The inhabitants of the booth exchange some confused glances but seem quite exhausted and ready to turn in for the night. Between the newfound Valkur based trust and their exhaustion none seem suspicious enough to do anything but eat a bit more and get to sleep.
Gritnarr removes some twine and a small bell from his belt pouch. He mutters some words and opens his hand. The twine and bell float over your heads before disappearing.
"If anyone other than who's in this room comes in this room we'll all hear the sound of a bell ringing."
The night is quiet. Your dreams are not. Tentacled horrors and a feeling of a looming beyond weigh heavily on your minds.
The three sailors you met pack up their few supplies quickly.
Taru turns to Florr. "I think we'll head to Haven's Cross. I don't think any of use would like be be on the sea again anytime soon. Hopefully we can find some work there. Thank you for everything."
Gritnarr chose last watch and worked on a hearty and hot breakfast as the sun rose when the light of a fire wouldn't expose the travelers.
Gritnarr offers a steaming thick stew of rough cut root vegetables and beans.
"We're still about a month from Cordon's Village. We should get moving."
Grinarr hands a wrapped cloth bundle to Taru. "It's not much but these seeds and nuts will keep you fed if you're unable to find anything else on the trail. There's a wheel of cheese as well."
The trip eastward is quiet and uncharacteristically warm and sunny for the middle of winter. Gritnarr keeps everyone well fed but continues to shy away from sources of meat, sticking to high energy nuts and seeds and supplementing with preserved foods brought from Haven's Cross.
The unmistable smell of ocean salts arrive when you're less than a day away from Cordon's Village.
As you reach the village you see a humble but extensive sprawl of simple, 1 floor, wooden buildings and an extensive network of docks. It's late morning and the town is very quiet. A few young children chase each other along the docks throwing rocks playfully at each other. A few simple merchant stalls and stands are visible but their owners aren't.
Before heading out.
Florr fills a small bag with several apples, fish jerky, and her stash of nuts. She also gives Taru a stack of ten gold coins. "Thank you for sharing your tale, as hard as it was to retell. May Valkur watch over you and your friends on your journey to Haven's Cross." She puts a hand on Taru's shoulder. "Once you arrive and get settled, I suggest you find Old Bill and tell him your tale."
Once we arrive in Cordon's Village
Florr closes her eyes and breathes deeply. Memories of days and nights out at sea rush back to her, the feel of the wind, the smell of the wet ropes of the fishing nets, the rage of the sea that fateful night that changed her life...
She opens them and looks around. "The Village is never this quiet. I would really like to get more information." She motions far to the east along the coastline and sighs. "I would also really like to go see my family. It's been several years since I've been here. But I suppose we need to stay downtown and get more information here first."
She furrows her brow and walks up to the closest stall. "Hello?" she calls out, looking for the merchant.
"Careful Florr, this whole situation smells like low tide. Remember what those sailors told us? Where is everyone? We can check out this stall but I'm going to try to stay out of sight. I've got your back though."
Nikolai will try to hide out back, listening intently and looking for another entrance.
Cordon’s village is deserted save for filthy children and stray dogs. Most food lays rotten and homes and shops are empty.
As Florr takes in the scene before her, she feels dread creep into her body. "There's no one here, Nikolai...."
She looks for one of the ragtag kids running around and calls out to them. "Hey! Hey! Can you help us?" She rummages around and pulls out an apple. "Can you tell me where all the adults are?"
She turns to her companions. "If we can't get many answers here, I would really like to go to my home up the coast. My family..." She trails off, then refocuses on the kid.
As Florr takes in the scene before her, she feels dread creep into her body. "There's no one here, Nikolai...."
She looks for one of the ragtag kids running around and calls out to them. "Hey! Hey! Can you help us?" She rummages around and pulls out an apple. "Can you tell me where all the adults are?"
She turns to her companions. "If we can't get many answers here, I would really like to go to my home up the coast. My family..." She trails off, then refocuses on the kid.
The younger children are skiddish and quickly disappear when you try and speak with them. An older boy whom you recognize looks at you intensely quietly and reaches for the apple.
"...Florr? I...the...the adults all serve the Drowned god now...I don't know how it happened or when it happened but most of the town just slowly drifted away..it only happened a few days ago. Some left on fishing boats but most spend all their time in Fingal's cave..they're talking in tongues..no one understands. We've been too scared to go in. I'm the oldest..I don't know what to do. I thought of trying to leave with the other children, lead them away but..I'm scared."
He looks long and hard at the apple before drawing a rusty knife, slicing it into wedges and calling out. "It's ok, it's Florr. Everything is gonna be ok! Come eat. She brought food!"
Slowly children re-emerge from their hiding spots and grab apple wedges greedily gobbling them up.
A child that can't be much older than 6 looks up to Florr and the others. "Are you going to get my mom?"
Grit tries to break somber mood
"We're lucky there's a chill or it would smell a LOT worse out here..."
He grimaces a bit and gets more serious.
"Florr, what do you know about this cave? If these people are bewitched...how do we break the spell?"
"Fingal's Cave is on the coast and opens along the water line, and you can get inside the entrance only during low tides. The inside of the cave doesn't get submerged, so you can stay there during high tides with no problem and it's very secluded. When I was younger, teenagers used to go in and drink beer and kiss and such.. I never did! Just heard about it." Florr stops and blushes a little. "Anyway, we can check out the cave once the tide is low."
She turns and looks right at the boy. "Thank you for taking charge of the other kids, Milo. Make sure you keep them all together, and try not to let any of the younger ones wander away."
She squats and looks at the little girl who talked to her. "Nina, we're going to find your mom. Not to worry." She pats her shoulder. "Stick with Milo, he'll take care of you."
She stands, turns, looks at her companions. "First of all, I think we should set up a safe house for these kids and distribute some food and fresh water. What do you guys think? Any other ideas?" She lowers her voice. "Nikolai and I can fill you in on what we know about this situation once we get the kids settled."
She stands, turns, looks at her companions. "First of all, I think we should set up a safe house for these kids and distribute some food and fresh water. What do you guys think? Any other ideas?" She lowers her voice. "Nikolai and I can fill you in on what we know about this situation once we get the kids settled."
"Which one of these shops sells general supplies? I'm sure I can manage to let myself in and see if there's anything left. If its got a roof and walls I suppose it'd be as safe as anywhere else around here."
He turns to Milo,
"You wanna see how locks work? Or rather, how they don't?"
"Which one of these shops sells general supplies? I'm sure I can manage to let myself in and see if there's anything left. If its got a roof and walls I suppose it'd be as safe as anywhere else around here."
He turns to Milo,
"You wanna see how locks work? Or rather, how they don't?"
Florr sighs a little at that last comment. She motions to a wooden building towards the end of the street. "There is a store, and it's called Greg's Goods. It should have some dry goods and potential sources of food, if it hasn't completely spoiled. We should make note of the inventory and be prepared to reimburse the store owner, Greg, once he's reinstated."
She turns to Milo. "Once we get set up, you need to keep a sharp eye on everyone. I'd suggest assigning older kids as buddies to the younger kids, and make sure they stay together if they have to leave your sight. We will come and check on you when we can and leave what food and supplies we can as well."
She starts to usher everyone towards the general store. "Let's get going, everyone. We need to check the tide to see if we can get into the cave. It's about a ten minute walk from here." She pauses, swallowing. "I hope to Valkur that whoever is in that cave can be saved." She pauses again. "Milo, have you seen my father or brothers?"
“Milo, have you ssseen anyone from outsside of town going to the cave? Any other sstrangers acting funny and moving through or around the village?”
She stands, turns, looks at her companions. "First of all, I think we should set up a safe house for these kids and distribute some food and fresh water. What do you guys think? Any other ideas?" She lowers her voice. "Nikolai and I can fill you in on what we know about this situation once we get the kids settled.""Which one of these shops sells general supplies? I'm sure I can manage to let myself in and see if there's anything left. If its got a roof and walls I suppose it'd be as safe as anywhere else around here."
He turns to Milo,
"You wanna see how locks work? Or rather, how they don't?"
Milo is a bit surprised.
"I...er... I guess there's a sundries shop by the dock. Dry goods, some rope and leather goods. Not much else really. Not many locks around here..the shop isn't locked up. Thanks anyway mister!"
“Milo, have you ssseen anyone from outsside of town going to the cave? Any other sstrangers acting funny and moving through or around the village?”
Milo thinks a bit, he seems tired. "Uhh, hm. The day all the adults wandered off there was a ship that came in. A merchant vessel but they didn't unload anything which is a little odd. The crew seemed to be acting a little funny too I suppose. It left pretty soon afterwards. I don't remember seeing anyone get on or off the ship but I was working on repairing my father's fishing boat that day and was pretty focused on that."
"There's clearly nothing good going on in that cave...I'm worried we may already be too late. This village won't surviv...."
He looks to Florr with a fake smile.
"I'm sure everything will work out. But I think we need to hurry."
"There's clearly nothing good going on in that cave...I'm worried we may already be too late. This village won't surviv...."
He looks to Florr with a fake smile.
"I'm sure everything will work out. But I think we need to hurry."
"Clean things get dirty. Dirty things get clean. That's the way life is. If something's trying to corrupt this town, well, we'll just have to uncorrupt it. Just like how Florr and Olek uncorrupted that manor.
Seems our choices are rather limited. We could run to that cave like a pack of race horses with blinders on, God's be damned at whatever trouble we run into. Or we could poke around here some more and try to get a clear picture of what is happening from a bunch of sprouts too innocent to realize they should eat the food in front of them to survive--"
He stops speaking abruptly and scrunches his face a bit
"What's up with these moppets anyway? Why weren't any of the children posessed? Hmmm, wonder if that detail would mean anything to a book worm like Olek or Ol' Bill."
He pops his head back up,
"Well, they aren't here are they? I'm thinking we should go steal-errr-borrow a boat."
"Let's get the kids set up in the general store, then find a boat to borrow," Florr says, looking at Nikolai as she says the last word.
She will give the kids more apples and help them make a buddy system, pairing off older kids with younger kids. Quickly as she can.
After the kids are set up, she returns to Grit, Sihtric, and Nikolai. "Let's walk to the nearest dock and I can check the tide," she suggests.
As they walk, she fills in Grit and Sihtric on the incident with Nikolai and herself and the mind flayer. "I'm not sure why he's leaving the kids alone," she adds, "But we have to see if we can find the adults in the cave and restore their minds, if we can, without damaging them further." She grits her teeth. "This is going to be hard, especially if my father and brothers are there."
She turns to their newest friend. "Sihtric, you've been silent. What do you think?"
Once they are at the nearest harbor point, Florr checks the level of the tide and scans the area for a potential boat.
Milo pipes up a bit.
"Like I've said, we're able to make due with food and sleeping. The general store isn't locked, if we needed supplies from there we could take them I suppose but we haven't really needed anything. I've been able to keep the kids basic needs kept up as the oldest kid here. We're just unsure of how to get the adults in the cave to return. I suppose the few boats out on long crabbing trips will be back in a couple days too..."
"Let's get the kids set up in the general store, then find a boat to borrow," Florr says, looking at Nikolai as she says the last word.
She will give the kids more apples and help them make a buddy system, pairing off older kids with younger kids. Quickly as she can.
After the kids are set up, she returns to Grit, Sihtric, and Nikolai. "Let's walk to the nearest dock and I can check the tide," she suggests.
As they walk, she fills in Grit and Sihtric on the incident with Nikolai and herself and the mind flayer. "I'm not sure why he's leaving the kids alone," she adds, "But we have to see if we can find the adults in the cave and restore their minds, if we can, without damaging them further." She grits her teeth. "This is going to be hard, especially if my father and brothers are there."
She turns to their newest friend. "Sihtric, you've been silent. What do you think?"
Once they are at the nearest harbor point, Florr checks the level of the tide and scans the area for a potential boat.
Milo pipes up a bit.
"Like I've said, we're able to make due with food and sleeping. The general store isn't locked, if we needed supplies from there we could take them I suppose but we haven't really needed anything. I've been able to keep the kids basic needs kept up as the oldest kid here. We're just unsure of how to get the adults in the cave to return. I suppose the few boats out on long crabbing trips will be back in a couple days too..."
"Well Milo, you just need to worry about the kids' basic needs. We'll worry about finding the adults," Florr replies to Milo.
To her group, she says, "We'll need to keep an eye out for the crabbing boats. I want to make sure they aren't trapped by the mind flayer or his minion, and are able to get to shore safely. If they are coming back in a couple days, our first priority should be to find the adults and then watch the coast for the crabbers."
Florr motions to a rowboat with HEMERA 4 painted on the side in brown paint. "This is a boat my brothers use for lobster traps. It's sturdy and can take us to the cave entrance."
She motions to the rippling water. "We have about an hour before low tide. We can stay and wait and talk, or we could check out some of the area for an hour. Thoughts?" she asks, looking at Sihtric and Nikolai and Grit.
"How ssshall we enter? Asss I ssee it, we can ssneak in, kick down the door, or pretend to be enthralled ourselvess. Perssonally, I am like asss not to sstep on a twig or trip over ssomething."
"Maybe young Milo and hiss friendsss can help uss imitate the manner of the townssfolk after they came under it's ssway. Unlesss it iss ssomething sspecific to thessse poor folk we may be able to 'fit in'."
"Interesting idea, Sihtric. I think that might be a good way to approach. But once we're in there, we need to figure out how to incapacitate the mind flayer and anyone else in there who hasn't been.... flayed..." Florr shudders. "I'd be able to push them away from us to create some space so they can't touch us, or I could even throw up an area of fog if we needed that. What do you think, Nikolai?"
"Fitting in is always the best way to catch someone off guard. Hmm, I wonder if they might notice your err, scaliness? I may have some makeup to tone that down a touch. Maybe we should borrow some clothes so you look more fisherman like too. When it comes to dealing with the big bad, well, I'm generally partial to getting them distracted while I plunk an arrow in their back."
"Very well, you may apply your powdersss. I will try to hide my 'unique' ssspeech as well. I will endeavor to distract wherever possible."
"Florr, I hope you don't intend that I propel that craft, but I ssuppose I could manage to sssteer or ssomething if required. Ssshall we?"
"Don't worry, Sihtric. I spent my childhood and teen years on a boat. I can handle this rowboat, and I can get us to the cave entrance. At this point have a little less than an hour to get ready before the tide is low." She motions to a nearby building. "I'll gather some clothes for all of us to look more like 'fisherman' and Nikolai can help Sihtric get ready."
"Let'sss be off"
You set off feeling reasonably confident you look less like adventurers and more like locals.
It's a short trip along the coast to a rocky outcropping not far from which is a cave opening about 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide.
Getting out of your boat you make your way along the slippery rocks carefully and with Gritnarr's help you follow his route without being slowed significantly.
As you get closer in between the sounds of crashing waves the unmistakeable sound of chanting wafts out of the cave.
Gritnarr holds his hand up in a "halt" signal.
He draws his bow and you hear his whisper in your thoughts.
"If you give me time, I should be able to figure out how many of them are in there. I'll be quiet. It may be wise for Nikolai and I to make our way in with more care afterwards. We may be severely outnumbered and this isn't exactly a good spot to make an escape."
He motions to the slippery rocks leading to the rowboat.
*Gritnarr approaches the opening to the cave and runs his hands along the area just past it's gaping maw. He smells his fingers and closes his eyes. He pokes at some moss and seaweed that's been knocked about recently and looks to the wind making calculations in his head. Finally he listens carefully to the chanting for a long time.*
concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), you can sense whether any of your favored enemies are present within 5 miles of
you. This feature reveals which of your favored
enemies are present, their numbers, and the
creatures’ general direction and distance (in
miles) from you.
If there are multiple groups of your favored
enemies within range, you learn this information
for each group.
"There are about 3 dozen humanoids in the cave. There could be other...things in there as well. I'm not sure."
Nikolai un-shoulders his bow and nods at grit.
"I'm in. Let's get a look-see at what's going on inside."
Grit nods with a serious look, draws his hood over his head low on his face. He draws two arrows. One wickedly serrated, the other looks to be a wooden ball in the place of an n arrow head. He nocks neither arrow as he creeps into the cave.
The cave smells as you'd expect a sea-cave to smell like. Salty and dank. The chill in the air has caused some crusts of icy frost on the rocks above and some slushy mix around your boots forms.
Moving deeper into the cave the sound of chanting grows to a din. The voices sound...other worldly, the language sounding like something a humanoid mouth couldn't make. Slurping and buzzing, whirring...it's unsettling to say the least.
A few sounds seem to come up often. "Mor'KA'Thuuuul"
As the inner chamber comes into view almost 40 people stand huddled in heavy grey wool robes. Their arms outstretched above their heads and their faces looking down. On the far side of the chamber are two hulking monstrosities. Standing nearly the size of ogres these chitinous crustaceans look out onto the scene with cold indifference. From their faces droops an almost beard of tentacles...they, in a way almost look...familiar.. Hovering between them both are what could only be described as floating brains, though nearly 5 feet in diameter. They hang in the air like morbid balloons. Stretched across it's front is a grotesque humanoid visage. That glares towards the center of the chamber floor with great interest and intelligence. Tentacles hang from beneath them like jelly fish.
In the center of the chamber is a crack in the stone floor exposing the sea just a short distance beneath. Within it's darkness you see a glowing orange coal the size of a melon. It blinks once.
Whispered
"They're all standin' around praying to...something floating under th...by Volamtar's boots! My...the creatures they're..they look like.."
Florr hears this in her head, and encourages Grit. "What, they look like what??" she thinks urgently. "If you and Nikolai are able to get to the creatures quietly and take them out, do it. Should Sihtric and I sneak to you? I could cast some fog in your area to help obscure you."
Florr gets out her bow and grabs an arrow. "Sihtric, be ready to get in there. I don't like us being split up like this, but I'm not too sneaky so I might blow our cover if I get too close. Are you sneaky?" Florr is apparently very nervous and babbling a little.
"The big ones...they look like Thravum...the floating....they look like Oleksandr! What dark magics are afoot..."
"What's the plan, what do we do?!"
"I do not move like the halfling, but I will do my bessst. Get the drop on them if you can. Let'ss be off. The girl and I will come to sssupport you when we hear commotion"
Nikolai thinks towards Grit,
"I'm going to get a closer look. See I'd I can figure out what they're doing."
His clothes turn jet black and he makes his way towards a wall and creeps forward keeping to its edge.
Florr nocks an arrow in her bow as she sees Nikolai seemingly disappear into the shadows.
"Sihtric and Grit, I think we should get ready to run in there as fast as we can if Nik is attacked... I really don't want to injure any of these townspeople, I'm sure they are here against their will. Please try your best to not kill them..."
The brains waft towards the chanting hooded humanoids. Needlethin phalanges dart towards the faces of the closest person.
There's a brief pause and shrieks from each brain.
The hulking crab beasts lift each acolyte and toss their willing bodies effortlessly towards the crevice in the cave, they land hand against the sea rocks badly battered.
Please try your best to not kill them..."
"We will of coursse try, but we must defend ourssselvess if we are to ssave the majority of them." Sihtric whispers sibilantly
Florr sighs and nods. "I hope we do save the majority of them."
She whispers urgently, "These creatures that look like Thravum and Oleksandre... Somehow these creatures stole a bit of their essence. I'm not sure how to defeat them but I know Thravum is a hard hitter and Olek is clever. Use those traits to your advantage!"
She pauses and motions to the giant blazing orb shining in the water." This looks just like the giant creature we encountered in the basement of Rubrim Grima. Be careful. We don't want it tearing down the floor and casting us all into the water."
"Bah!" Grit shares his exasperation via telepathy.
"We should hide outside the cave and pick these abberations off, make them come to us but I think these 'worshipers' would get in the way...I think I should be able to inflict crippling damage with my first attack but once the arrows fly the jig is up. I should be able to stay hidden throughout"
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Nikolai utters a halfling curse under his breath and his clothes begin to shift and change again. He now appears to be wearing the clothing of the townsfolk.
"I'm going to get an even closer look."
He carefully ambles his way down the corridor towards the crabs and brains using the entranced victims as cover.