Thalion heaves a huge breath after the ankheg falls, ready to turn his attention toward the possessed scarecrow, but it was a tower of flame by the time he faced it.
As the others go about their tasks he kneels and chops at one of the beast's mandibles until it breaks, putting it into his belt like a sheathed sword to carry as a trophy.
"Good bit of fighting, friends. Now then, wasn't this a rescue mission?" He peers around the chamber they're in as he speaks.
The scarecrow twists and turns as the flames grows higher and higher out of him. Finally, the fire burns away the construct and all that remains is ash.
Before that happens, however a gust of sickly green energy emerges from the ash. It appears as a very old woman, whose features are grotesque -- elongated limbs, a pockmarked face with festering boils.
"Granny has marked you all, my loves. I was just playing with you this time. Do not come to the Redwood Forest, or you'll be sorr-ee. Hehehehehehehehehe."
The sing-songy voice she speaks in, in an exaggerated parody of a little girl makes the message all the creepier. After the energy delivers its message, it disappears into the ether, with no sign of it (or the scarecrow) ever having been there.
(Does someone want to make an Investigation check of the area?)
Grin spins in 3 clockwise (counter clockwise if it's the equivalent of Sunday) dusts of her chest and spits on the ground. "Dat be no sommin us should be angrin."
Thalion laughs mirthlessly and says to Grin, "I think we already have - or at least we will when we enter the Redwood Forest. No foul hag will keep me from returning to my homeland."
With renewed determination Thalion joins Alden in his search of the area.
Between Alden and Thalion, the two make a pretty complete sweep of the mine chamber. Alden, you wander back into the area marked on Yoric's map as the location of the shrine to Nuitari.
There, you see six bodies laid out around the small shrine. Four of the bodies, dressed in the same robes you saw on the Acolytes that confronted you at the The Canary are dead and have been dead in some time, their faces twisted in fear and horror. You note that the human and half-orc you allowed to leave are both among the bodies.
One of the bodies is elven, and dressed in the uniform of Languedoc's Royal Navy --- this is clearly Maharal Goldenrod, the other member of Graddor's party. He is also dead, but much more recently.
Finally, strapped to the altar, you see Captain Graddor. He is breathing, but its very shallow. Near the Captain, you see a piece of twisted steel that seems to have taken the brunt of acid that also appears to have affected the captain. His eyelids flutter open as you touch him, but his voice is very faint as he speaks."
"Those....those things. Are they dead? Damned fools...didn't know what they unleashed, damn them. Porkins? Porkins, are you there, lad?"
He seems like he's on the edge of consciousness, but stable, for the moment.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The altar is not trapped and its easy enough to unstrap the half-orc from it. He slumps down as he falls from the altar.
As Yoric's spell goes through the captain, he awakens and his skin regains some color but he still seems somewhat disoriented.
"Wha....what happened? That infernal McCalister woman closed the mines on some damn fool pretext so Goldenrod, Brightaxe and I..." He looks at each of you, eyes searching, then he gasps as he remembers.
"Those Nuitari followers summoned something -- some foul demon that slaughtered them. Brightaxe, the coward, ran off immediately. They killed Goldenrod, but not me...I wonder."
He tries to stand, but does so too fast, and he stumbles, needing to quickly grab the altar to support himself.
Dex Save: 13
He misses the altar and collapses into a heap. He lays there for a few seconds then sits up quickly, pointing a finger at the group.
"It was you! That...thing said I was marked for someone else, but I would be a good distraction until its playmates showed up. The creature controlled some monster that burrowed in from the Earth. Porkins, Gods bless him took the brunt of it."
He looks around and sees the melted lump in front of him, and touches it with a degree of sadness. "Oh! The old boy was with me since the war. Hate to see him go out like this." He looks directly at Alden, then Yoric. "My men and my best mate have now been casualties of...whatever this is. Who exactly is this druid and what is this thing that wants him so much?"
“It’s... I don’t know. But it’s evil. I’m glad you’re alright. Don’t be too hard on Brightaxe, that thing was terrible. I’m sorry about Porkins, though...” Yoric reaches up a friendly hand to the sailor. “I hope you understand this means we’re friends now.”
”Ahem... yes, the Druid. He’s... more than just a healer, but I’m not positive he’s a good man, either. There are secrets enough for the world in that man.”
"This is not the time nor place for questions Captain. Let's get you removed form this place and after some healing and rest we can go over this together." he tells him.
Thalion takes a moment to examine each of the corpses - including the misshapen lump that once was Porkins. He sighs somberly, recognizing the two acolytes from earlier among the others with a shake of his head. Closing his eyes he utters an old prayer of sorts in Elvish.
"Agreed, we should move on. We've wounds to tend to and another long journey ahead of us."
Nevlav joins Alden in supporting the injured and shaken man. "It's a shame to lose a loyal companion," he says to Graddor. "Let's get you to safety and then we can talk more about allowing these cultists to thrive in the region only for this to occur."
The half-orc looks at Yoric in disbelief as he tries and claims friendship, but he silently allows Alden and Nevlav to support him towards the exit of the mine.
Thalion, as you examine the bodies, you notice the each of the acolytes is wearing a strange amulet with an emblazoned, sickly looking eye on it.
As the group emerges from the mine, dirty and disheveled, Engineer McCalister and the elven guard you interacted with early rush to meet you at the mouth of the mine.
"By the grace o' the Engineer! Are ye all alright? We saw that dwarf lad Brightaxe come stumbling out of there, fifteen minutes or so, moaning about some terrifyin' beastie. Yer friend took him ta the barracks." McCalister sees Graddor, being supported by the rogue and the paladin and she looks at each of you. "So, yer alive. I told ye there was something dangerous down there, ye daft bastard. Ye can't go wasting yer peoples' lives to impress a pretty lass, even if she does have a title. She's never going to let you into her bed, that one."
Graddor looks at the Engineer scolding him and replies in his dry, tired voice. "Not now, McCalister. Not in front of....." He winces, then addresses the tall elf. "Mr. Hollimon, get four or five of the sailors together. Take weapons -- and try and retrieve Mr. Goldenrod's body and....and what you can salvage from Porkins. The old boy deserves a burial too."
Looking at you all, now, he shakes Alden and Nevlav off and straightens his uniform. "Alright. McCalister said the druid is at the barracks, yes? I think its time we all had a chat."
Thalion hangs back slightly as the others prepare to leave and grabs one of the strange eye-amulets from an acolyte's body. He frowns at it and briefly wonders if handling something that might potentially have some sort of dark magic attached to it was such a good idea... before promptly striding out of the mine, already thinking about their next step.
(Thalion -- I dropped an Amulet of Nuitari in your inventory with everything you know about it).
Graddor looks at Grin increduously. "You're an odd sort, lecturing to me about respect. You DO realize that none of this would have happened if you hadn't come to Yellow Creek on this foolish quest, yes? Lady Raskiel will report this to Valance, I shall be replaced and shuffled even further to Languedoc's frontiers, and the next captain of this garrison shan't be so...forgiving of the town's freedom. And the circle of chaos widens. More people hurt, the kingdom in even sorrier shape. But by all means, I shall be a perfect gentleman to Doctor Aleksei."
He begins stalking off towards the barracks.
Engineer McCalister stops you all before you follow him. "Lissen, Ah dinnae know what ye found in there, but Ah ken that it was prob'ly dangerous and deadly. Ah'm grateful to ye. Its gonna take som' effort to find another vein, but its not that bad. Graddor kin sweet talk the Lady when he calms down. But ah cannae let ye leave without giving ye a little something. Ah reckon that ye can't spend the night, so Ah cannae do much for all of ye, but Ah kin get one of ye a little boost. Ah'll find ye before ye leave."
She nods sagely at each of you, slapping you on the back and offering each of you one of the firmest handshakes you've ever experienced. She throws a little wink in for Nevlav. "Loosen up, would ye? Ah bet it would be fun to take ye out for a drink sometime, lad." She says, laughing. "Now g'wan! Ah got to see the damage to me mine for meself. Got heap loads of work ahead of me, Ah do.
Thalion heaves a huge breath after the ankheg falls, ready to turn his attention toward the possessed scarecrow, but it was a tower of flame by the time he faced it.
As the others go about their tasks he kneels and chops at one of the beast's mandibles until it breaks, putting it into his belt like a sheathed sword to carry as a trophy.
"Good bit of fighting, friends. Now then, wasn't this a rescue mission?" He peers around the chamber they're in as he speaks.
The scarecrow twists and turns as the flames grows higher and higher out of him. Finally, the fire burns away the construct and all that remains is ash.
Before that happens, however a gust of sickly green energy emerges from the ash. It appears as a very old woman, whose features are grotesque -- elongated limbs, a pockmarked face with festering boils.
"Granny has marked you all, my loves. I was just playing with you this time. Do not come to the Redwood Forest, or you'll be sorr-ee. Hehehehehehehehehe."
The sing-songy voice she speaks in, in an exaggerated parody of a little girl makes the message all the creepier. After the energy delivers its message, it disappears into the ether, with no sign of it (or the scarecrow) ever having been there.
(Does someone want to make an Investigation check of the area?)
Alden
Investigation: 16
Grin spins in 3 clockwise (counter clockwise if it's the equivalent of Sunday) dusts of her chest and spits on the ground. "Dat be no sommin us should be angrin."
Thalion laughs mirthlessly and says to Grin, "I think we already have - or at least we will when we enter the Redwood Forest. No foul hag will keep me from returning to my homeland."
With renewed determination Thalion joins Alden in his search of the area.
Investigation 10
Between Alden and Thalion, the two make a pretty complete sweep of the mine chamber. Alden, you wander back into the area marked on Yoric's map as the location of the shrine to Nuitari.
There, you see six bodies laid out around the small shrine. Four of the bodies, dressed in the same robes you saw on the Acolytes that confronted you at the The Canary are dead and have been dead in some time, their faces twisted in fear and horror. You note that the human and half-orc you allowed to leave are both among the bodies.
One of the bodies is elven, and dressed in the uniform of Languedoc's Royal Navy --- this is clearly Maharal Goldenrod, the other member of Graddor's party. He is also dead, but much more recently.
Finally, strapped to the altar, you see Captain Graddor. He is breathing, but its very shallow. Near the Captain, you see a piece of twisted steel that seems to have taken the brunt of acid that also appears to have affected the captain. His eyelids flutter open as you touch him, but his voice is very faint as he speaks."
"Those....those things. Are they dead? Damned fools...didn't know what they unleashed, damn them. Porkins? Porkins, are you there, lad?"
He seems like he's on the edge of consciousness, but stable, for the moment.
Alden
Alden will probe one to the bodies with his toe...just incase it undead and waiting to ambush.
He will then say to the Captain: "Be at ease, we are here to get you our Captain."
Alden will move cautiously to the alter, looking for any signs of traps. If all goes well he will cut the Captain loose.
Investigation: 21
Yoric will lay a hand on Graddor to cast cure wounds on Graddor.
5
”Graddor, what happened?”
Paladin - warforged - orange
The altar is not trapped and its easy enough to unstrap the half-orc from it. He slumps down as he falls from the altar.
As Yoric's spell goes through the captain, he awakens and his skin regains some color but he still seems somewhat disoriented.
"Wha....what happened? That infernal McCalister woman closed the mines on some damn fool pretext so Goldenrod, Brightaxe and I..." He looks at each of you, eyes searching, then he gasps as he remembers.
"Those Nuitari followers summoned something -- some foul demon that slaughtered them. Brightaxe, the coward, ran off immediately. They killed Goldenrod, but not me...I wonder."
He tries to stand, but does so too fast, and he stumbles, needing to quickly grab the altar to support himself.
Dex Save: 13
He misses the altar and collapses into a heap. He lays there for a few seconds then sits up quickly, pointing a finger at the group.
"It was you! That...thing said I was marked for someone else, but I would be a good distraction until its playmates showed up. The creature controlled some monster that burrowed in from the Earth. Porkins, Gods bless him took the brunt of it."
He looks around and sees the melted lump in front of him, and touches it with a degree of sadness. "Oh! The old boy was with me since the war. Hate to see him go out like this." He looks directly at Alden, then Yoric. "My men and my best mate have now been casualties of...whatever this is. Who exactly is this druid and what is this thing that wants him so much?"
“It’s... I don’t know. But it’s evil. I’m glad you’re alright. Don’t be too hard on Brightaxe, that thing was terrible. I’m sorry about Porkins, though...” Yoric reaches up a friendly hand to the sailor. “I hope you understand this means we’re friends now.”
”Ahem... yes, the Druid. He’s... more than just a healer, but I’m not positive he’s a good man, either. There are secrets enough for the world in that man.”
Paladin - warforged - orange
(Yoric -- roll persuasion)
Alden
Alden will move to steady Graddor on his feet.
"This is not the time nor place for questions Captain. Let's get you removed form this place and after some healing and rest we can go over this together." he tells him.
Alden will help Graddor along the the exit.
Thalion takes a moment to examine each of the corpses - including the misshapen lump that once was Porkins. He sighs somberly, recognizing the two acolytes from earlier among the others with a shake of his head. Closing his eyes he utters an old prayer of sorts in Elvish.
"Agreed, we should move on. We've wounds to tend to and another long journey ahead of us."
Nevlav joins Alden in supporting the injured and shaken man. "It's a shame to lose a loyal companion," he says to Graddor. "Let's get you to safety and then we can talk more about allowing these cultists to thrive in the region only for this to occur."
18
Paladin - warforged - orange
The half-orc looks at Yoric in disbelief as he tries and claims friendship, but he silently allows Alden and Nevlav to support him towards the exit of the mine.
Thalion, as you examine the bodies, you notice the each of the acolytes is wearing a strange amulet with an emblazoned, sickly looking eye on it.
As the group emerges from the mine, dirty and disheveled, Engineer McCalister and the elven guard you interacted with early rush to meet you at the mouth of the mine.
"By the grace o' the Engineer! Are ye all alright? We saw that dwarf lad Brightaxe come stumbling out of there, fifteen minutes or so, moaning about some terrifyin' beastie. Yer friend took him ta the barracks." McCalister sees Graddor, being supported by the rogue and the paladin and she looks at each of you. "So, yer alive. I told ye there was something dangerous down there, ye daft bastard. Ye can't go wasting yer peoples' lives to impress a pretty lass, even if she does have a title. She's never going to let you into her bed, that one."
Graddor looks at the Engineer scolding him and replies in his dry, tired voice. "Not now, McCalister. Not in front of....." He winces, then addresses the tall elf. "Mr. Hollimon, get four or five of the sailors together. Take weapons -- and try and retrieve Mr. Goldenrod's body and....and what you can salvage from Porkins. The old boy deserves a burial too."
Looking at you all, now, he shakes Alden and Nevlav off and straightens his uniform. "Alright. McCalister said the druid is at the barracks, yes? I think its time we all had a chat."
Grin locks eyes with Graddor "You be respecful of Aleski, comprende?"
Thalion hangs back slightly as the others prepare to leave and grabs one of the strange eye-amulets from an acolyte's body. He frowns at it and briefly wonders if handling something that might potentially have some sort of dark magic attached to it was such a good idea... before promptly striding out of the mine, already thinking about their next step.
(Thalion -- I dropped an Amulet of Nuitari in your inventory with everything you know about it).
Graddor looks at Grin increduously. "You're an odd sort, lecturing to me about respect. You DO realize that none of this would have happened if you hadn't come to Yellow Creek on this foolish quest, yes? Lady Raskiel will report this to Valance, I shall be replaced and shuffled even further to Languedoc's frontiers, and the next captain of this garrison shan't be so...forgiving of the town's freedom. And the circle of chaos widens. More people hurt, the kingdom in even sorrier shape. But by all means, I shall be a perfect gentleman to Doctor Aleksei."
He begins stalking off towards the barracks.
Engineer McCalister stops you all before you follow him. "Lissen, Ah dinnae know what ye found in there, but Ah ken that it was prob'ly dangerous and deadly. Ah'm grateful to ye. Its gonna take som' effort to find another vein, but its not that bad. Graddor kin sweet talk the Lady when he calms down. But ah cannae let ye leave without giving ye a little something. Ah reckon that ye can't spend the night, so Ah cannae do much for all of ye, but Ah kin get one of ye a little boost. Ah'll find ye before ye leave."
She nods sagely at each of you, slapping you on the back and offering each of you one of the firmest handshakes you've ever experienced. She throws a little wink in for Nevlav. "Loosen up, would ye? Ah bet it would be fun to take ye out for a drink sometime, lad." She says, laughing. "Now g'wan! Ah got to see the damage to me mine for meself. Got heap loads of work ahead of me, Ah do.
“Thank you, Engineer McCalister. You’re a credit to the town.” Yoric gives a flourishing bow.
Paladin - warforged - orange