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Salliss and Pip search the shelves of the chapel, uncovering census records and historical documents detailing the history of the town’s inhabitants and notable events in the town’s history, including festivals, feasts, and the like. As they search, Salliss finds a small corpse—charred, broken, and its features mostly burned away—resting against the pew. The corpse is covered in a layer of fine ash and scraps of charred fabric that seem to be all that remains of the clothing it once wore. Around its neck is a soot-covered chain bearing an ankh. Pip's perceptive eye spots lying underneath a pew a charred wayfinder.
Tarafi and Trildyn find nothing in the armory except for dust. However, as Trildyn passes by a window, she sees a gray horse head staring intently into the armory—unlike the previous, this one seems alive!
Clad in barding featuring green and gold caparisons and bearing leather saddlebags, the gray horse lingers on the fringes of Goldenflame. Considering the circumstances, it looks healthy and strong. However, as you approach, it backs away in distrust, puffing quick jets of air in displeased snorts, but it does not run.
In the meantime, Tarbh walks over to the general store. The dank inside is faintly lit by the sunlight outside, and the store has a most peculiar odor. As Tarbh begins inspecting shelves, he comes across a large, foul patch of moldy food, and before he can react, the stinking mold shoots out a gout of spores!
Tarbh gets a faceful of the spores, and they fill his lungs, forcing from him a pained cough!
However, Tarbh manages to cough out the spores. He feels better, but still a bit weak from the inhalation. On the bright side, after searching the rest of the store—careful to avoid any further mold—he finds a full bag of rolled oats that seem to be intact.
+1 circumstance Trap Finder
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Coughing and sputtering, Tarbh steps back out into the fresh air and takes a deep breath. He goes off to look for others, to warn them about the mold. He does a double-take when he sees Trildyn heading off toward a horse and, hefting the bag of oats in his hands, heads off to join her. "Hey horse, want some chow?"
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Sallis sets aside the records he thinks are most valuable — including the census and records of festivals. When he finds the corpse, he quickly calls Pip over as well.
When Pip finds the wayfinder, he asks “Any inscription?”
He carefully examines the scorch marks, hoping for a clue as to how the person died. Shaking his head, he says “Can’t tell what caused the scorch marks. Unless you know, we may need to have Tarafi look at this.”
Checking his notes, he points out “Gibb did fire magic, this might be them.”
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“Think it is time to call in the others then.”
Going to the door, Sallis looks around. Provided he sees no immediate signs of danger, he calls out “We found a body. Tarafi, if you aren’t busy there is something we would like you to look at!”
Looking back at the body, he adds “If someone is really good at medicine, they may want to have a look as well!”
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Salliss examines the scorch marks carefully, but conclusion eludes him. Pip also can't quite make out the details of the body, nor does she notice any name inscribed on the wayfinder.
Hearing Salliss call him over, Tarafi scampers to the chapel. He kneels down, examining the body and noting the various details.
Tarafi nods sagely. "Erm, yes! It seems the flames that caused these marks were magical—most assuredly the result of a spell cast by this poor soul."
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"Woah, there, horsey. Y'ain't likely to find many other friendly, livin' folk 'round here, so how 'bout ya play nice, huh? Here, I gotcha some oats!"
"Where'd you come from, 'nyway?" Tarbh says, admiring the animal as it eats. "Who brought a fine horse like you out here?"
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The horse gives Trildyn the side eye as it passes her toward Tarbh. It nickers softly, then moves to gently eat the oats. The horse, however, stays calm as Trildyn and Tarbh examine its saddle, saddlebags, and barding.
The horse's barding features a large engraving of the Glyph of the Open Road and gold-and-green caparisons. The saddle is engraved with the name "Desert Wind" on the sides and a smaller etching reading "Property of Larraz Virtanne." One saddlebag is empty, but the other contains two minor healing potions.
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"Desert Wind, huh? That's a good name fer a horse. Where's yer buddy Larraz, though?" Tarbh checks the horse over, looking for any wounds, then looks through the saddlebags. "Well, I bet good ol' Larraz won't mind, huh?" Tarbh pops the cap off one of the minor healing potions and quickly chugs it down, putting the empty bottle back in the saddlebag and the other potion in his pocket.
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"How 'bout we take you over to that nice-lookin' paddock over there whilest I check out the tavern, huh?"
Tarbh guides Desert Wind over to the paddock, then pushes his way into the tavern (pausing to look for more nasty mold first). He whistles when he sees the destruction within, then sets to looking around. "Dang. Somethin' good happened here, an' then something real bad happened."
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Tarafi looks relieved when others seem to bond with the horse, not favoring the idea of getting covered in oat dust and horse slobber.
He gathers himself and tries to look brave. I'll check the apothecary!
He looks at everyone out of the corner of his eye, clearly hopeful someone will go with him.
Inside the apothecary:
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Tarafi doesn't hear any movement in the closet, and when Trildyn opens it up, she discovers a dusty collection of candles, oils, and dried herbs—therapeutic materials that would be valuable to the right buyer. The two scour the rest of the apothecary, but nothing else of value seems to remain.
Meanwhile, Salliss and Pip continue to inspect the body from the chapel. After some frowns from Pip over not being able to remember the nature of the symbol, Salliss loads the body into a sack and puts it on his donkey.
To the south, Tarbh leads the calm Desert Wind to the paddock near the tavern, where the horse idly grazes and shuffles his hooves.
Tarbh notices a bloodied body lying in a corner, remains of undead scattered nearby. This corpse has been heavily damaged by zombie teeth. A broken piece of plate armor lies nearby, bearing iconography of a flame and the hilt of a sword.
After searching further, Tarbh finds some small guest rooms off the main tavern. Inside a bedside table, he also finds a purse containing 10 sp.
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Tarbh, Trildyn, and Tarafi gather around the body in the tavern, although they all stand around scratching their heads at the details of the corpse.
Meanwhile, Pip and Salliss explore the guardhouse. Barely anything remains but dusty furniture, but the two find a low-grade cold iron buckler beneath the bed.
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Picking up the buckler, Sallis says “Maybe Trildyn could use this. Given what we saw, I think Tarbh would forget it as soon as a battle started.”
Not finding anything else of interest, he suggests “Shall we see what the others have found?”
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Tavern
When he finds the others in the tavern, Sallis tells the others what he has found so far and listens to their information.
He then tries to see if he can find any clues on the body.
T
“Looks like this was a gnome or halfling.” With an apologetic look towards Pip, he admits “I can’t be sure which,”
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Although Pip does not recognize the imagery on the tavern sign, she does recognize the armor. "This person was a Knight of Ozem who worshipped Iomedae." She speaks reverently, kneeling by the body. Then she looks at the notes on the missing Pathfinders. "Kalli worshipped Shelyn. Raelyn worshipped Abadar. Besides, a Knight of Ozem would be one of the most unlikely of Pathfinders, since their duties kept them in Lastwall. I don't think they were one of our Pathfinders at all."
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Working together, Salliss and Pip come to a conclusion on the body in the tavern. They then prepare the body for recovery.
Tarafi nods in reverence at Pip's observation, then picks up the knight's armor, thinking the Knights of Lastwall might appreciate the recovery of a belonging of one of their own.
With expert skill, Trildyn manages to get the cart back into working order, although it seems a bit rickety.
Seeing they have investigated all of the buildings in town, the group moves toward Goldenflame College. As the party travels along the path leading out from town to the college, they notice a faint but growing sense of dread, and everyone sees to the southwest the movement of faint shadows on the horizon, moving toward the town, almost like living mountains. Salliss, with his exceptional eyesight, notes that the shadows are moving quickly and might reach town in the coming hours.
The college, although now run down, bears signs of its once-beautiful architecture: dirty and ivy-wrapped columns, majestic archways, and a partially intact stained-glass window depicting Iomedae herself.
Two wide staircases lead into the college. Engraved in the stone is “Goldenflame College, Est. 4083 AR." On one of the staircases rests a small corpse, its hand outstretched toward the door. The body is clad in dirtied white-and-red robes with gold trim, shredded from the back as if by cruel claws. A small notebook has fallen nearby, its pages stained with blood.
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