Heroes of Augera - campaign thread

Thurodim smiles at Ghurr's misunderstanding but sees no reason to try to explain. "We just killed a two-headed troll last night, we're used to goriness." He says plainly, following the mayor over to the temple. "Tarwen took Valleron's heart. Killer takes hearts. Don't think it's a coincidence. If we can't find killer maybe we should visit that tower." He rumbles, then waiting for someone to come to the door.

As they wait for the door to be answered, "Why did you bring us here.. strong stomachs?  Can you at least let us prepare as to what you're about to show us?  Also, we've heard everywhere from five to twenty victims.. can you help narrow down that number?"  Faera looks at the mayor quizzically, unsure what to think of the halfing.

A feeling of disappointment washed over Ilithir as they arrived to help Ghurr. The merchant from which the gentle giant had purchased one pie too many had already left. The elf had hoped to speak with the man, ask him the questions made when the party first met with Landgrave. Regretting his tardiness, the silver haired man carried his part of the desserts.

It didn’t take long to arrive on the mayor’s house and the statue on the way there raised on him the same suspicions that Thurodim voiced. Ritual, necromancers, killing. It all seemed to fit quite well together. Almost too well. Maybe the culprit was the former hero or maybe the culprit was trying to mislead investigators using her history.

Ilithir was less than pleased with Blackbarrel’s reaction to Ghurr, a thing he was starting to expect would become more common. It matters not, he said with the voice of his mind. Not as long the big guy himself is not bothered.

“We are interested in confirming not only the numbers, but any details you are certain to have about the victims.” He spoke soon after Faera. “Their sex, age, race, size and line of work, estimated time of death.” The elf said reminding everything he asked back at Irma. “When did the first kill happen and how regularly have new bodies been found? In what kind of place the bodies were discovered?”

The Mayor looks up at Thurodim, fully twice his height, and frowns, his frustration momentarily taking away his nervousness. "I do hope you're not suggesting that Tarwen is responsible for this catastrophe. She was our saviour! Her memory is tied up with the identity of this town. Look," he shows you the tiny brass or bronze hand that hangs around his neck. "This was bequeathed by Tarwen to the Mayor of Hazelwatch, as the turn was called then, and we have all worn it, right from Jabeth Sourwind all the way to me. It is how we honour her, and I will not hear her name tarnished, you understand?"

Breathing a little heavily he continues, "As for why we are here, if Othri ever lets us in I am taking you to see the bodies. The Temple are preparing them for burial. Gods forbid the number should reach twenty! It currently stands at eight, and that is bad enough. The first body was found the morning of 24th Phiarta." (You will know that this is just under 3 weeks ago.)

The door in front of you creaks open to reveal a woman of average height. Her skin is earthen, the colour of soil after rain, and her hair is a golden brown, braided so that it resembles ears of wheat - you would recognise her as a variety of earth genasi. She wears brown priest's robes over a green tunic - the robes bear the same symbol you saw on the front of the Temple.

"Finally," mutters Blackbarrel. "Othri, Commander Landgrave has sent these adventurers to deal with whatever is killing the townsfolk. I thought perhaps they should view the... the  remains." 

"I see," says the woman. "However they are not all prepared for burial yet, the more recently deceased are still in quite a state of, um, disrepair, shall we say." 

"Apparently they slew a troll just last night, so I think they'll be fine," the Mayor insists.

Othri nods sympathetically, and gestures for you all to follow her. On the brink of entering, the Mayor pauses. "Actually, uh, I think I will leave this to you Othri. When you're done could you show them out the front please. I need to lock up again before nightfall." And he hovers by the door until you have all passed through, then briskly walks back to the door to his own house.

As you walk down a stone lined corridor the woman explains "My name is Othri Jomal, Pastoral Cleric of Chauntea. Dear Johan, I hope you can forgive his manner. He is usually an excellent Mayor, but these past few weeks have hit him hard. He has the responsibility for the town on his shoulders, yet he can do nothing about this terror but beg for help from strangers. This way." She opens a door and begins to lead you down a set of stone stairs.

Johan Blackbarrel

¨I said we could go to the tower because killings could have to do with dead wizard." Thurodim mutters with a frown as the mayor leaves.

"Doesn't seem we're welcome to stay at the mayor's house then." The massive half-orc says with a low chuckle as Mayor Blackbarrel has left.

Thurodim nods and grunts, then following the priestess down the stairs. "Can you tell us about the symbol on the plaque on the statue at the square? A skull above and a hand below." He asks in a gentle tone.

(I imagined Thurodim not brining the pies from the mayor's house but he could have done so if that is more convenient.)

Quote from Oberon99 >>

Thurodim nods and grunts, then following the priestess down the stairs. "Can you tell us about the symbol on the plaque on the statue at the square? A skull above and a hand below." He asks in a gentle tone.

 "It's curious, isn't it," says the cleric. "Honestly, I'm not sure what it means. If you are interested in it I would recommend speaking to Tobias Dappledown. He built the statue, and added the plaque after Tarwen's death, supposedly under Tarwen's instruction. He's an old gnome now, oldest person in town, but he still has quite the memory. He lives in a cottage south of town, quite close to the Watchman. The actual Watchman, I mean, it's what the locals call the tree on the cliff. The tavern is named after it. It can be confusing for people new to the town!" she says with a chuckle.

"Sounds like we should go speak with this Tobias when we are done here," Mala says. She continues to follow Othri down the stone stairs. "Have all the victims suffered the same wounds?"  As they get a few steps further down she asks, "I'm curious too, have you ever heard of anyone at any time having similar wounds to these?"

Faera found it curious how the Mayor left them to run back into his house, but shrugs it off and follows the others.  When she gets a chance to ask her questions, she pipes up, "So 8 victims since the morning of 24th Phiarta.  That is a lot.  Is there a pattern to the killings?  Such as one every 2 to 3 days?  Or is it sporadic?  Not as ritualistic in nature?"

"Similar to claw attacks? Wolves are known to prowl the woods, but not to do the kind of damage I've seen here. Most creatures would eat through the soft parts, the stomach. Not so here. But yes, all the victims have the same wounds, more or less. Here."

It is cold at the bottom of the stairs, deep under the temple. Othri opens a door into a stone-lined room. Your breath mists in the air. It isn't a small room, but much of the floor space is taken up with wooden tables fitted in around two raised stone surfaces. The tables, both wood and stone, are draped with sheets covering lumpen shapes. Carefully arranged instruments are prepared to one side

"I don't know if it's a pattern, but it's true that the killings have never occured two days in a row. Aside from that, I haven't noticed a pattern. So, who would you like to see first - those killed earlier, or more recently?"

"Start with most recent victim." Thurodim grunts, trying to fit into the small room with the others, not particularly bothered with being about to see a corpse with it's chest torn open.  

He noticed how the mayor didn’t answer most of his answers. Part nervosism about the situation, part belief Othri would tell them everything, the elf imagined. One could even argue that was more noticeable how he answered Thurodim, almost entirely out of angry. The Pastoral cleric of Chauntea was more helpful than Blackbarrel, giving any information when questioned. Ilithir decided he liked the woman.

“What was the largest interval between two attacks?” He said breaking the silence from which he seemed to commit every piece of information to memory. “And about the victims in general, what were their races, sexes, and ages? It could be helpful if you knew about the relationship status too.” The silver haired man put his hand on his chin, trying to think about any other information they needed and that seeing the corpses would not provide. “What about the place and time of their deaths?”

Those could help determine the exact hunting grounds of the creature together with the hours were it generally acted. Sooner or later they would need to play the part of bait and deal with the situation through arms, although Ilithir preferred later. The more information they had about what they are dealing with the better would their chances of victory be.  

Quote from Makkiu >>

The Pastoral cleric of Chauntea was more helpful than Blackbarrel, giving any information when questioned. Ilithir decided he liked the man.

 (Othri Jomal is a female earth genasi.)

At Thurodim's answer she begins moving towards the tables nearer a wooden elevator that appears to work on some kind of pulley system. As she does so she answers Illithir.

"About 4 days, I think. The other killings have been 2 or 3 days apart. All have been killed in the farmlands to the north, or in the woods. As people have been straying less far from the town, the killings have gotten closer." 

She reaches a table and gently folds back the sheet, revealing a body. It is a human male in his late 40s. Long, deep wounds mark his neck and torso - the body has been cleaned, so the full extent of the wounds is visible. The most damage, however, and the wound that clearly would have caused death if the other wounds hadn't already, is to the chest. It is open, the ribs forced apart displaying his organs to all.

Anyone who wants, please make a Medicine check.

Othri says "As for their age, sex, race etcetera, do take a look, but please, be respectful."

If you wish to look under any sheets, please go ahead 

Faera stands up to the table with the rest of them, interested to see with her own eyes what exactly is going on with the bodies.  She had known in her head what she was probably going to see, and she was right, but it didn't take away the shock of actually seeing it.  What pried open the rib cage like this?  What was the meaning?  Was the heart still there?  She leaned in a bit closer to see if she could tell.

Medicine  9

Ghurr frowns at the sight of the deceased. He leaves the questioning to the others, his mind already moving on to finding and stopping what's out there.

He does look under the sheets at the other victims, not expecting to see a pattern of victims. His guess is it will be whomever is out at night when the creature is hunting but he helps look anyway just in case

Thurodim leans in behind Faera, looking at the torn open chest, trying to see if something is missing, like the heart perhaps.
Medicine: 7

As Faera and Thurodrim move in to examine the first victim, Mala follows Ghurr. As he looks under the sheets, she too takes a glance at each victim. (Medicine: 21)

“We will be as respectful as Landgrave’s orders allow us.” He said approaching the human corpse. His attention drew not in the chest, where lied the clear cause of death, but to the hands and forearms. Were there any broken nails? Any scratches, cuts or hematoma? “Would the city happen to have any register about the victims’s previous relationships on life? I mean information not only about their work and civil estate but overall reputation, friendships and enmities.”

 It was a rather obvious line of investigation, to see if they were friends or enemies between themselves or had either friend or enemy in common, but it was not something to be overlooked.

“Any reports about animals or common beasts being attacked on the farmlands immediately before or during the period in which the attacks started?” Ilithir asked Jomal, his eyes still examinating the corpse. “What actions did the guards or local militia have taken regarding the attacks?”

Maybe there was an investigation already ongoing. That or at least someone tried to ambush, to capture the thing behind the killings. It would be a strange fact on itself if no such action was taken. One that by itself would bare investigating. We have at least one lead, the silver haired man said with voice of his mind. Tobias Dappledown.

Notes: Ilithir would uncover the corpse of all the victims, observing their sex and age, paying special attention to hands and forearms (looking for broken nails, scratches, cuts and hematoma)

Medicine Check (first corpse): 9

Ghurr looks around at the others and all of their questions. It sounds like when his parents were discussing a new herb they'd discovered and all of its incredible properties they'd uncovered. Magical to listen to but he understood little of it.

As he looks at the bodies with the rest of them he suggest "Think just pretend be villager and wait out in woods. Creature come then catch it. Ghurr be bait."

Faera + Thurodim

You can tell from the gap in between the lungs that the heart is indeed missing, but that is the most you are able to glean. Both of you know more about the inside of a body than the average person, though it is hardly your speciality. Something must be throwing you off right now.

Illithir

Studying the bodies, what you judge to be the most recent killings are still yet to be closed up, their chests wide open. The others have been What you can see are similar wounds to those around the neck and torso - in your mind's eye you imagine someone lifting their arms against an attacker, defensive wounds. Their hands don't show any sign that they were able to fight back.

Regarding age and sex, there are 5 men and 3 women, all adults, mostly from their early 20s to late 50s. Three of the men and two of the women are human. The remaining two men are a Halfling and a Tiefling. The one remaining woman is also a Halfling. One Halfling man is older, perhaps in his 80s, though still otherwise healthy, aside from being dead - perfectly normal for Halflings who often live to 150.

"Now that you mention it," answers Othri, "no animals found attacked, but a couple of the shepherds have reported that a number of sheep have gone missing. As for guards and militias... I think you overestimate what we're capable of here. This is a small, peaceful farming town. The nearest guards are in Fort Imma. A group went out into the woods after the second killing to see what could be found but," she shakes her head, "nothing. And now everyone is too scared to do anything else. We don't have a town register, but if you like I could write out some information about each of the deceased. You sound like you suspect a person is behind this though - I've never seen a person be able to cause wounds like this."

Mala

Studying the bodies you notice something, a pattern in the wounds. So far everyone has attributed them to claws, and at first glance they could be but... they're not quite right. They don't all go in the same direction, and you notice clusters - three wounds together opposite one more wound, the three and the one moving towards each other. Not claws, but talons. Huge talons.