Shula looks down at her kukris with a slight frown. "Don't worry babies, I promise I'll clean you right away." Seeing Sercha charge forward, she circles around to the other side of the ooze so they can flank the creature together.
"An ooze? What kind of thing is that?" Lope looks at the amorphous creature completely clued.
The man quickly approaches the creature drawing his mithral rapier, which flashes with divine magic as he attacks.
The valiant heroes slash, stab, zap and freeze the ooze and, at the end of all their efforts, there are four oozes where there was only one before! All the blades have done is part the ooze into chunks and Sercha's powerful lightning has achieved nothing at all! Only the portion struck by Victor's snowball seems to be showing any signs of damage.
The oozes swarm!
Most of the smaller oozes simply flail around but one larger portion engulfs Shula, burning her flesh with its acidic secretions!
2. 19/19
3. 8/8
4. 8/8
Victor lobs another snowball at the ooze grabbing Shula!
"I didn't know it could do that!" Sercha exclaims, hesitating with her blade. Noting that Victor's snowball seemed to have an appreciable effect, she tries the words to a different spell and reaches out with her hand.
Seeing his blade and spells ineffective, Lope steps back with style trying to end next to Shula "It seems you ended in a tangled situation..."
Touching a small medallion around his neck with his buckler hand, it starts to glow and he uses it to discharge healing magic on Shula.
"Ow ow ow." Shula looks decidedly worse for wear as the acid begins to burn her flesh. Letting Victor and Sercha focus on attacking for the moment, she spends all her time attempting to get free of the ooze constricting her. Staggering backwards a step, she makes sure her kukris are in position to try and ward off another attack.
Sercha and Victor apply cold magic to great effect, dissolving both the larger oozes and freeing Shula in the process. The smaller oozes show just enough intelligence to squirm their way towards the casters and attempt to ooze them too!
Victor finds himself engulfed up to the knees by burning, acidic ooze.
Hoping that the ooze doesn't split yet again, Sercha invokes another spell and sends three mystical bolts into the one that's engulfing Victor.
Given how noneffective his rapier is, for now Lope focuses on ensuring his new companions are just not too hurt. Extending his hand to Victor, he casts a healing spell on him "It does not look good, perhaps we should try with something heavy and sturdy instead of flashy and staby"
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"But I like flashy," Sercha replies without taking her eyes off the remaining small oozes. "What good is life if you can't do it with style?"
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"Meanwhile 'stabby' is my middle name. And my last, since I don't otherwise have one. Shula 'Stabby' Stabberson." Shula does glance at Lope over her shoulder before turning back to the oozes. "Non-sarcastically the advice is appreciated and I'd take it if I could. Unfortunately I don't have anything heavy and sturdy to work with."
She steps back into a flanking position and starts slashing away at the one attacking Sercha.
"That's what she said," Sercha says with a laugh.
Victor blasts the last ooze with another snowball!
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Sercha's quip punctuates the slight screech as the final ooze is flash frozen to death by Victor's snowball.
"You have my thanks." The swan woman says, approaching across the water. "Now the Lake will recover, free of this creature's filth. I misjudged you all." She admits, "Please, take this as an apology from me. My lover long ago wore it, he had a voice that could make the mountains themselves weep."
She hands over a delicately filagreed mask.
"If you look in hollow yonder you will find a wagon full of machinery." The swan maiden waves an airy hand. "It is of no use to me and has been abandoned some time, but if you can use it then please take it as well, and know that you have a friend in Atratus."
She nods to you all and then turns to stride away, transforming into a huge swan mid-step and disappearing on silent wings.
The wagon proves to contain building supplies and other useful sundry items which will be of some use in Stachys.
When donned, the mask seems to disappear, leaving its golden patterns as tattoos on the wearer’s face and coloring one of the wearer’s eyes green and the other blue. The wearer can remove the mask normally, causing it to appear as a porcelain mask once again.
The wearer gains a +2 competence bonus on Sense Motive checks and can use comprehend languages once per day.
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Relaxing on the wagon as the group makes the bumpy trek back to Stachys, Sercha looks over the porcelain mask with an eye towards its auras. She looks to each of her companions in turn, holding up the mask and eyeing how it would look on each of them.
"Hey, Lope?" she asks, "How secure are you in your masculinity?"
"I have a good bottle of wine in my bedroom, Andoran 4712 AR, in case you want to put it to test" Lope smiles without modesty and picks up the mask all while the wagon trots over a stone making him bounce.
As he puts the mask on, it fuses in his face and his eyes change in color "Interesting effect. It shall serve me pass unnoticed."
"So that was the Night Swan. A bit more literal than I thought the name would be." Shula carefully cleans all the ooze off her kukris as they take the wagon back. "Not too bad though once we convinced her we weren't assassins. Could use work on her people skills." This is said completely without irony.
She whistles lightly at Lope puts on the mask. "Nice. Looks like fancy gold tattoos. Really brings out your cheekbones. The eye thing is cool too; I definitely couldn't pull that off."
"I would picture someone called the Night Swan to look a little ... darker?" Sercha muses. Dismissing the thought, she nods at Lope. "How about just the bottle of wine first?" she says with a smile and a suggestive wink. "I preferred to be wooed." Her words are directed at the priest, but the target of the wink is less clear. She stands and stretches, keeping her balance reasonably well in the rocking wagon. "I can't wait to get back to the manor for a nice, long, hot bath."
Sercha is able to establish that the Night Swan has been active in Lotheedar and the surrounding area for the last two years or so. The Swan's activities focus mostly on theft and destruction, targeting noble estates and burning them to the ground or removing all of their valuables.
A popular series of penny dreadfuls tell of the Night Swan's adventures, but are generally considered to be pure fiction rather than fact.
Otherwise information is hard to come by, but places the Night Swan squarely in Lotheedar and other areas with high concentrations of the nobility, rather than in rural areas like Lauchelin Lake.
"We deserve that bottle of wine after so much ooze stabbing and swan saving" the Taldan offers a wily smile while looking back through the window "So you say this Night Swan is more commonly known for her deeds in the city? I wonder what she was doing in the Lauchelin Lake now. Maybe she has moved here recently?"
Once at the manor Sercha will find a white and well washed towel folded with a red rose over it when she gets out of her bath.
Later that evening as the group gathers for dinner, Sercha arrives freshly bathed. The splash of crimson from the rose over her left ear contrasts heavily with her washed-out appearance.
"I offer my thanks to whomever left this for me," she says with a grin as she sits. "It's very beautiful." Her grin shifts to a smirk. "And if it was no one here then the resident fey must be finally taking a liking to me."
When Sercha reveals what she knows about the Night Swan, Shula's brow furrows. "Huh. I can't imagine the woman we met burning houses to the ground. Not necessarily that she's not capable of it, but she seemed more the water type to me. Fire and water don't really mix well." (From the way her nose wrinkles slightly at the very word 'water' Shula may be letting her own feelings on the matter sway her judgment.)
She stretches out her shoulders with a yawn. "Suppose it doesn't really matter. Whoever the Night Swan is they're shaking up the local nobility. More power to them. We may want to hire a guard or someone to keep watch though, just in case our manor is the next one targeted."
Lope smiles as Sercha brings the topic of the rose to the group "It would seem your swordplay and daring style have flowered the bleeding hearts of your manors fey"
Without anymore idea on how to deal with the Night Swan or what next project to deal with besides what the others have brought into attention, the mustached man tries to bring a topic of his own interest "What do you know about the Lotheed's here in Meratt? It has been brought to my attention there is some weed among the seed..."
"What's this about Count Lotheed?" Lucretia asks, coming into the room in a pretty light-blue gown. "While you were away I had a letter from Baroness Voinum. She says there's a village in her territory whose lord has gone missing and was wondering if 'that strapping young man with the overdeveloped sense of responsibility' could be freed to look into it. I'll show you the letter after breakfast, Victor."
The front door slams open and hurried steps rush into the doorway.
"Sorry... milady." Jonas, one of the villages few children, stands in the doorway, panting heavily. "Sorry milady, but the Count's senes-hall person is here. Tribune Onara said I should come and tell you, quick as!"
Lucretia pales. "Well that probably isn't good. We'd best go and welcome him. Will you be coming Mr de Vega?"
--------------------------------
The impromptu welcome committee meets Guisarne just outside the newly renovated public house.
"My Lady," Guisarne says coolly, bowing to Lucretia. "Count Lotheed has sent me to examine the improvements you have made in Stachys. He has heard about some troubling incidents here recently."
Lope smiles as Sercha brings the topic of the rose to the group "It would seem your swordplay and daring style have flowered the bleeding hearts of your manors fey"
"It would seem," Sercha replies with a secretive smile.
~~~~~
"Troubling incidents? Well, I'm glad the news made it all the way to his ears," Sercha says with a wry smile. "It's unfortunate, though, that we've already dealt with them and he isn't able to demonstrate his capable leadership in person. Oozes in the lake? Ghouls in the well-house? Undead crab ... spider ... things?" She shakes her head. "What other horrors will these poor villagers face next? Sorry to say, but we've handled them. Not anywhere near as well as the Count would have, I'm sure, but adequately enough for the good people of Stachys. Would you care to join us for lunch?"
"I have already eaten, thank you." Guisarne replies, but he listens with close attention to Sercha's explanations of the various horrors faced by Stachys and how they have been dealt with.
"Things seem to have been much worse here than believed. I will report this to His Lordship. You have capable helpers Lady Vernisant, they do you credit."
"Capable, indeed. There is no need for these random inspections, Sir Guisarne. We can handle things on our own," Victor says sternly. He gives the elf a steely-eyed gaze.
The inquisitor matches Victor's gaze with his own before making an obviously assessing look up and down the nobleman.
"I'm sure you can." He eventually concedes, grudgingly.
"If you're here to take a look at the improvements we've made, may I suggest a tour through the market? There are many local artisans selling their wares. Perhaps the Count might be interested in a souvenir?" Shula smiles disarmingly. "We could also show you to the new public house we just finished building. You may have already eaten, but the beer there is quite good. Having a proper brewing area makes a huge difference."
The thriving nature of Stachy's market impresses the seneschal and even his eagle eye is quickly overwhelmed by the variety on offer. By the time he calls the inspection to an end the half-elf seems grudgingly impressed.
"Thank you for your hospitality Lady Vernisant." He says, swinging onto his horse. "I will give my report to the Count, it seems you are doing a fine job here at the moment. Long may it continue."
It is fortunate that the seneschal was so impressed because the next day less fortunate news comes to Stachys. It appears that the Gold Canyon Bridge, so recently constructed, has come under attack. A letter from Archbanker Parril in Lotheedar tells of two of her clerics who have gone missing during an expedition in the area. Since Lady Vernisant seems invested in the area the Archbanker asks for her aid!
At almost the same time, local news sends a thrill through the town. Partulles Mayne, a surly and generally unloved half-orc who keeps a scratch farm on the outskirts of the village, was found trying to bury the body of Ershal Sutor in the marsh, having bludgeoned him to death! Sheriff Piscum caught Mayne herself and asks for Lucretia to investigate and pass judgement as soon as possible!
Lucretia pales. "Well that probably isn't good. We'd best go and welcome him. Will you be coming Mr de Vega?"
"I think it would be better for all of us if you forget for a bit about my presence here" with a vow, Lope quickly disappears from the scene.
Throughout all the visit of Guisarne Lotheed, Lope is completely and utterly missing.
The man makes back his appearance with a clean slick shirt when the news about Gold Canyon Bridge arrive "That sounds troubling, perhaps we should have a look into this."
"This is a small settlement, people like to talk about all this" he updates everyone with whatever he has heard "We should definitely hear Mayne to know his version of the facts"
"Seems pretty open and shut to me. But just in case I'll play investigator again and check out the scene of the crime." Shula's happy to leave interrogating Mayne to the people who'd actually be good at it. "Faster we get this resolved, the faster we can figure out what's going on at the bridge. Or with Baroness Voinum's place."
She immediately finds Piscum and asks her to point out where she caught Mayne burying the body.
Lope nods agreeing with Shula and directs himself where Mayne is being held for interrogation. He presents himself as working at Lucretia's name on this task "Not going through your best moment, eh?" he asks the prisoner.
"Let's see if we can find the truth on all this... can you explain me your relation with the dead one, Ershal Sutor, and what did you do the day you were found burying the body?"
Lope discovers that Mayne was not much liked in Stachys. Taciturn and truculent he works hard on his own farm but doesn't socialise or come to community events and when he is at the market haggles ferociously for every copper. These things combined make him less than liked locally.
Surtor meanwhile is a local peddler, who travels the various hamlets with a small collection of wares. He was a friendly sort who was mostly known for owning the most grumpy mule ever seen in Meratt County. Although himself a bachelor his sister lives in Stachys with her husband and children.
Shula's trip to Mayne's farm is not overly helpful. Piscum found him attempting to bury the body a little way into the swamp that borders the farm but there are no significant tracks there.
"I'll talk to Mayne," Sercha says with a wink. "I'll see what he has to say."
~~~~~
"So, It sounds like you've got yourself into a spot of trouble," the woman says with a friendly grin as she grabs a nearby stool to chat with the detained farmer. "Care to tell me what happened?"
Shula sighs as she sees the swamp. "Maybe if Victor asks nicely the local fey guardians will help clean my boots." She may not see any tracks immediately, but she thoroughly looks around the farmyard anyway. Let it not be said that she won't do her due diligence as an informal investigator.
(She makes a mental note to tell Auntie E. about this later. The tiefling will probably get a kick out of the idea of Shula investigating other people's crimes.)
Mayne grunts. "Sutor let his damn mule loose and the thing ate my turnips. So I was gonna keep it to eat in the winter. Sutor came over, acting all high and mighty about it so I told him to get lost or pay me for my lost crops. Six gold was well below market pirce. He told me to shove it. I told him I was keeping the damn mule. Then I left and that was the last I saw of him till I found him dead on the path outta the farm a few hours later. No-one around here is going to believe I didn't do it, so I tried to bury the body." He finishes abruptly and snaps his mouth shut, clearly expecting some sort of reprimand or disbelief.
---------------------------------------------------
Shula is able to examine the tracks. There are two distinct sets of boot prints, one large and one smaller as well as the hoof marks of the mule. The larger pair is all over the place, passing through the area a lot, The smaller pair seems to have arrived but not departed.
"Our friend fool, you'll better tell us where is now the mule" Lope recites for further questioning on the man.
"We also want to examine the body to check any present facts on the reasons of his death" the man asks to the authorities that might have retrieved the body.
Sheriff Piscum can show you the body, which is being kept in her cellar, as one of the coldest places easily available.
Got a 20+ on the heal check
------------------------------
Lope is taken to meet the mule, who brays loudly at his approach and bites at the man when he approaches. It seems clearly that the creature is easily angered.
Lope examines the body with interest "Hmm... interesting... yeah, I thing the poor devil is dead. Yeah, I can confirm that. Dead dead not undead dead."
---
The mustached Taldan approaches the mule with reserve "Whoa good lady, we just want to solve a mystery here... please, be nice and show me your graceful feet" he will try to study if there is anything on the horseshoes that indicates the mule might have hit her master.
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The mule does show Lope his feet, by trying to thrust one into the clerics sternum! Thankfully no-one catches Lope de Vega off guard and he is able to dodge, but not to get a good look. It definitely confirms stories of the animal's temper though.
Shula comes back from the farm with a slight frown. "So, weirdly enough, it looks like after Mayne and Sutor met up Mayne left the area while Sutor didn't. If Mayne killed him then, why leave and come back later to hide the body? Unless he needed to go grab a shovel or something. Did he have a shovel on him when he was caught?"
While Shula may not know much about medicine, she's been around her fair share of dead bodies. "Looks like a single blow to the head with a pretty hefty bludgeoning weapon. Maybe a club but I can't be sure. Don't have too much experience with those types of weapons." After Lope nearly gets kicked she doesn't try to approach the mule at all.
"Look at the curve." Lucretia says, pointing cautiously. "That doesn't seem like a club at all."
"A rounded bludgeon shape? You are both pretty observant" says Lope with a smile but clued himself about the wounds on the body "I can very much confirm that mule has the temper to mark her hooves on a head provided the humors are high"
The man shows the bruise left by the mule despite he very much dodged most of the impact "If you can proof about the mark, which I have no doubt you can, then, maybe there is a case for Mayne after all..."
"Killed by a mule?" Sercha says with a smirk as she crosses her arms. "What a humiliating epitaph."
She cracks her neck.
"So, let's let this guy go and then check out what's happening with the bridge."
Lucretia announces her decision, taking care to walk to assembled onlookers through all the evidence. She even has Sutor's body moved so that the townsfolk can examine the evidence for themselves. There is some grumbling but the weight of evidence, and the mule's legendary temper, eventually persuades the crowd as to Lucretia's justice. Mayne is released without fanfare and returns to his farm with little more than a grunt.
That done, you set off for Gold Canyon. It is not a natural canyon but rather the remains of a strip mine that followed a winding vein of
gold and quartz for miles through rugged, rocky terrain some 4,000 years ago. For a few centuries after the veins played out, the canyon still served as a quarry, providing much of the granite used in local fortifications. All that remains today is a staircase-style ditch some 30 feet deep, 80 feet wide, and nearly 10 miles long.
A stone bridge, left over from the quarry days, once crossed the canyon and thanks to your efforts has been recently repaired. Functional rather than beautiful it provides the only easy travel between east and west
portions of southern Meratt. The Archbanker said that her clerics had come here following a report that the ore in the vein was not entirely played out and that there might be wealth to be made here yet. Since the site is a minor, unofficial pilgrimage destination for local worshipers of Abadar, who read their god’s approval in finding flakes or even nuggets of gold in the water the temple decided it was worth investigating.
Victor is lost in his own thoughts...
Shula's happy to leave the whole murder business behind them and start investigating a new mystery. "We're looking for clerics of Abadar, right? What are the chances they just got robbed by some bandits figuring anyone worshipping Abadar must have a ton of gold on them?"