Quest #11 "Raythan Wants To Make Amends"

[SpinwardMarch]

Brother Gilbert

He goes to the hut where he has been sharing(with whom, the player has forgotten). He takes off his armor and travel gear to cool off and rest. Looking out beyond the village, he considers where might be a more "safe" place.

[Storm11]

Storm returns to the town with the others clutching his pack tightly. Scimitar in hand he makes his way to the beach and looks out over the vista.

Afterwards he will head to the bar and ask around about troll killers, not really believing that could be true.

Happy to be alive, have his mistletoe, and most of his equipment back, the Little halfling settles in to a peaceful afternoon for once.

[OGRE MAGE]

Jaxsen makes his way to the common house where he has been staying. Jax pulls out whatever is left of the nuts and fruits he managed to shake out of the trees earlier and shares them around the room.

Jaxsen's gift of tasty nuts and fruit is highly appreciated amongst the hungry villagers.

One of the women who remembered him from the water train thanks him profusely. "You are a good man, Jaxsen. We could use a few more like you around here. What are your long term plans here if you don't mind my asking?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Brother Gilbert

He goes to the hut where he has been sharing. He takes off his armor and travel gear to cool off and rest. Looking out beyond the village, he considers where might be a more "safe" place.

The priest of Pelor rests comfortably once out of his traveling gear. He ponders the words of the invisible woman in the jungle and wracks his brain trying to think of an area that might be used as a safe place to house the townsfolk if things really do go bad here.

He remembers back to when the first group he adventured with here found a wooden structure out in the jungle to the west. He wonders if anyone has ever investigated it yet. Could that large building out in the middle of nowhere be a good place to house the villagers for a time if necessary?

Please check your initial string of PM's if you cant remember any of this info.

[SpinwardMarch]

Brother Gilbert

He thinks back on the wooden structure which he and the three companions who disappeared into its maze.

Hmm, perhaps itis worth a second look, given the voice's warning. At least it is away from the beach, which seems to be one of the problems.

He wanders over to the common house to find Jaxsen, and ask him some questions.

[SirOwen]

Jaxsen Reiter

Jaxsen blushes at the praise. "The Hive Queen sends us out to show the world how hard work and working together leads to success. So I will stay here, and make this my hive and work and fight to make it successful. This is a good place, and people like you and Marge make it better. I am glad to be here." He makes sure to get the lady's name, and then spends the evening learning some of the other jobs the people around here do to help the place prosper.

[SpinwardMarch]

Brother Gilbert

When he finds Jaxsen, he says,
Greetings, Jaxsen, do you you have a little time to talk?

[SirOwen]

Jaxsen Reiter

Unused to seeing 'adventuring' types in the common house, Jax looks at the young cleric and nods, "I do! What would you like to speak of?"

[SpinwardMarch]

Brother Gilbert

... draws Jaxsen aside and speaks to him.

After arriving, I joined a group of three other travelers from the ship. We looked about for a time and followed a trail into the jungle. A day and a half later, we came upon a massive wooden structure. My companions went into an entrance, leaving me posted as a “guard.” They never came out, so I eventually made my way to Beachtown. If the village is indeed under threat, it might be a safer place. Certainly, it will need to be inspected first, but it might be made livable.

[SirOwen]

Jaxsen Reiter

Jaxsen wonders at Gilbert's words. "Your friends never returned," he repeats. "I'm not sure I would consider it for a safe place, but we can certainly look, I suppose. Did you want to ask Storm and Raythan to go along? The bigger the swarm, the better."

Jax stops for a moment to wish his friends a good evening. He then turns back to Gilbert, "Let's go ask them. If we can get their agreement tonight, we'll be on the move that much sooner tomorrow morning."

[SpinwardMarch]

Brother Gilbert

I am not so certain of its current safety, but the beach is quite apparently unsafe. It may be possible to make the structure safe. The villagers will need to go elsewhere on the island, unless they return to the mainland. As for our other friends, I would like to wait for some of the (ahem) larger siege weapons, I mean fighters.

He smiles slightly as he says the last sentence, remembering the people he first met.

[SirOwen]

Jaxsen Reiter

"Perhaps I am too unimaginative," says Jaxsen. "But I saw no real threat to Beachtown. An invisible woman told us that her master was going to come and destroy the town." He pauses for a moment and then goes on, drawing a picture in the sand with a stick as he talks. "Many of the Queen's Children look scary to frighten their opponents. If I wanted to loot a village without a fight, I would at least try to get everyone to just leave so I could come in unopposed. Much easier to look scary than to be dangerous."

[SpinwardMarch]

Brother Gilbert

If they take most of their belongings, there wouldn't be much to loot. As I see it, Beachtown seems as a slowly sinking ship, if you will. They are drawing greatly on nature's bounty, but not giving much in return.

Br. Gilbert shakes his head sadly. He knows enough from his time on the farm that things have a balance, and the village is definitely out of balance with its surroundings.

There is much hope, but little action.

[SirOwen]

Jaxsen Reiter

Jaxsen seems almost.... aghast. "No! I couldn't disagree more. Things need to change, yes, but once these people start focusing on the work that needs to be done, instead of the work they want to do, I see much potential for this hive."

He considers the lessons from his youth. "Ants don't just start gathering food. There are a lot of steps to building a hive. They need to learn those steps. Maybe that is why the Hive Queen sent me here."

Almost, but not quite under his breath, he adds, "I wonder how they are going to accept the fact that ants know that some of them are going to die for the good of he hive?"

[OGRE MAGE]

The conversation between the priest and the monk seems to be heading towards a bit of an impasse. As the pair discuss the ongoing safety of the town, they notice a few of the common folk are blatantly listening to them. They seem quite interested in the topic at hand, especially since it involves them directly. One of the farmer types looks a bit upset by what he has just eavesdropped.

Brother Gilbert then notices that one bed near the back of the large building is getting a bit of extra attention. A man moans loudly as 3 others try to sooth his ailments.

[SpinwardMarch]

Brother Gilbert

"Time to distract the masses..."

... He says loudly, By the light of Pelor, is that man in distress?

Br. Gilbert rushes over to him, to find out the cause of his cries, and offer aid.

[OGRE MAGE]

Brother Gilbert leaves the conversation with Jax about securing the townsfolk in its current stalemate as he rushes over to the back of the wooden bunkhouse. There he finds a dying man lying on a cot surrounded by greedy onlookers who appear to be waiting him out. The man looks familiar to the priest of Pelor, but he cant quite make out the reason why.

It is obvious that this man has contacted some kind of horrible disease or was poisoned by something terrible. His facial features are badly deformed, bloated, and disfigured, causing the priest to lean towards the latter of the two. He holds something circular tightly in his arms, but it isn't clear what it could be as it is still concealed under his cloak. The commoners seem to be waiting for the man to pass on so they can see what he is hiding from them.

Brother G stares at them all in anger as the man tries to whisper something under his strained breath to the priest. He is shocked when he recognizes the voice as one of the men he traveled with when he first arrived here. His badly disfigured former companion continues whispering the same 2 words over and over when he sees the recognition on the priests face. "spider" "monsters" "spider" "monsters......."

Brother Gilbert takes pity on the poor fool, knowing full well he will not survive the poison's effects very much longer without some kind of aid.

[SirOwen]

Jaxsen Reiter

I would point out that the part about ants dying for their hive was spoken in a very low tone of voice.

Jaxsen follows Gilbert over to the man on the cot. The idea of everyone standing around waiting to see what can be had from the dying fellow isn't a strange one at all to the monk. He wonders how they will resolve possession once the man actually passes? Has Jax been here long enough, or contributed enough, to join such a competition? After a moment, he decides that most of the hive is in greater need than himself, and won't vie for whatever the man has. But he is curious enough to wait it out and see.

[SpinwardMarch]

Brother Gilbert

He says quietly to the dying man, I am sorry to see you in such plight. I am not sure I can heal you, but I will try to ease your misery.

To the others: Please get back. Are you nothing but vultures awaiting a corpse?

He says a prayer over the man and lightly lays his hand upon the victim's shoulder, hoping to ease his pain.

Cure Light Wounds- spell [1d8] = 5

[OGRE MAGE]

The Dying Man
Common House

Jaxsen wonders how this will all turn out after the man finally passes, not at all unfamiliar with natures process. He lets the caring priest handle the specifics.

Brother Gilbert feels a bit helpless once he determines that the man is dying from a debilitating poison that is killing him from the inside out. He yells at the others gathered around him to make room for the poor soul, even though he can just barely remember that his name is Orin. His healing touch does little to stop the malady, but it does indeed make Orin feel better, for a brief moment anyway.

He painstakingly whispers to the priest again, this time it has nothing to do with unpleasant arachnids or monsters.

"Take this.......for you........go back......avenge......me......."

That is the last words Orin ever speaks in this lifetime. His once cradled arms fall limp to his sides, revealing the large round form under his cloak even more.

The commoners seem excited to see what he was hiding from them.