Rennick turned and headed back to the herbalist in time to see Arell, the clerk he'd registered with; a gnome minstrel he'd heard play at Jak'a'napes, and the locksmith heading out towards the gate leading to the well.


The well was just a short distance from the city gate, a few hundred yards. A few farmsteads were nearby.

It was well made with about a 2' wide circular opening about 3 feet off the ground made of brick and mortar. A well constructed roof supported by 2 4x4 posts sheltered the winch and bucket used to get water.

Two Lumber Consortium Guards stood nearby crossbows held loosely in their arms.

"Goodmorning, dear clerk. Heading out the the well? I'd like to join you. It appears that the well has something to do with the scourge." While saying that, Rennick followed the three to the well.

Arell was about to say something along the lines of "no need to trouble yourself, it's a two man job..." but then he noticed the pair of guards.

Had the well always been this closely watched?  He knew the lumber consortium ran everything around here, but he'd never heard them being picky about water.  Arell's hopes of just finding a mushroom infestation were dwindling

In any case the additional man along suddenly made more sense.

"Afternoon gents," he said conversationally, "May I ask, why the crossbows?  It's not like the well is going anywhere...

The Guards scowled at Arell's words its been awhile since you got out clerk. Ever since Old Man Brookmans died Kreed's owned the well. Why wouldn't he guard it?

They looked at the motley group of people there. One of the guards recognized Rennick hey Rennick what brings you here? youd do better drinks with from the barrels at the mill
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:40, Sat 30 Sept 2017.

Rennick fixed the one guard with a stare and answered him: "Interesting, your suggestion. Since when does water from a barrel taste better than
from a well? I came here because I want to taste the well water, see if it is fresher than the barrel water or not."

word came down from Payday this morning. dont drink the well water.

"Really..." Arell said, "I don't recall seeing a note of transfer, but then, I don't see everything that passes through the office."

However it did stand to reason that rights to entire town's drinking supply being transferred ought to have raised a stink.  The clerk was certainly smelling it now.

Especially with mention of "barrels at the mill."

"Anyways, I was, on behalf of the town mind you, going to inspect the well for damage and/or tampering.  Are you boys going to let me do it, or do I need to get a warrant first?

It was usually the best option, in Arell's opinion, to open with asking nicely.  The impetus was now on them to either play nice and stand aside.  Or let him walk away and come back better prepared for rough housing.

you can most certainly look. payday just said 'noone drinks from the well boys'. That noone means anyone.

Arell nods, "Thank you kindly, gentlemen."

And so saying unslings the rope he grabbed from the office off his shoulders and turned to the gnome.

"Whatdya think, Rendal?  Loop for your foot?  Or Ralla's special?"

The fact that he didn't suggest "a bunch of times around the waist" bespoke of highly specialized knowledge of ropes that his acquiring of was (perhaps) too horrible to contemplate.

Varianna looked with a bit of confusion at the armed guards. Listening to the exchange, she though it odd that the well was guarded, especially by two people. Her suspicions were lowered slightly when they allowed the men to inspect the well, but the whole thing was still a bit odd. It was a little relief that there seemed to be water stored for an occasion like this, and she hoped that it could be easily distributed.
She stood a bit away from the well and guards, watching them closely.

Meanwhile Tarack is busily selling herb packs and putting more together as he goes. It takes about 3 minutes to handle each customer. And Tarack is going through them as fast as possible.

Laurel sits at a desk pouring through books and cross referencing material.

From the counter Lorn asks how he can help and Laurel looks up, pushing her glasses up on her nose and pushing back a widow of grating hair and says in a friendly manner Lorn. good to see you. no. i think Tarack is doing ok. however what i could use help with is looking up where Rats Tail can be found in this book of herbal remedies. I think I'm close to figuring out a possible cure, if we are right, but there's a couple herbs I don't have and this one is important.
 

"Rats tail.... it rings a bell but not a loud one...." he says as he pulls up a chair to sit opposite Laurel. He picks up a likely book and begins to read. "If you're not sure of this herb and where to find it, then i assume it isn't  easily found. Do you know where to begin to look?" he ask after a few mintues of reading and thought.

Nom finally got the subtle hint - that Arell was a smooth one - that he was actually going to be the bait on the end of the line. Now if this would have been the River, then he'd have immediately declined. He'd had too many prize bluegill snatched from his line by something very large out in that water. Going down into the well was something different, and that something was oddly tantalizing to the little gnome. He set his pole aside and got ready with the rope.

"Well, I daresay it might be deep down there, and spending a really long time upside down doesn't sound very appetizing to me at the moment Arell. I'd rather have my hands and feet free for maneuvring and so forth... besides, I'm not much of a climber, and I'm certainly not much for swimming in icy dark water. What about just wrapping a bunch of loops around my waist? Wouldn't that work?"

While Arell was working his rope-magic, Nom said to him quietly, "Did I miss something, or did that guard say nobody was supposed to drink out of the well? Granted I'm not the sharpest dagger in the targetboard, but.. isn't that why we have the well in the first place?"

"Ralla says that's a really good way to break your spine...especially if you're hanging there for a while."

Arell then begins a rather crazy assortment of loops that not only go around Rendal's waist, but also incorporate his shoulders, chest and legs too.

While he works, he goes sotto voice, Yeah, I noticed that too...We'll confer with the guys once we're done here, but I'm thinking Kreed--or someone in his company--has gone full baby-eating evil while no one was looking."

By the time he's done, Nomerendal looks like he's wearing an outline of a rope suit, with the remaining cord jutting from the small of his back.  He'll be going down like a spider--which should keep him out of the water unless it becomes necessary.

"You gonna need a light?" Arell asks.  He knew the gnome probably had a trick or two, but it was polite to ask someone those things before chucking them down a deep dark hole.

The Herbalist noticed Tarack was about half done with the line as Her and Lorn looked through Books for the herbal remedy and where the items could be found. Every so Often Laurel gets up...goes to her shelves and nods and takes a jar down and puts it on the table her in front of her. She answered Lorn No Lorn I cant say that I do. Its something that grws in meadows, near the edges of the forest in the Vale...but which meadow inside the forest to attend? I have no idea.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:19, Sun 01 Oct 2017.

Rennick watched as Rendal was bound with the rope.
He understood what they were trying to do, but he thought it would be simpler to just climb down a rope.
"Sorry to interrupt, dear clerk, but wouldn't it be safer if one of us just climbed down a rope?
I'm quite good at climbing myself."

Arell sighed, he really wished the other man had said something before now, "Not a bad idea, until you have to figure out how to see in a pitch black cave full of water with your hands tied up with keep you attached to the rope.  This way Rendal has his hands free for a torch or something.

Or a tricksy spell that made lights...sometimes stereotypes had some truth behind them.

"Or you accidentally inhale deadly fumes and pass out, and we have to figure out how to get you out of there before your corpse makes the water worse.  And honestly, Rennick, you're big guy.  and I don't relish the idea trying to haul you anywhere...meanwhile I could probably juggle Rendals."

He tries not to dwell on the idea of more than one of the little guy.

"Well we are not gonna find out from sitting. Can you tell me what it looks like and we'll see if I can find it. Ride between between meadows until I find it. Thought it might take a few days to search them all. So if there's anything you or I can do to narrow the search. I'm listening." Lorn says to Laurel.

Lets wait til Arell returns from the well to decide what to do. And perhaps Tarack has ideads where it can be found. He goes into the forest trapping frequently. He finds Herbs for me at times.

"Sounds reasonable." Lorn says before going back to reading the book he had in front of him.

The 2 Guards watch as Arell, fits a rope harness to Nomerendal while Rennick stands close by. Varianna stands further away watching the two guards who seem oblivious.

The gnome was quite the little sport about the harnessing... at first. By the time the intricate knots, wraps and safety-hitches, were in place, he felt somewhat like a bundle of kindling all a-twine for vending at the Low Market! "I'm still not convinced this is any better than a half-dozen wraps around my middle friend Kirkwood, but I'll trust your skill, after all, these knots are truly a beautiful work of art."

Nomerendal waddled over to the edge of the well and prepared for his excursion into the depths. He still had a smile on his face at the thought of Arell trying to juggle him, and had even begun to formulate an act he could try at Jak'a'names with some straw-stuffed dummies. Looking into the darkness, that smile seemed to slip.

"Well, I suppose this is it then. Nowhere to go from here but... down."

He cleared his throat and said, loudly enough that the guards would surely overhear and be curious.

"But I shan't be going alone, come little friends," Nomerendal gestured to a spot near the well where there was a slight seep of water. There, several large butterflies were sipping at the moisture and sunning themselves, wings gently moving back and forth. The colors were brilliant and vivid, any color imaginable could be found in dozens of hues. Four of them suddenly fluttered and flitted toward the gnome's outstretched hand, landing in a dazzling flash of color.

Nomerendal brought his hand closer toward his face and glanced out of the corner of his eye at the guards to make sure he had their attention now. Upon each of the butterflies were tiny riders, delicate feylings with hair to rival the colors of their mounts. "Would the four of you mind lighting the way for me down into the well? You must be very brave, and you musn't forget about me and wander of..."

Each of the tiny riders raised a minuscule sceptre and all at once they began to glow! Blue, yellow, green and red, each a different color, but each very bright to the point where the butterflies and riders could no longer be seen, simply four floating orbs of light. "Ok then, lead the way little friends!"

Nom winked at Arell and stepped over edge like a tiny gnomish spider with half his legs torn off.

OOC: Prestidigitation to create the butterflies and riders, and Dancing Lights to set them a-glo!

Arell holds firm to his end of the rope, lowering the other person with a strength an old clerk probably ought not to have.

"Why am I surprised at the butterflies?" Arell says in Rennick's direction, "I've known that cabbage-head for years, I shouldn't be surprised at the butterflies."

He shakes his head then calls out to his victim, "See anything yet Rendal?"

Nomerendal is lowered down into the depths of the well. The Guards indeed get curious and move to the edge and look down chuckling at his odd lights. Variana can see no sense of hostility just curiosity.

As The Gnome reaches the 30 foot mark, near the water line, he can see several bundles of black capped mushrooms tied together and floating in the water. The budles seemd to be secured to the side of the well so if they got into the bucket the wire securing them to the rocks would pull them out of the bucket as they went forward.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:59, Mon 02 Oct 2017.

The sensation of spider-like descent was quite enjoyable and exciting really. Nomerendal was grateful after all that Arell had insisted on the elaborate knotting scheme. He willed his floating fairy-lights down the well before him, awed by the effects of their reflections in the water and the stone walls. He was also a little surprised that the water level wasn't much further down. Not knowing the depth, he'd expected it to be much deeper.

And then he saw something that made his little heart skipped a beat. Up to this point, this little outing had been something to pass the time and stave off a little daily boredom. Now... Well this certainly doesn't seem natural! He thought. Oh dear! Now what shall I do?

He heard his impatient friend hollering down to him, but Nomerendal needed a moment to think! He sent the butterflies to chasing each other in a whirlwind just over his head in order to hide him from the top while he took that moment to gather his wits.

He concentrated for a moment and then whispered as quietly as he was able, projecting a message entwined with fey magic up and out of the well!

"Trouble. Keep an eye on those guards! Best tie me off to something just in case..." his magical Message said to the man lowering him down.

Careful use of Message cantrip to Arell...

"Hey Arell, there's an old boot or something, send down my line and I'll try to hook it so you can reel it back up for me!" Came the little gnome's shout from down below.

His gulp seemed to echo as the gravity of what this might mean began to sink in...