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Throkk shakes off the remnants of a cheese-fuelled dream where he was a lizard who walked like a man.
"I'd like the healing potion.", notes Throkk.
Morsun whistles at the kukri.
"Maybe I should use a second weapon instead of this useless shield."
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When Sazen wakes up after getting her night's rest, she heals everyone up enough at least to get back to the inn.
Not having much success, she tries again, targeting everyone.
She takes the strongbox key, and looks around to see if there is one in this area.
"Thanks, Sazen!" Emri says, hopping to her feet. "Find anything?"
Searching the cave system Sazen finds a strongbox back under Hallods cot.
Inside the chest is a batch of fourteen receipts, as well as a scrap of parchment that lists each transaction. Over the last five years Hallod has been giving large sums of gold in exchange for various alchemical items. These deliveries are numbered, starting with one and ending with delivery number fourteen... fourteen is dated recently, the day you arrived in town.
The chest still contains 21 gp and 37 sp.
Finally, on the back of the transaction list is a crude map. 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.”
"Thanks, Sazen."
Throkk wanders over to see what's been revealed in the strongbox.
"Gold and a map. That's handy! Let's go find the stuff Hallod bought!"
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Sool takes some interest in the map.
"Well, clearly the place we found Hallod hiding out was 'The Hideout'. This along with the receipts, the note we found in his pocket and the corpse blood vials should more than prove our case to the local authorities."
"So we're now cleared of any wrongdoing. Our job is done. But I suspect you will ignore the lessons of your near death experience and insist we go after Hallod's accomplice?
"Not really.
"However, if Sheriff Garley wants to hire us to go after Hallod's accomplice, that could help offset the fact that we won't get paid for guarding the caravan to Elidir."
Turning back to the mess of documents they'd found.
"Why anyone would keep documentation of the shady stuff they're into is beyond me."
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Sool shrugs. "I suspect for the same reason anyone keeps ledgers and receipts. He probably fully expected 'V' or Bort to try and cheat him, and he wanted records to confront them with. It's ever that way with the criminal element. They never expect to be caught, and they never fully trust their accomplices, because they expect them to be just as treacherous as themselves."
Sool pulls on his beard. "Getting paid would be nice." he admits.
"Of course we're going to help! The person he's working for is a murderer! We have to help! Otherwise they won't get punished at all. The local sheriff's not exactly a clever fellow..."
"Don't have to be clever if you're the law," Morsun grumbles. He looks to Sazen and Throkk for their opinions.
"They killed Bort. They got us blamed for it. We hunt them back."
You guys, no point in arguing about it right now. We aren't even healed all the way. We are DEFINITELY not doing this today. Let's go and report to the Sheriff, and if he wants our help, then maybe tomorrow. Today we rest up and we'll get some supplies so we can get everyone's wounds treated. We'll have a low-stress day if possible, and then I'll magically heal you some more before bed if no one attacks us between now and then.
"Still killed him.", replies Throkk.
"Yeah, I'm still sore. We can rest a bit."
After you rest you're able to return to Plaguestone and acquire a few supplies.
The sheriff has a few questions but with all of the evidence you've gathered he seems satisfied. "Good work, you're free to leave with the rest of the caravan when it's ready." Looking over the letter he adds "And as for this mysterious V they wont escape the magistrate..."
"Magistrate need help with V?"
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"Yeah, we'd be willing to track them down for you, if you like. After all, you seem super busy. Wouldn't want you overburdened or anything..."
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"Sherriff, you may be missing the key point here." says Sool. "V isn't trying to escape. Killing Bort was just to clear the decks of people who knew about their true plan. Hallod and V are planning something much bigger. Look at how much poison they were making. They intended to kill a LOT of people, probably very soon. If I had to guess, I suspect V will try and do something against the people of this town. And once V knows Hallod is dead, they will move swiftly to carry out their plan."
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Sazen uses 5 gold from the group's loot to buy healer's tools, since she didn't have enough to afford the tools herself. She justifies it because they are needed for everyone, but hopes that no one gets angry at her for using the money.
"The magistrate will be here in a month... I'll do what I can but to be blunt whoever this person is they have access to far more resources than we alone can deal with."
"We hit harder."
"I'm- I could- if you find something I might be able to get some money together but we're not a rich village but I'm sure I could persuade Delma to extend further hospitality."
"Do you know who this V person could be?" Morsun asks suspiciously.
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"Oh I don't need your charity. I think perhaps I'll take up a new hobby. I think there's about to be a large demand for antitoxins in this town. Alchemy doesn't seem like a terribly difficult craft to master -- it seems to be rather like cooking, actually. With the proper recipes and materials and equipment, a modicum of care is all one requires to succeed."
"Yes. A fellow could become quite rich selling antidotes to a desperate and frightened populace. And it will be a much better use of my time than tramping about abandoned huts and overgrown thickets."
"Oh, Sheriff, one other thing... did you know there are a pair of dwarves living up at the old shrine? A father and a son, or so they claimed?"
"Do you know who this V person could be?" Morsun asks suspiciously.
"There's Vincent... there name does start with a V but he's far too busy to be involved in anything aside from farming." It seems like the Sheriff is being honest though as Sool begins to speak the man's jaw drops and his eyes fill with dread and dispair until he latches onto an idea.
"Oh I don't need your charity. I think perhaps I'll take up a new hobby. I think there's about to be a large demand for antitoxins in this town. Alchemy doesn't seem like a terribly difficult craft to master -- it seems to be rather like cooking, actually. With the proper recipes and materials and equipment, a modicum of care is all one requires to succeed."
"Yes. A fellow could become quite rich selling antidotes to a desperate and frightened populace. And it will be a much better use of my time than tramping about abandoned huts and overgrown thickets."
"Oh, Sheriff, one other thing... did you know there are a pair of dwarves living up at the old shrine? A father and a son, or so they claimed?"
[b]"B-but we're a poor village, you'll not get rich off us but obviously this V is of extensive means. If it's coin you are after foiling them would be the best route for you. And you're asking about Metmon and Edfur, the old shrine is on their land."[b]
"Sheriff has a point, Sool. V has gold. Sheriff has no problem with us getting that gold if we stop V. I understood that."
"Come on, fellas!" Emri exclaims, putting her hands on her hips. "We've gotta do right by Bort! Besides, which among you could honestly say they're alright with letting some shady jerk kill a lot of townsfolk? People who sheltered us? If we do nothing, when we're capable of doing so much, those deaths are on our hands." She looks at her companions, one by one, and shakes her head as if she's absolutely ashamed in them. "How many deaths are you alright with? Five? Ten? Fifty? What if they're kids? Friends?" She crosses her arms. "I'm not alright with any. If you want to wait for pay or pack up and go -- fine. Go. But I won't let folks die. I'm going after V."
"Who's with me?"
"Yah.", replies Throkk, already inclined towards wreaking bloody havoc upon V.
"Who's with me?"
Morsun closes his eyes and sighs deeply. He nods.
I'm with you, but not doing it for Bort, who seems to have been in on it, and had no problem with harming the town. Sool got that part right. I'm doing it for Erastil, and to help the innocent hardworking citizens.
"That's the spirit!"
Emri turns to Sool and waggles her eyebrows. "Come on. Join us. You know you want to."
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"I truly don't." says Sool stubbornly. "But I suppose we aren't going anywhere for a while. I'm willing to help if you actually come up with a lead of some sort, otherwise I'll be at work developing antitoxins."
Sool takes over one of the abandoned buildings in town, a small 2 room hovel that still has a table. He spends a good part of the day setting up his materials and doing calculations, working diligently on his newest hobby. He hangs a makeshift sign near the door that reads 'El-Deschitado' which he huffily explains to anyone who asks is a Khelish word for a sort of rumpus room, although its slang connotations are more racy. Perhaps this was an attempt at ironic humor.
Periodically, while waiting for a reaction to complete, or while allowing a reagent to evaporate, he sits outside and sketches the townsfolk in various poses and attitudes. His work is good, if a trifle clinical, like the sketches of a naturalist rendering a beetle for his notebook.
He puts his bedroll and blanket in the smaller room, but seems to sleep very little. Magical light illuminates the small hut most of the night, and he can be seen either monitoring his beakers or reading some thick nondescript book.
After Sool walks out, Sazen says
We need to give it a day or two before we get into another battle anyway. I'm sure he'll come with us when we have someplace to go.
Emri, did you have an idea of where to go to begin?
"We can see if there's any clues at the drop point," Morsun says, pointing to whoever is carrying the map.
"We've got a map to the drop point, of course! Let's examine it! Maybe the locals can give us some advice, too. I wonder if anyone around here goes out into the woods much. They'd probably know the area best." She thinks a moment, then shrugs. "Maybe there's a clue at the drop point that will lead us to V."
Sazen agrees, but only after everyone is healed up.
Unfortunately the drop points doesn't turn up any leads but as you return to town a woman wearing a green cloak with the hood up approaches you. She is pulling a sled with a blanket covering it's cargo.
"From what I've heard since returning to the village this is your groups handywork most likely." She pulls back the blanket to reveal the forms of the corrupted wolves that attacked you several days ago just before you entered Plaguestone. "My name is Noala and I think we can help each other. As you've revealed Hallod was working with the architect of some scheme but we can't rule out others for sure. I'd like to discuss some details in private."
"Are you from here? Where would you be comfortable talking?"
Sazen thinks caution is wise... anyone could be the mysterious V, but she also wants to hear what the woman has to say, so she waits for her to answer Morsun's questions.
Throkk looks at the woman curiously.
"In the forest, and I do try to be."
The mysterious woman leads you to a clearing in the woods, not far from the town itself, where a small fire is already burning in a carefully kept fire pit. She tosses back her hood to reveal long, elven ears and deep, emerald eyes. With one hand, she begins to drag the wolf corpses to the flame. She avoids the use of her right hand, which is entirely covered in an oddly shaped leather gauntlet.
“These wolves aren’t the first, and I am afraid they won’t be the last. Worse still,” she grunts, as she begins to drag the body of the caustic wolf to the fire, “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."
Making sure he has his own gloves on, Morsun grabs a wolf and starts to drag it to the fire.
Taking the hint, Throkk finds some rags, wraps them about his own hands, then starts hauling wolf corpses for the fire.
"No but I know these woods. There's been parts deep in the woods that have been corrupted for years but I've been unable to get to the bottom of it. It's cropping up more often now and it's clear I wont be able to get a handle on this again just by myself."
"The basic outline of the first steps of a plan I have is to lead you to an area that is corrupted. I range around the outside setting up snares and with my bow ready in case of strays while you go in and investigate the core of the issue... and if necessary purge corrupted creatures."
Sazen pulls her scarf up over her nose and mouth, not wanting to breathe in diseased wolf smoke.
Her words are somewhat muffled therefore when she says
Hmm, interesting plan. I'm willing to try it.