ROTR Session 3

Rova 24th 4707 AR

As one awakens from fresh pillows

The loud knocking continues. Rabie, in uniform, is with Belor and the other guards knocking at the door of Jervis Stoot on Chopper's isle. Belor demands the Chopper to open up and face justice. Young Rabie winches at the sound of the loud relentless banging. He instinctively knows what horrors await inside. Tonight, those horrors fail to appear before him, yet the loud banging remains.
Rabie wakes up to the sound of hammering outside. Still groggy from sleep he reaches for his dagger and turns to his other side. He is not met by 1,825 carved marks into a grimy wooden wall but by the pristine glass window of a room in The Rusty Dragon Inn. It occurs to the witch that the banging noise from his dreams has carried over to the waking world. He peers outside the window to see a proud Daverin Hosk nail seven additional Goblin ears to his rafters. In an effort to preserve his routine, Rabie starts counting the hammer strikes but the stablemaster’s task is done long before he reaches 1,826 swings. He communes with Ghurab to regain a sense of normalcy.
  The hammering noises are not distracting to Jinx who ritually smears himself with raw ginger. This tradition is part of his spell-casting. Not only is he enveloped by a woody scent but by a mystical translucent armor as well. Once that is done he beseeches his deity, Imot for guidance, he does that by doing harrow readings for himself. Jinx continues the readings until the cards drawn are favorable to the Gnome.
  In a different room, Vannrik reestablishes his connection with the elemental plane of water. He drinks fresh water from a jug, focuses, and forces the remainder of the liquid of the jug to swerve around the room in serpentlike patterns.
  Pious, meanwhile is deep in prayer The repeating noise from outside is almost disturbing enough to make her miss the serenity of the convent. Almost.
  Eventually, The Sandpoint sentinels reach the common room downstairs where they notice that breakfast in the form of various cheeses, bread, porridge, and coffee is served. While eating Rabie listens as Pious recites her second morning prayer before breakfast and asks questions about the faith. She is more than happy to answer. Jinx brings up the boar hunt “Where is that guythat promised us that we would go hunting? Did anyone see him?”
  Bethana , the Halfling caretaker of the inn overhears the question. “Mister Foxglove still has the “Do not disturb” sign on his door. My halfling ears did pick up on some snoring which can be heard from the hall. I think it was a rough night for the nobleman. I can send word for you when he awakes if you are in town. Or perhaps I could relay a message for you.”
  ”Shall we make sure we are back here at noon and do.. Whatever? Until that time?” Vannrik asks.
  Jinx agrees “That seems like a good way to do it, I guess. Bethana, could you tell the nobleman that we will be back at noon-ish?”
  “Of course, it will be my pleasure. I will let him know.” The halfling answers.
  Jinx thanks her with a warm smile and his gaze lingers on her as she leaves for her duties. The Gnome can’t help but ponder if Bethana is aware of his affections.

 

Coppers to spend

The group decides to venture into town to do some shopping, Jinx, in particular, wants to follow up on Venn Vinder. As the sentinels make their way through Sandpoint's streets they draw the gazes and smiles of passers-by.
The townsfolk seem to be more than welcoming and appreciative of their presence. Rabie picks up on the giggles and whispers of the younger women in town; apparently, it appears that Vannrik's relationship status and availability have already become a topic of gossip in Sandpoint.
“We are famous, guys.” Jinx smirks “Everybody is looking at us.”
“I think that the women like Vannrik for some reason.” Rabie adds. This comes as a surprise to the Jadwiga.
“Well, he is good-looking for a Human. He’s not as beautiful as a Gnome but he comes close.” Jinx replies.
“Oh, is it that?” Rabie says, genuinely surprised and socially oblivious. Pious follows the group silently, as this discussion is not exactly her area of expertise.

  Ven Vinder and his family proudly own and operate Sandpoint's oldest and most well-stocked general store, offering a wide variety of goods such as farm equipment, weapons, tack, tools, furniture, food, and even homemade pies crafted by Ven's wife, Solsta.
The store is perched on a high stone foundation, with its main entrance located on what serves as a second story, accessible by a wooden staircase. This elevated design safeguards the store from floodwaters, as stormy years often cause Sandpoint Harbor’s waters to surge up Water Street, pooling in the square out front. Each autumn, Ven takes time to reinforce the foundation with tar and canvas, ensuring the basement remains dry and secure even during the fiercest storms.
Upon the group's approach Venn is not laboring outside to save his business from the cold waters, he welcomes them from inside his shop.

The trader lifts his hat in a salute. “Ah, good day and welcome to the store. What can I interest you in?” The trader asks.
Vannrik gets straight to business “We fought the goblins yesterday and we have some of their gear that we want to get rid of. Would you be interested in buying it?”
“Goblin stuff, especially the armor, normally not.” Venn wrinkles his nose in anticipation of goblinmusk. “But I think that I can find a buyer for loot taken from the attack on Sandpointattack on Sandpoint. I’m sure it will be known as a historic event of some kind.”
Venn clears the counter to allow the group to display their wares and then unlocks a door to a northern wall. The door opens to a storage room filled to the brim with barrels, crates, and goods. He suspects that a group such as them has specific needs. The group sells what they have taken from the goblin raid. Jinx decides to keep one of the goblin’s dogslicers for himself.
After coins and goods are exchanged Jinx speaks up. “I wanted to know, how your daughter is doing. Did you find her with the boy ?”
Venn shakes his head “No, I didn’t find Katrina with the boy. Luckily for him, might I add. She managed to hide somewhere and stay safe, thank the gods” His eyebrows furrow as he mentally goes through last night’s events. “She did not get out entirely unscathed, she did get some bruises in her neck. Other than that she’s fine. It could have been a lot worse.”
Jinx offers a sachel of his seemingly endless supply of ginger tea. “You should give her this, it will help. Also, don’t forget to look for my harrow cards, remember?”
“Of course,” Venn answers. “ I plan to talk to the merchants that are still in town. I hope that they can return with your order on fireday’s market.”
This pleases the gnome. The group leaves for Sandpoint’s streets but not before receiving another heartfelt thanks for their aid against the goblins.

Vannrik is on the hunt for runes and magical protections. Even though he suspects that he doesn’t have the coin to purchase those yet he sees no harm in browsing. Jinx guides the group to The Feathered Serpent on Rum Street. This cramped and cluttered shop smells of a strange mixture of incense, spice, and dust. Not everything in the shop is for sale, rendering the shop’s eclectic collection of strange relics, statues, and monument fragments part museum, in addition to being Sandpoint’s most likely place to find a strange magic item for sale. The proprietor’s stock changes constantly, as his dozens of contacts from Magnimar, Riddleport, and beyond come weekly to buy or trade. Adventurers seeking magic items and other tools of the trade can find what they’re looking for here more often than not.
Upon arrival, the Sentinels are welcomed with some excitement by Vorvashali Voon, an exotic-looking man of Keleshite descent with bright blue eyes, long, red hair, and almost bronze-colored skin. “Welcome to the Feathered Serpent, I have not seen you before but, of course, I have heard of you. The name is Vorvashali and how may I be of service?”
Jinx, a bit surprised, starts to introduce himself but the shop owner cuts him off with a smirk. “You, I know.”
They both can’t help but let out a hearty laugh. “These are my new friends Pious and Vannrik. Rabie, you already know.” Jinx says.
Vorvashali nods “I’ve seen him around, yes. So what can I interest you in today? Did you lose a card?”
The gnome leans closer to the counter. “Do you sell single cards? You should know that’s a bad omen. You cannot sell single cards, you can give them away as a gift but don’t sell them.”
“Hmm, I did not know that. Very curious. " Vorvashali purrs. "I will keep that in mind, good advice. So, what can I do for you? Are you interested in, well,..” The Keleshite stretches his arm and gestures to the wide array of goods and curiosities in his shop. He lets the question linger in the air.
  The group browses the many wares. Jinx comes across a puzzle box and Vorvashali enthusiastically explains its use in both entertainment and the safekeeping of goods. Pious, meanwhile, is a bit overwhelmed with the clutter and Rabie can't help but touch every single thing in the shop.
  With the help of Jinx, Vannrik eventually comes upon a collection of runestones. Most of the runes are offensive in nature, requiring them to be etched onto weapons. This disappoints the kineticist, who relies on his elemental mastery, not weapons.
  Vorvashali leans gracefully into their discussion. "You are looking for specific runes? I heard something about armor, is that correct?"
  Vannrik nods "I don't have runes to reveal the potency of one's armor lying around at the moment. I can acquire one for you but they don't come cheap, eh. A hundred and sixty pieces of gold."
Vannrik painfully admits that he couldn't afford one at the moment anyway. The Keleshite shopkeeper smiles playfully. "Perhaps save a couple more towns first and then come back."
A bit later, the group leaves the store, but they don't go empty-handed. Jinx has purchased a well-crafted, handstitched doll which he is sure will prove itself useful in the future. With the gnome's penchant for traversing fate, it just might be.

By the sheriff's request

Jinx wishes to visit Goblin Squash Stables, assuming it would be easy for them to befriend a goblin hater such as Mister Hosk. Possibly, he would be able to provide some intel as well. The Sentinels take Brokestone Alley to make their way back to Whisker Street. In the street, they are approached by Sheriff Belor Hemlock, who looks like he barely got any sleep last night. He stumbles a bit over his words, uncertain of how exactly to address the group.
"Greetings, ehm, heroes. You are surprisingly easy to find here in Sandpoint. Have you rested?" The sheriff asks rather directly. He barely waits for the group to finish nodding before getting straight to the point. "Good. I have to ask you something. There is possibly some minor trouble that you may be able to help with. I was talking to Father Zantus this morning and it looks like last during the raid something broke into the cemetery. I was on my way to check it out, I was hoping that you could join me."
"Any clues to what this something might be?" Vannrik asks.
"Not really." Belor shakes his head. "All I heard from Father Zantus is that the door of the previous head priest previous head priest's tomb was left ajar. I know him as a careful and diligent man. He did not leave it open by mistake. Something came in and left it open. If you have time I would appreciate it if you would join me." The sheriff sighs dismissively. "I didn't even ask, am I disturbing something?" Becoming friends with the stablemaster didn't seem that urgent. In unison the group agrees to join Sheriff Hemlock on his investigation, the stables can wait for another time.

  Under Hemlock's lead, the Sandpoint sentinels make their way north. They go through the Cathedral where Pious notices that some of the priests are consoling grieving family members of the slain. She assumes that funerals are being prepared. A backdoor of the cathedral leads the group to The Sandpoint Boneyard.
Nestled in the shadow of the Sandpoint Cathedral, this sprawling cemetery is reachable through a northern gate or several entrances to the main cathedral. It boasts a scenic view of the Turandarok River . At its periphery and center, elegant stone vaults belonging to wealthy families stand proudly, while numerous modest plots, each featuring a simple gravestone, are scattered among the trees and shrubs.

 

The descecrated vault

It is a somber walk towards Father Ezakien Tobyn's vault, a squat, rectangular but distinguished structure. The iron gate to the vault is, indeed, left slightly ajar.
Hemlock is tense, perhaps the scenery is adding to his weariness. "Like I said, I trust Zantus and it looks like someone was snooping around here last night. Let's look around."
With a determined glint in his eye, Jinx takes it upon himself to check the surroundings for any traces of lingering magical energies. Vannrik has his eyes on the ground, looking for tracks to be found. With a motion of his hand, Vannrik halts Rabie, who is a bit disturbed and jumpy, from mixing his footprints with the ones he has already found. Pious Magdalena Messia strides beside them, shield in hand. Sherrif Hemlock is behind, keeping an eye on the surrounding mausoleums and gravesites. The other eye is kept on the sentinels.
"It appears that around six goblins accompanied by a somewhat larger creature have climbed the city wall and entered the vault." Vannrik muses out loud. "And left the same way."
"Why would you go into a vault?" Jinx wonders.
"We should check to see if something is missing." The Jadwiga suggests.
Pious nods in agreement "That seems best".
  Vannrik proves to be the most inquisitive as he gently pulls the already-ajar iron gate wider open. A narrow stairway descends deeper into the tomb of the late Father. In[the room below he notices slow movement in the shadows accompanied by a sound, not unlike the creaking of wood, or bones.
As Vannrik readies himself he shouts a warning to his companions "Undead!"
Jinx creeps in closer but is unable to see anything so deep into the tomb. He quickly pulls a star-themed harrow card from his deck and mentally projects it onto Vannrik, giving him guidance. The two descend down the stairs. Halfway down the stone stairs, Vannrik can see the four grey skeletons wielding rusted weaponry.
His first instinct is to bring forth the icy clutches of winter, blanketing the inside of the damp tomb with frigid snow.
The skeletons, without flesh or muscles to be numbed by the cold, notice little of this. The undead march on and Vannrik quickly passes Jinx to stand between the gnome and the incoming tide. The skeletons slash at the kineticist with wildly arching, almost mechanical, motion. Vannrik's position on the narrow stairs proves to be advantageous. The skeletons attacking from the side hit the corner of the wall relentlessly. The skeleton in front of Vannrik chops his rusty scimitar down vertically and its strikes are unobstructed. Vannrik is cut across the arm he put up in defense. Taking a step back in recoil saves him from a follow-up strike. By now three skeletons have shambled, and skidded, their way toward the stairs. The fourth tries, futilely, to squeeze through its undead companions in order to get to the living.
"Jinx, get back!" Vannrik yells.
At this point Pious has rushed to the top of the stairs, she looks down and sees her friends retreating. She offers a quick prayer to Sarenrae to help Jinx ascend the stairs, and not to the heavens before his time.
Rabie stands beside her and he wonders what he could do against these monsters. His mind races through trivia related to undead and necromancy but strategies against fighting skeletons elude him. In his panic, he reveals his purple, evil, eyes and gazes at the skeleton facing Vannrik. Whatever effect this normally has on living, breathing ,mortals, seems to have a disrupting effect on the void energies animating the creature. The skeleton jitters and shakes through his movements.
Once Belor Hemlock can survey what is happening deep in the crypt he curses silently and then instructs the group "I fought things like those before! You have to bash them to pieces! They can implode upon destruction, be careful!" He then reverses the grip of his sword, clutching the blade in his gauntlets and wielding the weapon like a hammer. "We have to fight them outside where we have more space." The sheriff orders.
Jinx steps forward and attempts to strike fear into the hearts of the undead. "I can reveal my evil eye too." He yells. The skeletons lack hearts to falter and his taunts fall on deaf, non-present ears. "What is this!?" the gnome shrieks as he grabs his staff from its backholster and retreats.
  Vannrik fashions the kinetic energies surrounding him into a long club which he slams down into the skull of the skeleton right below him. Bone cracks and splinters. As the creature is beaten down, the energies of the void that animated the creature disperse violently. Bones are propelled every which way, a humerus slams into Vannrik's face. Vannrik decides that it is time for him to creep back up the stairs as well. The remaining skeletons follow him in single file, the leading skeleton continues to slash at the Jadwiga with abandon. The narrow passageway is too crowded for him to get out of the way and he suffers a cut across the leg.
  Pious has heeded Belor's command and vacated the entrance to the crypt, she finds a moment for another quick prayer, this time for Rabie.
Within Sarenrae's light, Rabie finds the strength to manifest his recurring nightmares and rid himself of them. Using his own pain as a catalyst for a Void Warp spell. Somehow it seems to give the creature more unnatural vigor.
Belor has taken a position next to the crypt entrance but does not see a way to put himself in between the heroes and the skeletons. "Vannrik, get out of there!" he yells, readying himself. Vannrik creeps up the stairs slowly but does not dare to turn his back on his pursuers. Without Jinx blocking the way he has more room to dodge the strikes. In between steps he sees an opening to take a quick jab with a solidified ball of water at his closest enemy. It falls down the stairs exploding into hundreds of bony pieces. The kineticist had anticipated this and put his back flat against the wall.

  Pious sees a barrage of bones spew from the crypt entrance followed by Vannrik drenched in healing waters. "I'm tagging out." he says.
By now, Belor, Vannrik, and Pious have positioned themselves in a semicircle around the crypt door with Rabie and Jinx offering support from the back. Jinx draws a favorable card and directs its luck at Pious and casts a spell to materialize a shield to protect himself from harm. Rabie prepares himself to disrupt the undead.
The first skeleton to reach the outside world is met by a hammering strike from the handguard of Belor's longsword. Bony shrapnel grazes the living that surround it.
Pious slashes at the second ascending skeleton, her scimitar leaves a cut across the ribcage of the undead but it hardly seems to faze the creature. It strikes back and Pious attempts to block the rusty weapon. The skeleton swings wildly without regard for its safety like the sparring partners from the convent do. Unprepared for such an attack she blocks awkwardly exposing her unprotected swordhand which bleeds heavily.
Hemlock expertly uses the distraction to slam the handguard of his longsword deep into the skull of the remaining enemy. It too explodes violently as the energies of the void are released, bloodying Vannrik and Pious further.
  As bones tumble down the narrow staircase leading into the crypt Belor peers inside. "I don't hear any more of those things, how many were there?" he says.
"We got all of them but just in case. Let's take a moment to heal ourselves." Vannrik councils. Before Pious can protest he washes her with healing waters and Belor as well. The sheriff is thankful.
Rabie sends Ghurab to scout ahead. Upon its return, the raven lets out a calm, low croak. "It is clear." Rabie concludes.

Questions in broken stitching: I

As the group descends the stairs into the crypt Vannrik apologizes. "I'm sorry for the snow." Bones are strewn on the snow in the rectangular crypt. At the center lies a limestone sarcophagus.
"Is that where they laid Father Tobyn to rest?" Pious asks. The stone slab of the sarcophagus is broken, revealing the absence of the priest's body inside.
"Yes." Belor answers grimly. "And he is gone."
Jinx audibly ponders the possibility that one of the skeletons may have belonged to Father Tobyn. The sheriff shakes his head. "Tobyn wasn't buried with these crude weapons."
"Those are scimitars, right? Sarenrae's?"
"Yes but Tobyn was a priest of Desna, they use starknives."
"Why would anybody want to steal his body?"
"I have no earthly idea" The sheriff mumbles.
  As the group wanders through the tomb and their questions, Rabie utilizes some of his magic to create light. Jinx notices a shape hidden under the layer of snow, brushing off the flakes he sees a discarded old robe. The purple velvet has already started to soak in icy water. The garb's stitching is patterned in diamond shapes. Some of the stitching seems to be broken or lost.
Jinx shows it to the Sarenite. "Pious, do you recognize this?" "No, I must admit that this whole situation seems strange to me." she says.
The gnome then goes to Belor "Sheriff, what about you?" The only thing the sheriff can share is his suspicion that it belonged to the trespasser. By this time the gnome has held the robe for long enough to notice that the numbing of his fingers is not only due to the frigidity of the fabric but a lingering, faint aura from the void.
"There seems to be fading traces of spent magic weaved through this robe but I haven't figured out what it is yet." Jinx mutters. He concentrates, hoping to discern the robe's function before magical entropy has truly set in.
Rabie is wondering who or what would gain anything by stealing the priest's corpse. To his knowledge Father Tobyn and his adopted daughter, were loved by the entirety of the village. He can't think of anyone who might want to tarnish the priest's rest or memory. He shares as much and with a focused nod Jinx admits he was thinking the same.
The gnome asks Rabie for assistance in identifying the magical properties. Further inspection reveals it to be a Robe of Bones that can be used to summon skeletons.
This revelation explains how the skeletons got here but not why any of this happened nor by whose hands. "Could you think of anyone who sells these types of items or could make them, sheriff?" Jinx asks.
Belor shakes his weary head. "Not in Sandpoint, no. We have had our troubles, as you may know, but necromancy was never one of them. We don't have a necromancer hiding among our citizens." The sheriff's frustration with the lack of answers is visible on his face. "There are so many graves here, and the goblins have slain so many last night. Why go through all this trouble for one body?"
Vannrik chimes in "As I was inspecting the track beforehand I found human-sized footprints among the ones scattered by the goblins. The goblins are involved one way or the other."
"How are goblins smart enough to do something like this? They never came across as anything other than dimwitted to me." Jinx raises a good point.
Belor speaks; "By our estimate, the goblin force of last night was twenty-five or thirty strong. Most of them didn't make it. "What did they want?" I ask myself now. Why were they here? They didn't try to take over the town, they were not raiding for food, they were only here to cause mayhem."
"Maybe they were here as a distraction." Vannrik concludes.
Belor nods his head, agreeing.
"Could somebody be controlling them, maybe magically?" Jinx asks.
"That is more your area of expertise than it is mine, Jinx. But you are right, it does look like someone is coordinating the goblins."
Vannrik suggests to see where the tracks lead and everyone agrees. As they ascend the steps back to the boneyard Belor takes a last look down at the broken sarcophagus. "If the orders were to steal the bones of our old priest then something nefarious must be afoot. And worse, they succeeded."

 

No answers in empty graves

Under the guidance of the kineticist, the group follows the tracks across the cemetery. "Do you know where Tobyn's daughter was buried?" Jinx asks the Sheriff. He heard that the half-celestial perished but did not see a grave for her anywhere.
"Adopted daughter." Belor is quick to correct the gnome. "That is hard to say. The flames of the Cathedral fires were an inferno and many of the bodies retrieved were burned beyond recognition. We wanted to bury them separately but we couldn't."
This intrigues the gnome. "Does that mean that, theoretically, of course, we cannot prove that she is dead?"
The question sounds absurd to Belor who pauses his stride. "Nobody could have survived that fire."
Jinx can't help but pry deeper. "And we are sure she was there, that night?"
Reluctantly the sheriff lets his mind wander through the events of those nights, five years ago. "The priests who managed to escape the fire came back to look for Nualia among the ashes because she was there that night."
Before Belor has to peel more scabs from his hurtful memories Rabie adds. "In the months before the fire she had become a bit of a recluse, barely leaving the cathedral."
"She was an aasimar, a half-celestial, people adored her for her supposed ability to bring fortune and health just by touching her. Did she only use her abilities inside of the Cathedral?" Jinx continues. This revelation causes an audible gasp from Pious who listens attentively.
Belor answers. "I believe that most stories surrounding her abilities were exaggerations and superstitions. She eventually became a more devout priest and as such became a bit more reclusive. Sometimes I would see her around town but mostly at the cathedral. In most respects, she was just a young girl. I think she even had a boyfriend at one point."
Of course, the inquisitive gnome needs to know more.
"A Varisian, wanderer- I believe." The sheriff struggles to remember the details. "Delek, his name was. I only remember because I had to take him in for being involved in a bar brawl at one point. He seemed just a young lad. And Nualia was just a young girl for that matter, besides her ancestry. "
By that time the tracks have led Vannrik to the high stone wall protecting Sandpoint from the North. Belor shakes his head at Jinx. "We did not find her, trust me, we looked. We did find so many bodies that we can only assume that one must have been hers."
The gnome's three eyes are narrowed in thought, betraying that he is unconvinced that the matter is settled.
The sheriff lets out a beleaguered sigh. "It is possible, I suppose. As you said, Theoretically, anything is." He lets out a curse in the tongue of the Shoanti. "I hoped this was all goblins and their mischief. I will talk with Father Zantus about what happened here."

Questions in broken stitching: II

The Goblin and humanoid tracks end at the base of the wall of mortar-bound sandstone. "It's a high climb." Vannrik observes, possibly the guardsmen who were stationed at the north gate had seen something. Belor is thankful that the Sentinels are aiding in the investigation and guides them to the Sandpoint Garrison.
This stone fortress serves double duty as Sandpoint’s militia barracks and its jail. The jail is located in an underground wing, while the above-ground portion houses the town’s guard. In the barracks, the sheriff introduces the group to Kennick and Yoska. The two young Varisians are in the midst of donning their armor in preparation for their next shift. They salute the guard captain and quickly acknowledge the new heroes. Vannrik speaks "We have some questions about what happened just before or during the attack. We have reasons to suspect that some goblins along with a human, elf, or someone of that size, have climbed the walls. We were wondering if you have seen anything."
"No." Yoska says as he secures a belt around his chain shirt. "We were at the North gate until we heard cries from the Cathedral square. We went in to investigate and found goblins over at Cliff Street and pursued them. What part of the wall did they climb? The boneyard?"
Vannrik nods. "Yes, they appear to have taken a body."
"A body?" asks Kennick. "Well, they left many more of those, if you ask me. There were so many people entering Sandpoint that day that we were not atop the wall, we were stationed in front of the gate. From our vantage point, we would not have seen that. I'm sorry." He then stares at Hemlock in shock. "Should we have been on top of the wall?"
To Kennick's relief, the sheriff shakes his head dismissively.
Jinx takes the velvet robe they found earlier from his backpack. "Did you see anyone in town wearing this robe or something similar?"
"I'm afraid not. People were dressed more fancy and cheerful. This seems a bit dark, it would have stood out." "We should check the magic shops to see if they sold this." Vannrik suggests. "Another trip to Vorvashali, perhaps?"

Returning to the Feathered Serpent and showing the robe to the Keleshite merchant hardly reveals any new information. "I gladly would have bought it if it had retained its magic." the man says, puzzling over the possibilities. "I guess it's a bit of a fixer-upper. I could give you a silver piece for the thing."
Vannrick quickly interrupts. "For now, it's evidence, maybe later."
"Evidence? Exciting stuff." Vorvashali smirks.
Vannrick continues "We know that you don't recognize it, but maybe you know where it comes from?"
"There is the Sandpoint Boutique, Hayliss sells curiosity items. Also, we have the local wizard running the school. But we never had active necromancers." Vorvahali rolls his eyes. "Then, of course, there is Venn Vinder. I wouldn't be surprised if this passed through his shop without him recognizing what it was, nor him remembering selling it."
Slightly disappointed, the group exits the shop. Perhaps the boar hunt will lift their spirits.
 

The herd of Aldern Foxglove

The group returns a bit before noon at the Rusty Dragon Inn. A familiar figure dressed in blue and white finery sits at the bar. Aldern sits upright, a hint of impatience etching his features as he glances toward the entrance, clearly having awaited their arrival. “Greetings! It’s lovely of you to join me,” he exclaims with an infectious enthusiasm that seems to lift the spirits of everyone in the room. “My apologies for not making it this morning—I needed to recuperate from the festivities of last night.” He then tilts his head with a confused expression on his face. "Where is our little angel?" he asks.
"She is at the church." Vannrik says.
"Helping with the burials of those that passed away." Jinx adds.
"That is truly unfortunate." The nobleman sighs but then regains himself. "Still, I am very grateful that the three of you will join me today for this hunt of the boar." He drolls. " I heard that the beasts of the Tickwood nearby are the preferred local prey. I arranged your mounts with the good chap next door. Additionally.." He claps and yells "Lucienzo!" As if practiced with many rehearsals, a Varisian man walks in closer carrying a large sack. "..Do you prefer bows or spears for your hunt, boys? I had my servant here fetch some weapons from the local armory"
Aldern looks at the three present and has to maintain his posture as he slowly realizes that he did not see them wielding any weaponry last night. "Or, of course, any other talents that you have." He says smiling pleasantly.
"Is it ok if I just throw ice at them?" Vannrick asks, rather bluntly.
"That would be a delight to witness again." Says Aldern.
Rabie shakes his head and speaks with an uncertain tone in his voice "I don't think I'm good with any weapon, I will just slow the boar down in my own way."
Aldern gives the witch a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm sure that you will."
Jinx accepts the invitation and takes a hunting spear from Lucienzo. "With that settled shall we go for our beasts of burden?"

Lucienzo and an assistant of Daverin Hosk walk out of a big side door of the stables. They are guiding four steeds by their reins. Foxglove is visibly pleased with himself. "They are yours, friends. Take your time to pick a suitable mount."
Vannrik is drawn to Willow, a graceful dapple-gray mare with a sleek coat that glimmers in the sunlight. Her mane and tail are a soft silvery-white, flowing like silk in the wind. She stands at 16 hands tall with a lithe, athletic build and dark, intelligent eyes.
Daisy, a charming palomino mare, snorts and snuffles Jinx's hood. Possibly intrigued by his earthly smells. She has a golden coat that shines like the summer sun. Her white mane and tail are long and wavy, framing her kind, expressive eyes. She is medium-sized, about 15.2 hands, with a sturdy yet elegant build.
Shadow’s black coat is so deep and smooth it seems almost liquid under the light, with faint blue highlights on sunny days. The star-shaped marking on his forehead is his only splash of white, adding to his dramatic appearance. His build is lean and elegant, with long legs that give him an elevated, almost floating gait. Rabie cannot deny that he feels a certain amount of kinship to the animal.
That leaves Thunder, A powerful bay stallion with a glossy, dark brown coat and striking black points on his legs and muzzle. The stablemaster's assistant has a somewhat puzzled look on her face. "Please ensure that the warhorse goes to Lady Pious Magdalena Messia." Aldern says, visibly feeling proud of himself. Before long, the nobleman has found himself in the saddle as well. And so, under the sound of leisurely clopping hooves, the group traverses the Turandarok Bridge and heads eastward to the Tickwood.

The group crosses the Sandpoint hinterlands in a slow walk, ensuring that Lucienzo, on foot, can keep up. This also leaves Aldern with plenty of opportunity to get to know his saviors better. The nobleman talks, a lot, but is always polite, and most of his stories and anecdotes seem to serve as an invitation for his companions to open up about themselves.
After one such story, Aldern addresses Rabie directly. “Rabie, you have lived in Sandpoint your whole life, correct?” Rabie confirms this. “It is such a beautiful town, Aldern continues. " and it has the potential to turn into a rather big city and economic power. There are some good industries there. For example, most of the glass produced in Sandpoint finds its way to Magnimar. But living your whole life there. You are Varisian, and from what I have learned about your people you are wanderers. Do you not have any inclination to venture into the outer world and see more of it?"
The need to find balance on his newly acquired steed causes the shaking of Rabie's head to seem a bit exaggerated. "I like Sandpoint for what it is." he says. "I don't feel the need to go anywhere else. My parents are Varisian but I never really knew them. I stayed behind in Sandpoint." The noble finds it best not to pry to deep. "That's a shame but you could consider yourself lucky that you ended up in Sandpoint. From what I have seen, it is a good community."
The noble then turns his gaze towards the three-eyed gnome. "Jinx, I learned that you are also a local, correct?"
"Yes, I live close to the town." Jinx says, hobbling along on Daisy .
It is then that their noble friend proves very perceptive. "That hut that we passed not too long ago, was that your home?"
The perceptiveness seems to amuse the gnome. "Yes, yes, yes. That is my humble estate. You probably could smell the ginger as we passed."
This brings out some laughter from the group's patron. "Yes, I must admit that it reminded me of you. It is exceptionally quaint, picturesque even. You should get your home painted sometime. A beautiful subject. I have been to my fair share of museums and this definitely belongs there."
Jinx thanks the noble for his kind words.
Aldern deftly ducks to avoid a low-hanging branch from a conifer as the hunting party enters the Tickwood proper. The nobleman halts his questioning and only the myriad of sounds of the woodland are heard. Hooves unearth moss and freshly fallen leaves, and various species of birds relay messages somewhere up in the canopy. Where the sky is visible through the treeline it appears monotonous and grey.
Father Zantus was right, autumn had come.

After crossing a small brook, Aldern Foxgloves resumes the conversation. "Vannrik, your last name is Rimewarden?" Vannrik nods.
"I heard that you are from the north, from Irrisen and not from Varisia. When you mentioned it yesterday, I realized I know little about your country. Not much news flows out of its borders. All I know is that it is ruled by a special breed of people who look like they are one with the winter." The nobleman studies Vannrik's appearance as he talks. "Are you of a noble lineage?"
Vannrik shakes his head and the nobleman can't tell if he has struck a cord that was too sensitive. "No, I am not." Vannrik answers. "Even though all of us are descendants of Baba Yaga, that does not mean we all hold any political power, whatsoever."
"That is a name I do not know. Is it a certain group of people?" Aldern admits with a breathy, pensive voice. Another guess of the worldly Foxglove turns out to be wrong. "No, she's a terrible witch." "Oh my.." Aldern gasps after Vannrik's short but accurate education. "I will not pry further, don't worry. From your description, I can understand why you would venture south. I heard a story about how it never stops snowing and freezing there. At least it is warmer here!" The nobleman adds a laugh that proves halfway sufficient to swing the mood.
"That is correct! I lived in the snow all my life, it is quite refreshing to find a place without it. The world is more colorful here."
It is hard to disagree with Vannrik's observation. "Yes!" Aldern exclaims enthusiastically.
"And look at it! With all it's rich greens and browns. I am a city person myself and that is exactly why sometimes I have to get out and into woodlands. To connect with what the world is all about."

Smalltalk veers onto the subject of Pious, Aldern finds it hard to deny that he is disappointed that she could not join them. The sheer serendipity of being saved by a fellow citizen of Magnimar and the daughter of an acquaintance is quite amusing to him. Before the nobleman can delve too deep into the subject, Lucienzo, his servant interrupts. "I hear snorting, sir." The hush that falls over the hunting party reveals just that, the sound of swinelike snorting and snuffling.