Czlaplon Quest

[arcomniflash]

"I apologize for being late. Everyone was attending to their own affairs and it took time to bring them all together." I'll bow to the man politely. "Now then, could you please tell us what it is that you need help with? This all seems rather clandestine so far."

It's true, at least from my perspective - approaching us on the street and then meeting with us in a warehouse on the docks. Still, I'll put on my politest demeanor and tip my hat to the man. Hopefully he will just tell is what he wants, and whatever it is won't be a waste of time. Other things to attend to, after all.

[Kasbak]

Well, if someone were to set up an ambush, this would definitely be high on the list of places to do it. Enclosed space out of public view with limited escape, crates to provide cover for plenty of people, and an easy enough bait to lure the whole group in at once. I'm going to keep a sharp eye out as we approach, and I'd like to give a quick glance at the building Astrally before we head in.

Once inside, I'll be content to let Isaac take point on the speaking, since he was our initial point of contact for this little venture. Something seems off about these two; we're out of the public view, yet they still seem far too lax for the situation. Being in a position of power in a small town with a problem large enough that requires adept assistance, I would think they'd either be visibly nervous about getting the issue resolved, or falling over themselves with relief that they actually had the good fortune to have a group here. I'm going to hover about a head higher than Gudrun when we come in, scanning the surroundings and checking the dark corners for anything suspicious.

For the Astral, I rolled 6(r)+4+6(r)+2=18. Let me know if I need any other rolls.

[TarlimanJoppos]

Alston: All you spot with your Astral sight is a rat over in the far corner. There's no other life forms, and only the usual protective charms on the building (fire, flood, theft, etc.).

Garvin nods agreement with Isaac. “My apologies, but we're really trying to keep this from getting out and causing undue panic. It might be something easily dealt with, or it might be something more severe.”

The dwarf woman interrupts. “What my long-winded colleague here is trying to say is that we need adepts to find out whether or not we've got a Horror infestation, and we don't want to go scaring folks if it's just bad mushrooms.”

Garvin sighs. “Thank you, Alethia. As ever, the soul of tact.”

Alethia shrugs. “Not much point beating around the bush if you want to get this done.”

“I suppose.” Garvin points off toward the west, toward the town and whatever is beyond. “About two candlemarks' ride out past the edge of town is the Klostov family's farm. We don't see them very often, due to the distance, but they weren't at the last town market, which is unusual.”

“They're truck gardeners,” Alethia says. “Grow whatever's in season and bring it to the market to trade.”

“Ivish Borotosch went over to check up on them, being a good neighbor – “

“Nosy parker more like,” Alethia interrupts again.

Garvin gives her a weary frown. “Thankfully, Ivish came straight to the town council with what he found, so we've been able to keep things quiet and not start a panic.”

“Whacking big toadstools,” Alethia plows onward. “All around the house and barn, and no sign of the Klostovs or their livestock, other than a starving rooster sitting up on the barn roof and refusing to come down for a chunk of journey bread.”

[arcomniflash]

"Toadstools?" I put a hand on my chin, have I ever heard of a horror doing something like that before? "Sounds very strange indeed. I suppose it couldn't hurt to go and have a look around there, at the very least we might be able to find out what happened to the farmers. What about the rest of you? What do you think?" I can't just agree to this on my own after all, though this does sound strange enough to warrant our attention, at least for the time-being.

[Kasbak]

A large outbreak of natural growth sounds more like Elemental magic than Horror magic to me, though I'm not familiar enough to know of any specifics in either case. Regardless, there's a family missing along with all but one of their livestock, and the rooster would have to be traumatized to some degree if it's staying high and refusing to eat. "I think it bears investigating. I believe with the distance it will take us over the time limit for any departure today, though the captain did say it wouldn't be the worst for us to lay to for the night." I also have to admit for my own tastes that being out somewhere more natural would be a pleasant change. We haven't been on this ship for too long, but I was traveling by riverboat before I even got to the group, and my Elven parenting does give me a preference for nature.

"I expect we'll be departing at first light though, so if we are going to look in to it, I suggest we not delay." I'm also still feeling a bit nervous about the situation here, even if I can't spot anything. For as many unknowns and potential fears as there are with this situation, these two still seem too relaxed to me. Perhaps I'm being paranoid with the security concerns aboard the ship, but letting your guard down only leaves an opening.

[TarlimanJoppos]

Gudrun frowns. “Of course we will investigate. We should depart as soon as we can get our mounts off the ship. If we wait until first light, we will delay resolving the problem and delay the ship both.”

Shaliko asks Garvin, “You understand that we might have to put the farm to the torch? Are you all right with that, if it comes to it?”

Garvin blinks. “Um,” he says.

“Yes,” says Alethia. “If it's infected, and you have to burn out the infection, just try to keep the fire contained. You're an elementalist, right?” she asks of Kolbeinn.

“Yes,” he replies. “The land itself might be affected, and that goes straight to my Discipline. There are Horrors that make infected the ground also.”

Mekhitar sighs. “We still need to work on your Throalic, my friend. As for me, well, ew, fungus, and I'm a Troubadour, not a Horror Stalker or a magician, but we really can't leave a mess lying around when we're capable of cleaning it up, now, can we?”

[Kasbak]

"Alright, it seems we're all in agreeance then. The last thing I can think of that would be useful is some written directions on where to go, possibly a map if you think you could manage to sketch one out." I could offer some paper and a pen from my writing materials, but hopefully someone larger will be able to offer supplies that are a bit better suited.

Once we know where exactly we are going, I see no reason to wait while our target is in sight. It looks like the plan will be for a brief trip back to the ship to fetch mounts and notify the captain exactly what is involved, and then we ride.

[arcomniflash]

"Let's go and get our things from the ship then. You're right, we must not waste any time, especially if the infection of the land is spreading." I'll tip my hat to Garvin and Alethia, turning around and walking away without another word. I'm all for pleasantries, but where Horrors are concerned, there's little time for that. We need to get going. Immediately.

[TarlimanJoppos]

Isaac: Shaliko and Gudrun walk out with you, heading back to the riverboat. The three of you will get there ahead of the rest of the party, and get a start on having your mounts brought ashore.

Alston: “Not hard to find,” says Alethia. “You go out of town to the east, down the only road that merits the Name. Ride for abut a candlemark, and you'll see a wagon trail go off to the north, more or less, past a big boulder with a red X painted on it. Follow that trail for about a candlemark, past the Borotosch farm, it's the one with the big metal bird out front, and the Klostov place is the next one along.”

“I don't mean to sound crass,” says Mekhitar, “but we're diverting from a paid engagement, and we do have to earn a crust the same as anyone else.”

“We can't offer much,” Garvin says apologetically, “but there is an old shield in the back room of the council hall, that was found by Polter Tilliman a few years back when he was plowing a new field, wrapped in leather and buried. It might be magical, or it might just be a historical artifact.”

Mekhitar shrugs. “So we roll the dice and see what we get. That's about how life goes for an adept. It'll do, it'll do.”

[arcomniflash]

Once we get back with the horses and rendezvous with Alston and the others, we get the directions sorted out and get going. Given I wasn't there at the time, I hadn't heard about the shield, but the payment doesn't matter too much to me. If this really is a horror then I'm sure we'll take whatever they can give us, it would be be pretty low to refuse to destroy one of those things because they didn't give us enough money. This isn't just about our survival, after all, killing horrors is about more than that - it's about protecting everyone else.