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Bhadrim nods in greetings to the Taldan. "Greetings. We are Pathfinders, sent to investigate the happenings in this town. We've been to Witchtop Hill, where we found some small tracks and a lot of paper dolls, as well as the former home of the Ghlaunder cultist, which was useless. Do you happen to know anything about what is happening here?"
Bhadrim scratches his beard as the barkeep mentions the few people who have passed through recently. Without much details to go on, it could be them or it might not be. He nods, taking a mental note if they run into the woman from earlier. "Any recent gossip about Witchtop Hill? Perhaps before all of...," Bhadrim waves his hand around. "This." As the barkeep describes what happened with the cultist, Bhadrim says nothing. Once the barkeep finishes, Bhadrim nods. "I won't judge you. Won't even say I wouldn't do the same. But nothing, no change after you strung him up? Did it get worse?"
Bhadrim grumbles as he stashes the paper doll in a belt pouch. "You said earlier that the only people were occasional adventurers like us. We met a woman earlier who was looking for a friend who had come to Shimmerford around a month ago. She sent a letter to this woman who has come to look for her. Ring any bells?" Bhadrim asks the barkeep. "Also, what do you know of Witchtop Hill, and this Ghlaunder cultist who was lynched?"
Bhadrim indicates to the crushed up paper doll. "Mind if I take that?" he asks of Quintus. Assuming that the man doesn't care, he picks it up and looks to some of his more magically inclined compatriots and waggles his fingers at it. "Any of you able to see if there's something... special about this piece of paper?" Bhadrim quickly turns it over in his hands to see if there is anything on it aside from the writing. "Oh, and some ale," he says to the barkeep as an aside.
Bhadrim scowls at the appearance of yet another stuffed doll but keeps his mouth shut. He follows the group to the Inn. Bhadrim rolls his eyes at Kamil's theatrics, having no truck with such over the top behaviour. Instead, he scans the room and notices the man turning a paper doll over in his hands. Ignoring everyone else, Bhadrim bustles over to the man and extends his hand in greetings. "Greetings friend, I am Bhadrim Thunderhammer, a Pathfinder sent here to investigate the goings on here in Shimmer Ford of late. I notice you have a paper doll. We just spoke with Ms. Lyons who mentioned that the Mosquito Witch left behind paper dolls. How about we have a chat about that doll?" Bhadrim says by way of introduction.
Bhadrim looks at Kamil and shrugs. "Where do you suggest we look? A lot of the townsfolk seem to have fled, and as I see it, we have two clear sites of interest. I personally see little value in just hanging around, trying to find someone who might have some information for us when we have two leads to follow up on."
Bhadrim flicks his eyes over to Ms. Lyons as she speaks. As she speaks more and more, his hand tightens around the haft of his clan dagger. When she lapses back into silence, and after Lissi has spoken, Bhadrim nods. "Aye, Witchtop Hill is now our first port of call," he states. "We need to see if this... thing is still in the area." Turning his attention back to the man, he narrows his eyes at him before speaking. "I swear to Torag that I have not been to this house before now, and that I have never met you or Ms. Lyons before this moment," he intones. Bhadrim indicates to any of the magically-inclined in the group to join him in a corner. Assuming that they do, he lowers his voice. "Clearly Ms. Lyons is out of it, and I reckon something is up with the young man too. Can any of you do, you know," Bhadrim waggles his fingers in what he thinks an approximation of spellcasting, "Try to see if there is any mumbo-jumbo around them, or have some way of warning us in case anyone tries something like that?"
Bhadrim arches an eyebrow at the man. Clearly he was addled but that didn't mean there was some truth to his words. "Are you telling us that there are six more people in the area investigating what's going on?" he rumbles, looking around the interior. "We haven't seen such as yet although we've not been here long. We were coming here to question Ms. Lyons on the Mosquito Witch, as she is apparently the last alive to have seen the creature. Is that true? Do you know anything else that can assist us in getting to the bottom of this mystery? Bhadrim asks. "Also there is a woman looking for a friend, who she refuses to name, who apparently wrote her a letter a month ago from this village. Do you know of anyone who went missing around a month ago?"
So I bought HeroLab Online and it turns out that I missed a mess of things that I should have had. Profile now updated as it should be. One thing I missed was the networking points. Let me know if you want me to pick two items (went with 3 in Swords) otherwise my fault for not knowing how to properly create the character!
Bhadrim crosses his arms as he watches Haru depart. Once she is out of earshot, he looks at the others. "Something about her puts my hackles up," he says finally. "She claims to be looking for her friend, yet immediately gets defensive and refuses to name her friend. It's not like this place is teeming with people to help her, and if kith or kin of mine had gone missing and I knew where they had last been, I'd be kicking down every door and turning over every stone." Bhadrim breathes out heavily between his teeth. "We'll ask this Ms. Lyons if she has heard of anyone new arriving within the last month that's mysteriously disappeared. There seems to be a lot of things happening in short order, and like I said, I don't believe in coincidences. Shall we get moving?"
Bhadrim glances at Lissi with an arched eyebrow before turning his attention back to the scholar. "An interesting response, that you don't care to tell us the name of your friend. We could assist in your search, but I'm not inclined to aid someone who isn't willing to help themselves," Bhadrim rumbles. He thinks to himself for a moment. "However, we are headed to speak with Ms. Lyons, who we gather is something of an expert on the Mosquito Witch. Perhaps she knows something of your... friend," Bhadrim suggests. "Perhaps she might know where your friend is."
"Aye, true, but that's not to say there isn't something in the grounds. Too much of a coincidence that a follower of Ghlaunder happens to be in an area beset by mosquitos and other bloodsuckers. We'll question this Ms. Lyons about the cultist and see what she has to say about them. Might give us an idea as to who we are dealing with," Bhadrim glances at Vengis. "Is that so? Seems someone thought it important we should bring it with us," Bhadrim says. "If you don't mind holding onto it for now, it seems someone has chosen you to carry it."
Bhadrim fixes Ezekiel with one eye. "If the cultist is dead, then I doubt he had any control over this plague but the fact remains that he was a cultist of Ghlaunder, who as I've told you before, is a god of parasites and disease who favours mosquitoes and other bloodsuckers. Just because the man is dead, doesn't mean that his abode isn't tied to this somehow," Bhadrim said in a stern voice. "Anyway, the cultist is dead now, so I doubt he'll mind if we have a rummage through his belongings." "However, I agree that this Ms. Lyons is likely to be the first port of call, even if only because she can likely give us more to the local history of this Mosquito Witch," he concurs, crossing his arms. He glances over to Vengis and arches an eyebrow. "Can I take from your sudden reaction to the sight of that doll that you didn't put it there?"
Bhadrim scratches his beard while Galia speaks. Once she had said her piece, he turned his head towards the others. "It seems to me that the first place to check would be the abode of this former Ghlaunder cultist, turn it over and see what we find. If that gives us no further information, we might need to think outside of the box," Bhadrim says. "What can you tell us about this Ghlaunder cultist? Who were they in the community? Did they hold any position of power, or were they just a mad-person? And where did they live?" Bhadrim chewed his lip while he tried to think of anything else.
Bhadrim listens to Galia, and before he can ask about the cultists, Lissi pipes up. Bhadrim nodded in agreement. "Aye, there's a finality to that statement that seems out of place, given that the problem still exists." "Also, where did the first attack occur?" he asks, once Ezekiel has finished his litany of questions.
As the party board the ship, Bhadrim bangs random places loudly. Eventually he seems satisfied, and drops his pack on the deck, turning to face the others. Motioning for them to gather round, he waits until they do so. "The Venture-Captain mentioned Ghlaunder last night. For the uninitiated, Ghlaunder is a god of parasites and disease, and they favour mosquitoes and other bloodsuckers," Bhadrim peers over the huddled throng at the various deckhands. "Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, especially if it might be, y'know, of a religious bent." With his knowledge imparted, Bhadrim leans back to enjoy the voyage. He nibbles on some rations while they bob down the river. Once they arrive at their destination, Bhadrim is happy for someone with a tongue of a more silver hue to speak at first, although he intends to interject where necessary.
Bhadrim waits until Smine puts down the doll before picking it up, turning it over in his hands, studying it. After a few moments, he tosses it back on the table. "Damned superstition," he rumbles, before looking at Smine. "It sounds to me like someone has decided to bring the myth to life, perhaps to try and swing some coin or take the land. If we find out there's a... mundane source to all this ridiculousness, do you want them dead or alive?"
Bhadrim Thunderhammer pauses in front of the Lodge and inhales deeply, letting the smell of heated steel and flux pull him back to his father's forge, all those many years ago. With a flex of his back muscles, he pushes open the door and steps in. He dawdles for a while, looking over the various weapons as they take shape, nodding at appreciation at some, pursing his lips at others. The female halfling is kind enough to let him continue about his business before indicating towards the stairwell. With a curt nod of thanks, Bhadrim elbows his way through the gathered throng of apprentices and places a booted foot on the first step, before noticing the other three gathered there. "Not much room up here, eh?" he thunders mirth fully, before taking his foot off the step. "Bhadrim Thunderhammer, at your service."
Bhadrim studies the building before he enters, shaking his head at the poorly maintained construction. For a building with such auspicious history, it certainly didn't look the part. Entering the tap room, Bhadrim nodded to the Master of Scrolls with respect before taking a chair and leaning back to listen to the briefing. His eyes flitted over to Pathfinder Gavix as she was introduced. As he crossed his arms, his hide armour creaked slightly and his dwarven war axe jangled lightly against the chair. He listened in stony silence as the Master of Scrolls finished up the briefing. Once the Master of Scrolls had left the building, Bhadrim turned his attention back to Pathfinder Gavix. "So, the gillmen," he rumbled in a deep baritone, "Do you think it was the same one you saw both times, or two different individuals? What more can you tell us of this cave system?" As the halfling descended from the rafters, Bhadrim arched an eyebrow. "Bhadrim Thunderhammer," he responded, by way of an introduction.
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