4.1 The Next Day
The Frostyear Guardians, Book I:
The Heroes of Adrest
10 Ches, 1491, Morning
RINI: Before Rini heads down in the morning, he opens the spell scroll of thunderwave and will attempt to copy the spell into his spell book. SALEEK: Unable to sleep much, saleek finds himself examining and attuning to his newfound weapon, in an attempt to find out even more about it, before succumbing to sleep. RANDAL: Randal takes the available time in the morning to begin spinning the tale that he will tell to anyone who asks about their time beneath Underbarrel farm. He strums his lute as he does so, before heading downstairs to start the day. KENRIS: Kenris saunters down the stairs into the main room. He says: Randal, i had no idea you could play so well. DM WHISPER TO KENRIS: You found the night oddly rough, vivid and disturbing dreams of blood, violence, revelry, sex... you remember a dark wood, shapes begging for you to join them, the feeling of being watched.DM WHISPER TO ADMOIRA: Your first night in the human village is strange, the bed in your room not quite big enough and not what you are used to. In the middle of the night you find yourself awakened by a strange dream. You walk alone through a strange wood, trees that seem to grow upward forever. The sky and the leaves seem to shift in every color you could imagine. Suddenly you feel as if you are being watched, in the gap between two branches is a mask, almost like yours, but of a higher quality somehow. You hear whispered words on the wind: "come unto us, little sister."
DM WHISPER TO SALEEK: clutching the blade makes you feel angry, violent, but in a way that feel good in your hands. You can feel it is not alive or intelligent but somehow it wants to kill and feed and grow more powerful. It would take someone quite strong to effectively use this weapon. You all make your way to the tavern's common room, recovered from the ordeal of the full day and longer night before. Marti the tavern girl is there, though she seems surly this morning. A hearty village breakfast is set before you, and then time you eaten, done your morning activities and received the thanks of numerous locals, it is already midday. Rini rolls arcana [[1d20+Arcana(Int)]]=16+6=22 ADMOIRA: Admoira seems to have rested roughly, and is more clumsy than usual. She mostly tags along with the others throughout the morning. RANDAL: (embarrassed) to Kenris: “Ye could hear that, huh? Yer too kind.”(proud)
to Kenris: “I’ve been tryin’ it out t’ give a little flavour t’ me tales. I’m glad it pleased ye” RINI: Rini enters the common room with his face buried into his spell book memorizing spells for the day and reviewing his notes from the previous adventure. Kenris rolls [[1d20 + Perception(Wis)]]=8-1=7 DM WHISPER TO KENRIS: There is something about the tavern girl today, you cannot quite figure it out, but there seems to be something about her that keeps drawing your eyes. KENRIS: I wave towards the tavern girl, and say: "You dear girl may i say that there is something different about you today" ADMOIRA: Admoira looks up from her food, which she has mostly been pushing around with her fork, and follows Kenris' gaze to the tavern girl. MARTI: (affectionate) "Oh, flattery will get you everywhere, Hero. *She brushes some of her disheveled dark hair out of her eyes.* The only thing different today is we had a load of people show up in the middle of the night and the boss left all the work to me!" RINI: "Yes. Well. We seem to have a knack for bringing a host of people back into town with us." *Rini says with out his eyes leaving his book* MARTI: (detached) "Yes you do."
(curious) "So what is the next step for the great heroes of our little town? Going to fight a dragon or demons or save the world?" DM WHISPER TO KENRIS: Kenris at this point you notice almost smell almost like heavily burnt meat seems to be pervading the inn this morning. ADMOIRA: Admoira goes back to poking at her uneaten meal.
(detached) "We are to find some naked dancing women in the forests to the south." MARTI: (excited) "Oh... I've heard of them. They say all sorts of wicked creatures live in that forest and not all of them are beasts, if you get my meaning. I hear that's where the ghost that killed the Greenvalleys came from. Though I'm sure they're no match for you all. Big strong heroes that you are!" ADMOIRA: Admoira pushes her plate away and stands, bowing her large head in thanks.
(anxious) "We will do what we can. If you will excuse me..."
The large Firbolg grabs her staff and pack from the floor nearby and heads outside, closing the door quietly behind her. MARTI: (curious) "*Arches an eyebrow as she watches the large woman leave.* Did I hurt her feelings? I wonder if she knows some of those forest beasts personally." RANDAL: *(he scratches his chin)* “We don’t know a great deal ‘bout her. There’s no sayin who she knew and who she didn’t.” KENRIS: "to Marti: don't you worry your head over this . I will have a talk with her"
Admoira departs, continued in 4.1.1 Meeting Letitia
SALEEK:(worried) "Marti...how is Ms halfhill faring..." MARTI: "To Saleek: Hmmm, well she's mostly moping around town, but I guess that's what happens when your whole family dies on you, huh?"
She gives a dismissive shrug at the offers to talk to Admoira, as if this young girl does not really seem to care what the druid might think of her. SALEEK: Saleek nods his head, and gets up.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll be back shortly everyone."
I’ll go find admoira outside. RINI: "to Marti: Dies? Jandi told us her daughter was missing. Not dead. What have you heard about this family?" MARTI: (doubtful) "*She gives another noncommittal shrug.* I love reading fairy stories, Mister, but even I know a baby that small ain't got much hope out there. Her husband got sick and died this winter, I hear... and now the baby. Awful, isn't it? She was in here saying someone stole her baby, but who would want a girl that young, right?" KENRIS: "They are thing from fairy that would be delighted with a child a soul unmared by events such a thing so innocent. But surely there is a much more rational reason why this happend" DM WHISPER TO SALEEK: You make your way outside and find Admoira asking directions from some of the locals. They laugh and smirk about whatever she is asking them, then she begins to make her way up the hill deeper into the village. MARTI: "*Grins widely as she regards the aasimar man.* Oh? Why I never heard of that. You must be very experienced to know so much, mister." KENRIS: "to Marti: I once fought the thing that go bump in the night. So yes I have had experience" RANDAL: “Aye, I can vouch fer our knight ‘ere. He’s seen darker times than I” KENRIS: "To Randal: I hope you never have to brave the darkness and depravities that I have had. But do we have a lead?" RANDAL: To Kenris: “Not leads exactly. More like further questions t’ be answered. But we know a bit more ‘bout what we’re up against ‘ere, so that’s a start” DM WHISPER TO SALEEK: You take to the air, a few of the younger townsfolk impressed by the spectacle. From the added height it is easy to make out the large, furry woman as she heads into town, stopping at the familiar shack occupied by Letitia Kelsey that you investigated before.
Saleek follows Admoira, continued in 4.1.1 Meeting Letitia
Between the various characters you met beneath Ardrest there were definitely many oddities that bear a closer look. Kenris, in particular, you recall having a bag stuffed full of papers and such from the halfling man's office. RINI: "To Kenris: let us have a look at those papers you gathered from the gangs hideout." The first thing you find is a rough map of the area around Ardrest, someone (you would assume the halfling) has marked the map repeatedly, each mark bearing a date and a short description. You see marks for just about every sort of calamity that might befall a small town: "crops failed," "run away," "2 headed calf," "illness" and so on.
Everyone looking at the map can give me a straight int roll.
INT CHECK
Rini rolls intelligence [[1d20+4]]=4+4=8
Randal rolls intelligence [[1d20+0]]=18+0=18 Rini, there are so many point, each of them a minor or major catastrophe to the people involved. The dates span the last century or so, with the eldest being a line written just above the town of Ardest with the cryptic label "defeated great evil." At the dates continue all the way up until a few days ago: "goblins. Heroes!?" If you were to try and write a book based on this map it would be massive.
Randal, while you do not possess the keen analytical mind of the wizard, you do have a knowledge of aesthetics, enough to recognize grouping in the madness of this map. The oldest marks begin around Ardrest 100 years ago. There are a few scattered notes (crop failures, missing cattle, etc) but it is not until about 30 years ago that the notes begin to intensely cluster around a farm to the north labeled "Greenvalley." The dates begin in 1462, end in 1476, and show the names Lendi and Malda many times. After that date a second set of points begins to the Northwest of the town, near the Misty forests where you first met the group and the misfortunes seem to be slowly making their way towards town from the North and Northwest. They never quite reach the town, but starting just last year new notes seem to crop up in the town itself, mostly minor things, missing objects, rumors, but there are many many marks on all three "fronts" dating back to almost exactly one year ago.
The next item you find in the halfling's good is a small ledger, in which are written numerous details of the man's illicit business dealings: dates, amounts paid, shipments, etc. Towards the end of the entries there are a disturbing amount of names written in the description column, though thankfully only a few marked sold. This would be damning evidence if given to local authorities. RINI: "This town has definitely been its fair share of troubles."
"We should get this ledger to the authorities as well. I'm sure they could use it in the case against the halfling."
Rini says this almost absentmindedly as he takes notes down in his book. RANDAL: Randal traces the path of the events with his finger in chronological order.
(pensive) “Somebody’s been spendin’ a great deal o’ time trackin’ these events...”
(serious) “Rini, these names...” *(He points to Greenvalley)* “Lendi and Malda... Could they be th’ dancin’ women we’re lookin’ for?. They look like they’ve been about in Greenvalley, where most of this weirdness is happenin’” The third item you find is some sort of personal journal of a man named Kelvin Underbarrel. There is a mix of cryptic notes about farming and wild speculation. As you page further through the book, the handwriting becomes increasingly erratic, and the notes less sensible. By the last page the writer is all but scrawling over his own writing in jagged black ink. Phases like "the dreams," "They come at night," "I am so close," and "they are coming" fill the last few pages.
Tucked into the back cover of book is a loose sheet of well folded paper baring the following:
| GIRLS?! The festival is the key! 70 years? how? magic?
1491: Festival. MUST STOP THEM. NO TIME LEFT. TAKE THEM AND KEEP THEM SAFE. 1477: Festival. Nothing!? MISSING GIRL!? THEY TOOK LENDI TOO EARLY 1476: Lendi 13 Malda 33 WHERE ARE THE BODIES?
Ferren = murderer = father? Why? 1468: Return. Are they punishing you? 1463: Festival. Lendi lost and back 1 week WHY DID YOU LEAVE HER!? SHE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO MARRY
1462: leave. 6 mo!? Lendi’s father? 1449: Festival. fire many dead 1435: Festival. Aishe Cooper 14 y.o girl Sam Cooper - mind half gone 1421: Festival. Mayhill farm all dead girl about to be married? Teens? 1407: ???? |
But far as what happens: drinking, dancing, people getting into the sort of fun they regret later. People say it's celebratin' some victory over evil 100 years back or something... most people just see a time to get sauced and frisky." You might also recall the halfling man in the Blacksash Hideout mentioning Lendi and Malda. The name Greenvalley you might recall from the tavern owners story about fairies stealing a child from a family that crossed them in some way. The child was returned a week later. One of Ansil's deputies also has that surname. RANDAL: The surname "Greenvalley"?
(pensive) "So we got..." *(he scratches his chin thoughtfully)* "people celebratin' this... defeated evil. The first o' th' notes around this map dates back a good century or so, which turns out to be as long as the festival's been around. Some poor girls disappeared a while ago, and this Fortyear festival seems like it's got somethin' t' do with it. And now - near one hundred years past the festival's beginning, it's happened again... What d' ye think?"
What's the current year? 1491, 10th of Ches. RANDAL: Ok, so the Lendi/Maldi thing was a lot less than 100 years ago. 28 years if you don't want to do the math. And yes, Ansil's deputy was named Greenvalley, the halfling woman, who almost shot you on the way back to Ardrest from the goblin cave. MARTI: (playful) "What do I think? Well, it sounds positively heroic! The festival's on the 19th, you should go out and kill all the monsters and then we'll really have a reason to party! I'll give all of you a kiss if you save us all. *She winks.*" RINI: "to Randal: seems like we have more questions than answers. Shall we talk to Ansil and his deputy Greenvalley while we give him the evidence against the halfling we dragged out of the blacksashes hideout." RANDAL: (embarrassed) *(Randal blushes furiously at Marti and clears his throat)* “Ahem... nine days, then. Once we’re done talkin’ t’ them, we should find someone who knows a little more ‘bout this festival.” RINI: "Let’s be off to see Ansil then" KENRIS: "to Marti: you seem awe fully aware of the dangers."
Can i make an insight check? Please do. MARTI: (affectionate) "to Kenris: Me? *The teen girl turns to Kenris, batting her long eyelashes and looking innocent.* I'm just a big fan of heroes killing monsters is all. Those were always my favorite stories." Kenris rolls insight [[1d20 + Insight (Wis)]]=2-1=1 MARTI: (brooding) "I always wondered what it was like for the monsters just waiting in thier lair for the heroes to come kill them..." DM WHISPER TO KENRIS: It is not quite something you can put your finger on, but there is certainly something strange about the barmaid. You cannot tell if it is new or just you never paid much attention to her before. She certainly seems interested in you and your group. DM rolls [[1d12]]=12 Rini stands to head towards Ansil's office/jail. Are you all going with him? RANDAL: Randal bids a quick farewell to Marti before hurrying after Rini.
Rini and Randal leave, continued in 4.2 Ardrest's Jail
MARTI: (curious) "So where you headed, Mister? What monsters you gonna go kill?"
(seductive) "If you want, maybe you can tell me all about your conquests at the end of my shift..." KENRIS: I want to use my divine sense on her. You open your senses, the smell of very over cooked meat washing over you, almost strong enough to choke you. You get the sense of brimstone lingering in the air. Sure enough it does seem to be centered on the young girl just in front of you. She arches a single dark eyebrow at you. MARTI: (disappointed) "Or perhaps not?" KENRIS: "to Marti: little miss i would love to take you up on your advances but i have a place to be. I will be back shortly." DM rolls [[1d20+6]] = 13+6=19 MARTI: (seductive) "*The girl favors Kenris with a long stare, then smiles widely.* My door is the end of the hall... perhaps I will forget to lock it tonight, hero. *She winks as he makes to leave.*"
Continued in 4.2 Ardrest's Jail
Comments