Dot away!
When the rickety cart pulls over the hill, you can see a small village on the horizon. The two rows of low, thatched roof houses barely visible at this distance. The Doctor's letter clutched tightly in your hand.
As you arrive, a small crowd quickly gathers around you all. Some badger you with questions, most bid you to leave, and yet a few of them welcome you to Dunhob, the speck of a town you now find yourself in.
Looking past the crowd, you see a shriveled, old woman slowly making her way towards you. She has a string of rusting horseshoes in hand and is muttering something under her breath...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Estra watches the old woman with a warm glint in her old eyes. "hello there. I'm sorry, these ancient ears don't catch so much anymore.. if ypur words were meant for us, what did you say?"
|
So we must "interview" this rabble? What a waste of time.
Disembarking from the cart Mathos, being careful not to bump the old crone in the cart, looks about the town for any official buildings. A lack of structure makes him uncomfortable, he hopes that this small towns has a mayor, sheriff or judge. Someone who keeps order and knows what is going on.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Rhasuel sits in the wagon wrapped up in a couple layers of blankets. The weather wasn't bad, but this was comforting to his aching bones. He watches the crowd with mild annoyance. Did these people have nothing better to do? Oh well. They weren't his kids, thank heaven. Otherwise they'd all be on for a scolding.
He pays little regard to the thronging crowd beyond defending himself from peyote who insisted on touching purple until he spots the woman. He sits himself from his blanket and follows Estra to approach the lady.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The harrowed old man picking at his clothing appears at first glance to be a homeless transient of the type typically run out of town after a day or two. But as he spies the crowd forming, he smiles grimly and sets about preaching, his large shield emblazoned with many equations, graphs, poems, and doggerel proudly displayed.
Good people! I bring you tidings of woe! For from beyond the stars comes a monster of epic proportions and endless ravenous hunger. Behold! - he gestures dramatically to the sky - He-It-She is coming! She-They-It know no mercy! They-He-She is relentless! She-He-It thinks I am its Herald, but I am in fact here to warn you. Mark my words, we only have 10,000 years to prepare before She-They-...
At this point, the crowd, which never had been particularly friendly, starts to turn.
Fine! Fine! I know when I'm not wanted. You were warned. When She-It-They arrives in 10,000 years,...
The old man is forced to strategically retreat at this point and moves away, muttering to himself. A sprinkling of silver coins helps to mollify and distract the crowd.
Well, I guess I'd best earn my keep.
He moves to join the other Pathfinders, surreptitiously joining them after slinging his shield under his cloak.
I surmise that this is the famous harrower we're supposed to interview?
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
The little cat looks up at his mistress and unleashes a raucous complaint, tail twitching. "Mroooowwwwwwwww!'
What a dump. We left my comfy, sunny windowsill in our apartment back home for this?
|
Zadim moves his hand to the pommel of his kukri as the crowd gathers around the group.
Goddess bless us. May your light touch these humble folk so that we might learn of the missing Lady Illirigarde.
"The missing Lady Illiregarde read the Harrow for these people. The Doctor did say they are a superstitious lot. Try not to alarm them."
Zadim eyes the old woman warily as she approaches.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Looking about at his compatriots Mathos makes a mental note.
Tonight I am writing up contracts exempting me for any responsibility if these oldsters drop dead on this expedition. A couple look like they may drop dead this day
He mutters to the group Who seems to be in charge here. That woman?
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
A tall, thin woman with slightly-pointed ears cautiously climbs out of the carriage after allowing her elderly travel companions to disembark first. She carries a yellow and white cat in her arms and sports a backpack on her shoulders, as well as a longspear and some other bits of weaponry.
"Is this it? This place looks like a nice place to live, doesn't it kitty?" she asks. As if in response, the cat offers a rather disgruntled meow and she sighs. "I'm sorry Mr. Sunshine, but we couldn't turn down our first mission! Especially since they couldn't really get much of anyone else to come here..." she adds, glancing at the rest of her companions.
As they spot the old woman approaching them, she calls out, "Hello, miss? We heard there were strange things happening here in Dunhob and we've been sent to try and help..."
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The crowd parts to allow the elder travelers through, but none are spared the onslaught of questions and comments. "Wait, where are you going? The exit is the other way! Do you know of Tar-Baphon? They say he still lives as a mouse!" Now in the middle of the crowd, the smell of musty clothes and unwashed bodies begins to fill your nose.
The unfortunate part of the crowd that meets the Herald starts to get a little rowdy as the doomsaying builds up, but the timely shower of silver is quick to distract them from their own superstition.
The old woman continues to mutter as she approaches the crowd. Around 20ft away, she stares at you all with hard eyes. The crowd begins to silence as they notice her presence. Suddenly, in a voice louder than you'd expect, she shouts out at the newcomers. With a thud, a horseshoe hits Mathos in the chest. The crowd quickly moves a few paces away from you all.
Mr. Sunshine startles, fur on end, back arched, tail poofed. Running behind Fran, he hisses.
They're throwing heavy metal things, Fran! They might hit something important, like me!
|
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Mathos turns to Rhasuel and mutters.
Do not become too familiar old man. In the interest of getting this task complete I shall allow your slight to slide, but watch yourself. Asmodeus has ordered the universe and I am not yours to command.
He brushes the clean spot on his clothes.
Someone else please speak to this woman. If another shoe comes at me I may have to react in kind.
Mathos hefts a large book in his right hand as if testing its weight.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
"My name is Maricella Weath and I have plenty more payment right here!" she shouts back, a horseshoe raised menacingly in her quivering, wrinkled hand.
Fortunately, Fran's words reach her before she lets further judgement rain from the skies. "To stop evil spirits you say? You would have me believe that this rag tag group of misfits is here to stop the evil resting in this town? I'll believe it when I see it." She spits on the dirt road to emphasize her point. Nevertheless, she begins restringing the horseshoes in her hand.
With the promise of excitement falling through, the crowd begins to disperse, causing dust and dirt to rise up. There is an eerie silence cast over the town, broken only by a sign creaking in the soft fall breeze. As the dust settles, Maricella, a woman weathered by time and a lifetime of hard work, is left standing before you.
She eyes each of you up for a moment before proceeding. "A stiff breeze could keel about half of you over and the other half is greener than spring grass. The most able bodied one here appears to be the cat!" With a sigh, her expression softens a little and she continues. "Which of our troubles are you supposedly here to fix?" she asks as she smooths out her smudgy apron.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Elena follows Fran out of the carriage but instead of gracefully exiting on her feet, her legs betray her, and Elena lands face-first onto the street. Her six-foot-something form stretches like a snow angel the pavements for a few moments before Elena pulls in her arms. "Ouch. I'm okay," she groans. She pulls her long limbs into a pushup position, hoisting herself upright.
She looks up sheepishly. Nobody noticed right? Elena brushes dirt from her scale mail and looks around.
Elena looks over the crowd, grateful for her mountainous height.
Thanks to the commotion, it appears Elena's trip out of the vehicle went unnoticed. She straightens with more confidence.
Rhasuel looks agast at Mathos's outburst and smacks the young whipper-snapper upside the head.
"Watch your tongue, boy." He grumbles.
Elena doesn't flinch when she sees the book hit the man - instead she looks slightly amused. She places a hand on the hilt of her longsword, observing the scene between the elderly man wrapped in blankets and the fashionable arrogant man.
|
|
"Oh no! We're not the evil spirits, we're here to stop the evil spirits!" Fran gasps as the horseshoe thuds against Mathos' chest. "Please, don't throw things! I promise we'll do our best to help you," she pleads.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
"Do not become too familiar old man. In the interest of getting this task complete I shall allow your slight to slide, but watch yourself. Asmodeus has ordered the universe and I am not yours to command."
He brushes the clean spot on his clothes.
"Someone else please speak to this woman. If another shoe comes at me I may have to react in kind."
"A stiff breeze could keel about half of you over and the other half is greener than spring grass. The most able bodied one here appears to be the cat!" With a sigh, her expression softens a little and she continues. "Which of our troubles are you supposedly here to fix?" she asks as she smooths out her smudgy apron.
Elena steps forward, counting on her height and heavy steel shield bearing the symbol of Iomedae to attract attention. "My name is Elena White and I vow that no evil spirits will get past me! How may I offer my services? We can fix a great many things; just tell us where to start. What's amiss?" Elena puffs out her chest to look as regal as possible. Feet straight and together, Elena salutes a fist over her heart. A leaf, unbeknownst to Elena, sits perched on top of her head from when she fell. The leaf hat looks rather ridiculous but Elena's face is serious.
Elena listens closely to what Maricella says next. Why is this old lady throwing horseshoes at people?
|
|
"Oh! It's okay Mr. Sunshine," Fran says as she bends down to soothe the frightened cat. "The rest of us probably make much better targets than you would!"
Inwardly thankful as Elena steps up and begins taking charge of the situation, she adds, "And I'm Fran Belmont. This is my kitty, Mr. Sunshine. He's my dearest friend in all the world!"
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
"A stiff breeze could keel about half of you over and the other half is greener than spring grass. The most able bodied one here appears to be the cat!"
Mr. Sunshine's ears perk up. The strange old woman is now not only not tossing horseshoes, but is also acknowledging his feline superiority. Tail up, he rubs against Fran's legs.
I was NOT frightened. You must be mistaken. I have it all taken care of. Aren't you glad you have me?
Then, purring, he steps past the trio of ancient Pathfinders towards Maricella. "Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."
He head butts Maricella's leg. You may pet me. NOW.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"I resent that... I'm as able bodied as I ever was!" *cough cough, gasp for breath*... "Now see what you've gone and done... given me spasms..." She sighs softly... and goes on in softer tone. "It would be quite helpful dear if you would tell us what you can of Lady Illiregarde and her disappearance, and of strange phenomena in or near town... I've even heard you have a haunted tavern! I'd love to see it!"
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Maricella's face instantly brightens up at the sight of Mr. Sunshine approaching her openly. In a pitch barely audible, she begins to coo over the feline. Come here snooki wookums, I have treaty weetys for you!" she pulls out a handful of snacks and feeds them affectionately to the cat, the people before her clearly forgotten. A couple treats in, an earsplitting screech cracks the beautiful moment and Maricella raises a horseshoe at an unseen foe in the nearby alley. "Don't get uppity with me Madam Whiskers! YOU are the one that left ME and it is high time I moved on!"
She quickly regains her composure and remembers the group before her. "Let us walk and talk. I have matters to attend to beyond spooning information into your mouths," she states before turning on her heel and proceeding down the only street in town. Your footsteps cause little puffs of dust to rise. Small thatch-roofed buildings line both sides of the street. The more perceptive of you notice that every single door you pass has a horseshoe nailed to it.
After several moments of thought, Maricella addresses your questions. "Lady Illiregarde was last in this town 43 years ago. She left after causing quite a stir. She was keen on studying the spirits around Dunhob. She used to visit every few months and do frightful divinations for us. But one night she did a harrow reading for old Veny at The Lucky Lantern, and he died. She left Dunhob after that and never returned."
She walks a little further before continuing. “There are many fell spirits living near here, but our wards keep us safe. Still, we often get strange headaches or can’t sleep at night. But meddling folks like Lady Illirigarde often meet a bad end. That’s why we keep our noses out of it.” You all find yourself at what appears to be her house. A quaint little structure, there is a rocking chair on the porch with a spool of yarn and a pair of exquisite knitting needles, oddly out of place for this sort of town.
|
|
"It's always nice to meet someone else who likes kitties," Fran smiles happily as Mr. Sunshine seems to make quite the favorable impression on Maricella. She doesn't seem too terribly phased though when the old woman turns and screams at an unseen presence hiding in the alley.
"She must see things," she whispers to Mathos. "Sometimes I see things too. They can be scary at first, but most of the time they're actually quite friendly!"
As their guide begins leading them down the streets of Dunhob, Fran listens to her words and takes in the sight of the closed doors and the horseshoes nailed to them. "Your wards? Is that what the horseshoes are for?" she asks.
|
|
Elena looks around the small village of Dunhob and at the horseshoes nailed onto each door. Dr. Quolorum wasn't exaggerating when he said the villagers were a superstitious lot.
After several moments of thought, Maricella addresses your questions. "Lady Illiregarde was last in this town 43 years ago. She left after causing quite a stir. She was keen on studying the spirits around Dunhob. She used to visit every few months and do frightful divinations for us. But one night she did a harrow reading for old Veny at The Lucky Lantern, and he died. She left Dunhob after that and never returned."
She walks a little further before continuing. “There are many fell spirits living near here, but our wards keep us safe. Still, we often get strange headaches or can’t sleep at night. But meddling folks like Lady Illirigarde often meet a bad end. That’s why we keep our noses out of it.” You all find yourself at what appears to be her house. A quaint little structure, there is a rocking chair on the porch with a spool of yarn and a pair of exquisite knitting needles, oddly out of place for this sort of town.
"Do you think it was Lady Illiregarde's frightful divinations that caused Veny's death or the haunted tavern?" Why'd she call them "frightful divinations?" "And you said the villagers get headaches and can't sleep? What seems to cause such restless nights? I thought the horseshoes would counter things such as headaches... Perhaps you need a second horseshoe - to double the effect!" Elena has no idea what she's talking about but hopes it makes sense to the daft Maricella Weath.
As Maricella coos and fondles him, Mr. Sunshine looks grumpier and grumpier. Tail twitching, he glares at Fran.
You OWE me for this.
Then he hears the ear-splitting screech. Ears pricked, he becomes suddenly alert, fur standing a bit on end. Who dares challenge ME? He hisses as he catches the scent of the other feline in the air.
""
Dignity at stake, and tired of being cooed at, he runs in search of trouble. A cat's gotta do what a cat's gotta do.
The old woman relaxes into her chiar and begins working away at her knitting. "Lady Illirigarde performed a private reading for poor Veny, and it killed him. She said her harrow cards touched the mind of a dreaming evil. She left all her magic instruments behind and promised to return when she learned how to drive out the spirits. But she never did. A few years back an adventurer named Wulfer went into the tavern and never came out. That place is haunted.” She sighs deeply before moving on. "My bones grow weary and I tire of your presence. You want to help us with evil spirits? Go to the Lucky Tavern on the edge of town and get to work. That is probably where Madam Whiskers left your cat to die anyways."
Down the street and to the left, set apart from the rest of the buildings is a lonely structure in disrepair. An ornate lantern hangs from a post in front of this derelict building. The doors and windows of the tavern are all boarded shut. Dozens of horseshoes are nailed to the front door. As you approach, you notice that the grass surrounding the building has wilted to a brown pulp, squishing slightly as you walk through it. On the porch is the corpse of a cat, but before despair sets in, you realize that Mr. Sunshine is sitting innocently next to it...
"Well this place looks desolate and it does have a haunted aspect to it... Maybe we should light the lantern? Oh and look! it's the kitty... our kitty... and another less fortunate kitty as well... how sad. Perhaps it is time for Honaire to make an appearance... Come my dearest one, join us! I may need your stalwart presence." She begins by entwining her ancient arthritic fingers in a complex pattern, and then drawing a circle in the dry earth before the tavern... Slowly a ghostly knight begins to materialize in the circle as she chants softly.
Mr Sunshine is taking a bath, delicately licking his paws clean of any blood that somehow got on them. He then casually looks up with wide innocent eyes as the rest of the party arrives.
Whaat? I swear, this cat was dead when I got here.
Zadim's 'test' easily rips the boards from the door. The force of the removal causes a thick wave of dust and cobwebs to shake loose, covering the man. The eerie silence becoming even more intense with the sudden outburst, and the front door beckons to be opened.
Rhasuel leaves the physical work to the young men, but the sight of the inn and the death of the grass around it is concerning. This mainly manifests in a rapid tapping of his longspear against the ground. If anyone has a light, now would be the time. he suggests.
|
|
When the group arrives at the tavern, Zadim tests the boards on the front door.
Strength: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Zadim's 'test' easily rips the boards from the door. The force of the removal causes a thick wave of dust and cobwebs to shake loose, covering the man. The eerie silence becoming even more intense with the sudden outburst, and the front door beckons to be opened.
Elena frowns at Zadim's destruction of the door. "You'd better hope those horseshoes weren't actually doing anything. Otherwise, you might have just destroyed any protection spell keeping whatever might be inside the tavern in." Elena doesn't have much magical knowledge.
Elena narrows her eyes. She squats down near the brown grass to examine it. Then, Elena stands again, perceiving the area around her. She directs her attention to the door frame of the tavern, looking in. If Elena detects evil, she will continue to focus, trying to determine where exactly it is. Elena is not holding any sort of light.
Estra mutters a few words and makes an odd gesture, and a light appears on a small pouch she carries... "This should help, I would think. It must be dark inside this desolate place."
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
"Trying to upstage an old woman? My light's not good enough for you, eh?" Estra waggles a finger in Mathos' face to admonish him as he contemplates creating light, then gives him a little wink and a mischievous smile as he quickly ends his plan... "Jesting of course... still, best save yours for later in case it's needed... now, shall we go inside and see what haunts this place, eh?"
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Mr. Sunshine! I'm glad you're safe," Fran exclaims as she scoops her cat into her arms. "That old woman said that you'd likely been killed by a horrible, mean cat..." her voice trails off as she spots said cat, looking quite dead.
Um...I don't think we should say anything else about this, okay?" she says after a long pause before carefully depositing Mr. Sunshine back on the ground. "Come on kitty, we'd better stay out of the way," she adds as she moves aside for Zadim to approach the boarded-up door.
"Do you think there will actually be anything dangerous inside?" she whispers to Estra and Honaire as Elena carefully studies the door.
"I surely think it's possible we will find SOMETHING... tales of hauntings usually have some basis in fact... and who am I to disbelieve in spirits, eh?" She casts a glance over at Honaire with a warm glint in her eyes and a softening of her expression for a moment. "How dangerous a thing we might find is yet to be determined. After all, this place has obviously been abandoned a long time, yet the tales of odd happenings here could be anything - local pranksters making light and noise to frighten the superstitious... or smugglers with the intent of scaring off the curious... or true spirits lost on this plane and in need of guidance to their final rest. Perhaps we will soon know and be responsible for ending the phenomenon. I must say, I do hope it is something... well... supernatural. I don't fancy surprising a nest of smugglers or other criminals."
The humans are dithering again. Mr. Sunshine runs up to the door, takes a sniff, and looks up at Zadim, imperiously.
"MROOOOOWWW!"
What are you waiting for? Open it!
|
|
Zadim pauses to think about the significance of the horseshoes on the door.
"I doubt the woman's superstitions had any real effect. The restless dead yield to righteous faith, not iron. Besides, the light of Sarenrae ...or Estra... will keep us safe now. If you are ready to proceed?"
Zadim prepares to open the door at Elena's (or anyone else's) signal.