[KAUAI]The Rod of Seven Parts: Of Hexes and Gems

[Voadam]

Mazzel pours and downs a bit of warm tea. "The thing Arquestan wanted you to be shown. It's half an hour to the north, shorter if the trees stay true, maybe longer if Old Wormy decides to wend his way up here. He said it's a passage to mushrooms and to show you the cave. I been up in there once, a short ways. I can show you all where it is. This day's about spent, or will be soon. Are you wanting to see the cave now, or mayhap you're wanting to shelter here for the night? Arquestan said help you, so help you we will. We gots some mining tools, lengths of rope, picks, that kind of thing, if you're needing supplies."

Voadam nods, following the gnomish tale. "A few questions. Does the wood turn nastier at night? Do the trees get more active and more actively malicious? Is that, for instance, the only time you've seen the ghost? Who or what is old Wormy? A drake of some sort or a worm rotted active tree? And what can you tell us of the cave? Does it require ropes and spikes for plumbing its depths?"

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Mazzel utters an oath. "By Steckkirt's Skirt, does the wood turn nastier at night?! Does a bear lay scat in the woods?! It were so horrid that first night and Dungeddin so skairred that we ain't come up at night since. A horrible wail, a shrill screech, and then quiet. Quiet so still, like black velvet that blanketed out all hope."
[sblock=Gamad]Mazzel's describing what sounds like a banshee.[/sblock]

Fognewtin dabs at his forehead with a bit of a grimy handkerchief. Mazzel falls silent a moment but at length continues. "Old Wormy. Aye. An evil, blackhearted tree what as comes acallin' when an' where he likes. Look out!" Mazzel leans in conspiratorially and whispers. "Or he'll snag you with his branches, wisk you into his roots with a crack and a snap, and then you're worm food." The orange-haired gnome leans back in his rickety wooden chair. "As for the cave, we all been in once. Went down a side tunnel off the main hall and found some funny moss what as don't like light. Let off a wretched shriek when we brought the lantern in. Dungeddin heard somethin' large coming a few moments after, so we hightailed it up and out the way we come in. Left some gear there, but haven't been back since. It don't pay to go stickin' yer nose for a bit of treasure in a monster's hidey hole, no sir." Mazzel considers Voadam's last question before replying. "It's a bit of a climb and a squeeze to get in the cave mouth, but then things widen up and level out. We did it without climbing gear, so's I reckon you might be able to, too." The gnome looks around the room, sizing up everyone. "Most of you look stout enough. Not sure about Whitey, though." Mazzel shoots a look at Gamad.

 

[Voadam]

Voadam sips his tea appreciatively "I appreciate your hospitality and offer for a stay. Time is an issue though, so we will have to press on now despite knowing the dangers of the Dark Wood. Forewarned is forearmed though. Rope and a lantern will be helpful, and when we are closer you can tell us how far in the shrieking moss is so we can douse our light to get by without waking the beast within."

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

Gamad

A Banshee, a lost spirit of an elven woman, that what you saw, a terrible sight indeed, though I only saw one in an old tome.
Turning to his companions the albino dwarf says.
Although it is messy down here and there are dirt everywhere. I think we better sleep here rather in the woods.

 

[Voadam]

A Banshee, a lost spirit of an elven woman, that what you saw, a terrible sight indeed, though I only saw one in an old tome.
Turning to his companions the albino dwarf says.
Although it is messy down here and there are dirt everywhere. I think we better sleep here rather in the woods.

"As in the spell's namesake? A wail then that can kill men if you are too close when it unleashes its unending grief. I would not plan on us sleeping in the wood, just traversing it as needed. We would sleep either here or in the cave if we could establish a secure camp therein." Voadam tuns back to the gnome. "Do you have torches? For holding off or fighting a tree gone bad there is nothing like fire."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Mazzel nods while Dungeddin and Fognewtin get up from the bench table and motion to a side room. "I'll show you our gear. We've torches, yes." Dungeddin and Fognewtin open three large trunks in the other room containing lengths of rope, climbing gear, mining picks, and other miscellaneous odds and ends. "Help yourselves. Root around if you like and take what you need with you. We've plenty of this kind of thing laying about, so no need to be shy."

Those who look in the trunks see two spare canvas backpacks, a bedroll, one set of caltrops, 12 candles, a 10 foot length of chain, a crowbar, flint and steel, a grappling hook, a hammer, a common lamp, two hooded lanterns (1 taken), one bullseye lantern, manacles, 6 pints of oil for the lamps (2 taken), two miner's picks, a collapsible 10 foot pole, three 50 foot lengths of silk rope (2 taken), a bundle of 10 torches (2 taken), a whetstone, two empty waterskins (1 taken), six tindertwigs, a climber's kit, and a jar of mushrooms.

Mazzel crosses the room and roots through a shelf, sending a spray of knick knacks off to the side to clatter on the floor. Triumphantly holding up a scroll tube, the gnome jabs goodnaturedly at Brakkus. "Here now, just a little something, but maybe you'll find it useful sometime. Think there might be a Nahal's reckless dweomer and maybe something else in there, not sure."

Dungeddin sidles up to Chev and peers interestedly at the human priest. "Nearly got me leg chewed off by a fishman priest on these grounds. There's sinkholes down there, swallow a gnome up whole faster than you can blink. An' nasty slime an' oozes, the mushrooms what as grow down in there ain't no good ter eat, and it smells bad in them caves. You a healer? Your friends'll be wanting you along for the trip, thass for sure."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

"If you're wanting to trek up to the cave by nightfall, we'd best get going. It'll be dark soon enough, and I reckon Dungeddin and Fognewtin don't want ter be caught in the wood in the dark. Nancies." Mazzel winks at his comrades.

 

[SlagMortar]

A wail then that can kill men if you are too close when it unleashes its unending grief.

"Well, a woman of flesh and bone with unending grief can kill you with a wail too, or at least make you wish it had."

We would sleep either here or in the cave if we could establish a secure camp therein.

And if we can't find a secure camp inside? We won't get back before dark. As my armsmaster would say, "Don't bite off more than you can chew. If you're all wanting to go now, though, you're not leaving me behind."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

"The cave mouth is secure enough. Ware the pool, though. You'll see when you get there." Mazzel grabs a small pack meant for day excursions, a pick, and his walking stick. Dungeddin and Fognewtin do the same, only Fognewtin loads up with a supper basket to boot. After a quiet word from Dungeddin, Mazzel nods. "Sure thing," says Mazzel, chipper. "Fishmen. Just like you might get from their name, they likes the water, they does. And you wouldn't know it from the way the rest of the city's always dusty and dry, but there's a big aquifer under all this bedrock. The grounds here're under lock an' key, so I don't reckon you know much about Bathmere, but there's a wellspring just south of the keep on the grounds what as makes a nice looking pool. Glassy, smooth water. And clean, has a mossy taste. No fishmen there, but underneath it all, in the dark and cold, that's where you'll find 'em. Carry spears and worship a nasty, slimy frog god of some sort. They'll channel lightening, too. Watch out when they get their priests all lined up holdin' hands, like. They'll whip lightening around like a child's plaything, they will." Mazzel pushes up one of his tunic sleeves and shows off a jagged red burn of a scar. "Hurt like a mug at the time. Still does when there's a storm brewin' up top."

After everyone has helped themselves to anything they might need, Mazzel leads everyone outside. Even filtered through the deep green of bough and limb, the orange of the sunset is strong and Mazzel blinks after being underground. With Thisbe out front and Fognewtin and Dungeddin in tow, Mazzel leads everyone on a half hour trek through the woods on the citadel grounds. Every now and then, glimpses of the old keep's crenellations flash into view when the trees thin. Mazzle favors a cunningly hidden path through the woods, at times doubling back or circling around. Regardless of direction, the citadel seems to be nearly always to the group's right, hulking above all while continuing an ancient vigilance. As the party treks past a grove of wizened old oaks, Mazzel falls silent and nervously eyes the trees. After a spell of walking, Mazzel stops by a rock outcropping well north of his hidey hole and points to a crag about 20 feet up. "There's a cave up there that goes way, way back. That's the place he wanted me to show you." The climb looks steep but there are natural hand and footholds in the rock.

[sblock=Maelicent]Mael has seen this place and has tracked around in the area. He knows a giant boar favors this territory and does not take kindly to intruders, but there don't seem to be any fresh tracks left by the boar, save for some two-day old scat that Maelicent spots in the grass. Maelicent hasn't bothered to climb up the cliff yet; there really didn't seem to be much cause to do so. There's only a slim crack in the rock face, plus he'd been busy with other things at the Golden Cockatrice and nearer to his shanty in the woods.[/sblock]

 

[Mista Collins]

Dungeddin sidles up to Chev and peers interestedly at the human priest. "Nearly got me leg chewed off by a fishman priest on these grounds. There's sinkholes down there, swallow a gnome up whole faster than you can blink. An' nasty slime an' oozes, the mushrooms what as grow down in there ain't no good ter eat, and it smells bad in them caves. You a healer? Your friends'll be wanting you along for the trip, thass for sure."

"Yes, I know the healing arts of the Father of Battle." Chev says in reply to Dungeddin.

As Mazzel talks about the fishmen, Chev listens intently. "Do you know more of this frog god they worship? It may help us realized what else we may be up against."