Hope's eyes widened in surprise when Fioralba kissed her cheek and caressed her face gently. She had no idea how to respond to such actions and just kind of stood there stunned. Because of it she was unable to really resist Ella when she grasped Hopes arm and let the other woman pull her along.
Hope was blushing a bit at the attention the two sisters had given her and looked at Ela nervously as she said, "Um, I'm glad you're alright Ela."
When they next saw the ghost of Sir Roderick appear Hope shifted slightly to, ever so slightly, put herself between Ela and the ghost. She hadn't tried yet to reclaim her arm from the sister who controlled it and listened to what the ghost said. The whispers came to her again as she watched the ghost defying gravity unhappily about the ghost but she did her best to shrug them off. Fortunately Elanna's touch seemed to help her focus on something other than the voices.
Elanna mishears Hope, as her concentration is on the pair chatting in front of her. "You're alright too Hope." She replies absently. Realising that she is distracted, she then turns to Hope with a smile giving Hope her full attention, "People may say you're mad, but if this is what you say is mad, I love it." Elanna gives Hope her second kiss on the cheek in as many minutes.
You continue your search of the upper floor. The next room used to be a study, but now holds little but a simple desk and a moldy puddle beneath a wet stain in the ceiling. The next room has two large chairs that are mostly intact. Broken glass glitters on the floor, and a low table lays on its side, the drawers from a small cabinet on the ground beside it. A draft from a broken window stirs the moldy drapes, and a crooked painting of a sailing ship at sea bears a lengthy rip through the canvas. A search uncovers a crystal stopper for a decanter beneath one of the chairs. It is worth 95 gp.
Sagging shelves, one of which has partially pulled free from the wall, line the walls of the next room, set with spools of thread, boxes of needles, moldy scraps of cloth, bolts of decaying fabric, and various types of shears. A round box of soiled yarn rests on a worktable along the north wall, and a dress form lays propped in the corner.
You can hear a quiet weeping sound coming from the room, and a few of the items within are beginning to vibrate. It's likely the room is haunted--you could try to brave the haunt to search further, or leave the room alone.
"Another haunting ahead, likely. Please don't let it be another child thing..." Fioralba says before boldly pushing forward with the others. "Okay. Everyone on your guard."
A few moments after Fio enters the room, the items in the room come to life and chaotically fly through the air, slashing at and tangling everyone in the area. Flurries of needles fly about like straw caught in a dust devil, while scissors and shears flap dangerously through the area. Strips of cloth wrap around people’s heads, and spools of thread and yarn spread like ever-shifting webs!
Fioralba steps in and gets cut up by a pair of shears that slashes her back. Screaming in pain she dives back out of the room, groaning in pain on the floor. "Don't go in there!" she warns, trying to stop the others from entering the room.
Moving up to Fioralba, Screaming Moon gets out his salve and tends to the slash.
The objects clatter and whirl through the air for several seconds before finally settling back down. Fio takes a few experimental steps into the room, and nothing else happens. It seems the haunt has expended it's spiritual energy--for now, at least.
With time to search around, you discover a concealed space in the round box containing the moldering yarn. Hidden inside are nine bars of gold, each worth 200 gp!
You move on to the next room. Off-color rectangles on the moldering walls show that there were once many frames hanging on the walls of this room. A selection of pens and brushes, as well as a silver-capped ink jar, lie on the floor amid the remains of a desk.
Once more, the ghost of Sir Roderic drains up from the floorboards and appears before you. This time, though, he seems to be more lucid. He speaks in a tired, labored voice. "My map. They took my map. It holds the key. To the vault. Baraket will control them. It will control you! I should have taken the gauntlets, but I fled. I was a coward. You must be brave. You must endure where I did not. The vault. It lies still in the vault. You must save my Cove. Save. My. Cove."
Fioralba puts her hand gently on Screaming Moon's once he's done. She looks into his eyes and says softly "Thank you, that is much better."[/b
Once tended to, she returns to the room once the flying sharp objects have ceased their destruction. When Sir Roderic appears again and speaks, she says [b]"Ah. That makes much more sense."
Her face lights up at the mention of Baraket. "It is my destiny to wield this blade, it has been foretold!" she declares boldly, looking towards Triel briefly before turning back to Sir Roderic. "Fear not, we will find this blade in the vault. But who took your map? What gauntlets?"
Fi could really give a crap about the cove, but she really wants this blade.
"My map. They took my map," Roderic repeats himself. He gestures to the empty frames in the room.
"The stone house in the wood. The gauntlet. Heroes of the Cove," the ghost murmurs.
Screaming Moon looks confused at Fioralba's assertion, "Fioralba, wasn't Baraket the sword that was seen being wielded by the Runelord cultists?"
He speaks a little slowly, unsure of what he is saying. "I think the gauntlets - perhaps gauntlets that allow someone to wield this sword safely - are in this vault. I believe the map may lead to a stone house and that the vault containing these gauntlets is in the stone house."
"Fee, did you miss the part where he said It will control you. Last time someone else tried to do that to you in the bedroom, I remember you did. not. like. it. Now this Baraket is going to be a whole other world that some fun in the bedroom." Elanna says, emphasising it for effect, knowing her sister is only hearing what she wants to hear.
When Screaming Moon tries to point out the sword's history, Elanna looks a little self-righteous. "See, I told you. Not. Good. News."
She perks up when she realises about the Heroes line. "If we do this, are you saying we will be heroes?" Elanna asks the ghost, forgetting it is unlikely to reply, she is just focussed on the glory she could earn.
Fioralba waves away both Screaming Moon and Elanna's assertions, "I'll be able to handle whatever a sword can dish out, don't you worry yourselves about it no more. It's my destiny." she says again.
Taking into consideration what Screaming Moon suggests, she nods "This is an excellent assertion. We need to find these gauntlets."
Not aware of too much of the local lore, she asks "Does anyone else have ideas where we can find the map?"
She looks at her sister's heroes comment, getting what she's after.
"...can't say that I do." Madame Hawk finally speaks up after everything settles down.
”Heroes of the Cove...” Roderic says one more time before he drains away.
The final room contains a set of bunk beds that has fallen apart and crumpled against the south wall. A wooden chest of toys is turned on its side, spilling moldy stuffed animals, wooden blocks, and neglected toys across the floor. Aside from the hollow husks of a few dead oversized centipedes, there is nothing of interest here.
You have finished exploring Roderic’s Wreck!
"Well, that was rather bracing." Madame Hawk says as she starts to lead the party out of the house. "And we have a clear idea of what to do next."
"Don't know about this whole 'Heroes of the Cove' business, though..."
"What do you mean Hawk, Heroes of the Cove sounds like a great title to me! I could get used to it." Elanna says, puffing out her chest making herself gain an inch in height.
"Well, where are maps stored around here? Please don't tell me we have to go talk to the Port Governor to find out."
"Perhaps the term will mean something to the town elders. Who is the story teller for the people of Roderic's Cove?" offers Screaming Moon.
Heading outside, he finds a pleasant looking tree and buries the dog skull, and covers it with a few stones. After saying a few brief words in Shoanti, he turns toward Roderic's cove and begins walking.
The sun has nearly set as you make your way back to Roderic’s Cove. Fog rises from the river, shrouding the buildings in a damp haze. As you pass the docks and round a restaurant named the Rampant Reefclaw, two snarling creatures lunge out of the fog! Composed of half-formed body parts, these creatures stand on two monstrous legs. Mouths full of jagged teeth dominates the creatures’ bulbous heads. Their veins pulse just beneath transparent flesh.
"Yes. Let's get back to town and ask around. I'm sure the Heroes of the Cove can find out what they need." She turns and winks at her sister before slipping her hand into Ella's as they walk.
"Fleshdregs! A lesser form of sinspawn!Resistant to magic and mind spells! Let's take them down!" Fi says, dashing up and setting flanking for her sister before thwacking one.
Hope was relieved when the rest of Roderick's Wreck turned out much more manageable to deal with. She actually thought things would turn around when they got back into town and maybe she;d manage to sleep somewhere other than her hole when things went to hell again. There were two freakish things that appeared all of a sudden to attack them and Hope was having no part of that. She pulled together power, the longer version of her attack this time, and then sent a ball of gravity slamming into the closer of the two creature with incredible force.
Madame Hawk stares at the beasts in disgust before readying her spear and stabbing at the nearest one!
Elanna is grateful for her sister's tactics and strikes carefully with her rapier.
Hope misses, but Hawk and the twins quickly take down a fleshdreg. The other ones maw fills with acid as it bites Madame Hawk!
Madame Hawk's response is a roar of pain and a lunge from her spear!
...unfortunately, the pain throws her aim off completely.
Fi shouts "Nice work! Another one! No! Lookout Madame Hawk!" a little too late as she is bitten. She slides over and thrusts her rapier forward into it!
Repositioning herself for the next one, Elanna thrusts her rapier from the other side of the fleshdreg
Cursing at her miss yet again Hope once more sent a blast lancing out at the remaining monstrosity.
Working his way behind the dark skinned hawk woman, Screaming Moon somehow manages to spread some salve on the acid burn.
Hope’s blast slams home this time, and the twins finish the second fleshdreg with a pair of precise strikes! The thing drops limply to the ground, a few drops of acid sizzling as it dribbles from its mouth.
Madame Hawk winces and rubs her shoulder where she was bitten. "...thank you, Moon."
A patch of onyx-coloured skin is now quite visible to everyone through the hole in her shirt's shoulder.
Fioralba blows out a quick breath and looks around to see how everyone is doing. She moves over to Triel and asks "How bad is it, Screaming Moon?"
Once he's done and she's healed, Fioralba looks up at the hole in Triel's shirt, turning her head sideways like an animal who heard a strange sound. She reaches up above her head and pokes her finger through the hole, tickling the drow's skin briefly before pulling her finger back with a smirk.
She then looks up at the masked woman and zips her fingers across her lips as if to say her secret is safe with her.
Pleased with the success of the healing, but concerned that some redness remains, Screaming Moon examines the wound more closely.
"I think it is fine, though, I've never seen skin take on a hue quite so dark before. It must be a strange acid to discolor the skin in this way.
Madame Hawk, would you mind lifting the back of your shirt so I can make sure it isn't spreading? The creature's bite may have left poison or disease behind."
Fioralba places a hand on Screaming Moon's shoulder "Another time, yes? One should not ask a lady to remove clothing in public, hmmm?"
Had he asked her to remove her shirt, should would have obliged of course, but that was another matter entirely.
Madame Hawk briefly flinches when Fi touches her through the hole in her shirt, and tenses further when Moon asks her to lift her shirt up.
When Fi intervenes, she breathes a brief sigh of relief. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary--I'm alright. Just a bit sore."
She covers up the hole in her shirt with her hand.
"Another time, yes? One should not ask a lady to remove clothing in public, hmmm?"
.
Elanna's eyes narrow at this statement. Thats not like Fi, what is she up to?
Madame Hawk sighs. "Should we find some place to rest for the evening? Creekside's rooms are quite nice, and we should have enough money from the Wreck to each pay for a room."
"That sounds like a plan Madame Hawk. My sister and I are happy to share a room with another person to cut down on costs if anyone would like?" Elanna asks with a twinkle in her eye.
"We should also discuss our next moves, and perhaps get a start on finding this map."
The rooms at Creekside are quite nice, and you settle in to whatever sleeping configurations you desire to get some rest. In the morning, as you reflect on your experiences in Roderic's Wreck, you feel stronger and more capable of taking on the challenges to come.
Fioralba's efforts to gather information bear fruit, as she learns that Roderic's maps were taken from his home after his death and are now on display in the archives of Cove Hall.
Hope was relieved to see the last of the things take her blast and even more so when it finally fell to their combined efforts. She watched as Screaming Moon tended to the injured and considered what to do tonight. She didn't like the idea of sleeping in her usual place tonight, or anywhere outside for that matter, not with things like this and that ghost around. No, far better to do as was suggested and use the money they had earned as Madame Hawk suggested.
At the offer of the sisters to split a room with someone to lower the cost Hope looked at the two. She wasn't sure she trusted anyone enough to make herself that vulnerable but she also saw the definite benefit in in such an arrangement. She needed to make her share last as long as she could. Hope looked at Elanna and said, "I'll share with you both. I need to make my money last and it seems like a good way to do so."
Madame Hawk opts to take a room for herself.
--------------------
The next morning, when the group reconvenes, Madame Hawk is at the foot of the stairs up to Creekside's rooms. The hole in her shirt looks to have been freshly mended.
"Right. First order of business--Roderic's maps."
As they walk, she leans in and whispers in Hope's ear "My sister has taken a fancy to you. I'd tell you she doesn't bite and not to worry, but that'd be a lie. She bites. Hard. I hope you like that."
She opens the door to the room and lets go of Hope's hand and bounds into the room, looking around. "Not bad. Madame Hawk was right. Hmm. Speaking of. I need to speak with her."
Fi moves to the door but waggles her finger at Hope and Elanna. "No fun until I get back. Okay?"
Jumping over to the bed and landing with less than a bounce than she would like, she rubs her rear end with a frown. "I was hoping for a little more feather than that."
Looking up to Triel she asks, "So, Madame Hawk. How is your wound? Are you recovered?"
Fioralba sets out to talk to some townsfolk about the map. 1 She's pleasantly surprised to quickly get what's looking for and informs the others of where they need to be headed next. "The archives are, of course, at Cove Hall."
Though she should be excited about this news, she frowns. "I don't suppose our heroics have already made their way to the Port-Governor and she's going to forgive this whole business with her son because of it? Yeah. No. I didn't think so. Well... We can only hope we do not run into her along the way. Let's be off and get this over with."
When she enters, the masked madame closes the door behind her.
"...my injury has recovered, yes. Moon has quite a talent for healing." She rubs her shoulder in response.
---------------------
"Well, you could let me speak with her." Madame Hawk responds.
Tilting her head to the side, looks up at Triel from an obscure angle and asks "Will you take it off?"
Fioralba nods her head "I think that would be best. I actually don't if her seeing us is going to cause a problem. I suppose Ella and I could just wait outside of her office."
Looking at her sister, she asks "What do you think Ella?"
"You're right there Fi. We really shouldn't talk to her unless we have very good new to take to her. When we've solved this mess, she will owe us and that is when we talk to her. I don't mind waiting with you alone sis; we will keep ourselves busy whilst the others deal with the mundane questioning. I'm sure they can manage that at least." She says ignoring the fact that everybody can hear her.
"...I suppose. I was about to turn in for bed anyway."
Her hands reach up and take hold of her hood to lower it, and a shock of well-groomed silvery-white hair emerges from it when she does. Then she reaches behind her and takes off the mask.
With her mask off, one can see that Madame Hawk is very much elven, with her silvery-white hair falling over half her face. A pair of onyx-coloured pointed ears sweep back along her head, and her eyes are a blazing red with orange pupils.
"It's not a foolish choice of action, certainly." Madame Hawk adds before ordering some breakfast.
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After finishing breakfast, Triel crosses the Circle to Cove Hall, one of the first structures built in Roderic's Cove. Port-Governor Thort is a pleasant woman, and she is more than happy to allow the elf to examine Sir Roderic's cartographic efforts, encouraged by her seeming interest in the town's history.
Comparing the scrap you found in Roderic’s Wreck to the map of the larger region, Triel finds it corresponds to a section of the Churlwood a few miles southeast of the town. Inscribed on a ridge in the same spot as the "X" labeled “St. Hs.” is a small seven-pointed star--the Sihedron rune. At each of the seven points of the star is a unique rune representing one of the seven major schools of arcane magic.
The map indicates the location is about 10 miles away from Roderic's Cove. You'd likely be able to make it there in less than a day.
"Well that was easy." Fioralba says, figuring it was going to be incredibly more challenging then that.
"St. Hs., hmmm?" she says, studying the map. "It looks like we have a little hike ahead of us then. Does anyone need to grab anything before we head out of town?" she asks the group at large.
She chuckles. "If anything, I think Elanna would be more concerned about you spending so much time with me instead of my skin colour."
"...I do have something that needs to be addressed once we reach our destination, however."
"Hmmm. I see. I do not think you need to worry so far from our newly found troupe of companions, I have yet to see anything that would suggest otherwise. Should it become a problem, I shall protect you." she declares boldly.
"Regarding my sister, that is also not an inaccurate assumption to make. However, my sister is seemingly infatuated with Hope and is likely having her brush her hair right now. I wouldn't be surprised if she was missing an article of clothing or two by the time I got back."
"If she was alone right now, she would very much be concerned about me being in here. As it is, the newness of Hope seems to currently be drawing her attention."
As if answering an unasked question, she continues "I'm not worried though, she never strays far before getting too bored of others. She always comes back to me."
Fi nods along, as if she expects whatever it is that Triel needs to address. As they walk, she says "I cannot wait to take possession of this blade. I cannot imagine what it must be capable of!"