Running to catch up with the party, Jack forgoes any pretense of stealth while he rushes towards them just in time to hear the shepherd. I'm not sure exactly why the Archive sent me here, but if has to do with goblins stealing sheep, I fear I'm a bit out of my element... I know... I can threaten them with a book maybe? he chuckles to himself at the thought... he knew goblins were superstitious about written materials.
"Wait for me! I'm Jack and I've been sent from Absalom to assist you all!" He readies a small light crossbow as he runs up to the party, not aimed at them of course, just holding it.
Jack, having no healing skills, will observe Thornberry's treatment of Ardain on the journey back, learning what he can... and lamenting his lack of an antiplague tonic. Once in Alkenstar, he will seek out a healer who might be able to help Ardain fight off the progression of the disease. If Ardain is unwilling to pay for the aid, or unable, he will contribute toward any fee required... and ask the rest of the party to chip in as well.
Sorry for my absence the last week or so... Holidays and guests and family stuff, and seasonal depression have taken their toll... will be slowly catching up on all my games today...
Jack listens to Thornberry's side of the conversation with great interest... but fails to fully comprehend the whole conversation... as such, he simply listens and does his best to understand... with little success... "So what is it we need to do here? Is this shiny seed what is infecting the children above?"
Jack runs after the shadow til he's in range and spits the adhesive spittle from the extract he drank last round at the creature, trying to disable it's ability to fly and to move. save dc is reflex 15 for partial duration is 2d4 ⇒ (1, 2) = 3 rounds
sorry if I'm slow posting the last few days and the next few as well... We are suffering from high winds and surrounded by fires in all directions. Constant power outages from the winds and service outages from both power problems and the fires are playing hell with my connection. I will post as I can, but please bot me if necessary.. thanks.
Jack takes only his own meager equipment, not having any use real use for the other items... however he does state... "I have a good chance of using the wand and scroll if no one else can activate them."
Jack nods at Yanda's words, emphatically agreeing with her... "I think we can be of aid against this thing... Yanda here obviously intimidated it into fleeing... we just have to find it and deal with it so it's no longer a threat to your town. Of course we still have to determine what happened to Amenira before we can leave Mercy."
Jack has to hustle to keep up with the others, and while the dark doesn't frighten him, in fact it makes him more comfortable, he doesn't want to get left behind and miss something important.
Jack shakes his head as if in a fog sorry I've missed so much... the holiday and then other obligations have had me running around like a crazy person the last few days... haven't had time to update games for a bit... "This is all very confusing. Why does she look like a small plant? Is this normal for children in your town? Will she outgrow it in time? Why will it all seem more beautiful 'in time'? What happens when she gets older?"
"I, too, would like to follow up on the weaver lead... We just need to find out which one was her house and a way to get access that won't get us evicted from the town."
ouch... glad it's just one fellow and not the whole group... let's hope he doesn't spread his ire among the rest.
"Kristoff, I think he didn't like your tone... maybe you should have bought something from him? Anyway, don't worry too much about it... tempers were high before we ever got here... I'm sure he's got some lingering antagonism from the earlier confrontation." Jack says as they leave the area.
Jack is wearing grey and black, no blue... and sorry for your troubles... I have severe depression issues, so I sympathize... even empathize.. hope things get better for you soon.
"Why such acrimony, good artisans of Mercy? You both provide necessary and useful services and tasks for your fellow citizens and each other. Why argue, wouldn't it be better to make peace and cooperate, set fair prices for each other and work together?"
diplomacy:1d20 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (16) + 8 + (2) = 26spending a point of inspiration
sadly one of the few knowledges I don't have yet. sound a lot like a crobat, but that would be pokemon, lol
"Sounds nasty whatever it is... let's hope it's a tale fueled by fear, rather than reality. Still, we've no reason to discount it, so be wary." He nods at the suggestion.. "Yes, let's confer with the artisans."
"Please excuse my companions if anything was said to offend... no offense was intended... we are just trying to understand and be respectful of your situation here in the wastes and of your belief in Robori... we would like to learn more about it if you've a mind to explain about Robori and how he protects you."
diplo:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
***
Later, when it comes time to learn more about this vampire, he will join the others in asking around about local vampire lore.
"Are you sure that's all this is? What if it's something worse? A deeper corruption, one that could affect a deity? I'm a little confused with conflicting ... or at least seemingly unrelated bits of information." He turns to the priestess... "And why not speak of this bloodsucker? Wouldn't it be better to bring knowledge of him to the light so you can fight against him?.. or her?"
"SImply believing from one report makes little sense... but dismissing it because it might be a rumor also makes little sense... it's worth checking out, at least... but so is this Robori tree-god... I'd like to learn more at least."
know history:1d20 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (14) + 8 + (6) = 28 Jack contemplates what he knows of history correlating that information with the timeline mentioned by the priestess.
Jack clucks softly in the back of his throat, and shakes his head sadly... He whispers to Thornberry, who he sees also inspecting the tree... "This tree may seem healthy above ground, but its roots are dying... Some kind of blight. It won't survive another decade at this rate of disease."
"FAscinating... and it's not that I don't care... Now that you mention it, I do recall something to that effect... "I assume since Jack only missed the dc by 1, it was 'there at the edge of memory somewhere, just couldn't recall it, lol""Perhaps their faith has something to do with this? Maybe we should take a visit to this shrine to Robori that they have?"
"WIth all these footprints it looks like the children have definitely been here. But whose are these larger kid footprints and what's this?" He holds up the bit of strange skin that feels like plant rind. "Who or what did this come off of?"
Just got home from the vet. Had to say goodbye to a dear companion kitty today. I'm a wreck and may or may not post later. Tomorrow morning I leave on a 4 day retreat, so my posting may be spotty if at all during those four days. Please bot me as necessary... sorry and thanks.
"Of course you can stay with us... Perhaps we can help each other... You probably know more about Mercy than we do."
Jack takes the paper and looks at it... "Can't make much of this... can any of you figure it out?" he holds it out to whoever might want to look at it.
"You are 'Nira'? Are you Amenira? or just a doll of her? or what? and you're right, we're not from Mercy... What murder, and why do the children hide?" Jack is small but the doll is probably smaller, so he goes down on one knee to talk to her if he must.
Jack reiterates the 'rules of Mercy' as found in the journal, discussing each one in turn... "THese are very strict rules, but nothing in the journal about no children... I wonder where they all are.. or if there even are any... You don't suppose they sacrificed them all do you? or turned them into creepy dolls?"
Jack crawls under the bed and pulls the paper out of the doll's hand, bringing it up and into the light, where he flattens it out and reads it. "Now let's see what this says..."
Jack slips in and looks around, notes the new architecture... "This house is fairly recently built, unlike the rest of Mercy. And whoever was here, presumably Amenira, packed up weapons, armor and other items and left in a hurry." He notes the journal and looks at it along with Yanda. "Perhaps there's some clues as to Amenira's activities and disappearance in her journal."
"Amenira's house is where I want to start as well... then I want to check out more about the town, but what we're looking for might depend on what we find at Amenira's place."
Jack walks around the room, staying away from the chairs... In an act of minor defiance, he runs his hand along the backs of the curtains of each window, but he doesn't actually pull them back or move them enough to see around them. "I hate this, but I'll obey their rules... once.. but I don't want to spend all my time here locked away from anything that might tell us what happened to Amenira."
"That smells awful... do you have to do that in here? Can't it wait til tomorrow when we can get out of here?"Are there any windows we can open?, if so, Jack will open windows to clear out the smell.
