Upon seeing the harrow deck, she gets very interested, and despite the conversation going on, she gives "eyes" to John, as if communicating to draw for her.
John notices his companion's interest and continues the non-verbal communication, while listening to the main discussion. His facial expression makes it clear to Nempura that the draw he's going to make for her is not to be taken lightly. He draws the top card such that it faces away from him but towards her.
Whatever she drew, she better take it serious
Later:
"A borrowed horse sounds good. Let's meet at say 9ish at the stables and ride from there?"
Later than that:
"Now who fancies a game of cards before we turn in?"
"Yep, I'm stayin' at Creekside," confirms Higgins.
As the group makes plans for the next morning, Higgins checks in on Midnight and decides to go for a quick ride--the horse was clearly itching for some action, and he'd hopefully get some tomorrow morning.
After his return, he sees Maverick at the card tables inviting a game. The way he shuffled the cards, Higgins was pretty sure he'd get his shirt taken from him, but Higgins could never resist a game. He drops a few coin down. "Don't take my wages before I even earned 'em," he says to his new pal.
As they prepare to head back to town, Eunice ventures a question to Myrandya. "I don't know from spirits, but I do know most in this town don't want much to do with them. What makes you so eager to track down this ghost ... if that's what this is?"
Myrandya cocks her head and gazes up at Eunice with a puzzled expression. "Are not you curious, Frau Eunishe? Ve haf vitnesshed an actual non-corporeal manifeshtation today, and I for vone vant to learn more about it. How cognizant is it off its life before deasth? If it vants only to protect its town and zhe people vissin it, it might become a great ally if ve approach it right! No matter vhat ve vill shertainly learn more about it and vhat it ish capable off, and zhat knowledge iz itsh own revard, vouldn't you agree?"*
"As I suspected, this is probably just an introductory job. That would be nice...working in a different profession...and chances like this ain't comin' around often here."
Bella Blue hears Myranndya's joke and sees her blush. Instinctually, the "lady dove" flashes a smile, but inside she dreads the joke initially. When it is revealed that it in fact is a joke, Nempura's smile becomes genuine.
"Alchemical goods, hmm? I would love to see it. If possible, I would not mind paying you for the use of your lab sometime?" she asks. "I'm a bit of an alchemist myself..."
When John draws for her, he can see her squint in thought. She doesn't say anything but he can clearly tell she is not taking it lightly. This is further evidenced by her settling further back in her chair and holding her drink with both hands.
"I don't mind cards, though I rarely get to play; usually only on slow days."
She will settle in to play some cards with the sheriff and others. There is no reason for her to cheat in such company and she bets very small amounts. She will often fold if the pot grows larger than that small amount. If anyone starts to power her by betting big, she'll resign for the evening. Money is important to the elf.
The ride to the Roderic place, known to the locals and especially the local children as Roderic's Wreck, is pleasant enough. The morning is heavy with fog that condenses to dew on branch and blade as you head out of town and up the creek. Dragonflies and butterflies flit between flowers and cat tails. Eunice is familiar with the trail, as it stretches northward toward her home.
The house itself sits right on the water. In fact, while it once was set back from the stream, annual floods have changed the flow enough that a portion of the house now sits above the water.
The wooden structure stands on pylons driven deep into the earth. However, after the founding of Roderic’s Cove, the river has shifted slightly due to seasonal floods, and its banks have inched their way beneath the building’s foundation.
Higgins and Midnight enjoy the ride up together through the morning fog."This place sure is far from town. Guess Roderic liked ta keep a nice distance from the town, like they said."
As they make their final approach, Higgins dismounts and starts walking beside the black stallion. "Well, not expectin' ta find much besides some rotten planks if ya ask me. But a job's a job."
Looking around for trouble, he points to the obvious porch. "Up the main entrance?"
"I don't know. Old houses give me the creep. How 'bout we walk around it first and check the perimeter. Maybe glance through a window, ya know?"
Maverick was clearly checking the revolver in his holster. Maybe the cards warned him of trouble?
With the creek on the right, the Roderick stake stretches up to your left. There is a barn even more decrepit than the house, a paddock with a fence that isn't in completely terrible shape. With a little work it would hold your horses, or you could just tie them up to some of the sturdier posts.
"I'm open ta exploring the surroundings first, darlings. While we are here for an apparition, who can say whether or not something else has made its home in this place. I can see it is connected to the water. That means it could have any sort of aquatic creature inside."
She will direct her horse to sturdier posts of the fence. She wants her horse secured to the post decently, but not so much it can't bolt if it tugs repeatedly at what it is attached to. Out here, there could be wolves or any number of things. Instinctually, she'd hope the horse would return to its stable if that were the case.
"Should I check out what is under the water?"
Maverick was just startled at the suggestion. Looking around, he wasn't the only one. Then he looked Nempura in the face and realized what she was and meant.
"uhm, of course. Be my guest. But don't expect me to jump after you. I'm more of a prairie person."
Higgins nods in agreement as Maverick talks about scouting the area. He's definitely more concerned as Nempura talks about swimming underwater. He doesn't tie up his horse quite yet as they explore the exterior.
"Guess you could go for a swim, Nempura. But best be careful. My guns don't work too well underwater." Higgins will stay close as she goes into the water.
Nempura is charmed by the gentlemen's looks of concern. She's lived in the water and was raised dealing with the dangers of the depths. Her eyes are accustomed to such things and her senses are keener than any surface dweller would be in such a place.
"You're both charmin'. I'll watch myself and should I sense something of danger, I'll return as fast as a rattlesnake strike."
The mage dressed for trudging through water, mostly. She wears cotton and linens of some form or another today. After all, who knew what she'd be trudging through today? Despite this, she wears a stylish, embroidered corset of beautiful, green shimmering golden colored swirls. It almost looks magical and accentuates her busty chest and top nicely. It is clear that she cares more for this than her other clothes, as with care, she will strip this off. The method of disrobing here does not take her long and is not like someone who has shyness in their character. One could even say that, in a small way, is it almost done seductively. Reading her face, however, it is clear she doing so isn't her intent. Perhaps it was habitual from her profession? The corset ends up being folded and set on a nearby rock.
Now settled, she ties up her hair into a ponytail and takes off her boots with equal grace and unknown allurement. The others can see her cute, feminine, pale, blue, webbed feet now. They were made for the water and her toes almost dance in hidden anticipation or eagerness at returning to the water. A short moment later, she leaps into the water, hardly making a splash. She is not seen for a time far longer than a human's need for breath.
Underwater, she heads for the home to see if there has been a breach under the water into the depths of his dwelling. This would indicate something indeed could be lurking inside. If she sees any sign of dangers, she quickly returns.
As she approaches, she also activates a detect magic spell.
After sliding down from her pony, Myrandya prepares another drink for everyone. "To a grrand shukshessh! Let us hope zhat if ve see a ghosht, ve gazzer usheful data!"* she chirps.
She watches in awe as Nempura dresses down for her dip in the water, moving protectively to guard the elf's dry clothes. She starts to offer advice about being careful, but she decides to remain silent instead. She hashn't survived as long as she has by being reckless, she thinks, trying not to worry. She idly scritches the head of the little red scorpion that clings to her shoulder, and drinks another extract, perhaps to calm her nerves.
Nempura slides into the water effortlessly. The water is cold, green, clearly snow and glacier fed. The water is deep and the bottom muddy.
Moving toward the house, Nempura can see that the water doesn't penetrate into the house even though the creek has washed out the ground under some of the foundation. The whole house appears to have been built on pilings driven into the earth. Where it has eroded, there is a shadow of the porch and even the floor of the house. The pilings are wrapped with thin underwater plants, and Nempura can see a trio of fierce looking crustaceans.
These are reefclaws that must have wondered upstream from the sea. Reefclaws are vicious predators, quite dangerous.
Instead of instigating these vicious predators, she lets the river carry her back out of sight and further down to where the party waits for her. A steady moment of righting her feet allow her to walk out of the water from a gentle eddy. There, the party will see her for the first time in probably minutes. Likely Myrandya and her keen eyes see her first, but eventually, the whole party will see the elf walking upright from the waters. Her red hair no longer contains its beautiful curls and instead is in its natural state, lying lengthwise along her back. The soft blue skin, where almost dull and human-like before in similarity, now reflects the sun in communicative ways that surface-dwellers cannot comprehend. She looks like elfkin, but also there are features they see now that are decidedly aquatic--like a fish's skin in the right angle of sun--and they are eye-catchingly beautiful.
"The house is intact. Under the porch of the home a few reefclaws have made a home. If we desire to investigate that area of the home, we should be ready for an ambush and counter it. They are quite violent and will be utterly surprised that we are ready for them when they crawl up to attack us. Other than that, the home should be secure. No worries of aquatic denizens inside..."
She then leans to the side and gives her hair a squeeze to help dry it out. For those interested in her appearance, her clothing is mostly seen through on her upper half and thin enough to see her features now, however her breastband and pants on her lower half are not. Also, underneath her now loosed linen shirt can be see a hidden row of bullets on a belt. It likely hid under the lip of her corset and would not have been in sight until now.
Higgins wish he'd thought to bring a towel or something. Felt strange just to stand there, and while Bella was pleasing on the eyes, he didn't want to stare. "Right, we'd better be ready to surprise those reefclaws when we get near," he says, trying to talk business. He decides to start scouting the perimeter of the house like Maverick suggested while folks figured out what to do next.
Eunice, too, keeps her eyes fixed anywhere but in the Elf's direction, then pretends to busy herself loading her shotgun. She follows Higgins toward the around the edge of the property, Raqi tailing both of them. She hadn't bothered tying him up; he hated it and she didn't want to risk him kicking the post over.
"If we have to fight, I'd prefer doing it on solid ground," she begins. "Even if we could get in some other way, half the first floor could be under water, and that'd probably suit those things just fine."
"It's not likely they will attack if were stayin' away from the water's edge. It would be like y'all moving into the water of the river and fighting under it. They do not do well on the surface and they would rather prefer fighting underwater. It is possible they found refuge there as a potential ambush position for fish more than anything else. I am just letting you know what I found. Let us be headin' inside. Does anyone here have proficiency in recognizing dangers and traps?" She gestures to the building. "Perhaps they should be leading the way. I'll take up the rear..."
She decides to bring her corset to her horse's saddle and places it inside the saddlebag. When the others are ready to head inside, she will follow.
After conferring with her companions, if they do not have adequate lighting, she can and will prepare a dancing lights spell for them to benefit from.
After taking a tour around and trying to peek through any unshut or broken windows ( ) Maverick follows the group onto the stairs and to the front door.
"I guess we're not knocking, are we?" he says looking at the door.
"No, I don't. But I'm a lucky guy." He answers to Nempura and tries to push the door open. First with his palm, then with his shoulder.
If nothing moves, he'll give the group a questioning look.
Telling Raqi to stay put, Eunice pulls an iron bar from her saddlebags as Maverick shoves at the door. "This could help if it's stuck. If it's really stuck I probably can fix it but there won't be much door left."
Myrandya checks her rifle is loaded, and draws a tiny flask from her haversack, which she holds in one hand while she grips her Winchester in the other. Her eyes blaze brightly with excitement. Her scorpion familiar sits alertly on her shoulder.
Myrandya hears a flutter beneath the rotting boards of the porch before three bat-winged giant mosquito creatures flutter out in search of blood.
With a pronounced voice, just loud enough for her companions to hear, Nempura quickly identifies this foe and any weaknesses or resistances her mind can conjure. If she can think of anything, she will try to consider the monster's special abilities known and whether they are in some great danger. It might seem silly to list out a number of dangerous tidbits of information in the first few seconds of combat, particularly when they are flying at you, but to the aged and wise in the art of fighting, it is a welcoming balm to hear that she is experienced enough to apply her knowledge like this.
(x3 weapon)
As quickly as she can, Nempura pulls up Ruby from her hip. At the same time, the party can she sprinkles some sulfur down the barrel and some other components. This strange behavior seems to give her barrel a pale green glow to it. A moment later, the elf waves the gun left and right as though casting a spell with it instead of directly aiming it. These minute movements with her gun seem harmless and silly to do perhaps to the others--as though it were some kind of flourish--but then when she does finally aim her gun, instead of a bullet coming out of it, an acidic orb in the shape of a skull and two six-shooters emerges. Instead of a simple blast, one of immense power launches right at one of these mosquitoes.
A moment later, the blast connects and the bug is completely vaporized in a pile of acid against the wall. Nempura blows any remaining sulfur and/or smoke from her gun's barrel with a quick exhale. The act, while beneficial, does somewhat look like the elf is showing off.
Wes finally gets to try out some target practice with his shiny new rifle.
;
Still needed some practice. He uses a smidge of magic from his Beneficial Bandolier to reload the rifle without having to open the whole thing up.
"Never seen these. Plus the fishes, this old building seems like an infested zoo."
He quickly draws his revolver while moving a step closer and then giving away a shot.
Myrandya yelps and prepares to shoot her rifle at one of the winged beasties. She studies her target briefly while she aims.
The winged blood bags dissolve under a barrage of magic and bullets. At the sound of your shots, several ravens burst from the roof line, circling the house for a moment before heading off west.
The shots echo and the noise settles, leaving you facing the rotten gaze of the house windows.
"I hate mosquitoes," says Higgins. Annoyed that he was the only one of them to miss, he fiddles around with the sight on his gun.
"Well, if anyone's inside, pretty sure they know we're here by now." He decides to head up the porch and nudge the door open with his rifle.
"Same family of insect, yet somehow more annoying..." she mutters in response to Wes. "I hear in some parts of swamps, some this size even swarm together..." She shivers at the thought.
At his later comment, she chuckles and nods. Surely they did. Ruby, her gun, is not silent.
While Wes nudges the door open, she looks to John and scoots up next to him. One could describe it being in a flirtatious way, but one with a true understanding of motives would know she is not being flirtatious.
"That was quite the shot, darlin'. Impressive."
She then looks to the strange-looking tiefling and manages a smile.
"Yours too!"
"Thanks. Got lucky. I know your spell, too, by the way. But I don't think I've ever killed something with it."
A quick survey of the doors and windows doesn't reveal anything too interesting. Rotting furniture, growing mold, the results of various sojourns into the house by the children of the town.
Maverick moves up to the double doors. Both were once glazed with stained glass no doubt imported from the East, but one is almost completely shattered and the other has had several rocks and bullets smash through it.
Pushing one door open with the toe of his boot, Maverick keeps his pistol ready
A dank smell pervades this five-foot wide hallway. A set of stairs rises to the next floor, and the hallway turns sharply to the north past the staircase.
Eunice picks her way slowly through the house, nose scrunched, occasionally taking a hand off her shotgun to cover it. She couldn't stand the smell of mold.
She keeps her eyes fixed on the floor, fearing she'll step into a rotten plank or something. Perhaps that's why the footprints stand out.
"Somebody's been here," she begins. "Maybe kids? I was never brave enough to come in when I was little."
"It does seem like a good place for a dare..." Maverick agrees with Eunice and places his boot next to a print in the dust comparing the size.
"Dis somebody think of bringing a torch?"
Myrandya blinks and gives an awkward curtsy in response to Nempura's compliment on her shooting.
When Maverick asks about a torch, she looks stricken. "Oh mine goodnessh, I did not sink to brink any kind off light soursh, my apologies! I could mix somesink up if ve had a couple off hours, but it is too late now for zhat."* She also looks around for clues about the visitors that have preceded them.
"It is fine. Earlier I prepared a spell for lighting for those of you who can't see right now..." indicating that she can perfectly fine in the lower-lit areas of the room.
Four glowing torches spring into existence with illusionary-looking flames flickering on the tops of them. Swiftly, they fly into the room and encircle the inside before settling in the center .
From what you can see from the hallway and your survey of the windows, the first room to your right looks like a parlor, the next room a dining room. Under the stairs there is a closet full of moldy linens (napkins and tablecloths, mostly).
Lighting in any of the rooms with windows is dim but not dark.
Catching up with the others, Higgins sees the tracks that Eunice points out, and sees if he can follow them, as a good bounty hunter should.
"Tracks go up the stairs," he reports.
"Well, we're not here to track kids, but a ghost. Where would the old man's ghost linger, I wonder?"
He looks through the lit areas with a thoughful mimic, his revolver still in his hand.
"Probably a place dear to him, before his demise. Any suggestions?"
"I couldn't say, darling, not knowin' the man well, except from our explanation with the sheriff, but let's check the whole of the property first. I'm going to start with this closet..."
Nempura will go sift through the moldy linens, careful of anything that may or may not have made a nest in them.
If the coast is clear from danger, she will want next to search out the parlor.
"HIs family was dear to him; perhaps a gathering spot," Eunice responds to Maverick's question.
She moves past Nempura as the elf examines the stacks of cloth and moves into the parlor, squinting.
Eunice moves into the parlor, floorboards sagging and creaking under her feet.
The parlor: Doors along the northern and eastern sides of this moldy room provide exits. The floor droops toward the south so the lowest corner of the room brushes the river as it flows by. The ceiling in the northern and eastern sides of the room is torn. The remains of a small desk lean into the northwestern corner of the room, its slim drawer hanging out.
Nempura is close behind.
Higgins heads on over into the parlor. "No ghosts here," he says, unsurprised. He prefers the northern portion of the room, not fully trusting the southern part that touches the river.
Nempura doesn't find anything more interesting than mold in the pile of lines. The parlour is more promising, though there have clearly been a lot of folks through here over the years. Nempura rummages through the desk without finding anything, but an intuition has her pull the drawer all the way out and flip it over. Pasted to the underside of the drawer is a sheet of parchment with a crude drawing of the surrounding region. An X marks a spot in a blob of green that must be the Churlwood. Next to the X is a note that says "Stone House."
"I guess, we go room-by-room then?" Maverick answers and opens the door leading to adjacent room in the east.