The Acolytes continue milling about in their daze. It becomes clear that they're all in rough shape and appear gaunt and pale.
Nikolai attempts to shank the crab with his dagger.
The Olek brains each release and orb of thick inky ichor that floats through the air, coalescing into one larger orb before rapidly colliding with Gritnarr.
Gritnarr ducks just in time as the orb smashes into the far wall sizzling loudly and releasing steam.
Nikolai sees a claw headed for his jugular and manages to stop it with his arm (uncanny dodge 1/2 damage)
Sihtric begins to push his way through the confused mass of people "Leave thisss cave, get out of my way!"
3 empowered rays of fire spring from his hands towards the Crab menacing Nikolai.
Florr grits her teeth and loads an arrow with a stout fletchings and a broad, almost heart-shaped arrowhead. She aims carefully at the craboid, keeping both eyes open and breathing out slowly.
Grit smiles. "Nice shot Florr."
He draws a bead on the closest brain.
"Eat steel you abomination." The arrow screeches as it connects with the balloon and flashes in a purple light.
The arrow sinks deep.
The brain ruptures, spurting acid in all directions.
The adjacent brain is covered in acid, burning it alive.
"Good work everyone. I'll admit I thought we were up s&$%'s creek back there. I think those fireballs really turned the tide Sihtric."
He looks around.
"Some of these villagers didn't make it, but in a war...."
Grit looks off expecting someone else to do the talking better than he is.
Nikolai wipes the crab juice off of his dagger and sheaths it. He looks at the clumping piles of brains and cravums. He scans the hole where the mysterious eye once was with suspicion. He looks to the ragged townsfolk.
Grit looks off expecting someone else to do the talking better than he is.
"What the hell happened here?"
Florr looks at her adventuring colleagues. "We will get answers, we have to. But these people have been through something crazy and we need to take care of their health first. Let's get them back to the village." She looks around. "My Aunt Serena is here. I'll talk with her on our walk back. We can talk to others after they've rested."
She glances to the back of the cave. "Do we need to clean any of this up, you think? I think that creature with the giant eye is gone for now, but we need to find it before it strikes again..." She shudders. "I will talk to the villagers. We should get going soon."
"My friends!" she calls to the villagers, looking at each of them as she speaks loudly, "I am so glad to see you again. I know you feel tired and confused. First of all, we need to get out you of this cave."
She looks around to see if anyone needs immediate attention.
It becomes clear these people haven't been taking care of themselves and haven't attended to their needs in regards to food, rest, hygiene, water etc. There are no major injuries but they're largely just run ragged.
Your Aunt barely recognizes you but spending more time with her seems to help her shake it off and return to normal. A few villagers carry the mortally wounded villager's corpses back to town.
Florr feels as though she's trying to have a conversation with an old drunk about a night of drinking. The more questions she asks the less they seem to know. The only thing your Aunt remembers is that your father and brothers left to go look for something with the company of 3-4 other fishing vessels.
"Have any of the sshhips returned? Do you know when they left?"
Florr shares all of the information she gleans about her father and brothers with her companions. She makes sure they all have food and water and a place to rest back in town. She comforts her townspeople and encourages her adventuring colleagues to help out.
She also asks Sihtric's question of the others who have been in town. "Have any boats returned? Has anyone seen my father or brothers?"
After the townspeople are in roughly good shape for now, Florr says, "Nik, Sihtric, Grit... Please. Will you help me find my father and brothers? If they were looking for something, maybe they know something about the Eye. And maybe they are in great danger...." She takes a deep breath. "I will owe you a great debt if you can help me bring them home safe. I think we should head to the water. Any information we can find about this horrible event will help us solve this mystery as well."
The Towns folk explain that all the ships left close to a week ago but their memories are fuzzy.
It's crabbing season and usually the ships travel less than a day north at the edges of the glaciers to catch the biggest crabs, spend a couple days setting and collecting traps and travel back to unload and sell the crabs quickly at market.
The ship the people you ran into in the old toll booth sounded like they were working on a merchant ship that was ferrying goods across the ocean. From what you understood these robed men (one who's face was otherworldly and mutated) commandeered the ship because they wanted to "find something lost at sea." The merchant ship's direction was changed from traveling eastward to traveling northward before the sailors you ran into decided to abandon ship after claiming the crew has "descended into madness".
No fishing boats or merchant ships are currently in port or in sight.
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"Ahoy!" comes a distant call from the harbor. A mid-sized ship with two sails scoots with ease into the docking area. Two dwarves run around the deck, pulling ropes and closing the sails. A short, stout dwarf dressed in brown and green velvet is standing still at the helm, with one hand on the wheel. He raises a hand covered in golden rings and yells again, "Ahoy there!" The two dwarves jump from the ship to the dock to secure the ship. The stout dwarf steadily walks from the deck of the ship to the dock, looking around.
This dwarf has dark greenish brown skin, and his half-brushed tangle of thick brown hair is almost like a forest of seaweed. His mustache lies like twists of brown coral, and he has a long, green tattoo on the left side of his face that sticks out like barnacles.
"Yarral Stormtide, docking fer trade!" he calls out. His thick middle glitters as his belt buckle, a giant blue stone set in gold filigree, catches the light. He pulls out a small silver flask and takes a swig, showing several golden chains hanging around his neck. He grunts and looks around again; he seems a bit perplexed that no one is at the dock to meet him. "Where be the harbor master?"
Sihtric goes to the dock and meets the ship as it enters the harbor.
“Greetingss Dwarfsss. I’m not ssure you will find many goodsss to trade, but perhapss there isss coin if you have- sssupliess. Have you, perhapss, met any ssships out of thiss Cordon’ss Villiage? Sseveral captainss have gone out but not returned.”
"Ahoy me friend! Be you the harbor Master? Nay, we spied not a ship on the way into this harbor." Yarral offers a hand with several glittering rings for Sihtric to shake.
"I be specializin' in unique 'n rare items, don't have much in the way of supplies ner food. Cept what me an me crew needs to be eatin!" He chuckles, his belly shaking and his belt buckle sparkling. "I am always up fer a trade with what I can do!"
His dark eyes shift around. "Village seems awfly sparse, where be all the people?" His gaze lands on Florr.
"Ah! Florr me hearty! Good ter see you!"
Florr runs up the dock. "Yarral! So good to see you! We need your help!" She explains the situation, that her father and brothers and other crabbing boats have been missing. She leaves our the part of the strange creature and the villagers.
"I'm so worried about them, Yarral. They shouldn't have been away for so long, and we've heard.... Rumors.... Of a large creature in the ocean. It could be related to a creature we encountered up at Rubrim Grima, remember I mentioned that to you back in Haven's Cross...." She trails off.
Yarral looks genuinely concerned. "Ah me lassy, what can I do ter help?"
Florr says, "Thank you Yarral. What we actually need is a boat that can go out in the ocean to look for my father and brothers, and the other boats. You know I can sail. Can we use your boat and look for them?"
She turns to her companions.
"Nik, Sihtric, Grit. Please. Will you board this boat and go to sea and help me find my father and brothers? If they were looking for something, maybe they know something about the Eye. And maybe they are in great danger...." She takes a deep breath. "I will owe you a great debt if you can help me bring them home safe. I'm worried that the creature with the Eye will cause more mischief. What do you say, who will go to sea with me?"
What do you say, who will go to sea with me?
"I have come too far not to sssee thiss through. I will help you find your kin. I am in no hurry to return to Haven'ss Crosss."
Thank you Yarral. What we actually need is a boat that can go out in the ocean to look for my father and brothers, and the other boats. You know I can sail. Can we use your boat and look for them?
"Sssurely thesse fine dwarfss will hopefully accompany uss. I doubt not your ability, but my own. I sssusspect the rest of uss would make loussy matesss and sswabss."
Yarral chuckles at this. "Yar my new friend, we dwarves will indeed be stickin together."
He takes off his feathered hat. "Florr, twould be an honor to assist you and yer friends with this quest." He replaces his hat and adjust the brim. "The only condition I be asking fer is that once we are through, you all take a gander at my wares. I am a business man, after all!" He gives a wink.
Grit scratches his chin.
"It would seem time is of the essence. Let's try to stay warm...if there's a captain I trust to get us through this, I suppose Yarral would be it. Let me know if you need me to swab any poop decks. Never been on a boat before.."
Yarral yells directions to his crew, and shows you a small cabin below deck. "Yer welcome to stay below deck or above deck, just stay outta the way til we get out to sea!"
The sea is calm and cold. The trip is quite silent and somber. Soon the sea grows icy and you move slowly to avoid damaging the ship.
It's not long before you see the smoke. A huge black pillar of thick smoke floats into the clouds.
As dusk falls, you move towards the source of the smoke, an orangey glow grows in intensity and a haze makes it hard to breathe.
You see a huge pyre of wood and debris burning atop the largest ice floe. You don't see any other ships.
Dozens of figures stare at the pyre, their shadowy silhouettes are all you can discern.
"Yarral, my friend- thisss cannot be normal in thesse watersss, can it? Are they sstranded?"
Yarral shakes his head. "I've seen many a strange thing in my time, but this be a first, me hearty. I dare not sail too close. What be your next move?"
Florr looks pale. "Yarral, get us as close as you can. I think this is the crew of crabbers that hadn't returned, and they are, for some reason, burning their boats...." She trails off. "I want to see if my father and brothers are there. I can try to sneak onto the ice flow and check out the situation, does anyone want to come with me? I wonder if these people are under a spell like the others. I don't see any other reason for them to be here at sea." She peers at the fire, hoping to discern anything visually or aurally.
"Last time we had the company of the mindless and self-destructive we also had a giant flurging eye. I'm going to get a better look."
He scurries up the tallest mast of the ship to get a lay of the land...errr...water...
Florr will try to spot her father and brothers' silhouettes, and see if she recognizes anyone else there. She will also check to see if the fire does indeed seem to be made of boats. She will also look for any other silhouette that is not a human form (ie a giant eye or wiggly mind flayer).
Nokloai is primarily looking for the creepy eye in the ocean scanning for contrast differences in the surface which may indicate a larger body swimming below.
Florr will try to spot her father and brothers' silhouettes, and see if she recognizes anyone else there. She will also check to see if the fire does indeed seem to be made of boats. She will also look for any other silhouette that is not a human form (ie a giant eye or wiggly mind flayer).
[Dice=Perception] 1d20+3
From your vantage point you're unable to discern details of the silhouettes due to their heavy cloaks and being backlight by the towering inferno.
Flor is able to pick out the unmistakable shape of a few ships masts. You'd estimate every deep sea boat in the cities possession is smashed to bits and engulfed in flames.
Nokloai is primarily looking for the creepy eye in the ocean scanning for contrast differences in the surface which may indicate a larger body swimming below.
[Dice = perception]1d20+4
The water is deep, dark and cold. The orange flickering flow of the fire in the middle of the ice floe reflects on the waters surface limiting visibility.
Florr sighs deeply. "I think we need to get on that ice floe. I can't discern any of the figures. It seems that all of our deep sea fishing boats are ruined and burning." She gestures towards the inferno. "If we get through this, I will do what I can to help the village rebuild."
She turns to Yarral. "Can you get us as close as you can, then anchor down?"
"Yar indeed, me hearty. Cannot get too close with this blasted debris. Yer all can use the smaller rowboat ter get ter the ice floe."
He leans in. "If yer decide to go on the ice, then yer can use some of me snow supplies. I got some snowshoes and rope. And yer can take a gander below if yer like." He eyes the burning tower of smokey debris. "I encourage yer to hurry!"
Sihtric eyes the ropes and dinghy distastefully
"I will accompany you to the icssse girl, but I'm afraid my sskills lend themssselvess better to ssstarting firess than extinguisshing them"
Sihtric pokes his head below decks to see what Yarral might have that could be useful
In the quiet stillness chanting begins.
"Mor'ka'thuuuuuuul. Mor'ka'thuuuuuuul. Mor'ka'thuuuuuuul."
The hooded figures heads bowed.
The chanting continues as you start to hear a high pitched whining that grows more an more unpleasant and sharp.
[ooc]Does there appear to be summoning magic at work here or are they chanting in the ecstacy of the Mor'ka'thul's imminent arrival? Would that be a check? Insight or Arcana maybe?[/ooc}
Sihtric pokes his head below decks to see what Yarral might have that could be useful
Yarral opens several large chests below deck. "Yer can have anything yer think'd be usefel." He also brings out a couple smaller, golden chests. He sighs. "Yer may also find some useful items in here, though partin with them without any compensation...." he trails off. "Maybe yer can repay me once this adventure is over." He leaves everything for you to look at.
Winter/snow related items:
3 long hemp ropes, each with a tag: 50 ft.
2 spider silk ropes, each with a tag: 50 ft.
1 bag of pitons
2 pairs of snowshoes
1 pair of ice skates
Various winter boots of different qualities
3 thick cloaks of various colors
Items in the smaller chests:
1 ring set with a dark brown stone, with a tag: "Jump"
1 bracelet set with an opal, with a tag: "Cold"
1 vial with a light blue liquid
1 vial with a dark blue liquid
1 vial with a clear, sparkling liquid
Sihtric picks out a heavy cloak and a pair of boots. “Why anyone would choossse to live where thesse itemss are needed iss beyond me” he shudders “My thanksss Dwarf”.
He then stoops and picks up the vials, casting a critical eye over them. He unstoppers each in turn, taking a tiny sip before sealing them back up.
Sihtric, you feel extra warm and strangely durable in the cloak (Cloak of Resistance +1)
Gritnarr slides the ring on and begins stretching his legs. And gently jumping in place on the deck.
"These legs...they still dont quite feel the same..." he rubs each with a forlorn look.
"What's the plan?" He looks to Florr.
"I don't want to know what happens if that fire frees the tablet from the ice."
He draws his runic bow. "With this we can speak withou..."
He looks confused. "Jorlitharr? Is that you brother? I hear you."
"What do you mean, you hear Jorlitharr?" Florr asks Grit.
Turning to the others, she says, "I think Grit is right. I think someone or something is trying to free the tablet from the ice with the fire. We need to stop the fire. I say we take a boat and quietly get as close to the shore as we can. I can fly up and throw water from above."
She turns to Nikolai. "Do you think you could get close and scope out the situation quietly?"
She turns to Sihtric. "We need as much information about what's going on. Did you figure out what that whining is? Do we need to distract the people chanting?" She pauses. "I'd rather not hurt them. We saw before that the villagers in the cave could be saved. My guess is that these people don't know what they are doing."
"We need to move quietly and quickly. Yarral, get us as close as we can without being spotted."
She turns to Nikolai. "Do you think you could get close and scope out the situation quietly?"
Nikolai nods a slightly more enthusiastically than suits the mood. He gestures toward the clear potion.
"Should be able to get real close if that's what I think it is. 'Course footprints are something to think about in flarging snow. These may help."
He picks up a pair of snow shoes and shoves them in his backpack. He eyes the skates.
"Those could be fun, anyone got dibs? I've got room in my pack for whatevers left over."
He unzips the two outer pockets of his backpack and turns it over. A plethora of gems ranging in all colors begin to fall out and continue to do so for some time as he shakes it like he's salting the floor.
"That should cover most of it at least"