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Pai's sharp eyes pierced the gloom to spot all there was to spot in the area. Yeah, she saw the plants moving, but her eyes were drawn back to the robed figure sticking out of the tree over there. It seemed like a greater potential threat than those pumpkins.
After staring intently at him/her/it for a while, she glances around at the remnants of the battlefield. "Huh? What? Gosh, did I miss it? Dang! That must've been fun! But what a mess! So, guys, let's go check out that robed figure by that tree. I am dying to see what's up with that. It looks so weird from here!"
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Only three attempts are necessary to defeat the moving plants. Erhun and Mykel stand too close and see the pumpkins explode before they feel the burning heat of the pieces.
When Arin approaches the figure he sees that it's just wood shaped like a robed figure as if somebody used a wood shape spell on it.
You identify the portrayal of Ng. The mysterious hooded Eldest watches over the seasons, secrets, and roads.
A crumbling lumber mill, unremarkable except for the large wooden statue protruding from the front, stands to the north.
A pile containing six berries and three jack-o’-lanterns have been left as offerings at the statue’s base. Carved alongside the statue is an inscription that reads “Like the Lord of Seasons, our hoods illuminate truth, while their masks shelter deceit. Let this be the sign of our covenant. -E”
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Pai stands right under the robed figure, staring up at it and committing its features to memory. Fascinating
She then turns briskly and, glancing around for a direction, spots the mill and walks with a springing step toward it. "Come on, guys! We should check this out!"
When she arrives, she spends some time being a tourist, gazing at the notable statue and inscription. She muses: "Huh. So the folks in charge of this place like hoods. Not masks. So maybe we watch out for masks or something."
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Eylysia was telling you that raising your hood would stand as a signal of support or alliance.
The berries are goodberries.
The three jack-o’-lanterns can be used as alchemist’s fire.
While you study the statue you hear a voice that calls out to you from the mill’s doorway.
"Take ye not a step further into Ng’s sacred realm. I am the Crocus Knight, sworn protector of the Thicket of Endless Fall and rightful successor to Ng’s chosen, Zaul Blystone. Are you here to join in the grove’s protection, or defile its splendor? Speak now, lest I add you to the great harvest."
The voice's owner is a striking figure: a handsome woman with a fox tail wearing a cowl and crocus-emblazoned armor while wielding a silver lance. Her cascade of red hair catches the light, but her face is hidden deep within the cowl.
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Tenibri always travels with the cowl of his cloak up, so makes no change as he stands there studying the woman, though his eyes alight at remembering this detail. He quietly invokes the words and patterns that allow him to see magic, and studies the scene.
Recognizing some details about the berries and jackolanterns, he files this information away to fill the party in on later.
"We definitely mean no harm to the grove; we are not a threat! We are here on an investigation and mean neither you nor the grove any harm."
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The PCs must attempt a series of five skill checks. The PCs
can choose from Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge
(arcana, nature, or religion), or Sense Motive. Anyone can
attempt one of the skill checks, but each skill check can be
attempted only once. Allies may use the aid another action on
these checks. Sirius already did one (successfully).
"I'm waiting here since centuries for a replacement. Of course I have time to speak. Tell me, what are you looking for? I see some of you with a hood. Are you followers of Ng?"
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Crud! Of COURSE I don't have a hood! Dang it! How am I going to fix this? Ummm... After a moment of frantic thought, Pai drops her haversack and pulls out a beautiful deep violet gown. She reverently drapes it over her head. "My deepest apologies for failing to come properly prepared. I hope this humble offering will suffice for a hood. I have not had the opportunity to learn of Ng before today, and am curious to learn more." She bows her head in deference to the figure before her, then tosses her haversack back over her shoulders. I'd better not ruin this gorgeous dress! This had better be worth it!
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Arin pauses at the question, unsure how to answer.
I... I'm not sure. What I mean to say is that I'm not a deliberate follower and I'm not very knowledgeable about Ng. I've been granted divine powers by a benefactor who has not yet revealed themselves to me. Are you aware of Ng selecting unknowing vessels, and how that generally works?
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I worship Anubis. My main mission is to fight and destroy, if possible, undead and those who created them. My mission is similar from yours: I protect the dead from defilement, as you protect this place. I do wish you no harm, but assistance if needed. I do have a blanket in my backpack I'm ready to use as a hood, if you prefer.
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"No, no! Please do as you prefer! I saw some of you wearing a hood so I really was hoping to be replaced. Well, it seems Zaul Blystone is still looking for somebody else. Since more than 200 years I'm protecting this part of the wood. Zaul, blessed by Ng himself, came to me and asked me to stay here until he returns. The only visitor I had since then was a gnome. I can't remember her name, something with E. She left a inscription over there, but I have no idea what it means. She said that it be helpful to allies of the grove at a future time." the Crocus Knight answers while pointing at the statue.
The cowl the woman's wearing is magic. It is the Autum's Cowl. You are sure that the cowl is causing the changes on the environment, not the influence of Ng or anything else.
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Oh, whew! Well, that was overkill. Pai's bright peach skin flushes pinkish as she shrugs off her haversack and carefully stows the elegant gown back in its proper place. She quickly smooths her short shock of flaming orange hair back into place, then pauses as if she remembered something. Suddenly, tiny arcs of electricity begin zapping around her, as if she was overflowing with static electricity. Nonchalantly tossing her haversack back onto her shoulders, she brightly perks up at Sirius's observation. "What's the Autumn's Cowl?"
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"The Autumn's Cowl? I guess you mean this item." the woman says and removes the cowl from her head to hand it to Pai.
"I know it's magical, but Zaul did not tell me what it does. You think this piece of cloths causes all this? Zaul lied to me? He told me that Ng the Hooded wants me to protect this sacred area from lodgers wo wanted to cut the trees down. That Ng the Hooded, one of the Eldest, enchanted this part of the forest to keep them outside. All the centuries I spent at this place for nothing? And what does the gnome woman have to do with this? I'm confused."
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Pai accepts the cowl, rather surprised that it was handed to her, as she was totally clueless as to what it is and does. She looks around to see if the wood has magically changed now that the cowl has been removed, but otherwise just stands there, holding it and waiting for the situation to resolve itself.
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"Well, the cowl now is yours. There's no need for me to stay here. Please take care and I hope the cowl and the inscription will help you on your further investigation. It was really a pleasure to talk to somebody after so many years." the Crocus Knight says before she leaves you alone.
With the cowl removed the environment does not change.
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Pathfinders,
From what I can gather, your next clue lies within an old cavern, not terribly far from a dwarven
outpost called the Rising Spire, which lies near the ancient settlement of Highhelm. I have little to go
on as Eylysia’s notes provide hardly anything more than a location and an odd reference to ‘an old noble’s
tale’. I have already made arrangements for your travel to the Spire and for an escort to the cavern. This
should be a relatively simple and straightforward task if you can solve this riddle Eylysia has left us with.
Sincerely,
Kreighton Shaine
The journey to Highhelm is uneventful. You enter the tunnels which lead you to the Rising Spire. These claustrophobic tunnels outside of Rising Spire are carved with smoothed stone walls adorned with periodic arrow slits, twisting and turning until they converge at an open cavern about one hundred feet wide and at least twice as tall. At its center stands a tower carved from natural stone, rising up into the darkness.
A young dwarven woman with rock dust in her hair and stonemason’s tools hanging from her belt steps out of the tower. "Beautiful, isn’t it?" she says as she brushes the dust away with a gloved hand before extending it in greeting. "I’m Helga Silverbrew, head architect around here. Welcome to the Spire!"
A middle-aged dwarven man in leather armor steps out after her. "I’m Urgrin. Most call me Urgrin the Everyman. I haul rocks, patch up armor, feed the cat, whatever needs to be done around here. And you lot must be the Pathfinders we were expecting!"
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Arin watches calmly as Pai's reaction comes gushing out.
Yes, this is something. If you're head architect, I assume there is a crew hanging around somewhere? This looks like a lot of work!
After they respond and there is some more banter about the structures here, Arin dives into the purpose of their visit.
So, we are the Pathfinders you expected from Kreighton, but interestingly we're not entirely sure what we expect to find here. We were only left the clue "an old noble’s tale" as relevant to this location. It seems to be a riddle, or otherwise vague message. Does that mean anything to you?
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"Yes, they are working inside." Helga answers to Arin's question. "The riddle does not mean anything to me and I can't give you more clues." she says and shrugs. "We have only imported beer, sorry. Come with us, we will lead you to the cavern's entrance. It's about a half day's walk. On the way there I'd love to hear your adventure stories. Stories make the time go by faster."
Helga and Urgin believe that the cavern is haunted, having heard unnatural screams coming from deep within. Their fellow soldiers never believed them, dismissing it as superstition. Since it was just on the edge of their patrol route, the two had all the excuses they needed to avoid investigating the source prior to this moment.
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Aye they do. After my initial mission for the Society, I have been sent all over the realms. Varisia, the Mwangi expanse. the Linnorm Kigdoms and Minkai...wherever my blade and other skills are required, I go as needed. It would be nice to have a bit of a break from it all. I could go back and catch up with my brothers and sister. They are all agents too. Our father trained us in the art of this blade... he says tapping the hilt of his wickedly curved sword. The style lends itself to the quicker type...a trait bred in us from our mother. She was nimble as an elf...always getting the better of our dad in sparring. She got badly hurt in an accident at sea working for our family's shipping company. A beam clipped her knee and there was no priest around. It healed wrong and she had to retire. But, she had us after that...had to settle down. But enough about me...what can you tell me about this cavern? It must have taken years upon years to do this...even with dwarves doing the work...[
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"Well, I was part of a team that was handling missions that also took us to a great many places...made some great trade connections. Katapesh, Mwangi, even Jalmeray. Protecting elixirs of immortality, helping the foolish venture captains more than once, and even dealing with ghosts. Arin here has been with me on a few of these missions." Rook adds not wanting to go into any heavy detail.
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I mainly hunt undead, and do whatever I can to destroy them. Unintelligent undead like zombies and skeletons, I try to bring them the peace of the grave they were deprieved of. Sentient and evil undead... They corrupt the soil they walk on. I know there are incorporeal undead, but I have yet to face one, and I guess I'm not ready for that.