Rammand looks at the half-orc, clearly offended. “If I was a farmer or a baker, superstition might be a fitting conclusion. However, I am a man of reason and logic. A pack of wolves hunts the same lands for as long as they have been around, occasionally picking off a lone sheep or cow. Then one day they drag a man off his farm, where they haven’t caused major issues before and you think… What, they were offended by his hat? He spoke rudely to their mother? I would agree with you, but then both of us would be wrong.”
Salamir maintains eye contact with Constance, giving an almost imperceptible nod to let her know he understands, and then casts a glance at the disappearing form of Persephone as she enters the temple alone. With that he turns back to the High Warden, "Of course I will leave any conversation to after the service, as we are leaving the temple", he says with a half smile knowing that is not what she was implying. With that he quickly turns away and follows Persephone inside.
As he enters, he surveys the scene, seeing the rows of pews and locals spread out amongst them in silence. He motions to Persephone to join him and chooses one local at random to sit next to and whispers to the local, "It is quite the sombre mood, will there be music and singing?".
Constance watches Salamir enter the temple and straightens her posture against the nagging worry. Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but never gets you anywhere. What they need are answers and the facts.
She glances over her shoulder at Rammand and a smile twitches the corners of her mouth--offended by his hat--before she looks to Ed as well. "Shall we go get our equine companions watered then, Mr. Drunksong? Mr. Dark?" She places a gloved hand on Rammand's shoulder--meant to serve as both reassurance and a show of solidarity. But there's no sense getting into an argument with the half-orc here. Platitudes and placations will better serve them with this group of unknown variables. At least until they've armed themselves with more knowledge about the situation.
"Simple people make up stories to explain the horrors of nature. We've killed the wolves. There's reallyno need for your logic or reason," the paladin shrugs off Rammand outburst but his smirk falls when High Warden Reeves glances at her the underling.
"Please join us when you're able," Reeves calls after the party moving away from the temple but accompanying Salamir and Persephone inside.
Once inside Salamir and Persephone loom at the silent gathering. As Salamir leans over and asks his question the human man looks over at the high elf and shakes his head not uttering a word as High Warden Reeves takes her place by the altar beside a gray haired priest with following gold robes.
The priest then raises her arms and everyone around Salamir and Persephone stand in eerie unison!
OOC what are Salamir and Persephone's surface thoughts.
Outside...
Constance give me a perception check.
"They...seem oddly insistent, " Ed says once their out of earshot of the temple. "Their zeal for their Dawn Father worries me," the tabaxi states the obvious as they join Constance and Rammand to stable the horses.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
"A zeal not shared by the populace it seems," Alphinius stage whispers from the holster, wary of being overheard. "And 'insistent' is quite the euphemism, Mr. Dark. I should say they were down right officious. Did you see how they leered at Miss Perianth? Obtrusive pillocks, the lot!"
Constance, unfazed by her spellbook's rant, leans over to snoop at the braziers. "What do you suppose these are for, Rammand? Wards of some kind?"
"And I do wonder... I saw a--" she turns her head to squint towards the stump and moves her glasses forward then back again, "--a glint at the base of the tree. I should like to inspect it. Perhaps we can discern why a seemingly ancient tree with clear significance to the town was felled as well. Curiouser and curiouser you are, Carrowkeel."
((Can Constance try an investigation check with Rammand's help as mentioned in post #151? Or she could help Rammand if he might inspect them too! And for the Perception at disadvantage: 7 (dang it, we really gotta get a rest in don't we?)))
Salamir doesn't push the man when he doesn't answer, and in fact no answer was answer enough.
I have been to more uplifting funerals, he thinks with a half smile that turns morose when he thinks back to Kit's funeral. When everyone stands, he looks around and then follows suit. He looks about the congregation to see if there are children present, and how they are acting, thinking that this is certainly odd behaviour that was required at a service to the Dawn Father.
She tries to see if she can recall anything about whether it's normal for dawn worshippers to be silent at dawn.
She looks at the stained glass windows. Do any of them show worshippers singing, or silently kneeling in prayer"
She looks at the pews. Are there any hymnals? Are there any musical instruments (organ, anything?) around?
Hopefully those will give a bonus to her Religion roll ( 20 )
As she sits in the pew and bows her head as they do, she takes a closer look at the worshippers. Do they seem nervous or afraid? Are they giving her side eyes as if they're afraid of her?
Insight 12
both rolls with disad
Persephone's thoughts/reactions depends on whether she can realize how strange this is (above).
She's also suspicious that Charm spells may be in use and steeling herself to resist it.
(OOC: Not sure if the religions are compatible, like "night shift-day shift" or if rivalry/enmity is present. Persephone will approach close enough to be polite under the circumstances but allows Salamir & Constance to do the talking)
Persephone doesn't buy the "wolf" story and rolls insight to detect lies.
15
And religion to recognize the purpose of the candles
11
OOC your religion with disadvantage is actually the 11. It would be the lower of two rolls.
Persephone is very unfamiliar with the practices of the Dawn Father. This does seems odd however in comparison to how her temple interacts with it's patrons. There's no charm spell being used.
OOC Constance wouldn't get advantage but Rammand's help would cancel out her disadvantage so it would be a straight roll.
Constance sees the glinting but can't tell what it is from this distance.
"Here I'll stables the horses you two go take a look," Ed replies to Constance taking the reigns of Doc already holding the reigns of Persephone and Salamir horses. "I'll catch up, " the tabaxi explained.
Rammand nods at Ed’s suggestion. He takes a closer look at the braziers. “A ward sounds right. It can’t be for the smell.”
Heading over to the tree, he remarks. “This place seems… off. My perception could be tainted by the way the children made it seem as though the town was trying to keep everything quiet. And now the frankly unsatisfying explanation of “just wolves” isn’t sitting right with me.” Rammand approaches the tree and closely inspects the stump, looking for signs of the mechanism of which the tree had been felled.
"Precisely. Not exactly a bowl of potpourri, is it? And it's certainly not for the light." Constance peers in past the flame to inspect the materials in the brazier. ((A straight roll with Rammand's help, Investigation: 16))
After investigating the strange and smelly braziers, the wizard joins Rammand at the stump to seek out the source of the glinting. "I am in wholehearted agreement," Constance says to the dwarf. "And I highly doubt it was wolves. Wolves leave tracks at the very least. And it's not in keeping with their habits of predation to drag prey away. Not to mention there's no record of this area having large enough predators capable of such a thing. But hopefully the families who sent for help will be more inclined to the truth. Barring that, we might seek out the local noble for more information as well. Strange things are afoot here."
(OOC: So there's no singing pictured in the stained glass, no nymnals in the pews, no musical instruments near the altar?)
Since Persephone can't tell much, she concentrates on going through the motions of what the parishoners are doing. She's thinking respect to the dawn father as appropriate for a moon priestess.
The church is unadorned while the priests, paladins, clerics, and their acolytes seem to carry the wealth of the Dawn Father on their backs in the from of lustrous armor, weapons, and religious vestments. Persephone sees the villagers standing still. Some seem aware of your and Salamir presence while others pointedly avoid eye contact or looking at either of you at all.
The service begins with a prayer. The gist of it being the Dawn Father's light will cleanse the wicked and those who wish to bask in the light need only follow the clergy around them to salvation. Dawn Father be merciful the wayward villagers can be saved.
Constance and Rammand see it immediately upon approaching. The head of a great axe is wedged into the stump which on closer inspection looks recently felled, within the last few days or so but the tree itself is no where to be seen.
"Hey," Constance hears in her head. "Get away from there or they'll get you," the soft voice warns but the person who spoke isn't visible. "You...you should leave here," they add with the same soft warning as before.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
Spending some time examining the ground around the tree, Rammand begins talking to himself. “You down a tree that is clearly an important symbol to the town. To what end? Do you use the wood or are you making a statement of some sort?”
He turns his attention to the head of the axe. “And you… what can you tell me?”
Salamir sees the younger gnomish man turn his head to look at him. Covering his face the man coughs twice but it's slightly muffled by his bandaged hand. The gnome however remains staring ahead.
From Salamir his knowledge of churches he surmised they should be a happy places. They should be warm and inviting. It should offer people hope and solstice. This church offers nothing, it seems, but religious instruction. He can glean little more of the attitudes of the new dozen or so paladins and other clergy. They are paying little attention to the villagers. Their enthralled by the words of the gold and white robed priest giving the sermon about wayward folks and judgement.
Rammand can tell immediately the axe head was enchanted but now having felled the tree it's been sundered! The etched symbol on the axe that of the Dawn Father. As for evidence around the stump. There are clearly drag marks on the ground where the tree, at least three of his own arm lengths across, was taken away.
Between the awakened spellbook and familiar, voices in her head are far from a new experience for Constance, but it surprises her nonetheless and her hand shoots out to catch her balance against the stump, palm pressed to the exposed inner core. "Who will get me? Do you mean the High Warden? We've come to help," she whispers back.
((Is there any way for her to tell if this is a Message or Sending spell? Or just good ol' telepathy? Just in case it's needed: Arcana at disadv: 13))
Constance can tell this is a cantrip, a message spell. But with a 120ft range it could be immenating from anywhere in the nearby houses or distance tree-lined road ahead.
Looking out over the tense crowd Salamir doesn't see anyone else within the villagers with obvious injuries from his vantage point. There is a particular lack of elders however that does stick out to him.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
Rammand points out the axe and the drag marks to Constance. ”This Dawnfather may not be as benevolent as they try to make him look. Or these people might be pretending… Or it’s a setup… Or the tree was the source of something evil…” As he goes on, his speech devolves from a statement to low mutterings.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Rammand looks at the half-orc, clearly offended. “If I was a farmer or a baker, superstition might be a fitting conclusion. However, I am a man of reason and logic. A pack of wolves hunts the same lands for as long as they have been around, occasionally picking off a lone sheep or cow. Then one day they drag a man off his farm, where they haven’t caused major issues before and you think… What, they were offended by his hat? He spoke rudely to their mother? I would agree with you, but then both of us would be wrong.”
Salamir maintains eye contact with Constance, giving an almost imperceptible nod to let her know he understands, and then casts a glance at the disappearing form of Persephone as she enters the temple alone. With that he turns back to the High Warden, "Of course I will leave any conversation to after the service, as we are leaving the temple", he says with a half smile knowing that is not what she was implying. With that he quickly turns away and follows Persephone inside.
As he enters, he surveys the scene, seeing the rows of pews and locals spread out amongst them in silence. He motions to Persephone to join him and chooses one local at random to sit next to and whispers to the local, "It is quite the sombre mood, will there be music and singing?".
Constance watches Salamir enter the temple and straightens her posture against the nagging worry. Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but never gets you anywhere. What they need are answers and the facts.
She glances over her shoulder at Rammand and a smile twitches the corners of her mouth--offended by his hat--before she looks to Ed as well. "Shall we go get our equine companions watered then, Mr. Drunksong? Mr. Dark?" She places a gloved hand on Rammand's shoulder--meant to serve as both reassurance and a show of solidarity. But there's no sense getting into an argument with the half-orc here. Platitudes and placations will better serve them with this group of unknown variables. At least until they've armed themselves with more knowledge about the situation.
"Simple people make up stories to explain the horrors of nature. We've killed the wolves. There's reallyno need for your logic or reason," the paladin shrugs off Rammand outburst but his smirk falls when High Warden Reeves glances at her the underling.
"Please join us when you're able," Reeves calls after the party moving away from the temple but accompanying Salamir and Persephone inside.
Once inside Salamir and Persephone loom at the silent gathering. As Salamir leans over and asks his question the human man looks over at the high elf and shakes his head not uttering a word as High Warden Reeves takes her place by the altar beside a gray haired priest with following gold robes.
The priest then raises her arms and everyone around Salamir and Persephone stand in eerie unison!
OOC what are Salamir and Persephone's surface thoughts.
Outside...
Constance give me a perception check.
"They...seem oddly insistent, " Ed says once their out of earshot of the temple. "Their zeal for their Dawn Father worries me," the tabaxi states the obvious as they join Constance and Rammand to stable the horses.
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
"A zeal not shared by the populace it seems," Alphinius stage whispers from the holster, wary of being overheard. "And 'insistent' is quite the euphemism, Mr. Dark. I should say they were down right officious. Did you see how they leered at Miss Perianth? Obtrusive pillocks, the lot!"
Constance, unfazed by her spellbook's rant, leans over to snoop at the braziers. "What do you suppose these are for, Rammand? Wards of some kind?"
"And I do wonder... I saw a--" she turns her head to squint towards the stump and moves her glasses forward then back again, "--a glint at the base of the tree. I should like to inspect it. Perhaps we can discern why a seemingly ancient tree with clear significance to the town was felled as well. Curiouser and curiouser you are, Carrowkeel."
((Can Constance try an investigation check with Rammand's help as mentioned in post #151? Or she could help Rammand if he might inspect them too!
And for the Perception at disadvantage: 7 (dang it, we really gotta get a rest in don't we?)))
Salamir doesn't push the man when he doesn't answer, and in fact no answer was answer enough.
I have been to more uplifting funerals, he thinks with a half smile that turns morose when he thinks back to Kit's funeral. When everyone stands, he looks around and then follows suit. He looks about the congregation to see if there are children present, and how they are acting, thinking that this is certainly odd behaviour that was required at a service to the Dawn Father.
Persephone's thoughts/reactions depends on whether she can realize how strange this is (above).
She's also suspicious that Charm spells may be in use and steeling herself to resist it.
Twilight sanctuary if she suspects charm casting.
OOC your religion with disadvantage is actually the 11. It would be the lower of two rolls.
Persephone is very unfamiliar with the practices of the Dawn Father. This does seems odd however in comparison to how her temple interacts with it's patrons. There's no charm spell being used.
OOC Constance wouldn't get advantage but Rammand's help would cancel out her disadvantage so it would be a straight roll.
Constance sees the glinting but can't tell what it is from this distance.
"Here I'll stables the horses you two go take a look," Ed replies to Constance taking the reigns of Doc already holding the reigns of Persephone and Salamir horses. "I'll catch up, " the tabaxi explained.
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
Rammand nods at Ed’s suggestion. He takes a closer look at the braziers. “A ward sounds right. It can’t be for the smell.”
Heading over to the tree, he remarks. “This place seems… off. My perception could be tainted by the way the children made it seem as though the town was trying to keep everything quiet. And now the frankly unsatisfying explanation of “just wolves” isn’t sitting right with me.” Rammand approaches the tree and closely inspects the stump, looking for signs of the mechanism of which the tree had been felled.
Investigation: 16
Nature: 7 (to see if there are signs of disease)
"Precisely. Not exactly a bowl of potpourri, is it? And it's certainly not for the light." Constance peers in past the flame to inspect the materials in the brazier.
((A straight roll with Rammand's help, Investigation: 16))
After investigating the strange and smelly braziers, the wizard joins Rammand at the stump to seek out the source of the glinting. "I am in wholehearted agreement," Constance says to the dwarf. "And I highly doubt it was wolves. Wolves leave tracks at the very least. And it's not in keeping with their habits of predation to drag prey away. Not to mention there's no record of this area having large enough predators capable of such a thing. But hopefully the families who sent for help will be more inclined to the truth. Barring that, we might seek out the local noble for more information as well. Strange things are afoot here."
(OOC: So there's no singing pictured in the stained glass, no nymnals in the pews, no musical instruments near the altar?)
Since Persephone can't tell much, she concentrates on going through the motions of what the parishoners are doing. She's thinking respect to the dawn father as appropriate for a moon priestess.
The church is unadorned while the priests, paladins, clerics, and their acolytes seem to carry the wealth of the Dawn Father on their backs in the from of lustrous armor, weapons, and religious vestments. Persephone sees the villagers standing still. Some seem aware of your and Salamir presence while others pointedly avoid eye contact or looking at either of you at all.
The service begins with a prayer. The gist of it being the Dawn Father's light will cleanse the wicked and those who wish to bask in the light need only follow the clergy around them to salvation. Dawn Father be merciful the wayward villagers can be saved.
Constance and Rammand see it immediately upon approaching. The head of a great axe is wedged into the stump which on closer inspection looks recently felled, within the last few days or so but the tree itself is no where to be seen.
"Hey," Constance hears in her head. "Get away from there or they'll get you," the soft voice warns but the person who spoke isn't visible. "You...you should leave here," they add with the same soft warning as before.
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
Salamir listens to the prayer and watches the villagers closely, before once more whispering to the local next to him.
"If something is up here, if your village is in some kind of trouble, just cough twice".
All the while he keeps his eyes on those servants of the Dawn Father, looking at how they treat the villagers and how they regard them.
Insight: 3+2=5 (Passive: 12)
Spending some time examining the ground around the tree, Rammand begins talking to himself. “You down a tree that is clearly an important symbol to the town. To what end? Do you use the wood or are you making a statement of some sort?”
He turns his attention to the head of the axe. “And you… what can you tell me?”
Investigation: 23
Salamir sees the younger gnomish man turn his head to look at him. Covering his face the man coughs twice but it's slightly muffled by his bandaged hand. The gnome however remains staring ahead.
From Salamir his knowledge of churches he surmised they should be a happy places. They should be warm and inviting. It should offer people hope and solstice. This church offers nothing, it seems, but religious instruction. He can glean little more of the attitudes of the new dozen or so paladins and other clergy. They are paying little attention to the villagers. Their enthralled by the words of the gold and white robed priest giving the sermon about wayward folks and judgement.
Rammand can tell immediately the axe head was enchanted but now having felled the tree it's been sundered! The etched symbol on the axe that of the Dawn Father. As for evidence around the stump. There are clearly drag marks on the ground where the tree, at least three of his own arm lengths across, was taken away.
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
Between the awakened spellbook and familiar, voices in her head are far from a new experience for Constance, but it surprises her nonetheless and her hand shoots out to catch her balance against the stump, palm pressed to the exposed inner core. "Who will get me? Do you mean the High Warden? We've come to help," she whispers back.
((Is there any way for her to tell if this is a Message or Sending spell? Or just good ol' telepathy? Just in case it's needed: Arcana at disadv: 13))
Noticing the bandaged hand of the gnome, Salamir turns his attention to scanning the congregation for any more injuries amongst the villagers.
As he does so he scratches his face to cover up another whisper, this time to Persephone.
"Any idea what is going on here? The village is definitely in trouble".
Perception: 9+2=11 (Passive:12)
"No clue", Seph whispers. "Be ready for anything."
Constance can tell this is a cantrip, a message spell. But with a 120ft range it could be immenating from anywhere in the nearby houses or distance tree-lined road ahead.
Looking out over the tense crowd Salamir doesn't see anyone else within the villagers with obvious injuries from his vantage point. There is a particular lack of elders however that does stick out to him.
Sometimes a Nat 1 tells a better story than a Nat 20 ever could.
Rammand points out the axe and the drag marks to Constance. ”This Dawnfather may not be as benevolent as they try to make him look. Or these people might be pretending… Or it’s a setup… Or the tree was the source of something evil…” As he goes on, his speech devolves from a statement to low mutterings.