Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

[Adam]

Roald doesn't turn around to see the bandits depart. His gaze remains fixed on the caves.

"Variety's nice, I suppose."

Cormac spits on the ground. "Aye, like we could occasionally find somethin' we're lookin' for," he mutters. "Let's be on wi' this."

He hefts his bow and moves towards the cave.

[Adam]

CAER HAES

Sir Rory says,

"Right , then. First order of business is this old woman and some questions raised about her property. The taxmen say her name is Oorna and that she took over from the previous owner. The title deed my lord, Filbert, found confirms that much. Her property has been impounded until her trial; apart from the money already confiscated as a fine and disbursed to the duke's agents.His Grace prefers not to attaint even an obviously guilty party without process of the law. "

"Ah, um," Cranstel says, raising a hand, "Has she been accused of synthesizing the poison? I've not been told what this Oorna person supposedly did, other than her agents' attacks on Miss Safana."

[ewancummins]

CAER HAES

Sir Rory says,

"Right , then. First order of business is this old woman and some questions raised about her property. The taxmen say her name is Oorna and that she took over from the previous owner. The title deed my lord, Filbert, found confirms that much. Her property has been impounded until her trial; apart from the money already confiscated as a fine and disbursed to the duke's agents.His Grace prefers not to attaint even an obviously guilty party without process of the law. "

"Ah, um," Cranstel says, raising a hand, "Has she been accused of synthesizing the poison? I've not been told what this Oorna person supposedly did, other than her agents' attacks on Miss Safana."

Sir Rory replies,
"She is only suspected of making poison. The Crone is wanted for harboring the hooded gang and for fleeing the duke's agents. From the accounts I have heard, it seems that she was even commanding some of the hooded men during the fighting."
The old knight shrugs. "Poisoning people would be a serious crime, but the fire destroyed whatever it was she was working on her cellar. But I have been told that his lordship was sickened the day after the raid, injured by some kind of trapped device he found while searching the ash heap.''
He turns towards Filbert.
"Could you please give us the full details, my lord?"

[ewancummins]

THE CAVES

Roald doesn't turn around to see the bandits depart. His gaze remains fixed on the caves.

"Variety's nice, I suppose."

Cormac spits on the ground. "Aye, like we could occasionally find somethin' we're lookin' for," he mutters. "Let's be on wi' this."

He hefts his bow and moves towards the cave.

The height of the scarp and the angle or the sun cast deep shadows over the cave mouths; further in deep blackness fills the hollows.
Nevil lights a torch with his tinderbox, flint, and steel rasp.

The party begins looking for clues...

[VAN]

"Yes of course Sir Rory. As I was looking for evidence I found a hidden chest. I opened it and a needle jams into my thumbn it was burning and I started to sweat a lot and had terrible nausea. It was definitely poison and even after divine healing the skin remains gray under the nail. Inside the chest I found these papers includng the deed you just mentioned and a pewter statuette of a bloated goat- man with wings like a bat."

Filbert shows the Castellan his thumb if he wants to see it better, the papers and the statuette.

[ewancummins]

"Yes of course Sir Rory. As I was looking for evidence I found a hidden chest. I opened it and a needle jams into my thumbn it was burning and I started to sweat a lot and had terrible nausea. It was definitely poison and even after divine healing the skin remains gray under the nail. Inside the chest I found these papers includng the deed you just mentioned and a pewter statuette of a bloated goat- man with wings like a bat."

Filbert shows the Castellan his thumb if he wants to see it better, the papers and the statuette.

Sir Rory looks the Halfling's thumb first.
"Hmmmm...I don't know much about poison. A coward's weapon."
He turns to Cranstel "Is this the same stuff at work?"

[Adam]

Cranstel peers expertly at the thumb. "Indeed, note the greying of the skin. Very similar to what was seen with Miss Safana." He looks up hopefully. "I don't suppose a sample from the needle was saved?"

[Varrus the Ethical]

Cormac spits on the ground. "Aye, like we could occasionally find somethin' we're lookin' for," he mutters. "Let's be on wi' this."

He hefts his bow and moves towards the cave.

"I'm not sure, Cormac. I don't if I could handle things going our way for once." Roald draws his sword, steel singing against leather. "Let's find some trouble."

[VAN]

"I think so, we need to check the chest. I can arrange to fetch it to you Mr Cranstel."

Turning to Castellan he adds:

"There is another thing Sir Rory, the hoodies turned to undead when Sir Gunnar and his men killed them. The place was also tainted by evil magic, I crossed to the Shadowworld way easily. I was really surprised by that."

[ewancummins]

Caer Haes

"I think so, we need to check the chest. I can arrange to fetch it to you Mr Cranstel."

Turning to Castellan he adds:

"There is another thing Sir Rory, the hoodies turned to undead when Sir Gunnar and his men killed them. The place was also tainted by evil magic, I crossed to the Shadowworld way easily. I was really surprised by that."

The old knight makes a sign against evil powers. ''This happening now, not long after the Eve of the Dead...corpses rising...I had thought we were dealing with a lot of ordinary men, backed by some faction. But it looks like this is worse than all that."

[ewancummins]

THE SEARCHERS


The party searches the caves and crannies of the escarpment. They discover that several of the caves connect at points deeper in the rock mass. The searchers carefully check the rock walls for markings, the floor for any dropped items. Minutes grow into hours. A chill wind rises, blowing across the opening in the rock and raising a ghostly wail from the stone hollows.
By midday, the searchers have found only an abandoned animal den (a bear, perhaps), some bone fragments, dead leaves, and an obsidian arrowhead. Twice, small creatures skitter away from their torches, eyes shining in the gloom.
No passages that run more than fifty feet deep. No hidden doors.
They do find a hole in the back of one of the larger caves, choked with rubble. Clearing it may be possible, but would take time and effort.

Nevil says, "I'm a bit surprised we have not run across more beasts. No bears using this place now. Caves like this offer good shelter."

[Adam]

THE SEARCHERS


The party searches the caves and crannies of the escarpment. They discover that several of the caves connect at points deeper in the rock mass. The searchers carefully check the rock walls for markings, the floor for any dropped items. Minutes grow into hours. A chill wind rises, blowing across the opening in the rock and raising a ghostly wail from the stone hollows.
By midday, the searchers have found only an abandoned animal den (a bear, perhaps), some bone fragments, dead leaves, and an obsidian arrowhead. Twice, small creatures skitter away from their torches, eyes shining in the gloom.
No passages that run more than fifty feet deep. No hidden doors.
They do find a hole in the back of one of the larger caves, choked with rubble. Clearing it may be possible, but would take time and effort.

Nevil says, "I'm a bit surprised we have not run across more beasts. No bears using this place now. Caves like this offer good shelter."

"If that hooved demon is nearby," Cormac says, "That might explain it. Predators know to stay away from each other."

He points towards the hole. "Anyone feel like joinin' me fer some back-breakin' labor?"

[Adam]

Caer Haes

"I think so, we need to check the chest. I can arrange to fetch it to you Mr Cranstel."

Turning to Castellan he adds:

"There is another thing Sir Rory, the hoodies turned to undead when Sir Gunnar and his men killed them. The place was also tainted by evil magic, I crossed to the Shadowworld way easily. I was really surprised by that."

The old knight makes a sign against evil powers. ''This happening now, not long after the Eve of the Dead...corpses rising...I had thought we were dealing with a lot of ordinary men, backed by some faction. But it looks like this is worse than all that."

Cranstel feels excited for a moment at the prospect of an intact sample of the poison, but visibly pales at the mention of the undead. "Un....undead? I...oh my..." he mops his brow with a handkerchief. "Do we suppose this witch has some power to animate dead people? That's disturbing. And likely illegal, I'm assuming. So add that to the charges."

[ewancummins]

Caer Haes


Sir Rory says,"The late Duke repealed all laws against raising the dead after his wife was murdered."
He frowns. "There was some controversy. "

A young woman in red robes enters the room. She pushes stray locks of auburn hair from her face. The others recognize her as Priestess Idele.

Sir Rory rises and bows to her." Priestess. You are most welcome. Please, be seated."

[alhoon]

The old knight makes a sign against evil powers. ''This happening now, not long after the Eve of the Dead...corpses rising...I had thought we were dealing with a lot of ordinary men, backed by some faction. But it looks like this is worse than all that."

Termelan, dressed in his performance clothes and standing a bit to the side, speaks up about then, after giving a courteous bow to the priestess.

Addressing Lord Filbert and the old knight, the bard says
"I don't fully comprehend what Lord Filbert says about the shadow world, or the extend of his powers, but perhaps I should mention I was ... brought in this land through a magical accident of shorts. A few of us were gathered by his excellency the Archmage of Ebonheart Tower for some sort of experiment. All of us people of some experience in travelling but none that people with power would miss. As we stood in an open field outside of the town, a peaceful place with a ring of ancient green trees surrounding a patch of blackened earth, treated with special materials we're not privy about, we were told it would be a 'probably safe' procedure and little else. From what I gathered overhearing his Excellency speaking with the Enlightened, his apprentices, they wanted to test the "barrier of the worlds" and some theories on magical travel.

I would assume that the experiment failed since I was the only one to be transported in one piece as far as I know and very possibly further than his Excellency the Archmage planned. This happened a few weeks ago, when I was brought in this land." Termelan makes a small pause. "There's some proof about this. A few miles outside the city, at a bend in the river near a tree that's partially uprooted, you'll find the buried remains of another traveler that was brought with me. Or at least, the half that arrived with me.
Perhaps the accident was because of this thinning Lord Filbert mentioned, perhaps it's completely unrelated and caused by a miscalculation by one of the Enlightened."

Termelan makes another small pause, thoughtful. "Lord Filbert, if possible, I would like to see this statuette you mention. Where I come from, there are several cults that worship fiends in exchange of magical powers. I may be able to tell something about the enemy if I identify this statuette"