Qidira enters quickly, "Thank you Brandon, anything for town before the boy leaves? I've asked him to wait a moment." She then moves to the nearest surface and drapes a suit of dwarven-sized hide armor over it, placing two small healing kits next to it. While she waits for an answer.
The following morning Ressys sits quietly as he prepares the magic he hopes would aid them that day.
As he opens his eyes he sees the others and he notices that Qidira was back.
"Would the boy send a message to Elro Aldataur, have him come here as quickly as possible?"
He then turns his attention to Durnham,
"Durnham, do you still have the dagger? Could you bring it out? I have prepared a spell that may shed some light on our situation. I will be able to sense the presence and location of poisons, poisonous creatures, and diseases. We will know if the dagger, or anything else within the cabin is infected."
Ressys hasn't gotten up yet and shifts his position. He then pulls out a small wooden totem. It has the face of a wolf and a bear carved on it. There are also the phases of the moon etched around it.
Qidira nods to Ressys and exits the cabin to relay the message to the boy.
She steps outside, moving to Pickle. "Thank you for waiting and for what you told me of Pelcs."Handing him another silver piece she continues, "Please take this for yourself and travel swiftly to Elro Aldataur. Ask him come as quickly as he may find possible? My friends need to speak with him."
Qidira re-enters the cabin, rubbing her hands and moving towards the fire to warm up. She adds a little wood to it and breathes in the heat to calm her chattering teeth. She watches as the dagger is passed to Ressys and he begins his ritual. While Ressys is focused on the Ritual she speaks to the rest of the group.
"I was able to find out several things, I'm not sure how helpful they will be though. First The Croaker Caves, as some of you may know, are so named for the giant frogs that reside there. One in particular, Old Croaker, is potentially lethal if angered or attacked, but the beasts should be placid under normal conditions. The caves are on the shore of the Frigid Depths, north of Palebank. The Uttolots are one of the four main crime families that form the Tribes of Shadycreek Run. They specialize in imports and exports, as well as poaching dangerous beasts and monsters."She pauses a moment, then adds. "It would be best for me not to tangle with them and create a conflict that could lead back to my contacts, but I will go with the group's wishes."
She turns to Durnham, "I was able to get a set of Hide Armor that looks to suit a Dwarf well, and the two healing kits you'd requested. They are there."She gestures where she laid them down."I hope it is a good fit for you."She glances at the suit of Splint he is not wearing considering, "Perhaps you could trade that set for something else you could use?"
Durnham wakes and spends an hour preparing his spells for the day. Afterwards, he put his spell book away. When Ressys offers to spell cast on the knife he retrieves the steel chest and places it on the table for the Druid. ”I think that between the two of us, this may exhaust our abilities to examine it further.”
When Qidira arrives he will give him the 5 gold pieces he found in the chest. ”I found this chest under the floorboard you suggested. It had few coins in it but here. Thank you for the armor and supplies, I hope they weren’t too expensive. Also... this dagger from Tulgi...it seems to be safe... at least as far as I can tell. If Whitewalker can’t find any trace of disease either, I thought you might want to use it. The magic seems to be nothing more than to aid the wielder strike true and do more damage. It may not be totally safe to use but I can find nothing wrong with it. The choice is yours.”
He will then begin putting the armor on. “As for the healer kits. Whom should carry them? I don’t know that I should hold one. I’m the one mostly likely to need their aide rather than be the one to use it. As for the armor, Kotar seemed interested but it isn’t the right size for him. We may sell it or have it modified for him.”
The news about croaker caves disturbs him. “Let’s hope these frogs leave us alone and let us pass if we do not disturb them. However, these are not normal conditions so we should be on guard.”
@Durnham "She accepts the coins, thanking him. Nothing I couldn't handle and the kits will help all of us. I could carry one if no-one else is interested. I can slip in and out of tight spaces, so although I'm not as quick as the rest of you, I might be able to help that way."
She watches as Ressys works his ritual. "If he thinks its safe enough, a better dagger would be good. But I'll see it as a loan. Those are very valuable."
On the journey back to the cabin, Pickle (a lanky but shy boy with red hair, maybe fourteen years old) shares what he knows of Pelc: “Verla Pelc is the crotchety old elf who runs Pelc’s Curiosities. She keeps to herself, lives in the shop. Her shop got raided a couple of months ago and she must have got spooked, I haven’t seen her since then”
Ressys performs his ritual, casting the divination which will reveal poisons and diseases in the immediate area.
@Ressys:
You detect no trace of poison or disease on the dagger, or anywhere within the cabin. Even the areas where Urgon must have spent a great deal of time; the bed, the old chair by the fire; no sign whatsoever.
Qidira returns and is let in by Brandon, then pokes her head back out to relay the request for Elro to attend to the cabin.
@Qidira:
Pickle’s eyes light up at the tip, it is likely more money than he will see in many months “Yes of course, I will fetch him right away!” The last words are shouted over his shoulder as the youth lollops away on gangly legs.
You all wait about half an hour for Elro to arrive, slightly winded from the run; he seems incredibly healthy despite his age so he must have made haste in coming here, and the gasping youth behind him is testament to this. The old ranger enters and stands just inside the doorway, leaving the lad outside. There is no snow on him, but the metal fittings of his armour carry a light sheen of from the swift transition of cold air to warm. “Pickle says you needed me to attend urgently my friends, have you uncovered any clues as to the mystery illness? Do you have the cure??”
While they wait for Elro, Qidira shares what she has heard about Pelc. "I don't know how much is to be relied on, as the source is the boy who accompanied me back, but Verla Pelc, the elf that owns Pelc's Curiosities also lived at her shop. It was raided a couple months ago and he thinks she might have been spooked as he hasn't seen her since." When Elro arrives quicker than she had expected, she realizes that the silver tip may have expressed more urgency than there was and looks to Ressys.
Qidira speaks with Pickle briefly, "Swiftly done my friend. You said you hadn't seen Verla Pelc. Do you mean that you visited and she wasn't there, or she hasn't opened up?"
Upon completion of the ritual spell Ressys casts his gaze around the room and on the dagger. He then gets up and looks around while the spell lasts. When he is finished he declares "I find no lingering disease or poison upon the dagger or anywhere within this cabin. From that we are safe. I would not fear the dagger and you should put it to good use."
Soon after Elro appears. "Clues, yes, a cure...no." he answers. "But more information we can provide and even more we learned after we sent for you. Perhaps urgently is too strong a word and the boy took the size of his payment to send his message as more than it meant, but that is past. Urgon brought a number of items back from Eiselcross and sold them to Verla Pelc. They were then stolen from Pelc by Tulgi and they are currently being stored at the Croaker Caves. We had hoped you could check on Pelc and we have since heard she has not been seen in some time. I fear Pelc has also fallen ill. We believe the items Urgon brought back to be the cause, though which item, or items, specifically we do not know. That is why we intend to head for the caves first. Could you check on Pelc? Tulgi is sick like Urgon, frozen sick, it seems. Pelc is likely the same. We will reconnect with you after we visit the Croaked Caves."
As Ressys explains what they have discovered thus far, Durnham adds his own question “Are the priests able to detect or cure an item that may be cursed somehow?”
Brandon pulls on his chain shirt and prepares for the day ahead. He listens with interest as Ressys and Durnham update the Glassblade leader on what they have found so far and at the end, shares his own thoughts.
“It appears the dagger is not linked to the mysterious sickness, but we still need to learn more. Perhaps Winterwalker was right and it has more to do with the blue vials or another one of the items Urgon recovered from Eiselcross, or maybe it is something else altogether. We will not know until we have time to look at these other items, which we hope are still in Croaker’s Cave.”
“There is another thing you should know. It appears the Uttolots may be involved with the stolen gear in some way. What can you tell us about them and their activities in Palebank?”
Durnham looks at Brandon and interjects in a firm bit quiet voice ”No that is not quite accurate Brandon. We do not believe the dagger is the cause of the sickness, but we have no proof that it does not. For all we can tell it appears to be a typically enchanted dagger but we may not be able to detect whatever it is that is causing this. I don’t intend to touch any of these items until we figure it out for sure.”
Pickle answers Qidira’s question about Pelc: “In truth I have no reason to visit Pelc, I meant to say that we have not seen her in town. I do not know if anyone else has visited her”
Elro nods at the young lad’s blurted response, and says in agreement “Verla has always kept to herself, hardly ever leaves the shop apart from an occasional errand. Even the grocer leaves her deliveries at the door”The elf’s weathered face drops into melancholy “If Pelc is also ill, and I never thought to drop by and check on her...but she was always so dismissive and insisted that she didn’t need coddling...but still, this is our shared home and she is my responsibility”
When Durnham asks about the priests being able to detect or remove curses from items, Elro responds “Detecting it should be easy enough for them, removing is usually dependent upon the strength of the curse. If you want me to take anything to them, I can have someone run it over”
“The Uttolots?” says Elro when Brandon mentions the name “Well I’m not surprised, Palebank is on the trade route for items discovered in Eiselcross and the Tribes of Shadycreek Run love to make money by selling things that aren't theirs - amongst other nefarious activities. All the same, it would be good to shut down this cell if we can. Assuming this mystery disease has not already seen to them...”
He sets his face in determination when Ressys suggests that Elro checks on Pelc while you are at the caves “Yes, it’s the least I can do. I shall go there straight from here. Pickle! Go get Mila and tell her to meet me at Pelc’s!“
You hear the boy running off in the snow and hadn’t realised that you could hear clumsy.
“When you have checked out the Croaker Caves, meet me at the Jolly Dwarf Inn, Arl Bortock’s place in town. It sounds like we all have urgent matters to attend to if we hope to contain the spread of this sickness”
(If you have no other business or questions then Elro will head to Pelc’s, but I’m holding in case there are any follow-ups)
As he laid in the wooden floor of the cabin, Kotar centered his mind in how his body perceived the world around him, trying to see what is and what could be at the same time. There was silence, but he could change it with a simple grunt or maybe an entire word. One of the many he knew, all of them. Actuality and potentiality, his grandfather called it. If he could feel it precisely he would be able to reach into this anticipatory force, he would be able to call an echo of himself the same way Lo-Kang did.
He had been trying for years. Every night the same mental exercise, the same meditation. Yet he had made no advance to that night. He had made advance that night. That much he accepted, letting himself fall into sleep.
The morning came with a soft knocking in the door. Qidira returned with company. The perfect messenger to call for Elro - something Ressys noticed too. Kotar listened the others talk as he donned his armor, fastened his swordbelt and bracers. By the time the Glassblade arrived the Fighter was more than ready, silvered maul on the back and shield on the left arm.
“I can’t speak for the others, Aldataur, but if you take action against the cell after our investigation about this sickness end I would like to offer my services to the garrison.”
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
As the party prepares to head out to the caves, Durnham motions Qidira towards the fireplace and talks quietly with her as he puts out the fire and cleans the ashes and remains out.
“You were right about that floorboard. Let’s see if there’s anything else to this fireplace before we go. Where would you suggest we look?” 21 Investigation
"We thank you for checking on Pelc and we will meet you at the inn when we return. If I recall the mead there is quite tasty, at least I think it is." Ressys responds to Elro. "I hope she is well but I fear she is not."
Turning back to the others, "I am ready to go to the caves if the new day does not reveal new secrets here at the cabin."
Qidira quietly observes as Brandon shares what he has found out with Elro, then as Durnham expresses further concerns about the dagger and warning against trusting it. She wondering if it should go to the priests for inspection? She realizes that now that the Glassblades are aware of the Uttolots, conflict may be inevitable.
She glances at the clumsy Pickle darting back out the door hurrying off on another errand at Elro's command. With Elro and Mila checking on Pelc, there is one less thing for them to concern themselves with and she hopes the group will have more information for him by the time they meet at The Jolly Dwarf Inn.
Qidira, being of her small height, goes to assist Durnham clean up the fireplace and takes a quick look about it for likely hidden spots, considering where she might choose to hide coins. "Let's see what you hide.."investigation5 or stealth9 - not sure which applies best here but neither rolled with advantage. Then, as she looks inspects the fireplaces, asks Durnham, "Should the dagger be sent to the Priests to further inspection?" Partially regretting internally the question as she longed to try it out.
Elro appreciates Kotar’s offer to help rid Palebank of the Uttolots “That is a kind offer friend, and a goliath on our side would surely be a great help. I’m hoping that Hulil and her gang are the only foothold that the Tribes of Shadycreek Run have in my town so far, but if either of us find sign of greater incursion then that is a conversation we can have once this illness is banished for good”
He then shoulders his bow and gives a confident grin “Luck, my friends. I shall go check on Pelc while you do the hard work; first round is on me when this is over”
And with that he is gone, into the cold and away. The dagger will remain with you for now, unless you wish to leave it behind.
Durnham cleans out the cold fireplace as Qidira helps, careful to check each scoop of ashes for fragments or clues. The brickwork itself is then inspected, the pair searching for anything that might lead to the missing gold. Alas, there is nothing but ashes.
After a final check of your kit, you head off to Croaker Cave. Durnham knows the way and you make good time, taking a shortcut that he remembers a fallen oak that spans a small ravine. You meet the shoreline and hug it northwards, the frigid water lapping the land to your left. It is fully daylight by the time you arrive at the cave entrance, although the sky remains an impenetrable grey, as if setting the mood for your sombre mission.
The entrance to Croaker Cave seems innocuous enough; a simple roundish opening, about ten to fifteen feet apart, in the face of a cliff that stands almost on the water’s edge.
(Durnham knows that Croaker Cave is likely to be pitch black inside; please declare marching order and any illumination or other actions before heading in. You can move two-abreast through the entrance and Durnham knows that this is going to be the case for most of the way through)
Qidira sighs at the lack of discovery in the fireplace and muses to Durnham, "Maybe I should search Tulgi's?" Then hesitates looking abashed at the thought spoken aloud. "If you are still willing, "I'd like to try the dagger. I know it's a risk, but I think it might be ok, after all it has been handled and carried now. If I'm wrong, you will all be close to notice any early symptoms and get me to the priests. I have faith that a solution will be discovered. It will be surrendered to you any time that you ask for it back."
After Elro leaves, Durnham will answer Qidira but speak to the group as they travel. “Listen everyone... this dagger... SEEMS perfectly safe... from what we can tell. Winterwalker and I can’t find anything about it that would have caused this illness. However, that doesn’t mean it is safe. It might just be beyond our ability to detect. We have already been near it. If proximity is all it needs then we’ve already been exposed. Perhaps the priests can find something out about it... but that also means we lose control of it and possibly expose more people to it and put them at risk. On a selfish level, I’d like to hang on to these items if we can possibly make them safe. If the priests must have them to heal this illness then so be it. In the meantime, I say we hang on to them until we can figure this mess out. Qidira, use the dagger if you want. There is risk in doing so but it is up to you. I will refrain from touching any of these objects until we can be sure they are safe.”
At the cave entrance he points into the darkness and says, ”Here we are, croaker’s cave. It’ll be dark in there but I have pretty good sight in the dark. I may have a torch or something on me for those that need more light. It’s pretty narrow in here so room for two side by side. I’m not the most armored or stealthy so I will hang out in the back if that’s ok.”
Brandon eyes the opening of the cave as he listens to Durnham’s warnings about the dagger and what he knows of the cave. “A light would be nice, either a torch or magical, if we have it. I unfortunately cannot see in the dark.”
He pulls a shield off of his pack and straps it to his arm, the face is well-worn and battered. If you looked closely you could see it carries the faded markings of the Empire. “I could carry a torch, but would prefer to stick with sword and shield if someone else could provide the light.”
He nods at Kotar “Perhaps we should take the lead?” Brandon will move to go in the front of the party and enter the cave when the group is ready, attempting to move with caution and stealth.
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Qidira enters quickly, "Thank you Brandon, anything for town before the boy leaves? I've asked him to wait a moment." She then moves to the nearest surface and drapes a suit of dwarven-sized hide armor over it, placing two small healing kits next to it. While she waits for an answer.
The following morning Ressys sits quietly as he prepares the magic he hopes would aid them that day.
As he opens his eyes he sees the others and he notices that Qidira was back.
"Would the boy send a message to Elro Aldataur, have him come here as quickly as possible?"
He then turns his attention to Durnham,
"Durnham, do you still have the dagger? Could you bring it out? I have prepared a spell that may shed some light on our situation. I will be able to sense the presence and location of poisons, poisonous creatures, and diseases. We will know if the dagger, or anything else within the cabin is infected."
Ressys hasn't gotten up yet and shifts his position. He then pulls out a small wooden totem. It has the face of a wolf and a bear carved on it. There are also the phases of the moon etched around it.
Holding it in his hand Ressys then casts Detect Poison and Disease as a ritual.
Qidira nods to Ressys and exits the cabin to relay the message to the boy.
She steps outside, moving to Pickle. "Thank you for waiting and for what you told me of Pelcs." Handing him another silver piece she continues, "Please take this for yourself and travel swiftly to Elro Aldataur. Ask him come as quickly as he may find possible? My friends need to speak with him."
Qidira re-enters the cabin, rubbing her hands and moving towards the fire to warm up. She adds a little wood to it and breathes in the heat to calm her chattering teeth. She watches as the dagger is passed to Ressys and he begins his ritual. While Ressys is focused on the Ritual she speaks to the rest of the group.
"I was able to find out several things, I'm not sure how helpful they will be though. First The Croaker Caves, as some of you may know, are so named for the giant frogs that reside there. One in particular, Old Croaker, is potentially lethal if angered or attacked, but the beasts should be placid under normal conditions. The caves are on the shore of the Frigid Depths, north of Palebank. The Uttolots are one of the four main crime families that form the Tribes of Shadycreek Run. They specialize in imports and exports, as well as poaching dangerous beasts and monsters." She pauses a moment, then adds. "It would be best for me not to tangle with them and create a conflict that could lead back to my contacts, but I will go with the group's wishes."
She turns to Durnham, "I was able to get a set of Hide Armor that looks to suit a Dwarf well, and the two healing kits you'd requested. They are there." She gestures where she laid them down. "I hope it is a good fit for you." She glances at the suit of Splint he is not wearing considering, "Perhaps you could trade that set for something else you could use?"
Durnham wakes and spends an hour preparing his spells for the day. Afterwards, he put his spell book away. When Ressys offers to spell cast on the knife he retrieves the steel chest and places it on the table for the Druid. ”I think that between the two of us, this may exhaust our abilities to examine it further.”
When Qidira arrives he will give him the 5 gold pieces he found in the chest. ”I found this chest under the floorboard you suggested. It had few coins in it but here. Thank you for the armor and supplies, I hope they weren’t too expensive. Also... this dagger from Tulgi...it seems to be safe... at least as far as I can tell. If Whitewalker can’t find any trace of disease either, I thought you might want to use it. The magic seems to be nothing more than to aid the wielder strike true and do more damage. It may not be totally safe to use but I can find nothing wrong with it. The choice is yours.”
He will then begin putting the armor on. “As for the healer kits. Whom should carry them? I don’t know that I should hold one. I’m the one mostly likely to need their aide rather than be the one to use it. As for the armor, Kotar seemed interested but it isn’t the right size for him. We may sell it or have it modified for him.”
The news about croaker caves disturbs him. “Let’s hope these frogs leave us alone and let us pass if we do not disturb them. However, these are not normal conditions so we should be on guard.”
Noob
@Durnham "She accepts the coins, thanking him. Nothing I couldn't handle and the kits will help all of us. I could carry one if no-one else is interested. I can slip in and out of tight spaces, so although I'm not as quick as the rest of you, I might be able to help that way."
She watches as Ressys works his ritual. "If he thinks its safe enough, a better dagger would be good. But I'll see it as a loan. Those are very valuable."
@Qidira:
On the journey back to the cabin, Pickle (a lanky but shy boy with red hair, maybe fourteen years old) shares what he knows of Pelc: “Verla Pelc is the crotchety old elf who runs Pelc’s Curiosities. She keeps to herself, lives in the shop. Her shop got raided a couple of months ago and she must have got spooked, I haven’t seen her since then”
Ressys performs his ritual, casting the divination which will reveal poisons and diseases in the immediate area.
@Ressys:
You detect no trace of poison or disease on the dagger, or anywhere within the cabin. Even the areas where Urgon must have spent a great deal of time; the bed, the old chair by the fire; no sign whatsoever.
Qidira returns and is let in by Brandon, then pokes her head back out to relay the request for Elro to attend to the cabin.
@Qidira:
Pickle’s eyes light up at the tip, it is likely more money than he will see in many months “Yes of course, I will fetch him right away!” The last words are shouted over his shoulder as the youth lollops away on gangly legs.
You all wait about half an hour for Elro to arrive, slightly winded from the run; he seems incredibly healthy despite his age so he must have made haste in coming here, and the gasping youth behind him is testament to this. The old ranger enters and stands just inside the doorway, leaving the lad outside. There is no snow on him, but the metal fittings of his armour carry a light sheen of from the swift transition of cold air to warm. “Pickle says you needed me to attend urgently my friends, have you uncovered any clues as to the mystery illness? Do you have the cure??”
While they wait for Elro, Qidira shares what she has heard about Pelc. "I don't know how much is to be relied on, as the source is the boy who accompanied me back, but Verla Pelc, the elf that owns Pelc's Curiosities also lived at her shop. It was raided a couple months ago and he thinks she might have been spooked as he hasn't seen her since." When Elro arrives quicker than she had expected, she realizes that the silver tip may have expressed more urgency than there was and looks to Ressys.
Qidira speaks with Pickle briefly, "Swiftly done my friend. You said you hadn't seen Verla Pelc. Do you mean that you visited and she wasn't there, or she hasn't opened up?"
Upon completion of the ritual spell Ressys casts his gaze around the room and on the dagger. He then gets up and looks around while the spell lasts. When he is finished he declares "I find no lingering disease or poison upon the dagger or anywhere within this cabin. From that we are safe. I would not fear the dagger and you should put it to good use."
Soon after Elro appears. "Clues, yes, a cure...no." he answers. "But more information we can provide and even more we learned after we sent for you. Perhaps urgently is too strong a word and the boy took the size of his payment to send his message as more than it meant, but that is past. Urgon brought a number of items back from Eiselcross and sold them to Verla Pelc. They were then stolen from Pelc by Tulgi and they are currently being stored at the Croaker Caves. We had hoped you could check on Pelc and we have since heard she has not been seen in some time. I fear Pelc has also fallen ill. We believe the items Urgon brought back to be the cause, though which item, or items, specifically we do not know. That is why we intend to head for the caves first. Could you check on Pelc? Tulgi is sick like Urgon, frozen sick, it seems. Pelc is likely the same. We will reconnect with you after we visit the Croaked Caves."
As Ressys explains what they have discovered thus far, Durnham adds his own question “Are the priests able to detect or cure an item that may be cursed somehow?”
Noob
Brandon pulls on his chain shirt and prepares for the day ahead. He listens with interest as Ressys and Durnham update the Glassblade leader on what they have found so far and at the end, shares his own thoughts.
“It appears the dagger is not linked to the mysterious sickness, but we still need to learn more. Perhaps Winterwalker was right and it has more to do with the blue vials or another one of the items Urgon recovered from Eiselcross, or maybe it is something else altogether. We will not know until we have time to look at these other items, which we hope are still in Croaker’s Cave.”
“There is another thing you should know. It appears the Uttolots may be involved with the stolen gear in some way. What can you tell us about them and their activities in Palebank?”
Durnham looks at Brandon and interjects in a firm bit quiet voice ”No that is not quite accurate Brandon. We do not believe the dagger is the cause of the sickness, but we have no proof that it does not. For all we can tell it appears to be a typically enchanted dagger but we may not be able to detect whatever it is that is causing this. I don’t intend to touch any of these items until we figure it out for sure.”
Noob
Pickle answers Qidira’s question about Pelc: “In truth I have no reason to visit Pelc, I meant to say that we have not seen her in town. I do not know if anyone else has visited her”
Elro nods at the young lad’s blurted response, and says in agreement “Verla has always kept to herself, hardly ever leaves the shop apart from an occasional errand. Even the grocer leaves her deliveries at the door” The elf’s weathered face drops into melancholy “If Pelc is also ill, and I never thought to drop by and check on her...but she was always so dismissive and insisted that she didn’t need coddling...but still, this is our shared home and she is my responsibility”
When Durnham asks about the priests being able to detect or remove curses from items, Elro responds “Detecting it should be easy enough for them, removing is usually dependent upon the strength of the curse. If you want me to take anything to them, I can have someone run it over”
“The Uttolots?” says Elro when Brandon mentions the name “Well I’m not surprised, Palebank is on the trade route for items discovered in Eiselcross and the Tribes of Shadycreek Run love to make money by selling things that aren't theirs - amongst other nefarious activities. All the same, it would be good to shut down this cell if we can. Assuming this mystery disease has not already seen to them...”
He sets his face in determination when Ressys suggests that Elro checks on Pelc while you are at the caves “Yes, it’s the least I can do. I shall go there straight from here. Pickle! Go get Mila and tell her to meet me at Pelc’s!“
You hear the boy running off in the snow and hadn’t realised that you could hear clumsy.
“When you have checked out the Croaker Caves, meet me at the Jolly Dwarf Inn, Arl Bortock’s place in town. It sounds like we all have urgent matters to attend to if we hope to contain the spread of this sickness”
(If you have no other business or questions then Elro will head to Pelc’s, but I’m holding in case there are any follow-ups)
As he laid in the wooden floor of the cabin, Kotar centered his mind in how his body perceived the world around him, trying to see what is and what could be at the same time. There was silence, but he could change it with a simple grunt or maybe an entire word. One of the many he knew, all of them. Actuality and potentiality, his grandfather called it. If he could feel it precisely he would be able to reach into this anticipatory force, he would be able to call an echo of himself the same way Lo-Kang did.
He had been trying for years. Every night the same mental exercise, the same meditation. Yet he had made no advance to that night. He had made advance that night. That much he accepted, letting himself fall into sleep.
The morning came with a soft knocking in the door. Qidira returned with company. The perfect messenger to call for Elro - something Ressys noticed too. Kotar listened the others talk as he donned his armor, fastened his swordbelt and bracers. By the time the Glassblade arrived the Fighter was more than ready, silvered maul on the back and shield on the left arm.
“I can’t speak for the others, Aldataur, but if you take action against the cell after our investigation about this sickness end I would like to offer my services to the garrison.”
As the party prepares to head out to the caves, Durnham motions Qidira towards the fireplace and talks quietly with her as he puts out the fire and cleans the ashes and remains out.
“You were right about that floorboard. Let’s see if there’s anything else to this fireplace before we go. Where would you suggest we look?” 21 Investigation
Noob
"We thank you for checking on Pelc and we will meet you at the inn when we return. If I recall the mead there is quite tasty, at least I think it is." Ressys responds to Elro. "I hope she is well but I fear she is not."
Turning back to the others, "I am ready to go to the caves if the new day does not reveal new secrets here at the cabin."
Qidira quietly observes as Brandon shares what he has found out with Elro, then as Durnham expresses further concerns about the dagger and warning against trusting it. She wondering if it should go to the priests for inspection? She realizes that now that the Glassblades are aware of the Uttolots, conflict may be inevitable.
She glances at the clumsy Pickle darting back out the door hurrying off on another errand at Elro's command. With Elro and Mila checking on Pelc, there is one less thing for them to concern themselves with and she hopes the group will have more information for him by the time they meet at The Jolly Dwarf Inn.
Qidira, being of her small height, goes to assist Durnham clean up the fireplace and takes a quick look about it for likely hidden spots, considering where she might choose to hide coins. "Let's see what you hide.." investigation 5 or stealth 9 - not sure which applies best here but neither rolled with advantage. Then, as she looks inspects the fireplaces, asks Durnham, "Should the dagger be sent to the Priests to further inspection?" Partially regretting internally the question as she longed to try it out.
Elro appreciates Kotar’s offer to help rid Palebank of the Uttolots “That is a kind offer friend, and a goliath on our side would surely be a great help. I’m hoping that Hulil and her gang are the only foothold that the Tribes of Shadycreek Run have in my town so far, but if either of us find sign of greater incursion then that is a conversation we can have once this illness is banished for good”
He then shoulders his bow and gives a confident grin “Luck, my friends. I shall go check on Pelc while you do the hard work; first round is on me when this is over”
And with that he is gone, into the cold and away. The dagger will remain with you for now, unless you wish to leave it behind.
Durnham cleans out the cold fireplace as Qidira helps, careful to check each scoop of ashes for fragments or clues. The brickwork itself is then inspected, the pair searching for anything that might lead to the missing gold. Alas, there is nothing but ashes.
After a final check of your kit, you head off to Croaker Cave. Durnham knows the way and you make good time, taking a shortcut that he remembers a fallen oak that spans a small ravine. You meet the shoreline and hug it northwards, the frigid water lapping the land to your left. It is fully daylight by the time you arrive at the cave entrance, although the sky remains an impenetrable grey, as if setting the mood for your sombre mission.
The entrance to Croaker Cave seems innocuous enough; a simple roundish opening, about ten to fifteen feet apart, in the face of a cliff that stands almost on the water’s edge.
(Durnham knows that Croaker Cave is likely to be pitch black inside; please declare marching order and any illumination or other actions before heading in. You can move two-abreast through the entrance and Durnham knows that this is going to be the case for most of the way through)
Qidira sighs at the lack of discovery in the fireplace and muses to Durnham, "Maybe I should search Tulgi's?" Then hesitates looking abashed at the thought spoken aloud. "If you are still willing, "I'd like to try the dagger. I know it's a risk, but I think it might be ok, after all it has been handled and carried now. If I'm wrong, you will all be close to notice any early symptoms and get me to the priests. I have faith that a solution will be discovered. It will be surrendered to you any time that you ask for it back."
After Elro leaves, Durnham will answer Qidira but speak to the group as they travel. “Listen everyone... this dagger... SEEMS perfectly safe... from what we can tell. Winterwalker and I can’t find anything about it that would have caused this illness. However, that doesn’t mean it is safe. It might just be beyond our ability to detect. We have already been near it. If proximity is all it needs then we’ve already been exposed. Perhaps the priests can find something out about it... but that also means we lose control of it and possibly expose more people to it and put them at risk. On a selfish level, I’d like to hang on to these items if we can possibly make them safe. If the priests must have them to heal this illness then so be it. In the meantime, I say we hang on to them until we can figure this mess out. Qidira, use the dagger if you want. There is risk in doing so but it is up to you. I will refrain from touching any of these objects until we can be sure they are safe.”
At the cave entrance he points into the darkness and says, ”Here we are, croaker’s cave. It’ll be dark in there but I have pretty good sight in the dark. I may have a torch or something on me for those that need more light. It’s pretty narrow in here so room for two side by side. I’m not the most armored or stealthy so I will hang out in the back if that’s ok.”
Noob
Brandon eyes the opening of the cave as he listens to Durnham’s warnings about the dagger and what he knows of the cave. “A light would be nice, either a torch or magical, if we have it. I unfortunately cannot see in the dark.”
He pulls a shield off of his pack and straps it to his arm, the face is well-worn and battered. If you looked closely you could see it carries the faded markings of the Empire. “I could carry a torch, but would prefer to stick with sword and shield if someone else could provide the light.”
He nods at Kotar “Perhaps we should take the lead?” Brandon will move to go in the front of the party and enter the cave when the group is ready, attempting to move with caution and stealth.