The body of the fallen cleric of Torag has 2 vials of what you assume is holy water, a prayer book, a coin purse with 30 gold crowns, and a small gold scroll case, about the size of a wand, with dwarvish runes stenciled on the outside.
Inside the scroll case, is a letter written in Dwarvish script with a red pressed seal affixed at the bottom. The symbol of a flaming warhammer is pressed into the red wax.
Neppka gathers the dwarf's belongings and makes to follow Vako.
"We can split the gold, and return the other stuff to someone in his church. Unless any of you want it. But the letter might let someone know who this guy was."
Ho'okepa, while everyone leaves with their booty, kneels before the body and begins chanting for about 5 or 10 minutes, in a standard funerary ritual that his people perform. It involves, usually, washing of the body with the sacred waters, but if the body is too decomposed, Kepa places a few drops upon the Dwarf's forehead and places his his hand on the corpse's chest...
When he is finished, Kepa stands up and bids the body one final farewell and turns to join his companions...
Having performed some form of last rites on the dead dwarven priest, Kepa looks at the others, and says, "That could be me, or you...I have to get back to my family and leave this adventuring life behind."
And with that he turns and starts back towards Sandpoint, whistling a happy tune as he goes.
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Neppka, Krrys'tall, and Vako continue on the road in the direction they were heading before stopping in the graveyard to find the Varisians that have been harassing people.
Leaving the abandoned graveyard behind, the remaining group continues along the Lost Coast Road, generally heading northward. There are no other travelers they meet along the road for the next two hours or so and it the middle of the afternoon when you can hear the sounds of music and laughter from off the road to the west. Looking carefully, you can see a circled camp of brightly painted wagons, not unlike the one you saw with Misha and his family at the wayside fountain. The wagons are arranged in a rough circle, and tents are pitched outside of a few of them. A group of people is gathered in the center of the circle, some cooking, some dancing, some playing accordion or stringed instruments. They seem quite relaxed and fun-loving from what you can determine.
Krrys'tall nods approvingly and shimmies a little to the beat. "They don't look so bad. Maybe these aren't the ones causing the big ruckus."
"Yeah, maybe not. But they might know something.
"Instead of just walking into the crowd and asking about Varisians that attack people looking for a gem, I think one of you two should ask to talk privately to whoever's in charge."
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Vako nods and strolls into the camp with the oversized shield strapped to his back. Hello. Are you friends? Can we please talk to your leader? We're travelers!
Krrys'tall ribbits out a chuckle and follow behind the irrepressible bard.
As Vako wonders into the camp, the buzz of activity including music and dancing comes to an abrupt stop and all eyes turn to the small leshy and his tripkee follower.
"Aye," calls an elderly woman wearing an orange skirt and bright yellow blouse with her gray hair tied back with a colorfully dyed scarf. "We are friends to most, but not all. Travelers are welcome, as we are also travelers. What you have to say to our leader you can say to all of us. There are no secrets in our clan, right?" There are various nods and replies of assent, but none of the eyes, which seem hard and unfriendly despite the words, leave you.
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Vako nods, it made as much sense as anything flesh people ever said as far as he was concerned, Okay, we heard someone was looking for a stone or something and they were being mean to people to find it and it's causing problems everywhere. Do you know of them? Are you the ones being mean? Could you stop? It's not worth the trouble.
"And where do you hear this little green thing," the woman continues, without expression. "And if it were true, who are you to come here and tell us how we should act? Do you know about this stone you mention? We would like to hear more about that perhaps." She nods her head in a small gesture, and at least 6 men start moving to circle behind your group. There are still at least another half-dozen ore more (not counting women and children) watching the proceedings.
Approaching the circle of people starting to surround Vako and Krrys'tall, Neppka silently curses himself for letting the trio get separated.
"He heard about it, because it's all we've been hearing about since we arrived in Sandpoint! People being tormented on the road is big news around here. Now let him talk without trying to surround him. You don't need to be so weird about it!"
Neppka stares at the woman who spoke, trying to convey with his expression that he's prepared to meet their physical action with his own, and the large sword strapped to his back might hint at what he'll do.
I know it's really shiny, and also someone told me that you won't take this one that I found, it's also really shiny, and look, oval! Vako digs out the stone he showed Ameiko.
Trying not to let the aggressive humans harsh their mellow, Krrys'tall chimes in an effort to keep things civil, by aiding Neppka's social roll.
[b]"We cool as the surf. No bad vibes, but we aren't easy marks either. Little Vako here just wants to show you his rock and find out more about the stone you are looking for. He's a good little helping dude."[/d]
The old woman throws her head back and laughs loudly at Neppka's attempt, even with Krrys' help, to threaten the group. "You think you have control here, bird-man? We have you right where we want you, don't we boys?" She points in a slashing sort of gesture, and the men who has slipped behind you move to restrain the three newcomers.
Krrys'tall gently raises their grippers and tries to nudge Vako to do the same. "Be taking it easy, now, Granny. We're not goofy enough to fight ya boys."
They look at Neppka, almost pleading, as if to say "Come on, Bredren. Be cool."
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Neppka is ready to fight, but at Krrys'tall's pleading look, he lets himself be restrained.
Six men come up to the three of you and prod you along. They have simple weapons: daggers, clubs, even a pitchfork but they do outnumber you 2:1 at least. The old woman laughs and the others in the circle join in. The group of men lead you to a cage fashioned from wooden planks, limbs and wire. "Drop your veapons!" says one of them with a thick Varisian accent. "Und den get insite." You see there are three other victims already imprisoned in the rather large cage, which is probably 20'x 20' square.
Neppka pauses for a moment to look at the three people in the cage. What do they look like? Are they seemingly uninjured and in good health?
They are all humans. One has been battered about the face, given the black eye, and bruising but the other two seem well-fed and unharmed. They all look like travelers from the road, by the look of their dress.
Neppka is pushed brusquely from behind by one of the Varisian toughs. "Moof it, bird." he says crossly.
Vako wanders in and looks up at the bruised human. I'll give you some fruit tomorrow. I gave today's to a seedling already.
Neppka hates the idea of just walking into the cage without a fight, but he doesn't see a way out of the situation that doesn't leave Krrys'tall and Vako behind. He takes a deep breath and moves where he's told to go.
There are small gaps in the woven cage, but none are wide enough for any of the prisoners to escape through, at least not without some great effort. The man smiles wanly at Vako. "I'd give my mum's weddin' ring fer some fruit, friend. Name's Candalreth. A travelin' troubador's what I am, and you lot? How'd you end up in this cage? Bet there's a story worth tellin' behind that!"
"Oy! Keep it down eh?" says another of the prisoners, a burly dwarf with a deep red braided beard says gruffly. "Doan wanna get tha' mouthy one another beatin'' do ye?" he turns and looks at Candalreth as he says this last.
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Yes, it's a very good story. We walked in and I showed them this. Vako answers Candalreth while holding out his pebble. Then they put us in this cage.
Candalreth looks at Vako quizzically. "You are a hard one to unnerstand friend, but if you came here willin'ly, then my hats off to ya. All of us were taken off the road by force. An' I'm pretty sure that pebble ain't the stone they are lookin' for. Least not as he tells it -- reckon its somethin' more valuable than a mere rock."
The third person in the cage speaks for the first time. It is a half-elf female wearing homespun dress of light green. "Yes, he seeks something of great worth. I know not what it is, but it would be unwise to give it to him, I believe."
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"What's the point of keeping us in the cage?"
Candalreth shrugs. "Not my monkeys, not my circus..."
The dwarf is more practical. "We've been here just a wee time. They defer to him to decide our fates, but I ken they will put us on our way, since we doan have the stone they seek. Leastways, I hope so Torag be praised."
"You worship the Forgemaster? We have grim news. We found one of the faithful slain in a graveyard near here. The creatures that slew him are dead."
The dwarf looks at Krrys'tall appraisingly. "Whot's this, ye say? A dead dwarf what honors Torag? Pray, tell me more, eh? Where'd you find this fine fella? What's he wearin'? What's his name, if ye ken?"
Candalreth... are you a music person... can you do this? Vako tugs at his hem and starts to whistle a jolly tune.
"Wow" says Candalreth with evident surprise. "Yeah, I can carry a tune and do some things with it. You'll have to whistle better'n that if we're bustin' out here though."
"I am not without my own ability," says the half-elven woman who waves her fingers in the air and a bouquet of summer wildflowers appears in her hands."There's more where that came from."
The red-bearded dwarf is still waiting for answers to his questions, but he nods his head when you look at him. "The Lord of the Forge has granted me certain prayers and orisons. I can be of use."
"We did not find much. What we did, Neppka here carried for safekeeping." Krrsy'tall indicates Neppka and allows the swordsman to take over.
Vako keeps staring up at Candalreth as the little leshy moves to the front of the cage.
Meant to do that. he says as he stops the jarring whistling and casts. Haunting Hymn in a 15 foot cone to catch as many armed members of their captors as possible.
(+1 if Virtuoso Performance applies)
And then starts a Courageous Anthem performance!
Neppka, surprised that he's been allowed to keep any of his possessions, pulls out the scroll from the dwarven corpse they had found and hands it to the dwarf in front of him. He relays the encounter at the graveyard.
Krrys'tall is about to settle in for Neppka's retelling of what occurred when they hear Vako's Courageous Anthem and feel its emboldening effects. They spin around to see the Varisians reacting to the unperceived Haunting Hymn and sigh.
"Breden, Vako done started the party!" They brace themselves for the inevitable fight.
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Locked in a Cage - Round 1
27 Vako
26 Melaria
21 Festus
19 Krrys'tall
17 Candalreth
13 Neppka
13 Crone
11 Varisians
Vako begins the fight from inside the cage by whistling a tune that inspires his allies and fellow prisoners to greater feats of martial prowess. Then he casts a mental spell on the nearest Varisian Tough who cries out in pain grabbing at his head.
Melaria surprises everyone by transforming into a the shape of a rat. She then scurries out between the bars of the cage, and toward the pile of weapons and loot that is stacked near one of the carts.
Festus casts a spell on the Green Tough, who is standing near the cage. A shining light hammer strikes the unsuspecting thug, causing him to whoosh out his breath in a rush.
fail
Neppka moves to the door of the cage, ready to hold it closed or fend off anyone who tries to come in.
Krrys'tall moves up to back up Neppka. They allow Neppka to actually hold the door while they ready their grippers for beatdown of any guards that try to get through.
Locked in a Cage - Round 1 - continued
27 Vako
26 Melaria (rat form)
21 Festus
19 Krrys'tall (readied action
17 Candalreth
13 Neppka (readied action)
13 Crone
11 Red Varisian (7hp dmg)
11 Green Varisian (5hp dmg)
11 Blue Varisian
11 Black Varisian
11 Yellow Varisian
11 Purple Varisian
Both Krrys'tall and Neppka move toward the one door of the cage, readying actions if any guards come within melee range.
Candalreth starts casting a spell that apparently has no success against Green. "Damn," he mutters, "would've been nice to have that fellow on our side..."
The old crone hears the fight beginning and moves toward the melee calling her boys to come help with the prisoners.
From different areas, the Varisians move toward the cage. Red, who has taken some damage from Vako's spell, draws out his club and tries to smack Neppka through the door.
End of Round 1
success
Vako keeps his encouragement up and casts another mental assault with the Daze spell!
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The Varisian rowdy has to strike between the bars of the cage to get to Neppka. Watching carefully, Neppka waits until his attacker's arm is between the bars before he tries to grab it and pin the arm against the inside of the cage, although it costs him a solid blow to his shoulder to do so.