Brayjio Springhand's page

After passing Brayjio's home, he lingers back for a second, and gives a head shake to anyone looking back at him.

Martin is not the psychic spy.

"Oh! That is a sending stone! It's a very convenient type of magic!" Brayjio says as he takes and looks over the stone the barbarian man holds out.
"You see, it has a pair with one other like it, and the two are able to simulate conversation, although with very precise limits and..." he trails off, realizing he's rambling.

He gives an apologetic smile to the relative savage, who might be lost with such choice of vocabulary and enthusiasm for details. "You can talk at a distance, through magic. I recently lost a pair myself."

The priest (NOT Varus), follows the two at a discrete distance of the two as they go back to Martin's house, intending to observe for now.

Brayjio looks a bit shocked at the suggestion of murder. "killing shouldn't be necessary! Besides, once dead, I don't think dazey will be able to sense his mind. I'll follow you just in case, but see if you can walk him down the street past my place. If you walk him to the cup, you could you right by my place. Sounds like a plan? "

After inviting Anders and Varus inside, the priest listens to their comments.

"What?! The Zhentarim..? Can you bring him here? Maybe not to my home directly, just near enough that Dazey can tell if he is the one she felt before. I can't take Dazey to you to identify if that is our telepathic spy or not."

It's afternoon, I beleive

"Well, thank you for bringing me the news of your exploit. I'll make of it what I can. I worked out a crude map of the temple that might give you some direction, though it isn't to scale and I'm not sure how helpful it will be..."

He hands a scroll case out to Galenus, and wishes Kelemvor's blessings on you all before you leave.

Galenus, are you giving Brayjio the note found from the hiding gardener in addition to the Orog's scribblings?

Brayjio seems encouraged when Galenus endorses his strange friend. "Yes, she has shown me nothing but kindness since I found her. To answer your questions... I hid her, because I don't know how people would react. Some might harm her. The time frame for the vision seems somewhat fluid, but around a tenday is my guess. If there were no lingering visions around the corpse, either it did not die where the corpse is located, or it is much older than it appears. The corpse should be quite, uhh... Fragrant after a tenday.
Anders, We may be able to set a trap, but I think our efforts better spent searching for the artifact, for now. If they are searching for it, they will not find it here, and they have not made a move against me in the many months since I've known of their presence."

The flumph's alien like form easily climbs the bed, sitting (?) down and regarding you all with it's eye stalks, and strange gaping mouth on the top of its domed, jelly head.

I already rolled everyone's knowledge checks to save time in my DM notes. Sorry! It seems easier than to try and communicate that people can choose to roll if their character knows a think, which so far hasn't happened and people don't try. If you wanted to use inspiration, you may have that roll you just did, but Galenus already rolled very well. Assuming he and Anders will share, the group will know about what Daisy is.

"I'm... Not really sure what she is. She calls herself a Flumph, and says she came from underground. I found her in the forest a couple of years ago, early in the morning. She was injured, attacked by goblins. I took care of her, and she's been my companion ever sense. She's also why I know people have been looking for the Scales... She can hear people talk when they use telepathy. People with telepathy have been spying on me..."

He says this last, giving Galenus a look. "Not you, I don't think. Daisy says the 'voice' is different than yours. But someone, some townsfolk know about the relic, and they shouldn't. They occasionally creep around my home, and Daisy warns me."

Brayjio looks a bit alarmed as his ruse to get people to exit his home just brings more attention to his bed.

The blankets beneath it rustles as he is backed into a social corner, Sharla and Varus making it quite clear that they won't be dropping the issue.

Brayjio nods. "Yes... Yes... I think you're right, it isn't worth keeping this secret, but I ask you to keep it from the others. I don't think the villagers would... Understand..."

The blanket rustles again, and emerging from beneath the bed is a pair of eyes. Following the eyes several inches behind is the slightly transparent body, jelly-like and blue-green. The top of the rounded body is paler, while the edges of its tapered bottom grow darker blue. A slit between the two eye stalks on the top of the creature opens, showing an alien mouth-like opening. From the bottom of the creature are many blue, 1 to 2 foot long tendrils each ending in small spines.

It quivers out from underneath the bed, Brayjio shutting the windows tighter, darkening the room further. It's about the size of a medium sized dog, smaller than a person but much larger than a cat. It sits there, swaying serenely on its tendrils, its eye stalks glancing at each of you, each moving independently.

"Uhhh... Well... This is... Daisy." Brayjio says simply, clearly unsure how to give this introduction. He walks over near her, concerned that someone might attack it.

Knowledge check on the creature

One thing I need to alter about your dialog, Galenus. The necromancy was on the feather, the runes are abjuration. The abjurations runes are the spells which are identical. The necromancy on the corpse, and the necromancy on the feather, are most likely different spells.

"I see..." Brayjio says thoughtfully. [b]"That orc. It might have been an Orog. They're basically a smarter, crafty kind of orc. If they have Orogs in their ranks, I'm not surprised they would take on leadership. roles. One thing to know about them, is they are devious and ambitious. I've heard stories of orcish warleaders being usurped by their Orog lieutenants."

"This is all important information, thank you. Tread carefully, but know that if anything happens to you, I'll pass on word to whoever else comes to Wyatt Peak and follows in your efforts. I'll not let any of your deaths be in vain."

Your progress has been saved. In the even of a total party death, your replacements will know what you have so far learned.

"Can I have any papers you have found so far? I can search them for clues while you continue your investigations."

"As for the corpse... That's strange. I don't know of any recent deaths of the townsfolk. You might ask about town to see if anyone has gone missing, or talked of trying to revenge themselves on the orcs. The local gossip might know something, but he usually charges..."

A sound is heard from beneath Brayjio's bed, and the men looks a little bit nervous.

"Well! Thank you so much for your work. The town already owes you so much. Kelemvor's blessings upon all of you." He stands and heads over to the door, signifying he'd like you to go now.

As those who head toward Brayjio's home nears his door, he opens it as you're still several feet away before anyone has a chance to knock or call out.

"Good, you're back. Come in." He says, looking tired. Dark circles run under his eyes, making his young face appear aged with stress.

He walks back into his home, and gestures for the door to be shut.

"So, what have you learned? Have you made progress?"

Several, but still too few, chairs circle his small table where a half-eaten meal sits cold. He sits on his bed and gestures to the chairs for those who wish to sit.

"While you search in either location, keep an eye out for anything written. Our cleregy that kept the secret would sometimes use a cipher, one that I know how to read. Additionally, enemy notes might have important clues, so keep a careful eye." he has a grim moment of silence before speaking again.

"Also, I know this may sound rather defeatist but I hope you understand my position... I need to plan that this mission may outlive any of you... So regarding your movements, your victories, your hardships, and especially anything you learn of note about the enemy, the artifact, or anything else that could be passed on, please tell me in full. I wish for your success, but if you perish I'll allow the next group to benefit from your hard work."

To the temple? Give me a marching order and declare stealth checks if you are being stealthy (increases march time), or moving quickly (lowered perception checks while moving). Also, anything else you wish to declare, do so now. Regular march time is 1 hour to the temple,so there will be more time to speak IC if you wish. Still working on my map, hopefully there won't be many more pauses going forward.

"No, I only need you to recover a single magical artifact, the Scales. The rest are only complications to this goal. No research on the Scales are needed, I know how to balance them."

"The visions will fade on their own, with time... It is an affect of the Scales, and nothing I could think of that would work ever did anything."

The young priest looks to Galenus. "You guess right, Lord Goldenfeather is the wizard of which I spoke. Nearly a full year before the Temple was taken over, the house of Goldenfeather went quiet. Soon, many of his servants fled his properties and into town. They spoke of horrible things lurking through the rooms of his estates. I was told that one of the items he had been looking over for us was a cursed bowl, something also tied to death. Though in this case, we believed it tied to undeath. We don't know what happened, but we know that many of the servants were killed, or stolen away in the nights, many more fled out of panic of their master shutting himself up in his rooms and the disappearances and deaths of the others... And some claim to have seen the bodies of those killed once more roaming the halls at night... I fear the Bowl must have turned him into some kind of undead, and might be affecting others. The Scales very well might be somewhere in his estate, as he sometimes looked over them... These are the other potential complications. The Scales might be either in the temple, or in his estate..."

He looks then to Anders. "I know not... No townsfolk have claimed to have seen a robed mage... Although, some claim that a few of the orcs' arrows burst into flame after being shot as if by magic, so having a caster among them is probable."

Brayjio seems almost relieved that two people have chosen to reject a seat, so occupies it himself. He eagerly relaxes into the seat as he gathers his thoughts.

He isn't dressed much like a priest from the city, in fact most of his clothes seem rather normal for a villager. He wears mud-spattered boots, heavy, well used pants, and a loose, green tunic tightened around his waist with a leather belt. His cloak is hanging up near the door.

His pause and his closed eyes almost makes it seem as if he has fallen asleep in his chair when he begins to talk, ruining the illusion that he had nodded off.

"The Temple of Final Rests, the local place of worship for Kelemvor here at Wyatt Peak was more than it seemed. In addition to being a great place of meditation and prayer for visiting priests of our order, and even as a place of pilgrimage for our wisest and most devout, it was a place used to secret away and study dangerous items of magic."

He pauses for a brief moment, looking you all in the eyes as he talks. He looks like a man reluctantly parting with a secret.

"There was one item of great import... Both because of its significance with the Death Clergy of Kelemvor, but also because of its power... It is a very ancient, and very powerful object that could ruin this town if not re-obtained..."

Another slight pause as he gathers his thoughts. "For centuries this artifact had been kept hidden away within a secret chamber within the Temple. It is the reason why the temple was built, and is what a town formed near to. About five years ago, a clan of orcs moved in... They... Killed everyone..."

He lets out a long sigh, rubbing his eyes, clearly in pain with remembering. Five years ago, this priest must have been little more than a boy. "I was out at the time, running errands for the temple... The orcs came in and overran us... Most of us were simple priests, men of little power. Those that were strong enough to fight clearly didn't do enough against the might of these creatures, as no survivors have ever escaped. The orcs have been occupying our temple ever since, moved in for a long stay. They've never accosted the town... They seem satisfied to live there, leaving us alone. However, the few times villagers attempted to retake the temple were utter failures. No one at Wyatt's Peak is a skilled warrior, and were easily beaten back and forced to retreat... Or killed..."

"This artifact was supposed to be under wards to keep it from affecting anything, but my teacher who was training me to one day be a guardian of this secret place told me that the wards didn't last forever, and would need to be occasionally replaced. I had hoped that they would hold for a good long time, long enough that any Doomguides who were privileged with this information could return and replace the wards after the orcs had left, or were killed off... But that is a wish that I must admit has not been fulfilled."

"You all must have noticed how strange this town is... The gloom cast over it... The visions of the dead that linger where they had died... These are all signs that the wards have failed, and the effects of the artifact are beginning to..." he trails off

"I wish to keep this secret from the villagers because... Well... Partially because I took an oath to protect the secret... And also because I have reason to believe that someone, maybe many someones, are working to obtain this artifact for themselves. I don't know who..."

"I need you to find this artifact BEFORE it can become disastrously unbalanced. I know not where it is, or what defends it... It might be protected by the orcs, it might be another place that I can tell you more about in a moment... A local wizard used to take a look at some of our mysterious items, researching their qualities for us, but even he is dead... I hope..." It is clear that he feels that this is another failed hope

He closes his eyes again, despair and exhaustion showing. He says the next words without opening his eyes. "I need you to recover the Scales of Blackened Souls, which might be protected by magical defenses set by the church, in a secret room where I know not how to access it, within an orc occupied temple, which another potential threat seeks to obtain it for themselves, and all that is only some of the potential complications here..."

His eyes open, and his eyes beg. "I need you to risk your lives to save the town, because if the Scales become fully unbalanced, life and death themselves will become unbalanced, and Wyatt Peak might only be the start."

He waits, clearly expecting you all to get up and leave town.

"Welcome welcome, have a seat." Brayjio says as he hurries over to a front-facing window after he bolts the door behind you. Cautiously, he peers out through it. "I, uhh... Only have the three. Sorry."

Appearing to be content with his rather suspicious curtain-peeking, he turns to face the lot of you. "So, you received my plea? You're here to help?!" he looks as though he can't quite believe the turnout, and looks on the verge of either passing out or laughing with delighted excitement.

Brayjio looks between you all as introductions are made, and he tries to keep his smile showing despite his fatigue. "Tell you guys what. Head into the Cup and Dice here..." he says, gesturing to the building behind him. "... And order yourselves all the food and drink you want. I'm sure Slate would appreciate the customers. Not The Sundown, they offer mostly beds and little food. After you have your food, follow the speaking tree to 'Priest Springhand'. Just keep an eye out for signs, you can't miss me. No one else does. I need to straighten up my place."

He gives Varus and Anders a look. "It's best your friends get... Acclimated to the sensation. You may be forced to face it again and again, and in more treacherous situations. Prepare them as best you can."

With that, Brayjio leaves, heading down one of the several branching roads from the town center.

If anyone (including Anders and Varus) approaches the tavern again, read below (it is the same as before, just reposted for convenience).

All food and drink are by the book prices in the PHB. Please describe what you're buying if you wish, but DO INCLUDE the amount of money you spend. The establishment's Property is currently Inactive do to bad atmosphere.

Varus and Anders

As Anders blames him for the vision, Brayjio gives a compassionate look. "It was not I friend, but the reason I sent for you..." he says quietly.

Still talking with a soft voice, he continues, speaking to both. "Yes, let us meet your friends and talk. I have a place where I am staying, we should talk there."

Turning back toward the open door. "Slate, I'll be back to help you with your, err, problem later today! Got to run!"

He then lets you lead him over to your friends.

Varus and Anders

The half-elf, young of face, with dark hair, a short goatee and a grave, exhausted manner opens his mouth to reply with what is clearly a well-practiced, and eternally ignored explanation, when Anders calls out to him.

He turns around, looking as if he expected yet another townsfolk to ask the impossible of him, and notices the two approaching adventurers. His manner changes slightly at first, exhausted annoyance to confused, then to shocked realization, then to a nearly giddy relief.

"Hail..!" he says, stunned. Then he tries again, with more energy, his face breaking into a cautious yet sunny smile. "Hail!"

He says, waving you over eagerly.