Quest #23 "Even The Jungle Wanted Them Dead"

[SirOwen]

Seeking Out The Jungle Priest
Sunday, the 14th of Goodmonth
Mid Morning, Hot, Humid, Damp, Dim

After a bit of unseen murmuring from the direction of Jax and Krystal, the female speaks up. "I seem to be making Wes uncomfortable here, so......we both choose to stay in the storage room too."

Jaxsen Reiter

"Well," Jaxsen adds. "Either that, or we could stay out here, watch the doors, and call out an alarm if someone starts to enter one of the rooms, since we are invisible."

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Is whistling happily as he helps Luther moving stuff around, and even gets downright artsy with trying to stack chairs and the like around and on top of the Alter trying to make something interesting as he does so. He will make it a point to keep one chair in the room and drag another one Sling Blade style across the chapel to the Candle Room. Hey Jax, If you want, you can stay in the room with me.
I like your bug stories! I don't suppose you know any about horny beetles? We used to have em back home... big green and yellow ones... not at the same time but like.... well... some were one color and some were the other. But then otherwise they looked the same, you know? One time one of those fellas flew into my mom's hair while she was hanging the laundry and she threw a fit trying to get it out. Tore down 5 laundry lines and all but one of the posts with them! She took off running, lines, sheets, horny beetle and all! Scared half the kids and old bitties in the neighborhood that thought a ghost has gone and run right out of its grave in broad daylight! There was no one that caught her until she had run clear out to the river and jumped in! Once we all drug her out, she still had the beetle in her hair, but it had had enough and flew off... the laundry all needed done again and the lines were down anyway... but she drug up 5 big catfish with her in those sheets once we got her sorted. My dad laughed and laughed all the way back home since folks had come out to the lumber mill to get him when it happened. I suppose they thought he could help get her out of the fit she was in. Anyway me and my brother strung the fish on one of the laundry lines figuring we had some really good dinner for the night and my dad and a couple of neighbors worked up the post and lines back in place, still laughing while I cleaned the fish. My brother sat with my mom while she sipped her tea or something to calm down... I wish I had a good beetle story... What were we talking about again?

[Karaunios]

Galanthas sits down on the floor, his back against the outer wall, next to the candle. He stares at it. "Have you ever seen something like this, Chauncey? A candle that radiates magic. Maybe it's just a neverending flame? Otherwise, who is it that it's just there when no one's around? We could try and take it with us."

[SpinwardMarch]

Brother Gilbert

He is getting tired of the chatter and has decided he will take his rest in the storage room. It might be slightly less silly in there.

[Jernau35]

Wes

Wes briefs everyone on his chat with Wrrk the chameleon. "This little fella has incredible vision. Do you know his eyes can move separately? He has no blind spot. And he can see a tiny insect at more than thirty feet on a moonless night. You'd be amazed at the things he can see."

As he puts Wrrk on his shoulder, Wes replies to Krystal. "You can sleep where you want to Krystal, and Jaxsen too, since you are making all his decisions for him. But I'm not going to be sleeping in the same place as you".

Finally Wes addresses Mr. Wrenly.

For Chauncey

"We really have no idea who or what she is. She can obviously charm people and turn invisible at will. What other powers might she have?

And I don't believe for a moment that she found that thing in the altar by accident".

[ChubbyPixie]

Galanthas sits down on the floor, his back against the outer wall, next to the candle. He stares at it. "Have you ever seen something like this, Chauncey? A candle that radiates magic. Maybe it's just a neverending flame? Otherwise, who is it that it's just there when no one's around? We could try and take it with us."

While Mr. Wrenly chats with Wes, Chauncey walks into the room with Galanthas to inspect their chosen quarters."I have asked myself the same questions, Galanthas," he replies. "Frankly, though proceeding downwards now would be foolish, I do not wish to 'hole up' in here all day, as it were. I feel we should use the remainder of the daylight to inspect the grounds. Yet the matter of this candle consumes my thought. We could, indeed, take it with us. In fact, I am of a mind to..." He eyes the candle for a moment longer before taking it up along with its base in his hand.

In the main room, his familiar replies to the druid:
For Wes:

"He is clearly and without a doubt, charmed in some way. Which of the party drank one of her healing elixirs? Do they all jump to her defense thusly? There is a distinct lack of alarm permeating our ranks. Thank goodness you see it clearly as I do, sir. What measures shall we take? I do not posess the means, at this time, to dispel the effect."

[Jernau35]

Wes

For Chauncey

"Jaxsen we know of. Luther drank something that looked a lot like one after we fought the scorpion. In fact, he turned down offers of healing from Brother Gilbert and myself to drink it instead. Gilbert obviously knows her from some previous encounter."

"Which leaves only you and I, Monocar, Galanthas, and Avalaa . Is there some form of mage's code, like the Old Tongue of the Druids, that you can use with those two?"

[Jernau35]

Wes

Sorry, meant to add this to my earlier reply to Chauncey

"No, there's nothing I can do against it either. After prayer, Obad Hai may help me more, but not to that extent. For now though, if she wishes to play her tricks in a small room, so much the better. Much harder to hide in there, invisible or not. And she'll find it hard to leave once the door is barred".

Wes smiles, grimly.

[OGRE MAGE]

Seeking Out The Jungle Priest
Sunday, the 14th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Hot, Humid, Damp, Dim

As the group continues deciding where each of them will sleep, Luther and Monocar start doing a little remodeling. They take the table and chairs from the common room and stack them precariously alongside and on top the rising hidden stairway portion of the altar. Once they are certain the stack will fall if the portal opens, they stand back to admire their makeshift early warning system. Luther has all he can do to drown out the ramblings of his giant friend while they work. Brother Gilbert chooses the storage area to rest, hoping to keep his sanity in tact throughout the next half a day and then overnight.

Wes speaks with his lizard, telling the group how well they can see, before continuing his conversation with Chauncey's monkey. Galanthas and Chauncey move into the candle room where the mage investigates it a bit closer. It looks and feels like a normal candle with a thin brass holder, but no wax is consumed as it burns, creating no mess either. The flame is quite real however, and gives off heat just like a normal fire would. The human wizard wonders if they should take the time to investigate the grounds before settling in to rest, but he cant pull his interest away from the candle long enough to suggest it.

Jaxsen bravely tells the others that he is willing to stay out in the main room, invisible, as an extra precaution if something bad happens. Krystal seems to like this idea too, also offering to stay in the main room along with the young man. "Great idea Jax! You are really smart for someone your age. I will stay out here with you too, my little hero." Their conversation continues in hushed tones from their unseen positions. Avaala still seems undecided as to which room he will chose to spend the next 16 hours inside.

Actions?

Bedroom: Luther, Chauncey, Galanthas, Storage room: Wes, Monocar, Brother Gilbert, Sacristy room: Krystal, Jaxsen, Undeclared: Avaala

map:

88ADEAA1-8D2F-4A3B-A111-D11E9C1A2E8B.jpeg (865.73 KiB) Viewed 315 times

Wes 25/34 4/6 first 0/4 second 3/3 third SWA: 1
Galanthas 5/13 CL, DM, RM 2/2 first
Luther 18/26
Avaala 12/12 CL, DM, RM 2/2 first 0/1 second
Treasure AC:2 12/12 Mv:6"/24"
Chauncey 18/20 CL, DM, RM 1/2 first 1/1 second
Mr. Wrenly 4/4
Brother Gilbert 19/22 0/4 first 3/3 second
Monocar 15/31
Jaxsen 3/14 (10 5.8T) (Invisible)

[SirOwen]

Avaala the Grey

Avaala, seeing the others moving towards differing rooms, speaks up. "Treasure and I will be in the Storage room. It keeps our Mages from being in the same egg basket, and I've been wanting to have a talk with Monocar about our lumber mill."

[SirOwen]

Wes

As he puts Wrrk on his shoulder, Wes replies to Krystal. "You can sleep where you want to Krystal, and Jaxsen too, since you are making all his decisions for him. But I'm not going to be sleeping in the same place as you".

Jaxsen Reiter

"I am not sure where the theory that I am being controlled was egged," says Jaxsen, looking at Wes and Chauncey. "But Krystal does not make my decisions. I may only be a grub, but I am my own grub. I am a Fighting Priest of Bralm."

[Urson]

Luther

By midafternoon, Luther has finished his fung-shui. He finds a piece of a plank and begins experimenting with the dagger he got from the weed farmers. Primarily, he's practicing throwing it, testing it for balance, and otherwise trying to figure out if it has any magical enhancements.

[Jernau35]

Wes

"Jaxsen", says Wes, "you are the straightest arrow I know. A man of true honesty. And you have saved my life. So I have no wish at all to insult you. But I fear some...shenanigans...are afoot. I'm sorry".

Wes waits a moment, then takes Wrrk off his shoulder and starts to converse with him again.

[SirOwen]

Jaxsen Reiter

"You cannot see me smiling," Jaxsen says to Wes. "But I am. You put me in a position as amusing as it is impossible. I try to imagine a honeybee coming back to its hive with directions to a flowering bush and his hive questioning his honesty. I assure you that I am in control of myself, but neither of us, nor our magic-using friends, can verify it. Even if I ask you to trust my judgement on this, you could argue that it is not MY judgement in question. I cannot solve that riddle, but I can say only this: It is deep in my nature to keep our swarm strong. If we continue to suspect one another, it will break us, and we will weaken."

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Grins shouting to Jax but looking in the wrong direction. I believe you Jax!

[Karaunios]

Galanthas stays for a second with open mouth and his hand stretched out. He also was thinking of directly sweeping off the candle, but Chauncey got there first. "Fine. It seems we have permanent light."

The elf then inspects the thing the candle was on to. It's a crate, a simple table, can it be opened?

[ChubbyPixie]

“Hmmmm,” says Chauncey inspecting the candle. He’d half expected its removal from the stand to summon another specter or initiate a terrible curse. When nothing happens he seems almost disappointed. Noticing Galanthas standing with his hand out, mouth agape, he places the magic candle in it, then pats the elf on the shoulder and, overhearing the conversation outside, moves to the door.

“Exactly what a charmed bee would say!” he shouts.

[OGRE MAGE]

Seeking Out The Jungle Priest
Sunday, the 14th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Hot, Humid, Damp, Dim

The party's trust of one another seems to be at question when Wes, Chauncey, and Jaxsen discuss the possibilities of the monk being charmed by Krystal, which Jaxsen of course vehemently denies. Krystal completely ignores the accusations, becoming visible a few more times as she adjusts her gear and makes a comfortable place for she and Jax to stake out the main room while the others rest. The young woman eventually sets her bedroll out near the stairs in between the two larger rooms and sits down, becoming invisible again and staying that way this time. "Come join me Jax, at least we both know the truth."

Galanthas takes the magic candle from Chauncey after nothing exciting is gleaned from it. The elf looks around on the desk where the candle was sitting and he finds a single piece of parchment discarded under a shelf behind some books on human anatomy. Luther practices with his shiny new dagger, but doesn't learn anything new from it by throwing it at a practice target. He has a feeling that he will eventually be able to use it on something more deserving than a wooden board.

With their precarious stack of furniture ready to fall at any moment, the groups split up and enter their specified rooms to rest out the remainder of the day in here. Will the doors to the smaller rooms be left open or closed?

Actions?

Please see your positions on the map and let me know in your next post if you want me to make any changes. If there is anything else you want to do before resting, now is the time to mention them. Thanks!

map:

9DEC6984-961A-453C-AAD9-D6E498FFA107.jpeg (781.67 KiB) Viewed 272 times

Wes 25/34 4/6 first 0/4 second 3/3 third
Galanthas 5/13 CL, DM, RM 2/2 first
Luther 18/26
Avaala 12/12 CL, DM, RM 2/2 first 0/1 second
Treasure AC:2 12/12 Mv:6"/24"
Chauncey 18/20 CL, DM, RM 1/2 first 1/1 second
Mr. Wrenly 4/4
Brother Gilbert 19/22 0/4 first 3/3 second
Monocar 15/31
Jaxsen 3/14 (10 5.7T) (Invisible)

[Urson]

Luther
Luther's location is good. I don't see why there's any question about Jaxen. I suggest we stop looking for bogeymen and relax.

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

After he jams one of the remaining chairs under the doorknob, Monocar stands back looking very satisfied with himself. He finds a place to sit with all the talky thinky people. So. What do you wanna talk about?