Cricket studies one of the leeches and then shoots, trying to end the pests without bothering the Lady too much.
Cricket's shot goes wide, as does Brijetta's first blast, though her second one sears one of the leeches. It thrashes and squirms but remains attached to Lady Shimmersnip.
The giant crab slowly moves towards you, getting into melee range and angrily waving her claws!
"Hum..." He grumbles as he skitters away, aims again and shoots!
Gig continues waving his hands in the air.
"Clack, skitter, step left, shuffle right!"
He encourages the team in their efforts at attacking the leeches. Strangely, in the stress of the situation, small rocks and discarded bit of metal tackle start to float around him.
"What in the world?!"
HP 36/36
AC 18
Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +5
Hero points: 1
Infused regents: 2
Effects:
Brijetta, seeing the crab getting close, furiously tries to remove the leach again before it's too late. As she concentrates, all the little sparks flying around her seem to suddenly cool with the ping of metal being suddenly quenched. They dart together into three needles, flying toward the leech.
Mal frantically dances back and forth until she finally hits the correct rhythm again.
Uhe nods in satisfaction the plan!
Known Weakness
The dwarf then begins to take out his shortbow and to fit an arrow and.....
Aim for those beedy wormy eyes!
The Investigator's face looks a bit red in embarrassment.
Uhe sprinkles some salt on his arrows as he fires one, though his aim is off. As Gig inspires the group, Mal performs a captivating crab dance, keeping Lady Shimmersnip occupied.
Cricket fires a precise bolt at the wounded leech, and it falls off of the giant crab! Brijetta impales the other leech with some magnetic pinions.
Lady Shimmersnip snaps her claws at Brijetta, scoring a critical hit!
Gig continues to perform, then casts a spell to aid Brijetta.
"I've got you. That's some fancy dancing, Mal!"
"Oh, easy easy!" Cricket exclaims, as he studies the next leech and reloads. As he inhales to stead himself before shooting, a small fly enters is nose, causing him to shoot wide! "Blasted bug! Haa.... haaa... Atchoo!"
HP 23/36
AC 18
Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +5
Hero points: 1
Infused regents: 2
Effects:
"OW!" Brijetta cries, putting some distance between herself and Lady Shimmersnip, who suddenly doesn't seem anywhere near as nice as she did a few moments ago. As she runs, sparks again seem to surround her, and she fires a blast wildly back toward the crab and her leeches.
Uhe watches the Arrows, the metal, the inspiration, the blast of blood being bullied out of Brijetta!
Might could use a bit of salve there, miss.
The Investigator then squints with his left eye. He then stands on his right foot. The dwarf then hops about in a circle three times, before aiming his shortbow at the remaining leech!
Uhe begins pouting....
Momma said not to start reading...coal miner don't need no book, Uhe!.
Ohh!! I can't let people get hurt 'cause I'm trying to make Lady Shimmersnip comfortable
Mal does a crabby pirouette, shedding exoskeleton and growing as she goes...
She uses a slow to transform claw to apply firm pressure to Brijetta's wound while she bandages it with her more finger-y limb.
"Sorry, sorry I'll take this more seriously"
Mal does a dance to keep Lady Shimmersnip distracted before healing Brijetta. Blasts, arrows, and bolts all whiz harmlessly through the air. The giant crab scuttles forward to pursue Brijetta, getting into melee range with her again but unable to attack yet.
Gig continues his performance. As he focuses on one of the leeches, a chunk of metal lifts into the air, spins around, and launches itself at the critter!
"Oh my!" the surprised dwarf exclaims.
for
Cricket aims properly this time and smiles as he sees his bolts strike perfectly this time.
This time, your aim is much better. Between the metal shards from Gig and the precise bolt from Cricket, the second leech dies, splashing into the water.
No longer in pain, Lady Shimmersnip clacks her claws and scuttles away. "I'm coming, Your Ladyship!" Tregellon calls, the shirtless dwarf rushing over to calm his favorite crustacean and treat her wounds. "Oh, my beautiful girl. What did they do to you?"
The dwarf looks back to you. "It's very odd to get leeches here. I'd appreciate it if you could try to look around for clues once you're ready."
Her wounds fully treated by Mal's care -- "Thank you!" she whispers -- Brijetta blinks back tears as she looks around. She still keeps a healthy distance between herself and Lady Shimmersnip, looking more at the crab than any possible source of leeches.
Mal blushes again, redder than when she was a crab, squeaking a quick, "sure!"
Spotting some ripples in the water, Mal splashes over to where some water steadily trickles into it from the rocks above. Following an algal trail up the wall, Mal goes ahead and pokes her nose in.
Mal discovers discovers that the crack seems to have formed within the past month, based on the limited weathering and minimal algae. Something was burrowing through the stone here, parallel to the cave, creating a tunnel about 3 feet in diameter with the use of hand-sized drills. It appears to have stopped burrowing a short distance after getting too close to the cave, after which it crudely backfilled part of the tunnel with rubble. Water dribbles through the rubble from an unseen
source.
"I'll definitely be reporting that to the authorities. But in the meantime, I cannot thank you enough for saving Lady Shimmersnip!" Tregellon bellows. On a whim, he throws his arms around Mal, pulling her into a tight hug. "You're amazing! Spectacular! Magnificent! I'll reward you with gold, but that doesn't seem like enough to express the depths of my gratitude. What else can I do? What... else...? Aha! I know just the thing!"
Uhe begins stuffing a blanket, an old sock and what appears to be a petrified frog to block the hole.
The petrified frog acts like a scarecrow.
Mal's hair is the least red part of her by the time Tregellon releases her from his embrace. So. Firm.
The idea of an undersea princess dress fascinates her, "...but I'd probably just ruin it." She gestures at the new salt stains on this outfit and discovers some tears and holes she didn't know yet were there. "Oh slag. But umm. I probably won't be in Highhelm for long 'cause I'm not really from here. I mean, yeah I was born here, but that's not really where you're from if you ask me, 'cause it's not like I have a house or even my own room anymore, not even at the inn 'cause the hayloft's cheaper, and at least then you get some air and Málmfríðr what are you doing and I'm sorry I really just meant to ask-" She takes a deep breath, "WouldyoumaybeliketogetdinnerwithmewhileI'mintownokaythanksnoproblemthanks."
Tregellon’s smile gets even brighter. ”Bold! I like that! It would be my honor to have dinner with you, Madame. I’ll be in touch.” He offers Mal a wink.
"That was a bit harrowing. Maybe would could relax for a while. Anyone for a bite to eat or a good game of basilisk?"
Brijetta waits to see what the others plan to do, since she's sure that invitation wasn't meant for her. She gazes wistfully at Tragellion, thinking about how nice that dress would be, but certain that he means it for Mal. After all, he's taking her to dinner.
She scuffs the ground with a foot, unsure what she should be doing. Probably going back home now.
Uhe seems truly perplexed as to which needs fixing first....
Silvercap Tavern has poisoned customers! But my favorite team's star player, Relkez Stonefist, departed on parental leave a month earlier than expected. With an imminent match against an old rival, the team is struggling to recruit a replacement!
The dwarf sobs in frustration!
Mal is all smiles as they depart, elbowing Cricket in the ribs. "Hear that old man? He thought I was Bold. An' he liked it!"
She smiles again up at the ceiling.
"Oh, Brij, you should take the dress if'n you want it. Truly, I'd wreck it in a day."
"I did, I did." Cricket nods and smiles to Mal. "Now, calm yourself, uhn? Allow yourself to be surprised, uhn? And not disappointed."
Ah, the sweet feeling of a new love. Nothing sweeter, and nothing more dangerous. Cricket smiles, his eyes becoming slightly wetter as ancient memories surface his mind. Memories of love and promises, even if unfulfilled. He shakes his head.
"I'm no sportsman. Never was and certainly not now... can't help with that, but, if we have the time, we could take a look on this tavern, uhn? Always help a tavernkeeper I say."
After a bit of discussion, you decide to investigate the Silvercap Tavern. Over a week has passed since diners at the Silvercap Tavern contracted what has been deemed “Silvercap’s Revenge,” a nonlethal yet thoroughly unpleasant bout of foodborne illness. Authorities swiftly closed the restaurant, though in true Highhelm fashion, they’ve been slow to schedule an official investigation and fumigation; some business just happens “at the pace of a beard’s growth,” as locals say.
The owner and chef, Dierdrali, has lived in Highhelm for over 60 years and operated the Silvercap for over a decade. Her features increasingly resemble the silver-and-purple mushroom on the restaurant’s sign; her hair has developed amethyst and silver highlights after her decades spent underground. The evolving menu exclusively features items that incorporate fungus in some way, from beer to stews and stir-fry.
You find the elf woman eager to hire investigators to inspect her restaurant. "Thank you for offering your help. The deal is simple enough: enter the Silvercap, identify any spoilage or sabotage, and document your findings. Any questions?"
"I'd hate to see such a storied establishment close. Let's check it out." Gig is happy to lead the way, though he's not much of a cook himself. "Anyone know food preparation? I can't tell a pepper from a peppercorn."
Brijetta's eyes widen at Mal's words. "Really? You don't want it? You think I'd look good in it?"
Brijetta shakes her head at Gig's question. Her expertise is in front of a hot forge, not a hot stove. But she does like to eat, so ... maybe that's enough?
She heads into the restaurant, no clue what she might find there.
The Silvercap Tavern juts from a cavern corner in Stonebreach’s Breachborn neighborhood; most of its west, north, and east walls are carved from the rock, whereas sturdy wooden walls comprise the southern facade. Above the main door hangs a wooden sign depicting a smiling mushroom mascot with a silver cap dotted with bright purple spots. Several pipes emerge from the cavern wall about 20 feet above street level: one is a chimney that connects to a neighborhood exhaust pipe, and the others are ventilation pipes about 10 feet long. Broad canvas sheets adhered with alchemical glue cover the restaurant’s two windows and three exterior doors, and a formal note in Dwarven and Common proclaims this establishment is condemned until further notice. You can cut or tear away the canvas seals with negligible trouble.
The dining room features worn hardwood floors, save for a ring of stone surrounding the fire pit in the center. Seating includes an eclectic mix of partitioned booths to the west, round tables to the south, a long table with benches near the center, and several stools against a partially stocked bar to the north.
Splotches of fungi have grown upon various surfaces, as if Dierdrali’s ingredients are already trying to decompose her restaurant. The largest fungus by far is a shield hanging above the office door, which resembles a mushroom cap 2 feet in diameter covered in dozens of remarkably tough, feathery scales.
Cricket uses a handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose, knowing how dangerous some spores can be. He then slowly walks around, searching for clues.
Gig pokes his head in. "Already overgrown. Well, Dierdrali won't have to go far for ingredients."
Cricket can identify about a dozen species of fungus that are all native to the Five Kings Mountains region, including a few that aren’t edible. This doesn’t fit Dierdrali’s usual assortment, which include numerous imported varieties and none that are inedible.
Gig is drawn to the locked doors leading to the office and conservatory of the restaurant. The office door is locked, though Dierdrali’s keys can open it. The lock on the conservatory door is engaged, but the door opens easily because the wooden doorjamb where the dead bolt deploys has decayed. Gig discovers the damage resembles the natural decomposition that might break down a fallen tree, but the damage is localized, the decomposition seems to have occurred within minutes, and there are hundreds of tiny holes left by fungal hyphae that are nowhere to be seen, as if they retracted after doing their damage. It looks like someone attempted similar “lockpicking” at the office door, but that door’s metal frame stymied the intruder.
Gig also identifies the shield above the bar as a mycoweave shield.
Faintly luminescent slime mold has grown to form blocky lettering adorning the western wall above the larger booth in the dining room. It is a message in Druidic.
"Does anyone know what it says?" Brijetta asks, looking around.
Uhe takes out his notebook, ink and quill. Tapping the quill on the notebook, the Investigator looks suspiciously at chef Dierdrali.
...enter the Silvercap, identify any spoilage or sabotage, and document our findings. Sounds fair.
The Dwarf studies the notes, the chef, the build for a few inches before entering....
Uhe seems to be paying especially close attention to her shoe rack by the door.
Me, myself, I would never place boots above loafers.
"Of course, anyone'd look good in it! Oh! Not that you- I just meant that it- You'll look so pretty?!"
Mal looks up at the slimy lettering with wide eyes and a nervous grin.
"Errr this wasn't an accident. Someone who does druidic stuff an' probably who studied a lot better'n me says, 'Be free, cousins!' So... I reckon it's a myconid? Or somethin' similar? Lemme get a closer look."
While the patches of fungus appear to grow haphazardly, Mal notices that some of the smaller splotches aren’t random; they’re footprints, as if there were so many spores on a small biped’s feet that they accidentally seeded the hardwood floor. She can decipher some of this trespasser’s path: they came through the front door, wandered around this room, walked to the conservatory door, walked to the office door, went into the kitchen, visited the northwest booth, and then left through the front door.
Following this path, you enter the conservatory. Several rows of wooden troughs are mounted on steel rods set into the west, north, and south walls of this lightless greenhouse. An assortment of fungi grows from the woodchips and compost in these troughs; some sections are densely populated, whereas others seem recently picked. Glass terrariums and cabinets stand along the east wall; several panes have been shattered and shards of glass litter the floor. Three wide bowls in the middle of the room contain water, making this room oppressively humid.
Some of the trough vacancies seem to be recently harvested clusters of mushrooms. Gig realizes that some of the troughs’ bare patches are riddled with tiny holes created by hyphae that are now completely absent, as if the fungi there had either vanished or uprooted completely.
Examining the damage, Brijetta determines that all but one of the cases were broken form the inside—all the more concerning given they’re now empty. Glass scattered across the inside of the other case shows that it was broken from the outside, and its other contents are ashy and fragile as if having been scorched. From that case's label, Cricket recognizes that the specimen that might have been inside isn’t native to the area and would be highly invasive if released into the Darklands.
The intruder was unable to access the locked office, but the key lets you look around inside. Dierdrali’s office contains a bookshelf, desk, chair, and numerous shelves filled with wood carvings. An unstrung bow hangs behind the desk, framed by 10 arrows arrayed in a decorative semicircle behind it. A log of her purchases is in the top drawer, which confirms that her purchases and math all seem reasonable, suggesting neither criminal activity nor suspicious fungi purchased. Most of the other documents are a decade of business paperwork, mycological notes of specimens she grew, and experimental recipes haphazardly filed together. Dierdrali also has a remarkable collection of Elysian romance novels published by azatas of dubious taste.
The composite shortbow on the wall is in good condition, and while 5 of the arrows are normal, the other 5 have cold iron points.
You head lastly to the kitchen, which holds professional-grade cookware, an oven and griddle, shelves full of ingredients, a wide cabinet, and ample counters for food preparation.
As you are looking around, you can hear noises coming from beyond the door to the adjacent larder. A few moments later, the door suddenly breaks open! Two skinned and headless sheep carcasses shamble out of the larder! The mold forming a crust over the dry-aged meat has turned vile colors and sprouted into hundreds of fruiting bodies. So many spores waft about the room behind them that the larder is visibly hazy!
The headless sheep carcasses move towards you to attack!
"Arrghh!" Cricket screams, clearly surprised and afraid of the monsters. Nevertheless, he aims and shoots, before moving away from the things.
"Oh no!" Brijetta exclaims as she leaps back. A moment later, the familiar sparks start to swirl around her and then blast toward the closest sheep.
A second later, a spray of metal shards slash out toward them.
"Spirits! What am I even looking at- Oh right, the spirits!"
Mal crackles a bolt of sizzling lightning between the two ovine horrors, and ducks down behind her shield to see if it did anything.
Gig suppresses a gag as the corpses shamble toward them.
"Go get them...ugh...team!" He zips a handful of needles at the closest sheep.
[ooc]Inspire Courage, Cast needle darts[/ooc
for
Uhe pukes at the sudden sickening sight of the zombie-plague sheeps! The Investigator's brain begins work its independence!
The Investigator then takes out his bow and fires!
Notvreally something to be looking at after a hearty bacon filed breakfast burrito.
Gig begins to inspire courage as he peppers one of the sheep carcasses with darts. Both foes convulse as Mal shocks them with electricity. Cricket fires his crossbow, scoring a critical hit on the more damaged sheep. A cloud of spores shoots out of the hole in its neck as it topples over and lies still!
Uhe recognizes these things as variant zombies animated by fungal spores. He shoots the remaining zombie with an arrow. Brijetta misses with her flame blast, but the metal shards tear at the remaining foe, the slashing attack quite effective!
The headless sheep zombie staggers up to the kineticist and slams into her!
"Die again, monster!" Cricket yells as he aims and shoots again, extremely precise.
The monster complies, spores wheezing from the hole in its neck as it does so. Unfortunately, those spores spray right in Brijetta's face!
Investigating the now inert carcasses, you can see that the fungus inside their bodies have hyphae arranged and anchored more like muscle tendons than like nutrient-devouring roots. Whereas these sheep appear to have been slaughtered and cleaned professionally, their heads were removed recently and haphazardly.
"Gah, well that's ruined mutton and mushroom stew for me." Gig still looks a little green.
Gig waves a hand in front of the open larder, then cautiously pokes hi head into the doorway.
Brijetta gags as the spores overcome her, making her neauseated. She turns away from everyone, tears in her eyes, and quietly gets sick in the corner.