You make your way to Miss Lyons house. When you get there and knock on the door, it is opened by a young Tien man with dyed white hair.
When he sees you, he seems to become vaguely annoyed. “This is the third day in a row you have come to bother my ward! Leave now and please quit calling. She does not want visitors.”
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"Hello sir! We are in fact not here to bother anyone, but have been requested to investigate the matter of the Mosquito Witch issue. I am Phineas Hatt, Pathfinder, and purveyor of fine spirits. These are my associates, also Pathfinders, not purveyors of spirits. Who might I have the pleasure of addressing?"
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Helène follows up Anna's suggestion and wheat bread to go. That seems more appropriate for an old lady than a heavy cornbread.
"Good idea Max," Helène offers as she keeps her arms moving around her head in a vain attempt to ward off the pests. "We may even get some more information on the other new arrivals in town."
As they seem to be blocked from seeing Ms. Lyons, Helène takes her cue from Phineas. She puts on her most professional mannerism. "Indeed, we are Pathfinders. And we do apologize for bothering you. We can only imagine that she's already been visited by quite a number of thrill-seekers or horror enthusiasts. However, we have not just been sent to investigate the Mosquito Witch, but also to deal with the recent... escalation of the trouble besetting the town. Really, we hope to get to the bottom of this and just hope to be thorough in our investigation." She produces the packaged loaf of bread. "We have brought something to eat, if that might mollify Ms. Lyons?"
The man replies “I am Regis Toshida, a priest of Tsukiyo and attendant. She is not currently taking visitors.” He seems unswayed by the various diplomatic attempts of the group.
He is just about to close the door when Max points out how distressed all of the remaining residents are from the mosquitoes. Max goes on to point out how useful it is when dealing with the spirits to learn from a past witness.
The priest has the door half closed, and pauses.
Peering out at you, he says “Realize that Miss Lyons is not in good health. I will ask you to leave immediately should you fail to show respect or somehow cause her distress!”
He waits a moment, then convinced that you will respect her he opens the door and let’s you in.
The house is small, the entrance opening directly into the sitting room. In the room you see a frail old woman sitting in a wooden rocking chair, wrapped in a quilted blanket. Her hands shake badly and she makes no immediate response to your entry. She just stares out a window at the clouds of mosquitoes visible through it.
Regis tells you “I do not know if she will even speak with you, but I will allow you to try.” He stands in the archway off to the side, it looks like beyond that is the kitchen.
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Who else has been visiting?
Teja steps forward. Gesturing to the priest she asks "Could you put on a kettle of tea for us? I often find people talk more with a hot cup in their hand."Or a cold mug, but she looks like a tea drinker to me.
She pauses, following him into the kitchen. "Who was it you thought we were? Who has been bothering Ms Lyons?"
After securing a cup of tea for the old lady she steps forward and offers a respectful bow to the old lady.
"Excuse me Miss Lyons. I am Teja, and we were hoping that you might be able to tell us about the Mosquito witch."
Regis goes into the kitchen and starts a pot of tea boiling. He looks distrustful as Teja follows him.
When she asks who else had visited, Regis looks at Teja as if she were insane. “It is your group, I recognize you. It does no good pretending it was some other group.”
It takes a while for the water to boil.
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Max nods thoughtfully running his hand down his face.
Assuming we haven’t lost time:
Sir we arrived in town only this morning by boat. We visited the barber and the baker and came here directly after. I don’t believe my companions have called on Miss Lyons before and I am quite certain I haven’t.
If I have stubble or otherwise realize we have lost time I bring that to the groups’ attention.
Regis does not seem convinced, but since you have not caused Miss Lyons any distress he does not interfere.
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Tasaria gives polite greetings to Regis and thanks him for his trust. "I assure you, we will do all we can to prevent harm or distress to your charge. I am baffled and a little concerned at your having already seen us when we have only just arrived. Are you by chance prone to premonitions or visions? Regardless, I am pleased to see such care provided to one in need. How did you come to this post? Have you worked with Miss Lyons for long?"
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Teja looks confused.
"Wait... you saw our group visit *yesterday*?" she asks in amazement.
"We only just got into town today. You can check with the people down on the wharf if you don't believe me. And quite frankly I have no reason to want to lie about this. Have you seen us anywhere else around town over the last few days?"
Okay, this is getting weird.
She points to Regis "Did he have a beard on when you saw him? Or was he clean shaven?"
If someone was impersonating us, he would have had a beard, surely?
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Helène nods politely to Regis as she enter. Priest of Tsukiyo? Doesn't sound familiar. She's appreciative of Teja's suggestion for tea. Good, let's take it slow. Best to put Ms. Lyons and her attendant at ease first.
Those thoughts fade as Regis remarks that their group had been here before. That's awkward. She's about to write it off as a lapse in memory - or insanity? - on the part of Regis, but she's not sure.
She tries to steer her group towards the goal of their visit. We should at least try and speak to Ms. Lyons before we upset her attendant so much that he'll throw us out. "It's an odd occurrence indeed, but let's not ignore Ms. Lyons over such trivialities." She moves a bit closer to the woman. "Ms. Lyons, we've come to keep you company for a while. There's tea and we've brought fresh bread. Would you like some?"
Regis brings out the tea along with some very battered tea cups. As he places them on a table near the rocker, he says “I thought you were here to talk to Miss Lyons, not interrogate me.”
Looking to Tasaria, he tells her “I took this duty on about five years ago, replacing the previous priest. As for visions, none that I recognize as such.”
Looking to Teja he says “I wouldn’t call it a full beard, more like the shadow that some men get when they haven’t shaved in a few days.”
None of you think he is lying but you know that you weren’t even in Shimmerford when he claims you visited Miss Lyons. He doesn’t appear delusional or otherwise mentally addled.
Miss Lyons does not give any indication that she has even noticed your presence yet. She makes no response as Teja offers her food. She does seem disconnected from her surroundings.
Phineas doesn’t see any tears in her eyes. He can’t tell if that is because she currently has no reason to cry or because she is incapable of crying.
At mention of the Mosquito Witch, Miss Lyons eyes focus and she stares at Teja. After a few moments, she looks around at the rest of you.
“It was all just a joke to them,” the old woman says, her voice pinched thin with bitterness.
“They pretended to care, a little, when they were all scared that they would be next. Not much, even then.”
Her eyes unfocus again as she begins her story. “It was up on Witchtop Hill. Up to the north, a little left of the three boulders and past the bend in the stream. We thought it was a dead animal at first, lying on the ground.” She shudders at the memory.
“It was when we got close that it sprung up, tall as a full-grown man. Came after us on its thin little legs. Didn't matter how fast we ran, it was right behind us. I thought my heart would burst with the running. It was only when we got to town that we dared to look back. But we didn't find it. Just sharp footprints in the mud, and smears of sickly-sweet blood.”
Her eyes refocus and the bitterness of the memories is clear on her face and in her voice. “And them, with their masks and their dolls and their festivals. They didn't know what it was like. To have it in their dreams at night, to wake up with its little paper dolls by the bed. If they'd seen it, they'd never have dared. They don't know what it's like to see its eyes in every filthy little bug, for the whining of those insects to be like screaming in my ears.”
Mordha clams her mouth shut, before speaking again, in a trembling tone. “It took something from me. And I don't remember it. I don't remember it. No one will ever remember it.”
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Preferably not leading the convo here, speaking to the group:
who are “they”? Her friends from when she was a teen? We should ask if she thinks the current situation is related to what she saw? Should we ask for details on what she saw it doesn’t sound like a bloodseeker?
If there’s enough here to prompt a recall knowledge I’ll definitely try.
Also noting the directions she provided to where she saw it.
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Helène listens intently, drawn in by the recount of the Ms. Lyons' experience. For a moment she forgets the mosquito's buzzing around her. She stores the information about where she had seen the Mosquito witch, although the landscape might have changed in the years since that day.
She nods at Max's questions. "Indeed, I had understood that she was the only one to have see it. It seems now like she was with a group." Mordha's tale paints a vivid picture, of course, but Helène prefers to keep some distance. She could have suffered some kind of trauma that day, and filled in the blanks. The fact that the source of her terror was exploited so joyfully over the years wouldn't have helped her mental health. Poor woman.
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Odd, stick like legs? Doesn't sound like the stirges..
She takes out a paper and ink. "Do you think you would be able to draw it for us... so we would recognise it if we saw it?" she asks hopefully. All this time she keeps an eye on the priest, not wanting him to throw them out, and still not understanding why others were impersonating the group.
“Even in my younger years I wasn’t an artist.” She holds out her shaking hand. “Now I don’t think I could even hold my hand still enough to draw a straight line.”
She looks to Regis and says “If there is one you haven’t burned yet, you can let them have it.”
He shakes his head. “Knowing how much their presence distresses you, I have already destroyed them all.”
Looking to the group, he describes the dolls. “They are small figurines folded from a single sheet of paper. They are very similar to the corn husk dolls some people have made for past festivals.”
“We don’t know how they get into her room. I have tried staying up all night in order to catch whatever miscreant leaves them with no success.” Sadly shaking his head, he admits “I have no idea who is doing it or how they leave them.”
Miss Lyons then says “I tire of this. I have told you what I saw. Please leave.”
Regis opens the door so you can leave.
You file out of her house and gather in the street.
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As the group leaves, Teja turns to Regis.
"Can you remember exactly when you last saw a group that looks like us? It sounds like someone is trying to trick Ms Lyons, and that they knew we were coming is concerning... I'd like to know how long they have known... as we only found out about our trip a day or so ago."
“Your first visit was two days ago, and then again yesterday. I do hope not to see you tomorrow!”
You make your way to The Whitefish and Stag.
The Inn is the tallest building in Shimmerford and one of the few with a view of the town gates. As you enter, a man comes over and introduces himself.
“Hello, I’m Callum Shay. Welcome to The Whitefish and the Stag!”
With a broad gesture towards the common room he says “This is my Inn. As I don’t recognize you, you must be new arrivals in town. Will you be needing a room? How long do you plan to stay?”
“Regis? The guy who looks after Miss Lyons?” He thinks a moment, then replies “I’m not sure exactly, at least three years I believe.”
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As the make their way to the inn, Helène takes a moment to chat with Teja. "I don't believe that 'imposter' theory for one moment. It's really farfetched, and who could have motive - or the opportunity - to outfit an entire group of people to look like us. It seems more like Regis was mistaken. Or maybe he has visions of the future that he can't keep straight?"
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She gives Callum a friendly nod. "Yes, we just arrived today. Not sure how long we'll be staying. Until we get to this bottom of this, which is," - she rubs at a mosquito bite - "not too long."
She follows up on Teja's question. "There's quite a bit of newcomers these days, aren't there? We've already met the Tian woman and her dog, and heard something about a nervous-looking man." She hopes to invite Callum to share something about them of his own initiative.
“I don’t know Regis that well, pretty much keeps to himself. On the other hand he doesn’t seem like the type to pull a prank or lie.” With a shrug, he says “Don’t know what to tell you,”
Callum’s smile wavers for a moment at the mention of the nervous man, then he says “I know of whom you speak. Strange fellow, that. You will find him in the far corner of the common room.” He gestures towards the archway that leads there.
He swats at a mosquito that lands on him.
Teja sees a haggard human with dark messy hair, stubble forming a goatee, and gaunt cheeks. He is hunched over and muttering to himself as he turns a paper doll over in his hands. The sweat from his skin is starting to cause the paper to melt into something horrific looking.
“An idiot. An absolute idiot...” The man laughs sadly to himself, before jerking himself upright. “Oh, wait, you're... where are my manners? Sorry. Introductions. I'm Quintus. Quintus Chevunier.”
“Friend? Do you already know me? No, I think this is our first meeting!”
“It's following me. Ha... hah hahaha! Of course its following me. I'm being stalked by a doll!” Quintus crushes the paper in his hands.
Looking at the crushed paper doll, he says “'The iron cave will fall'... what is that supposed to mean? What do you want from me?!” It is unclear if that last bit was directed at you or the doll.
You notice there is some jagged writing on the scarf of the paper doll.
Almost as if he were relieved to get rid of it, Quintus almost throws the doll at Teja. "Please take it!"
Looking at it, Teja can make out the words "The Iron cave will fall" written on what would be the scarf of the paper doll. There doesn't appear to be anything really special about the paper. You don't know of any shops that produce or sell paper, although it wouldn't be surprising if there were some at a general store.
"I try to leave it behind and it reappears in my pocket, next to my bed, or in my boot! Even burning them doesn't work!"
Looking to Chug, he asks "Didn't I just explain that?" He does seem slightly confused as to if he did or not. "Yes, they reappear -- sometimes with things written on them. I have no idea what it means! I hope I find out in time."
“Ever since I came too close to this damned town! It wants me here!”
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"And how long ago was that?" asks Teja. "Days? Weeks? Why do you think it wants you here?" she continues her questions.
"And what happens if you try to leave?"
She examines the doll as well as she can. "Can any of you detect signs of magic on it?" she asks hopefully.
"Paper is not that common. There are the dolls at the old ladies house too. I think we should swing past the general store after we get our rooms sorted out - see if he recognises the paper...or the 'iron cave'"