As the swarm comes towards Pepper, she extends her arm-branches out-- but the bees do not rest on her, nor look around to make a new hive.
No, they sting her!
Nature is going crazy... indeed!
Pepper tries to shake them off, but she has a bit of thick trunk, and is not the fastest birch in the woods--
--though after not moving fast enough, she accelerates and manages to shake some off.
"Bee sting stimulation sure helps ones' reflexes!"
Pepper moves out of the swarm, getting in between the two, and casts another Primal spell, calling once more upon the power of the storm-- jolting both swarms.
As the boar's tusk finds its way between Sinan's breast and back plates, the priest blinks in surprise. The Dawnflower's blade falls from his hand as his body crumples to the ground.
Gamble moves between the crooked apple trees and then whistles a disconcerting tune while pointing at the swarm around Amora.
As bees buzz around her, several of these strange, pale bees manage to hurt Pepper.
As the electric arc jumps between the swarms, several of the bees surrounding Amora explode with a sickening pop ; however, the swarm that was attacking Pepper moves just the slightest and the electric arc hits a nearby tree branch! Rotten apples explode, bathing Gracie in apple cider!
Gamble makes his way south along the irregular ground of the orchard, some of the twisted branches tug at his hair. He makes eye contact with swarm attacking Amora, whistles his tune... and nothing. Gamble knows he cast the spell correctly. Perhaps it won't work with swarms.
Amora keeps swinging her smoke can. The bees surrounding her continue to fall around her. The buzzing in the orchard is lessening.
|----|----|----|----|
To Kunsheng and Simon's shock, Sinan collapses on the floor, bleeding. Perhaps this is a patient Kunsheng could save.
Simon's precise rapier stab pierces through several of the boar's vital organs! The sharp squeal it gives pierces the environs and you can hear Trin sobbing behind the door.
Furious, the boar turns around and dashes after Simon, eyes filled with murderous intent!
Flying with impetus it rams into Simon, more than likely sapping his strength as the air leaves his lungs. It's snout is bloody with Sinan's and Valor's blood. The creature shakes its head, reeling from the impact when it hears a familiar voice from behind the farmhouse. "OY! OY!"
Marny turns the corner and begins yelling and waving his arms, trying to catch the boar's attention. "Oy! You stupid pig! I'm over 'ere!"
Pepper is shocked these bees would hurt her.
She tries to be a strong bark leshy--
--but her limbs shiver.
The poison that courses through Pepper, while a small quantity, is unlike anything she has knowledge about, as it attacks her bark and limbs, contracting them. Just as the bees seem warped, so it appears that the poison that attacks her body is as well.
Your movements become clumsy and inexact. Clumsy always includes a value. You take a status penalty equal to the condition value to Dexterity-based checks and DCs, including AC, Reflex saves, ranged attack rolls, and skill checks using Acrobatics, Stealth, and Thievery.
Pepper's clumsy movements seem... wooden.
BZZZZ!BZZZZZZ!BZZZZ!
Probably still aching from the stings he received, and the electric jolt he almost received, Deerslicer looks around and finds a small, suitable branch. It's more like of a long twig, really.
As the ranger approaches the fire, the swarm is on the move, harries Pepper, hurt and annoyed at the damage the lightning tree did to it. More bees die as they try to sting the evil tree.
The swarm keeps buzzing around Amora, and this time you can hear a muffled scream between the buzzing as the bees continue their stinging; regardless that the swarm is starting to disperse as the roiling mass begins to thin before your eyes.
|
Simon doubles back and runs around the corner. He's badly injured and he has his healer's kit in hand to tend to himself. It's just a slap-on bandage, but it'll be good enough so that he can run off.
As he rounds the corner, he seens Sinan.
Simon looks at his own bleeding leg. It's bad - very bad. He could go down if that boar hits him again. Then, he looks at Sinan, already down. He hasn't even known Sinan for a week. And besides, why are they so intent on helping these people? Revenge for Bort? Who the abyss is Bort to Simon? Who the abyss is Sinan to Simon?
In times of crisis, people find out what they really mean to others.
Simon bends down ... and Valor wraps the bandage around Sinan.
Sluggish, her roots half tangled up, Pepper manages to first trip... but then recover.
She stumbles away, her pride as stung as her bark.
Upset, she mutters fiery words of power from the First World, and touches her Holly and Mistletoe, pointing at the reddish hued group of bees.
A small ball of flame appears in the palm of your hand, and she lashes out, tossing into the bees--
"BAD BEES!"
"Stand firm, everyone. The swarms are thinning," Gamble calls out as he lurches through the tangled orchard. "Swat them like flies. They're bigger, slower, and surely are easier to hit!"
He places his other hand on his walking staff and swings it through the swarming bees.
"Teach him. For he is lost and seeks the light."
Lying on the ground, Sinan regains consciousness, his eyes glazed, body aching, but perhaps renewed in determination.
|----|----|----|----|
Flame engulfs the bees and as they crinkle and burn, the swarm disperses!
Even though they're gone, their poison slowly keeps leaking into Pepper's stems and shoots, curling up her green leaves.
Beating through Amora's smoke, Gamble swings his staff, and slowly the swarm disperses, too thin to be a danger as the remaining bees return to either the nearby trees or the hive. Their flight erratic throughout. Amora looks all right, just like the rest of you, stung.
"What is wrong with this place?" the Ulfen wonders aloud as he wipes sweat and grime from his brow. He looks around the orchard at the others and nods to nobody in particular. "Sorry to bring you trouble," he says to Amora. "We wanted to ask you about last night. Could we talk inside?"
Sinan stands and lifts his holy symbol. "My lady has charged me, friend Valor," he says just loud enough for Simon to hear. "To teach you what I can."
His eyes lit with holy light, he calls out his spell in taldane for Valor's benefit. "May the Dawn flower strike you down!" And a spear of light draws from Sinan's glowing holy symbol to seek the out the boar.
"So you've noticed, too?", Amora says as she removes her padded helm and veil. "It wasn't so bad, with the illness creeping up over the past several years, but these past year has been the worst. Those bees never acted like this before. Follow me. Let's see to any stings you might've got."
She raises an eyebrow at Deerslicer's comment."Wait. You wanted to steal my apples? I could have given them to you for free, but", she gestures to the rotten fruit hanging from the branch. "I doubt you'll like them."
Amora's home is a simple three room shack: kitchen, bedroom and living room. She gestures to a pair of squat wooden stools. "I imagine you want to talk about what happened at the Feedmill", she says wearily as she removes the rest of her padded armor. "What do you want to know?"
|----|----|----|----|
Meanwhile at the Salthern farm...
Sinan's beam strikes his target once more with the might of his goddess and once again it only shines a dazzling light at the beast's hide.
"SQUALLL!!!"
2 Kunsheng
The boar shakes its wedge shaped head, its whole body in bad shape as it bleeds profusely from Simon's deadly jab. The beast paws the ground and bursts towards a pale white Marny!
The impact rocks the farmer as 100 kilograms of raw boar slam into him! The creature shakes and attempts to gore the farmer a second time! Marny just barely manages to dodge the bloodied tusks.
Behind and away from everyone's view, Marny bolts counterclockwise, his face deathly white, and as he runs he unsheathes his knife from his belt, stopping short from crashing into Valor!
Sinan opens himself to the sun's waning radiance and calls out "May the sun bathe us all in her light!"
Pepper mutters something about "should have stayed with the others, who are nice and safe with the horses!".
She rubs herself all over, and shakes the dead poisoned leaves off.
"Crazy bees... what has gotten into them?
And rotten apples... something is truly wrong here.
Progenitor would want me to investigate!"
She looks at her friends, while casting words of power over one of here berries.
Pepper nods at Deerslicer, and pops the berry into the knot she uses as a mouth--
--and most of the stings and hurts in her bark heal up as sap fills them up and hardens.
While the others get ready, she will see if she can take ten minutes to commune with the apple trees and their spirits, trying to soothe them.
Pepper is much more limber, a lot less... clumsy.
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"Again, sorry to trouble you. Who was in the kitchen last night? Had access to the porridge and Bort's bow?" Gamble asks. "Anyone pass through the kitchen that day that isn't normally there?"
"You're a very polite man. I get no respect, and Delma should appreciate it instead of...", she bristles. "Closing my kitchen! Can you believe it! You have no idea what I've been going through and my reputation is ruined! Ruined! Not once has a person fell sick to my cooking. Do you know what they say about me when I walk down to the market? There goes Amora, her food is delicious! Now people won't even look at me on the street! I'm sure of it!"
Amora takes a deep breath. She stands up and brings back a tray of biscuits. "Honey biscuits, anyone?", she offers sweetly. "The honey comes straight from the hive."
"To answer your question", she bites down on a biscuit and takes a seat, leaving the tray in front of you, "Last night, it was just the usual people in the kitchen: Phinick, Trin and myself. I did step outside several times to empty the slop bucket, but, at least I think no one else went inside. And before you ask, yes I prepared the dessert. No one else is allowed to prepare food in my kitchen. The others did what they always do. Phinnick plated it as usual and Trin served it."
"Thank you," he says accepting a biscuit and taking a bite while she answers.
He brushes the crumbs off his beard when she finishes and says, "Since the rest of us didn't fall ill, the poison couldn't have been in the main pot or the ingredients. It'd probably be hard to guess which bowl would go to Bort, so unless it was just a plot to ruin you or Delma, the poison would have to be added at plating or serving. Do you know anyone in town who could make Trin or the goblin do the deed? Or any reason they'd have to hurt Bort?"
"You think Trin or Phinick could have done it? Preposterous! It's one thing to be force some— I mean, force someone to add poison and kill another? That would make them murderers! I don't think anyone could do such a thing! And for the dwarf? Oh, he comes by every three, four months, but he was well-liked. If they were after my reputation, why, they've just done a great job, don't you think?"
Amora stands up and brings back some mugs and a warm kettle. She serves you all tea. She is clearly distraught by the event's effect on her reputation and continues once she's had a few sips from her cup.
"Trin is well-liked and respected by what she and her brother are doing out there at their farm.", she begrudgingly says, "But do I get any credit for trying to grow things in this wretched orchard? No, but Trin manages to grow a turnip, a turnip mind you! And everyone applauds. It must be nice to be young.", she sighs.
"Phininck, well... nobody likes the fat, smelly, thing. The town still remembers what happened during the Goblinblood Wars. Perhaps the little dog eaters brought the plague with them", she says with a smirk. Horror appears in her eyes and she covers her mouth remembering that she has Deerslicer in front of her. "I mean, there are some folks who love tortu— mistreating little Phinick", she says apologetically while dipping her head to the goblin. "Hallod is probably the worst of them, but Hallod is like a boar. Once he's caught on to a weakness, he goes for it until he gets bored. I know Flonk can barely stand him and Eallom has said that if he sees Phinick near his lands he'll gut the fat ball of lard. I doubt that there's someone in town who likes him besides Delma or Edra. He's a tolerated nuisance, at best."
"Growing turnips is easier than nurturing a fruit orchard," he agrees.
Marny is about to say something when the Kunsheng goes running towards the back of the home. Sarenrae's blessings emanate from the Qadiran warmly soothing all aches and mending the wounds of Valor, Sinan and Marny.
The acid flask breaks on contact with the beast's hide and it screams in agony as the acid begins to eat away at its hide.
Grunting and squealing, it makes a break for it and runs off south towards the hill behind Trin's house.
"Gosh... that was close!", exclaims a winded Marny. "Thank you, strangers. I don't know who you are, but am I glad you came along!"
"Is it gone now?", Trin's voice comes meekly from behind the locked door.
"It's gone, sis."
"Oh, thank goodness!"
The door flings open and Trin comes out, rushing to her brother and hugging him.
"Marny, you downright scared me! I thought I would lose you!"
"It's all right, sis. These strangers came and helped us."
Trin lets go of her brother and looks at you. "Oh,you're the merchants from the caravan, aren't you. Thank you. Please come in, I'll have some tea ready."
Trin invites you into her home. It's a small house built of logs and planks, with a dinning room has with a large rustic wooden table for six. She offers you to take a seat while she goes and gets the tea ready.
"Are you taking a tour of the town?", Marny asks innocently. He's around his late twenties and is built like an ox. Still, that didn't stop him from being gored by a boar.
Meanwhile, a small spot of acid begins to eat a hole behind Trin's house...
When Pepper sees Gamble going for a biscuit, she fears he will take some of that honey that comes straight from the hive and moves to nudge him--
--but is relieved he does not take any.
She tries to see if the honey seems corrupted in any way, by those awful strange pale bees.
She listens to all that is being said, trying to learn about human-folk's habits.
How they cook, and plate, and serve...
|
Deerslicer looks at the offered honey biscuit, then glances out toward the hive, and says, "From that hive? Um ... No, me t'ink no." He reaches into his bag and rips off another raw quail leg and begins chewing on it.
As he gnaws on the raw meat, he seems to ignore the casual anti-goblin bigotry being displayed as he listens. "You know where Phinick live at? Or Eallom? I don't think me met him yet."
Sinan gives a small bow in thanks for the offered tea. He gives Marny a once over. "Are you injured, my friend? Before we discuss the matters that brought us to your home, we should make sure no one is still hurt."
Sinan takes a mug of the proffered tea and blows on it softly before taking a sip. "Thank you, Trin. Are you alright? You ran out so quickly after that mug caught you last night. I hadn't had the chance to check on you."
The tea helps to invigorate the priest to dive into the next part. "I'm sure you know that after the barfight, the caravan leader, Bort, lost his life. As we're stuck here in town until the magistrate comes, we've agreed to conduct the investigation. So we need to know whatever you can remember of last night, especially about the porridge you served to Bort."
He pauses a moment. "This is difficult to ask, and since you were with me talking about far off lands for much of the evening, I trust you will be able to speak frankly with me. Was there anything odd or different about the food last night? Who had access to it? And can you run me through everything you remember about last night?"
Marny thanks Sinan for the blessing. "Thank you, that's mighty kind of you." Meanwhile, Trin offers a water-filled plate and mug to Simon and a pitcher and rag to Kunsheng. "Uh, sure. The pump is outside in the back if you need more."
Once everyone has settled in, Trin takes a seat next to her brother, she hugs herself as she recalls the events. A large bruise can be seen on the side of her face and her nose is swollen. "It was horrible, wasn't it? I couldn't sleep a wink last night, I'm scared of what I'll see when I close my eyes. I really wish you hadn't brought it up."
Marny puts a hand on her sister's shoulder and squeezes it.
Trin continues, her voice sad and looking at the table in front of her, not meeting anyone's eyes. "No, nothing was different. It was just another day at the Feedmill. We were all so happy to see Bort. He brings us things, you know, from the cities. And news. News about what's going on beyond the town." She looks up towards you. "It was just the three of us in the kitchen. Amora prepared the porridge. The old ha–, uh, she never lets anyone prepare a meal there while she's around, not even Delma. She's obsessed with being recognized as the best cook of the land and all. Once the porridge was ready, Phinick plated it, brought it over and I went back into the taproom to serve it to Bort."
She ponders for a moment. "I can't recall much, I was still scared after getting hit and I just wanted to serve Bort and ask Delma permission to leave."
|----|----|----|----|
With all the going-ons, Pepper can't really tell if there's something wrong with the honey. It looks okay enough to her.
Amora takes a sip of her tea and considers Deerslicer's question. "Phinick? He lives at the top of the barn, just above the horses. He's usually up and about ingratiating himself to Delma by doing chores in the morning. Didn't you see him today? As for Eallom, he lives in the northern farm just before the bridge."
"If it was someone he trusted, perhaps. Phinick isn't exactly loved enough that people would suggest something as nice as making him happy. Maybe if it came from Delma or Edra? He's always trying to please them, since they mostly protect him from Hallod. But I can't imagine either of them being such monsters in order to do that in the first place!", Amora responds.
"Hallod was that unfortunate bully by the bar, correct?" The priest thinks quietly for a moment. "I do not abide bullies, but there is much he could offer from the point of view he had at the bar." Sinan offers a poltice he had been working on to help with the coloration of Trin's bruise. "We should speak to him. And Phinick too. Do you know where we can find them?" More to himself than anyone else he adds "as well as whomever started that fight."
"Yes, sir. That's Hallod, all right." Marny interjects. "Only two people live at the Feedmill's bar. Hallod and Eallom. Hallod's the town bully, you see. There's only one jerk like 'im around these parts, thank the gods."
Trin stretches out a shaking hand towards Sinan's offering. It's surprising how this shy, bruised woman is so different one from the one that took you by the shoulder the other night, wanting to know about the world outside Etran's Folly.
"Oh, thank you." Trin blushes taking the poultice. She holds it against her swollen nose. "Phinick? Phinick lives in the barn loft. He sticks to Delma and Edra as much as he can. The little guys is bullied by almost everyone in town and they keep him safe. Hallod lives at Dead Willow in the Dead Homes. You can't miss it."
"Sis has told me all about who started this fight. That would be that no good, lazy Eallom. If you go talk to 'im, come pick me up. I've a few words I'd like to share with 'im", Marny says with a dark mien while cracking his knuckles.
”Well, thank you for your time and the excellent biscuits and honey,” Gamble says. ”I think we’ve taken more than enough of your time, and we should head back before it’s too late.”
"Yes, of course." Amora picks up the dishes and escorts you out through the orchard. With the bees at peace, it's actually a calming location, even though the twisted trees detract from the scenery.
As you head back along the trail, Amora gives you some honeycomb from the hives you just subdued. "For your troubles", she says. "It'll make any bread taste good and it keeps really well", she smiles wanly. Gamble and Pepper would know that the honeycomb is a healthy pale yellow despite its origin.
The three of you head towards the clearing in the forest that Edra told you about, Deerslicer and Gracie confidently leading the way.
It doesn't take long to find the clearing. Unfortunately, there's a rather ferocious old bear that is sleeping between the rosemary bushes you need.