Before any checking Malakar will cast read magic on the scrolls and try and figure out what they are.
Malakar takes the scrolls from the chest and casts his spell. He looks at the lettering as they slowly reveal their secrets.
Summon Monster I, Remove Fear, Comprehend Languages, Cure Moderate Wounds
Opening the door, nothing stirs in the house. The home is actually relatively organized and tidy. There is wooden furniture with simple amenities such as a wall rack for weapons and armor and a modest dining table with chairs. In one corner is a sitting chair with plush cushion and footstool.
A separate bedroom features a wooden bed frame and pallet mattress, a boot rack, and a large unlocked chest of folded clothes.
Sho happens to glance upward and spots a sheet of folded parchment on the top of a crossbeam, nine feet above the floor.
Also, found between the cushion in the sitting chair is a silver pocket watch. Upon closer inspection, this particular pocket watch also functions as a compass and the symbols on the face are of Azlanti design.
Tucked under the mattress, in the bedroom, is a book with what appears to be arcana inside. Bound into the spine of the book is a brass ring and attached to the ring is a pouch.
Fenna helps with the search and finds the book under the mattress. She's a little puzzled by it and brings it to Brannart.
"You now of Arkley right? He's a soldier?"
She shows him the book. "It a spellbook. The sort of thing a wizard would have. He wouldn't need this himself would he? Was he married? Anyone close to him, other family say, that might have been here with him?"
Vexas shrugs at Brannart's assertion and follows the team into the home. He leans down and runs his finger over a length of the glossy, wooden floor and then puts it up in front of his eye and inspects it.
It looks like three or four weeks of dust collection; that long since this home has been entered.
He notes the spellbook and turns to Kowal. You should keep that nearby and try to transcribe some pages out of it. It's not like it has another proper owner otherwise.
There is wooden furniture with simple amenities such as a wall rack for weapons and armor and a modest dining table with chairs.
Are there any weapons or armor on the rack?
Sho happens to glance upward and spots a sheet of folded parchment on the top of a crossbeam, nine feet above the floor.
If Sho points this out, Brannart will look to move a chair over for her to stand on to retrieve the parchment - female elves average as tall as Brannart (6'1" or 1.85m) and are much lighter, so there is less chance of the chair breaking if she stands on it.
"You now of Arkley right? He's a soldier?"
She shows him the book. "It a spellbook. The sort of thing a wizard would have. He wouldn't need this himself would he? Was he married? Anyone close to him, other family say, that might have been here with him?"
"That's a good question, Fenna."
"It's possible he was looking to study magic to add those skills to his martial abilities. Become an Eldritch Knight or whatever. I know of a few warriors who have dabbled like that. It's pretty rare to do that, though."
"That" - he points to the pocket watch - "is a marvel of technology. Azlanti? Wow... to be able to create such things. So much knowledge was lost. Ten thousand years ago? And maybe a few in Alkenstar can make such things now? Maybe?"
Fenna looks at Vexas disapprovingly when he claims the spellbook has no proper owner.
"Let's not write off the earlier colonists yet. We may yet find them, and belongs to one of them."
thank you Vexas, I'll look into it tomorrow
Vexas puts on his best victim'y who, me? face for Fenna.
Hey, hey! I didn't say we'd keep it permanently. But our wizard may as well copy out of it what he can before we find them again.
Fenna softens her tone with Vexas.
"What I mean is we can't give up on finding the missing people, just assume they're dead. We've found one body, which obviously isn't good. But it was hidden away, maybe so he wouldn't be found. It's just as likely that's because everyone was still here as anything else."
The halfling gets a more serious look, conceding to the resolving of a misunderstanding.
Oh, yes yes. I surely didn't mean it that way. And I'd certainly love for us to find any of the villagers who fled this place. I gain nothing from them remaining missing, and I would love some first-hand answers as well. And hey, when we do find them Kowal and our lost wizard can trade even more craft. Here's hoping we start finding some of them! The circumstances of their departure do seem.... tricky though...
Brannart is inspecting the empty rack meant for weapons and armor when Fenna asks about Rayland Arkely’s marital status. Brannart thinks for a moment but is unsure one way or the other.
Moving a chair over, Sho steps up while Brannart is there for support. The Ranger reaches and grabs the parchment. Unfolding the parchment, the discovery reveals four sheets tightly folded and creased together. When the pieces are unfolded, the top page holds the Seal for the Government of Andoran along with several large paragraphs of legal jargon showing Talmandor’s Bounty colony charter.
This legal document declares the island and the colony is under the protection of the Nation of Andoran and outlines the relationship to the Bountiful Venture Company, and enumerates the rights and responsibilities of all colonists. It bears the sealed signatures of many individuals. Both Brannart and Fenna recognize three names as members of the People’s Council. There are another four names directly under those. Then there are several spaces before the list of signatures begins anew. Many of these names seem familiar. They are in alphabetical order by last name and Rayland Arkley’s signature is near the top. This batch of names fills each of the four pages, and there is a written check mark next to each of these names, including Arkley’s.
This document is very similar to a document you all signed when agreeing to become the second wave of colonists in the charter.
Fenna takes another glance at the spellbook found and senses a connection to the volume. For some reason, it seems less intimidating to her, and she feels she has a better understanding of its nature and use.
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"Well done, Sho! These names seem right... this looks legitimate... I wonder what the check marks indicate?"
"These other names belong here too, high-level investors in the Company. But why is this not filed away in the Government building?"
Vexas frowns and comes over to focus on the document now that Brannart has made his observation.
Good question...I wonder if we could find the "government building" of this settlement and check its "official documents." It seems like this one was held back and I'm curious if there was a replacement that was purported as the real agreement...
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No worries. It was a good training. I like to climb on things, it seems to give you another point of view about your surroundings, litteraly and sometimes spiritually too. Have you noticed? I think mister Arkley was a bachelor. No woman clothes. No man's clothes for another build either in the chest. Single person bed. Doesn't mean all his nights were spent alone, but no one lived with him permanently.
So that and the spellbook probably means he was hiding some Kowal says he will also mention I'm not sure I can do much with this spellbook, I can't actually transcribe spells per se.
Kowal reviews the pieces of parchment and determines that the check marks were definitely added to the document at a later time. There are two names, Kowal notices, without checkmarks. those names are Raila Lyonhart and Silas Weatherbee.
"Here I thought I was in for peacefully Island life and educating people on a proper balance with nature. Here I am instead investigating strange disappearance."
Fenna hangs on to the spellbook, intending to look it over more carefully when there's time.
"The thing is, to a wizard their spellbook is bread and butter, sword and shield all in one. I can't imagine any circumstances short of having two exact copies of the same book where a wizard would just let somebody else hang on to their book for them."
Directly to the northeast is the only two-story building in the colony. The wooden-framed, mud-brick structure is one of the largest buildings and holds the appearance of a city hall. The front features a small porch supported by rough log pillars, with double wooden doors facing west. Numerous window frames with shutters, some of them open, wrap around the building on both floors. The roof is not thatched but has wooden shakes instead. It has a rough, unfinished appearance due to the lack of paint and course materials. A few small shrubs have been planted around it to give it life.
The colony is quiet as the sun starts to wane. Now lower on the horizon, it's rays start to inhibit your vision to the west. It is mid to late afternoon and shadows start to creep toward the east. The taste of wind-blown salt is on your lips and you realize how thirsty you are.
The government looking building piques your interest, but so do the tracks found earlier.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO?
Vexas, still in thought with his hand on his chin.
Right, so it could be he took it from somebody. Or, perhaps through fatal force... He thinks back to the spirit's call from the chapel.
Kowal will cautiously approach not looking to be the first to breach.
Hmm, I think a nice plum or light blue might accompany the foliage well, but the best paint to use for the structure is probably best left to another day
Fenna points to the two-story building.
"If these people were like pretty much everyone else in the world it seems, that biggest building there will be the colony's government building. Heaven forbid people actually live and sleep in the places that take the most time and resources to build."
"Might as well check there for documents now. We'll be inside come dark when we're finished, and that's probably a decent idea anyway."
Vexas nods and follows Fenna's lead.
Right. I'm really curious if there's another version of this document in there.
Malakar will take the breach position and motion for Brannart with his reach weapon to take second. I will have my Buckler and Scimitar ready.
"There is chance for more conflict inside. Be on your guard everyone."
Brannart will do as Malakar indicates. He has his ranseur in hand and his buckler off and is behind Malakar.
Assuming everyone is ok with the above.
Malakar will pound the door hard in an effort to make noise before speaking loudly
[B]"Anyone in here? We are coming in and are armed so if you don't want to be hurt make yourself known!"
Malakar will than pause to listen for any reactions or sounds for 5-10 seconds before opening the door and steping aside enough for Brannart to stab if anything trys to leap out.
Vexas follows towards the back and begins quickly scanning the interior for ambush points once they enter...
Malakar pauses for a response after his warning, but no sound is heard from inside. Moving in through the main doors, which are unsecured but can be barred from the inside, there is a foyer opening up to a large chamber that occupies most of the main floor. This room is open to the second floor, and two flights of stairs lead to a gallery that overlooks this space, supported by columns on the main level. At the rear of the chamber, against the east wall, is a raised desk, like a podium. Tables and chairs are arrayed in front of it like a courtroom. The gallery above has simple wooden chairs so that citizens can observe whatever business is conducted here. The north and south ends of the main floor each hold a closed door. A light layer of dust is noticeable throughout the inside of this structure.
Having been pointed out by Sho Malakar will look to the area to spot whatever is up there.
"Whatever you are you better come out before you get hurt."
Afterwards I will approach the stairs.
Hearing Sho's warning, Brannart holds his polearm ready and backs up Malakar.
With Sho's warning, you see something small hiding in the shadows behind the balusters on the second floor. Standing a foot off the ground, it scuttles away on multiple legs. It appears to be moving toward an upstairs window.
Fenna keeps her voice low so it doesn't carry past her allies, but there's excitement in it.
"Hey! I think that little thing is a machine! It's a device for spying! I'm going to circle around on the outside in case it goes out the window."
Fenna retreats to the door and starts around the building to find the window.
Vexas, hearing this, suddenly looks alert and draws his rapier, approach the bottom of the stairs as if guarding it's escape through that direction.
"Let's try to capture it if we can."
Brannart drops his ranseur and moves to follow Fenna outside the building, circling around.
More Azlanti technology, like the wondrous pocket-watch? Would be a shame to destroy it unless we had to.
agreed, anyone know how it spy’s, does it speak?
either we attack it or we chase it to whoever sent it here. kowal will say as he pulls out his crossbow and aims waiting for someone to call fire. If/when that happens
"We can try to chase it... but I may not be able to keep up in my armor."
Fenna grabs Brannart's forearm and squeezes it tightly in her excitement.
"Amazing! It's a machine that flies!" she squeals.
"Come on! We have to follow it and see where it's going!"
Fenna goes after it immediately, not wanting to risk losing sight of it.
Brannart starts chasing the machine along with Fenna.
seeing that the action has gone the information gathering route Kowal will stow his crossbow and give chase.
The mechanical creature flies due north deeper into the island as the sun starts to wane to your left. The spy is not to far ahead since it flies at a slow pace and in a clumsy manner, but it does not have the difficulty of terrain to deal with. The path it takes; leads you into several different types of terrain; from light forest to denser thickets, from dry rocky ground to over small creeks, from flat ground to moderate inclines.
At first, you have the convenience of a partial path to follow. It is not an official trail, but the ground has been compounded enough to slow the growth of vegetation and allow relatively easy movement. The creature zooms above you and slightly ahead, but so far you can keep up due to the forgiving terrain.
Eventually, you hear water up ahead and the path intersects with a large creek about fifteen feet across. The path seems to rejoin directly on the other side of the creek. The water rushes by, but reveals partially submerged rocks that offers a probable walkway at lower water levels. A few feet upriver is a fallen log that could work as a bridge, but it is covered in moss and has a declining pitch. The water here is different levels, but looks to be about three feet deep at points. It is possible to wade through the current. Moving up or down the creek could offer a better place to cross, but you will need to bushwhack a path which could take time.
Of course, your airborne quarry has no issue navigating over the creek and starts to get ahead of you.
Fenna hops onto the log. Using her pike as an ad hoc balancing pole, she scrambles across the stream.
Kowal will try and climb over the rocks, grabbing his snorkel beforehand just in case