Murcschen begins to hum a tune as he clears out, muttering something about Kaer Maga. Activity in the Warped Brew returns to normal...
"I think I prefer going to a place with less fighting and more laughter. Do you think we can help home yet?"
Sounds like Shorty here wants a rest. I'm OK with that, you guys ready to go back to Otari for a breather?
Morning comes with bright sun and nary cloud. It's the 13th of Pharast and a rare bright spring day.
During breakfast a currier delivers a message. It's from the mayor, Oseph Menhemes. He requests your presence at your earliest convenience.
Should we blow him off? We are kinda busy.
I feel like it'd be bad juju to do that to the mayor, savvy? I mean, I like the cutta yer jib, Papa, but you know politicians--he's going to ask us something, but the doing will NOT be NOW. If he were into doing things NOW he'd never be a politician!
"I would say it's unusual enough to receive a summons from the mayor. We may have a dungeon to explore, but I can't help but think this might be important."
"Plus," Elena adds, smiling. "I'm curious. Aren't you?"
"Plus," Elena adds, smiling. "I'm curious. Aren't you?"
I guess, Noroc says dubiously, but I've never seen Mayor Menhemes do something when he could get someone else to do it for him.
”Maybe he wants to thank us for all of our hard work! Let’s go meet him!”
You arrive at the Mayor's house, a strange summons indeed. He sends everyone else away after providing you with tea or coffee.
Then he begins a sad and troubling tale. "My daughter, Dorianna, has been having terrible nightmares. She awakens several times each night, screaming and clutching a stuffed griffon she hasn’t touched in years. She doesn’t recall the specifics of these nightmares beyond her fear and the appearance of a man shrouded in mismatched fabric who comforts her."
He looks at each of you, "You've been... consequential for the town these last couple of months. You've shown yourselves potent, perhaps more than the people who we typically seek out. You've been in the Vaults. I know you've seen things. Please, tell me you can help my daughter."
"Not only am I a pilgrim, I am a cleric of Desna. If anyone is corrupting her dreams or bringing unwanted nightmares, they will have to deal with me. I will most certainly help! Where is your daughter right now?"
"She is upstairs, currently in the embrace of hard-to-find sleep. Please, go."
The party enters the comfortable bedroom of the young woman. She's asleep, but bears the signs of someone who is unwell.
Carrufikus moves quietly to her bedside and professionally checks her condition.
She appears gaunt and pale as if she had caught a severe malady, but she’s nevertheless in good physical health. This will not be as easy as a curative spell. The mayor looks concerned, eyeing the room as if he can't bring himself to look at her in this state, "You... you can wake her and talk to her if it'll help."
”Dorianna… wake up dear. You are with friends and we would like to talk to you.”
Carrufikus gently wakes the sleeping daughter to see how he can help.
Dorianna's eyes flutter open. She knows you all, but not terribly well. Carrufikus has a good demeanor to him. "Ohhh.... hi." With some gentle prodding she gives a summary of her dreams. she describes a "Motley Man." who gives her the toys of her childhood. you notice them around her room and she picks up the oddity, "No, getting them in my dreams reminded me of the real ones, so I took them out. It makes me feel better."
The conversation goes on, but nothing much comes before she needs to sleep again.
The mayor, saddened, but unwilling to disturb her too much yet, "I just feel like this is something ....bigger than a normal illness. Could it be magical? A curse? A strange disease? What? Maybe come back tomorrow afternoon and she'll be awake more?"
Carrufikus tries to recall what he knows regarding this sort of magic.
Bibi, ever the suspicious one, does a once-over on the girl's toys. Maybe there's some hidden talisman or other knicknack in the stuffing...
Carrufikus tries to recall what he knows regarding this sort of magic.
Noroc considers things more...esoteric.
Carrufikus and Noroc confer with each other. both agree that it's not a spell, but it's certainly not natural. Unfortunately, that's not enough to go own for a cure. Some magic may grant her rest, but that's only treating the symptoms.
Bibi looks around, finding nothing odd that may be acting as a focus or cause.
For now it looks like, you should just check on her daily while hoping to find a lead.
Maybe if we can do anything to help her sleep better, she'll have a fresher mind and remember something we can use...?
she looks to the magic-users with raised eyebrows and a shrug
Talborel's face darkens, and the Elf closes his eyes in concentration.
Elf Lore: Be this a monster or curse of some kind? My have walked Golarion long before these whelps around me.
I'll also try Arcane Lore, as nobody else seems to have.
If you only allow one check, use the Elf Lore. More in-character.
Elena is quiet. She listens as Carrufikus converses, his gentle tone coaxing what few details he can from Dorianna.
She studies the bedroom, and looks over the various stuffed animals and other toys. All are oddities for a girl of her age. But not troubling on their own.
Hearing the description of the "Motley Man", trying to recall whether it's something that's come up in her studies. Could it be a Nightmare spell? Is it from a childhood tale? Maybe there's a clue to be found in perusing the Whispering Reeds?
"I cannot think of anything else to treat her with other than treating her symptoms and keeping her comfortable. There is a source of evil at work here, but we need to keep an eye out to see where it is coming from. I wonder if it is coming from the vaults?"
The party struggles with diagnosis. Tal thinks it might be caused by a monster of some sort. Given the denizens of the Abomination Vaults, it wouldn't be surprising. Sadly, you don't have enough information for now.
"Motley Man" also doesn't ring any bells.
"We could stay the night and keep watch over her. We might learn more that way."
Tal looks about and finds a section of floor to camp out on.
"Of course we will stay nearby to monitor her progress. Let's all get comfortable, my friends."
The party opts to spend the night on guard. During the night she does have some strange dreams, but verbally nothing is ever clearer than a mumble. In the morning, she wakes up. Despite making it through the whole night, she seems physically weaker than she did yesterday, but at least this time upon waking her mind is better able to handle conversation.
"Were... were you here the whole night?" as she asks house staff bring everyone a breakfast of fruits and pastries.
Of course. We wanted to be sure you were safe--or as safe as we could make you!
She tries to make Dorianna feel comfortable, but waits for Carrifikus to to take the lead on questions as he's established more of a rapport.
"Were... were you here the whole night?"
"Yes, Dorianna. We were here keeping a watch on things. How are you feeling?"
Carrufikus takes his time and talks with her in a gentle manner. In a moment, he asks her a followup question.
"How long have these nightmares afflicted you? Is there a pattern to when they occur?"
"I... I don't know how long. Sometimes I feel like it's a day, sometimes a year."
The mayor informs you that it's been about a month since he noticed a problem.
"Sometimes it's The Motley Man. The Motley Man gives me gifts in the form
of my old childhood toys, and the best of them is the stuffed griffon. When he gave it to me in my dream I had papa get it from the attic. It makes me feel better."
She looks around, "Papa, can I have a normal day today?"
the mayor nods, "Saviors of Otari, I cannot thank you enough for even looking to her. I want to give her a regular day. Would you mind checking in tomorrow again? Meanwhile, I cannot help but feel that there's something in the Vault related to this. So please, keep your eyes open if you delve."
Before we go, just to be clear: this Motley Man gives you your own childhood toys? He never gave you anything you didn't already have, ever? That's VERY suspect and weird...
"Yes, in my dreams he does. When I wake up I think it makes me feel better to get those toys out of storage."]
...After some time, she falls back asleep.
Sorry...Bibi would have pressed this part of the question:
"He never gave you anything you didn't already have, ever?"
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"Never."
Once they leave the Mayor's home, Bibi talks in low, worried tones.
So this Motley Man appears in the girl's dreams, and gives her her own childhood toys. I can only think of two ways that could be happening. One: there's someone--or someTHING--that is physically seeing into their attic; two: something--or someONE--is reading her mind (maybe through dreams?) and picking out her toys that way. I don't know where that leads us, but I don't like either option. Is the plan just to keep plugging along in the Gauntlight and keep our eyes open for weird motley men who invade dreams??
"I wish I had more medical knowledge here, but dreams are not an area of expertise. Whatever it is, it's not good."
Before leaving, Elena casts an Alarm spell, centering it around the girl's bed. She sets it to be inaudible, and gives the girl and her father the password so that they don't trigger it. " We'll be back tonight."
"Friends, we have a dungeon to explore still. Let's return."
Taking your leave for the moment, you head back along a familiar path. By now you're accustomed to seeing your own boot prints in the dirt. It's not hard for the mind to wander to the first few times you ventured this way, fighting mites and befriending Augrael...
So long ago, yet not so much.
Let's go right back to Slide 6, where our pogs already are, and search that area completely
The party travels across the floors, passing a few of the teleportation pads that have stymied Elena. After saying hello to the regulars at the Warped Brew you decide.
"I suggest we continue to avoid the arena. There is an area northwest of here that I suspect leads somewhere. Let's go explore that way."
Elena moves with the others toward the area. When they come to the door she waits for Bibi and Peldur to do their thing.
Bibi opens the door safely. Metal shelves and operating tables hint at this room’s original purpose. Clean bones and bits of rusted metal lie in piles throughout the rest of the room.
"This does not look like an operating room used to help people. Everyone that I've met down here seems to want to inflict pain on everyone else."
Carrufikus tries to determine what surgical procedures this room was built for.
The weirdest thing that Carrufikus notices is that some of the detritus begins to move. Suddenly two massive jellies, ochre in color and hungry in temperament move on the gnome!
Initiative assumes Talborel is Scouting
Avoid Notice (T)
Detect Magic (A: +2 (U), N: +11 (T), O: +2 (U) , R: +11 (T))
Investigate (A: +13 (T), N: +9 (T), O: +11 (T) , R: +9 (T))
Search (E)
Avoid Notice (E)
Scout (Init ties to Tal)
Round 1
Elena (56/56): Go
Noroc (68/68): Go
Tal (83/83): Go
Carrufikus (80/80): Go
Bibi (66/66): Go
Jellies: TBD
Peldur (92/92): TBD
Location: The Library
Noroc: DR 5/Physical