Ressys can't help but grin. "We've been told what items were," he pauses for a moment trying to find the right word and then continues, "umm, acquired. We suspected the vials. Do you still have them or know where they are?"
“How long ago were you in contact with the vials and did anyone else touch them? You’re probably right about the vials but... it really could be any of the items.”
”My uncle died, he sold them to a merchant who we suspect is sick, Tulgi took them and brought them to you now she is sick and you’re ill too. Everywhere they go, whoever touches them becomes ill.”
”You said spores, what made you call them spores?”
“One of the vials is in that chest over there” says Hulil, nodding towards the stone chest that you saw on entering the room.
“The other I sold to a human merchant staying at the Jolly Dwarf inn in Palebank Village; he was traveling with his family to Uthodurn. I figured the money might get me back to Shadycreek Run, maybe I can trade the rest of the stash there for a cure”
Her eyes shift from the chest to you, then down to the floor then back to you again, all in quick succession. She fidgets almost imperceptibly.
“I’m sorry about your uncle, Pelc not so much. I thought it was dust at first but once I got over the shock, well, I became curious and took a closer look. Maybe it’s pollen, or something completely different created by the Aeorians – doesn’t make me any less dead”
Qidira speaks up. "You've been considering this longer than us, do you have any ideas? And may we take it with us? We'll have to find a way to carry it safely but it could be studied."
Brandon’s shoulders slump slightly at the news of the merchant from Palebank Gods help us if this illness spreads to a large city like Utodurn, he thinks to himself.
As Durnham and the others continue questioning Hulil about her symptoms and the items, Brandon turns his attention to the elf. He feels there is more to his story.
“What about you, Raegrin” he asks “How do you feel? Have you been in contact with the vials? And what does the Dragon Queen have to say about all of this?”
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Qidira speaks up after hearing Ressys' question then seeing Brandon's concerned expression. "Hulil, you said only one of the bottles was blue and that the blue color was caused by the spores that lead to your illness. The other bottle may not be of consequence. We should be sure, but it seems the combination of the crack in the bottle and the spores is what caused the sickness. I supposed the spores could have leaked onto other items, but some poisons only work with continued exposure or within a certain time frame. Other items with it, may not result in the same sickness when touched."
Qidira glances at the chest, moving towards it at Durnham's question listening for Hulil's answer but inspecting the area around the chest and the chest itself. perception13
As they arrived at the other margin Durnham pointed Brandon signalizing the presence of two enemies and for that Kotar was grateful. Not because of the number of enemies, although it was certainly good to know for sure they did hold the numerical advantage, but because in the darkness of the cave his sight was noting close to that of a dwarf.
Following the wizard, the fighter approached the last bandits and in silence watched as his companions broke the silence. Should have tied them first, he thought to himself as a conversation between the parties started. Given her reaction it seemed neither Hulil nor her elven ally had noticed the fights by the first pool. Unless they offer to guide us out, they’ll be a threat only in the sense of warning the Uttolots. A fact no one seemed to remember.
“How long ago did you sell the vial?”He said talking to Hulil for the first time. She had blue veins pulsing in her face, much like Tulgi did. “Do you have any idea if this man may have already departed the village?”
With a little bit more of luck they could still find the man in Paleblank and talk him out of the vial. At the very worst they would manage to avoid further spreading of whatever plague it was.
“Durnham, do you think you could check for anything magical in the vial or the items close by?”Kotar asked remembering how many times the dwarf did so.
Hulil laughs at Qidira’s request to take the vial, although it only emerges as a tired huff. “Help yourself, it’s not doing me any good sat there”
When Ressys asks for the merchant’s name she looks distant as she tries to recall: “Irv...Irven Lee...Liel. Irven Liel. Chippy feller, all full of sunshine and joy” she says, scratching at one of the bulbous veins on her face.
Raegrin looks surprised when Brandon directs questions at him, as if he’d been perfectly happy with his (metaphorical) invisibility. “I’ve not been near them” he says “Hulil kept them wrapped up as soon as she noticed the cracks and the escaped particles. Apart from selling one to that human, which she did alone”
“Aye” says Hulil “and I only unwrapped that one briefly to show the buyer; with any fortune he’s still at the Jolly Dwarf and kept them under cover and away from those kids of his”
“Indeed” nods Raegrin, then in response the question about his deity “she has not answered us directly, but I agree with Hulil; your arrival here does seem serendipitous”
He is hard to read but seems sincere.
At this point Hulil notices Durnham’s eyes narrowing suspiciously. When the wizard asks about traps in the chest she seems offended but stoic, lips barely moving as she speaks: “That would make no sense, sir, to trap my own chest”
As Qidira inspects the chest, spotting no sign of danger, Hulil replies “No I said both vials were blue, but I only saw cracks in one – the one in the chest. I’d stake my life – heh – on it being the spores, Urgon must have breathed or absorbed them on the journey back from Eiselcross”
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"I think it would make perfect sense to trap your own chest. The items have value and you would wish them to be protected. You can be assured we are not here to rob you. We are looking into this sickness."
Seeing Qidira move towards the chest he lays a hand on her shoulder "May you be guided in your efforts" he says as he casts Guidance on her.
"So you sold the intact vial and kept the broken one? Do I understand this correctly?"
Qidira checks to see if the chest is locked. If it is, she asks Hulil for the key. If it is not, she opens it. She peers in carefully, taking only the wrapped bottle if she spots it right away. Holding it up to confirm with Hulil that she has the right one. "This looks like the one you speak of. I'm not opening it to check for I haven't the gear to protect myself."
She presents it to the others, in case anyone would like to look at it, then asks, "Who should carry it?"
Hulil shrugs at Ressys’s logic and says “That’s a good point. I know that the vial in there is broken, I didn’t look at the sold one too closely; I was too concerned with acquiring the money to get back home”
The sick dwarf raises an eyebrow as Ressys enchants Qidira’s efforts and the gnome approaches the chest: “Good luck little one”
@Qidira:
As you examine the chest before opening it, your vision sharpens with the help of the Guidance spell and you find pin-sized openings in the dragon’s mouth that contain a blue powder. You suspect that the powder could be scraped out with a set of thieves’ tools.
Qidira hesitates. "I thank you Ressys, for you have made something clear to me now. Hulil doesn't apparently want our help, for it makes no sense to trap her own chest, but yet she has? There is a blue powder here and here." Gesturing to the two tiny points in the dragon's mouth design on the chest. "I can try to remove it, but I'm not sure if disturbing it will still cause the spores to activate if its the same."
Hulil huffs at Qidira's revelation: "Well this was no fun". She moves over to the chest and, pushing the gnome aside, kneels at the lock where she chants "Oh mighty dragon queen, give me the strength to defeat my enemies".
The dwarf opens the chest, stands and returns to her place next to Raegrin, where she sits again with a slump. "I admit, letting you get infected would have been useful to me as it would have given incentive to find the cure. But I'm not malicious. If you find a way to fix...this" she gestures at the prominent blue veins "Then I would appreciate a touch of your mercy"
Inside the chest you see the rest of the treasure found by Urgon Wenth—a gilded scroll case covered in a cosmological map of the multiverse, a jade statuette of a storm giant, a quiver containing six arrows and a silver ring set with a jasper stone. It also holds Hulil’s wealth, hundreds of coins of various denominations.
Smiling at the dwarf, Qidira responds. "You've done well for yourself, and desperation can make some do selfish things. I can understand the motivation. We need to have our strength, all of us, to find a solution quickly. I will take the vial in the cloth here, and ask if there is anything else you know, to please tell us now?" She removes the wrapped vial now, showing her hands clearly so as not to be accused of taking anything else and leaves the chest open for her.
“Infecting us would have given an extra incentive finding a cure, sure, but not so much for sharing it with you.” Kotar said to Hulil, in a calm tone. He still thought they should capture her then and there, but his companions seemed to have no such ideas. For a moment he felt tempted to start a fight. A simple attack, sudden, in an unprepared criminal, would suffice to start a battle. Maybe he could even take position and make it easier for the others flank one of the bandits. But at the end he decided to refrain from action. They discussed what to do and it was only fair for one to follow a reasonable the consensus.
The chest held more than the loot from Pelc’s. It had coins of various types and that made Kotar even less intent to start battle. He thought that if he did anything now it would feel like he was after treasure. He didn’t need that thought in his mind. No one did, he supposed.
“Maybe it would be better to handle the flask with the magic hand thing.” The goliath spoke to his allies, specially Durnham, that seemed to be busy still with the search for magic in the chamber. “I also think we should put the vial separated. One of us could empty a bag for it. I can carry anyone’s equipment.”
And after that they could go back to the village. To the Jolly Dwarf, find Irven Liel, hopefully before disaster.
"Let me see if there is some sort of poison or disease associated with the spores." Ressys would then start a ritual spell of Detect Poison and Disease. When completed he would look inside the chest and at the vial to see if they give any indication of what is causing the sickness.
Durnham completes his Detect Magic ritual and the room darkens to him. Castig his eyes around the room he sees a deep red shadow of evocation magic around the lock of the stone chest. He also notices the silver/grey tint of enchantment magic surrounding the six arrows.
Ressys completes his own ritual to detect poisons and diseases, drawing a dim veil over his eyes so that any toxins and diseases can stand out in contrast. Immediately he sees Hulil erupt into a nova of blue, emanating from the bulbous veins on her body. As soon as the light strikes his eyes, a phrase invades his mind: “Frigid Woe”. In an instant he receives a flurry of information: the disease is transmitted by spores alone, otherwise it is not contagious; it is incurable except by antidote; it is manufactured, not natural.
The same aura throbs from the wrapped vial, suggesting that a large dose of the same disease lies within. A smaller dose shimmers within the lock of the stone chest.
The rest of the room is devoid of magic, poison and disease.
Hulil answers Qidira "That's the best way to carry it, for sure" and then, seeing Ressys and Durnham inspecting the room with their divinations, she smiles resignedly "Well now you know all the secrets, all I can do is hope that you find the cure. And share it with me. That, or I find it in Shadycreek Run"
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Ressys can't help but grin. "We've been told what items were," he pauses for a moment trying to find the right word and then continues, "umm, acquired. We suspected the vials. Do you still have them or know where they are?"
“How long ago were you in contact with the vials and did anyone else touch them? You’re probably right about the vials but... it really could be any of the items.”
”My uncle died, he sold them to a merchant who we suspect is sick, Tulgi took them and brought them to you now she is sick and you’re ill too. Everywhere they go, whoever touches them becomes ill.”
”You said spores, what made you call them spores?”
Noob
“One of the vials is in that chest over there” says Hulil, nodding towards the stone chest that you saw on entering the room.
“The other I sold to a human merchant staying at the Jolly Dwarf inn in Palebank Village; he was traveling with his family to Uthodurn. I figured the money might get me back to Shadycreek Run, maybe I can trade the rest of the stash there for a cure”
Her eyes shift from the chest to you, then down to the floor then back to you again, all in quick succession. She fidgets almost imperceptibly.
“I’m sorry about your uncle, Pelc not so much. I thought it was dust at first but once I got over the shock, well, I became curious and took a closer look. Maybe it’s pollen, or something completely different created by the Aeorians – doesn’t make me any less dead”
Qidira speaks up. "You've been considering this longer than us, do you have any ideas? And may we take it with us? We'll have to find a way to carry it safely but it could be studied."
"Do you have the name of the merchant you sold the vial to?" Ressys asks
Brandon’s shoulders slump slightly at the news of the merchant from Palebank Gods help us if this illness spreads to a large city like Utodurn, he thinks to himself.
As Durnham and the others continue questioning Hulil about her symptoms and the items, Brandon turns his attention to the elf. He feels there is more to his story.
“What about you, Raegrin” he asks “How do you feel? Have you been in contact with the vials? And what does the Dragon Queen have to say about all of this?”
Insight on Raegrin as he answers the questions: 7
Durnham catches the look the dwarf passed between the chest and his companions. He narrows his eyes and looks hard at her.
”Hulil did you trap that chest?”
Noob
Qidira speaks up after hearing Ressys' question then seeing Brandon's concerned expression. "Hulil, you said only one of the bottles was blue and that the blue color was caused by the spores that lead to your illness. The other bottle may not be of consequence. We should be sure, but it seems the combination of the crack in the bottle and the spores is what caused the sickness. I supposed the spores could have leaked onto other items, but some poisons only work with continued exposure or within a certain time frame. Other items with it, may not result in the same sickness when touched."
Qidira glances at the chest, moving towards it at Durnham's question listening for Hulil's answer but inspecting the area around the chest and the chest itself. perception 13
As they arrived at the other margin Durnham pointed Brandon signalizing the presence of two enemies and for that Kotar was grateful. Not because of the number of enemies, although it was certainly good to know for sure they did hold the numerical advantage, but because in the darkness of the cave his sight was noting close to that of a dwarf.
Following the wizard, the fighter approached the last bandits and in silence watched as his companions broke the silence. Should have tied them first, he thought to himself as a conversation between the parties started. Given her reaction it seemed neither Hulil nor her elven ally had noticed the fights by the first pool. Unless they offer to guide us out, they’ll be a threat only in the sense of warning the Uttolots. A fact no one seemed to remember.
“How long ago did you sell the vial?” He said talking to Hulil for the first time. She had blue veins pulsing in her face, much like Tulgi did. “Do you have any idea if this man may have already departed the village?”
With a little bit more of luck they could still find the man in Paleblank and talk him out of the vial. At the very worst they would manage to avoid further spreading of whatever plague it was.
“Durnham, do you think you could check for anything magical in the vial or the items close by?” Kotar asked remembering how many times the dwarf did so.
The dwarf nods to Kotar and gets his spellbook out and begins the ritual to detect magic.
Noob
Hulil laughs at Qidira’s request to take the vial, although it only emerges as a tired huff. “Help yourself, it’s not doing me any good sat there”
When Ressys asks for the merchant’s name she looks distant as she tries to recall: “Irv...Irven Lee...Liel. Irven Liel. Chippy feller, all full of sunshine and joy” she says, scratching at one of the bulbous veins on her face.
Raegrin looks surprised when Brandon directs questions at him, as if he’d been perfectly happy with his (metaphorical) invisibility. “I’ve not been near them” he says “Hulil kept them wrapped up as soon as she noticed the cracks and the escaped particles. Apart from selling one to that human, which she did alone”
“Aye” says Hulil “and I only unwrapped that one briefly to show the buyer; with any fortune he’s still at the Jolly Dwarf and kept them under cover and away from those kids of his”
“Indeed” nods Raegrin, then in response the question about his deity “she has not answered us directly, but I agree with Hulil; your arrival here does seem serendipitous”
He is hard to read but seems sincere.
At this point Hulil notices Durnham’s eyes narrowing suspiciously. When the wizard asks about traps in the chest she seems offended but stoic, lips barely moving as she speaks: “That would make no sense, sir, to trap my own chest”
As Qidira inspects the chest, spotting no sign of danger, Hulil replies “No I said both vials were blue, but I only saw cracks in one – the one in the chest. I’d stake my life – heh – on it being the spores, Urgon must have breathed or absorbed them on the journey back from Eiselcross”
"I think it would make perfect sense to trap your own chest. The items have value and you would wish them to be protected. You can be assured we are not here to rob you. We are looking into this sickness."
Seeing Qidira move towards the chest he lays a hand on her shoulder "May you be guided in your efforts" he says as he casts Guidance on her.
"So you sold the intact vial and kept the broken one? Do I understand this correctly?"
Insight on her answers 6
Qidira checks to see if the chest is locked. If it is, she asks Hulil for the key. If it is not, she opens it. She peers in carefully, taking only the wrapped bottle if she spots it right away. Holding it up to confirm with Hulil that she has the right one. "This looks like the one you speak of. I'm not opening it to check for I haven't the gear to protect myself."
She presents it to the others, in case anyone would like to look at it, then asks, "Who should carry it?"
Hulil shrugs at Ressys’s logic and says “That’s a good point. I know that the vial in there is broken, I didn’t look at the sold one too closely; I was too concerned with acquiring the money to get back home”
The sick dwarf raises an eyebrow as Ressys enchants Qidira’s efforts and the gnome approaches the chest: “Good luck little one”
@Qidira:
As you examine the chest before opening it, your vision sharpens with the help of the Guidance spell and you find pin-sized openings in the dragon’s mouth that contain a blue powder. You suspect that the powder could be scraped out with a set of thieves’ tools.
Qidira hesitates. "I thank you Ressys, for you have made something clear to me now. Hulil doesn't apparently want our help, for it makes no sense to trap her own chest, but yet she has? There is a blue powder here and here." Gesturing to the two tiny points in the dragon's mouth design on the chest. "I can try to remove it, but I'm not sure if disturbing it will still cause the spores to activate if its the same."
Hulil huffs at Qidira's revelation: "Well this was no fun". She moves over to the chest and, pushing the gnome aside, kneels at the lock where she chants "Oh mighty dragon queen, give me the strength to defeat my enemies".
The dwarf opens the chest, stands and returns to her place next to Raegrin, where she sits again with a slump. "I admit, letting you get infected would have been useful to me as it would have given incentive to find the cure. But I'm not malicious. If you find a way to fix...this" she gestures at the prominent blue veins "Then I would appreciate a touch of your mercy"
Inside the chest you see the rest of the treasure found by Urgon Wenth—a gilded scroll case covered in a cosmological map of the multiverse, a jade statuette of a storm giant, a quiver containing six arrows and a silver ring set with a jasper stone. It also holds Hulil’s wealth, hundreds of coins of various denominations.
Smiling at the dwarf, Qidira responds. "You've done well for yourself, and desperation can make some do selfish things. I can understand the motivation. We need to have our strength, all of us, to find a solution quickly. I will take the vial in the cloth here, and ask if there is anything else you know, to please tell us now?" She removes the wrapped vial now, showing her hands clearly so as not to be accused of taking anything else and leaves the chest open for her.
“Infecting us would have given an extra incentive finding a cure, sure, but not so much for sharing it with you.” Kotar said to Hulil, in a calm tone. He still thought they should capture her then and there, but his companions seemed to have no such ideas. For a moment he felt tempted to start a fight. A simple attack, sudden, in an unprepared criminal, would suffice to start a battle. Maybe he could even take position and make it easier for the others flank one of the bandits. But at the end he decided to refrain from action. They discussed what to do and it was only fair for one to follow a reasonable the consensus.
The chest held more than the loot from Pelc’s. It had coins of various types and that made Kotar even less intent to start battle. He thought that if he did anything now it would feel like he was after treasure. He didn’t need that thought in his mind. No one did, he supposed.
“Maybe it would be better to handle the flask with the magic hand thing.” The goliath spoke to his allies, specially Durnham, that seemed to be busy still with the search for magic in the chamber. “I also think we should put the vial separated. One of us could empty a bag for it. I can carry anyone’s equipment.”
And after that they could go back to the village. To the Jolly Dwarf, find Irven Liel, hopefully before disaster.
"Let me see if there is some sort of poison or disease associated with the spores." Ressys would then start a ritual spell of Detect Poison and Disease. When completed he would look inside the chest and at the vial to see if they give any indication of what is causing the sickness.
Durnham completes his Detect Magic ritual and the room darkens to him. Castig his eyes around the room he sees a deep red shadow of evocation magic around the lock of the stone chest. He also notices the silver/grey tint of enchantment magic surrounding the six arrows.
Ressys completes his own ritual to detect poisons and diseases, drawing a dim veil over his eyes so that any toxins and diseases can stand out in contrast. Immediately he sees Hulil erupt into a nova of blue, emanating from the bulbous veins on her body. As soon as the light strikes his eyes, a phrase invades his mind: “Frigid Woe”. In an instant he receives a flurry of information: the disease is transmitted by spores alone, otherwise it is not contagious; it is incurable except by antidote; it is manufactured, not natural.
The same aura throbs from the wrapped vial, suggesting that a large dose of the same disease lies within. A smaller dose shimmers within the lock of the stone chest.
The rest of the room is devoid of magic, poison and disease.
Hulil answers Qidira "That's the best way to carry it, for sure" and then, seeing Ressys and Durnham inspecting the room with their divinations, she smiles resignedly "Well now you know all the secrets, all I can do is hope that you find the cure. And share it with me. That, or I find it in Shadycreek Run"