"I did not know him. Did he leave anything behind, and if so, did the authorities examine it? And what did his remorse actually confess to?" Boko says.
Agreeing with Boko, Gerrard adds, "We arrived recently and had not met Jarme before his death, though we heard of his capture and execution from the Procanite priest. We would hear his tale, as there is concern of a...darker...power afoot---one which might be able to overcome a simple man's mind and dictate his actions to its own ends. If this is indeed the case, the hand that held the blade may be eliminated, but the will behind the act may yet remain."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"I don't know exactly what Jarme confessed to, if indeed he confessed at all. The only person permitted to see him, on the militia’s orders, was Mr. Dory, the councilor," Trantor says, raising one eyebrow. "He left nothing behind. Well, that's not exactly true. He spent his last days covering the walls of his cell with drawings, etched with a cast-off lump of charcoal. The resulting images are unsettling, to say the least. But I'm happy to let you see them, if you want."
”Indeed, seeing the drawings might indeed help us. Would Mister Dory be available to discuss his findings with us as well? Have there been others with similar stories to Jarme pass through these halls?” asks Gerrard, turning and preparing to follow the doctor to Jarme’s cell.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"Why we look for key again? Me can open door when needed." Thwacks tiny brain struggles to understand why Peri is so determined to find a key. So much so his scaled brow furrows as he tries to think through the possibilities. Resigning himself to not understanding he pays attention to where the halfling had taken them. Recognising the place where he had seen the painted face man a light bulb goes off in his head. "The man with white face I chase before...he has your key?" His eyes dart around the maze of ramshackle buildings, streets and alleys.
Peri and Thwack begin to make their way into the Alchemist's Quarter, through twisting streets they had not trod on their way here. Smoky laboratories spew noxious fumes through tin chimneys into the narrow alleys, while pipes belch foul liquids into clogged drains. The open sewers run into a network of sunken canals over which jumbled buildings are perched - scavengers can be seen clambering through the mud-choked waterways beneath iron grates, searching for anything of possible value in the muck and refuse.
A tall woman and a heavyset man both wearing fine clothes approach the duo. "Hello, travelers! Welcome to our neighborhood! Do you need food, drink, rooms, perfumes, potions, merchandise, magic items, or absolutely anything else? We guarantee that we know where to find the best deals!" says the woman. The heavy man nods earnestly.
Peri and Thwack guess they are about halfway between Thornwell Tower and the place where they might have spotted Kei. They still have some walking to go.
---
Meanwhile, Trantor leads them toward Jarme's former cell. The journey into the depths of the asylum is not pleasant. Constant screaming and cursing from the cells combines with an overpowering stench of unwashed bodies, filth, mildew, and rotting straw. (Qivys, Boko, and Gerrard: Make a DC 10 Constitution check or gain one level of exhaustion.)
"Jarme's fate is unique, at least here," Dr. Trantor answers. "As to Mr. Dory, you'd have to visit him I guess. He lives in the Alchemist's Quarter - on Hemlock Pit, I think. Has a warehouse and office there."
Trantor eventually stops before a heavily locked door, at which she offers a word of caution. “This wing is where the worst of our cases are kept. I beg you not to look into any of the other cells. We’ve given succor to many folk over the years. But those here are truly forsaken by the gods.”
Unlocking the door reveals a long corridor with iron doors lining both walls. Each door has a small viewing hatch that’s latched shut. An unnatural gurgle churns up from a cell to the right, and is quickly joined by other voices.
Trantor ignores the din as she hurries to the far end of the hall, where she ushers you through an open cell door. The walls beyond are covered with childlike sketches, all overlapping each other in confusing waves and patterned swirls.
Qivys slows a step or two. "I am gonna have ta rest soon." he telepathically tells Gerrard. Even though this Doctor tells the group not to look inside the rooms, Qivys hesitates, looking from the group to the rooms and back.
Peri's bad mood and the stink of this city make him inclined to brush off the solicitous duo. But it occurs to him that they might actually need some help, and it's possible they might find something useful here. He gives them a friendly smile. "Y'know, we might actually could be in the market for something. You see, we lost a friend a while back, and we think he might be somewhere over in the poor part of town, maybe injured or unable to find us. You don't know somewhere we might be able to pick up some kinda tracking spell or gadget or something?"
Chiming in with Peri's sudden friendliness, Thwack offers up his latest trinket in trade. "Can swap this contraption for seeking gadget. Look" he works the mechanism of the ale wagon to demonstrate its appeal. "See? Is like magic. We swap magic for magic." He holds out the toy in preparation of the trade.
It is late afternoon, although the gloom outside would have you believe it to be well after sunset. Qivys feels ill, unnerved by this place. Gerrard's eyes still itch from his dive into the harbor.
Despite the warning, Qivys peers into a nearby cell. He sees a lump of a man, rippled with scars, chained to a bed. There are white-scarred holes where his eyes should be, and he is missing an ear and much of his hair and scalp. He crouches on the floor gurgling, waving one finger in the air. The walls are blackened with soot.
Gerrard examines the drawings on the walls of Jarme's former cell. (We'll make that an Intelligence check roll.) He quickly recognizes that they are multiple depictions of a tentacled creature something like a squid or octopus, but determining further details is difficult. In one, he can make out a tentacled creature devouring a coastal city whose skyline suggests the Styes. (Gerrard: make a DC15 Arcana check to potentially understand more. Qivys (at disadvantage) and Boko are also welcome to make Intelligence checks if they examine the drawings.)
Meanwhile, Peri and Thwack speak with the tall woman and heavyset man who approached them in a grimy, narrow lane in the Alchemist's quarter.
"A tracker? Why, yes! I know a little gnome who lives nearby who has the right skills for a job like that." The woman continues with a sly smile, "I can take you to her, but you'll have to make it worth her while. She's got a real knack for finding people, but her services don't come cheap. She's the best in the business. If anyone can help you find your lost friend, it's her."
"Oh, and speaking of unconventional, there's a charming little shop nearby that deals in all sorts of peculiar items. Magical and otherwise. Might be worth a look if you're interested in, well, unique acquisitions." With a smile, the woman adds, "Of course, we can guide you there for a small fee. Consider it an investment in finding your friend and perhaps discovering a few treasures along the way. What do you say?"
”Look at this one,” says Gerrard, pointing out one of the drawings. “If you look here and here, it appears to be some kind of huge tentacled creature attacking the Styes,” he adds, gesturing at the drawings as he speaks, “Could this be connected to Janore’s visions of the invading undead horde?”
Arcana: 15
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Gerrard recognizes the creature in the drawing as an aboleth, a fabled aberration said to lurk in primordial oceans and underground lakes. It's said they once ruled the world before the gods came.
”This looks like that ancient horror the priest in Seaton was talking about—I think he called it an Aboleth,” says Logan. “Do you think it could have mind-controlled Jarme to murder?” he asks.
Qivys is taken aback by what he saw in the cell but says nothing, following the rest to the cell they are looking for.
Too tired to think clearly, Qivys lets the others do the detective work on this one. However, when Gerrard points out the Aboleth, Qivys just shakes his head. "Of course it is." he mutters to himself. "They want us ta put an end to an ancient evil."
"Let us hope not," responds Dr. Trantor to Gerrard's question. "I have enough lost minds to care for. ...I apologize – we're short-handed and I'm very busy. I have nothing more to show you. But I had a soft spot for poor Jarme. The evidence of his crimes was substantial, I'm told, but his pleas of innocence were heart-wrenching. There was something both unsettling and odd about this case." She shakes her head sadly. "I'll have Brey show you out." She gestures to the cloudy-eyed boy, who has been watching quietly from the hallway.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Peri:
"Well, maybe we should check out the shop first, to see if they have something we might be able to make use of ourselves. If that doesn't pan out then we can find your tracker. I'm not sure how much we'll be able to pay, at least not up front. But once we find our missing friend we should be able to retrieve some more gold from our bank in Seaton." He speaks in a friendly, open, unsuspicious tone, trying to appear as trusting and naive as they obviously take him to be. Meanwhile he studies the pair to try to anticipate when -- not if -- they will try something, and whether it will be a minor swindle or potentially deadly ambush.
Deception to look like a rube: 4 Insight to figure out their scheme: 25
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
"I did not know him. Did he leave anything behind, and if so, did the authorities examine it? And what did his remorse actually confess to?" Boko says.
Gerrard:
Agreeing with Boko, Gerrard adds, "We arrived recently and had not met Jarme before his death, though we heard of his capture and execution from the Procanite priest. We would hear his tale, as there is concern of a...darker...power afoot---one which might be able to overcome a simple man's mind and dictate his actions to its own ends. If this is indeed the case, the hand that held the blade may be eliminated, but the will behind the act may yet remain."
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"I don't know exactly what Jarme confessed to, if indeed he confessed at all. The only person permitted to see him, on the militia’s orders, was Mr. Dory, the councilor," Trantor says, raising one eyebrow. "He left nothing behind. Well, that's not exactly true. He spent his last days covering the walls of his cell with drawings, etched with a cast-off lump of charcoal. The resulting images are unsettling, to say the least. But I'm happy to let you see them, if you want."
Gerrard:
”Indeed, seeing the drawings might indeed help us. Would Mister Dory be available to discuss his findings with us as well? Have there been others with similar stories to Jarme pass through these halls?” asks Gerrard, turning and preparing to follow the doctor to Jarme’s cell.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Thwack
"Why we look for key again? Me can open door when needed." Thwacks tiny brain struggles to understand why Peri is so determined to find a key. So much so his scaled brow furrows as he tries to think through the possibilities. Resigning himself to not understanding he pays attention to where the halfling had taken them. Recognising the place where he had seen the painted face man a light bulb goes off in his head. "The man with white face I chase before...he has your key?" His eyes dart around the maze of ramshackle buildings, streets and alleys.
Peri and Thwack begin to make their way into the Alchemist's Quarter, through twisting streets they had not trod on their way here. Smoky laboratories spew noxious fumes through tin chimneys into the narrow alleys, while pipes belch foul liquids into clogged drains. The open sewers run into a network of sunken canals over which jumbled buildings are perched - scavengers can be seen clambering through the mud-choked waterways beneath iron grates, searching for anything of possible value in the muck and refuse.
A tall woman and a heavyset man both wearing fine clothes approach the duo. "Hello, travelers! Welcome to our neighborhood! Do you need food, drink, rooms, perfumes, potions, merchandise, magic items, or absolutely anything else? We guarantee that we know where to find the best deals!" says the woman. The heavy man nods earnestly.
Peri and Thwack guess they are about halfway between Thornwell Tower and the place where they might have spotted Kei. They still have some walking to go.
---
Meanwhile, Trantor leads them toward Jarme's former cell. The journey into the depths of the asylum is not pleasant. Constant screaming and cursing from the cells combines with an overpowering stench of unwashed bodies, filth, mildew, and rotting straw. (Qivys, Boko, and Gerrard: Make a DC 10 Constitution check or gain one level of exhaustion.)
"Jarme's fate is unique, at least here," Dr. Trantor answers. "As to Mr. Dory, you'd have to visit him I guess. He lives in the Alchemist's Quarter - on Hemlock Pit, I think. Has a warehouse and office there."
Trantor eventually stops before a heavily locked door, at which she offers a word of caution. “This wing is where the worst of our cases are kept. I beg you not to look into any of the other cells. We’ve given succor to many folk over the years. But those here are truly forsaken by the gods.”
Unlocking the door reveals a long corridor with iron doors lining both walls. Each door has a small viewing hatch that’s latched shut. An unnatural gurgle churns up from a cell to the right, and is quickly joined by other voices.
Trantor ignores the din as she hurries to the far end of the hall, where she ushers you through an open cell door. The walls beyond are covered with childlike sketches, all overlapping each other in confusing waves and patterned swirls.
Qivy's Con Roll: 5
Qivys slows a step or two.
"I am gonna have ta rest soon." he telepathically tells Gerrard.
Even though this Doctor tells the group not to look inside the rooms, Qivys hesitates, looking from the group to the rooms and back.
Peri:
Peri's bad mood and the stink of this city make him inclined to brush off the solicitous duo. But it occurs to him that they might actually need some help, and it's possible they might find something useful here. He gives them a friendly smile. "Y'know, we might actually could be in the market for something. You see, we lost a friend a while back, and we think he might be somewhere over in the poor part of town, maybe injured or unable to find us. You don't know somewhere we might be able to pick up some kinda tracking spell or gadget or something?"
Thwack
Chiming in with Peri's sudden friendliness, Thwack offers up his latest trinket in trade. "Can swap this contraption for seeking gadget. Look" he works the mechanism of the ale wagon to demonstrate its appeal. "See? Is like magic. We swap magic for magic." He holds out the toy in preparation of the trade.
Gerrard:
”Understood,” Gerrard replies telepathically, or at least tries to. (What time of day is it?)
Constitution Save: 24
He goes to look at the drawings, trying to separate out one image from another and make sense of it…
Perception or Insight, perhaps: 22
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Boko CON save: 22
It is late afternoon, although the gloom outside would have you believe it to be well after sunset. Qivys feels ill, unnerved by this place. Gerrard's eyes still itch from his dive into the harbor.
Despite the warning, Qivys peers into a nearby cell. He sees a lump of a man, rippled with scars, chained to a bed. There are white-scarred holes where his eyes should be, and he is missing an ear and much of his hair and scalp. He crouches on the floor gurgling, waving one finger in the air. The walls are blackened with soot.
Gerrard examines the drawings on the walls of Jarme's former cell. (We'll make that an Intelligence check roll.) He quickly recognizes that they are multiple depictions of a tentacled creature something like a squid or octopus, but determining further details is difficult. In one, he can make out a tentacled creature devouring a coastal city whose skyline suggests the Styes. (Gerrard: make a DC15 Arcana check to potentially understand more. Qivys (at disadvantage) and Boko are also welcome to make Intelligence checks if they examine the drawings.)
Meanwhile, Peri and Thwack speak with the tall woman and heavyset man who approached them in a grimy, narrow lane in the Alchemist's quarter.
"A tracker? Why, yes! I know a little gnome who lives nearby who has the right skills for a job like that." The woman continues with a sly smile, "I can take you to her, but you'll have to make it worth her while. She's got a real knack for finding people, but her services don't come cheap. She's the best in the business. If anyone can help you find your lost friend, it's her."
"Oh, and speaking of unconventional, there's a charming little shop nearby that deals in all sorts of peculiar items. Magical and otherwise. Might be worth a look if you're interested in, well, unique acquisitions." With a smile, the woman adds, "Of course, we can guide you there for a small fee. Consider it an investment in finding your friend and perhaps discovering a few treasures along the way. What do you say?"
Gerrard:
”Look at this one,” says Gerrard, pointing out one of the drawings. “If you look here and here, it appears to be some kind of huge tentacled creature attacking the Styes,” he adds, gesturing at the drawings as he speaks, “Could this be connected to Janore’s visions of the invading undead horde?”
Arcana: 15
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Gerrard recognizes the creature in the drawing as an aboleth, a fabled aberration said to lurk in primordial oceans and underground lakes. It's said they once ruled the world before the gods came.
Gerrard:
”This looks like that ancient horror the priest in Seaton was talking about—I think he called it an Aboleth,” says Logan. “Do you think it could have mind-controlled Jarme to murder?” he asks.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Qivys is taken aback by what he saw in the cell but says nothing, following the rest to the cell they are looking for.
Too tired to think clearly, Qivys lets the others do the detective work on this one.
However, when Gerrard points out the Aboleth, Qivys just shakes his head.
"Of course it is." he mutters to himself. "They want us ta put an end to an ancient evil."
"Let us hope not," responds Dr. Trantor to Gerrard's question. "I have enough lost minds to care for. ...I apologize – we're short-handed and I'm very busy. I have nothing more to show you. But I had a soft spot for poor Jarme. The evidence of his crimes was substantial, I'm told, but his pleas of innocence were heart-wrenching. There was something both unsettling and odd about this case." She shakes her head sadly. "I'll have Brey show you out." She gestures to the cloudy-eyed boy, who has been watching quietly from the hallway.
Peri:
"Well, maybe we should check out the shop first, to see if they have something we might be able to make use of ourselves. If that doesn't pan out then we can find your tracker. I'm not sure how much we'll be able to pay, at least not up front. But once we find our missing friend we should be able to retrieve some more gold from our bank in Seaton." He speaks in a friendly, open, unsuspicious tone, trying to appear as trusting and naive as they obviously take him to be. Meanwhile he studies the pair to try to anticipate when -- not if -- they will try something, and whether it will be a minor swindle or potentially deadly ambush.
Deception to look like a rube: 4
Insight to figure out their scheme: 25