Boyd - You get the strangest feeling that Lexi counts your blushing as a kind of personal triumph. Though she is deaf to what you whisper to Faila, she lets out a short, sharp laugh.
Nikita -
In Elvish, she explains to the Tree Knights, knowing Rosetta understands as well: "Hold her fast. She is of our world. A criminal."
Responding in Elvish, Rosetta smiles and says, "Aye, 'tis true enough. Ain't gonna hear no denial from me."
Back in Common: "Swing and a miss yourself, Rosetta. If Sedgwick was your employer, you do serve Iuz. Perhaps you just did not know it yet. So. Just a patsy after all? Do you enjoy being used?"Nikita walks up to Rosetta and calmly takes away the red-haired half-elf's cutlass.
Touching the cutlass, you are almost overwhelmed by a sense of dark foreboding, anger and hatred emanate from the blade; this weapon has been used for great evil. Souls scream out in pain, and you hear their suffering in your ears, yet the room remains unchanged. All the time, Rosetta keeps her eyes fixed on you. "Wha'sa'matter? Ain't never handled a cutlass afore?"she says, grinning.
"Used?"she allows herself another short, sharp laugh. "Depen's on who's doin'' the usin',"she winks once more at Boyd. "S'pose y'thought tha' might-a go' a rise outta me. Truth is, I couldn't care less if th' job pays. Le' th' religious care 'bout wha' is righ' an wron'. In this life we're all used... jus' I make sure I ge' paid, s'all."
"Word o' advice, I'd not keep usin' th' evil one's name... only ill can come o' it."
"We can get to Molloy soon. But why rush when you are right here. Captain without a crew." Nikita lingers on the phrase a moment. "Are you of the Sanguine Cabal? The Scarlet Brotherhood? Who else is? Who else helped you kidnap the children Esther Freyn and Billy from the Carnival? What of the 'singing doll' you used? What do you know of the portal and its defenses? And yes, what do you know of Molloy?"
"Look, I weren't born yes'erday. You're mos'ly good people, righ'? Like t' think yer better than th' likes o' me?" she starts, though she gives Ermasnietsz a weary look, suddenly unsure of her assumption. "I spill th' beans -- so t' speak -- an' you give me your word tha' you don' end me."
She winces as the Tree Knight maintains its grip on her shoulder. "Look, I'll give yer a coupla freebies. Sanguine Cabal? Yes. Scarlet Brotherhood? Ain't got no idea wha' yer talkin' 'bout. If yer mean tha' organisation wha' has eyes an' ears e'erywhere an' less scruples than... well le's jus' say, they ain't adverse t' usin' th' likes o' me... an' worse."
"As fer the kids an' Molloy, tha's informa'ion someone migh' take t' th' grave -- so t' speak. Well, unless y' give me y' word. Promise me, none of y' kill me -- not th' Trees, not th' orc, not th' silent one, not th' tentacled thin', not Blue, no one. Not even 'andsome over there." She winks and bites her lip at Boyd. "No one, y'unnerstan'? Do tha' an' I will sin' like-a bird."
"I don't think I even need to ask if you are a pirate. Hopefully a talkative pirate?"
"Who's t' say who th' real pirates are in this... Nah, y' got th' righ' of it. Guil'y as charged... an' I 'ave so many charges. More than y' can believe."
You get the sense that Lexi is incredibly hard to read; there is a lot of bravado but behind it, you feel that there is something more. Rosetta strikes you as being someone void of boundaries, truly chaotic and open to anything.
On the following topics:
She seems taken by Boyd and loves the fact that he showed what she perceived as a weakness. You understand that she is likely going to be a lot more open to a gentle approach than a strong/willful approach.
She is genuinely afraid of Iuz and her warnings were real.
She seems evasive regarding the Scarlet Brotherhood.
She is withholding information regarding her weapon, the nature of her wounds, and her capabilities.
You are certain that she is unconcerned about the morality of her actions.
She is serious when she states that she wants you to promise no attempt on her life will be made.
In addition to the above, you get an eerie sense that, other than when Iuz is mentioned, she is unusually calm and at ease for someone in her predicament.
Meresaa looks from Lexi to Nikita then to the rest of the group and smiles.
"I like this one," she says simply.
Taking a step back, she regards the pirate with head slightly cocked to one side for a protracted moment.
"Yes, I think that's a fair bargain. I can't speak for the others -- and the trees can't speak at all -- but I'll give you my word that, should you comply and give us the information we seek, I will not make an attempt on your life."
Looking to the group once more, she inquires, "Does that seem fair to the rest of you? Our venerable knights can answer in Nikita's chosen form of knocking once for yes, twice for no, etc. But, should she not resume violence, I see no reason for us to be the aggressors." She looks back down to Lexi. "That's not to say we have any measure of trust for you. You would remain appropriately bound and disarmed, of course." To the rest, she continues, "So I say we agree to her simple terms with the amendment that she not attack us or attempt to escape...while within our custody...and we see what sort of help her information can provide. Otherwise our options are to fight with her here and now, and I have no desire to fight anyone who is not hostile toward me, or leave her to fend for herself, which gains us nothing."
Nikita translates Meresaa's words for the Tree Knights and disarms Rosetta using her Mage Hand, searching for and also removing any other hidden weapons or items. She binds the pirate captain, taking special care with the hands to try to prevent any somatic spell-casting. Once the conversation is over (not yet), she will rip strips from her cloak to blindfold and gag the half-elf tightly as well.
"Aye. I'll not kill you unless you attack, endanger or sabotage me or mine."
She tries to think of where best to put the cutlass (and other confiscated items). Perhaps back in the Old Aerdy Treasure room we just left? Seems a secret that most do not know about or else the treasure would no longer be there...
The Tree Knight Captain, which had subsequently walked next to Nikita during discussions, struck once on its ancient armour; the resulting clanging piercing the otherwise tense silence.
Lexi lets out an overly dramatic sigh. "Well, I guess tha'll do,"she says. She clears her throat.
((I won't make you re-ask the questions...))
Who else is? Who else helped you kidnap the children Esther Freyn and Billy from the Carnival?
She smiles. "Sedgewick asked us t' take th' Carnival kids;didn't know their names, didn't care. He wan'ed t' scare 'em out of town. Th' whole thin' 'ad been a success for that Dolan fella. Sedgewick wan'ed us t' provoke the outsiders, play on loc'l tensions, tha' sorta thin'. They was jus' in th' wron' place a' the wron' time."
"There were three o' us. Sedgewick didn't wan' t' show 'is face -- for obvious reasons. Myself, y' know. Brinck, y' also know. Now wha' was th' name o' the last?" she asks playfully.
"Le' me take y' back, if y'will. Sedgewick were responsible f' all tha' Sanguine Cabal stuff. Bu' 'e needed 'elp, didn' 'e? Molloy were able t' ge' a ship thanks t' Dolan. Brinck 'ad connections -- one in particular; wealthy bloke, legit, y'know the sort. Truth is, Brinck knew 'im afore all tha' - smuggler, slaver, thug. No one in Sal'marsh knew... 'cept f' Brinck." Rosetta laughs to herself. "'e spen's mos' o' time strollin' 'round town wit' tha' cane o' 'is like 'e owns th' place... truth is, 'e does."
Looking around the party she smirks before continuing. "Qui'e a boon tha' was... gettin' a town council mem'er. 'course they still needed someone not afraid t' ge' stuff done, y'unnerstan? Tha's where I comes in -- me an' mine. We was th' less desirable side; shake down someone 'ere, threa'en someone there, kill an' dispose o' meddlin' sergeants if th' need-a-rises." This time, she looks directly at Boyd, "'specially those spot'ed talkin' t' folks they shouldn't."
"Anyways," Lexi teases, "tha' nigh' it were me, Brinck an' a name y' migh' 'ave come across -- Gellan Primewater. Miserable bloke bu' as eager as Sedgewick were tha' Crown plays no par' in shapin' Sal'marsh. Wit' 'im an' Brinck on th' town council, Sedgewick woulda 'ad free run o' the place."
"As for th' other organisation y'mention,"Rosetta's grin grows wide. "A tide is comin'. A tide o' red. A tide tha' will wash through this world, fore'er changing th' landscape. Y' won't escape it."
She drops her grin, looking blankly ahead. Her voice shifts, void of emotion, better spoken than before. "Brinck is not the only person who knew what Primewater was..." she trails off, her voice going soft. "Imagine. After all those years..."she stares at the ground, fiddling with her bindings. "Things could have been different. I have seen so much. Children taken from parents, parents from children. Slavers setting fire to ships off the coast of Monmurg, the glow glittering over the sea. Guards taking bribes and not always money. Many of these things and worse have been done at my hands or at my command."
Rosetta shakes her head. "Truth is. I was dead the moment I came to this cursed place." She looks at Meresaa directly in the eyes, "Make them pay, especially Primewater... make his name mud!" Turning onto her side, she looks at Boyd and smiles,"Bye gorgeous." The next second a loud crunch rings out as Lexi clenches her teeth. She slumps forward, blood pouring from her mouth, her eyes frozen wide.
Meresaa blinks several times. Her brow knits as she kneels to check for a pulse.
"This is such an odd place. What just happened?" she asks anyone who may have any insight. "Possession? A dropping of a facade? An external compulsion?"
She opens Lexi's mouth to see what could have caused the blood.
Meresaa - You ferret around Lexi's mouth and find tiny fragments of a glass mingled with the blood. Rooting deeper it would appear that there are a few teeth missing at the back left of her mouth. Your best guess is that she has died from poisoning: a few things could cause an instantaneous death if consumed from crushed black lotus petals to the secretions of a grung.
"She talked too much," grunts Toska. "Y' bes' be careful Meresaa, don't wanna ge' none o' tha' poison on y'."
From what it seems, Lexi Rosetta was not under the influence of magic (or possession) when she died. However, the sword you took from the pirate is almost certainly magical in nature. Beyond this, from how it acted before you are certain that it is an unholy artefact of some variety; making you ponder the question of whether the evil actions were caused by the individual or by some influence/byproduct of the weapon.
Either way, it seems like whatever bravado Lexi Rosetta showed ebbed away a little towards the end.
From what it seems, Lexi Rosetta was not under the influence of magic (or possession) when she died. However, that is not to say that her prior actions were in no way influenced. If anything, Lexi Rosetta appeared to be acting with more clarity towards the end of her life.
Certainly, you are left without a doubt that Lexi committed many evil acts throughout her life. How much of the act was the real person? It is ultimately impossible to tell.
What did seem to be real was her disdain for the man known as Gellan Primewater. You sense that her hatred ran deep, as though it was personal.
Nikita rocks back on her heels. She uses her Mage Hand to hold the vile cutlass at the full 30' range away from the party.
A small voice in my heart was ready to dismember Rosetta to make her 'safe'. What in Ehlonna's name is wrong with me? Have I grown so very afraid of everything? Or was that the cutlass warping me to its own ends as I think it warped her?
"Thank you," she murmurs sincerely to the Tree Knights in Elvish. "That last bit with the half-elf was not your fight and yet you aided us."
"I believe this awful cutlass to be beyond dangerous. I think it may have played a significant part in turning Rosetta into the monster of a cruel, ruthless pirate that she became. What do you think, Lady Meresaa? I believe we must dispose of the weapon. None of us should touch it."
She thinks a moment. "Perhaps conceal it in the Old Aerdy treasure horde for now? Clearly, that is a hidden place which no one has found for ages."
(She tries to confirm this allegation of the treasure room having been long secret and undisturbed with the Tree Knights in Elvish).
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Boyd recoils in disgust as the brutish yet coquettish pirate stares glassy-eyed up at him. He blinks, shakes his head, and looks away.
"Think that'll be revisiting me in my dreams..." He states lamentably. "In all my years, never seen anything quite like that."
"She was quite forthcoming at the end there. I don't like her anymore than you lot, but I think she was speakin' truth. No point in telling lies like that then..." He gestures to the corpse on the floor, which Meresaa is currently searching the mouth of.
"This place isn't right. Only bad things happen here. I think we ought to leave, unless you lot think it's worth poking around the upstairs."
"Speaking of..." Boyd tries to take his mind off the current events by looking around the destroyed observatory. Investigation: 15
While he's looking around he talks to Nikita. "You alright? I don't know this Iuz... thing... that you were talking about, but he sounds like he's up to no good. You need to talk about it?"
Nikita - After many, many minutes of explaining your plan to hide the weapon away in the old Aerdy vault and resulting yes/no chest pounds from the captain, you believe you have an answer to your question. The vault has been abandoned for many hundreds of years. If you had not stumbled upon it, quite by chance, then the Tree Knights would yet be guarding it. Though evasive at first, the captain is able to confirm that the vault expands further under the grounds and had many exit points (many of which are closed off); undoubtedly useful for the Aerdy military that had constructed the area.
Putting the distraction of Lexi Rosetta out of your mind you look around the devastated observatory. The first thing that jumps out at you is a large chest to the north of the room; the chest itself looks old (not ancient) but the padlock is new.
You feel like, given time, you would be able to pick the lock and access whatever might be inside.
((You can make a check using your lockpicking tools... I would let you "take 20" (auto-success) if you spend your downtime (a LR) attempting to open the chest.))
All - Quick question: the evening is currently drawing in, are you looking to continue on towards the portal or take a long rest? Without wishing to sway you either way, there are certain activities that you could be doing should you remain and rest within the observatory/Prospect. There is also the rest of the house to explore, should you wish to take that avenue.
Boyd surveys the area, and his still-keen eyes land on a dusty old trunk. "Well, well, well. Let's have a look in here, shall we?" He fishes for his lockpicks and gives the brand new lock a run for its money, hopefully popping it open after a few minutes of probing the tumblers.
Primewater. Rosetta, when under the cutlass' influence. Sedgwick most of all, serving 'His most Profane Eminence'. The Scarlet Brotherhood's 'red tide' that will wash over the land. These people. Killing and destroying lives for power and gain. How can one deal with such and not become vile oneself?
"For when you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss gazes back into you."
Hearing Boyd ask if she is all right, Nikita draws a shuddering breath. "I... I...No... Thank you, Boyd. No. I am not all right. I may never be. But I have my composure back. If the rest of you would rather press on to the portal, I am game, but I suggest at least a short rest."
"If one or two of you would accompany me back to the Old Aerdy treasure horde while Boyd unlocks the chest here, I can use my Mage Hand to carry and hide this unholy cutlass there. I think you are right, Boyd - once Rosetta was freed from the cutlass, she began to revert back to her old self, just before the end. A very dangerous blade and one that none of us should touch. And I do think Rosetta was right about something else. I should probably not be using the cambion lord's real name and nor should you. The one that Sedgwick served and called 'His Most Profane Eminence.'"
"In any case, as I said, a short rest might also let me re-summon Thumbtack and regain a bit of my magic. Perhaps some of the Tree Knights and Toska could nurse their wounds a bit. We could also rest longer if people wish, though I sense that the Sagacitas and the Tree Knights long for home and there is a chance the portal is becoming unstable. But as I said, I will go with what the group decides."
If the group does rest, Nikita will look for something that might serve in lieu of a brass brazier to use for one of her purchased sets of charcoal, incense and herbs to cast the Find Familiar again as a ritual (perhaps in the Aerdy treasure room?). If time permits, she also casts Detect Magic as a ritual on the area and contents of the chest. On a short rest, she will also focus on her Arcane Recovery to restore some of her magic.
Boyd - Your fingers are a blur as they work on the lock with unparalleled alacrity. Deftly feeling as each of the tumblers falls in place. In a matter of minutes, the lock unlatches and you are able to open the chest.
Looking inside you find a rather jumbled assortment of odds and ends, including:
Scribbled documents, maps, and an array of mathematical equations; the handwriting is scrawled and spider-like.
A colourful, decorated stick, no more than a couple of feet long. It makes a sound not too dissimilar to rainfall as you turn it on its end.
A clear vial containing strange sepia-coloured liquid.
A bunded grey cloak.
Several children's toys including a little silver whistle.
However, before you have time to properly take in the magnitude of your treasure hoard, you hear a shrill shrieking sound. It appears to be coming from a tiny toy replica of a scarecrow. Though it screams and shrieks, its body remains lifeless, sitting in the centre of the chest.
Nikita - The Tree Knights faithfully accompany you back to the Old Aerdy treasure horde. In fact, you find that the exit you left only a short while ago has fresh vegetation growing over it. Thankfully, the Tree Knights are precisely aware of where the exit lies. Your mage hand, in the meanwhile, bobs along through the air, ensuring that no direct contact is being made with the artefact as it goes.
You are easily able to find the relevant materials for your find familiar. Thumbtack, once resummoned, eyes you contemptuously, given she has already perished twice in as many days! She hunches her wings and hops from side to side to emphasise the point.
Boyd pulls everything out of the chest one-by-one, only giving it a cursory glance as he sets it on a nearby table... until he gets to the screaming scarecrow. "Auurrghh!" He recoils in disgust after beholding the tatty little homunculus laying a the bottom of the dusty old chest. He tosses the loot back into the coffer to appease the little blighter and shuts the lid, but leaves it unlocked.
"Mandrake." He explains to his party. "Mother told me all about 'em. Make yer ears bleed. Give you the runs, if you eat 'em." He turns to Meresaa and Ermanietsz. "Looked like there might be some magicky stuff in there, if you're interested. Paper with school scribblings and a bottle of brown water. Just gotta plug our ears first, unless you know another way."
In the Old Aerdy treasure horde, Nikita attempts to find a place that is obscure, hidden among all the other valuables, to place the cutlass with her Mage Hand. She considers taking ten minutes to perform the Identify ritual on it first but, perhaps fatefully, can't bring herself to do so.
Thanking the Tree Knights in Elvish and explaining what she's done, she returns with them to the Observatory, wishing she knew the Prestidigitation cantrip to help remove the soiled feeling she has from the evil weapon and from Sedgwick and Rosetta. Once back to the Observatory, depending on how long the party is planning to stop, Nikita takes her time, potentially casting two rituals in succession (ten minutes each):
- Unseen Servant: to help her set things up for casting the other rituals, but also to help tend to anyone else that needs mundane help with anything. Including holding the items from the chest if that becomes necessary. (Ritual casting it again at the end of any rest).
- Find Familiar: when she sees Thumbtack's demeanor, Nikita humbly communicates with the owl telepathically. You and I have long hunted together and you've known the dangers... we've just dealt with a servant of... you know who. If you tire of this service or wish me to not send you into such danger, you know that with me, all you need to is ask and I will not compel you. She unpacks and eats ration, offering the best part of the meat to the bird.
Nikita would like to cast Identify on the items that Boyd has found, but she knows that doing so would require owl feathers, which she very much does not want to ask Thumbtack for at the moment, and a pearl worth one hundred gold, which she certainly does not have. She chastises herself for her lack of preparation. Lady Isolde rewarded you with more than enough funds. The least you could do was buy the expensive components for your spells!
(Which reminds her... concentrating on her training and arcane discipline, she works through her mental exercises and relaxes - Arcane Recovery).
"What say you all? Rest for the night or continue on to the portal after a shorter rest? Are there any immediate threats or time limits we know of that would force us to move earlier rather than later?" (In Common, Telepathic to the Sagacitas and in Elvish to the Tree Knights as a yes/no question).
Realising the need for rest, the party (along with its varied array of allies) take a brief break before continuing on. Thumbtack, still a little upset, seems to soften when Nikita relays her message and readily accepts the offered meats. In the meanwhile, Nikita's unseen servant safely removes unique items from the chest, except for the screaming miniature scarecrow, which it quickly shuts back away in an attempt to stop the noise.
"Y'aint gonna be trus'in no weird i'ems locked up in dis place, are ya?" Toska asks Boyd after he lists the items found within the chest. "If s'up t' me, I'd-a burn 'em," she says with a shrug. She does, however, look incredibly relieved by the fact that the party is stopping to rest. Finding a clearer part of the blood-caked room, she lays down and gains some much-needed sleep.
The Sagacitas, quiet since its recent growth, bounds around outside and rubs itself up and down a nearby tree; happiness and joy psychically emanating from it. On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, the Tree Knights allow themselves no time for rest; not that they would need it should they wish to partake in downtime. At their captain's command, they slowly walk/shuffle patrol routes around the exterior of the observatory, wooden limbs cradling their thorny swords.
Otherwise, the short rest passes uneventfully. An hour goes by and everyone feels a lot more refreshed. As the evening begins to draw to a close, the light begins to fail, casting everything in eerie shadows.
Boyd answers Toska, "Hrm. Suppose you're right..." He looks sadly at the possible loot being extracted from the chest by Nikita's unseen servant. He's still not at ease with things seemingly floating through the air on their own, but Nikita promised him it was just a regular spell. "I know. I'll let these magic ladies tell me if it's safe or not. They seem to understand how all this works - and if they say it's safe, then we may have some more money on our hands."
Despite the onslaught of healing spells, Boyd still feels in need of a little lie down. He steps out into the backyard and enjoys the last rays of light before they turn into misty sunbeams passing through the finger-like trees. It's then that Boyd stands up, stretches, and rejoins his party. "Well, where to now? I know we've got to get to this portal, but I'm a mite worried about not securing this manor in case Nick Nack and O'Toole come back here." He hesitates saying O'Toole's name, since Rosie implied that she killed him.
Nikita is ready to have her Unseen Servant present the items from the chest if anyone would like to try to understand them better (though she cannot blame them for not wanting to!). However, knowing Meresaa's lifelong study of planar portals, Nikita has the scribbled documents, maps and mathematical equations brought over to the tall blue lady, pointing out parts of it, perhaps the mathematics, that might be decipherable.
"Do you think this might have to do with understanding the portal or some other phenomenon here, my lady??"
(help on any Investigation that Meresaa does on the documents, maps and equations.)
During the rest, Nikita herself attempts to examine the bundled gray cloak, having heard tell of magic items such as a Cloak of Elvenkind. Seeing Boyd's uncertainty, she confides in the grizzled man, "you and Toska ar right to be worried about these items. In truth, I do not know if they are safe. Perhaps we put them back in the chest. My magic here is just to avoid touching them, as I also avoided with Rosetta's cutlass which may have corrupted the pirate's mind and heart. I think you must have also caught what she implied there about taking care of 'meddling sergeants'?"
As to whether to secure the mansion first or proceed directly to the portal, Nikita puts the question to the Tree Knight Captain in Elvish and to the Sagacitas telepathically, not wishing to ask too much of their new and strange allies:
"My companions are considering whether to secure this mansion as best we can first before proceeding to the portal. You belong past the portal. But for us, we will have to return here, and when we do, we would like to minimize the risk of returning to an unexpected threat. You have already done much for us, so I ask not as coercion but rather simply to gauge your willingness. Would you join us in this task before we go to the portal?"
Boyd - You get the strangest feeling that Lexi counts your blushing as a kind of personal triumph. Though she is deaf to what you whisper to Faila, she lets out a short, sharp laugh.
Nikita -
Responding in Elvish, Rosetta smiles and says, "Aye, 'tis true enough. Ain't gonna hear no denial from me."
Touching the cutlass, you are almost overwhelmed by a sense of dark foreboding, anger and hatred emanate from the blade; this weapon has been used for great evil. Souls scream out in pain, and you hear their suffering in your ears, yet the room remains unchanged. All the time, Rosetta keeps her eyes fixed on you. "Wha'sa'matter? Ain't never handled a cutlass afore?" she says, grinning.
"Used?" she allows herself another short, sharp laugh. "Depen's on who's doin'' the usin'," she winks once more at Boyd. "S'pose y'thought tha' might-a go' a rise outta me. Truth is, I couldn't care less if th' job pays. Le' th' religious care 'bout wha' is righ' an wron'. In this life we're all used... jus' I make sure I ge' paid, s'all."
"Word o' advice, I'd not keep usin' th' evil one's name... only ill can come o' it."
"Look, I weren't born yes'erday. You're mos'ly good people, righ'? Like t' think yer better than th' likes o' me?" she starts, though she gives Ermasnietsz a weary look, suddenly unsure of her assumption. "I spill th' beans -- so t' speak -- an' you give me your word tha' you don' end me."
She winces as the Tree Knight maintains its grip on her shoulder. "Look, I'll give yer a coupla freebies. Sanguine Cabal? Yes. Scarlet Brotherhood? Ain't got no idea wha' yer talkin' 'bout. If yer mean tha' organisation wha' has eyes an' ears e'erywhere an' less scruples than... well le's jus' say, they ain't adverse t' usin' th' likes o' me... an' worse."
"As fer the kids an' Molloy, tha's informa'ion someone migh' take t' th' grave -- so t' speak. Well, unless y' give me y' word. Promise me, none of y' kill me -- not th' Trees, not th' orc, not th' silent one, not th' tentacled thin', not Blue, no one. Not even 'andsome over there." She winks and bites her lip at Boyd. "No one, y'unnerstan'? Do tha' an' I will sin' like-a bird."
"Who's t' say who th' real pirates are in this... Nah, y' got th' righ' of it. Guil'y as charged... an' I 'ave so many charges. More than y' can believe."
Nikita's Insight check:
((Nice rolling!))
You get the sense that Lexi is incredibly hard to read; there is a lot of bravado but behind it, you feel that there is something more. Rosetta strikes you as being someone void of boundaries, truly chaotic and open to anything.
On the following topics:
In addition to the above, you get an eerie sense that, other than when Iuz is mentioned, she is unusually calm and at ease for someone in her predicament.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Meresaa looks from Lexi to Nikita then to the rest of the group and smiles.
"I like this one," she says simply.
Taking a step back, she regards the pirate with head slightly cocked to one side for a protracted moment.
"Yes, I think that's a fair bargain. I can't speak for the others -- and the trees can't speak at all -- but I'll give you my word that, should you comply and give us the information we seek, I will not make an attempt on your life."
Looking to the group once more, she inquires, "Does that seem fair to the rest of you? Our venerable knights can answer in Nikita's chosen form of knocking once for yes, twice for no, etc. But, should she not resume violence, I see no reason for us to be the aggressors." She looks back down to Lexi. "That's not to say we have any measure of trust for you. You would remain appropriately bound and disarmed, of course." To the rest, she continues, "So I say we agree to her simple terms with the amendment that she not attack us or attempt to escape...while within our custody...and we see what sort of help her information can provide. Otherwise our options are to fight with her here and now, and I have no desire to fight anyone who is not hostile toward me, or leave her to fend for herself, which gains us nothing."
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
Nikita translates Meresaa's words for the Tree Knights and disarms Rosetta using her Mage Hand, searching for and also removing any other hidden weapons or items. She binds the pirate captain, taking special care with the hands to try to prevent any somatic spell-casting. Once the conversation is over (not yet), she will rip strips from her cloak to blindfold and gag the half-elf tightly as well.
"Aye. I'll not kill you unless you attack, endanger or sabotage me or mine."
She tries to think of where best to put the cutlass (and other confiscated items). Perhaps back in the Old Aerdy Treasure room we just left? Seems a secret that most do not know about or else the treasure would no longer be there...
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
The Tree Knight Captain, which had subsequently walked next to Nikita during discussions, struck once on its ancient armour; the resulting clanging piercing the otherwise tense silence.
Lexi lets out an overly dramatic sigh. "Well, I guess tha'll do," she says. She clears her throat.
((I won't make you re-ask the questions...))
She smiles. "Sedgewick asked us t' take th' Carnival kids; didn't know their names, didn't care. He wan'ed t' scare 'em out of town. Th' whole thin' 'ad been a success for that Dolan fella. Sedgewick wan'ed us t' provoke the outsiders, play on loc'l tensions, tha' sorta thin'. They was jus' in th' wron' place a' the wron' time."
"There were three o' us. Sedgewick didn't wan' t' show 'is face -- for obvious reasons. Myself, y' know. Brinck, y' also know. Now wha' was th' name o' the last?" she asks playfully.
"Le' me take y' back, if y'will. Sedgewick were responsible f' all tha' Sanguine Cabal stuff. Bu' 'e needed 'elp, didn' 'e? Molloy were able t' ge' a ship thanks t' Dolan. Brinck 'ad connections -- one in particular; wealthy bloke, legit, y'know the sort. Truth is, Brinck knew 'im afore all tha' - smuggler, slaver, thug. No one in Sal'marsh knew... 'cept f' Brinck." Rosetta laughs to herself. "'e spen's mos' o' time strollin' 'round town wit' tha' cane o' 'is like 'e owns th' place... truth is, 'e does."
Looking around the party she smirks before continuing. "Qui'e a boon tha' was... gettin' a town council mem'er. 'course they still needed someone not afraid t' ge' stuff done, y'unnerstan? Tha's where I comes in -- me an' mine. We was th' less desirable side; shake down someone 'ere, threa'en someone there, kill an' dispose o' meddlin' sergeants if th' need-a-rises." This time, she looks directly at Boyd, "'specially those spot'ed talkin' t' folks they shouldn't."
"Anyways," Lexi teases, "tha' nigh' it were me, Brinck an' a name y' migh' 'ave come across -- Gellan Primewater. Miserable bloke bu' as eager as Sedgewick were tha' Crown plays no par' in shapin' Sal'marsh. Wit' 'im an' Brinck on th' town council, Sedgewick woulda 'ad free run o' the place."
"As for th' other organisation y'mention," Rosetta's grin grows wide. "A tide is comin'. A tide o' red. A tide tha' will wash through this world, fore'er changing th' landscape. Y' won't escape it."
She drops her grin, looking blankly ahead. Her voice shifts, void of emotion, better spoken than before. "Brinck is not the only person who knew what Primewater was..." she trails off, her voice going soft. "Imagine. After all those years..." she stares at the ground, fiddling with her bindings. "Things could have been different. I have seen so much. Children taken from parents, parents from children. Slavers setting fire to ships off the coast of Monmurg, the glow glittering over the sea. Guards taking bribes and not always money. Many of these things and worse have been done at my hands or at my command."
Rosetta shakes her head. "Truth is. I was dead the moment I came to this cursed place." She looks at Meresaa directly in the eyes, "Make them pay, especially Primewater... make his name mud!" Turning onto her side, she looks at Boyd and smiles, "Bye gorgeous." The next second a loud crunch rings out as Lexi clenches her teeth. She slumps forward, blood pouring from her mouth, her eyes frozen wide.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Meresaa blinks several times. Her brow knits as she kneels to check for a pulse.
"This is such an odd place. What just happened?" she asks anyone who may have any insight. "Possession? A dropping of a facade? An external compulsion?"
She opens Lexi's mouth to see what could have caused the blood.
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
Meresaa - You ferret around Lexi's mouth and find tiny fragments of a glass mingled with the blood. Rooting deeper it would appear that there are a few teeth missing at the back left of her mouth. Your best guess is that she has died from poisoning: a few things could cause an instantaneous death if consumed from crushed black lotus petals to the secretions of a grung.
"She talked too much," grunts Toska. "Y' bes' be careful Meresaa, don't wanna ge' none o' tha' poison on y'."
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Nikita Arcana to attempt to identify what might just have happened: 16
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
Meresaa's arcana check for the same: 27 (campaign roller + Tireless Precision 1d4)
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
Nikita's Arcana check:
From what it seems, Lexi Rosetta was not under the influence of magic (or possession) when she died. However, the sword you took from the pirate is almost certainly magical in nature. Beyond this, from how it acted before you are certain that it is an unholy artefact of some variety; making you ponder the question of whether the evil actions were caused by the individual or by some influence/byproduct of the weapon.
Either way, it seems like whatever bravado Lexi Rosetta showed ebbed away a little towards the end.
Meresaa's Arcana (+ a little Insight) check:
From what it seems, Lexi Rosetta was not under the influence of magic (or possession) when she died. However, that is not to say that her prior actions were in no way influenced. If anything, Lexi Rosetta appeared to be acting with more clarity towards the end of her life.
Certainly, you are left without a doubt that Lexi committed many evil acts throughout her life. How much of the act was the real person? It is ultimately impossible to tell.
What did seem to be real was her disdain for the man known as Gellan Primewater. You sense that her hatred ran deep, as though it was personal.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Nikita rocks back on her heels. She uses her Mage Hand to hold the vile cutlass at the full 30' range away from the party.
A small voice in my heart was ready to dismember Rosetta to make her 'safe'. What in Ehlonna's name is wrong with me? Have I grown so very afraid of everything? Or was that the cutlass warping me to its own ends as I think it warped her?
"Thank you," she murmurs sincerely to the Tree Knights in Elvish. "That last bit with the half-elf was not your fight and yet you aided us."
"I believe this awful cutlass to be beyond dangerous. I think it may have played a significant part in turning Rosetta into the monster of a cruel, ruthless pirate that she became. What do you think, Lady Meresaa? I believe we must dispose of the weapon. None of us should touch it."
She thinks a moment. "Perhaps conceal it in the Old Aerdy treasure horde for now? Clearly, that is a hidden place which no one has found for ages."
(She tries to confirm this allegation of the treasure room having been long secret and undisturbed with the Tree Knights in Elvish).
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
Boyd recoils in disgust as the brutish yet coquettish pirate stares glassy-eyed up at him. He blinks, shakes his head, and looks away.
"Think that'll be revisiting me in my dreams..." He states lamentably. "In all my years, never seen anything quite like that."
"She was quite forthcoming at the end there. I don't like her anymore than you lot, but I think she was speakin' truth. No point in telling lies like that then..." He gestures to the corpse on the floor, which Meresaa is currently searching the mouth of.
"This place isn't right. Only bad things happen here. I think we ought to leave, unless you lot think it's worth poking around the upstairs."
"Speaking of..." Boyd tries to take his mind off the current events by looking around the destroyed observatory. Investigation: 15
While he's looking around he talks to Nikita. "You alright? I don't know this Iuz... thing... that you were talking about, but he sounds like he's up to no good. You need to talk about it?"
Nikita - After many, many minutes of explaining your plan to hide the weapon away in the old Aerdy vault and resulting yes/no chest pounds from the captain, you believe you have an answer to your question. The vault has been abandoned for many hundreds of years. If you had not stumbled upon it, quite by chance, then the Tree Knights would yet be guarding it. Though evasive at first, the captain is able to confirm that the vault expands further under the grounds and had many exit points (many of which are closed off); undoubtedly useful for the Aerdy military that had constructed the area.
Boyd's Investigation check:
Putting the distraction of Lexi Rosetta out of your mind you look around the devastated observatory. The first thing that jumps out at you is a large chest to the north of the room; the chest itself looks old (not ancient) but the padlock is new.
You feel like, given time, you would be able to pick the lock and access whatever might be inside.
((You can make a check using your lockpicking tools... I would let you "take 20" (auto-success) if you spend your downtime (a LR) attempting to open the chest.))
All - Quick question: the evening is currently drawing in, are you looking to continue on towards the portal or take a long rest? Without wishing to sway you either way, there are certain activities that you could be doing should you remain and rest within the observatory/Prospect. There is also the rest of the house to explore, should you wish to take that avenue.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Thieves' Tools: 21 (in game log)
Boyd surveys the area, and his still-keen eyes land on a dusty old trunk. "Well, well, well. Let's have a look in here, shall we?" He fishes for his lockpicks and gives the brand new lock a run for its money, hopefully popping it open after a few minutes of probing the tumblers.
Primewater. Rosetta, when under the cutlass' influence. Sedgwick most of all, serving 'His most Profane Eminence'. The Scarlet Brotherhood's 'red tide' that will wash over the land. These people. Killing and destroying lives for power and gain. How can one deal with such and not become vile oneself?
"For when you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss gazes back into you."
Hearing Boyd ask if she is all right, Nikita draws a shuddering breath. "I... I...No... Thank you, Boyd. No. I am not all right. I may never be. But I have my composure back. If the rest of you would rather press on to the portal, I am game, but I suggest at least a short rest."
"If one or two of you would accompany me back to the Old Aerdy treasure horde while Boyd unlocks the chest here, I can use my Mage Hand to carry and hide this unholy cutlass there. I think you are right, Boyd - once Rosetta was freed from the cutlass, she began to revert back to her old self, just before the end. A very dangerous blade and one that none of us should touch. And I do think Rosetta was right about something else. I should probably not be using the cambion lord's real name and nor should you. The one that Sedgwick served and called 'His Most Profane Eminence.'"
"In any case, as I said, a short rest might also let me re-summon Thumbtack and regain a bit of my magic. Perhaps some of the Tree Knights and Toska could nurse their wounds a bit. We could also rest longer if people wish, though I sense that the Sagacitas and the Tree Knights long for home and there is a chance the portal is becoming unstable. But as I said, I will go with what the group decides."
If the group does rest, Nikita will look for something that might serve in lieu of a brass brazier to use for one of her purchased sets of charcoal, incense and herbs to cast the Find Familiar again as a ritual (perhaps in the Aerdy treasure room?). If time permits, she also casts Detect Magic as a ritual on the area and contents of the chest. On a short rest, she will also focus on her Arcane Recovery to restore some of her magic.
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
Boyd - Your fingers are a blur as they work on the lock with unparalleled alacrity. Deftly feeling as each of the tumblers falls in place. In a matter of minutes, the lock unlatches and you are able to open the chest.
Looking inside you find a rather jumbled assortment of odds and ends, including:
However, before you have time to properly take in the magnitude of your treasure hoard, you hear a shrill shrieking sound. It appears to be coming from a tiny toy replica of a scarecrow. Though it screams and shrieks, its body remains lifeless, sitting in the centre of the chest.
Nikita - The Tree Knights faithfully accompany you back to the Old Aerdy treasure horde. In fact, you find that the exit you left only a short while ago has fresh vegetation growing over it. Thankfully, the Tree Knights are precisely aware of where the exit lies. Your mage hand, in the meanwhile, bobs along through the air, ensuring that no direct contact is being made with the artefact as it goes.
You are easily able to find the relevant materials for your find familiar. Thumbtack, once resummoned, eyes you contemptuously, given she has already perished twice in as many days! She hunches her wings and hops from side to side to emphasise the point.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Boyd pulls everything out of the chest one-by-one, only giving it a cursory glance as he sets it on a nearby table... until he gets to the screaming scarecrow. "Auurrghh!" He recoils in disgust after beholding the tatty little homunculus laying a the bottom of the dusty old chest. He tosses the loot back into the coffer to appease the little blighter and shuts the lid, but leaves it unlocked.
"Mandrake." He explains to his party. "Mother told me all about 'em. Make yer ears bleed. Give you the runs, if you eat 'em." He turns to Meresaa and Ermanietsz. "Looked like there might be some magicky stuff in there, if you're interested. Paper with school scribblings and a bottle of brown water. Just gotta plug our ears first, unless you know another way."
In the Old Aerdy treasure horde, Nikita attempts to find a place that is obscure, hidden among all the other valuables, to place the cutlass with her Mage Hand. She considers taking ten minutes to perform the Identify ritual on it first but, perhaps fatefully, can't bring herself to do so.
Thanking the Tree Knights in Elvish and explaining what she's done, she returns with them to the Observatory, wishing she knew the Prestidigitation cantrip to help remove the soiled feeling she has from the evil weapon and from Sedgwick and Rosetta. Once back to the Observatory, depending on how long the party is planning to stop, Nikita takes her time, potentially casting two rituals in succession (ten minutes each):
- Unseen Servant: to help her set things up for casting the other rituals, but also to help tend to anyone else that needs mundane help with anything. Including holding the items from the chest if that becomes necessary. (Ritual casting it again at the end of any rest).
- Find Familiar: when she sees Thumbtack's demeanor, Nikita humbly communicates with the owl telepathically. You and I have long hunted together and you've known the dangers... we've just dealt with a servant of... you know who. If you tire of this service or wish me to not send you into such danger, you know that with me, all you need to is ask and I will not compel you. She unpacks and eats ration, offering the best part of the meat to the bird.
Nikita would like to cast Identify on the items that Boyd has found, but she knows that doing so would require owl feathers, which she very much does not want to ask Thumbtack for at the moment, and a pearl worth one hundred gold, which she certainly does not have. She chastises herself for her lack of preparation. Lady Isolde rewarded you with more than enough funds. The least you could do was buy the expensive components for your spells!
(Which reminds her... concentrating on her training and arcane discipline, she works through her mental exercises and relaxes - Arcane Recovery).
"What say you all? Rest for the night or continue on to the portal after a shorter rest? Are there any immediate threats or time limits we know of that would force us to move earlier rather than later?" (In Common, Telepathic to the Sagacitas and in Elvish to the Tree Knights as a yes/no question).
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
Late Evening - Day 3 - Short Rest!
Realising the need for rest, the party (along with its varied array of allies) take a brief break before continuing on. Thumbtack, still a little upset, seems to soften when Nikita relays her message and readily accepts the offered meats. In the meanwhile, Nikita's unseen servant safely removes unique items from the chest, except for the screaming miniature scarecrow, which it quickly shuts back away in an attempt to stop the noise.
"Y'aint gonna be trus'in no weird i'ems locked up in dis place, are ya?" Toska asks Boyd after he lists the items found within the chest. "If s'up t' me, I'd-a burn 'em," she says with a shrug. She does, however, look incredibly relieved by the fact that the party is stopping to rest. Finding a clearer part of the blood-caked room, she lays down and gains some much-needed sleep.
The Sagacitas, quiet since its recent growth, bounds around outside and rubs itself up and down a nearby tree; happiness and joy psychically emanating from it. On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, the Tree Knights allow themselves no time for rest; not that they would need it should they wish to partake in downtime. At their captain's command, they slowly walk/shuffle patrol routes around the exterior of the observatory, wooden limbs cradling their thorny swords.
Otherwise, the short rest passes uneventfully. An hour goes by and everyone feels a lot more refreshed. As the evening begins to draw to a close, the light begins to fail, casting everything in eerie shadows.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Boyd answers Toska, "Hrm. Suppose you're right..." He looks sadly at the possible loot being extracted from the chest by Nikita's unseen servant. He's still not at ease with things seemingly floating through the air on their own, but Nikita promised him it was just a regular spell. "I know. I'll let these magic ladies tell me if it's safe or not. They seem to understand how all this works - and if they say it's safe, then we may have some more money on our hands."
Despite the onslaught of healing spells, Boyd still feels in need of a little lie down. He steps out into the backyard and enjoys the last rays of light before they turn into misty sunbeams passing through the finger-like trees. It's then that Boyd stands up, stretches, and rejoins his party. "Well, where to now? I know we've got to get to this portal, but I'm a mite worried about not securing this manor in case Nick Nack and O'Toole come back here." He hesitates saying O'Toole's name, since Rosie implied that she killed him.
Nikita is ready to have her Unseen Servant present the items from the chest if anyone would like to try to understand them better (though she cannot blame them for not wanting to!). However, knowing Meresaa's lifelong study of planar portals, Nikita has the scribbled documents, maps and mathematical equations brought over to the tall blue lady, pointing out parts of it, perhaps the mathematics, that might be decipherable.
"Do you think this might have to do with understanding the portal or some other phenomenon here, my lady??"
(help on any Investigation that Meresaa does on the documents, maps and equations.)
During the rest, Nikita herself attempts to examine the bundled gray cloak, having heard tell of magic items such as a Cloak of Elvenkind. Seeing Boyd's uncertainty, she confides in the grizzled man, "you and Toska ar right to be worried about these items. In truth, I do not know if they are safe. Perhaps we put them back in the chest. My magic here is just to avoid touching them, as I also avoided with Rosetta's cutlass which may have corrupted the pirate's mind and heart. I think you must have also caught what she implied there about taking care of 'meddling sergeants'?"
As to whether to secure the mansion first or proceed directly to the portal, Nikita puts the question to the Tree Knight Captain in Elvish and to the Sagacitas telepathically, not wishing to ask too much of their new and strange allies:
"My companions are considering whether to secure this mansion as best we can first before proceeding to the portal. You belong past the portal. But for us, we will have to return here, and when we do, we would like to minimize the risk of returning to an unexpected threat. You have already done much for us, so I ask not as coercion but rather simply to gauge your willingness. Would you join us in this task before we go to the portal?"
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