Bones looks incredulously at the captain. "By the Gods man! A boy was just abducted from your ship and that's all you have to say about it? Where are his family - who traveled with him? Speak up man, don't you think they'll want to know what happened to their child you callous bastard!"
"How should I know the boy had contraband!? I don't go through everyone's affects when the come on board! He was alone as far as I know. Said his name was Elvren and he needed to get back up to the far reaches of Eiselcross as soon as possible. That's all I know, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to drink this memory away for a bit. I can't waste time worryin' now about his fate, we have a ways to go yet. And I'm not the only captain this has happened to."
Bones' expression becomes one of humility. He approaches the captain, and places a hand on his shoulder. "Apologies sir. I was out of line." He pulls out a flask of Gnomish whiskey. "Here, let's go below and have a drink, calm the nerves. You're right of course, the ship must get back underway."
The captain nodded at Bones and beckoned Cade down too as the ship began to rock and pick up speed once more. Sitting down at a table in his quarters he took a long drink and wiped his face. "Other captains, aye. But not all stowaways. The rumors are all the same though: this lady shows up screamin' about her crystals or somethin', and eventually someone on the ship seems to have one. She takes them and the gem or whatever onto her ship and disappears. At least a dozen people have gone missing since last year over this."
(I'm moving the story along, if you want to add anything during the rest of the boat trip feel free to add it in your next post)
The rest of the trip is thankfully uneventful, reaching Syrinlya on the 9th day about mid-afternoon.
The temperature has steadily dropped since you left Palebank Village, yet it seems to grow colder still as you step off the ramp of the Remorhaz onto Foren. Through windy snow, you can see fur-lined tents and yurts arranged in a large camp. Campfires are whipped by the wind, with dwarves and elves huddled close to the flames.
“Don’t worry! It’ll cool down here eventually!” a joking voice bellows over the snow. A female dwarf with a shaggy mane of unkempt hair bows to you. “Morgo Delwur at your service. Welcome to Eiselcross!”
Cade tightens his hood as he steps of the boat. When the dwarf greets him, he raises his left hand, packed in a thick mitten. “Greetin’s Morgo and well met. We are lookin’ for one Orvo Mustave.” He grins. “And some food and shel’er, too.”
Bones thanks the captain, and gifts him the remainder of his whiskey flask. "Until next time, sir. Permission to disembark?" Once granted, he makes his way down the gangplank, also extending greetings to Morgo once she introduces herself. "Morgo, have there been any strange deaths about? Such that a person becomes frozen blue and solid?"
Morgo waves your group on with her as she starts heading into the settlement. Morgo gestures to the groups of dwarves and elves huddled and chatting around campfires. “They’re planning expeditions to find Aeor’s lost treasures,” she says. “That’s what this whole place is about. If you ain’t exploring, you ain’t banking gold.”
The dwarf stops in front of a large fur-lined yurt. “You can stay here. Belonged to a fool rich elf named Bertron who came here looking for adventure. He found the inside of a saber-toothed tiger instead. Should be some food and the like in there. It’s yours now.”
Morgo then looks at Bones with a grimmer face. "Solid blue and cold? Sounds like the Frigid Woe to me. But I haven't seen anyone here lately with it. Why do you ask? Terrible affliction it is."
(Gellwin, this suddenly reminds you of your encounter with the blue vials a while ago, and as you look down at yourself, you see small blue streaks beginning to form here and there around your body...)
“Thank ye, Morgo. We are in your debt. If I may ask, what is your role ‘ere in this..” Cade looks around and then, for a lack of a better idea continues “…town?”
Morgo gets a smile back on her face, "Aye just another explorer like most of the rest of us! I suppose you could say I like to keep watch over us while the professor is off on one of his own expeditions, but nothing official really. Work on the honor system we do! Watch each other's backs and all that."
Gellwin smiles as he looks down, it is fitting....he cares little if it claims him but he is adamant that the children must be saved and their parents as well as long as they can find enough of the cure.
He moves across to the Doc and whispers, " You wanted a patient for your studies on the disease, I think I've found one."
Morgo nods and ushers the group into the tent. The sound of wind and the biting cold die down as you enter the yurt. A cold fire pit marks the center of the hide-covered floor. An open crate containing packaged rations and a few other items stands next to the door.
"Professor Gulrim Shalebrow. Works for Queen Fruunast of Uthodurn as I recall. He's usually off on his own expeditions though. Anything else I can do for you all?"
"Morgo, first please tell me everything you personally know about the Frigid Woe, then please tell me who is the expert on it in these parts." Bones pulls out a small journal, quill and ink.
(( With Gellwin's revelation...))
"By the Gods man! If you're afflicted, it is possible - almost likely - we all are. I'll need to do a complete workup on you. Apologies, but if you're serious about helping... it'll require me to examine all of you periodically to track the rates of change." Bones will explain to Gellwin what kinds of information would be useful. Even tiny changes to normal body functions, or shifts in ability, to be recorded day-by-day. The examinations will be the full body, in private of course.
Bones will gather as much information, and as detailed as possible, from Morgo. Then ask the others to give him and Gellwin twenty minutes of privacy for the exam. Bones also suggests, once done, everyone be examined in case they are experiencing changes they hadn't noticed yet. Including himself.
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Bones looks incredulously at the captain. "By the Gods man! A boy was just abducted from your ship and that's all you have to say about it? Where are his family - who traveled with him? Speak up man, don't you think they'll want to know what happened to their child you callous bastard!"
"How should I know the boy had contraband!? I don't go through everyone's affects when the come on board! He was alone as far as I know. Said his name was Elvren and he needed to get back up to the far reaches of Eiselcross as soon as possible. That's all I know, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to drink this memory away for a bit. I can't waste time worryin' now about his fate, we have a ways to go yet. And I'm not the only captain this has happened to."
Bones' expression becomes one of humility. He approaches the captain, and places a hand on his shoulder. "Apologies sir. I was out of line." He pulls out a flask of Gnomish whiskey. "Here, let's go below and have a drink, calm the nerves. You're right of course, the ship must get back underway."
Petros pushes past the captain and stumbles below deck saying “Well if you all don’t mind, I’ll be laying down somewhere. I don’t feel very good.”
Cade puts his sword away and scratches his head. Then he shrugs and heads downstairs to join Bones and the captain for a drink.
“Ye said that happened to other captains? Ye mean that other stoaways with them there mysterious gems were abducted?”
The captain nodded at Bones and beckoned Cade down too as the ship began to rock and pick up speed once more. Sitting down at a table in his quarters he took a long drink and wiped his face. "Other captains, aye. But not all stowaways. The rumors are all the same though: this lady shows up screamin' about her crystals or somethin', and eventually someone on the ship seems to have one. She takes them and the gem or whatever onto her ship and disappears. At least a dozen people have gone missing since last year over this."
Gellwin shivered, " Lets spend as little time up here as necessary......seems nothing but death comes out of those ruins."
“Aye” Cade nods and takes another drink. Then he looks at Bones. “The lady is sufferin’ from a curse, perhaps?”
(I'm moving the story along, if you want to add anything during the rest of the boat trip feel free to add it in your next post)
Cade tightens his hood as he steps of the boat. When the dwarf greets him, he raises his left hand, packed in a thick mitten. “Greetin’s Morgo and well met. We are lookin’ for one Orvo Mustave.” He grins. “And some food and shel’er, too.”
" And we are in quite a hurry.", Gellwin ventured.
Bones thanks the captain, and gifts him the remainder of his whiskey flask. "Until next time, sir. Permission to disembark?" Once granted, he makes his way down the gangplank, also extending greetings to Morgo once she introduces herself. "Morgo, have there been any strange deaths about? Such that a person becomes frozen blue and solid?"
Morgo then looks at Bones with a grimmer face. "Solid blue and cold? Sounds like the Frigid Woe to me. But I haven't seen anyone here lately with it. Why do you ask? Terrible affliction it is."
(Gellwin, this suddenly reminds you of your encounter with the blue vials a while ago, and as you look down at yourself, you see small blue streaks beginning to form here and there around your body...)
“Thank ye, Morgo. We are in your debt. If I may ask, what is your role ‘ere in this..” Cade looks around and then, for a lack of a better idea continues “…town?”
Morgo gets a smile back on her face, "Aye just another explorer like most of the rest of us! I suppose you could say I like to keep watch over us while the professor is off on one of his own expeditions, but nothing official really. Work on the honor system we do! Watch each other's backs and all that."
Gellwin smiles as he looks down, it is fitting....he cares little if it claims him but he is adamant that the children must be saved and their parents as well as long as they can find enough of the cure.
He moves across to the Doc and whispers, " You wanted a patient for your studies on the disease, I think I've found one."
“The professor?” Cade inquires.
Morgo nods and ushers the group into the tent. The sound of wind and the biting cold die down as you enter the yurt. A cold fire pit marks the center of the hide-covered floor. An open crate containing packaged rations and a few other items stands next to the door.
"Professor Gulrim Shalebrow. Works for Queen Fruunast of Uthodurn as I recall. He's usually off on his own expeditions though. Anything else I can do for you all?"
"Morgo, first please tell me everything you personally know about the Frigid Woe, then please tell me who is the expert on it in these parts." Bones pulls out a small journal, quill and ink.
(( With Gellwin's revelation...))
"By the Gods man! If you're afflicted, it is possible - almost likely - we all are. I'll need to do a complete workup on you. Apologies, but if you're serious about helping... it'll require me to examine all of you periodically to track the rates of change." Bones will explain to Gellwin what kinds of information would be useful. Even tiny changes to normal body functions, or shifts in ability, to be recorded day-by-day. The examinations will be the full body, in private of course.
Bones will gather as much information, and as detailed as possible, from Morgo. Then ask the others to give him and Gellwin twenty minutes of privacy for the exam. Bones also suggests, once done, everyone be examined in case they are experiencing changes they hadn't noticed yet. Including himself.