Zephyra smiles at Blossom seeing that he's joined them. "It is the right thing to do. They don't look like they're overflowing in riches but often people feel they should reward good deeds when they can. Besides, wasn't that floor getting hard?"
She glances at the others, "Not a lot of time for discussion, but here's my idea. See the status of the cousins and if we can help them. If Akadi wasn't sure if they were dead or not, they must have looked bad. Then there's the Church or the graveyard. Many directions, but the cousins place to start?" She pauses briefly to see agreement, then was off towards the cousin's house.
As the group moves, she gradually fades back into the pack a little, not wishing to lead. Only be a part of it and call for action to help these people restore balance. Moving closer to the forest, she feels its wrong, the sounds and rhythm are off. She clutches the totem at her neck and whispers a prayer, "Chauntea, please guide us to fix what's wrong, for surely you know. Let me show you I am worthy of the gifts you have given me." She clutches her worn staff tightly as if drawing some strength from it, her face flashing a brief sadness quickly replaced with the raise of her chin and a renewed speed. "Let me be in time," She whispers quietly as she runs.
Luther holds his longbow at his waist, other hand resting on the hilt of his rapier as he nods "Yes, the cousin's place sounds like a good start. I guess we'll negotiate payment late - worked out OK last time"he says, casting a glance at the top of Thariv's head.
The storm continues when you leave the Inn. Very few people move around in the rain and the ones who do move fast, avoiding contact with strangers. You pass next to Lathander's temple on your way, a fenced lawn next to it has a few dozen grave markers and an eight-foot tall tree grows out from one of them. Houses get smaller as you continue and the trees larger until it's hard to tell where the village ends and the forest begins. A single shack stands at the very edge of the tall trees.
You enter a small but well-kept hovel, the décor displaying loving attention to detail and an admiration for the natural weave and weft of the wood. Standing in the middle of the room is the woman responsible, frozen in the action of sweeping the floor. She seems alive, openly weeping and calling out for her son in a fragile voice, but she also seems unable to move. Upon closer inspection, you can see that small tree roots anchor her to the floor, growing up under her skin. You can see the lumpy forms of the roots underneath her clothing, stopping at about her waist.
“It has me. I’m gone,” she whispers, pale and covered in sweat. “But care not for me,” she continues, “please see to my boy. Please check on my sweet Elijah.” She closes her eyes. Her breathing continues, ragged and occasionally interrupted by the pain of the slowly moving roots.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"It's OK" says Luther calmly, as if she has been spooked by a spider and he is indulging her "We'll just work out what's causing this and get you and Elijah safe and sound"
All the time that he is talking, Luther is looking for any possible explanation of (or clue to) the condition, as well as the lady's chances for survival.
Nature or Arcana 6 (same modifier) to determine cause.
Medicine 9 to work out her chances of survival and/or deduce a way to safely free her.
Ufeza steps up to the widow and removes his hat. “Ma’am, I am so sorry for what’s happening to you. We’re going to do everything we can to help. While my friend here looks you over I’m going to see if there’s anything else out of sorts here…and maybe even see where you son is”
13 - investigation to look for any evidence in the house or trace of the son.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Zephyra sweeps into the room, hearing the woman's pleas, wanting to help, but mixed with concern for the boy. She glances about to see what she can of the situation and considers as she looks for the boy. perception7 also nature24 "Keep moving if you can, maybe it will help" she calls out to the others.
Zephyra seeing the right of both sides, "Do you know where you son is? And to what they say, what is your wish? You suffer greatly. I don't know if I can help, but I will try once your son is found." Knowing that the woman is still aware of what is about her and still looking for the child.
You see two doors from the entrance hall, once shows an empty kitchen. The other leads to Elijah's room. The boy’s room is what you’ve come to expect from this home: Immaculate. The wall is littered with framed drawings of a mother and child, drawn with a caring hand and a great deal of skill. A quick glance at the desk and the pencils and paper, and you realize that the boy, Elijah, is responsible for those drawings.
Luther and Zephyra stay with the woman. The roots coming trough the floor are like nothing any of them has ever seen and are clearly the cause of the woman's pain. Both start hacking at them with handaxe and rapier, hoping that the damage can be later reversed.
Ufeza, Blossom and Thariv enter the boy's room. Elijah lies on his bed, curled up as if sleeping. You try and wake him, and notice that the roots have grown under every inch of his skin, giving it a dark brown and bruised sheen. Pulling back the covers, you see a large root system emerging from under the bed and flowing through the mattress.
Elijah’s eyelids flutter open. “You,” he whispers, lips hardly moving, “you must find it. The Old One can do no more. It is corrupted.” And with that, a final breath of air escapes what’s left of his lungs, and his eyelids droop closed.
The trio emerges from the boy’s room to discover that the mother is still breathing, but unconscious in Luther's arms. Roots still crawl under her skin, but they are not growing anymore.
Ufeza approaches Luther and Zephyra and kneels next to them. He clears his throat and says, “Her, uh, her son didn’t make it. Said something weird as he passed, though.” He then relays what the boy said.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Thariv is mystified by what he sees in this hovel of a place. Despite his own strange experiences at--and under the--sea, he's never seen anything like this before.
"I think we really do need to get to the root of this problem,"he says. "Should we dig down at her feet, and perhaps better under the poor lad's bed, to see what might be happening here?"
He takes a long breath. "Seems like we may need to burn these roots out,"he suggests, trying his best to understand what might be going on here.
"We also have a who and a what, in some form at least. Corruption and 'the Old One'. The way the kid said made me think it's a name and not an off-hand descriptor," Ufeza says as he casts through his memory to see if he had ever heard references to anything called the Old One. "How did you get these roots to stop growing, by the way? Magic or muscles?"
*OOC: not sure what role you'd consider it at, so here are a few for whichever you deem right:
"A moment, I'll be right back." Zephyra steps outside of the door, takes a deep breath to clear her mind of the memories she thought she'd left behind and looks about for a small seedling. She concentrates carefully and attempts to return it to a seed. druidcraft Not using it as intended, but hoping what she has planned for it will be granted by Chauntea as she prays fervently for some success. nature10in case she could predict whether it would work or come up with something that might.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Luther continues to comfort the mother, setting her down gently if able to do so, otherwise cradling her in his arms. "We need to know as much as you can remember" he appeals to her, softly "We need to make sure nobody else suffers like this"
The woman has passed out from the shock. Slowly the roots that grew into her stop moving and her breathing becomes more regular, but she does not open her eyes or react in any other way.
Roots start to grow through a hole in the floor where the woman stood. They sloowly creep inside the cabin as if looking for more prey to consume.
"We also have a who and a what, in some form at least. Corruption and 'the Old One'. The way the kid said made me think it's a name and not an off-hand descriptor," Ufeza says as he casts through his memory to see if he had ever heard references to anything called the Old One. "How did you get these roots to stop growing, by the way? Magic or muscles?"
Ufeza recalls hearing multiple stories talking about an Old One, most of them about dragons, but a wood elf she met in the travelling caravan once told him that every forest has a great old tree at its center. The forest health is tied to this tree and druids usually try to find and care for them.
"A moment, I'll be right back." Zephyra steps outside of the door, takes a deep breath to clear her mind of the memories she thought she'd left behind and looks about for a small seedling. She concentrates carefully and attempts to return it to a seed. druidcraft Not using it as intended, but hoping what she has planned for it will be granted by Chauntea as she prays fervently for some success. nature10in case she could predict whether it would work or come up with something that might.
OOC: is Zephyra looking for a seedling from the same bunch of roots that grew into the cabin or from any tree?
Ufeza hears Blossoms growl and warning and looks about to see the roots still moving. He casts about quickly for something like a broomstick, intending to what happens when something touches on of the roots while remaining at a, well, safe distance from them. If he finds something, he will pick it up and hold it in contact with one of the roots, ready to drop the thing at a moments notice is this experiment goes south.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Luther steps back from the encroaching roots, taking note to reassess (at a later date) his opinion of forests as nice peaceful settings. Still carrying the mother, he backs out of the house to await the results of Ufeza's experiemnt. If possible, he will keep the door open so that they can communicate, and he stays alert for any danger in his new location.
Perception 19
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Zephyra smiles at Blossom seeing that he's joined them. "It is the right thing to do. They don't look like they're overflowing in riches but often people feel they should reward good deeds when they can. Besides, wasn't that floor getting hard?"
She glances at the others, "Not a lot of time for discussion, but here's my idea. See the status of the cousins and if we can help them. If Akadi wasn't sure if they were dead or not, they must have looked bad. Then there's the Church or the graveyard. Many directions, but the cousins place to start?" She pauses briefly to see agreement, then was off towards the cousin's house.
As the group moves, she gradually fades back into the pack a little, not wishing to lead. Only be a part of it and call for action to help these people restore balance. Moving closer to the forest, she feels its wrong, the sounds and rhythm are off. She clutches the totem at her neck and whispers a prayer, "Chauntea, please guide us to fix what's wrong, for surely you know. Let me show you I am worthy of the gifts you have given me." She clutches her worn staff tightly as if drawing some strength from it, her face flashing a brief sadness quickly replaced with the raise of her chin and a renewed speed. "Let me be in time," She whispers quietly as she runs.
Luther holds his longbow at his waist, other hand resting on the hilt of his rapier as he nods "Yes, the cousin's place sounds like a good start. I guess we'll negotiate payment late - worked out OK last time" he says, casting a glance at the top of Thariv's head.
The storm continues when you leave the Inn. Very few people move around in the rain and the ones who do move fast, avoiding contact with strangers. You pass next to Lathander's temple on your way, a fenced lawn next to it has a few dozen grave markers and an eight-foot tall tree grows out from one of them. Houses get smaller as you continue and the trees larger until it's hard to tell where the village ends and the forest begins. A single shack stands at the very edge of the tall trees.
You enter a small but well-kept hovel, the décor displaying loving attention to detail and an admiration for the natural weave and weft of the wood. Standing in the middle of the room is the woman responsible, frozen in the action of sweeping the floor. She seems alive, openly weeping and calling out for her son in a fragile voice, but she also seems unable to move. Upon closer inspection, you can see that small tree roots anchor her to the floor, growing up under her skin. You can see the lumpy forms of the roots underneath her clothing, stopping at about her waist.
“It has me. I’m gone,” she whispers, pale and covered in sweat. “But care not for me,” she continues, “please see to my boy. Please check on my sweet Elijah.” She closes her eyes. Her breathing continues, ragged and occasionally interrupted by the pain of the slowly moving roots.
"It's OK" says Luther calmly, as if she has been spooked by a spider and he is indulging her "We'll just work out what's causing this and get you and Elijah safe and sound"
All the time that he is talking, Luther is looking for any possible explanation of (or clue to) the condition, as well as the lady's chances for survival.
Nature or Arcana 6 (same modifier) to determine cause.
Medicine 9 to work out her chances of survival and/or deduce a way to safely free her.
Ufeza steps up to the widow and removes his hat. “Ma’am, I am so sorry for what’s happening to you. We’re going to do everything we can to help. While my friend here looks you over I’m going to see if there’s anything else out of sorts here…and maybe even see where you son is”
13 - investigation to look for any evidence in the house or trace of the son.
Zephyra sweeps into the room, hearing the woman's pleas, wanting to help, but mixed with concern for the boy. She glances about to see what she can of the situation and considers as she looks for the boy. perception 7 also nature 24 "Keep moving if you can, maybe it will help" she calls out to the others.
Blossom shakes the rain out of his bare fur as he enters. He looks upon the woman with pity. “Might just be better to put her out of her misery… no?”
Ufeza's eyes flick towards the large Tabaxi, "I think we may be getting ahead of ourselves there..."
"I think she feels differently..." Blossom glances in the direction of the suffering woman, and shrugs.
Zephyra seeing the right of both sides, "Do you know where you son is? And to what they say, what is your wish? You suffer greatly. I don't know if I can help, but I will try once your son is found." Knowing that the woman is still aware of what is about her and still looking for the child.
You see two doors from the entrance hall, once shows an empty kitchen. The other leads to Elijah's room. The boy’s room is what you’ve come to expect from this home: Immaculate. The wall is littered with framed drawings of a mother and child, drawn with a caring hand and a great deal of skill. A quick glance at the desk and the pencils and paper, and you realize that the boy, Elijah, is responsible for those drawings.
Luther and Zephyra stay with the woman. The roots coming trough the floor are like nothing any of them has ever seen and are clearly the cause of the woman's pain. Both start hacking at them with handaxe and rapier, hoping that the damage can be later reversed.
Ufeza, Blossom and Thariv enter the boy's room. Elijah lies on his bed, curled up as if sleeping. You try and wake him, and notice that the roots have grown under every inch of his skin, giving it a dark brown and bruised sheen. Pulling back the covers, you see a large root system emerging from under the bed and flowing through the mattress.
Elijah’s eyelids flutter open. “You,” he whispers, lips hardly moving, “you must find it. The Old One can do no more. It is corrupted.” And with that, a final breath of air escapes what’s left of his lungs, and his eyelids droop closed.
The trio emerges from the boy’s room to discover that the mother is still breathing, but unconscious in Luther's arms. Roots still crawl under her skin, but they are not growing anymore.
Ufeza approaches Luther and Zephyra and kneels next to them. He clears his throat and says, “Her, uh, her son didn’t make it. Said something weird as he passed, though.” He then relays what the boy said.
Thariv is mystified by what he sees in this hovel of a place. Despite his own strange experiences at--and under the--sea, he's never seen anything like this before.
"I think we really do need to get to the root of this problem," he says. "Should we dig down at her feet, and perhaps better under the poor lad's bed, to see what might be happening here?"
He takes a long breath. "Seems like we may need to burn these roots out," he suggests, trying his best to understand what might be going on here.
Arcana 7
Nature 4
"We also have a who and a what, in some form at least. Corruption and 'the Old One'. The way the kid said made me think it's a name and not an off-hand descriptor," Ufeza says as he casts through his memory to see if he had ever heard references to anything called the Old One. "How did you get these roots to stop growing, by the way? Magic or muscles?"
*OOC: not sure what role you'd consider it at, so here are a few for whichever you deem right:
History: 23
Religion: 12
Nature: 15
"A moment, I'll be right back." Zephyra steps outside of the door, takes a deep breath to clear her mind of the memories she thought she'd left behind and looks about for a small seedling. She concentrates carefully and attempts to return it to a seed. druidcraft Not using it as intended, but hoping what she has planned for it will be granted by Chauntea as she prays fervently for some success. nature 10 in case she could predict whether it would work or come up with something that might.
Luther continues to comfort the mother, setting her down gently if able to do so, otherwise cradling her in his arms. "We need to know as much as you can remember" he appeals to her, softly "We need to make sure nobody else suffers like this"
Persuasion 20
The woman has passed out from the shock. Slowly the roots that grew into her stop moving and her breathing becomes more regular, but she does not open her eyes or react in any other way.
Roots start to grow through a hole in the floor where the woman stood. They sloowly creep inside the cabin as if looking for more prey to consume.
Ufeza recalls hearing multiple stories talking about an Old One, most of them about dragons, but a wood elf she met in the travelling caravan once told him that every forest has a great old tree at its center. The forest health is tied to this tree and druids usually try to find and care for them.
OOC: is Zephyra looking for a seedling from the same bunch of roots that grew into the cabin or from any tree?
Blossom lets out a low growl at the roots, and takes a step back towards the door. "Have your wits about you..."
Ufeza hears Blossoms growl and warning and looks about to see the roots still moving. He casts about quickly for something like a broomstick, intending to what happens when something touches on of the roots while remaining at a, well, safe distance from them. If he finds something, he will pick it up and hold it in contact with one of the roots, ready to drop the thing at a moments notice is this experiment goes south.
Luther steps back from the encroaching roots, taking note to reassess (at a later date) his opinion of forests as nice peaceful settings. Still carrying the mother, he backs out of the house to await the results of Ufeza's experiemnt. If possible, he will keep the door open so that they can communicate, and he stays alert for any danger in his new location.
Perception 19