After finishing her talk with professor Rothstein, Nikita reluctantly agrees to take a break for lunch and perhaps a drink, whether at the weekly market or back at the Carnival.
(Note: Nikita still has a couple unresolved follow-up questions she asked Rothstein, above).
Ermasnietsz makes an educated guess to discern the fact that Meresaa might be willing to set up a temporary laboratory. The proposal reminds her of something traumatic. She should seem like a gloomy person but the expression on her face resembles the emotional state of an exhausted soul.
"We had better hurry up and spend our time in a useful task. And for determining the species of the parasitical creature, we'll need a sample."
She uses her wand to give one of the creatures an experimental prod.
Meresaa smiles and regards Ermasnietz with an unexpected intensity. "We have all the samples we need, child. Anything that can be determined from a physical examination will be made known in short order." She continues to look around the space for any of the things she'll need, not waiting for Nathaniel's response, fingers twitching a bit with anticipation.
As Nick loudly makes known the state of his stomach, Faila finds herself continuing to look down the bridge back towards the Carnival. She nods in agreement with Boyd. "I don't want to go without Meressa and Erma,"she says, "and I want to see if Nancy has got those eggs in her stomach too. We can look quickly, and then we can eat." Despite herself, her stomach growls like a ferocious wild animal, causing a few beads of sweat to appear on her forehead.
Nick rolls his eyes, but waits for the group. “Watch, you’all gonna ruin your appetite playin with those worms, I’m tellin yah!”
he starts a rant on the way the space worms are probably squishy and Ooze and bite and make gross noises, and he’s making gross faces while he explains, and imitates throw-up sounds (while his mage hand pretends to hold his hair back) … and then he begins dry heaving cause something flew into his throat… and all this in an effort to explain how one loses their appetite when something is gross.
…Then Nick stands up all proper and gives everyone a big smile.
Nikita - "A doll?"Rothstein says with uncertainty. "Not that I am aware. Most of her work was concerned with the idea that there are parallel worlds, or planes of existence, other than our own. It was highly theoretical, you understand, but her research was not without merit. It was a shock to many when she left the academy."
"She is in her mid-thirties, quite small, slight, with dark red hair and pale blue eyes. Please, if you find any information on her whereabouts, keep me informed."the Professor says.
((Rothstein provides you with his address within Saltmarsh))
Meresaa - Nathaniel sighs, "I am afraid I only have limited equipment. The Temple has more resources, but I obviously do not have access to them." He drops his voice a little, "I have an old acquaintance there, Dr Cavendish, she's the one that provided this equipment." His hands wave over the medical tent, "not sure she was supposed to do that."
You are able to find basic medical tools; including scalpels, tongs, gloves. Rudimentary but serviceable.
Ermasnietsz - You prod the creature with your wand and it begins to emit a low glow. The glow then extends up your wand and into your arm. Panicking at first, you move to break the connection. However, rather than having a negative effect, you start to feel renewed and rejuvenated. The purple sheen on the lamprey-creature begins to diminish, turning it more of a grey colour. ((Gain Inspiration - you feel fantastic!))
Boyd, Faila, Nick & Nikita - It takes you roughly 10 minutes to reach the Carnival from the Dwarven Anvil. As you enter the medical tent you find Ermasnietsz and Meresaa in discussions with Nathaniel. A young lad, in his early teens, sleeps on a bed to the left of the entrance. Nancy sleeps in a bed to the right. It seems like discussions revolve around a number of the creatures they have managed to remove from Billy.
Ermasnietsz conceals her expression and attempts to hide the fact that she's feeling rejuvenated by the connection. She carefully removes the glove of her ghostly hand and grabs the parasitical creature. Is she trying to infect herself deliberately?
Helping herself to a scalpel, Meresaa looks back to the lampreys. "What are you...? No, wait!" She runs back with a tray or plate in hand for Ermasnietz to drop the creature onto. "Why would you pick it up with your bare hand? You saw what it did to Billy. That's reckless and..." she trails off, seeing a gleam in her companion's eye and not knowing what it means.
Nick sits down and picks his nose with his mage hand, contemplating how big of a booger would be it’s maximum pickability capacity…
”over the rivers and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go…” nick sings in Gnomish under his breath and bobs his head back and forth, as he awaits the others for a dinner meal and refreshments. He wonders what chaos will follow them from their respective realms, and whether saltmarsh is some type of vortex of villainy or merely circumstance.
Faila arrives back at the Carnival medical tent with the others, and smiles at first, glad to see Meresaa and Erma there. But the smile quickly fades into an expression of terror as she sees the worms. "Oh no,"she cries. "There ARE more!"
Ermasnietsz - You pick up the squirming creature in your hand, it feels slippery to the touch and smells like spiced vomit. You attempt to avoid the sharp barbs along the creature's body - please make a dexterity saving throw. Otherwise, you feel no ill effects from picking up the creature.
Meresaa - Nathaniel responds with equal levels of disbelief and certainty. "What are you doing? Have you lost your senses?" he yells at Ermasnietsz.
Nick Nack - As you are singing you become keenly aware that many people, especially from the Carnival, are able to understand Gnomish.
Faila - You arrive at the tent to see that there are not only more creatures, but that Ermasnietz is currently holding one in her hand. "Of course!" Nathaniel says, "if these things infected both Billy and Harold. Nancy must..." He rushes over to Nancy in time to spot her clutching at her stomach.
DM rolls:
18
8
2
"Gods!"Nathaniel curses as he feels Nancy's stomach, "she's infested!" As you draw closer you see that Nancy's stomach seems to be teeming with the lamprey-like creatures just under her flesh.
Boyd looks like h's going to be sick. He puts a hand up to his mouth and steps out of the tent. He looks sweaty for a few minutes, despite the day's coolth, but eventually he recovers. He notably remains outside the tent.
Eventually he decides to wander off to Nancy's tent, looking for anything dropped in the grass during the abduction. He follows the tracks out a bit for a while, but doesn't stray far - he knows where they lead.
Nikita feels her gorge rising at the sight of the strange aberrant creatures in multiple locations. She attempts to tamp down the beginnings of panic, having no idea what Ermasnietsz is doing. She considers trying to use Shape Water as she did before to encase the creatures in ice, or Mage Hand to brush them away from anyone, an urge that grows even stronger as she sees Boyd depart. Instead, trying to keep her voice calm, she addresses Meresaa:
"My lady. What is happening here? We had removed and destroyed identical eggs and aberrant creatures from the corpse of Harold before leaving for town. There is necrotic magic emanating from them."
To Faila, she will urgently whisper: "It is normal to be repulsed by them. Do not be ashamed by your own reaction. I feel much the same, though my body does not react to it quite as yours does."
Faila's breath is raspy, and her teeth are starting to look a little pointy. She stares at Nancy, muttering back to Nikita, "She has them too, I should have checked..." but her voice sounds more like a growl than like her normal voice.
Then she rushes over to Nathaniel and Nancy, reaching out towards the woman's stomach. Deadly claws have sprouted from her fingers with Primal Savagery and she snatches and claws at the worms in Nancy's stomach, in a frenzy, trying to both kill them and remove them at the same time.
"My lady. What is happening here? We had removed and destroyed identical eggs and aberrant creatures from the corpse of Harold before leaving for town. There is necrotic magic emanating from them."
"Nathaniel removed these from Billy's abdomen and I was about to begin an examination of the creatures." Meresaa looks up at the healer's call, just starting to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together. At Faila's outburst, she drops what she's doing and rushes toward Nancy's bed shouting "Faila, no!"
Clearly not getting there fast enough, Meresaa throws her long, thin arms into the air, robe sleeves flapping, and screams, "EVERYONE PLEASE STOP!!"
She looks around the group, panting, heart racing. "You're all acting on impulse and more likely to worsen the problem than to help. Ermasnietsz, you're handling the blasted thing without knowing what it does or if it will infect you. Nikita, you say you destroyed several of these this morning. Did you find out what they are or what they're capable of before disposing of them? Faila's more likely to kill poor Nancy than the creatures inside her. And Mr. Nack just wants to blow things up rather than complete our task... What are we doing here?? We were asked to find the root of this sickness and, hopefully, a cure. We can't do that if we continue destroying the samples and killing the patients! I see you've been out shopping with your advance pay. I hope you were able to gather useful information along the way..."
The tall, blue woman blinks hard and heaves a sigh, attempting to regain her composure. She continues in her usual soft, measured voice. "I'm sorry. We must be careful and we must be methodical in dealing with such a dangerous unknown threat. Please try to control yourselves. Nathaniel was able to safely remove them from Billy and I would hope he could've with Nancy as well. Oh... We found Billy and might have a lead on where young Esther is, if anyone's interested."
She shakes her head slightly and turns back toward the worms she was hoping to slowly eviscerate. For science, of course.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ermasnietsz: Dexterity Saving Throw x Sharp Barbs: 5 (Rolled in gamelog)
Ermasnietsz responds to Nathaniel and Meresaa by saying: "Don't worry, I rarely get infections. Even if I get infected, the outcomes will be mild."
She watches the feral transformation of her druid companion and attempts to grapple her before she can reach her target. "Let's keep your hands clean, Faila. You need professionals to remove the worms or kill the victim, whatever you intend to do."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Boyd - Investigation check please. Are you only looking around her tent or also inside?
Ermasnietz - Unfortunately, as the creature squirms one of its barbs catches your bare skin. Dealing4piercing damage. What are you doing with the creature as you move to grapple Faila?
Faila - Opposed grapple roll please - either a dexterity or a strength check (DC 13 - based on Ermasnietsz's total). If you succeed you successfully plunge your claws into the chest of the sick, vulnerable Nancy Carver.
DM rolls:
7, 14
All - As everyone is panicking over the revelation that Nancy is currently infested with what appears to be multiple parasites, Nathaniel moves to get the tray containing the creatures taken from Billy. "Wait?! Didn't I remove three of the creatures from Billy? Ermasnietsz has one, there is one in the tray..." he pales, "what happened to the last?"
After finishing her talk with professor Rothstein, Nikita reluctantly agrees to take a break for lunch and perhaps a drink, whether at the weekly market or back at the Carnival.
(Note: Nikita still has a couple unresolved follow-up questions she asked Rothstein, above).
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
Ermasnietsz makes an educated guess to discern the fact that Meresaa might be willing to set up a temporary laboratory. The proposal reminds her of something traumatic. She should seem like a gloomy person but the expression on her face resembles the emotional state of an exhausted soul.
"We had better hurry up and spend our time in a useful task. And for determining the species of the parasitical creature, we'll need a sample."
She uses her wand to give one of the creatures an experimental prod.
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
Meresaa smiles and regards Ermasnietz with an unexpected intensity. "We have all the samples we need, child. Anything that can be determined from a physical examination will be made known in short order." She continues to look around the space for any of the things she'll need, not waiting for Nathaniel's response, fingers twitching a bit with anticipation.
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
As Nick loudly makes known the state of his stomach, Faila finds herself continuing to look down the bridge back towards the Carnival. She nods in agreement with Boyd. "I don't want to go without Meressa and Erma," she says, "and I want to see if Nancy has got those eggs in her stomach too. We can look quickly, and then we can eat." Despite herself, her stomach growls like a ferocious wild animal, causing a few beads of sweat to appear on her forehead.
Nick rolls his eyes, but waits for the group. “Watch, you’all gonna ruin your appetite playin with those worms, I’m tellin yah!”
he starts a rant on the way the space worms are probably squishy and Ooze and bite and make gross noises, and he’s making gross faces while he explains, and imitates throw-up sounds (while his mage hand pretends to hold his hair back) … and then he begins dry heaving cause something flew into his throat… and all this in an effort to explain how one loses their appetite when something is gross.
…Then Nick stands up all proper and gives everyone a big smile.
Faila can't help giggling at Nick's antics. "If it's that bad, then this is better than throwing our lunch up if we go see them afterwards."
Nikita - "A doll?" Rothstein says with uncertainty. "Not that I am aware. Most of her work was concerned with the idea that there are parallel worlds, or planes of existence, other than our own. It was highly theoretical, you understand, but her research was not without merit. It was a shock to many when she left the academy."
"She is in her mid-thirties, quite small, slight, with dark red hair and pale blue eyes. Please, if you find any information on her whereabouts, keep me informed." the Professor says.
((Rothstein provides you with his address within Saltmarsh))
Meresaa - Nathaniel sighs, "I am afraid I only have limited equipment. The Temple has more resources, but I obviously do not have access to them." He drops his voice a little, "I have an old acquaintance there, Dr Cavendish, she's the one that provided this equipment." His hands wave over the medical tent, "not sure she was supposed to do that."
You are able to find basic medical tools; including scalpels, tongs, gloves. Rudimentary but serviceable.
Ermasnietsz - You prod the creature with your wand and it begins to emit a low glow. The glow then extends up your wand and into your arm. Panicking at first, you move to break the connection. However, rather than having a negative effect, you start to feel renewed and rejuvenated. The purple sheen on the lamprey-creature begins to diminish, turning it more of a grey colour. ((Gain Inspiration - you feel fantastic!))
Boyd, Faila, Nick & Nikita - It takes you roughly 10 minutes to reach the Carnival from the Dwarven Anvil. As you enter the medical tent you find Ermasnietsz and Meresaa in discussions with Nathaniel. A young lad, in his early teens, sleeps on a bed to the left of the entrance. Nancy sleeps in a bed to the right. It seems like discussions revolve around a number of the creatures they have managed to remove from Billy.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Ermasnietsz conceals her expression and attempts to hide the fact that she's feeling rejuvenated by the connection. She carefully removes the glove of her ghostly hand and grabs the parasitical creature. Is she trying to infect herself deliberately?
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
Helping herself to a scalpel, Meresaa looks back to the lampreys. "What are you...? No, wait!" She runs back with a tray or plate in hand for Ermasnietz to drop the creature onto. "Why would you pick it up with your bare hand? You saw what it did to Billy. That's reckless and..." she trails off, seeing a gleam in her companion's eye and not knowing what it means.
"Are...you ok?"
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
Nick sits down and picks his nose with his mage hand, contemplating how big of a booger would be it’s maximum pickability capacity…
”over the rivers and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go…” nick sings in Gnomish under his breath and bobs his head back and forth, as he awaits the others for a dinner meal and refreshments. He wonders what chaos will follow them from their respective realms, and whether saltmarsh is some type of vortex of villainy or merely circumstance.
Faila arrives back at the Carnival medical tent with the others, and smiles at first, glad to see Meresaa and Erma there. But the smile quickly fades into an expression of terror as she sees the worms. "Oh no," she cries. "There ARE more!"
Ermasnietsz - You pick up the squirming creature in your hand, it feels slippery to the touch and smells like spiced vomit. You attempt to avoid the sharp barbs along the creature's body - please make a dexterity saving throw. Otherwise, you feel no ill effects from picking up the creature.
Meresaa - Nathaniel responds with equal levels of disbelief and certainty. "What are you doing? Have you lost your senses?" he yells at Ermasnietsz.
Nick Nack - As you are singing you become keenly aware that many people, especially from the Carnival, are able to understand Gnomish.
Faila - You arrive at the tent to see that there are not only more creatures, but that Ermasnietz is currently holding one in her hand. "Of course!" Nathaniel says, "if these things infected both Billy and Harold. Nancy must..." He rushes over to Nancy in time to spot her clutching at her stomach.
DM rolls:
18
8
2
"Gods!" Nathaniel curses as he feels Nancy's stomach, "she's infested!" As you draw closer you see that Nancy's stomach seems to be teeming with the lamprey-like creatures just under her flesh.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Boyd looks like h's going to be sick. He puts a hand up to his mouth and steps out of the tent. He looks sweaty for a few minutes, despite the day's coolth, but eventually he recovers. He notably remains outside the tent.
Eventually he decides to wander off to Nancy's tent, looking for anything dropped in the grass during the abduction. He follows the tracks out a bit for a while, but doesn't stray far - he knows where they lead.
Nikita feels her gorge rising at the sight of the strange aberrant creatures in multiple locations. She attempts to tamp down the beginnings of panic, having no idea what Ermasnietsz is doing. She considers trying to use Shape Water as she did before to encase the creatures in ice, or Mage Hand to brush them away from anyone, an urge that grows even stronger as she sees Boyd depart. Instead, trying to keep her voice calm, she addresses Meresaa:
"My lady. What is happening here? We had removed and destroyed identical eggs and aberrant creatures from the corpse of Harold before leaving for town. There is necrotic magic emanating from them."
To Faila, she will urgently whisper: "It is normal to be repulsed by them. Do not be ashamed by your own reaction. I feel much the same, though my body does not react to it quite as yours does."
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
“Lemme at ‘em, lemme at ‘em…
…from 120ft away of course” nick starts backing up, thinking I don’t wanna be at the carnival anymore.
he uses his telekinetic mage hand to visible block the direct sight line between himself and the worm.
Faila's breath is raspy, and her teeth are starting to look a little pointy. She stares at Nancy, muttering back to Nikita, "She has them too, I should have checked..." but her voice sounds more like a growl than like her normal voice.
Then she rushes over to Nathaniel and Nancy, reaching out towards the woman's stomach. Deadly claws have sprouted from her fingers with Primal Savagery and she snatches and claws at the worms in Nancy's stomach, in a frenzy, trying to both kill them and remove them at the same time.
"Nathaniel removed these from Billy's abdomen and I was about to begin an examination of the creatures." Meresaa looks up at the healer's call, just starting to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together. At Faila's outburst, she drops what she's doing and rushes toward Nancy's bed shouting "Faila, no!"
Clearly not getting there fast enough, Meresaa throws her long, thin arms into the air, robe sleeves flapping, and screams, "EVERYONE PLEASE STOP!!"
She looks around the group, panting, heart racing. "You're all acting on impulse and more likely to worsen the problem than to help. Ermasnietsz, you're handling the blasted thing without knowing what it does or if it will infect you. Nikita, you say you destroyed several of these this morning. Did you find out what they are or what they're capable of before disposing of them? Faila's more likely to kill poor Nancy than the creatures inside her. And Mr. Nack just wants to blow things up rather than complete our task... What are we doing here?? We were asked to find the root of this sickness and, hopefully, a cure. We can't do that if we continue destroying the samples and killing the patients! I see you've been out shopping with your advance pay. I hope you were able to gather useful information along the way..."
The tall, blue woman blinks hard and heaves a sigh, attempting to regain her composure. She continues in her usual soft, measured voice. "I'm sorry. We must be careful and we must be methodical in dealing with such a dangerous unknown threat. Please try to control yourselves. Nathaniel was able to safely remove them from Billy and I would hope he could've with Nancy as well. Oh... We found Billy and might have a lead on where young Esther is, if anyone's interested."
She shakes her head slightly and turns back toward the worms she was hoping to slowly eviscerate. For science, of course.
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
Ermasnietsz: Dexterity Saving Throw x Sharp Barbs: 5 (Rolled in gamelog)
Ermasnietsz responds to Nathaniel and Meresaa by saying: "Don't worry, I rarely get infections. Even if I get infected, the outcomes will be mild."
She watches the feral transformation of her druid companion and attempts to grapple her before she can reach her target. "Let's keep your hands clean, Faila. You need professionals to remove the worms or kill the victim, whatever you intend to do."
Athletics 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
Ermasnietsz: Additional Athletics Score (Knowledge from the Past Life) 5+ 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
Boyd - Investigation check please. Are you only looking around her tent or also inside?
Ermasnietz - Unfortunately, as the creature squirms one of its barbs catches your bare skin. Dealing 4 piercing damage. What are you doing with the creature as you move to grapple Faila?
Faila - Opposed grapple roll please - either a dexterity or a strength check (DC 13 - based on Ermasnietsz's total). If you succeed you successfully plunge your claws into the chest of the sick, vulnerable Nancy Carver.
DM rolls:
7, 14
All - As everyone is panicking over the revelation that Nancy is currently infested with what appears to be multiple parasites, Nathaniel moves to get the tray containing the creatures taken from Billy. "Wait?! Didn't I remove three of the creatures from Billy? Ermasnietsz has one, there is one in the tray..." he pales, "what happened to the last?"
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)