Ykka winces as Slick Rick flops around on the stump, "back to town I guess."
"Oh. Why didn't I think of that. Good plan. " He holds up a hand of caution, "Take care in what you choose to eat."
You made your way back to the Feedlot and found Tamli and the others waiting for you. Tamli spoke almost as soon as the door opened.
"There you are! The sheriff was in here just a bit ago telling us you found the sniveling goblin who poisoned Bort, and the bastard that put him up to it. Good job! We were hoping you'd be back soon to fill us in."
Dahros nods "Sure did. Wasn't just a goblin though, there was a sniveling human involved in it as well. Looks like it's more than those two though. Tell me, what do you know of Hallod?"
Rick waits behind Dahros, whispering suggestions to him. "ask him about the corpse blood... and any suspicious deliveries or payments... maybe just ask what they know about smuggling?"
"Hallod? That brute that acts as a porter and sometimes guide? About what I just told you. Sheriff said he was the one that bullied the goblin into poisoning Bort. I didn't know they had a history."
When Rick prompted Dahros about the reagents and smuggling, Tamli's face darkened. She said, "Look, I don't know what you're getting at, but Bort kept pretty meticulous records. Maybe if you looked in his log books you'd learn something more."
Dahros nods "That's exactly what we were suggesting, looking at their logbooks. I'm glad you agree. Now. If you could so kindly show us these logbooks."
"They're in Bort's wagon. Let's go."
Tamli escorted you to Bort's wagon where it was parked in the lot. She unlatched the door and motioned you inside. The merchant wagon was large enough, but cramped for more than a couple of people.
Tamli said, "Try not to make too much of a mess. We'll need to sort though all this at some point, but I'd rather not ransack the place."
That was going to be more difficult than it might have sounded. Bort's wagon was completely filled with knickknacks and keepsakes from his travels. His belongings are truly a bewildering assortment of odds and ends, including a bottle with a tiny skull floating in oil, a taxidermic dragon whelp, a mummified owlbear paw, a shining crystal that holds the illusionary image of a mountain peak inside, and so on. But, for all the clutter, the wagon seemed to be well-organized, and you found Bort's books on a rack above his bed.
The books were large, and most were completely filled with details about his travels and transactions over many years. If that wasn't enough, Bort seemed to have used a personal cypher to write in, a combination of shorthand and codes that were going to hurt Dahros' head if he had to look at them for very long. With Tamli's help, he pulled the books out and passed them on to the others to carry inside. This was going to be a long effort.
Ykka sits down at the table to take a look at the books. While her own system of shorthand is somewhat similar, she struggles to identify what Bort was doing. She reflects on how well he hid what he was doing from his close friends and tries to ascertain if he's used any false flags within the books to confuse anyone who might find them.
Rick shuffled through some papers, his face framed with boredom.
Rick managed to pry his attention from the papers to look up at Tamli, "Did you ever notice any dealings that seemed particularly off? Any goods that Bort was particularly sensitive about? I don't mean to insinuate that you were involved in anything out of sorts, naturally you would not be, but you have a sharp eye and your position with Bort may have helped you spot things others would not have noticed."
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Skittles sits with Rick and helps him study and inspect the journals.
"Ahh yes. His ciphers he used here... Quite elementary. I was doing this back in grade school. Its pretty obvious, here let me show you."
She shows Rick her findings, and pulls out a pipe beginning to smoke it.
"But i wonder just how this all relates here" she ponders outloud
"Look, being a merchant is all about moving items that are of low worth in one area to areas where they are of higher value. Smuggling isn't...how to say this so it doesn't sound like I'm about to tear your head off and spit down the hole? Some things are illegal, or on the gray side of legal, or even legal but frowned upon in one area that are absolutely fine elsewhere. Take tansy tisane for example. In Quadira, you can be jailed for a month for even having a single sachet on your person, but in most of the rest of the world it is sold in practically every herbalist's shop. So yes, sometimes we would bring items that were frowned upon through certain areas, but Bort had some hard rules: no poisons, no weapons, and no demonology."
While you chatted with Tamli, Skittles was able to break the initial cypher, but the shorthand was giving her problems. It took about 4 hours before all of you managed to break enough of the code to look through the books and find useful info. By this time, it was getting late in the day. Apparently, Bort visited Etran’s Folly at least 22 times in the past decade, and about five years ago the merchant started making deliveries labeled “reagents” to someone referred to only as “H,” receiving rather large sums of gold in exchange. These deliveries are numbered, starting with 1 and ending with delivery number 14, which occurred the day the caravan arrived in town.
"I meant no offense Tamli, I understand that laws can be fickle and sometimes downright absurd. Those seem like as good a set of rules as any to work by... and we do what we gotta do to make some scratch. Did you notice any recurring persons related to these dealings? Did the latest delivery, number 14, occur? Do you know what that delivery was? Any specific place that these deliveries were directed to?"
"No idea. Bort had private clients, and I didn't know about any of them."
"Okay... so we know Bort was delivering reagents to Hallod with the corpse blood being the last of the deliveries. Presumably we've missed out on the drop from Hallod to 'V' and we don't have any leads on how to find her. Maybe we circle up with the elf the sheriff mentioned had been looking for us? Perhaps inspiration will strike along the way."
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"Come on now. How long have you been running with Bort? Can't you see we are trying to help? Do us a favor, and try a little yourself. Now think. According to his journal hes delivered these reagents to 'H' many times. We assume that is Hallod. Would you agree? Now 'V'. Please, think. Does that ring a bell at all to you?"
"Look, Skittles. You can get as sassy as you like, but maybe someone can explain to you what "no idea" means. I. Have. No. Idea. He never talked to me about it. He never mentioned client initials. For all I know he was delivering to someone named Veronica. Is that your middle name? Are you this mysterious 'V'? How can I know?"
"Alright, alright. We're all on same side here, no reason to get snippy. We're all a little sensitive given what's happened, so let's just take a deep breath and figure out who I can smash."
Ykka throws her hands up in the air, "this is a waste of time. He doesn't know anything. Let's go find the elf."
"Or see if we can find the elf before they're back to their place to rest for the evening. I could use some myself to be honest."
You decide to search for the elf before turning in for the night, but as soon as she heard your intentions, Delma said, "If you're talking about Noala, she'll be back here tomorrow. She said she wanted a word with you. Well, actually, she was looking for the crew that killed those wolves up the road. I told her Bort said it was you lot. She wants to talk with you."
Ykka thanks Delma and heads to her room. The following morning she's up early, picking at some food as she waits for the others to join her.
The next morning, after you had breakfasted, you left the Feedlot to poke around town. A woman shrouded in a heavy brown cloak trimmed with leaves marches up to you, pulling a simple wooden sledge behind her. As she approaches, she brings the sledge to one side and uncovers her cargo, a pile of wolf carcasses. She turns to you, and despite having her cloak’s hood pulled low, you can make out weathered lips and a slender chin. In a pointed tone, she asks, “Is this your work?”
Rick looks apologetically at the apparent druid-elf. "Had we any option to try to calm them or divert them we would have. Self defense was our last resort."
"Oh, I'm certainly not blaming you for anything. I'd seen some of their handiwork in the forest and was planning on tracking them down myself. But, when I found the bodies, I knew that someone was in the area that was at least martially competent in the woods. You see, there have been more and more of these blighted creatures showing up over the last year or so, and I need help dealing with them. No one around here is capable of more than basic hunting, and certainly not hunting something that hunts you back. I came to ask your help, and Delma said you were good people, so..."
She seemed to hesitate for a moment, then pulled her arm out from beneath her cloak and swept her hood back. He long, swept back ears made clear her elven heritage. The burn scars on the right side of her face spoke of past tragedy. So did the leather gauntlet on her glove that replaced her fingers with a kind of hook mechanism that would allow her to fire her bow, although it must greatly reduce her rate of fire and accuracy.
"I need help. I can pay, though not much. These people are my charge, and I am honor bound to protect them. I just don't think I am up to what I am finding. Will you help me track down the source of the blight that is killing this land and mutating its creatures?"
Rick quirks an eye at her statement. "Care to elaborate a bit on what you mean by 'the people are your charge'? I'm sure my friends here, Dahros Wolfblight included, would be all too keen to assist for the low cost of gold and pudding, though not necessarily in that order."
"I've lived in this area all my life. When I took up the ranger's mantle, this is where I stayed. During the Goblinblood wars, this was the area I protected, and it was where I settled after my injury. This land and the people that live on it are mine to protect. In what little way I can, these days."
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"We will certainly be willing to offer our help, but we ask for your in return. One of our friends, Bort, has been murdered by none other than the man here known as Hallod. We are investigating, and it appears that there was some shady trade deals going on, specifically with some alchemical reagents, and someone with the initial V. Perhaps this is related to the blight that is mutating the creatures. Its plausible, and its also the only lead we have. My name is Skittles, alchemist by trade. I will be glad to lend my aid if it helps us get to the bottom of this mystery."
"I am Noala. It might be that your goal and mine intertwine. I know not. But, I will assist you in your quest if you assist me. I can also provide some small coin, and training in wilderness skills and bow use for anyone who wishes. Do we have a deal?"
"Sounds like a deal to me."
Dahros clears his throat and steps in front of Skittles and holds up a finger, asking clarification "Excuse me. Noala, right? What type of pudding and how much gold? Maybe I missed that part."
"Umm..is this some kind of joke? I don't actually have pudding, though I suppose I could get Amora to make you some as a favor. About the gold...well, I don't have that much. But, I am sure we can work something out. "
“These wolves aren’t the first, and I am afraid they won’t be the last. Worse still, the forest itself is turning sour. Plants and trees are withering, bearing bitter fruit that sickens and kills those who eat it. If you’ve been out to the old orchard, you’ve seen it. The blight is growing, and I need your help to stop it.”
"Come with me to one of the blight locations. You can see for yourself what is going on and maybe how you can help me stop it. If that goes well, there are other locations in the woods. I'd pack for a few days, if I were you. We may be able to get back to town quickly."
Ykka pipes upm "is there anything, in particular, we should bring with us? Any way to stall the blight at least?"
"No idea. That's why I need your help. Bring whatever you think will help."
"I'm going to bring a Dahros. It's pretty effective against wolves. Gotta keep feeding it but it'll eat damn near anything."
Once you have all your materials and weapons ready for travel, Noala headed out, with you in tow. The ranger pulled off the road after barely a half mile out of town, taking to a trail that only those most familiar with the forest could see. The trail was narrow, a game trail, and no horse or wagon would have made it through the gaps in the trees and underbrush that Noala led you through. It was late in the morning when she slowed and held a hand up for you to do likewise.
"We're here. See how the leaves in the trees ahead look sickly brown instead of a vibrant green? It will only get worse as we get closer to the blight."
The presence of rot increases with every step you take, and Noala slows to a stop once more, turns to look at you, saying, “This is where those wolves came from, I am sure of it. Somewhere ahead is their den, but I will leave that for you to explore. If you need my help, you will find me out here. I am going to set up snares and make sure nothing gets out of this rotten copse.”
Ykka thanks Noala and looks around, "hopefully I'll be able to smell them before we're on top of the den. Who wants to lead? I'll hold off playing anything until we find something."
Rick silently points to Dahros.
Ykka takes up the rear, (violin) bow at the ready.
"Wolves are no problem, I've killed boar, bear and life-stealing pudding in the last day. Who's afraid of a little furball? Let' go." Dahros declares, setting off.
Perception
dahros
d'log
rick
skittles
ykka
bushes
As Skittles moved into the clearing and took shelter by one of the bushes in the center, d'Log and Dahros noticed tendrils from the bushes reaching out for her. Rick also noticed, and was the first to act!
R1: rick, d'log, dahros, bushes, skittles, ykka
map is updated!
current status:
d'log 26/26
dahros 32/32
rick 24/24
skittles 28/28
ykka 28/28
Dahros is confused.
"Uhm. Am I supposed to hit the bush?" he asks as tendrils reach for Skittles.
He nods, "I'm hitting the bush!" and swings his warhammer.
After missing completely he declares "I'm not hitting the bush!" and so he swings again, trying a second time.