Session 13 - 5/9/2020

General Summary

Huren (the 9th month) 21, 1610 - The Settlement is poisoned!

The PCs awake to the camp bell ringing. They and the settlers are in varying states of poisoning and exhaustion. The camps supply of anti-toxins is missing (but later found in Egon's tent - most assume this was an attempt to frame him).

With the aid of Ebert Hoffman (the natural healer) and Kadisia Samarigan (Detect Disease and Poison), it is determined two poisons are in effect and what is needed to stabilize / cure the afflicted:

The Poisons

Ground Asthmaweed. apparently used on the food - a small seed, similar in color / texture to fennel seeds. Athsmaweed induces one or more of these conditions: Unconsciousness, Poisoned, Frightened (rapid heartbeat) and +2 level of Exhaustion (toxicity, sweats)*.
Concentrated Maidenhair Tree Sap. Apparently used in some of the Ale - a dark brown liquid. Maidenhair induces one or more of these conditions: Incapacitated (hemorrhaging and destruction of digestive organs), +2 level of Exhaustion (constant pain)*.
*Sturdy adventuring types only suffer 1 level of Exhaustion.

Ebert Hoffman

Kadisia Samerigan

The Cure

Ebert can organize those able to help to find most of the ingredients near the camp, but three items will be tricky. They are:

1. leaves of a creeping vine - common overgrowth in the Ruins of Telmyr
2. wings of bat - the PCs recall the Shrine of Wisdom, Telmyr had bats in the belfry.
3. Swamp-grape - commonly found in most swamps

Who did this?

As events unfold it is determined that Thedra and Tolley Vodman a husband and wife farmer may be responsible. They were in all the right places at all the right times. In addition, their tent is empty. Glimfeather, Egon's familiar later spots them moving to the south-east away from camp.

Whey did they do it

Unknown at this time.

The PCs take action

After discussion with Kadisia, they urge her to use a Lesser Restoration scroll on Pike Bellweather who had all the symptoms and on Harlon Olead whos persistent cough was made worse by the poison.
Shadow and Teddy's condition are improved by the natural healer Ebert Hoffman. The hunter Ansala Bower is also given some of the remaining few herbs by the healer as her skills in tracking may be needed soon.
With the camp in slightly better shape that this morning, the PCs make haste towards the Ruins of Telmyr to collect ingredients.
En-route, they spot a small gathering of Beastmen foraging for food. A few bolt at their sight as usual, but more than normal remain - perhaps they are getting accustomed to the PCs? As the PCs pass by, the two-headed Beastman makes an odd gesture towards Sigmund (he places a hand before his face, palm inward, and slowly lowers his hand). Sigmund mimics the gesture and casts a goodberry bush in the road as before, and continues into the ruins.
Before the PCs are out of sight, the Beastmen approach and partake of the goodberries.
In the ruins, the PCs quickly find creeping vines, dispatch them and collect plenty.
En-route to the Shrine, Shadow spots a human boy with a red ball, who briefly watches them and then disappears around a corner. Shadow alerts the group and they hurriedly trot after the boy with the read ball. Shadow sees the boy around the corner who bounces his ball into an alley and moves out of sight again.

Pressed for time but curious, the PCs collectively decide they must save this for another day - much to Sigmund's dismay. Shadow leaves some food in a scrap of cloth for the Boy and Sigmund scrawls some words / drawings on the wall for the boy - as he does so he catches sight of the boy one more time who says something in a sing-song voice about a "bad man".
They PCs arrive at the shrine (wary of Kenku) and stir up the bats in the shrine and then collect plenty of bat wings.
Lastly, the PCs circumnavigate the rest of the ruins and head north into the "Forbidden Swamp" - so labeled by Karkam of Wyd Mar'jinn's tribe. There they spot a black fog obscuring the deep center of the swamp. The are hoping to find the swamp-grapes at the swamps edge and avoid the mist.

Karkam

Report Date

09 May 2020