PROLOGUE: Rockton Heights

[Rex]

Elijah

Elijah remains silent as well, waiting for answers to Brynner's questions.

[Stirling]

Zebedee Goldrush

Greets the scout Cole and supports the questioning, trying to discern any areas of embellishments or any specific phobias the man might have acquired since.

Zebedee Goldrush: Wisdom Check vs 14+ [1d20]=8

I will make no further negotiations to improve our contract with Mr Herzog. I was hoping he might look at the sense of my conditional offer and reward us. But if the mine is unoccupied and other carpetbaggers stake a claim on it as an abandoned project, then so be it. We will look for the lost miners and their welfare.

[ybn1197]

Buck knows he is not near the top of the brightest people in the room so he puts his hands in his pockets and waits patiently.

[Norjax]

Rockton Heights, 8:00 am

Cole reluctantly begins to answer questions.



"It was the unnatural silence that first struck me. No rustling leaves, no distant bird calls, not even the faint hum of insects. The usual symphony of the wild had vanished, leaving only an eerie stillness. Even the wind, as if sensing some unseen presence barely stirred the air.

There were no unusual footprints, drag marks or signs of a scuffle. As I moved through the camp, something felt off. Tools, supplies, even sticks of dynamite, were all left untouched, exactly where they should be. That wouldn’t be the case if bandits had come through. They would’ve taken everything.

But what still haunts my dreams are the red, gelatinous globs that began to creep toward me as I stepped closer to investigate. They pulsed with an unnatural rhythm, oozing forward slowly. All the while, a sound like whispers drifted through the air from every direction."

Brynner
I wonder if we can take him to an Alchemist, as I don't think any character is one, but I note that such folk can invoke Hypnotism and if this Cole can be hypnotised, then with some kind of redactive therapy, he might be able to re-live what he heard and saw in better detail without any fear.

Is this practical? Can we do this, is one available? Could a cleric try this too?

A PC or NPC with Hypnotism could be useful.

Actions?

Action Details:

Characters:

Adversaries:

Brynner
Carter Stone
Huck L. Berry
Elijah Wolf
Zebedee Goldrush
Buck Saylor

[cybersavant]

Carter Stone swallows at the description and tries not to fidget, but stays silent, for now. He has, after all, already signed the contract.

[Rex]

Elijah

"Did you see anything else or just leave at that point?"

[Stirling]

Zebedee Goldrush

If Mr Herzog knows of any hypnotist, (I don't think any character has that spell learned, I do not have myself), I will try to convince Cole to come as I think getting him to replay the scene might offer up some crucial information that we could value.

As to the contracts, I will sign as is. It seems most of the group are happy with the upfront pay and horses so I won't try to barter any better deals.

[OGRE MAGE]

Huck too looks a little perplexed by the descriptions of these red blobs.

"Did they do anything else? Like.....attack you in any way"

The Swindler studies young Cole even closer, trying to ascertain if the man was leaving any important details out of this report.

[Straither]

Brynner

I have a few books I carry with me, from character generation which I described as tales from frontier explorers as inspiration for his ranger vocation.

So I will turn to a few pages where strange encounters of this nature might be listed in case I can learn something, (description of a monster or environmental phenomenon).

"Scout Cole, we hear your testimony. The things you describe are very unnatural. Hopefully they are just a one-off encounter and not something territorial to the mine."

[ybn1197]

Buck tries to keep a calm composure.

[Norjax]

Rockton Heights, 8:00 am

Cole, clearly still traumatized by the unnatural experience, essentially recites the same story and offers no additional details. He fled the scene and is now trying to forget the entire ordeal.



He is willing to try hypnotic regression.

Zebedee Goldrush

If Mr Herzog knows of any hypnotist, (I don't think any character has that spell learned, I do not have myself), I will try to convince Cole to come as I think getting him to replay the scene might offer up some crucial information that we could value.

OOC: The Hypnotism spell mechanic from 1e doesn’t allow for hypnotic regression. I’ll judge that it can be used this way, but there is a percentage change of success based on the intelligence of the Alchemist.

The local Alchemist is Keej Ironfork who is also the town blacksmith.

Brynner

I have a few books I carry with me, from character generation which I described as tales from frontier explorers as inspiration for his ranger vocation.

So I will turn to a few pages where strange encounters of this nature might be listed in case I can learn something, (description of a monster or environmental phenomenon).

His testimony matches some reports of encounters with Fungal Spawn, a mimicking organism prevalent throughout the mountains and foothills of Atlantica.

Actions?

Action Details:

Characters:

Adversaries:

Brynner
Carter Stone
Huck L. Berry
Elijah Wolf
Zebedee Goldrush
Buck Saylor

[Rex]

Elijah

"It seems we are through here."

[OGRE MAGE]

Huck is amazed the mind search worked to any effect.

"I suppose we should ask if anyone who has encountered these Fungal Spawn before actually knew a good way to deal with them."

If there is no way to find this information out, Huck prepares to depart with the others.

"The sooner we set out the better, I think."

[ybn1197]

Buck starts to get antsy, all this sittin' and book smarts doesn't work well with him. As soon as the others start suggesting moving on, he is up and ready to go.

[cybersavant]

Carter Stone follows the others as they leave the office.

[Straither]

Brynner

"I suppose we should ask if anyone who has encountered these Fungal Spawn before actually knew a good way to deal with them."

If the blacksmith deals in alchemy, he might have some antidotes or preventatives. Scout Cole wasn't physically injured, just mentally traumatised. I agree that any hypnosis might help switch his memories and ingrained feelings of the encounter from Triffid trauma to Woodstockian flower power, giving him some closure.

"Let's get the horses and head over to the blacksmiths."

I pack my books back into their satchel and take my Herzog contract away.