Of Sound Mind II

[Jarval]

Gholog and Jason:

The half-orc passes his glave to Jason as he sprints towards the rope and leaps at it. He quickly pulls himself up, hand over hand, the mage's added weight seeming to give him little difficulty (Climb 17+4=21, so no problems there ). You both scramble out of the shaft, gasping in the clear air in the forest.


Kerrick:

The old woman shrugs, and passes her bag over to Kerrick.

"I'm leaving town, and I'd advise you to do the same. Folk are getting nervous, and they'll start looking for anyone to blame before long." she says to you as she continues walking. "I'm not staying there just so they can burn 'Utrish the Witch' when the fancy takes them."

She looks over to Kerrick with an eyebrow raised, studying his features. "And why are you so bothered about it all, young man? If you lived in Bellhold, I'd know your face." she asks.

 

[Zhure]

Gholog

"Well, that sucked. Let's get help." Gholog will set Jason down and then start trotting toward the village.

 

[Jarval]

The search party:

You quickly head back to town, the dusk darkening around you. Even now, the woods around you are eerily quiet, with little of the birds' normal roosting calls.

The Plaza is almost empty of people as you arrive back, with a few of the Town Watch disassembling a small platform on the far side of the square. You hear the noise of someone rapping on a window above you, and you spot Seraphina waving to you from one on the Bell and Clappers' rooms.

 

[GnomeWorks]

Seraphina, spotting her companions, quickly runs down to meet them in the Plaza.

"I suggest that we go someplace a little more private," She says quietly, "so that we can share what we've learned."

She then looks around nervously. "By the way... have any of you seen Kerrick? I lost him after we left the Plaza, and I haven't seen him since..."

 

[Zhure]

Gholog

"I haven't seen Kerrick. We should start tracking as soon as possible."

Once they've found a secure place to chat....

'We found an abandoned mine entrance. Looks like someone was already there before us. We found these weird three severed heads that started shrieking and got out fast. I want mage or priest back-up before facing something that unknown."

 

[GnomeWorks]

Seraphina frowns. "Mage or priest backup? I can supply a little bit of magic, but, as you saw back on the road with the horses, my magic isn't that great."

"As for what I learned... well, first off, some of Haldik's men were helping set up the Plaza. That in and of itself isn't strange, but they told me earlier that they were heading into town to rest. I don't know if that means anything, but it might - they were lugging some big furniture-type stuff around, and I don't think tired people would be doing that."

"Once in the Plaza, we heard some people complaining. We heard that some chickens haven't laid eggs for three days... that people have been having headaches for roughly the last week... and that the Mayor has hardly been seen 'since this all started'. I'm not sure when it all began, though."

"Also, it seems that another group has been out searching for the children - the Heroes of the Bell, or somesuch. They're lost, too."

"The Mayor also had the water checked, and had priests come to see if the town had been cursed, as to why they were having headaches - they got nothing. Also, people have been suffering from bad dreams... a woman by the name of Utrish prophesied that they and the headaches wouldn't last more than a week."

"And the last thing... well, Haldik and company seem to be just a little suspicous of us. I followed a couple of soldiers of his through a few streets, and listened to them. There seems to be a possibility that Haldik is keeping tabs on us."

She sighs. "I'm afraid that's all I've got."

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Kerrick Jonez

"You're right, I'm not from Bellhold, but children are missing and something strange is happening to the folks here. The nightmares, The headaches..."

Kerrick pauses for a second, then looks over at the old woman.

"Do you know anything about whats happening, i'm not sure i believe the only reason you're skipping town is you're afraid of being harsed for being a witch. Besides, i'd wager no one wants those children to be harmed."

 

[Zhure]

Gholog

"You've learned far more than we have. As soon as we can get everyone together, I'd like to return to the mine shaft."

 

[GnomeWorks]

Seraphina shrugs. "Well, most of it wasn't very useful... you found something that is a little bit more substantial..."

Seraphina's face suddenly changes into one of deep thought. "Didn't someone, at some point, mention a mine? ...yes, I remember now... after I left the Plaza, I came back and asked around to find out what I had missed. I found out that most people are afraid to go down the mine, but that Krekket - the guy who owns the mines, I think - said that they are safe and all. They also said that if no-one worked those mines, this town would be ruined. ...I think it's a copper mine, they said."

Seraphina smiles slightly. "Well, let's just hope that I got everything this time... I don't want to have us surprised by something later, and it only happened because I forget to tell you something..."

"Oh, and I think your plan is a good one. There isn't really anything left for us to do in town anymore."

 

[Zhure]

Gholog

"Hmm, there was red metal there. I'd assumed it was rusted iron, but maybe it was copper..."