The Garden
The weeds and herbs are fighting for survival here. Strawberry plants are spreading across one corner. Choking grasses have taken another. Growing in the centre are many of the more common medicinal herbs and several less so. Woundwort, lovage, lorassium again have mixed with chives, rosemary, thyme and sweet basil. All these look to be losing against the local fauna and flora, such as weeds and slugs.
Over hanging the whole area is an apple tree in full blossom. Its delicious red apples were delicious.
Beyond is the "play oak" that a few of Daetha's friends have used in the past, with him and his brother. Above the mosses and ground mushrooms is growing a high patch of mistletoe.
The Hole
Examining the hole in detail reveals that the grey-green torn cloak covers a few other things.
The cloak itself although damaged is of quality and unusually well made. The greys and greens seem to shimmer a little in the dappled light. It is a shame that it is damaged.
There is a small ebony box about the size of a fist. This is locked with a golden clasp, very delicate.
A trio of leather pouches each have a label.
"Daetha" contains 25 silver pieces, and "Vigrar" has 24 silver pieces. The third pouch had "Olav".
The folded vellum has a black hawk wax seal broken and burnt across the rough skin back are the elven words, "Mei Amalar."
"When young lived fey, and trees ruled all,
Those ill by day, danced night's fall.
The witches tea, made warm not hot,
Only drunk a wee, brewed in a pot.
A fresh lucksy sprig, bright green shiny slug,
In deep dark dig, then rub in dew.
Never be glum, the true nectar wins,
This in your tum and everyone grins."
"Do you think the lucksy spring would help Nagy?" she asks hesitantly, looking curiously over Daetha's shoulder at the contents of the small box.
"That's a strange gift to leave." she adds at the sight of the shrivelled fist and it's encircling chain.
Vladimir stands vidil watching the edge of the forest surrounding the hut and gargen keeping a keen eye out for any signs of the returning "new" owner.
Bethsemane helps Daetha lift the box and other things out of the hole, then peers over his shoulder to look inside.
"What is that? It's a hand! On a chain? That's weird. It's like something a wizard would do. They're always making weird things. Was your mom a wizard, Daetha? I wonder if it's magical? Maybe I can find out..."
Beth realizes she's babbling again, so she shuts up, and tries to remember some of what Raggedy Sorda has shown her. She pictures him in her mind, the words he used, the gestures he made, to see if she can replicate it.
What're those words on the roll? I don't know any other languages, but it looks very interesting ...
"You guys found those herbs yet?" Orick asks.
With Bethsemane’s help, Daetha moves the box and its contents outside into the sunlight, so that everyone can examine them.
“Where is that rhyme from Taya?” he asks, looking up from silently examining the cloak and the bags, whilst Beth pores over the small box. “It sounds somewhat familiar, but I can’t place it … um lucksy, yes, it could help I think … that rhyme seems to describe a recipe or something, doesn’t it … a green slug? Some dew?”
He looks back again at the objects from the hole. “I don’t know what this stuff is. My mother … no, she wasn’t a wizard, but …” he seems about to say something else, but trails off unfinished. “It looks like this silver was intended for me and my brothers. I wonder why there was none for Olav? And I didn’t think my mother could afford to hoard that amount of money … we could have used it!
“Those words Stagyar? I don’t know … it looks like the writing on Running Fox’s bow, maybe it’s elven. Maybe he or Finwe could decipher it … although I haven’t seen her for some time.”
Daetha
"I've never seen workmanship like that." Taya is fascinated by the delicate craftsmanship of the fine gold chain.
"But whose hand is it? Was it." she adds, slightly repulsed by the dried fingers holding the treasure.
INT: 1d20+2=22
"Hmmm, reminds me of a poem for some reason:
When young lived fey, and trees ruled all,
Those ill by day, danced night's fall.
The witches tea, made warm not hot,
Only drunk a wee, brewed in a pot.
A fresh lucksy sprig, bright green shiny slug,
In deep dark dig, then rub in dew.
Never be glum, the true nectar wins,
This in your tum and everyone grins."
It's unlikely that Orick would have heard what transpired in the house so this second reciting of the same rhyme likely signifies something.
Unfortunately, Bethsemane is unable to remember exactly how Raggedy Sorda cast the spell. She perseveres, concentrating hard on the problem, but is forced to give up in frustration after a few minutes. I'll never be a wizard, she thinks gloomily, and sighs audibly.
"I can't do anything with this stuff," she declares. "But maybe Master Sorda could. He's a powerful wizard. Sort of. If you took this stuff to him, Daetha, I'm sure he would help."
She stops when she hears Orick repeating Taya's poem. "What is that? I don't think I've ever heard it before."
"Beth you can do it, we both can. We're just not very good at it yet."
Taya comforts her friend and tries herself. She feels tantalisingly close to success, but the last syllable eludes her.
Attempt at detect magic: (1d20-1=14)
"The rhyme sounds almost like a spell too. Slug hunt anyone?"
Kicking herself for not being able to do what Raggedy seems to achieve with such ease, Taya heads out into the garden to look for green slugs.
Korgoth decides to help Taya
"I am not a lot of help today. Maybe I'll be a better slug hunter."
Taya's search proves fruitless. No bright green slugs in the garden.
Even when she digs down a bit, its useless. She does find a few carrots though.
Korgoth's help doesn't prove successful but then again maybe he to isn't digging deep enough.
Korgoth tries digging deeper into the garden.
"Maybe it isn't really slugs we look for. Is there any plant you can think of that people nickname 'slug' Taya?
Taya racks her brains, trying to piece together the bits of magical lore she's picked up from Raggedy with her own rather feeble knowledge of plant life.
Know (Arc), Spellcraft, Know (Nat): (1d20 1=20, 1d20 1=9, 1d20-1=6)
Daetha, still trying to figure out the meaning behind the artifacts, overhears Korgoth’s question, and considers it a good one. He too racks his brains, trying to think back to Palfourd and Running Fox’s lessons.
Vladimir's ears perk up when Orik recites the poem. "I've heard that before! Vladimir exclaims. "Old Movvumn has said once or twice before, I think you guys maybe right that it is a recipe, but a magical one. I think we should make haste and get this stuff to Movvum and then maybe Sorda."
Vladimir pauses in thought for a moment.
"If I could only remeber when exactly she recited it? was it with the rhenne woman, the guard, when.
Vladimir looks to the old mummified hand, "May I see that Taya?
Taking the hand and chain Vladimir is a bit shy with his new found ability he concentrates and mutters something, he looks to the sky seems a little more confident,. Looking sheepish to his peers he attempts to cast detect magic on it.
Detect Magic roll=17.
The hand and chain begin to vibrate inside Vladimir's cupped hands something seems outerworldly about this item....
To any who want to listen to my muttering
Taya is sure that Raggedy never discussed anything like this recipe, never mentioned bright green slugs.
As for the rest, well no one is sure of anything.
Vladimir's comments have the ring of truth, but he cannot remember exactly who mentioned the rhyme, maybe the gypsy, maybe not.
Vladimir
Vlad's eye widens with a mix of embarassment and surprise. The golden light shines through his opened hand. He offers the mummified item to its rightful owner--the Tain boy. I think this is valuable, he concentrates on the item to determine if he can get anymore information from Heironious's blessing. After he gleans what ever he can he looks to the group and speaks quietly "I think we should make haste to Old Movvumn's I know she will know what to do. Maybe this recipe can save Nagy". Vladimir looks to Taya with hope in his eyes.
“I don’t think it’s mine,” says Daetha, a little fearfully, not willing to take the dead hand. “You hang onto it for now. I think it’s a good idea to ask someone about all of this. Now let’s grab some of those useful herbs from the garden and get out of here fast, before that Owlbear comes back!”
Daetha will make sure they have all the useful herbs they can carry, as well as the stuff from the hole before they leave. Any further discussion about the items from the hole he tries to forestall until they are somewhere safer.
Vladimir looks unsure what to do with the mummified hand, he wraps it up in some cloth and carries it, tempted to put the chain around his neck, he pauses and decides to wait until what Old Movvumn has to say. He then hastily helps the group gather herbs.
As they prepare to leave the hut, Taya picks up one of the feathers left on the floor and strokes it. It gives her an idea.
"Korgi, Daetha, may I?" she reaches out to touch the mummified hand.
"Owl's wisdom help me." she murmers, trying to draw on whatever it is she needs to do to identify the mysterious hand.
"Let's go. If anyone can help us, I think it will be Movuum." She's suddenly overwhelmed with the need to find out if the childish rhyme holds a clue to helping Nagy and the other sick people.
Korgoth continues to dig deeper into the garden, more out of trying to do something than actually looking hard. He racks his brains for anything that could be nicknamed 'slug'
As the party gather the herbs, and prepare to move on, Taya unfortunately cannot cast the spell she hoped for.
Also Vladimir is uncertain of the hand's magic.
Taya struggles to recall something tugging at the back of her mind about the verse.
Beth is jealous of Vladimir's seeming ease with his magic. Even Taya seemed better at it than her. I'll never be a wizard at this rate, she thinks.
She puts her head down and concentrates on gathering up the herbs, muttering about "green slugs" under her breath.
Stagyar listens intently, trying to make sense of what's going on, while also remaining alert to the possible return of the owlbear.
"Stagyar, can you think of anything to do with green slugs? There's this rhyme on the parchment, but some of us half remember it."
She looks up at him, eyes filling with tears again. "If it's a cure, or a recipe or a spell, we have to find out how it works. I can't bear to be this close to something that might save Nagy and not try. You do see that, don't you?"
Taya
By now the various gathering of herbs and the like will have finished. Many of the plants need to either be used in the next few days, or preserved properly or put into the ground elsewhere.
Suddenly Taya remembers something. Possibly fear for Nagy kick starts her braincells and she yanks Stagyar's arm and gives a squeak.
"The sink hole in the forest. When I got stuck down there last year. There were tunnels! I'm sure of it."
She shivers involuntarily at the memory. "They were ... odd. Glowy. I thought it was just me starting to be ill, but maybe we should look."
FW
Taya
"Taya, do you think these green slugs could've been down there? If it'll help Nagy, I'll go with you. I can see in the dark with no problem!" With the failure of her "magic," Bethsemane is eager to be of use, and if her orcish heritage can actually help, then even better.
Korgoth looks up from his excavated hole
"Well if that's where the slugs are, let's go!"
"Oh Beth, would you? I can't go back down there by myself ... at least, I don't think I can. But if you and the others come, then maybe it won't be so terrifying."
She hangs onto to Stagyar, finding the big lad's presence comforting and swallows.
"If we're going, let's go now. I can remember where the holes are, but not much else. It was so dark."
"Right then. Let's go!"
Stagyar finds Taya's sudden acceptance of his role as protector rather pleasing - as an only child, he's never really had siblings to look after, and knowing that he's seen as useful gives him a new sense of confidence in himself.
"Is the sink hole deep? Because if it is, we're likely to need torches or lamps when we get to the bottom. Are there any left in the hut? And does anyone have any rope?"
"It's deep. You're right about the light. Beth will be able to see just fine," - Taya smiles warmly at her friend - "but the rest of us will be in trouble. As for rope, I've got my whip."
Orick gently rubs his holy symbol.
"Best not to take too many risks," Orick says, "let's buy some rope and supplies in town. Finding these slugs won't do anyone a lick of good if we get trapped. We were lucky finding that hidden stash but let's not push our luck by going into something unprepared."
It is Godsday and the stores will be closed until tomorrow.
However the Rispers certainly would have rope and supplies, the Tain barn similarly may have one or two useful bits left and maybe the stables of an Inn. Hortin probably has everything required too.
It is mid-afternoon and the golden sun is beaming down.
Orick
Stagyar
Taya
Daetha
Vladimir pulls out the scroll of nursing notes Old Movvumn gave him and scans it to see if there is anything to help decipher this poem or tell what these slugs are, He accompanies the group to the sinkhole.
"Hang on Vlad - we'd better get rope from the farm first. And a torch or two as well."
On their way to the family barn, Taya explains a bit more about the sinkholes.
"You can see quite a bit of the holes themselves. They're just slimey and nasty, but they're open to the sky. The bad part is the tunnels. I couldn't see where they lead to or anything really in them. They were just creepy and dark and ... you know what? I really hated them."
“Yes, we should drop this stuff off,” he indicates with a nod of his head the herbs, “before we go traipsing down any holes.” He thinks for a moment as they walk.
“I think getting some stuff from Taya’s barn is a good idea. I think I know where those sinkholes are … there’s a Waymeet near there, the Gnarly Rangers keep them stocked with gear, food, sometimes weapons … but I’d be hesitant to take too much from it, in case someone more needy than us is depending on it – so let’s see what we can get from the barn first. Also, I … um, well it might be dangerous down in those holes. I have my bow and my knife, but I also … I have a sword and some armour stashed not far from here.” The youth looks a little hesitant and embarrassed. “Um, if any of you have anything else like that,” and he glances at Stagyar’s sword, “it might be worth getting them. Just in case.”
At the Risper Farm
The farmland is quiet, horses grazing in their paddock, and no one about. The family cow has its own small field.
The distant thud thud of a butter churn comes from behind the home, out of sight. Usually this is done by Mother Risper.
Inside the barn is rope and various other tools to tend the horses. Also inside are three small stables for foals, which are full at the moment.
It is unusual for no one to be working but perhaps understandable at the moment.
Daetha looks to the others. He’s both excited and a little scared by the impending adventure - he doesn’t really think it too likely they’ll find any mystical cure at the sinkhole, but after the adrenaline rush caused by the could-be owlbear, he’s looking forward to some action.
Although he doesn’t really think they’ll run into anything truly dangerous, there’s always the possibility … and his responsible nature cuts in. “Do you think we should let someone know where we’re going … just in case? Not someone who will try to stop us, just so someone can raise the alarm if … if we get lost or something and aren’t back by nightfall. Also, we should let someone know about these herbs we found – they might be of some help to Nagy.”
“Also, I … um, well it might be dangerous down in those holes. I have my bow and my knife, but I also … I have a sword and some armour stashed not far from here.” The youth looks a little hesitant and embarrassed. “Um, if any of you have anything else like that,” and he glances at Stagyar’s sword, “it might be worth getting them. Just in case.”
"I have my staff and my crossbow," Beth says, proudly patting the stock of her treasured weapon. At the farm, she loops a coil of rope over her shoulder, excited about the adventure ahead. "Give the herbs to Taya's mother, but I don't think we need to tell anyone where we're going. Someone will just try to stop us. It's just a hole, and not very far. We'll be back before anyone knows we're gone!"
Taya shakes her head "Not mother. You know she'll just ask questions and worry and want to know where we're going. She's got enough to think about. What about old Movuum? She'll know best how to tend the herbs and I don't suppose she'd stop us going to the sinkholes."
"I agree Taya Old Movummn knows her healing herbs, lets go to her! If the worst should happen and we do not return, at least Movummn has the recipe and materials to help Nagy and the others" Vladimir's eye looks to the ground at the thought of not returning.