Cleo creeps forward to stand just behind Joy. She peeks around the taller woman to look inside at the former prisoners. None of them is her brother, and her shoulders sag. Still, she is curious about what is going on. Why are these people looking at their rescuers with such contempt? Something is wrong, but the gnome doesn't know what. The two women pass her as they leave the room and Cleo tries to study them more closely as they go. Are they suffering from some sort of sickness?
Lusiawatches the two women as they simply head for the door of the room. She's a little surprised as Joyjust steps aside. With all the misgivings of the crew and now their odd behavior, she's not sure these folks should just wander off. At least not without understanding more. She moves to block the passageway from the back of the ship. (Kind of between B and C) She's aware it does not prevent the pair from leaving, but it at least slows them a bit. If they approach her she would ask, "Where are you going?" And she would try to take a closer look at them to see if she could get an idea of their condition. (Tired? Drunk? Drugged? Insight Check: 19)
As Leifcontinues down the right corridor, she takes the left, moving cautiously. She presses her ear to some of the doors, straining to catch any sound from within. At the same time, she examines the ones without padlocks, trying to determine how they open. Are they all barred from the inside? Is there some hidden mechanism—or perhaps a magical force—keeping them shut?
All the while, the unseen servant follows her closely.
(Perception: 10/ Investigation: 13)
Aisling, You press your ear against the door (K), you hear the creaking of the ship's hull and the sound of the water beneath resonating through the wood. You turn the handle, and the door swings open, revealing the unexpected pleasant scent of dried plants, earthy and fragrant. Inside, you find a room with walls lined with open ship's shelving stocked with jars and bottles containing botanical specimens, dried greenery, and small wooden boxes. In the centre of the room stands a empty table.
The young knight gives the old man a confused look. "I just said, I have come to make sure you and ze others are not kept here against your vill. Now, please please please, tell us vhy you are kept here and vhat Lady Valya vould vant vith you?"He repeats, clearly more frustrated now.
Cyriel, "... And I told you that you should have let me die!" is his reply, growing increasingly impatient. He stands and steps toward you. You can see he is still shaky from the day's ordeal. He says firmly, "Are you a demon sent to torment me for my wrongs? We are not your concern. You should not be here!" he states before stepping back and plonking himself down next to the other man sitting on the sacks, who continues to observe you carefully.
Joy steps aside as the two women rise and drift toward the door, watching them carefully but making no move to stop them. They aren’t prisoners anymore—if they want to leave, they can. But something about the way they move, the blankness in their expressions, sets her on edge. As she steps into the room, her hazel eyes fix on the pale man in the back. They didn’t rescue him. And unlike the others, who look dazed and half-lost, he is fully alert and watching them intently.
Her grip tightens slightly on her shield, but she keeps her voice friendly as ever. “Hello there. I'm Joy. Who are you?” she says, addressing the pale man. "Can you tell us why all of you are locked in here, sir? And why everyone seems so...tired except for you?"
Insight on old man: 5
Joy, The man says nothing. He just looks at you and Cyriel as you both speak. He eyes anyone in his field of view with careful observation.
Once Leif removes the padlock from door (E) he will attempt to open the door to look inside.
Leif, You open the door (E) to what looks like a single crew's quarters. There is a bed by the wall, some shelving, some hanging clothes, and a chest in the corner of the room.
Cleo creeps forward to stand just behind Joy. She peeks around the taller woman to look inside at the former prisoners. None of them is her brother, and her shoulders sag. Still, she is curious about what is going on. Why are these people looking at their rescuers with such contempt? Something is wrong, but the gnome doesn't know what. The two women pass her as they leave the room and Cleo tries to study them more closely as they go. Are they suffering from some sort of sickness?
WIS save in case - 11
Medicine - 10
Cleo, The uneasy sense of unbalance you have experienced since boarding the ship becomes terrifying, and the undeniable urge to get off this ship becomes overwhelming. Your observation of the two girls gives way to your fear, and you run away! Up the stairs and off of the ship.
Lusiawatches the two women as they simply head for the door of the room. She's a little surprised as Joyjust steps aside. With all the misgivings of the crew and now their odd behavior, she's not sure these folks should just wander off. At least not without understanding more. She moves to block the passageway from the back of the ship. (Kind of between B and C) She's aware it does not prevent the pair from leaving, but it at least slows them a bit. If they approach her she would ask, "Where are you going?" And she would try to take a closer look at them to see if she could get an idea of their condition. (Tired? Drunk? Drugged? Insight Check: 19)
Lusia, One of the girls looks at you as you speak to her. But she doesn't reply. You watch the two girls as they exit the ship via the stairs.
Tired? Perhaps. They have had a harrowing day. Captive or not. They were in a carriage that crashed, at speed, into a ship and then sunk, leaving them trapped for several minutes underwater.
Drunk? No, they are not drunk.
Drugged? This could possibly be the effect of a drug, but you don't think so.
There are definitely oddities to this situation.
A Fore hatch
B Aft hatch: leads to ship's hold stocked with goods. Blocked with a barrel.
As blocking the path did little to stop the unresponsive women, Lusia is a bit concerned as to where the pair are going. And also starting to worry about staying down here so long. 'Why are these people just rifling through every room?' she wonders. She moves to follow the two, heading up the stairs to the upper deck as well. As she does so she is wary about what she might find, knowing the rest of the crew had all been left up there. (Perception: 19)
Leif steps into the crewman's quarters and opens the chest in the corner of the room.
Leif, You try to open the chest. There is a PSST sound, followed by a sting just above your knee. A small dart has struck you (take 1 piercing + 3 poison damage). The chest remains locked.
Leif yelps out in pain, "Ouch!" He grits his teeth and sucks in air through his mouth as he pulls the dart out of his leg. 'How did i not see that coming', the young halfling thinks as the poison enters his system, making him feel a bit woozy. "Stupid trapped chest." Leif inspects ( Inv 17) the chest to ensure the trap is no longer a danger. Disarms it if needed and attempts to unlock the chest (SoH 24).
The young knight sighs and takes a step back, finally giving up on trying to speak with anyone on the ship, having no success at getting any sort of information out of anyone, leaving to the others to do better, finding the situation more and more absurd and being quite ready to leave now. "Ze captives are free, ve have done vhat ve came here for."He says to the others.
Aisling is surprised as the smell of dried greenery reaches her nostrils. She smiles at this but is left wondering why anyone would have such a room on this strange ship, which is also full of prisoners—or whatever the people they saved from drowning are. The half-elf inspects the specimens closely, trying to determine if they are normal plants, or if they could be used as spell components, or even poisons. (Nature: 3)
Forgetting herself, she touches one of the liveliest-looking plants, only to find that it begins to wither the moment she does, turning completely brown a few seconds after she pulls her hand away. Aisling purses her lips. Of course, how could she have forgotten? She looks behind her towards the door, relieved that the others aren’t here to witness this.
This new reminder of her curse extinguishes her curiosity, and instead of peeking into any more rooms on her own, she returns to the others. She finds Leiflooking through what seems to be a shipmate's belongings and hears Cyriel's frustration about the captives not waking to speak. What is wrong with them? She glances at the people from the doorway. Why are they motionless? Why do they look at them with contempt? It's as if they want to be here. Have they been drugged or ensorcelled by a spell? (Arcana: nat 20. Total 22 )
"I don’t understand. Do they want to be here?" she asks aloud. "But why was Corvin so scared? Why were the two shipmates above so worried?" ...And why the Pale Prince’s warnings?
At that moment, Cleois overcome by terror and runs away from the ship. "Cleo! What’s wrong?" Aisling calls toward the gnome. Seeing this, she turns to ask the others, "This isn’t normal. Are we really going to leave? Why don’t we search the rest of the ship? If they want to remain here," she says, eyeing the "captives," "they can do as they please. But shouldn’t we try to figure out what’s going on?"
Cleo barely hears Aisling call after her as she runs up the stairs and off the ship. A sense of unrelenting terror has completely taken hold of her. And the worst part is that she has no idea what is causing the awful fear. As soon as she gets off the ship, she starts feeling better. Her heart is beating fast inside her chest, and she has to make a conscious effort to slow down her breathing so she doesn't hyperventilate. As the fear begins to dissipate, disappointment replaces it. Her brother wasn't on the ship. If he wasn't on the ship, then what did the vision mean? She was sure her brother was meant to be the caged moth. But if he wasn't caged here, then where was he?
Cleo turns back to look at the ship, but she doesn't move any closer. She waits for the others to join her. At least they were able to free those people, even if, strangely, they didn't seem to want to be freed.
Joy frowns deeply, glancing between the half-lucid people, the pale man, and now Cleo’s sudden terror. "Cleo? It's alr--" The gnome dashes off before she can finish. At almost the same time, she hears Leif's cry and murmurs of annoyance from the other room. She leans out of door O to call to him in concern. It doesn't sound like he's gotten into a battle, but still. "Leif, are you alright?"
Her gaze flicks to Cyriel and then Aisling, taking in both their words before giving a contemplative nod. They are both right, in a way. “If they want to be here, then we can’t force them to leave. But—” She gestures vaguely to the tension in the air, to the way Cleo just ran off in fear, and lowers her voice so only they can hear. “What if they’re not in their right minds? What if this negative atmosphere...is part of their condition? Maybe being cooped up here exacerbates it somehow...Just a quick look around, Cyriel. If we find nothing, we'll get going.” With that, she turns toward the north wall, moving to examine the table there that she saw through her token earlier.
Leifhears Joy call out to him and responds as he continues to work on the chest, "I'm fine... I just got poked bymy ownstupidity." His voice trailing off as he finishes his sentence to the point it's unlikely anyone heard anything past poked.
As blocking the path did little to stop the unresponsive women, Lusia is a bit concerned as to where the pair are going. And also starting to worry about staying down here so long. 'Why are these people just rifling through every room?' she wonders. She moves to follow the two, heading up the stairs to the upper deck as well. As she does so she is wary about what she might find, knowing the rest of the crew had all been left up there. (Perception: 19)
Lusiastill continues to try to follow the pair of women.
Leif, You crack the chest and look inside. The chest contains a stained white shirt, a fine silk handkerchief, a black leather belt, a brown leather scroll case, and small leather pouch.
Cyriel, Chin up. You have 'freed ze prisoners'.
Aisling, There are a lot of plant samples, and they could conceivably be used for all sorts of things, including spell components, poisons, and also for more mundane purposes.
Joy, The table is just that, made of oak wood. It has some scratches on top. No draws.
Cleo, You feel your fear dissipating as soon as your feet hit dry land. (ooc: I got you as far as off of the jetty. Where too?)
Lusia, You go up to the top deck. The crewmen are not there. The two girls wander off the ship, across the jetty and meandering their way in a north-west direction. They appear to have no purpose (ooc: what is your plan for following them, e.g. a stealthy and up-close approach or follow from afar.)
Aisling is surprised as the smell of dried greenery reaches her nostrils. She smiles at this but is left wondering why anyone would have such a room on this strange ship, which is also full of prisoners—or whatever the people they saved from drowning are. The half-elf inspects the specimens closely, trying to determine if they are normal plants, or if they could be used as spell components, or even poisons. (Nature: 3)
Forgetting herself, she touches one of the liveliest-looking plants, only to find that it begins to wither the moment she does, turning completely brown a few seconds after she pulls her hand away. Aisling purses her lips. Of course, how could she have forgotten? She looks behind her towards the door, relieved that the others aren’t here to witness this.
This new reminder of her curse extinguishes her curiosity, and instead of peeking into any more rooms on her own, she returns to the others. She finds Leiflooking through what seems to be a shipmate's belongings and hears Cyriel's frustration about the captives not waking to speak. What is wrong with them? She glances at the people from the doorway. Why are they motionless? Why do they look at them with contempt? It's as if they want to be here. Have they been drugged or ensorcelled by a spell? (Arcana: nat 20. Total 22 )
"I don’t understand. Do they want to be here?" she asks aloud. "But why was Corvin so scared? Why were the two shipmates above so worried?" ...And why the Pale Prince’s warnings?
ooc: Results of your nat 20 arcana check.
Aisling,
When you look into the room upon the four remaining ex-captives, your gaze locks onto the old chap (not the one you rescued, the other). He just sits and stares at you. A voice rings through your mind. It is not the familiar voice of your patron. This voice is two voices. A deep and strong male voice and a soft and gentle female voice. In perfect unison, "We were meant to be together forever. In blood, in breath, in spirit. "
A story begins to play out in your mind. An old tale, a love story and a warning. It speaks of a noble's son who fell in love with a woman of the wild whose blood ran thick with fey magics of the old world. Their love was passionate, reckless, and forbidden. The son's family disapproved. Marriage to a woman so untamed was a dangerous thing. But love does not listen to reason. Determined to bind themselves together forever, they forsook church and state, choosing instead a wedding deep in the ancient forest beneath the boughs of a great, gnarled tree. This was no ordinary ceremony. It was a dark, fey ritual, one whispered to them by the spirits of the woods, one that promised an unbreakable bond beyond life, beyond death.
On the night of their union, under the fullness of Luna, they wove together their lives with words but with magic older than mortal tongues. They gathered sacred plants. Wolfsbane, for devotion. Dusk-thistle, for transformation. Belladonna, for eternity. With a silvered knife, they cut their palms, letting their blood drip onto the roots of the ancient tree, whispering their vows as the wind howled through the branches.
But they had sullied the words, and so the ritual. The magic that wound around them was not the gentle embrace of love but the tightening grip of something far sinister, far hungrier. The earth trembled beneath them as the ancient tree's roots twisted unnaturally. The wind howled. The bond took hold the moment they sealed their union with a kiss, not just the son, but all who joined to witness their wedding. Their bodies changed, their spirits shackled to something primal, something wild. And with that final vow, they were no longer entirely human. All except the wild girl.
"Go ahead, ve have no right to be on zis ship, much less hurt any of it's crew or break into zeir holds, but zat is a line I have regrettably already crossed." The young perrenish knight says, seeming greatly troubled over having completely lost control of the situation. Some of the captives had already left and they still knew absolutely nothing about why they were being held here. He was now not only responsible for the injured crew but the people that left and that might walk into danger or put others in danger. The feeling of having meddled with things he didn't understand was almost crushing him at this point.
Aislingeyes the 'captives,' her gaze lingering the longest on the gaunt old man who watches them in silence. For a moment, she seems to drift elsewhere, a vision playing in her mind. "We were meant to be together forever. In blood, in breath, in spirit,"she repeats after the intertwined voices. The vision looked so beautiful at first—a love story brimming with passion and defiance. But it had twisted into something dark, their wedding a bloody ceremony that did not just change the lovers, but all who bore witness. The shapeshifter can’t help but wonder ... would any of it have happened if the groom’s family had blessed their love instead of condemning it?
Once the vision fades, Aisling sighs and steps toward the man. "Messing with fey magic often comes at a high price," she states, her expression knowing. "What do you know of that wedding—the wild woman and the noble’s son? Was that Lady Vayla? Were you all bound by that ritual? Please, if you know anything, it would be best if you told us." Deep down, she doubts she will get an answer. But she has to try—one last chance before leaving this ship for good. (Persuasion: 24)
Afterward, she shares the vision with those present on the boat (and will later do the same for Lusiaand Cleo). Feeling the group's uneasiness, she adds. "I'm okay with leaving if you guys are ready. We should check on Cleo. And we need to look into this vision about the wedding, though... I wouldn’t even know where to start. I think it might be related to what you saw in your book, Joy."
Joy sighs, running a hand over her braid as she steps back from the empty table. Whatever she was hoping to find, there was nothing useful here. But then Aisling speaks, and Joy’s attention snaps to her.
A wedding—a wild woman and a noble’s son, bound by magic. A ritual that didn’t just change them but everyone who bore witness. Aisling’s voice carries an eerie weight, and as she shares the vision, it settles into Joy’s mind like a puzzle piece snapping into place.
She nods slowly, thoughtfully. “That…does sound like what I saw in my book,” she admits, arms crossing over her chest. “And if that’s true, then this—” she gestures toward the half-lucid captives, the gaunt man, the lingering unease—“this could be the result of whatever that ritual did.”
She exhales sharply, rolling her shoulders. “I think we should go check on Cleo and leave for now too.” Her hazel eyes flick between Aisling and Cyriel. “Perhaps an elder at the Temple of Pelor could offer more guidance.”
As she, Aisling, and Cyriel leave the room, she calls out to Leif. "No luck over here, Leif. We'd better head out before Lady Vayla returns."
The young knight looks in confusion between the half-elf and the pelorian. "So ve might have set free something no longer entirely human? I apologize, I really need to see what became of ze captives zat have left now."
Cleo creeps forward to stand just behind Joy. She peeks around the taller woman to look inside at the former prisoners. None of them is her brother, and her shoulders sag. Still, she is curious about what is going on. Why are these people looking at their rescuers with such contempt? Something is wrong, but the gnome doesn't know what. The two women pass her as they leave the room and Cleo tries to study them more closely as they go. Are they suffering from some sort of sickness?
WIS save in case - 11
Medicine - 10
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf - Lvl. 4 Halfling Rogue (The Shattered Obelisk) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan - Lvl. 10 Half-Elf Sorcerer (Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick - Lvl. 4 Aasimar Paladin (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Selene Albion - Lvl. 12 Human Ranger (In-Person Homebrew Campaign) ♦ Phaerdra Tor'viir - Lvl. 3 Drow Wizard (Exandria Sandbox Campaign)
Lusia watches the two women as they simply head for the door of the room. She's a little surprised as Joy just steps aside. With all the misgivings of the crew and now their odd behavior, she's not sure these folks should just wander off. At least not without understanding more. She moves to block the passageway from the back of the ship. (Kind of between B and C) She's aware it does not prevent the pair from leaving, but it at least slows them a bit. If they approach her she would ask, "Where are you going?" And she would try to take a closer look at them to see if she could get an idea of their condition. (Tired? Drunk? Drugged? Insight Check: 19)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi ||
Neital Rhessil, Wizard || Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Satina Cindermark, Fighter || Meira Dheran, Rogue
Aisling,
You press your ear against the door (K), you hear the creaking of the ship's hull and the sound of the water beneath resonating through the wood. You turn the handle, and the door swings open, revealing the unexpected pleasant scent of dried plants, earthy and fragrant. Inside, you find a room with walls lined with open ship's shelving stocked with jars and bottles containing botanical specimens, dried greenery, and small wooden boxes. In the centre of the room stands a empty table.
Cyriel,
"... And I told you that you should have let me die!" is his reply, growing increasingly impatient. He stands and steps toward you. You can see he is still shaky from the day's ordeal. He says firmly, "Are you a demon sent to torment me for my wrongs? We are not your concern. You should not be here!" he states before stepping back and plonking himself down next to the other man sitting on the sacks, who continues to observe you carefully.
Joy, The man says nothing. He just looks at you and Cyriel as you both speak. He eyes anyone in his field of view with careful observation.
Leif, You open the door (E) to what looks like a single crew's quarters. There is a bed by the wall, some shelving, some hanging clothes, and a chest in the corner of the room.
Cleo,
The uneasy sense of unbalance you have experienced since boarding the ship becomes terrifying, and the undeniable urge to get off this ship becomes overwhelming. Your observation of the two girls gives way to your fear, and you run away! Up the stairs and off of the ship.
Lusia,
One of the girls looks at you as you speak to her. But she doesn't reply. You watch the two girls as they exit the ship via the stairs.
There are definitely oddities to this situation.
Leif steps into the crewman's quarters and opens the chest in the corner of the room.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
As blocking the path did little to stop the unresponsive women, Lusia is a bit concerned as to where the pair are going. And also starting to worry about staying down here so long. 'Why are these people just rifling through every room?' she wonders. She moves to follow the two, heading up the stairs to the upper deck as well. As she does so she is wary about what she might find, knowing the rest of the crew had all been left up there. (Perception: 19)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi ||
Neital Rhessil, Wizard || Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Satina Cindermark, Fighter || Meira Dheran, Rogue
Leif, You try to open the chest. There is a PSST sound, followed by a sting just above your knee. A small dart has struck you (take 1 piercing + 3 poison damage). The chest remains locked.
Leif yelps out in pain, "Ouch!" He grits his teeth and sucks in air through his mouth as he pulls the dart out of his leg. 'How did i not see that coming', the young halfling thinks as the poison enters his system, making him feel a bit woozy. "Stupid trapped chest." Leif inspects ( Inv 17) the chest to ensure the trap is no longer a danger. Disarms it if needed and attempts to unlock the chest (SoH 24).
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
The young knight sighs and takes a step back, finally giving up on trying to speak with anyone on the ship, having no success at getting any sort of information out of anyone, leaving to the others to do better, finding the situation more and more absurd and being quite ready to leave now. "Ze captives are free, ve have done vhat ve came here for." He says to the others.
Aisling is surprised as the smell of dried greenery reaches her nostrils. She smiles at this but is left wondering why anyone would have such a room on this strange ship, which is also full of prisoners—or whatever the people they saved from drowning are. The half-elf inspects the specimens closely, trying to determine if they are normal plants, or if they could be used as spell components, or even poisons. (Nature: 3)
Forgetting herself, she touches one of the liveliest-looking plants, only to find that it begins to wither the moment she does, turning completely brown a few seconds after she pulls her hand away. Aisling purses her lips. Of course, how could she have forgotten? She looks behind her towards the door, relieved that the others aren’t here to witness this.
This new reminder of her curse extinguishes her curiosity, and instead of peeking into any more rooms on her own, she returns to the others. She finds Leif looking through what seems to be a shipmate's belongings and hears Cyriel's frustration about the captives not waking to speak. What is wrong with them? She glances at the people from the doorway. Why are they motionless? Why do they look at them with contempt? It's as if they want to be here. Have they been drugged or ensorcelled by a spell? (Arcana: nat 20. Total 22 )
"I don’t understand. Do they want to be here?" she asks aloud. "But why was Corvin so scared? Why were the two shipmates above so worried?" ...And why the Pale Prince’s warnings?
At that moment, Cleo is overcome by terror and runs away from the ship. "Cleo! What’s wrong?" Aisling calls toward the gnome. Seeing this, she turns to ask the others, "This isn’t normal. Are we really going to leave? Why don’t we search the rest of the ship? If they want to remain here," she says, eyeing the "captives," "they can do as they please. But shouldn’t we try to figure out what’s going on?"
Diving deep to the surface ♫ Auriel | Chase | Shenua | Arren | Lyra | Jadzia
Cleo barely hears Aisling call after her as she runs up the stairs and off the ship. A sense of unrelenting terror has completely taken hold of her. And the worst part is that she has no idea what is causing the awful fear. As soon as she gets off the ship, she starts feeling better. Her heart is beating fast inside her chest, and she has to make a conscious effort to slow down her breathing so she doesn't hyperventilate. As the fear begins to dissipate, disappointment replaces it. Her brother wasn't on the ship. If he wasn't on the ship, then what did the vision mean? She was sure her brother was meant to be the caged moth. But if he wasn't caged here, then where was he?
Cleo turns back to look at the ship, but she doesn't move any closer. She waits for the others to join her. At least they were able to free those people, even if, strangely, they didn't seem to want to be freed.
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf - Lvl. 4 Halfling Rogue (The Shattered Obelisk) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan - Lvl. 10 Half-Elf Sorcerer (Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick - Lvl. 4 Aasimar Paladin (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Selene Albion - Lvl. 12 Human Ranger (In-Person Homebrew Campaign) ♦ Phaerdra Tor'viir - Lvl. 3 Drow Wizard (Exandria Sandbox Campaign)
Joy frowns deeply, glancing between the half-lucid people, the pale man, and now Cleo’s sudden terror. "Cleo? It's alr--" The gnome dashes off before she can finish. At almost the same time, she hears Leif's cry and murmurs of annoyance from the other room. She leans out of door O to call to him in concern. It doesn't sound like he's gotten into a battle, but still. "Leif, are you alright?"
Her gaze flicks to Cyriel and then Aisling, taking in both their words before giving a contemplative nod. They are both right, in a way. “If they want to be here, then we can’t force them to leave. But—” She gestures vaguely to the tension in the air, to the way Cleo just ran off in fear, and lowers her voice so only they can hear. “What if they’re not in their right minds? What if this negative atmosphere...is part of their condition? Maybe being cooped up here exacerbates it somehow...Just a quick look around, Cyriel. If we find nothing, we'll get going.” With that, she turns toward the north wall, moving to examine the table there that she saw through her token earlier.
Perception: 17
Leif hears Joy call out to him and responds as he continues to work on the chest, "I'm fine... I just got poked by my own stupidity." His voice trailing off as he finishes his sentence to the point it's unlikely anyone heard anything past poked.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Lusia still continues to try to follow the pair of women.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi ||
Neital Rhessil, Wizard || Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Satina Cindermark, Fighter || Meira Dheran, Rogue
Leif, You crack the chest and look inside. The chest contains a stained white shirt, a fine silk handkerchief, a black leather belt, a brown leather scroll case, and small leather pouch.
Cyriel, Chin up. You have 'freed ze prisoners'.
Aisling, There are a lot of plant samples, and they could conceivably be used for all sorts of things, including spell components, poisons, and also for more mundane purposes.
Joy, The table is just that, made of oak wood. It has some scratches on top. No draws.
Cleo, You feel your fear dissipating as soon as your feet hit dry land. (ooc: I got you as far as off of the jetty. Where too?)
Lusia, You go up to the top deck. The crewmen are not there. The two girls wander off the ship, across the jetty and meandering their way in a north-west direction. They appear to have no purpose (ooc: what is your plan for following them, e.g. a stealthy and up-close approach or follow from afar.)
ooc: Results of your nat 20 arcana check.
Aisling,
When you look into the room upon the four remaining ex-captives, your gaze locks onto the old chap (not the one you rescued, the other). He just sits and stares at you. A voice rings through your mind. It is not the familiar voice of your patron. This voice is two voices. A deep and strong male voice and a soft and gentle female voice. In perfect unison, "We were meant to be together forever. In blood, in breath, in spirit. "
A story begins to play out in your mind. An old tale, a love story and a warning. It speaks of a noble's son who fell in love with a woman of the wild whose blood ran thick with fey magics of the old world. Their love was passionate, reckless, and forbidden. The son's family disapproved. Marriage to a woman so untamed was a dangerous thing. But love does not listen to reason. Determined to bind themselves together forever, they forsook church and state, choosing instead a wedding deep in the ancient forest beneath the boughs of a great, gnarled tree. This was no ordinary ceremony. It was a dark, fey ritual, one whispered to them by the spirits of the woods, one that promised an unbreakable bond beyond life, beyond death.
On the night of their union, under the fullness of Luna, they wove together their lives with words but with magic older than mortal tongues. They gathered sacred plants. Wolfsbane, for devotion. Dusk-thistle, for transformation. Belladonna, for eternity. With a silvered knife, they cut their palms, letting their blood drip onto the roots of the ancient tree, whispering their vows as the wind howled through the branches.
But they had sullied the words, and so the ritual. The magic that wound around them was not the gentle embrace of love but the tightening grip of something far sinister, far hungrier. The earth trembled beneath them as the ancient tree's roots twisted unnaturally. The wind howled. The bond took hold the moment they sealed their union with a kiss, not just the son, but all who joined to witness their wedding. Their bodies changed, their spirits shackled to something primal, something wild. And with that final vow, they were no longer entirely human. All except the wild girl.
ooc: Aisling, please make a wisdom save.
OOC: Wis Save 18
Diving deep to the surface ♫ Auriel | Chase | Shenua | Arren | Lyra | Jadzia
"Go ahead, ve have no right to be on zis ship, much less hurt any of it's crew or break into zeir holds, but zat is a line I have regrettably already crossed." The young perrenish knight says, seeming greatly troubled over having completely lost control of the situation. Some of the captives had already left and they still knew absolutely nothing about why they were being held here. He was now not only responsible for the injured crew but the people that left and that might walk into danger or put others in danger. The feeling of having meddled with things he didn't understand was almost crushing him at this point.
Aisling eyes the 'captives,' her gaze lingering the longest on the gaunt old man who watches them in silence. For a moment, she seems to drift elsewhere, a vision playing in her mind. "We were meant to be together forever. In blood, in breath, in spirit," she repeats after the intertwined voices. The vision looked so beautiful at first—a love story brimming with passion and defiance. But it had twisted into something dark, their wedding a bloody ceremony that did not just change the lovers, but all who bore witness. The shapeshifter can’t help but wonder ... would any of it have happened if the groom’s family had blessed their love instead of condemning it?
Once the vision fades, Aisling sighs and steps toward the man. "Messing with fey magic often comes at a high price," she states, her expression knowing. "What do you know of that wedding—the wild woman and the noble’s son? Was that Lady Vayla? Were you all bound by that ritual? Please, if you know anything, it would be best if you told us." Deep down, she doubts she will get an answer. But she has to try—one last chance before leaving this ship for good. (Persuasion: 24)
Afterward, she shares the vision with those present on the boat (and will later do the same for Lusia and Cleo). Feeling the group's uneasiness, she adds. "I'm okay with leaving if you guys are ready. We should check on Cleo. And we need to look into this vision about the wedding, though... I wouldn’t even know where to start. I think it might be related to what you saw in your book, Joy."
Diving deep to the surface ♫ Auriel | Chase | Shenua | Arren | Lyra | Jadzia
Joy sighs, running a hand over her braid as she steps back from the empty table. Whatever she was hoping to find, there was nothing useful here. But then Aisling speaks, and Joy’s attention snaps to her.
A wedding—a wild woman and a noble’s son, bound by magic. A ritual that didn’t just change them but everyone who bore witness. Aisling’s voice carries an eerie weight, and as she shares the vision, it settles into Joy’s mind like a puzzle piece snapping into place.
She nods slowly, thoughtfully. “That…does sound like what I saw in my book,” she admits, arms crossing over her chest. “And if that’s true, then this—” she gestures toward the half-lucid captives, the gaunt man, the lingering unease—“this could be the result of whatever that ritual did.”
She exhales sharply, rolling her shoulders. “I think we should go check on Cleo and leave for now too.” Her hazel eyes flick between Aisling and Cyriel. “Perhaps an elder at the Temple of Pelor could offer more guidance.”
As she, Aisling, and Cyriel leave the room, she calls out to Leif. "No luck over here, Leif. We'd better head out before Lady Vayla returns."
The young knight looks in confusion between the half-elf and the pelorian. "So ve might have set free something no longer entirely human? I apologize, I really need to see what became of ze captives zat have left now."