Uhtred, on your way to attack the enemy, you brush another tripwire!
for
Despite a grievieous wound from the spear, Uhtred delivers a devastating blow to Hallod. The foe remains on his feet, but barely!
~+~Combat Round 1~+~
Hallod (-42)
Guldun
--Telly (dying 2)
BGG
Uhtred (-20)
Vetch
Vetch draws on his connection with nature to launch a tempest surge at Hallod.
electricity -- Basic Reflex vs. DC 17
The crackling electricity surges through Hallods body, and he collapses into a smoking heap at the base of the tree.
Examining the remains, you find that Hallod carried a heavy crossbow with 10 bolts, a kukri with a rune inscribed on its blade, leather armor, a labeled lesser healing potion, a vial full of silvery liquid, and a strongbox key.
He also carries a handwritten letter. The The style is plain and very severe, as if self-taught.
Vetch rushes over to Telly and places his hands on the wound. A glowing yellow-white light emanates and stanches the damage. stabilize!
Vetch pulls out some herbs and Treats Wounds on Uhtred and then Telly.
Vetch will then place his hands on Uhtred and summon and even brighter light of primal life force to heal Uhtred furter.
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"I haven't the slightest idea. Though the author addresses this wretched Hallod in quite a familiar tone. Perhaps we could inquire whether he was intimate with anyone named 'V'.
Also, there is mention of a stump. Perhaps it's the same one here by this charming little pond?"
UGG will inspect the tree stump for traps.
It depicts a cave helpfully labeled “HIDEOUT,” next to a shape that might be a pond; from there, a winding path passes through a strange V-shaped chamber before ending at what appears to be a clearing with a tree stump labeled “DROP POINT.”
"Let's see what this strongbox key opens. To the STUMP!"
A trail leads from the cave for about three miles, when it ends at a small clearing. In the center of the clearing, a hollow stump. Inside are a few empty crates, but nothing of value.
"If nothing else we need to lick our wounds and rest. The tavern might be the best place to have some more conversations. Then there is the rumor of the witch's hut to look into as well."
You make your way back through the tunnels, stopping to chip out the calcified sword from then electrified snake's pool. It turns out to be a low-grade silver rapier.
Without incident, you make your way back through the tunnels and out of Hallod's dwelling, by the old orchard.
When you arrive back at the tavern, you notice that there is a rough cart outside with three wolf carcasses on it. You recognize the corpse of the acid-imbued canine that you encountered on your way to Etran's Folly!
As you enter the tavern, you see Delma chatting quietly with an elven woman shrouded in a heavy brown cloak trimmed with leaves. They quiet as you come in, and Delma says, "Those are the caravaners I told you about. They're looking into Bort's death."
The elven woman stands and speaks to you, "Hello, I'm called Noala. Delma tells me the wolves outside are your work. Thank you for your help. I try to keep the woods around Etran's Folly safe, but attacks have been getting more frequent, and some of the animals and plants have gone strange, blighted by some force that I have been unable to understand."
She rolls up a sleeve and shows you an arm with what appear to be chemical burns up it. "I've been recovering from one such attack, and I'm in no condition to fight off any groups of creatures, so I'm glad these predators found your caravan, and not some lone traveler."
"Tell me, have you found anything strange around town, or in your travels in the area? I'd like to get to the bottom of this."
"Introductions are in order, before we get to business. Pleased to meet a fellow warden of the wilds. My name is Vetchkatosh."
The elf ranger looks a bit shocked by Mr. Good Good's offer, but she smiles as he bows.
"Perhaps tea would be nice." She'll sit down at the table and gesture for you to join her.
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"Would anyone else care for some?" UGG asks of Delma and the other adventurers before going promptly to the kitchen and preparing a tea (or asking a chef for one depending on what would be polite) and returns with a thoughtfully arranged tray of teapot, teacup(s), milk, and honey.
UGG stands at a polite remove from the table, dusting the adventure off his lapels and muttering to himself, "Oh my, that won't do."
"Yes, thank you Mister Good Good. Well, we believe we have found Bort's killer, but he was not the mastermind. Any idea what this might be?"
Vetch places the silver liquid on the table, and also shares the note they found with Noala and Delma.
"Perhaps we should summon the sheriff?"
Delma very gingerly picks up the vial and glances at it. "This looks like it might be more up your alley, Noala."
The elf takes the vial in a gloved hand and carefully levers out the stopper. She spends a moment sniffing it and swirling it around the vial to see it coat the sides of the container.
"Juggernaut mutagen, I'd say. Though...There is the odor of some unusual additive. Sweet, almost narcotic. I wouldn't drink it, if I were you."
Delma frowns at the pronouncement. "Reagents, mutagens, poisons...this all reminds me of something, but I can't quite place my finger on it. How about this: I'll send Kolnral to fetch the sheriff. Honestly, I doubt he'll be much help, but this evidence should at least convince him to allow your caravan to leave the town when you need to. In the meantime, I'm going to go ask my father some questions. I think this might be connected to a story he once told me. He should be resting in his room, so it won't take me long. I'll be back by the time Rolth arrives."
After Delma leaves the common room, Noala turns back to you. "This is quite a mystery. I had come into town to talk to Delma about a problem of my own, and when Delma told me that you had killed this mutated wolf, I decided to remain here and ask you for your help. You see, this murder isn't the only problem that Etran's Folly is facing, though the townspeople are mostly unaware of the problem."
Noala sighs a bit at that pronouncement. "Delma is one of the few people in town that isn't suspicious of me. [b]"For the past several years, there has been an ever-growing blight in the region. What started a few years ago with a single group of sickly trees has become a series of seemingly unconnected pockets of dead and dying plants. Worse still, some of the animals living near these areas have strange mutations and have turned hostile to travelers and locals alike.
There is no obvious cause. The only common element is that in each afflicted area, the blight seems to start in a grove of very large, old trees."
"I have done my best to keep the people safe and put down any blighted creatures, but I simply cannot solve this problem on my own. Several months ago, after cataloging the locations of the largest blights, I went to Sheriff Rolth with Delma’s blessing, hoping that he might request aid from the local baron. Unfortunately, Rolth said he has no time for 'tree problems,' and he pointedly refused to help me, or even inform anyone else of the blight."
"Perhaps we could help each other? I would be willing to look for leads about this 'V' in the forest if you would help me investigate the blight. I could even give you some training to get by in the wilds."
She waits to see your reaction to her proposal.
"As Master Good Good has rightly intuited, I cannot abide a blight in the land. I would help regardless, but I appreciate anything you can turn up about this 'V' character."
She goes down the hallway and into her family's living quarters. He father is sitting by a window, looking out into the town.
She brings her father a cup of tea, which she sets down on a side table. He sniffs at it, but doesn't pick it up. "Only tea? How about a little something to warm it up?"
Delma shakes her head. "It's much too early father--and I want you to remember something for me. I need your head clear. It's about something from when I was younger, just after the plague. The alchemist, Silwyth--she died during the plague, right?"
Targen grunts, "I'm surprised you remember her. No one in town likes to talk about it. She really let everyone down when the plague ripped through the town. She was our healer, and she didn't help us! No wonder no one brought her food when she grew ill. Hmph."
Delma purses her lips. "That doesn't sound very charitable, father."
"Oh, the townspeople had her number. They say she cursed the town with her dying breath. Really showed her character!"
Delma picks up the tea herself and starts drinking it. "I think the message was probably lost on you, father. Didn't Silwyth have a daughter? I remember her from when I was young."
"Oh yes. Scrap of a girl, always hanging around. Mopey. Rillweed? Something elvish like that."
Delma shakes her head again. "No. That's not right. I'm sure that it started with a 'V.' "
Targen scratches his chin. "Ah, now that you mention it: It was Vilree. Yes, I'm almost sure. Haven't seen her in years."
Delma sighs. "That's what I was afraid of. Thanks, father. I"ll bring you lunch in a little while."
She turns and heads back for the hallway.
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"As Master Good Good has rightly intuited, I cannot abide a blight in the land. I would help regardless, but I appreciate anything you can turn up about this 'V' character."
"'Uncle', please. I recognize this is not a Taldan estate, but let us reserve the title of 'master' for those being waited upon."
Uncle Good Good slides back into the main room and resumes his place standing near the table.
Delma enters the room a moment behind BGG. "I spoke to my father, and he confirmed a suspicion that I had."
Delma glances at the note you found, which sits on the table, "There was once a woman who lived in town named Vilree. She disappeared many years ago, when I was young, but I suspect that she might be our poisoner. I'm not sure where we..."
She cuts herself off as the door opens and Rolth enters. The sheriff's hat is askew and his shirt isn't buttoned correctly. Noala frowns when she sees him, but quickly covers the expression.
"Well, Kolnral tells me you've 'solved the murder.' Has someone confessed? Where are they?"
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"Greetings, sheriff. We have answered the question of who killed our colleague: an oafish man named Hallod. He is presently on his way to the Boneyard though you will find his mortal remains in a cave outside of town.
It remains to be seen why he did the murder and in partnership with whom, though on that score, we do have a lead."
"Now, may I fix you a cup of tea?"
"What? Tea?!" The uncouth sherrif snorts. "I'm more interested in your evidence. I'm not surprised things pointed to Hallod, though. Always had a bad feeling about him."
"Proceed with what? You say Hallod admitted to poisoning Bort? I don't think anyone is very surprised. Mystery solved!" Rolth looks around for Delma. "Crime fighting sure is thirsty work. I can finally have a pint in peace, now that this mystery is solved. You'll probably want to tell your friends in the caravan that they are free to go."