As the group cautiously approaches the scene of the eldritch-blasted creatures, Faila seems to become alarmed at the smell, and then at the dead creatures themselves. Her face takes on the look of a hunted animal, eyes wide, panting a bit. It almost seems like the small, very human and relatable girl has changed into something else entirely. Anyone who looks too closely might notice that her teeth and nails have sharpened and elongated into deadly points. Yet she is not attacking anything, nor fighting anything but, perhaps herself. With a great struggle and concentrated effort her panting increases as she tries to bury the claws in her inadequate clothing under the cloak. She doesn't want to lose her new friends now... no matter how terrifying these otherworldly animals are.
But there's nothing to fight. They're dead. She keeps telling herself that, and, too many moments later, her features slowly return to normal and human. She looks tearfully at Nikita, wanting to go to town, and hoping no one noticed her indiscrete slip-up.
Nikita, when she finally tears her eyes away from the abomination they had just destroyed, notices Faila's change. And her fear. She tries to remember her time in the Welkwood, training. Her mentor had introduced her to a druid who... Nikita reaches out, fingertips fluttering, hesitating near Faila's shoulder. Wanting to give comfort, but afraid to touch, as she would be with a skittish animal.
I am no good at this. I have always been the youngest. The one most in need of comfort. But those friends are gone. Dead or worse.
In the end, it is her familiar, Thumbtack, that gently, briefly touches Faila's arm with her wing feathers. Nikita's voice is uncharacteristically strained. Halting.
"I... I think we are all afraid. Sometimes even of the same things." Of those awful aberrant eggs for certain. And Iuz and his lackeys for me. Boyd hastily exiting the hospice tent, seemingly at the thought of contagious sickness. Nick Nack loathe to lose ones he loves yet again. Who knows what this girl has been through.
"The fear, it... it can change you. It changes all of us, whether on the inside or on the... outside. In the end, the fear and the summoning may be the things we have in common. Please... please do not be unhappy. You were so brave in that tent. Come with us into town?"
When Claude mentions the influence of magical anomalies and environmental interference, Ermasnietsz suddenly becomes cautious. "The illuminated man"- she whispers to herself in such a way that the words bear the undertone of assumed accusation. Something or someone else is certainly involved with the mishap and it could be indirectly related to the disease too.
"Did you use any particular sort of components for the task? It can be scrolls and books from your personal collection.."-she uses the tips of her fingers to create tapping noise on the books stored inside the wagon.
"... a number of portraits, perhaps?"
Does Ermasnietsz suss out the titles of the books?
"Nikita's got the right of it, Faila." Boyd says, trying to be encouraging, "You did a good job getting straight to work in there. Did more than the rest of us could so."
Unlike Nikita, though, Boyd isn't so circumspect in his actions. He claps his palm onto her shoulder and gives her a friendly smile. "Come on, let's head into town and see what we can make of this place. Haven't been through here in years..."
Ermasnietsz - Please make a further Arcana check to attempt to discern more about the books/scrolls that Claude has collected.
"Com'po'nents?"Claude says questioningly, "Yeah, main thin' we used was a number o' The Illuminated Man's inks. They ain't no ordi'nary inks though 'e uses 'em for 'is tat'oos; they sparkle like gems. 'e also 'ad some special chalk 'e used to sketch th' circle."
"Was all pretty clever really, we teleported the leaflets a' random an' they was enchant'd to seek out an' teleport those tha' were in a sticky situ'ation. Y'got a couple-a spells at work there." Claude scratches absent-mindedly at the top of Maud's head, "They served as a one-way ticket, really."
Nick pats off his clothes with his three hands (count ‘em, three) and makes sure he’s presentable, or at least his understanding of the term.
He don’t mind non-gnomes Per-say, but he reminds himself his quick trigger and instinct to grab what he wants must be controlled in city life, this isn’t a wander down a random forest or mountain path… Don’t wanna get thrown in jail or anything, not when he just got out of that wrecked cave of depression he was in merely a day ago…
“I don’t mind if someone else wants to lead, but imma start walkin’…. This-a-way!” Nick asserts firmly while pointing his now visible mage hand like an arrow towards downtown.
he begins to walk and observed the group forming around him. He’s certainly scared to use the word and all its connotations of responsibility and heart break, but for now at least, he allowes himself to think the word for just a brief moment…
Making sure that Faila is all right first and speaking with her further as appropriate, Nikita calls out to Nathaniel, Lady Isolde (if she is still there) and Hermos or any others nearby. She tells them that this portion of the party is going to continue the investigation in town and to let Meresaa and Ermasnietsz know in case they wonder where we went. She suspects Saltmarsh is small enough that the other two could find us after some looking and asking around.
She walks with Nick Nack (and she hopes, Boyd and Faila) towards town. She is new to Saltmarsh, but she does know where "The Faithful Quartermasters of Iuz" is, and she would try to avoid going near there. She is thinking the priorities are as follows (unless someone objects), though we likely won't get to all of them: - Armory/Weaponsmith - General Store - Locate Thomas Dolan and talk to him. - Locate Maureen Freyn and talk to her. - Tavern to get general feel of town and possibly rumors before we dive in. (Should this be higher priority?). - Temple of Procan (why won't they help?) - Council Hall (same)
To Nick Nack, she risks opening what she suspects are floodgates:
"So... you died? I don't mean to pry, but you hardly seem shy about discussing it. Seems you had an experience a bit beyond the rest of us who were merely... transported." (Nikita is genuinely curious and sympathetic).
Faila is visibly relieved and encouraged by the tender understanding of her new companions. She remembers that they've all had to face something terrifying together---being summoned to this place. Nothing about solving these illnesses and magical anomalies is going to be easy, but maybe that shared disruption will make it a little easier, together. She smiles at Nikita and Boyd, but the smile falters a bit and tears threaten again. They really haven't seen how much I can change, when things get bad. They really don't know... Faila sniffs and wipes her eyes. Maybe they won't ever need to. Maybe I can control it this time.
"Yes, I would like to come to town," she says, and accompanies Nick Nack, Nikita, and Boyd, glad to be part of the group. Though she is never quite sure what to buy... nice things always seem to get ruined one way or another.
Nick keeps walking but hears Nikita and thinks silently for a minute or so, not sure where to start, or if there was even an end…
…so he starts somewhere in the middle, “They always let me do my thing, but they never listened to me about anything… and then one day I came back from being away for awhile and the whole village was just… gone.”
”Like… I don’t wanna describe it in too much detail, but let’s just say that the things that should have been inside the builds, were thrown about the grounds… and things that should have been inside people’s bodies, were also strewn about… fire & blood & veracious & malicious.. the worst of existence. They must have not only killed them, but enjoyed it along the way.”
“that first night I sat in silence, until the moon came out and rushed me back into reality… though a sick joke of a reality it at times now seems.” It’s hard to tell when nick is talking to you and when he is just… talking.
“I noticed the moon shone on a trail of blood in the stone of our cavern, and I became determined to follow it. I think at first I was even following with the desire to join them, to somehow yell and compliant then to… be ended.” Nick checks to see if Nikita is even listening.
“But days turned into weeks and weeks into months, and the trail brought me deeper and deeper into the crevasses of the mountains. I was cold, and hungry, and in the brink, but something drove me and I knew, I wouldn’t die as long as I held whatever this feeling was. I was on a journey, my arrow of will pointed directly at the gates of death…”
Nick pauses for maybe 10-15 seconds, wondering how to explain the next part without going into too much details, for how do you explain the unexplainable?
“Each morning I awoke farther from whence I fell asleep, both more and more me, and also less and less me each time I closed my eyes. And one time I opened my eyes and I sat at this wall. Clean cut into the side of the cavern, simply an impossibly flat surface. But the trail had brought me here, and so this is where they went, whoever they were… Somehow into this wall.”
Nick lowers his voice as they approach the town and there begin to be people about the two of them, “and so I waited there, and I could swear to you as long as my eyes were closed that wall was a door to some other world, but each time I snuck a peak it was just a wall. I dunno, maybe I was seeing things… but if I was just seeing things, then I would have died there… and then one day I could have sworn I was staring at a gate of light, open to the cavern, though my eye was only opened a slit, and as I opened it further, the wall was stone again, but a pamphlet floated my way, landing within reach of my finger tips, if I only willed them to move…”
his eye roll reveals he is clearly skipping some details here that he will not divulge, but he continues and wraps up: “and so here I am, in this dreamland indinstinguishavle from life and death, fighting the forces of whatever that thing was earlier, walking next to Nikita, shooting force blasts left and right, pickin my nose with a magical extra appendage, and telling you a story about something noone’d ever ever believe!”
nick chuckles as he finishes, and silently turns back toward the street ahead, with a straight face declaring: “Let’s go spend some money.”
Nikita is listening. Though she doesn't follow. Not truly. She is silent for a time.
Eventually, quietly, she says: "I... My friends are also dead. Or turned against me. As to the rest, I won't patronize you by pretending I understand. It is as strange as anything I have ever heard. I can feel your loss, Nick Nack. Know that to us, you are fully alive and not dreaming."
But who were you talking to in the sky? Saying why don't you kill me now? Is it to the beings that went into the wall? The ones who gruesomely murdered your village? Why do you say they want to make you love people before ripping them away? I never could pinpoint when in the story you thought you actually died. But I know what Eldritch Blast signifies. There was a warlock in my coterie. And where there is a warlock, there is a patron...
But Nikita decides to leave these questions unasked for now.
To the group, she sighs, "truly there is so much strangeness in the world... in all worlds. In this world, I hope we can be friends. Ehlenestra knows, I would like to have friends again. Yes, let's go spend some money." She looks to Faila with a smile. "I have an item or two in mind that may suit the two of us girls, both in form and function. Perhaps our other rough and tumble friend here as well..."
She grins at the grizzled man. Much more familiar territory - though just a few years ago, he would have seemed nearly as strange to me as Nick Nack! Though after what I've just seen in the past few hours, I should not make assumptions.
"And you Boyd Nilsson? A Monmurg man, born and raised? Or a visitor? A dangerous place, I am told."
As you head with the others towards town you note that there are deep horse & carriage tracks where Nancy described; corroborating at least part of her story.
You peruse the books/scrolls Claude has collected. They are rudimentary, with limited understanding, at best. At worst, it is clear to any trained spellcaster, that they are incorrect. The more you check out Claude's story the more it appears that he is an amateur when it comes to his magical understanding; you are surprised that he would be capable of performing a spell of the magnitude required to bring you all to Saltmarsh.
Unless... could it be that the Illuminated Man was the brains behind the spell? Or perhaps they both just 'lucked out' and an external influence caused an otherwise failed spell to succeed.
You will need more information before coming to a conclusion.
You leave the Carnival to the South. Muddy fields turn into cobbled streets as you enter into the quaint fishing village; you get the sense that this was a once vibrant town, but now little more than a backwater. Traversing the streets you note that the locals (predominantly human with the occasional Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling) keep themselves to themselves and you feel like outsiders.
Otherwise, the mood of the townspeople seems positive, naive to the recent developments within the Carnival. A hardy-looking halfling woman boisterously declares that pickings had been good this morning and that they had a good haul overall, the gaunt-looking man she talks to merely shakes his head and complains about a poor catch.
"Mornin' Handsome!"a voice calls out from a nearby fisherman with a wave. You see that it is directed towards a grizzled old man; he is far from handsome, you believe the nickname must be intended with well-intentioned sarcasm. The man looks flustered but waves his greetings nonetheless, "Saint Cuthbert as me witness, who'er smashed me bleedin' sign will pay."
You see the old man begin to pick up pieces of splintered wood, from what you can make out it was once a freestanding sign for the establishment he is standing in front of, named The Ruddy Tankard. "Bleedin' carriage smash through it last night, I reckon," he declares as much to himself as to anyone else that would listen.
In front of you, the road bifurcates; to the left, a large bridge spans the river, to the right a small market stands.
Nikita quietly tells the group of the following possible connection/clue:
- Nancy Carver had said of Esther and Billy's faceless kidnappers: They turned up in a carriage as black as night... They took Billy and Esther by surprise. I saw it because I retired to my tent early; I wasn't feeling too good, needed a lie-down. Billy tried to fight them, but he is only 14. They overpowered him and pushed him into the carriage and off they go, into the night.
- As we were leaving the Carnival, Nikita did notice deep horse and carriage tracks exactly where Nancy had described.
- Now it appears this gentleman ("Handsome") has had his sign smashed in the night, guessing at the cause: Bleedin' carriage smash through it last night, I reckon.
"Seems as if we should talk to 'Handsome' here and find out if he or others here know anything more about the carriage? Boyd, you want to do the honors? I think you may look the least out of place here."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
“You guys can stay here and deal with these tracks and that sign… I suspect it’s not a 4 man job, and I’m gonna head into town and see if I can’t run into This dashing and sailor bicep wielding Dolan.”
Nick is about to leave when Nikita stops him for a moment and hands him a pouch with 45 gold. “Something befitting… a lady”.
Nick counts the coin and almost gives it back, but suspects this chivalry would be refused. “light? But also good in a sticky situation?” He sees Nikita nod and her expression perk up, the corners of her eyes doing the smiling. he takes his leave and continues on with a mission now for two. (If one of the group is with me that is fine, unsure who stays at the tavern door)
coming to the intersection Nick sees a street market to his right, but knowing no blacksmith or tanner worth their weight would put up shop in a street market, he takes the left path deeper into the city. He constantly looks about for anyone matching the description for Dolan, as well as gets handsy with his invisible mage hand across the walls and stalls and pockets of passer-bys. He doesn’t steal anything, nor does he push anyone, but if someone were paying attention, really really really close attention, they would notice a series of random events like a splinter coming out of a wall here, or a dropped copper there, or a hand imprint in a cloth come and go… all these series of happenstance occurring within a bubble of 60ft of wherever Nick Nack walked.
he also listens for random rumors and comments, as you never know what piece of information is the true needle in the haystack.
Boyd listens to Nick's story in silence on the way to town. After listening to the whole thing he clears his throat, feeling the need to say something, but not sure what to say. Finally he awkwardly settles on, "Quite something, that." Then immediately after shakes his head as if thinking, now why'd you go and say something like that, Boyd?
To Nikita's question, Boyd responds, chuckling at the unintended slight, "Do I come off that bad, eh?" He clarifies, "Nah, I'm from Ensar, a smaller town down Cape Rhon. Only go to Monmurg when I have to; folk 'round there don't sit right with me. Too high strung, like everything and everyone's a threat... Well, to be fair, there is a lot of crime up Monmurg way. Still, makes for a bad atmosphere."
"What about you? Nikita, you said you was from up north, right? And Faila, you're not from around here, right? Not dressed for the weather, by the looks of it.... Nick?... Suppose you don't wanna talk about it...?"
Once they arrive in town, Boyd accepts role as the "least out of place one" and approaches the old man. He bends over and starts helping 'Handsome' pick up the pieces of his sign. "Cart come crashing through last night, eh? Crazy world we're livin' in, Procan protect us, when folks start coming through with no respect for anyone else." Boyd tuts and gives off 'what is the world coming to' energy. He finishes collecting all the pieces of sign and hands them over to the old man. "Boyd Nilsson" He says as way of introduction, and waits for the old man to introduce himself. "Carriage came through in the middle of night you say? Wouldn't be surprised if they was drunk. Well, hopefully the guards'll find em..."
Boyd looks around at the scene. If they were going through town so fast that they crashed into things, maybe something fell out of their carriage or broke off of it, which would help identify the culprits. He also takes note of which way the sign fragments were - looking for an indication of which way the carriage was travelling when it came through. Finally, he looks for some tracks to follow - fast travelling horses would leave deeper tracks.
((Would you prefer that we roll checks that we think we would need, or would you rather we wait to be prompted?))
Meresaa frowns and nods slowly. "Have you consulted Maud in this? Are they able to speak with us directly or have they been restricted to communicating with you alone? Were they involved in the summoning in some fashion or simply another unfortunate victim of your flippant arcane imprudence?" She pauses for a moment. "If neither of you can offer any further insight into the process or events you set in motion, I suppose we'll need to move on to this Illuminated Man for further questioning. Does he have a proper name or are we to refer to him by this... title...?" Blinking her huge, dark eyes once, she peers intensely at Claude, clearly not expecting any further discourse to prove helpful.
Ermasnietsz presses her lips together when Claude mentions the fact that all of the summoned adventurers have been in some sort of 'sticky situation'. She rubs the tip of her fingers on the surface of the golden insignia and finds the engraving matching the outline of a Wyrm. Not a Wyvern.... it could have been a Flying Snake too.... something that exposes her allegiance to the ideals of the Zhentarim.
She waits for Claude to respond to the question posed by Meressa before asking for more information.
Nikita shudders with revulsion. She attempts to burn and clean away the remaining pool of liquid with Prestidigitation.
"Is everyone all right? Yes I am ready to head into Saltmarsh proper." Back where I was at dawn just before being transported here!
"Shall we all go together?" she asks, looking questioningly to Boyd and Faila? "Or split the group again if you'd like to investigate further here?"
At a minimum, I will look for some warmer clothes for the young woman.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
As the group cautiously approaches the scene of the eldritch-blasted creatures, Faila seems to become alarmed at the smell, and then at the dead creatures themselves. Her face takes on the look of a hunted animal, eyes wide, panting a bit. It almost seems like the small, very human and relatable girl has changed into something else entirely. Anyone who looks too closely might notice that her teeth and nails have sharpened and elongated into deadly points. Yet she is not attacking anything, nor fighting anything but, perhaps herself. With a great struggle and concentrated effort her panting increases as she tries to bury the claws in her inadequate clothing under the cloak. She doesn't want to lose her new friends now... no matter how terrifying these otherworldly animals are.
But there's nothing to fight. They're dead. She keeps telling herself that, and, too many moments later, her features slowly return to normal and human. She looks tearfully at Nikita, wanting to go to town, and hoping no one noticed her indiscrete slip-up.
Nikita, when she finally tears her eyes away from the abomination they had just destroyed, notices Faila's change. And her fear. She tries to remember her time in the Welkwood, training. Her mentor had introduced her to a druid who... Nikita reaches out, fingertips fluttering, hesitating near Faila's shoulder. Wanting to give comfort, but afraid to touch, as she would be with a skittish animal.
I am no good at this. I have always been the youngest. The one most in need of comfort. But those friends are gone. Dead or worse.
In the end, it is her familiar, Thumbtack, that gently, briefly touches Faila's arm with her wing feathers. Nikita's voice is uncharacteristically strained. Halting.
"I... I think we are all afraid. Sometimes even of the same things." Of those awful aberrant eggs for certain. And Iuz and his lackeys for me. Boyd hastily exiting the hospice tent, seemingly at the thought of contagious sickness. Nick Nack loathe to lose ones he loves yet again. Who knows what this girl has been through.
"The fear, it... it can change you. It changes all of us, whether on the inside or on the... outside. In the end, the fear and the summoning may be the things we have in common. Please... please do not be unhappy. You were so brave in that tent. Come with us into town?"
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
When Claude mentions the influence of magical anomalies and environmental interference, Ermasnietsz suddenly becomes cautious. "The illuminated man"- she whispers to herself in such a way that the words bear the undertone of assumed accusation. Something or someone else is certainly involved with the mishap and it could be indirectly related to the disease too.
"Did you use any particular sort of components for the task? It can be scrolls and books from your personal collection.."- she uses the tips of her fingers to create tapping noise on the books stored inside the wagon.
"... a number of portraits, perhaps?"
Does Ermasnietsz suss out the titles of the books?
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
"Nikita's got the right of it, Faila." Boyd says, trying to be encouraging, "You did a good job getting straight to work in there. Did more than the rest of us could so."
Unlike Nikita, though, Boyd isn't so circumspect in his actions. He claps his palm onto her shoulder and gives her a friendly smile. "Come on, let's head into town and see what we can make of this place. Haven't been through here in years..."
Ermasnietsz - Please make a further Arcana check to attempt to discern more about the books/scrolls that Claude has collected.
"Com'po'nents?" Claude says questioningly, "Yeah, main thin' we used was a number o' The Illuminated Man's inks. They ain't no ordi'nary inks though 'e uses 'em for 'is tat'oos; they sparkle like gems. 'e also 'ad some special chalk 'e used to sketch th' circle."
"Was all pretty clever really, we teleported the leaflets a' random an' they was enchant'd to seek out an' teleport those tha' were in a sticky situ'ation. Y'got a couple-a spells at work there." Claude scratches absent-mindedly at the top of Maud's head, "They served as a one-way ticket, really."
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Nick pats off his clothes with his three hands (count ‘em, three) and makes sure he’s presentable, or at least his understanding of the term.
He don’t mind non-gnomes Per-say, but he reminds himself his quick trigger and instinct to grab what he wants must be controlled in city life, this isn’t a wander down a random forest or mountain path… Don’t wanna get thrown in jail or anything, not when he just got out of that wrecked cave of depression he was in merely a day ago…
“I don’t mind if someone else wants to lead, but imma start walkin’…. This-a-way!” Nick asserts firmly while pointing his now visible mage hand like an arrow towards downtown.
he begins to walk and observed the group forming around him. He’s certainly scared to use the word and all its connotations of responsibility and heart break, but for now at least, he allowes himself to think the word for just a brief moment…
‘family.’
Making sure that Faila is all right first and speaking with her further as appropriate, Nikita calls out to Nathaniel, Lady Isolde (if she is still there) and Hermos or any others nearby. She tells them that this portion of the party is going to continue the investigation in town and to let Meresaa and Ermasnietsz know in case they wonder where we went. She suspects Saltmarsh is small enough that the other two could find us after some looking and asking around.
She walks with Nick Nack (and she hopes, Boyd and Faila) towards town. She is new to Saltmarsh, but she does know where "The Faithful Quartermasters of Iuz" is, and she would try to avoid going near there. She is thinking the priorities are as follows (unless someone objects), though we likely won't get to all of them:
- Armory/Weaponsmith
- General Store
- Locate Thomas Dolan and talk to him.
- Locate Maureen Freyn and talk to her.
- Tavern to get general feel of town and possibly rumors before we dive in. (Should this be higher priority?).
- Temple of Procan (why won't they help?)
- Council Hall (same)
To Nick Nack, she risks opening what she suspects are floodgates:
"So... you died? I don't mean to pry, but you hardly seem shy about discussing it. Seems you had an experience a bit beyond the rest of us who were merely... transported." (Nikita is genuinely curious and sympathetic).
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Faila is visibly relieved and encouraged by the tender understanding of her new companions. She remembers that they've all had to face something terrifying together---being summoned to this place. Nothing about solving these illnesses and magical anomalies is going to be easy, but maybe that shared disruption will make it a little easier, together. She smiles at Nikita and Boyd, but the smile falters a bit and tears threaten again. They really haven't seen how much I can change, when things get bad. They really don't know... Faila sniffs and wipes her eyes. Maybe they won't ever need to. Maybe I can control it this time.
"Yes, I would like to come to town," she says, and accompanies Nick Nack, Nikita, and Boyd, glad to be part of the group. Though she is never quite sure what to buy... nice things always seem to get ruined one way or another.
Nick keeps walking but hears Nikita and thinks silently for a minute or so, not sure where to start, or if there was even an end…
…so he starts somewhere in the middle, “They always let me do my thing, but they never listened to me about anything… and then one day I came back from being away for awhile and the whole village was just… gone.”
”Like… I don’t wanna describe it in too much detail, but let’s just say that the things that should have been inside the builds, were thrown about the grounds… and things that should have been inside people’s bodies, were also strewn about… fire & blood & veracious & malicious.. the worst of existence. They must have not only killed them, but enjoyed it along the way.”
“that first night I sat in silence, until the moon came out and rushed me back into reality… though a sick joke of a reality it at times now seems.” It’s hard to tell when nick is talking to you and when he is just… talking.
“I noticed the moon shone on a trail of blood in the stone of our cavern, and I became determined to follow it. I think at first I was even following with the desire to join them, to somehow yell and compliant then to… be ended.” Nick checks to see if Nikita is even listening.
“But days turned into weeks and weeks into months, and the trail brought me deeper and deeper into the crevasses of the mountains. I was cold, and hungry, and in the brink, but something drove me and I knew, I wouldn’t die as long as I held whatever this feeling was. I was on a journey, my arrow of will pointed directly at the gates of death…”
Nick pauses for maybe 10-15 seconds, wondering how to explain the next part without going into too much details, for how do you explain the unexplainable?
“Each morning I awoke farther from whence I fell asleep, both more and more me, and also less and less me each time I closed my eyes. And one time I opened my eyes and I sat at this wall. Clean cut into the side of the cavern, simply an impossibly flat surface. But the trail had brought me here, and so this is where they went, whoever they were… Somehow into this wall.”
Nick lowers his voice as they approach the town and there begin to be people about the two of them, “and so I waited there, and I could swear to you as long as my eyes were closed that wall was a door to some other world, but each time I snuck a peak it was just a wall. I dunno, maybe I was seeing things… but if I was just seeing things, then I would have died there… and then one day I could have sworn I was staring at a gate of light, open to the cavern, though my eye was only opened a slit, and as I opened it further, the wall was stone again, but a pamphlet floated my way, landing within reach of my finger tips, if I only willed them to move…”
his eye roll reveals he is clearly skipping some details here that he will not divulge, but he continues and wraps up: “and so here I am, in this dreamland indinstinguishavle from life and death, fighting the forces of whatever that thing was earlier, walking next to Nikita, shooting force blasts left and right, pickin my nose with a magical extra appendage, and telling you a story about something noone’d ever ever believe!”
nick chuckles as he finishes, and silently turns back toward the street ahead, with a straight face declaring: “Let’s go spend some money.”
Nikita is listening. Though she doesn't follow. Not truly. She is silent for a time.
Eventually, quietly, she says: "I... My friends are also dead. Or turned against me. As to the rest, I won't patronize you by pretending I understand. It is as strange as anything I have ever heard. I can feel your loss, Nick Nack. Know that to us, you are fully alive and not dreaming."
But who were you talking to in the sky? Saying why don't you kill me now? Is it to the beings that went into the wall? The ones who gruesomely murdered your village? Why do you say they want to make you love people before ripping them away? I never could pinpoint when in the story you thought you actually died. But I know what Eldritch Blast signifies. There was a warlock in my coterie. And where there is a warlock, there is a patron...
But Nikita decides to leave these questions unasked for now.
To the group, she sighs, "truly there is so much strangeness in the world... in all worlds. In this world, I hope we can be friends. Ehlenestra knows, I would like to have friends again. Yes, let's go spend some money." She looks to Faila with a smile. "I have an item or two in mind that may suit the two of us girls, both in form and function. Perhaps our other rough and tumble friend here as well..."
She grins at the grizzled man. Much more familiar territory - though just a few years ago, he would have seemed nearly as strange to me as Nick Nack! Though after what I've just seen in the past few hours, I should not make assumptions.
"And you Boyd Nilsson? A Monmurg man, born and raised? Or a visitor? A dangerous place, I am told."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Arcana 8
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Knowledge from a Past Life: 3
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Nikita's passive Perception;
As you head with the others towards town you note that there are deep horse & carriage tracks where Nancy described; corroborating at least part of her story.
Ermasnietsz's Arcana check:
You peruse the books/scrolls Claude has collected. They are rudimentary, with limited understanding, at best. At worst, it is clear to any trained spellcaster, that they are incorrect. The more you check out Claude's story the more it appears that he is an amateur when it comes to his magical understanding; you are surprised that he would be capable of performing a spell of the magnitude required to bring you all to Saltmarsh.
Unless... could it be that the Illuminated Man was the brains behind the spell? Or perhaps they both just 'lucked out' and an external influence caused an otherwise failed spell to succeed.
You will need more information before coming to a conclusion.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Saltmarsh
You leave the Carnival to the South. Muddy fields turn into cobbled streets as you enter into the quaint fishing village; you get the sense that this was a once vibrant town, but now little more than a backwater. Traversing the streets you note that the locals (predominantly human with the occasional Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling) keep themselves to themselves and you feel like outsiders.
Otherwise, the mood of the townspeople seems positive, naive to the recent developments within the Carnival. A hardy-looking halfling woman boisterously declares that pickings had been good this morning and that they had a good haul overall, the gaunt-looking man she talks to merely shakes his head and complains about a poor catch.
"Mornin' Handsome!" a voice calls out from a nearby fisherman with a wave. You see that it is directed towards a grizzled old man; he is far from handsome, you believe the nickname must be intended with well-intentioned sarcasm. The man looks flustered but waves his greetings nonetheless, "Saint Cuthbert as me witness, who'er smashed me bleedin' sign will pay."
You see the old man begin to pick up pieces of splintered wood, from what you can make out it was once a freestanding sign for the establishment he is standing in front of, named The Ruddy Tankard. "Bleedin' carriage smash through it last night, I reckon," he declares as much to himself as to anyone else that would listen.
In front of you, the road bifurcates; to the left, a large bridge spans the river, to the right a small market stands.
DM Rolls:
19
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Nikita quietly tells the group of the following possible connection/clue:
- Nancy Carver had said of Esther and Billy's faceless kidnappers: They turned up in a carriage as black as night... They took Billy and Esther by surprise. I saw it because I retired to my tent early; I wasn't feeling too good, needed a lie-down. Billy tried to fight them, but he is only 14. They overpowered him and pushed him into the carriage and off they go, into the night.
- As we were leaving the Carnival, Nikita did notice deep horse and carriage tracks exactly where Nancy had described.
- Now it appears this gentleman ("Handsome") has had his sign smashed in the night, guessing at the cause: Bleedin' carriage smash through it last night, I reckon.
"Seems as if we should talk to 'Handsome' here and find out if he or others here know anything more about the carriage? Boyd, you want to do the honors? I think you may look the least out of place here."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
“You guys can stay here and deal with these tracks and that sign… I suspect it’s not a 4 man job, and I’m gonna head into town and see if I can’t run into This dashing and sailor bicep wielding Dolan.”
Nick is about to leave when Nikita stops him for a moment and hands him a pouch with 45 gold. “Something befitting… a lady”.
Nick counts the coin and almost gives it back, but suspects this chivalry would be refused. “light? But also good in a sticky situation?” He sees Nikita nod and her expression perk up, the corners of her eyes doing the smiling. he takes his leave and continues on with a mission now for two. (If one of the group is with me that is fine, unsure who stays at the tavern door)
coming to the intersection Nick sees a street market to his right, but knowing no blacksmith or tanner worth their weight would put up shop in a street market, he takes the left path deeper into the city. He constantly looks about for anyone matching the description for Dolan, as well as gets handsy with his invisible mage hand across the walls and stalls and pockets of passer-bys. He doesn’t steal anything, nor does he push anyone, but if someone were paying attention, really really really close attention, they would notice a series of random events like a splinter coming out of a wall here, or a dropped copper there, or a hand imprint in a cloth come and go… all these series of happenstance occurring within a bubble of 60ft of wherever Nick Nack walked.
he also listens for random rumors and comments, as you never know what piece of information is the true needle in the haystack.
22 Perception to see identify faces
7 Perception to hear rumors
24 investigation for his wandering mage hand
Boyd listens to Nick's story in silence on the way to town. After listening to the whole thing he clears his throat, feeling the need to say something, but not sure what to say. Finally he awkwardly settles on, "Quite something, that." Then immediately after shakes his head as if thinking, now why'd you go and say something like that, Boyd?
To Nikita's question, Boyd responds, chuckling at the unintended slight, "Do I come off that bad, eh?" He clarifies, "Nah, I'm from Ensar, a smaller town down Cape Rhon. Only go to Monmurg when I have to; folk 'round there don't sit right with me. Too high strung, like everything and everyone's a threat... Well, to be fair, there is a lot of crime up Monmurg way. Still, makes for a bad atmosphere."
"What about you? Nikita, you said you was from up north, right? And Faila, you're not from around here, right? Not dressed for the weather, by the looks of it.... Nick?... Suppose you don't wanna talk about it...?"
Once they arrive in town, Boyd accepts role as the "least out of place one" and approaches the old man. He bends over and starts helping 'Handsome' pick up the pieces of his sign. "Cart come crashing through last night, eh? Crazy world we're livin' in, Procan protect us, when folks start coming through with no respect for anyone else." Boyd tuts and gives off 'what is the world coming to' energy. He finishes collecting all the pieces of sign and hands them over to the old man. "Boyd Nilsson" He says as way of introduction, and waits for the old man to introduce himself. "Carriage came through in the middle of night you say? Wouldn't be surprised if they was drunk. Well, hopefully the guards'll find em..."
Boyd looks around at the scene. If they were going through town so fast that they crashed into things, maybe something fell out of their carriage or broke off of it, which would help identify the culprits. He also takes note of which way the sign fragments were - looking for an indication of which way the carriage was travelling when it came through. Finally, he looks for some tracks to follow - fast travelling horses would leave deeper tracks.
((Would you prefer that we roll checks that we think we would need, or would you rather we wait to be prompted?))
Meresaa frowns and nods slowly. "Have you consulted Maud in this? Are they able to speak with us directly or have they been restricted to communicating with you alone? Were they involved in the summoning in some fashion or simply another unfortunate victim of your flippant arcane imprudence?" She pauses for a moment. "If neither of you can offer any further insight into the process or events you set in motion, I suppose we'll need to move on to this Illuminated Man for further questioning. Does he have a proper name or are we to refer to him by this... title...?" Blinking her huge, dark eyes once, she peers intensely at Claude, clearly not expecting any further discourse to prove helpful.
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
Ermasnietsz presses her lips together when Claude mentions the fact that all of the summoned adventurers have been in some sort of 'sticky situation'. She rubs the tip of her fingers on the surface of the golden insignia and finds the engraving matching the outline of a Wyrm. Not a Wyvern.... it could have been a Flying Snake too.... something that exposes her allegiance to the ideals of the Zhentarim.
She waits for Claude to respond to the question posed by Meressa before asking for more information.
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer