You head to Durnham’s cabin as the air starts to turn decidedly colder. A couple of residents nod to Durnham as they pass on the way to their own endeavours, and before long you are at the cabin.
Inside, it is exactly as you left it. The fireplace stands empty and Urgon’s belongings are in the semblance of order that you put them before you departed for Croaker Cave this morning.
With Durnham's permission and before the fire is lit, Qidira will do another thorough search of the cabin. Starting with the chimney and fireplace area, even climbing up to search the rafters and rechecking the spot where the board was loose to look deeper into it. (I'm still not able to access any character sheets but here is a d20 - maybe you can see the appropriate bonus applicable?) 1
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
As Qidira searches the fireplace and the floorboards, Durnham goes to the shelves that contained the books. He begins looking through the books and papers for any notes or a journal or maps that may reveal clues about Urgon’s travels. 24 Investigation
Ressys follows the others back to the cabin. The familiar room looks no different than when they left it earlier in the day.
"Give me the bagof items that have the spores. I will take them outside and burn them."
He will wait to be given what they have collected and take the bag outside. Setting it down on the ground a good 40 feet from anything else he'll pour a flask of oil on it and saturating the bag he then lights it on fire with his tinderbox. If that fails he will Produce Flame to burn the bag.
He will stand clear of the smoke and flames and watch to see that it all burns up adding fire to it with the Produce Flame cantrip to keep it burning.
As Qidira assured Durnham that the diamond was good enough of a piece, a thought crossed Kotar’s mind. What if Thorak was working with the Uttolots? The goliath could understand a merchant trying to look familiar with the locals, plenty did that in Uthodurn, but that didn’t explain his reluctancy on speaking on where he came from. And there was the merchant’s reaction, so fast to point that his wares were good in precedence and price.
Maybe he is running away, pondered the fighter. Maybe Thorak came from a place whose name alone was enough to inspire suspicion. Shadycreek Run was a fresh example of this kind of location. Or he could be an ally of Hulil, one that was not listed in the cave. By the time he decided to bring the question to the others they had arrived at the cabin.
“Guys, I’m thinking about telling Elro to look into that Thorak fellow.” Kotar spoke as Durnham and Qidira searched the place. “The way he spoke of his products… I don’t know, looked to me like there’s something wrong. Made me think if he’s not trading contraband from the Uttolots. Maybe he’s an ally of Hulil and the others, the kind of danger to be taken by the Glassblades.”
As he searches through the books and papers, Durnham responds to Kotar. “You could be right, he did seem suspicious.” He continues scanning through pages and flipping through the books in the room. He also moves to the table and looks for any books or papers there. “Of course, he could be exactly what he said he was, just an outsider nervous about being judged by others.” He shrugs, “Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to have Elro do a little investigation to make sure nothing dangerous is going on.”
Brandon helps Qidira search the cabin while Durnham looks through the books and notes. He focuses his search in areas they may have overlooked the night before, around the bed, kitchen areas, even the Yeti head mounted on the wall, looking for a spot that may hide a journal, map or other item of note.
Investigation 5
He nods at Kotar’s suggestion “He did seem nervous talking about his past and the possibility of enchanted gems, we could ask Elro what he knows of him before we depart tomorrow.”
"Or...he could be worried to be seen talking to us? Or even talking to us in general if he is connected as we've taken out several criminal elements in the area." The little gnome says pulling herself out of the chimney. "I got a little eager there." jerking her thumb over her shoulder at the chimney and proceeding to the floorboards to continue her search. Then spotting Brandon looking at the Yeti head, "That'd be an excellent place to hide things!"
While Ressys takes the contaminated material outside to burn, the rest of the party carries out another search of Urgon’s cabin, looking specifically for journals and other clues to his path on Eiselcross.
Qidira inspects the chimney but only succeeds in dislodging a chunk of soot, which crumbles in her face and causes her to cough and splutter away with her eyes squeezed shut in pain.
Durnham concentrates on the bookshelves, paying close attention for any sign of expedition notes.
@Durnham:
You find what appears to be a collection of notes which have comments written in the margins and all around the original text, as if Urgon was planning on writing a memoir of some kind. The wording of some of the phrases suggests he was not aiming for an easy read, but focused more on conveying detail to the reader. You find a number of references to a character called Orvo Mustave who accompanied Urgon on many expeditions. Piecing together a rough timeline of the expeditions noted here, the most recent note (you assume) talks of ‘Thin Sheets’ as if it is a location, and of a seven-day journey back to Syrinlya from ‘the vault’
Brandon clatters around the kitchen area and the yeti head, finding nothing of interest and nearly knocking the mounted head off the wall.
“I think I found something!” Durnham exclaims excitedly. “Yes! Here, there’s mention of a vault... and a place called Thin Sheets?” He looks up at Kotar and Ressys, “Do either of these places sounds familiar?” He turns back to the notes, “and a name... someone called Orvo? Orvo Mustave... Anyone ever heard of him?” Again he looks up from his notes at the others.
After completing the burning of the spores Ressys returns back into the cabin. "It is done, now we just need to find the cure." He looks around at the others, "Find anything that we missed the first time?"
When Durnham mentions Thin Sheets and Orvo Mustave Ressys's ears droop a bit. He shakes his head. "No, I have not heard of either one. But I have never been to Eiselcross and know nothing of its lands. I wonder if Orvo Mustave is a guide or contact in Eiselcross. Elro, or even our ship captain, may know more."
Ressys then moves over to the chimney and bends over to try and look up into it.
“Yes, maybe Elro has heard of this Orvo. He may live in Syrinlya or something.” He speaks quietly, solemnly. The excitement from a moment before gone. He then folds the notes into the books and puts them into his backpack. “I may be able to find more information by morning. I have another concern though... the notes mentioned a 7 day journey from Syrinlya. I don’t think we can do this and get back here in time to save the family.” He looks at the group with sadness. “Time was short with just the boat trip. Another 14 days... I doubt they’ll make it.”
He fell silent for a moment, racking his brain in search for a memory, any memory, of the names Durnham mentioned. Two places and a person.
“I never heard of a Orvo Mustave or a place called Vault, although I think it’s safe to assume the Vault is a place in one of the ruins.”Aeorian ruins, he supposed thinking back on the origin of the Frigid Woe. “Hulil did speak something about keeping an eye on treasures coming from Eiselcross and there is a lot of ancient buildings buried in the ice around the island. Hells, maybe the Vault is a literal vault in one of them.”
Kotar hoped with all his being this vault was the place where they could find the cure for the strange sickness. In the Thin Sheets, he thought ruminating the name.
“Now, about the Thin Sheets… It may be a reach, but my tribe knows of a place with a kind of similar name - Breyskr Niðr.” Ressys could understand what he ment, the goliath could see in the firbolg’s face. A comprehension that the others didn’t seem to share. “Oh, right, Common. Sorry. Breyskr Niðr means Fragile Ground in Giant. It’s the name of an area about seven days from the foreign settlement.”
“Yes, time is short, Durnham” Brandon agrees “But we don’t know exactly how long the poison takes. Tulgi grew ill about three days from her exposure, and has already been sick for over twenty. We can’t dwell on what we do not control. The Raven Queen takes each when it is their time, there is no escaping that fate. We can only move as fast as we can and pray it is not their time.”
He points at the notes “But this is good news, a place to focus our search where we previously had none. Hopefully this Orvo is the guide Elro arranged for us, or if not, perhaps we can find him in Syrinlya” he glances at Kotar “between he and Kotar, we can make fast time to this place called thin sheets to search for the cure.”
Durnham shakes his head. “I think the only way we save those kids... is if they are waiting for us in Syrinlya.” He looks at Brandon and the others and begins speaking in a clinical manner. And holds out the fingers of his left hand touching each one as he goes over the points. “Tulgi said it was 20 days since she stole the vials from Pelc right? Pelc is already frozen so I’d guess Tulgi has a few days to a week at most. Hulil maybe a few days more than that. So from what we’ve seen it takes around 30 days for the sickness to run its course.” He shakes his head “We can’t know that it affects everyone at the same speed, some may be able to fight the effects longer, others may succumb quicker. But we have a rough time frame of 30 days... and how long ago were the girls exposed? 3 days? A week?”
He shakes his head again. “9 day voyage there, 7 day trek to this vault, 7 days back and a return voyage of 9 days...32 days. Minimum. Assuming everything goes quickly and we don’t get delayed.” He leans on the table. “We can’t gamble with their lives. Their best chance is if they’re waiting in Syrinlya when we get there, saving them 16 days.” He looks at the others. “If there is fault in my logic, tell me, but I see no other way.”
Qidira listens to all that is said, then turns to Durnham, "The trip is harsh Durnham, those kids looked fragile as they were. I know its a danger, but having them in care at the temple might be buying them more time. I don't imagine they'd make the trip in their condition, but I will go with the group's decision."
She then looks up at the Yeti mounted on the wall. "Might someone check behind that?" She says pointing at the monstrous thing.
"If I may and some of you plan to stay, might I leave some of my heavier gear here with the rest of you? I would like to take another peek into Pelc's to see if there are things we could make use of without over extending my welcome too long." She says adjusting her gear and leaving her back pack here.
Qidira drops some kit, shoulders the Bag of Holding and heads out into the cold.
@Qidira:
The temperature is dropping quickly, as is the light. You head swiftly over to Pelc’s and find the door locked but easily overcome. Inside the place is just as you left it, except the dead bodies (including Pelc) have been removed and their blood – and Elro’s - has been cleaned away.
You head to Durnham’s cabin as the air starts to turn decidedly colder. A couple of residents nod to Durnham as they pass on the way to their own endeavours, and before long you are at the cabin.
Inside, it is exactly as you left it. The fireplace stands empty and Urgon’s belongings are in the semblance of order that you put them before you departed for Croaker Cave this morning.
With Durnham's permission and before the fire is lit, Qidira will do another thorough search of the cabin. Starting with the chimney and fireplace area, even climbing up to search the rafters and rechecking the spot where the board was loose to look deeper into it. (I'm still not able to access any character sheets but here is a d20 - maybe you can see the appropriate bonus applicable?) 1
As Qidira searches the fireplace and the floorboards, Durnham goes to the shelves that contained the books. He begins looking through the books and papers for any notes or a journal or maps that may reveal clues about Urgon’s travels. 24 Investigation
Noob
Ressys follows the others back to the cabin. The familiar room looks no different than when they left it earlier in the day.
"Give me the bagof items that have the spores. I will take them outside and burn them."
He will wait to be given what they have collected and take the bag outside. Setting it down on the ground a good 40 feet from anything else he'll pour a flask of oil on it and saturating the bag he then lights it on fire with his tinderbox. If that fails he will Produce Flame to burn the bag.
He will stand clear of the smoke and flames and watch to see that it all burns up adding fire to it with the Produce Flame cantrip to keep it burning.
As Qidira assured Durnham that the diamond was good enough of a piece, a thought crossed Kotar’s mind. What if Thorak was working with the Uttolots? The goliath could understand a merchant trying to look familiar with the locals, plenty did that in Uthodurn, but that didn’t explain his reluctancy on speaking on where he came from. And there was the merchant’s reaction, so fast to point that his wares were good in precedence and price.
Maybe he is running away, pondered the fighter. Maybe Thorak came from a place whose name alone was enough to inspire suspicion. Shadycreek Run was a fresh example of this kind of location. Or he could be an ally of Hulil, one that was not listed in the cave. By the time he decided to bring the question to the others they had arrived at the cabin.
“Guys, I’m thinking about telling Elro to look into that Thorak fellow.” Kotar spoke as Durnham and Qidira searched the place. “The way he spoke of his products… I don’t know, looked to me like there’s something wrong. Made me think if he’s not trading contraband from the Uttolots. Maybe he’s an ally of Hulil and the others, the kind of danger to be taken by the Glassblades.”
As he searches through the books and papers, Durnham responds to Kotar. “You could be right, he did seem suspicious.” He continues scanning through pages and flipping through the books in the room. He also moves to the table and looks for any books or papers there. “Of course, he could be exactly what he said he was, just an outsider nervous about being judged by others.” He shrugs, “Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to have Elro do a little investigation to make sure nothing dangerous is going on.”
Noob
Brandon helps Qidira search the cabin while Durnham looks through the books and notes. He focuses his search in areas they may have overlooked the night before, around the bed, kitchen areas, even the Yeti head mounted on the wall, looking for a spot that may hide a journal, map or other item of note.
Investigation 5
He nods at Kotar’s suggestion “He did seem nervous talking about his past and the possibility of enchanted gems, we could ask Elro what he knows of him before we depart tomorrow.”
"Or...he could be worried to be seen talking to us? Or even talking to us in general if he is connected as we've taken out several criminal elements in the area." The little gnome says pulling herself out of the chimney. "I got a little eager there." jerking her thumb over her shoulder at the chimney and proceeding to the floorboards to continue her search. Then spotting Brandon looking at the Yeti head, "That'd be an excellent place to hide things!"
While Ressys takes the contaminated material outside to burn, the rest of the party carries out another search of Urgon’s cabin, looking specifically for journals and other clues to his path on Eiselcross.
Qidira inspects the chimney but only succeeds in dislodging a chunk of soot, which crumbles in her face and causes her to cough and splutter away with her eyes squeezed shut in pain.
Durnham concentrates on the bookshelves, paying close attention for any sign of expedition notes.
@Durnham:
You find what appears to be a collection of notes which have comments written in the margins and all around the original text, as if Urgon was planning on writing a memoir of some kind. The wording of some of the phrases suggests he was not aiming for an easy read, but focused more on conveying detail to the reader. You find a number of references to a character called Orvo Mustave who accompanied Urgon on many expeditions. Piecing together a rough timeline of the expeditions noted here, the most recent note (you assume) talks of ‘Thin Sheets’ as if it is a location, and of a seven-day journey back to Syrinlya from ‘the vault’
Brandon clatters around the kitchen area and the yeti head, finding nothing of interest and nearly knocking the mounted head off the wall.
“I think I found something!” Durnham exclaims excitedly. “Yes! Here, there’s mention of a vault... and a place called Thin Sheets?” He looks up at Kotar and Ressys, “Do either of these places sounds familiar?” He turns back to the notes, “and a name... someone called Orvo? Orvo Mustave... Anyone ever heard of him?” Again he looks up from his notes at the others.
Noob
Qidira thinks about what she knows and ponders if any of those references sound familiar. history 8
None of the terms or names are familiar to Qidira, sorry.
After completing the burning of the spores Ressys returns back into the cabin. "It is done, now we just need to find the cure." He looks around at the others, "Find anything that we missed the first time?"
When Durnham mentions Thin Sheets and Orvo Mustave Ressys's ears droop a bit. He shakes his head. "No, I have not heard of either one. But I have never been to Eiselcross and know nothing of its lands. I wonder if Orvo Mustave is a guide or contact in Eiselcross. Elro, or even our ship captain, may know more."
Ressys then moves over to the chimney and bends over to try and look up into it.
"Anyone tried to look inside here yet?"
“Yes, maybe Elro has heard of this Orvo. He may live in Syrinlya or something.” He speaks quietly, solemnly. The excitement from a moment before gone. He then folds the notes into the books and puts them into his backpack. “I may be able to find more information by morning. I have another concern though... the notes mentioned a 7 day journey from Syrinlya. I don’t think we can do this and get back here in time to save the family.” He looks at the group with sadness. “Time was short with just the boat trip. Another 14 days... I doubt they’ll make it.”
Noob
He fell silent for a moment, racking his brain in search for a memory, any memory, of the names Durnham mentioned. Two places and a person.
“I never heard of a Orvo Mustave or a place called Vault, although I think it’s safe to assume the Vault is a place in one of the ruins.” Aeorian ruins, he supposed thinking back on the origin of the Frigid Woe. “Hulil did speak something about keeping an eye on treasures coming from Eiselcross and there is a lot of ancient buildings buried in the ice around the island. Hells, maybe the Vault is a literal vault in one of them.”
Kotar hoped with all his being this vault was the place where they could find the cure for the strange sickness. In the Thin Sheets, he thought ruminating the name.
“Now, about the Thin Sheets… It may be a reach, but my tribe knows of a place with a kind of similar name - Breyskr Niðr.” Ressys could understand what he ment, the goliath could see in the firbolg’s face. A comprehension that the others didn’t seem to share. “Oh, right, Common. Sorry. Breyskr Niðr means Fragile Ground in Giant. It’s the name of an area about seven days from the foreign settlement.”
“Yes, time is short, Durnham” Brandon agrees “But we don’t know exactly how long the poison takes. Tulgi grew ill about three days from her exposure, and has already been sick for over twenty. We can’t dwell on what we do not control. The Raven Queen takes each when it is their time, there is no escaping that fate. We can only move as fast as we can and pray it is not their time.”
He points at the notes “But this is good news, a place to focus our search where we previously had none. Hopefully this Orvo is the guide Elro arranged for us, or if not, perhaps we can find him in Syrinlya” he glances at Kotar “between he and Kotar, we can make fast time to this place called thin sheets to search for the cure.”
Durnham shakes his head. “I think the only way we save those kids... is if they are waiting for us in Syrinlya.” He looks at Brandon and the others and begins speaking in a clinical manner. And holds out the fingers of his left hand touching each one as he goes over the points. “Tulgi said it was 20 days since she stole the vials from Pelc right? Pelc is already frozen so I’d guess Tulgi has a few days to a week at most. Hulil maybe a few days more than that. So from what we’ve seen it takes around 30 days for the sickness to run its course.” He shakes his head “We can’t know that it affects everyone at the same speed, some may be able to fight the effects longer, others may succumb quicker. But we have a rough time frame of 30 days... and how long ago were the girls exposed? 3 days? A week?”
He shakes his head again. “9 day voyage there, 7 day trek to this vault, 7 days back and a return voyage of 9 days...32 days. Minimum. Assuming everything goes quickly and we don’t get delayed.” He leans on the table. “We can’t gamble with their lives. Their best chance is if they’re waiting in Syrinlya when we get there, saving them 16 days.” He looks at the others. “If there is fault in my logic, tell me, but I see no other way.”
Noob
Qidira listens to all that is said, then turns to Durnham, "The trip is harsh Durnham, those kids looked fragile as they were. I know its a danger, but having them in care at the temple might be buying them more time. I don't imagine they'd make the trip in their condition, but I will go with the group's decision."
She then looks up at the Yeti mounted on the wall. "Might someone check behind that?" She says pointing at the monstrous thing.
"If I may and some of you plan to stay, might I leave some of my heavier gear here with the rest of you? I would like to take another peek into Pelc's to see if there are things we could make use of without over extending my welcome too long." She says adjusting her gear and leaving her back pack here.
Qidira drops some kit, shoulders the Bag of Holding and heads out into the cold.
@Qidira:
The temperature is dropping quickly, as is the light. You head swiftly over to Pelc’s and find the door locked but easily overcome. Inside the place is just as you left it, except the dead bodies (including Pelc) have been removed and their blood – and Elro’s - has been cleaned away.
@DM moved things into 'backpack' on my character sheet that were left behind. She is wearing new winter clothing. Assuming Pelc has also been removed?