Tindertwig coughs from laughing so hard. The goblin stands up, kicks a still rolling Dirtbag, and coughs some more.
Mees bees hat'n dem horses!
Your trip back to Otari is short and undramatic. Wrin is happy to put you up for the night if you don't mind sleeping under the stars. Otherwise you can get cheap lodgings at Crook's Nook.
Of course Wrin is dying to hear all about your exploits and casts Heal on you all, healing 15 points of damage as she waits for the kettle to warm up.
Carman Rajani gives Henry a surly look but lets him trade in his battered shield for a new one at the Blades for Glades at normal cost for repair.
Is there anything else you want to do while in Otari?
Eddred gratefully accepts the healing and the rest, but doesn't sleep until he's purchased or scrounged enough reagents for the next several days.
Tindertwig--and Dirtbag--enter town with a bit of a hero strut. Both goblin and crocodile entertain the townsfolk by accepting any praise, food, drink, and more food that is offered.
Wees bees da heroes! Comes ta praises us fer ours defeating da Mites! Next wees defeats da dragons!
Dirtbag would be sprouting off stories also; but, he is busy eating.
...3 gp, 20 sp, a box with components for a caltrop snare, a wolf canine tied with a strip of leather, and a vial of black adder venom with the word “YUM” clumsily written on it among the bodies....
******
...you find a 2 gp peridot and a chipped gremlin tooth in one of the piles of dung.
******
...its morningstar (which is an integral part of the construction) sports a magic rune of some kind.
******
That looks about right. You really haven't found much loot yet.
You can buy and sell at normal rates. Wrin is happy to supply Eddred with materials. If you want some kind of a discount, you'll have to smooth-talk the appropriate person though.
And Wrin would love to hear some of your war stories.
Hilde sits down to talk with Wrin over a cup of tea. "There were some gremlins living there, with giant maggots and flies. Their ruler claimed that they'd been driven up from somewhere below by 'mushroom-eyed people,' and that we were somehow cheating by coming there before they had had a chance to raid the town. There was something else odd, though--we found some stale fish pasties from the Crook's Nook, so it looks like someone from Otari has been to the Gauntlight not long ago. There was a still-warm fire and a boat with a carving of a flying bird in the front. Does that sound familiar to you?"
Wrin takes a sip of her tea and seems momentarily lost in thought. "No dear, that doesn't ring a bell, but you should probably talk to Yinyasmera. She might remember who bought the fishcakes." She cackles a little. "You have certainly been busy in this short while. But the gremlins can't be the ones that turned the light on, can it? Maybe the mushroom people did. More tea?
"More tea here please, Miss Wrin. And I don't think so. The Gremlins were kind of all over the place, you know? Not too sharp. We can check out the basement after we finish up with the ground floor, though. We gotta finish helping Mr. Spookywisp. It's a glowing ball that talks and wants us to get a shiny thing for it from a... y'all said it was a doll?" Henry asked, looking towards his companions.
Wrin perks up at the mention of Mr Spookywisp. "A glowing ball that talks, you say? I would not trust it if I were you. Those things are evil and bring only doom. Did you say that it was called Mr Spookywisp? Peculiar. Very peculiar indeed."
"We'll certainly be careful." Hilde takes another sip. I'm turning into some sort of teadrinker, and I do not like it. "The gremlin leader said something about them seeing that the light was on when they were driven up. There were a couple of rooms where it looked like there'd been some sort of magical battles taking place. Do you know any more about the history of the light?"
Tindertwig dumps the tea on top of Dirtbag, as the goblin stuffs some
glazed Italian cookies into his mouth.
Wees bees kickiings dems gremlins out! Da stupids Spookywisp..
The goblin can't help himself; spitting chunks of cookies all over an already irate crocodile, as he bursts out laughing!
Both goblin and crocodile are judging the longshanks lady's motives....
"I am still mystified by the actual identity of this entity calling itself 'Spookywisp'," says Eddred. "It is a sham, but what is the truth behind the curtain?"
Wrin nods. "Very likely a sham, dear. I can't tell you more than you already know. The true wisps are usually not very talkative." She smiles. "You know, if you stay the night, I can ask the stars. You are more than welcome to sleep here if you don't prefer the soft beds of Crook's Nook."
"Was it not some kind of Wisp?" Henry asked between sips of tea. "I was kinda taking what it said at face value, but I think we should see what this shiny is before trying to raid its home regardless of what it is. Just good manners, right?"
Supposing at least some of you take Wrin up on her offer and spend the night and return to the lighthouse the next day, this happens during the night:
After you are all tucked in Wrin spends the better part of an hour communing with the stars. But in the middle of her meditation she seems to fall into a trance of some kind. Her entire body seems to clench up and she starts shouting in Elvish:
Just as suddenly she relaxes and continues to stare at the stars with a blithe look on her face.
As you wake up she greets you with a smile."I found out who Spookywisp is. The stars say that Spookywisp has the heart of a child, kind but mischievous, so he might be angry if you take away his toys but he will not hurt you."
"Madame," says Eddred, who speaks fluent elvish. "Thank you. This will be useful. Do you mind if I ask a personal question? Do you suffer from sleepwalking? Or know of what might be meant by the expression 'old Otari'?"
Hilde listens with interest for Wrin's answer.
"Sleepwalking, dear? Not that I know of. Mind you, I have been known to babble a bit in my trances but that's nothing to be afraid of. Did I give you a start? 'Old Otari'? What a ridiculous notion. Otari isn't that old. Unless you count the little camp that the Roseguard set up here. They did call that Otari, didn't they, after their fallen friend. That's where the name comes from. Yes, that must be it. Why are you asking?"
Eddred smiles placatingly. "You had an episode," he says. He repeats her rant in both Elvish and Taldane.
"It sounded very much as though you had touched another consciousness in your trance and were speaking for it."
Wrin listens thoughtfully. "Quite possibly, dear. I do encounter a lot of strange consciousnesses. Not all the stars are benign. You need to learn to navigate them."
She wishes you good luck in your endeavours. Are you going back to the lighthouse or is there any other business you wish to conduct in Otari?
Tindertwig--and Dirtbag--just eye the strange lady, as the group departs her establishment.
Outside on the way back to the LightHouse; the goblin speaks
Dat strangest ov ladies bees ups ta sumting!
"Who, Miss Wrin?" Henry asked, obviously confused. "No, she's a bit strange, sure, but she's been nothing but great since she came to town. You just have to accept her for who she is, that's all."
Tindertwig--and Dirtbag--break out in spontaneous giggle fits on their way back to talk to Spookywisp.
"You're back!" Spookywisp can't contain his joy of seeing you. "Now will you get me my shiny? It's just over there." The glowing ball moves jerkily in the direction of the door at the far end of the room.
Hilde nods and checks the door before concealing herself. The corner of her mouth twitches. What is with the names around here?
"Absolutely, new friend. We'll be back in a few," Henry said as he started moving in the direction Spookywisp indicated. He would wait for the go ahead to open any doors, and enter rooms with his shield already raised.
Tindertwig--and Dirtbag--muffle any outburst of giggling by stuffing as much food in their mouths as possible; prior to entering the abode of...that glowing thing that talks.
The goblin simply nods; as he follows Hilde and Henry.
Eddred follow, crossbow cocked and loaded. He's watching carefully for any signs of his ancestor.
You carefully step over the debris, torn-out pages and other remains of books and equipment that litters the floor. Whatever Spookywisp is a neatfreak he is not.
The double doors at the far end of the room seem safe enough and they give you no nasty surprises as you open them. You find yourselves in a corridor that turns to the left, ending in another set of double doors.
A series of four tall paintings hang on the northwestern wall of this hallway, although layers of mold and decay have severely damaged them.
Do you stop to examine the paintings or do you press on?
The dwarf holds up a hand. "Let me look at these. The history of this place may be important." She examines the artwork.
Oh yes. Eddred is keen to find anything of value in these inscriptions and carvings, particularly if it involves the Roseguard.
The 5-foot-tall paintings along the wall have sustained irrevocable damage over time and due to moisture dripping down from leaks in the roof above. There were originally four portraits but the third one has been slashed to oblivion. There is basically nothing left of it but the plaque.
In order: the first portrait depicts the city of Absalom in flames with ghosts rising from its streets. It bears a bronze plaque that reads, “So Shall the Fools Suffer.”
The second portrait depicts this place as it must have appeared before its upper floors collapsed, the lighthouse emitting a pale blue light in which ghostly faces sneer and grimace. Its bronze plaque reads, “Let the Light Shine Forever.”
The third portrait is shredded, as mentioned. Its plaque reads, “The Artist at Work.”
The fourth and final portrait depicts a smirking woman dressed in a long, green gown. Its plaque reads, “The Lady of the Light.” In the stone next to it there is some kind of message scratched:
Henry looked over the paintings, stroking his chin and nodding to himself. Every so often he'd grunt some kind of mm hmm or other affirmation.
"The Roseguard did first come here on hearing there was a threat to Absalom,"[b] Henry explained. [B]"But this is pretty on the nose. I mean, no wonder they found out about it if this is the kind of decor you have, right?"
"This building predates Otari and the Roseguard, I thought."
"While I'm not sure how old the lighthouse is, Otari was founded after the Roseguard defeated Bellacora," Henry stated, suddenly becoming more animated as he could speak on his interests. "Otari Ilvashti perished in the fight, the museum says that Bellacora dropped a building on him but I'm not sure how accurate that is since stories change over the years. They named the town after his sacrifice, though. It was fairly quick after their foe was dispatched.
Henry looked at the paintings with newfound interest. "Actually, Mayor Menhemes and the museum might appreciate these. I wonder if Mr. Spookywisp would mind parting with them."
Eddred, who has taken the time and trouble to learn Aklo points to the last inscription, crudely carved into the stone. "See here. This is newer, I think. It says 'I serve you still! You shall be avenged!'. Rather ominous, if you ask me. Could there be a cult of this Lady of the Light hereabouts? We should keep an eye out for anything suspicious."
"Who is this Bellacora? I don't know the history of the area."
Tindertwig gazes intently at the incomplete painting. Dirtbag is playing Jacks.
Perhaps Eddred remembers something?
As you cautiously enter the next room after checking the doors carefully, you find yourselves in a large octagonal room. This once elegant workshop has fallen into shambles. Soggy strings of dripping moss hang through cracks in the wooden domed roof above. Below it, a carpet of broken glass glitters dangerously. Workbenches and shelves, armatures and displays — all formerly used in crafting or repairing immense lenses for a lighthouse — lie in ruins. Only a bejeweled spyglass sitting on a display rack near the southern wall has survived the devastation.
A strange raven-headed, raven-winged doll rises from its reclining position in the middle of the room. Eyeing you with glassy eyes it croaks: "Is Master Azrinae coming back?" It does not wait for an answer but flies into the air and attacks.
Its initiative is 28, so it flies into the air before anyone of you can react (the ceiling is high enough to let it keep out of melee reach). It then croaks an ancient and foul incantation, conjuring a swarm of disgusting and hungry worms that start gnawing on Henry's flesh, causing him 13 points of damage (as well as 6 poins of persistent damage at the end of his turn). He also needs to make a Fort 20 save or be flat-footed from the very pain.
You are all up.
Henry grits his teeth through the pain and returns his new Morningstar to his belt and pulls out his javelin. Raising it, and taking careful aim, he tries to skewer the small flying doll while trying his best to power through the thoughts of worms covering his body.
But presumably misses pretty badly on account of the worms. He then proceeds to take 6 persistent damage.
Henry grits his teeth and by sheer willpower resists the worms but not until they have done a lot of damage. His javelin misses the flying doll.
Eddred downs a Quicksilver Mutagen, and then mixes and hurls a lesser acid flask at the bird. Then he follows up with firing his crossbow.
Tindertwig slants his head to the side a bit. He closes one eye. He stands on one foot.
Nope! Dis bird bees weirdests ov da birds!
Dirtbag nods in total agreement.
The goblin decides to use Hunt Prey on the weird bird.
He then takes out a javelin and throws it at it.