Urzok voraciously eats the offered breakfast, even going back for seconds if they're available. "Thanks, Gnome, this hits the spot!" He goes to sit in the same position next to Boodiddly and continues rereading his books.
________
Hero Points have Reset
Shakur fails to find anything of note.
Boodiddly manages to find a few references to the Briarstone Witch.
Urzok hits a slight dead end—apparently religious connections to the Briarstone Witch are few and far between.
Jevar searches through some of the tomes and discovers some easy-to-find information on the isle itself.
Wealday Afternoon 30 Rova, 4716
Round 4
====================
Cleaning RP: 3
Asylum RP: 4
Isle RP: 2
Witch RP: 3
Urzok
Jevar
Shakur
Boodiddly
====================
Island-wide exorcism, or island-wide theatre. I wonder...
Jevar mutters to himself, after going over several chapters that he found about the asylum's island.
After a ten-minute break to pace around their work-table he continues on the same subject.
Unfortunately he begins to get frustrated at how more information about the isle isn't very centralized in the books.
Urzok glares at the stack of books he just went through. Useless pieces of paper! Should have let the ratlings have you. He grumbles before reluctantly picking them back up again and trying to comb them over with a different focus. What about Thrushmoor instead of religion?
________
Shakur spends the day looking into the Witch, but finds nothing in that as well.
"Hmm. Back to the drawing board, then? This witch seems to be, for lack of a better term, godless. Jevar, can we get your help with that tomorrow? Maybe you'll have better luck with non-religious texts?"
Jevar starts losing focus in the second half of the day. Determined to push through he takes a 10 minute break to go scrounge up the supplies to brew some thick, black coffee. With a freshly buzzed brain he returns to the same book.
”That’s... odd.” Boodiddly pauses to look at Shakur and Urzok nearby. ”Apparently this witch wasn’t hated when she first showed up? And she was accompanied by our favorite nightmare monster? Did the stories change, or did she?” Frowning, he gets back to work.
Jevar searches through several of the documents and easily finds some information on the isle’s history.
Urzok tries to go through the previous books with a different focus, but in doing so he mixes up many of the already-read books with the not-yet-read books, confusing the poor redheaded gnome into going through some of the same tomes.
Shakur attempts to learn more about the witch from a religious viewpoint, but finds that Thrushmoor’s religious views at the time seemed…different…In any case, if this woman worshipped a god, it’s not one Shakur has heard of.
Oathday Morning 31 Rova, 4716
Round 5
====================
Cleaning RP: 3
Asylum RP: 4
Isle RP: 4
Witch RP: 2
Urzok
Jevar
Shakur
Boodiddly
====================
"Huh. Tell you what, Urzok - let's get some sleep, and in the morning we'll sort through these books again. I stacked them without you the first time, so it's only natural you wouldn't know what my system was." Boodiddly pauses to chuckle. "Of course, that's assuming I had one in the first place!"
The morning brings with it the smell of coffee as the gnome returns to the same pile of books once more.
Wow, even the construction of this place was beset with odd, gruesome events... The tone for this place was set even before the final stone was laid.
Jevar recounts the story of the Captain overseeing the project, should the others ask. After, they retire for the night.
The next morning, the wizard approaches the stacks of books again, feeling the end is near.
Okay, I think we've covered about all we can about everything but the witch. I guess there's no avoiding it now...
Urzok nods his head in understanding at Boodiddly's words, but it's clear from the tension in his jaw that he's pretty peeved with himself. I can't let them think I'm just a dopey Orc! "I'm going for a walk to clear my head."
The next morning, he's up early and has made eggs for everyone, just like Boodiddly did before. They aren't quite as good and it took him a little longer, but the effort was there. He sits down next to Boodiddly and it is pretty clear that he's determined to prove himself today. "Alright Gnome, I've got a special feeling about today. Let's do this!" Do it.
________
"Never seen Urzok so chipper in the morning." Shakur blurts as he finishes his morning tea. "Give me a few more minutes please. Go be enthusiastic...over there or something."
Boodiddly searches through the books, but is still slightly disoriented from the confusion Urzok caused.
Shakur indeed has a bad morning.
Jevar finally dives into research about the witch, and even finds a few references to supposed acts caused by the witch.
Urzok dives right into reading, finding several passages that make reference to the witch quite easily—almost eerily so.
Oathday Afternoon 31 Rova, 4716
Round 6
====================
Cleaning RP: 3
Asylum RP: 4
Isle RP: 4
Witch RP: 4
Urzok
Jevar
Shakur
Boodiddly
====================
Shakur's next morning seems much better, though Shakur is oddly silent for the duration of the day - whether he feels defeated or is simply concentrated is up for debate.
Okay team, finish strong! I think we can wrap this up and avoid another day. We've found our focus
The wizard loses himself in the books about the witch almost as quickly as he finishes the sentence. He seemingly doesn't come up for air for hours, fixed in the same spot.
Boodiddly does his best, but he keeps losing his bookmark as he tries to take notes on it. He doesn’t say much, but Shakur easily notices the gnome’s clenched jaw and intensely-furrowed brow as he re-reads the same page for the fifth time.
Another hit! Urzok has a rough start during the afternoon, but he eventually hits a productive stride. "You're right Human, we can get this done!" he cheers. A useful all-around Orc, who'd ah thunk? Making sacrifices for the people of Thrushmoor, this better pay off.
________
While Boodiddly fiddles around with his bookmark, Shakur, Jevar, and Urzok manage to actually find several documents describing the time during that era of Thrushmoor.
Although, there’s something that still feels…unknown about the witch. The amnesiacs feel that there must be something else among this sea of pages.
Fireday Morning 2 Lamashan, 4716
Round 7
====================
Cleaning RP: 3
Asylum RP: 4
Isle RP: 4
Witch RP: 7
Urzok
Jevar
Shakur
Boodiddly
====================
Huh... so the witch was just a researcher herself. But who "disappeared" all of the townsfolk...maybe there is a little more here.
Boodiddly tries to get an early start on the books, but the other researchers wake to find him snoring gently in the library with his trusty bookmark clutched tightly in one hand.
Leave it to religion to result in the sudden disappearance of a whole town. If it isn't the Pharasmans deciding what people can and can't do, it's this Witch converting everyone into her nutty cultists! Urzok shakes his head at the folly (assumed or explicit) of the tidbits they were able to collect.
The next day, he makes breakfast again. While on one of his breaks to stretch his legs, he finds little Boodiddly curled up and clutching his bookmark. "Hey, Gnome," gently shaking his shoulder. "You have to read something first before you can use that, you know?"
________
The amnesiacs work through the morning and have searched through almost all of the tomes that Briarstone’s library has to offer, but there are still some left.
Fireday Afternoon 2 Lamashan, 4716
Round 8
====================
Cleaning RP: 3
Asylum RP: 4
Isle RP: 4
Witch RP: 9
Urzok
Jevar
Shakur
Boodiddly
====================
Realizing that they are, in fact, not quite done Jevar starts to get frustrated and wastes time looking for clues in some of his earlier readings, as if he'd surely missed something in them.
Boodiddly snorts awake as Urzok shakes him. "Gah! Ratlings! I'll- oh, sorry Urzok," he says sheepishly. "I, uh, well, wanted to get a head start on things since I haven't been much help recently. Though I guess that didn't really help that much, did it."
He wanders back to the makeshift kitchen to grab a cup of cold coffee and some stale bread before returning to the library. "Though my old man used to say that you could learn things by putting the book in question under your pillow while you slept. At least, I think he used to say that..." The gnome's gaze wanders for a moment before snapping back into focus. "Now, I don't know if it's true, but imagine if he was right - and imagine how much more powerful it would be to sleep directly on the book!" Eyes shining in wonderment, Boodiddly gets to work.
Can't be too much more now, right? Urzok keeps studying away, but can't help but to ponder the idea of learning through sleeping on books... "Damn it, Gnome, your bad ideas are stickier than Ankheg spit! There'd be so much more knowledge if pillows weren't blocking the flow of knowledge, GAH!"
________
"Sounds like what we need is a pillow fort." Shakur says proudly. "That way it can be under the pillow, but we can still read it. There may be enough blankets around here to make one. I'm starting to grow tired of this cold stone ground, anyways."
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"Damn it, Gnome, your bad ideas are stickier than Ankheg spit!
With the efforts of Shakur and Boodiddly, the amnesiacs find several very, very old pages crumpled in a rat nest in a secluded corner of the library, going almost completely unnoticed in the tsunami of tomes.
*
*
The amnesiacs awaken the next morning, all of Briarstone Asylum’s library’s books neatly stacked and ordered, finally feeling content that they found all that they needed.
Good finish there folks. The end wasn't quite so effective for me, I'm afraid to say. We are, at long last, done here.
He gets up and paces about at length, stretching. Then, as if he's suddenly rested and recovered from his bad ending to the research, stops and turns to address the group.
Okay, we said we would de-brief Winter first on returning from the island. So, anything else we need to do here before heading back? I really hope this is our last time at this place...
"Not that I can think off. I'm with you, Human, let's blow this joint and hope nothing ever calls us back here," Urzok says. If the place wasn't made of stone, I'd say we should burn it down, for all the good it's done...
"Let's report back to Miss Soul-searching Stare. I think we got what she wanted."
The journey from Briarstone isn’t as excruciating as the journey there—if only for the hope that this will be the last time that the amnesiacs would be at this source of trauma.
Thrushmoor looked little different from when they left—citizens were still going about their business, the doomsayer still spouting doomsayings (though he books it at the first sight of the amnesiacs), and so on.
When the amnesiacs make their way back to the Sleepless Building, they are once again “greeted” by the human woman that they met so many days ago at the door, who ushers them inside, back to the large commons room where they met Ms. Wrentz the first time. Winter Klaczka sits on a couch in this room, so distracted reading from a rather thick tome that she doesn’t notice the amnesiacs enter immediately.
”Oh!” Winter places a ribbon-like bookmark into her place in the tome and shuts it, revealing Pharasma’s spiral on the tome’s cover as she sets it to the side. ”I was growing worried that something had happened. Please, sit. I am curious of what you—“
“I do hope you are not planning on having this conversation without me.”
Winter yips in fright as she jumps to her feet and finds Ms. Wrentz standing directly behind her. Anxiety leaves the Pharasmin’s face as she mutters ”Must you do that?”
Ms. Wrentz circles the perimeter of the couch and sits down upon it, pulling out her fountain pen and notebook once again. ”You were gone for some time. I do hope you searched through the documents.” The woman’s violating gaze falls once more upon the amnesiacs. ”Tell me, gentlemen. What have you discovered?”
Boodiddly smiles nervously, pulls out his trusty bookmark, and begins reading the notes scribbled on it.
"The first reports of the Briarstone Witch date to the early 4000s, soon after the founding of Thrushmoor by a congregation of psychopomp-worshiping homesteaders. These tales attribute many good works to the witch and present her as a figure who helped the settlers survive their hard early years. Some tales refer to the witch’s servant, called the Tatterman." The gnome pauses to shudder involuntarily, then continues.
"She was a Kellid interested in lesser-known cults and occult knowledge. As she shared her esoteric knowledge with Thrushmoor’s settlers, she joined them - and as she exhibited her power, she eventually came to lead them. However, in 4050, a report by a Pharasmin inquisitor accused the people of Thrushmoor of engaging in 'perverted rites in mockery of Pharasma and Her servants’ names.'" He looks up from his bookmark with a frown. "We never found any trace of that report though, nor of what exactly those rites they were accused of conducting were." He shrugs and returns to reading.
"Encouraged by the Briarstone Witch, the people of Thrushmoor split from both the church and the national government. When emissaries of the state marched to retake control of the town, they found the entire population had disappeared. Although a few gruesome stains marked buildings across the empty town, no other evidence of the people was ever found. The unsettling event became known as the Thrushmoor Vanishing and hundreds of years passed before Thrushmoor was resettled."
"Lastly!" Boodiddly holds the bookmark aloft triumphantly before bringing it back down for easy reference. "We found the partial journal of the daughter of one of Thrushmoor’s homesteaders! In it, she refers to the Briarstone Witch as Mother Ariadnah and notes her sitting in council with other town leaders: Father Gierde, Father Weavewood, and Mother Zandalus. She wrote that she directly asked about the Tatterman. While apparently her parents hushed her and seemed scared, Ariadnah told her not to be afraid, saying that 'The Tatterman is only a dream, and a dream can’t hurt a good girl like you.'"
He looks back up at Winter and Wrentz. "Perhaps she was using the threat of the Tatterman to keep the population obedient? The author's parents clearly know its name and to be afraid of it." He pauses, then continues. "But we have a name we recognize - Zandalus - a name for the witch - Ariadnah - and two new names - Gierde and Weavewood. It's odd that the entire town vanished without a trace, but there's still someone here with the same family name, isn't it?" He catches himself a moment too late. "Or, I guess there was someone with the same family name."
Ms. Wrentz takes copious notes at the gnome’s explanation. ”So the witch—Ariadnah—disappeared along with most of the town during the Thrushmoor Vanishing? Interesting. Unfortunately, as far as I recall there hasn’t been any residents of Thrushmoor with the surnames Zandalus, Gierde, or Weavewood in recent years.” The woman sighs. ”I did not forget our bargain, but there has since been another kidnapping that my agents are looking into as well as other leads to follow, so let’s make this quick.”
Ms. Wrentz puts away her pen and notebook as she directs her gaze at the amnesiacs. “You four are servants of Count Lowls, the current count of Versex county. You each have been living in Thrushmoor for several years. You have grown a rather malicious reputation in town due to the work you have done at the count’s request.” Her gaze falls upon Jevar. ”You are a student of the Sinctomakti School of Sciences in Rozenport. You have moved to Thrushmoor to work on your dissertation, of which Count Lowls has provided the funding for your research.”
She turns to Boodiddly. ”You were something of a traveling scholar when you came to Thrushmoor, specializing in the occult. Count Lowls offered you a research opportunity in exchange for your being in his staff. I know not what this research opportunity was—if I had to guess it involved the count’s collection of occult lore—but whatever it was it seems you found it sufficiently exciting; when you arrived in Thrushmoor you had several splotches of gray hair—signs of the Bleaching—which are clearly not there anymore.”
She turns her attention to Urzok and Shakur. ”You two were purchased by the count as slaves. The count has since freed you from your slavery and has since allowed you to work under him properly, along with a salary.” She focuses her gaze on Urzok. ”Following your freedom, you worked as the count’s personal bodyguard and hired muscle, a role in which you seemed quite satisfied.” Her gaze then falls on Shakur. ”You were a combination medicinal expert and apprentice under Lowls in the occult. You frequently made trips to New Chapel to learn more of the medicinal arts under the guidance of the Pharasmin clergy. You also lost your left eye some time prior to being purchased by the count; Lowls has since provided you with a magical glass eye, which I believe you wear even right now.”
Ms. Wrentz folds her arms and looks each of the amnesiacs over one-by-one. ”Are there any questions? Or shall I continue with the leads that have sprung up around town? Each minute spent talking is another minute that someone might go missing.”
Damn, if he hadn't booked me a one-way ticket to the nuthouse, I'd say he was a pretty swell guy... Shame, really. Urzok seems rather pleased with the information. "Elf, wanna find out which one is magical?" he asks with a shark-like grin.
"Oh, I guess while we have your attention, what are some of the notable jobs we've had around town for Lowls? Think any of the goons in his place would bat an eye if we showed up? Was there a sign, or a mark, or something that made it obvious we were one of Lowl's boys?" he asks.
Jevar looks at the half-orc and half-elf duo, in surprise, as Ms. Wrentz explains their acquisition as slaves, and then more pointedly at Shakur's eyes to figure out how he'd missed it.
He quickly glances to see if Winter has any reaction to Boodiddly's retelling.
Jevar then turns to his own story.
What interest would the count have in my own connection to familiar minions? Or did he simply want another mage in his employ? I suppose that remains to be figured out, if ever. No no, it's fine, continue onto your leads. Perhaps you can help us find out more as time goes on.
Boodiddly makes a visible effort to not glance around the room for a mirror, but instead keeps his eyes focussed on Winter. "So if there's no families of Zandaluses in town, where did the man in the asylum with that name come from?" Before he can pursue the line of thought further, another idea hits him and he turns to Urzok. "Wait, Urzok, do you think those people you saw our first night, uh, back in town might have something to do with these kidnappings?"
Urzok scratches his head. "I, um, yes. Yes I did," he says with the straightest face he can muster. Damn, that woulda been a good idea! I was thinking more about how we'd get into the estate, like if we needed a disguise or something, but who am I to let the little guy down?
"Oh, I guess while we have your attention, what are some of the notable jobs we've had around town for Lowls? Think any of the goons in his place would bat an eye if we showed up? Was there a sign, or a mark, or something that made it obvious we were one of Lowl's boys?" he asks.
Ms. Wrentz pulls out her notebook and flips to several pages as she speaks. ”Black market deals, occasional tax collection, assault, destruction of property, harassment of various forms, drug trafficking, slave trafficking, smuggling, and (based on that revenant that appeared at your doorstep) murder.” She slams her pocket notebook shut and returns it to its proper place. ”The list goes on, but I believe I’ve made my point. As for the ‘mark’: you merely needed to drop the count’s name when you did a job—if someone contested the claim then Lowls himself got involved—after some time residents got the hint and learned of your association with the count. It would be unlikely that anyone at Iris Hill would ‘bat an eye’ if you were to show up given your well-know connection to the count—that is, if the count hadn’t spontaneously fired a significant majority of his staff some four months ago. Those that currently occupy Iris Hill would likely not recognize you, and with Lowls gone you have little in the way of corroboration.”
What interest would the count have in my own connection to familiar minions?
”I am merely stating the facts; I do not know what motivated the count to fund your research.”
"So if there's no families of Zandaluses in town, where did the man in the asylum with that name come from?"
Winter puts up a finger as if to ask for her turn to speak. ”Um, I believe he was transferred to Briarstone from a facility in Rozenport, which would mean that he wouldn’t be an official resident of Thrushmoor, right?”
Ms. Wrentz stares at the Pharasmin for several uncomfortable seconds before nodding. ”Yes, that would indeed be the case.”
Sweet! We were just a bunch of regular bad asses! Urzok smirks as the short list of crimes is delivered.
"I guess there ain't much left to do but to start tracking this kidnappers then, right?"
”Very well.” Ms. Wrentz opens her trusty notebook right in the middle and begins reading off. ”The most obvious leads are Iris Hill—where Melisenn and what remains of Lowls’s staff remain holed up—and Fort Hailcourse—the seat of the town’s government that has themselves holed up from the rest of town for…questionable reasons. However, the inner workings of Iris Hill is an enigma, so proceeding with caution would be advised. Hailcourse, however, is a fortress; assuming the militia is still inside (and depending on their willingness to have visitors), infiltration without proper preparation strength would be a death sentence.
“There is also the supposed return of the Thrushmoor Terror—the ghost of a weeping widow that wanders Thrushmoor’s streets at night. Stories of her have been around for the better part of two decades, but having “disappeared” for several years, eyewitness accounts of her return have arisen, including nearly killing one of my agents on a night mission poor Allard. Some have started accusing Lysie Brilt of pretending to be the Terror come nightfall; she disputes the claims, stating she would have no reason to do so.
“There have also been concerns at the Fish Market: apparently the fishmongers have discovered that many of the fish they’ve caught have been mutilated or tortured some time prior to being caught. They’ve also stated that a sign of the witch’s return is the Glowing Jill, a supposed artifact from Thrushmoor’s founding, has been giving off a ‘supernatural amber hue.’
“A local fisherman by the name of Toli Remsatter claimed seeing a glowing light coming from a small cave along the shore a mile out of town. When the kidnappings started, he began spreading that that cave must be where the Briarstone Witch has been working out of.
“The Wailing House has long been stooped in Thrushmoor’s lore—the building that wails and cries in despair on Wealday nights; children supposedly dare each other to spend the night in or near the building, but none are foolish enough to do so on a Wealday. Reports have indicated that the wails have become longer-lasting on Wealdays and grown more violent. Priestess Mavaine of New Chapel sought to rid the site of whatever malevolence before she herself vanished just over a month ago.
“And finally, Count Lowls himself. Forty-eight days ago the count was discovered missing when a delegation of concerned citizens demanded action on these kidnappings. Lowls is seen scarcely by anyone who does not work inside Iris Hill, and due to his reclusive nature we don’t know exactly when he was last seen, but it can’t be a coincidence that all of this madness started on or around his disappearance. Lowls’s disappearance is the lynchpin in all of this, I just know it! Ahem.” Ms. Wrentz pockets her notebook and returns her gaze to the amnesiacs before her. ”Regardless, those are the major leads I have at this time.”
Slave... trafficking...?
Jevar shudders before moving on quickly.
Okay, so how about those leads on the kidnappings?
Jevar thinks on the "options" at length, knowing that eventually they must all be confronted.
So, given those who are holed up and isolated, we might save those leads for last. Lowls too. I suspect that looking into the "simpler" leads may give us time to gather hints about Lowls, Iris Hill, and Fort Hailcourse. Then we can be most prepared for them. Perhaps we should try the cave first?
He looks over at Winter. Will you be joining us in these investigations and adventures?
"Works for me, tackling something more lively will probably be more fun anyways!" Urzok claims. "Before we get going, Winter, how about some of that magic of yours? My brain stuffs are starting to get a little soft again, you know how it goes when you've been in the Asylum for any amount of time!"
He looks over at Winter. Will you be joining us in these investigations and adventures?
Winter begins to speak before Ms. Wrentz interrupts. ”Miss Klaczka and I have some leads we must follow up on regarding Royal Accuser Omari’s disappearance, so she will be unable to accompany you.”
Winer looks ready to object before she just sighs and says ”Yeah, that’s right.”
"Before we get going, Winter, how about some of that magic of yours? My brain stuffs are starting to get a little soft again, you know how it goes when you've been in the Asylum for any amount of time!"
Winter looks at Urzok with a mix of confusion and mild frustration. ”Circumstances are different, sir. The magic bestowed upon me by the Lady of Graves Herself does not work quite how you expect—the blessings of Pharasma do not come about like that,” The Pharasmin snaps her fingers. ”They require preparation and focus. The magic you are asking for was not one I prayed for from the Survivor, for now I do not have several dozen scared, mentally unstable innocents to care for single-handedly, and with each risky casting upon you, it was another blessing that could have gone to another to ease their troubled minds; it was a risk I took, yes, but one to ensure everyone’s safety. Besides,” She points to Shakur. ”The Lady of Graves clearly has granted more blessings to him than to I; why did you not ask him?”
Jevar glances at Winter with a mutual look of disappointment.
Well, five would have been better than four, but we'll get by. Perhaps after some time when we've gathered more info about Iris Hill. Good luck with your own leads.
"Hm. Sorry I asked," Urzok responds before turning his back to her. "Shall we?"
________
Finding Toli Remsatter takes little work; merely asking around the docks about him does the trick, and within an hour the amnesiacs find the mid-20s Keleshite man preparing his little dinghy to go out onto the water. He turns around and is surprised to find the amnesiacs standing behind him. The surprise turns to contempt as he folds his arms with a scowl on his face.
”Whadda you lot want?”
Jevar is taken aback slightly at Toli's reaction, and pauses to collect himself.
Oh.... hi. We're from the Sleepless Agency. We wanted to look into the light that you saw in a cave jut North of here. Do you think you could take us there, or near there?
Oh.... hi. We're from the—
”Yeah, I know,” Toli interrupts. ”Y’all’re the count’s boys. So again I ask: whaddaya want?”
We wanted to look into the light that you saw in a cave jut North of here. Do you think you could take us there, or near there?
Toli prominently raises an eyebrow. ”The witch’s place?” He thinks for a moment and shrugs. ”It’s over yonder,” The fisherman points to a distant cliffside about a mile away, though there doesn’t seem to be any apparent sign of a cave. ”I could take y’all there, but it’s a bit, ahem, outta the way of my fishing route, so it’ll cost y’all five silver. Each.”
Jevar looks around at the group, shrugs and notes, It beats going the slow way along the shore.
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"And it's very kind of him to offer," Boodiddly adds. "I was hoping we could learn from your wisdom and experience with this cave, but I would happily pay for passage as well." The gnome quickly digs out a handful of silver pieces and passes them to the fisherman.
I mean, we could try to browbeat him, but why would he believe we've changed just from us telling him? he thinks to himself. If we can give him some time to see our actions instead - and how they don't match his expectations of us - that could help change his mind. And if I pay now, then Urzok doesn't have a chance to yell at him and reinforce our bad image.
"We might be exploring this cave," he adds as he passes the twentieth coin to the fisherman, "and it could take a little time. Are you able to fish in the surrounding waters? And then ferry us back here when everyone is done?"