| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The farmer continues running past you, just as a large angry boar rounds the corner at speed. Upon seeing you all it squeals loudly and charges right at Rashk, its closest nuisance!
The boar dashes at Rashk and plunges its tusks into his calves, with the momentum from its charge, they go very deep.
In Gender on your character's profile:
Gender Ancestry Class Level | HP: X/X | AC: X |
In Race on your character profile:
F: +X R:+X W+X | Perc: +X (Write any initiative modifiers here eg Pilgrims token)| Hero Point: X/3 |
In classes/levels on your character profile:
Anything else you want or need to track (eg key skills, a basic attack modifier/damage, spell slots used today, focus points). I found out recently you can actually use spoilers here if you want to which I personally found useful for a heavy skill based character.
"I am Root!"
"Yes, that pig is very angry," Nutmeg agrees. She casts a spell to heal Rashk, then grants him a bit of guidance.
Loki yips and cocks his head at Baldur who cracks a rare smile.
"No Loki, no bacon."
The fox yowls mournfully as Baldur assails the boar with a hoe and then fixes his mind upon it!
"Hrm, this really isn't the best weapon for fighting a rampaging boar...but it'll have to do." Illyria sighs, as she then rushes forward to close the distance and come up on the creature's side, before chopping down.
Rashk pulls out his bastard sword and swings with all his might but he is too unstable having been gored so deeply to make contact.
Baldur's hoe is flung wide, as he tries to miss Rashk, but Illyria's sword causes a large gash to open in its flesh. It squeals loudly, the whites of its eyes showing but continues goring, spinning around to retaliate against the fighter.
-12
Baldur continues to focus his evil eye on the boar and flings a spade this time.
The auburn haired fighter staggers as the creature mauls one of her long legs, and she grins her teeth as she tries to steady on it. Shifting down to one hand on her main blade, she pulls out the other, shorter weapon, and tries to make two more measured stabs in one go with her next assault.
A sickening crack can be heard as the space connects with the boar. Illyria slices into the boar twice in quick succession and it wobbles on its feet but somehow, it seems to still be standing (↻)
1HP Wounded 1
Nutmeg casts a spell to zap the boar!
Nutmeg takes advantage of the fact that its on its last legs and it collapses to the floor, jerking after its dose of electricity.
The farmer, who had been standing back this whole time, rushes forwards to you again, and checks the boar is dead. "Thank you, I really appreciate it. It must be mating season or something as they're not usually this ferocious otherwise." He holds out his hand to everyone to shake it. "As thanks, Im happy to dress and cook the boar for you?"
At that moment, a young woman who you recognise from the Feedmill bustles out of the house. "What was all that...! Brother, are you okay?" She rushes over and looks over her brother as he explains how you all saved him.
She looks you all over, clearly grateful for your act. As she does so, you notice a large bruise and bump across her forehead. "You should all come inside and have a cup of tea, you're all from that Caravan that Bort was from am I right?"
Illyria deftly tucks her swords away, before limping over to take the man’s hand. ”Seems like a fair trade to me. My cooking skills aren’t quite as keen as my sword skills.”
She then steps back to allow Trin to check over her brother briefly, before responding to her query. ”Well, we’re all passengers on the caravan, not regular parts of it. We’ve not known Bort long at all. Now, erm…what happened to you? Did the boar assault you first before chasing your brother?”
"Let me take a look at that." Baldur says, ignoring the pleasantries. {Ilyria is doing fine there anyway.)
"A nasty bruise, Nutmeg, do you have anything that could help?" He asks, trying not to use up magic if he can avoid it.
The woman looks up at Illyira quizzically before her hand reaches up to her forehead. "Oh right, yes, that no need to worry about it. I recieved it last night, someone must have flung a tankard across the room and it hit me as I was tryig to get out of the way. It'll go away soon, Im sure."
She sits down on the edge of a table and gestures for everyone to join her on the very small couch.
"So, what did you come for, as Im presuming you didn't have a premonition that you needed to save my brother from a boar?"
"Yes, we're actually here about last night." Illyria nods, trying not to fidget when Baldur look at her leg, though it didn't seem to feel any better after his efforts. Still, getting to take a seat was nice.
She tries to phrase her enquiries gently, feeling bad about the woman's appearance, "You served the porridge last night to our table, yes? Right before that scuffle happened? Did you notice if anything about it looked different than what Amora usually makes? Or if anyone came by our table during the whole trouble?"
Trin looks confused, and replies slowly, as if unsure why you are asking the question. "Yes, I served the food that night and Kolnral was serving the drinks. I spent most of my night going back and forth between the kitchen and tables like normal and served you your turnip porridge just before the scuffle broke out. I stood near your table trying to keep out of the way during the scuffle before I got hit in the head and my memory after that is a bit of a blur until I got home. But I don't know why you're asking, its pretty obvious that Farmer Eallom was the one that started the fight. Why are you asking anyway, Im sure the Sheriff will sort it out?"
Illyria takes a quiet look at Trin, trying to sort out if her confusion was genuine.
"Erm...what, ah...you left during the fight?" She pauses, looking uneasily at the others, before advising. "The, ah, caravan owner we were travelling with, Bort...he died, likely murdered. After the brawl calmed down, he went back to eat the porridge then, and...succumbed pretty rapidly. We're all stuck in town until the Sheriff sorts that out, but there doesn't seem to be much confidence that he will by himself."
She then sighs, and affirms, "So again...was just wondering if everything was normal until the brawl. Amora said you served it, after it was plated by Phinnick? Don't suppose you'd have a clue where he lives, ah?"
Illyria watches Trin's expression, looking for any tell, but she cannot find one.
Trin raises her eyebrows in surprise, "Oh, Im sorry to hear it." She replies, "Of course, I'll tell you everything I remember. Well, on a normal night, Amora makes the food and Phinick plates it. Whenever Bort is in town we give him an extra big serving but thats all normal. Phicick - well - Im not quite sure where he lives as he doesn't seem to have a home. Sometimes he seems to stay in the stables in the Feedmill I guess, but I know thats not every night."
"I'm really sorry again, I hope that Bort will receive his final reward from the Lady of Graves soon, he was always a nice man. Maybe you should take some of the boar back to the caravan for all the workers to enjoy."
"Oh, I'm sure they'll appreciate that. Guess we'll wait around until your brother finishes preparing it." Illyria nods gratefully, though she has to concede this visit appears to be another dead end.
She turns to the others, now that it seemed they'd gotten all the information from Trin they could use, "Do you think visiting the others whose residences we know about will do any good? I do have those records of Bort I borrowed as well to review, but they seem rather daunting to make heads and tails of..."
"We can look at the records later." Baldur says. "Let's get the bacon back to the caravan and then find Phinick. Witnesses first, the written records will keep but memories become hazy."
"Alright...though how would we go about doing that? Ask around town until we find somebody who might have seen them recently?" Illyria wonders curiously, though perhaps the two spell workers might have some magical idea between them that she wasn't grasping, being a simple swordswoman herself, as it were.
"Start at the stables of the Feedmill." Baldur says with a shrug. "That's the place people keep mentioning. If that doesn't work we'll have to split up and comb the town as best you can."
"Hmm...alright. Sounds as good a plan as any. Be careful with yourselves if we do have to split up. Whoever killed Bort might not be too happy people are trying to look into it." Illyria warns, before settling into the couch to wait for the prepared boar they could bring back to the caravan.
It takes a lot longer than you thought to prepare the boar - even when Marny cuts the beast down before cooking it and it is late afternoon before you leave to head back to the stables with wrapped packages of different cuts of cooked boar.
Rashk heads back to the caravan with a few mumbles, saying that he isn't feeling too well himself and wants to get an early night ready to continue tomorrow.
You head back through the Feedmill on the way to the stables and Delma, who is standing behind the bar perks up as she sees Nutmeg, Illyria and Baldur. The Feedmill is pretty much deserted right now.
"Ah, just the people I was hoping to see!" She exclaims with a welcoming smile on her face.
"Having spoken to the Sheriff, he says that you're all stuck around for a few weeks unless the killer is caught earlier. I was wondering, if you're going to be stuck here for a while, if you can help out with my old man? He's been stuck inside a lot and I never can get away from my jobs in order to get him out and about. Problem is he is a proud man, and wouldn't take kindly on "help". I was thinking, if in the morning you could all take him out and he could give you a "tour" of Etran's Folly. He will gain by getting some fresh air, and maybe it will help you all by helping you get to know the place and people here. I fear we've probably given you all the wrong impression?"
*****
Heading out to the barn, in search of Phinick, you first bump into a bustling stablehand, the same woman who was here yesterday - this must be Edra, on of Delma's employees.
"Oh, hello there everybody, are you here to pick up some of your horses?" The halfling assumes. "I'm afraid I cannot let you take them in this sorry condition as they're suffering somewhat, the poor things - Biting fleas, pretty nasty, and a couple of infected wounds as well!"
"We can do that." Baldur agrees, it's a small price to pay for some firsthand information and getting Delma on side seems to be a wise move given the circumstances.
-----------------------------
"No actually," He says to Edra as Loki bounds up for scritches and attention. "We were hoping to talk to Phinick. Have you seen him recently?"
The halfling bends down and chuckles at the little fox as she scratches behind his ear. "Oh, he does sleep here sometimes, but hasn't at all this week. I know he sleeps elsewhere as well, but honestly I have never asked him. Why do you need him anyway?" She replies with curiosity.
Baldur seems somewhat stumped by that question and thankful that Loki takes the heat off him for a moment so that he can come up with something plausible.
"We wanted to ask him about service last night." He says eventually. "Do you know if there are normally brawls in the common room?"
She scoops up Loki in her arms and holds him close to her chest, as he snuggles in and enjoys the attention.
"Oh, not often but there are sometimes, especially if people's emotions are running high after losing money in a game or one farmer insults another's wife. Things like that. Its why I tend to stay out here with the animals, much more predictable than people you know?" She replies openly.
"It was a terrible thing that happened after that fight last night wasn't it? Do you think they're connected then? All I heard about the fight was that Eallom lost his temper with Kolnral, but that big ogre is always a bit hot-tempered."
"Perhaps we might even run into somebody who actually knows where Phinick prefers to stay." Illyria adds, also agreeable to the idea of a tour, though the prospect of nicely cooked boar to eat for dinner did make her more agreeable to most anything.
---
Illyria lets Baldur talk for a bit, thinking about the events last night. Perhaps none of the kitchen staff were actually to blame, and the brawl had been the true cause for how the dessert had ended up poisoned?
"So that Eallom fellow does that often then? Does he get along at all with others in town? Or is it just that Kolnral you mentioned that he's ever taken issue with?"
"Oh, he's just a grumpy farmer, lost his wife a while back and ever since hasn't been the same. He's had a few fights with a few people, but honestly, I just feel sorry for the fellow." She replies, before placing Loki back on his feet to scurry away.
"Either way, I've got a lot of work to do if I need to help these horses of yours, because they're unhappy souls right now so if you don't mind I will get right to it."
Unfortunately, searching the stables turns up nothing of Phinicks.
Baldur works into the night trying to decipher the books, and although Bort's handwriting is terrible and his notes cryptic he eventually finds some useful information.
"He's been delivering reagents to someone called 'H'." He informs the others. "Made considerable gold doing it too. He'd dropped off the fourteenth shipment just before he was killed and I think that wasn't a coincidence."
Illyria asks to clarify, as she tries to sort out this new information, ”Are reagents bulky? Wouldn’t somebody in the caravan have been loading and unloading them for him…or is it the sort of thing he can sneak off with and transport himself in his own cart without nobody knowing? Regardless, I guess it’s a second thing we can ask about around town on our ‘tour’ tomorrow.”
The next morning, before resuming your search for Phinick, the group heads back to Delma to escort her father on the walk as previously agreed. Delma and her father are waiting patiently outside the inn, taking in the morning sun when you arrive. Her father is sat in a wooden wheelchair made from a modified pushcart and smiles as you approach and moves to stand up, a littl ewobbly on his feet.
"Ah, so nice to meet you all. Delma has said that I'm to give you newcomers a tour of our little town, lovely as she is."
He holds out his hand, that has a tremble and insists on shaking each person's hand for a personal introduction.
"You can all call me Targen, now let's start here, and then head to the Plaguestone. I'm a bit of a historian of the town you know, so if you have any questions, do make sure you ask!"
Delma nods "Indeed he is - a valuable font of knowledge! Now Father, if you are going to take a tour of the whole town, you must take your chair with you. I am sure one of these fine people would be willing to help push it."
"Oh nonsense, stop fussing Delma. I'm not as frail as you think." With that, Delma sighs, and heads back inside, muttering her thanks to you all as she goes.
Targen is proud to talk about the Feedmill, the town’s only major business. Targen opened the Feedmill more than 50 years ago, before the Goblinblood Wars. In great detail, Targen tells you that his brother died in that conflict, along with much of Targen’s extended family. The town itself avoided the worst of the conflict, which occurred primarily to the west.
The path next leads to the plaguestone, which was used to give food and aid to those suffering from the plague. Targen recounts how everyone suspected a local witch named Silwyth of starting the plague (she was actually an alchemist, but Targen has no idea what that is), and after Silwyth caught it herself, she cursed the town’s only priest before she died. Soon after, Father Bolgrist contracted the plague and died. Targen says that the witch had a daughter named Vilree who stuck around her mother’s home for a few years, then probably died or ran off.
After visiting the plaguestone, Targen guides you all through the north side of town where most of the plague victims lived. Most of their homes are empty and in a terrible state of disrepair. Only the very poor or desperate call this part of town home. Targen notes that anyone with coin lives on the south side of town.
Targen wobbles on his feet a little, but looks determined to continue.
"If you don't mind sir I'd like to sit down a minute." Baldur says, "Loki here needs a moment and I'd rather he do it now." The fox gives its master a rather dirty look but then catches the scent of something interesting and scurries off regardless.
Baldur meanwhile takes a seat and gesture Targen to a stone wall next to him. Inwardly he can't help but marvel at how considerate he seems to have become, it's a little unnerving.
"Does the town have a priest now?" He asks, "I don't imagine anyone wanted to take over the witch's house or role in the community." If the old man tells him about alchemists or other 'wierdo's' in town, so much the better.
The old man takes a seat, seemingly grateful for the pause. "Well not the witch's house no, but there is the Old Shrine that used to be tended by Father Bolgrist, but after his death no one really replaced him, and noon e worships at the old Shrine to Gozreh anymore."
Just at that moment, Baldur, Nutmeg and Rashk all notice a little goblin rushing out of one of the shacks towards the town centre, seemingly he hasn't noticed you.
Nutmeg points out the fleeing goblin. "That seems a bit suspicious," she says. "Should we follow?"
Rashk will call out, "Hold, little one, we would speak with you." and stride toward the goblin. No weapon is drawn yet.
"Yes." Baldur says sharply and takes off after the goblin!
"Erm, would you mind sitting around and waiting a bit, Targen? Catching that goblin is rather important to resolving that death at the Feedmill." Illyria asks apologetically, as the others are already after the goblin. She doesn't want to offend their host and so waits a bit for his approval before going after the goblin.
"Oh , right, yes, I ....I'll wait here young lady." Targen responds as everbody starts their quick pursuit.
As soon as Phinick hears the commotion behind him, he turns around and squeals before legging it quickly in the other direction to try and escape!
DC 13 Athletics to push past carts, DC 15 Acrobatics to vault around them;
Drawback—none.
DC 14 Fortitude save to sprint;
Drawback—winded (the PC takes a –1 circumstance penalty to checks at the next location).
DC 15 Reflex save to avoid falling in the mud or DC 13 Survival to pick a better path;
Drawback—The PC is sickened 1 for the rest of the chase, unless they spend a turn to retch.
DC 16 Stealth to Sneak past the dog or DC 18 Nature (trained only) to calm the dog (no drawback if anyone makes the Nature check);
Drawback—The dog bites the PC, dealing 1d4 damage.
DC 16 Reflex save for the PC to keep their feet or DC 13 Society (trained
only) to remember a shortcut;
Drawback—none.
Illyria attempts to push through the carts, seeing as she was a little behind the others, before trying to get out into a full sprint. Getting to the alley, she finds the turn a little slippery and tries to get around the puddles. Unfortunately, the tight turn was a little much, and she finds herself rather embarassingly face first in the mud, even swallowing some.
Wiping her face off, she pauses to cough up the mud, rather disliking the taste, before staggering off after the goblin again, seeing the others going through the backyards of residents. She manages to do so fairly quietly, in spite of her armour, but when she tries to pick up speed again at the turnip fields, the mud on her boots causes her to trip up once more, and she ends up shaking her head at the end as she sits up, rather winded and embarrassed.
Thanks to a relatively simple spell which lets him warp distances Baldur makes good headway on Phinick until confronted by the angry dog. His attempts to pacify the beast are working until Loki pops his head out and sends the dog into a barking frenzy. Baldur retreats, nursing a bitten hand, but is fortunate enough to find a shortcut across the turnip field. A final twist of magic and space leaves him in front of the goblin with a distinctly unimpressed look on his face.
Rashk bulls through by brute force, charging past the carts, powering through the mud, not stopping to pet the dog. But he does slip back a bit at the end.
The Market - Location 1:
The Road -Location 2:
The Alley - Location 3:
Backyard - Location 4:
Turnip Field - Location 5:
.
Nutmeg struggles through the market and the road. She navigates the alley with aplomb, calms the dog to prevent it from biting her friends, and navigates the turnip field, but the goblin remains just out of reach!
Luckily Baldur catches the little raspscallion just as he was about to get away across the turnip field! Baldur is not exactly the strongest man, but subduing the struggling Goblin is not too challenging until everyone else arrives.
"Yes, yes, I won't run - I promises!" Phinick says with a high pitched chirp, his feat sliding in the mud beneath him.
Illyria wearily gets to her feet and stomps over, once she sees one of the others had actually succeeded. Her mood is a little foul after getting splattered in mud and dirt. "Why did you even run to begin with?"
"What do you know?" Baldur adds, "What happened last night? Did you deliberately poison Bort?"
He's going for the key information immediately, and hoping to overwhelm the goblin a little in the process.
The little goblin shakes his head with deliberation. "Nuh-uh, no siree, I did not poison Master Bort. At least I think..."
He looks up at Illyria and Baldur looming over him, and shakes his head, trembling slightly. "Please don't blame me longstriders, please. I really did nothing I didn't know about."
Phinick bursts out into tears, blubbering everywhere. "Mercy, please, promise me mercy."
"Calm down. We're not the law...we just want matters resolved so we can be on our way. What did you do then last night, Phinick? What do you mean 'you think' you did not poison him?" Illyria tries not to frown as she asks, wanting to get clearer answers even after her humbling little experience from the chase.
Phinick explains, snivelling as he does so.
"Before Bort's dinner, Hallod got me. He gives me a jar of spices and told me that if I dint put them in Bort's food that he would hurt me." Phinick sobs loudly, and starts trembling again.
"He said that they'd only make Bort sick, so I says yes and put it in the porridge before Trin took it. I dint know that Bort died until I woke up yesterday and so I hid. I reely dint know that it was poison, I promises."