches, a sturdy belt complete with two differently sized pouches, a white shirt, a bandolier with a small bottle in one loop and a dagger in another, a backpack, and an ample brown cloak with the hood down.
Unk looks around before announcing. "I am Unk the Conjurer, and I can see the future. The future where you hire me to help is the best one."
He looks around at the others before adding. "I foresee success!"
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A half-ork in a purple wide brimmed fedora, an ivory shirt under a purple vest with gold trim, and glossy black breeches remains. A shortsword is sheathed on his right and a longspear is strapped to his back. A well used set of drums pokes out of his backpack. He bows with a flourish, "Junior, at your service."
After a dramatic moment Junior says while pulling a gold coin out of a small pouch on his belt, "Ah.. just a minute." He holds the coin to his head, "What?!" He pauses, "No, I was in the middle of a thing and you ruined it!" Another pause, "Alright I'll ask!"
Junior clears his throat, "Fred wants to know how much the pay for this job is."
Sindare shakes his head as the large number of people leaves. He stands at the back, tattoos covering his face and hands. He wears lose clothing that covers arms and legs, but walks around with bare feet. Various strange weapons hang attached to his belt and backpack, one looks almost like an arrow while another send to be a spike at the end of a rope.
Sindare finally steps forward as the crowd leaves and attempts a bow, though it is obvious that the actions are unfamiliar to him. "I am Sindare Redtears, of the Ts'eenntelh clan in the Ch'eesvn mountains." He stops looking around then adds, "Umm, at your service . . ." he trails off, unsure at the end.
When Junior pulls out there coin, Sindare leans close as well, trying to hear the strange coin. "This . . . Fred? He speaks to you?"
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Wizzer watches the people leave, Less people, good. he mutters to himself. Moving forward he hears some people talking and his attention peeks up when he hears the mention of pay. He moves to them and joins in on their conversation.
"Hello, I'm Wizzer." He watches as Fred Junior talks to his coin. "So, it's true. Money does talk."
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As the meeting is adjourned and the townsfolk trickle out Uric stares absentmindedly after them, a twinge of guilt and loneliness behind his plesent smile. He starts after them and then, noticing the motley crew, realization dawns on his face and he walks over.
He is wearing a well polished (but obviously well used) scale mail tunic and carries a dwarven helm under his arm. On his back he has a large backpack. Slung over it like a shell is a sheild, emblazoned with the holy symbol of Torag. Protruding from under the sheild is the shaft of a dwarven greataxe. His face is angular, with a nicely braided mess of red hair. He is burly, even for a Dwarf, and his beard is interwoven with beads of precious metals and gems.
"Uric Halvard, at your service. I am a Holy Knight of Torag hailing from the Sky City of Janderhoff" he says.
Replying to Sindare Junior rolls his eyes "Yes and he's very annoying sometimes." Moving to put "Fred" back in his pouch, "No, you know what happened last time you negotiated."
Zydia looks amongst the group and let’s out a heavy sigh.
“The village has already sent out three of our own to find the witch, my own son among them. That was over a week ago. I ask that you find them and return them safely, along with a cure. My guild has raised amongst them 100 gold to pay you on your return. I offer 100 more of my own if you return my son home alive and well.”
“The witch lives a days journey north of town, in the woods, past Silver Creek. It’s been some time since anyone has heard from her. Please, do hurry. I fear lives are at stake.”
"North it is!" Unk turns and begins heading North, before remembering that he must exit the building first.
"Let's go together. I foresee safety in numbers!"
As he approaches the door, a small cat hops down off of the door frame and follows him out, pouncing on his right boot to stop him when he turns South.
"Thanks, Snowball." he says as he turns around and waits for the others.
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"If we can bring them back, we will." Sindare bows his head gravely, then steps out behind his new, somewhat oblivious companion. "I knew some people like you back home. They were good, I liked them. I will try to keep you from joining them in the world beyond," he smiles at Unk, as if this was reassuring, then Sindare pulls out a blade, almost like a short sickle, and tests the edge before nodding, satisfied, and putting it back in his belt.
"Well I'm a foreigner here, so no great risk on your part." He looks over his new companions. "And it seems I'm not the only one, so I think we're just the ones for the job. Mighty brave thing your son did; I just hope he hasn't gotten over his head."
Yarin breathes deep as they set out; having the road under his feet again is a comforting feeling. "You seem to know a great deal about the future, conjurer," he says sidelong to Unk, with the hint of a smile in his voice.
"It so happens that I do indeed! I'll demonstrate! I foresee that we shall travel North into the woods!" Unk points North confidently, pleased at his "demonstration" for no good reason.
A meow that could possibly be confused with an audible sigh emanates from Snowball.
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Junior follows the group, ”While we’re searching I will help pass the time,” and he smiles wickedly, ”with some rhymes. All original I assure you.”
He begins:
"There once was a lady Zydia,
Who sent us out I don’t kid-ya,
To sleuth this illness away,
But after searching all day,
The illness was just chlamydia."
You make your way out of town, taking the northern gate under Wizzer's guidance. You march through a few farmsteads and pastures, passing the time with banter and limericks. The last sign of civilization is a lumberjack's hut, just at the edge of the wood.
Entering the forest, things stake to take on an eerie note. The chatter of birds in the trees, and signs of squirrels and other small animals, the things you'd expect in a dense forest such as this, all are conspicuously absent.
It is Sindare who realizes why. The trees, he notes are heavy with webs. After about 15 minutes trekking through the woods, the Elven Monk spots a large web crossing the path ahead of you. Two man sized spiders are hanging out in the upper reaches of the web.
Sindare stops grabbing hold of Wizzer as he does, "Look there, spiders ahead." He looks around at the surrounding forest, "I wonder if we could find a way around them," he suggests.
"Well spotted. Maybe there's a safe way around them?"
Looking about, this part of the forest seems to be choked with spider webs. You could try moving around these two, but you'd be struggling against more webs, more spiders (albeit perhaps smaller ones), and dealing with the underbrush.
The road beyond this web appears to be relatively clear.
Junior scratches his head and remembers that his fascinating performance is useless against such mindless vermin.
He also remembers hearing tales of giant spiders being able to shoot their webs at prey from a distance.
Unk raises his hand and touches his forehead to activate Diviner's Fortune
With his eyes closed, he says "I foresee no better path than the road before us! I see... hmmm..."
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Unk conjures up the knowledge that Giant Spiders have a poisonous bite that saps the strength from its victims. He also conjures up the knowledge that spiders, being eight-legged creatures, tend to be difficult to trip.
The two spiders the group now faces are currently in the uppermost reaches of their web. There are some bundles of webbing up there too. The spiders seem to be feeding on one of the vaguely person-shaped bundles. Ranged attacks might be fruitful from this distance, or an enlarged person should be able to reach them at that height.
"They are difficult to trip, and their bite saps strength! I foresee that attacking from afar shall prove fruitful!"
Unk moves up to the front of the group's column, and gets ready to use his Ray of Frost.
Wizzer unsheathes his scimitar. attack when they are on the ground? he asks.
"You are most wise Unk!" Junior draws his sling, and moves ever so slightly towards the spiders and webbing.
Sindare steps up next to Wizzer and pulls out the rope with a long spike attached at the end. He starts spinning the end of it, off to the side, in slow arcs as if preparing to throw.
Yarin draws a dart. "Might be better to take them out before they get a chance to spring. Hate to kill things just minding their own business, but I don't see much choice."
As everyone prepares for battle, your movements seem to catch the spiders' numerous eyes. They turn from their silk-bundled feast and hiss in your direction. The liquified innards of their latest victim drip from exposed fangs.
Watching the spiders hiss unnerves Unk; he reaches out towards Wizzer, his nearest ally, and taps him on the shoulder with a glowing hand.
"I gift you with the gift of prophecy for a precious few moments!"
Unk then steps behind Wizzer.
Sindare continues staring at the foul creatures, watching and waiting for them to come.
The spiders climb down their web at alarming celerity and move towards the group. When they get into range, Sindare lets his rope dart fly.
He hits one in the carapace, and pierces through the black exoskeleton.
The spiders retaliate, in their way, by arching their abdomens and shooting sticky webbing at Sindare and Wizzer.
Sindare quickly dodges out of the way, but the second hits Wizzer.
Yarin moves forward and lets fly with his dart.
Junior loads the sling and tries to fling a bullet at the same spider Yarin was aiming for.
Regardless of the result Junior drops the sling and steps forward.
Covered in webbing, Wizzer isn't too happy. I have found myself in a sticky situation.