The young knight looks in confusion between the half-elf and the pelorian. "Please, vhat ritual? Tell us all, ve need to understand vhat is going on here."
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.”
"Please, let me go with you, Joy. I'm interested in learning more about these fey rituals,"Aisling asks Joy, without elaborating further.
Cleo waits at the end of the jetty. She notices the two women from before cross the jetty and start heading off to the northwest. She pauses, torn. Should she follow them? Cleo sighs and decides she should at least make sure they are all right. The gnome tries to catch up with them before they get too far away.
If she is able to catch up with them, she'll call out to them. "Wait! Where are you going?" she asks. "Do you need a place to stay?"
"Please, let me go with you, Joy. I'm interested in learning more about these fey rituals,"Aisling asks Joy, without elaborating further.
Joy gives a nod and smile. Aisling had seemed rather excited upon realizing she was a Fey, so it seems to be a topic of study or at least interest for the half-elf. It will also settle her nerves a bit not to enter the temple by herself on the first visit. "Of course, all are welcome in Pelor's Temple. And you're right, Cyriel. We should try to catch up to those women to see if they have a place to go or are just wandering. I think Lusia followed them too." She turns toward the not-prisoners one last time before heading out. "Should you decide to leave here, I'm sure the Temple would provide you refuge. Pelor's light...it helped even me, a Hexblood, so please consider it."
When Joy calls out to him again, Leifis about to open the leather pouch and scroll case, but he panics as he hears the tension in her voice and the mention of Lady Vayla. He doesn't know this lady, but how others talk about her brings back memories of the matron he once was in servitude to. He shivers reflexively and quickly ties the leather pouch to his belt, stuffs the scroll case into his pack, and the silk handkerchief into his pocket. He then returns to the group, looking into the room with the captives. He hadn't really been listening to the discussion from the group, as most of it went right over his head. "They don't want to leave? Where is Cleo's brother? We can't leave him here!" He looks puzzled as the slaves refuse to leave the ship with them. Leif feeling tired, cold, damp, and a bit woozy, agrees to depart the ship to rethink the group's approach to the situation, even though they hadn't confirmed anything during this encounter.
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."
Leif looks to the knight with growing confusion. "Wait, what! We let a monster loose?" He looks past Cyriel to get another look at the individuals who decided to stay behind. "And where's Cleo? I thought she would be in here with us, searching this ship until we found her brother." A growing sense of dread begins to fill the young halfling. 'What have we done?'
Joy steps over to Leif, her expression gentle but firm as she catches him up. “Cleo got scared and ran off—we need to find her. It seems her brother isn't here after all.” She gestures toward the door where the two women had wandered out. “A couple of the captives left too. They seem human to me, but…something dark is clinging to them. Like a curse or a spell. I don’t think they’re thinking clearly.”
She’s about to say more when she notices the blood trailing down his leg. Her brows knit in concern, and without hesitation, she rests a hand on his shoulder, a soft golden glow spreading from her palm as she heals the wound (Lay on Hands for +4 HP).
“There. How did that happen? You said you got poked by something?"
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.)
Lusia continues on after the pair of women. Seeing Cleo she speaks to her. "Let's follow them. Surely we can get their attention." She isn't intending to be stealthy, rather she tries to get closer enough to speak to them. "Hello? Please! We just want to speak with you a moment!"
Leif listens to Joy's explanation of events thoughtfully. How do we know Cleo's brother isn't here? Maybe they cast one of their magic spells to find out. "Okay, so not monsters... just sick or cursed." Leif looks into the room with the captives one last time, looking at the pale man in the back... I don't recall seeing him among the people we rescued from the water. He's creepy-looking.
As Joy puts Pelor's healing energy into Leif, he looks up to her in ever-growing admiration. Wow, this woman is so powerful she can heal wounds with nothing more than a light touch! Leif is about to answer Joy's question when Cyriel requests them to hurry.
"Ve should hurry."The young knight says, motioning for the others to head up and off the ship, preferring to be the last to get back ashore.
"Yeah, okay... you're right,Cyriel. Let's go find Cleo and make sure she's okay." At that Leifdashes back to the ship's deck, straight to the ship's bow. Uses the bowsprit and bounds back onto dry land (Acrobatics: Nat 1+5=6). Looking for Cleo as he goes (Perception: 13).
Joy nods quickly to Cyriel, watching Leif take off in a flash of movement, bounding over the bowsprit with ease. She smiles at his energy despite her worry. She hurries after him, though she sticks to the gangplank, avoiding any acrobatics that her heavy armor would absolutely not agree with. Her boots hit the dock solidly, and she immediately scans the area, searching for Cleo, Lusia, or the two wandering women.
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)
Aisling, The man silently observes you. The other ex-captives seem preoccupied in their thoughts.
There is a flash, and before you, with his face about a foot away from yours, stands a strong man with long, flowing black hair and a long black beard. He wears a leather strap necklace with a substantial red gem. His gaze looks deep into your soul, his eyes like ancient stones, cold and unyielding. The air seems to tighten, pressing down like the weight of a storm about to break.
"What do I owe you?" His voice rolls through the grove like thunder, deep and resonant, shaking the very earth beneath your feet. Then, he leans forward, his presence immense, his breath carrying the scent of old earth and wild. His stare is not of anger nor condescension but of something far worse. Pity!
"You warn me of fey magics? Child, you stand in the palm of forces that have already swallowed empires. You speak of the wild but do not know of such things. You name the flame but have never burned."
With a flicker of movement, the ship seems to shift in time, and the pressure eases. "Go now. Before you learn the cost of knowing."
And he is gone!
Did the others see him? You are unsettled by this fierce apparition.
Lusia continues on after the pair of women. Seeing Cleo she speaks to her. "Let's follow them. Surely we can get their attention." She isn't intending to be stealthy, rather she tries to get closer enough to speak to them. "Hello? Please! We just want to speak with you a moment!"
Cleo waits at the end of the jetty. She notices the two women from before cross the jetty and start heading off to the northwest. She pauses, torn. Should she follow them? Cleo sighs and decides she should at least make sure they are all right. The gnome tries to catch up with them before they get too far away.
If she is able to catch up with them, she'll call out to them. "Wait! Where are you going?" she asks. "Do you need a place to stay?"
Lusia and Cleo, The two girls, now about 30 feet away, turn to your questions.
Leif bounds up the stairs, across the ship's bow and bounces onto the bowsprit. His foot finds an oily spot on the spar, and he slips, banging his shoulder (1 bludgeoning damage) as he falls down, cracking the water with a loud, horizontal splash. The sound of his entry into the drink echoes through the docks, causing all above board to turn and see what has happened.
Lusia and Cleo, You turn back to the two girls after the temporary distraction from Leif's fall, only to find them gone.
Joy gasps as Leif slips, her heart lurching at the loud crack of his impact with the water. Without hesitation, she rushes to the edge of the dock. The cold water must be a shock, and after everything tonight, the last thing he needs is another setback. She leans forward, bracing herself to haul him up the moment he reaches for her.
Leif is stunned momentarily when he hits the water. It had gone in slow motion for him. He was bounding onto the bowsprit and just as he was about to jump to shore he lost his footing, hitting his shoulder on the way down. The fall to the waters surface seemed to last an eternity. He could see Lusia, Cleo... 'Thank goodness she's okay!'and two other ladies. Was that an eye roll from Lusia? Cleo looked upset as well. Then splash! For a moment Leif is too embarrassed to resurface. He considers swimming away, never to be seen again... no... that's ridiculous. The breath was knocked out of him from the impact. He had to swim up... and so he does.
Resurfacing, Leif sees Joy's face, hand extended with a worried look. He takes her hand and climbs out of the water. A new level of miserable now evident on the halflings face. "Thanks." he mutters through chattering teeth. Face a bright shade of red. He risks a look around, but it's not people he's looking for... it's a shadow he can get lost in.
Lusiawas a bit surprised as she turned to see Leiffalling awkwardly from the bowsprit into the water. But she was relieved once he surfaced, and Joyis there to fish him out. She is even more surprised when she looks back and the two women she'd gone after have disappeared. She turns to Cleo, "Did you catch where they went? How could they have just vanished so quickly?"
She isn't very optimistic, but she tries to look about to find the pair. (Perception: 19)
Aisling, The man silently observes you. The other ex-captives seem preoccupied in their thoughts.
There is a flash, and before you, with his face about a foot away from yours, stands a strong man with long, flowing black hair and a long black beard. He wears a leather strap necklace with a substantial red gem. His gaze looks deep into your soul, his eyes like ancient stones, cold and unyielding. The air seems to tighten, pressing down like the weight of a storm about to break.
"What do I owe you?" His voice rolls through the grove like thunder, deep and resonant, shaking the very earth beneath your feet. Then, he leans forward, his presence immense, his breath carrying the scent of old earth and wild. His stare is not of anger nor condescension but of something far worse. Pity!
"You warn me of fey magics? Child, you stand in the palm of forces that have already swallowed empires. You speak of the wild but do not know of such things. You name the flame but have never burned."
With a flicker of movement, the ship seems to shift in time, and the pressure eases. "Go now. Before you learn the cost of knowing."
And he is gone!
Did the others see him? You are unsettled by this fierce apparition.
Aisling is shaken by this new apparition. Who was that otherworldly man? He was powerful—and he scared the hell out of her.
The warlock looks behind her to see if anyone else witnessed it, only to realize that everyone has either already left or is in the process of doing so. She clasps her hands trying to steady their trembling, and manages to ask the man in from of her, "W-Who are you?" If he doesn't answer, then she simply leaves the boat.
Her mind is so full of questions that, for a moment, she forgets to check on Cleo or even to wonder why Leif is soaking wet again. But she remembers she still has Joy’s cloak and absentmindedly drapes it over the halfling’s shoulders.
All the while, Aisling wrestles with what to do about this vision. She glances at Joy—perhaps she can ask about it when she accompanies the Pelorian to her temple.
The young knight is relieved to have his new companions leaving the ship, giving the half-elf a brief confused look as she seems to have another vision. There had been so many strange things happening only since he had arrived earlier this evening, perhaps there would finally be time to sort things out. Coming up on deck he realizes the crew is gone. He then quickly moves to rejoin with the others on the docks. "Ze women, vhere did zey go?" He asks the others, clearly worried what might happen to them if they went off on their own.
(ooc: You can all assume that Aisling has explained the contents of the spoiler tag)
"Please, let me go with you, Joy. I'm interested in learning more about these fey rituals," Aisling asks Joy, without elaborating further.
Diving deep to the surface ♫ Auriel | Chase | Shenua | Arren | Lyra | Jadzia
Cleo waits at the end of the jetty. She notices the two women from before cross the jetty and start heading off to the northwest. She pauses, torn. Should she follow them? Cleo sighs and decides she should at least make sure they are all right. The gnome tries to catch up with them before they get too far away.
If she is able to catch up with them, she'll call out to them. "Wait! Where are you going?" she asks. "Do you need a place to stay?"
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 gives a nod and smile. Aisling had seemed rather excited upon realizing she was a Fey, so it seems to be a topic of study or at least interest for the half-elf. It will also settle her nerves a bit not to enter the temple by herself on the first visit. "Of course, all are welcome in Pelor's Temple. And you're right, Cyriel. We should try to catch up to those women to see if they have a place to go or are just wandering. I think Lusia followed them too." She turns toward the not-prisoners one last time before heading out. "Should you decide to leave here, I'm sure the Temple would provide you refuge. Pelor's light...it helped even me, a Hexblood, so please consider it."
When Joy calls out to him again, Leif is about to open the leather pouch and scroll case, but he panics as he hears the tension in her voice and the mention of Lady Vayla. He doesn't know this lady, but how others talk about her brings back memories of the matron he once was in servitude to. He shivers reflexively and quickly ties the leather pouch to his belt, stuffs the scroll case into his pack, and the silk handkerchief into his pocket. He then returns to the group, looking into the room with the captives. He hadn't really been listening to the discussion from the group, as most of it went right over his head. "They don't want to leave? Where is Cleo's brother? We can't leave him here!" He looks puzzled as the slaves refuse to leave the ship with them. Leif feeling tired, cold, damp, and a bit woozy, agrees to depart the ship to rethink the group's approach to the situation, even though they hadn't confirmed anything during this encounter.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Leif looks to the knight with growing confusion. "Wait, what! We let a monster loose?" He looks past Cyriel to get another look at the individuals who decided to stay behind. "And where's Cleo? I thought she would be in here with us, searching this ship until we found her brother." A growing sense of dread begins to fill the young halfling. 'What have we done?'
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Joy steps over to Leif, her expression gentle but firm as she catches him up. “Cleo got scared and ran off—we need to find her. It seems her brother isn't here after all.” She gestures toward the door where the two women had wandered out. “A couple of the captives left too. They seem human to me, but…something dark is clinging to them. Like a curse or a spell. I don’t think they’re thinking clearly.”
She’s about to say more when she notices the blood trailing down his leg. Her brows knit in concern, and without hesitation, she rests a hand on his shoulder, a soft golden glow spreading from her palm as she heals the wound (Lay on Hands for +4 HP).
“There. How did that happen? You said you got poked by something?"
"Ve should hurry." The young knight says, motioning for the others to head up and off the ship, preferring to be the last to get back ashore.
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
Wisdom save: 19
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Leif listens to Joy's explanation of events thoughtfully. How do we know Cleo's brother isn't here? Maybe they cast one of their magic spells to find out. "Okay, so not monsters... just sick or cursed." Leif looks into the room with the captives one last time, looking at the pale man in the back... I don't recall seeing him among the people we rescued from the water. He's creepy-looking.
As Joy puts Pelor's healing energy into Leif, he looks up to her in ever-growing admiration. Wow, this woman is so powerful she can heal wounds with nothing more than a light touch! Leif is about to answer Joy's question when Cyriel requests them to hurry.
"Well, uh... I was... ohh."
"Yeah, okay... you're right, Cyriel. Let's go find Cleo and make sure she's okay." At that Leif dashes back to the ship's deck, straight to the ship's bow. Uses the bowsprit and bounds back onto dry land (Acrobatics: Nat 1+5=6). Looking for Cleo as he goes (Perception: 13).
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Joy nods quickly to Cyriel, watching Leif take off in a flash of movement, bounding over the bowsprit with ease. She smiles at his energy despite her worry. She hurries after him, though she sticks to the gangplank, avoiding any acrobatics that her heavy armor would absolutely not agree with. Her boots hit the dock solidly, and she immediately scans the area, searching for Cleo, Lusia, or the two wandering women.
Perception: 13
Aisling, The man silently observes you. The other ex-captives seem preoccupied in their thoughts.
There is a flash, and before you, with his face about a foot away from yours, stands a strong man with long, flowing black hair and a long black beard. He wears a leather strap necklace with a substantial red gem. His gaze looks deep into your soul, his eyes like ancient stones, cold and unyielding. The air seems to tighten, pressing down like the weight of a storm about to break.
"What do I owe you?" His voice rolls through the grove like thunder, deep and resonant, shaking the very earth beneath your feet. Then, he leans forward, his presence immense, his breath carrying the scent of old earth and wild. His stare is not of anger nor condescension but of something far worse. Pity!
"You warn me of fey magics? Child, you stand in the palm of forces that have already swallowed empires. You speak of the wild but do not know of such things. You name the flame but have never burned."
With a flicker of movement, the ship seems to shift in time, and the pressure eases. "Go now. Before you learn the cost of knowing."
And he is gone!
Did the others see him? You are unsettled by this fierce apparition.
Lusia and Cleo, The two girls, now about 30 feet away, turn to your questions.
Suddenly...
Leif bounds up the stairs, across the ship's bow and bounces onto the bowsprit. His foot finds an oily spot on the spar, and he slips, banging his shoulder (1 bludgeoning damage) as he falls down, cracking the water with a loud, horizontal splash. The sound of his entry into the drink echoes through the docks, causing all above board to turn and see what has happened.
Lusia and Cleo, You turn back to the two girls after the temporary distraction from Leif's fall, only to find them gone.
Joy gasps as Leif slips, her heart lurching at the loud crack of his impact with the water. Without hesitation, she rushes to the edge of the dock. The cold water must be a shock, and after everything tonight, the last thing he needs is another setback. She leans forward, bracing herself to haul him up the moment he reaches for her.
Leif is stunned momentarily when he hits the water. It had gone in slow motion for him. He was bounding onto the bowsprit and just as he was about to jump to shore he lost his footing, hitting his shoulder on the way down. The fall to the waters surface seemed to last an eternity. He could see Lusia, Cleo... 'Thank goodness she's okay!' and two other ladies. Was that an eye roll from Lusia? Cleo looked upset as well. Then splash! For a moment Leif is too embarrassed to resurface. He considers swimming away, never to be seen again... no... that's ridiculous. The breath was knocked out of him from the impact. He had to swim up... and so he does.
Resurfacing, Leif sees Joy's face, hand extended with a worried look. He takes her hand and climbs out of the water. A new level of miserable now evident on the halflings face. "Thanks." he mutters through chattering teeth. Face a bright shade of red. He risks a look around, but it's not people he's looking for... it's a shadow he can get lost in.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Lusia was a bit surprised as she turned to see Leif falling awkwardly from the bowsprit into the water. But she was relieved once he surfaced, and Joy is there to fish him out. She is even more surprised when she looks back and the two women she'd gone after have disappeared. She turns to Cleo, "Did you catch where they went? How could they have just vanished so quickly?"
She isn't very optimistic, but she tries to look about to find the pair. (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
Aisling is shaken by this new apparition. Who was that otherworldly man? He was powerful—and he scared the hell out of her.
The warlock looks behind her to see if anyone else witnessed it, only to realize that everyone has either already left or is in the process of doing so. She clasps her hands trying to steady their trembling, and manages to ask the man in from of her, "W-Who are you?" If he doesn't answer, then she simply leaves the boat.
Her mind is so full of questions that, for a moment, she forgets to check on Cleo or even to wonder why Leif is soaking wet again. But she remembers she still has Joy’s cloak and absentmindedly drapes it over the halfling’s shoulders.
All the while, Aisling wrestles with what to do about this vision. She glances at Joy—perhaps she can ask about it when she accompanies the Pelorian to her temple.
Diving deep to the surface ♫ Auriel | Chase | Shenua | Arren | Lyra | Jadzia
The young knight is relieved to have his new companions leaving the ship, giving the half-elf a brief confused look as she seems to have another vision. There had been so many strange things happening only since he had arrived earlier this evening, perhaps there would finally be time to sort things out. Coming up on deck he realizes the crew is gone. He then quickly moves to rejoin with the others on the docks. "Ze women, vhere did zey go?" He asks the others, clearly worried what might happen to them if they went off on their own.
You are all out of the ship. The crew are gone. The girls are gone.