While he waited for his companions to sort themselves out up there, Nomerendal summoned one of the butterfly riders to hover near the surface of the water to illuminate the scheme which was used to secure the mushrooms in place...

Taking 20 on Perception: total 25. Could I cut them loose without risking unbundling them?

Arell frowns, more at something buzzing in his ear than the gnome's request, "Rennick, grab his fishing pole...might as well do what he wants.  He's the only guy who knows what's going on down there."

He feels his arms start to twinge.  He could hold the weight for a while yet, but even the lightest burden strains with time.

Rennick accepts the fishing pole and checks if the line is fastened to it.
If it seems a decent construction, he'll lower the line into the well, but he doesn't look down,
he looks at the two guards to see what they're doing.

The guards watch on in a curious manner with totally relaxed mannerisms. there is no tension in their stances at all as The fishing line is lowered. Nomerendal studies the line's affixing the 3 bundles of mushrooms to the walls of the well and see's thats its a simple amber like substance 'glueing' the lines to the walls. and the lines are made from a strong fire as are the bundle works everything is natural and without technology. He realizes with a knife and a little work he could scrape the glue and pull the mushrooms away. How long it would take to purify the water afterwards he has no idea.

Rennick says to the guards: "Now that people can't get their water here anymore, perhaps Payday's going to sell water at another point in the village? And he's going to ask a good price for it, too, I'd wager."

The Guards look at Rennick like he's grown antennae.

Then one shook his head. Rennick. youre new sos i dont think you understand. Payday works for Kreed. if Kreed said charge the people for the well water, he'd charge the people for well water. The consortium owns the well. They don't need a reason to do that. If Payday thinks there might be something wrong with the water then it's probably for some reason.

Rennick answers: "Excuse me, I've been thinking in the wrong direction. But now I know that we can exclude the Kreed and Payday when looking for the ones who've been meddling with this well. I just wanted to be sure about that, and I think the clerk as well."

The Gnome went to work scraping the natural glue away from the well side and taking the fiber bound bundles of black mushrooms and putting them in the fishing line for Rennick to pull up.

gradually they retrieved all three bundles and the gnome was pulled back up from the depths.

Getting back to the top The others saw what had become toxic within the well.

The Guards said Whats that? as they both looked at the waterlogged fungus.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile Tarack finished the last of the packets and there was no-one else at the door and he turned to go back in the study of the small dwelling where he could see The Herbalist amidst a pile of books and many bottles of herbs and Lorn paging through a book titled Herbal Lore In The Vale

"We should probably go to the herbalist to identify it"

Rennick tries to identify the properties of black mushrooms with his knowledge nature.
OOC: 15:18, Today: Rennick Hitman rolled 7 using 1d20+4.  knowledge nature.

"Huh, that's interesting.. not relevant.. but interesting." Lorn muttered to himself halfway in the Herbal Lore In The Vale.

OOC: Next time i get a successful lore check on nature i'll know what to reference. :D

Arell's face twists into a snarl, "That..." he growls, "is what I was worried about."

Once he's sure all the cages are up he hauls up Rendal, hand over hand like he weighed nothing and turns back to the guards, "If you two are going to be standing here anyway, you might as well tell folks the well is quarantined until further notice.  And tell your boss when you see him that someone tried to poison his well." he smiled then, mostly teeth, "But not to worry.  We'll find whoever did this and ensure Swift Justice falls upon their heads."

He turned and stalked off toward the herbalist's fully expecting the rest of his group to follow in kind.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 18:15, Thu 05 Oct 2017.

"I think that's all of it," Nom said to Arell when he was finally hoisted over the lip of the well. "I wonder if the water can be cleansed?"

He began to help get himself untied and found that the many knots and hitches came easily apart! Though certainly more elaborate than something he would have attempted on his own had not Arell been here, the little gnome had to admit he was impressed. His mind briefly wandered to his cabin, far upriver, and the prospects of having Arell rig something that would allow him to cross the river near the Golden Falls. There was a particularly interesting looking fishing hole on the far bank, but it was a long way to hike down to Falcon's Hollow to take the ferry across and then hike all the way back to a place he could nearly sling a stone across the river and hit his own roof!

Arell's gruff comment and sickeningly fake smile yanked Nomerendal from his daydreaming. This was serious, or seemed that way. Nom took a moment to wipe his dagger on the grass lest any stray spores might have gotten on it, and then snatched his pole from Rennick and began to hasten his trot after the purpose-driven clerk.

"Your job just got a lot more interesting sirs," he said to the guards in parting. "Please keep a close eye out!"

Once they were out of earshot, Nom asked the ranger, "What do you think Rennick? They're awfully soggy, but they look sort of like the poisonous ones do they not?"

Rennick followed Arell and Rendal, saying: "I can't say for sure, but I do think this is the poisonous kind.
This must be what made the elderly and the young ill."

Once all of the packets have been distributed, Tarack heads back inside.

"That was the last of the herbs Laura. And, to tell you the truth, I am not sure those will help much. Its true the herbs will boost their natural immunity and defenses, but for those that are already sick we need something else. Did you find anything that may help?"

The herbalist sighed wearily. If it's blackscour scourge then my mother had found a cure...she said she'd bought it at a stiff price from the Witch Ulzmilla.

I have all the ingredients except three. Lien was trying to find where Ratstail could be found.

Then Eldermoss and Ironsoot Stools. With those I could cure everyone. The bad part of my research is Blackscour Scourge is lethal. According to her notes it starts causing death in 3 to 5 days, So in 2 days we could start seeing the first of the townsfolk dieing if we do not obtain things quickly
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:34, Thu 05 Oct 2017.

Tarack thinks for a moment

19:45, Today: Tarack Bulslagson rolled 13 using 1d20+11.  Survival.
19:44, Today: Tarack Bulslagson rolled 28 using 1d20+8.  Know  Nature.
19:44, Today: Tarack Bulslagson rolled 25 using 1d20+7.  Know Local.
19:44, Today: Tarack Bulslagson rolled 9 using 1d20+6.  Know Geography.

"I'm pretty sure whatever they are, I don't want to drink anything laced with them." Arell says, very obviously restraining his temper to a low boil.

He walks past the line and into the herbalist's without ceremony.

"Rendal found these down in the well, hanging there like bags of tea." he holds up the cages for all to see, "What do you want done with them?"

There's a rather unpleasant light in his eyes, one maybe Lorn, or possibly Variana would recognize...one that usually didn't come attached to magisters' clerks.

Tarack ponders the specific herbs Laurel mentioned and thought using his knowledge of the Darkmoon Woods

as Arell enters and Taracks thinking, Laurel jumps up and runs over to examine the Mushrooms saying Yes Yes indeed these are Blackscour Musrooms. And from the look of these bundles, someone went to an awful lot of trouble to place them in the well.

Tarack glances at the bundles as hes thinking

After the description given by the herbalist "Those will not be easy to find, but I think I know where to look." Tarack looks over the others gathered in the small house before adding "Could use some help if anyone wants to. We would need to get going right away."

Looking at the bundle Arell brought makes Tarack frown "Hmm, whoever did this ... they knew exactly what they were doing and how to do it. Th is is not someone who just threw one in for revenge."

"True, it is also someone who is not dependent on the well for water or is otherwise not subject to the fungus. It rules out a large portion of the town. It is a despicable act to say the least. You can count on my help to cleanse the well, aid the sick, and bring the cretin responsible to justice." the elf says. In truth, the fact that something like this was happening unsettled her a bit. The spring was not in her steps and she seemed distracted.

Rennick says: "I offer my help as well, to find whoever did this. However, if some of you think that Kreed did this, I must say I would not act on that suspicion. I have asked the guards at the well and they told me that Kreed owns the well and that he could ask a good price for the water anyway. So it would be illogical for him to poison his own well. I think someone else must have done this misdeed."

"First things first, I am heading to my cottage to gather my things and heading out. First stop is Ulzmilla's Cottage. There is a chance that she may have more than one ingredient.

Anyone who is coming, Meet me there in an hour. Laurel, do you have anything that can help us on our journey? Or anything else you want to add or say before we head out."

"Whoever did it, they can wait until after everyone stops dying." Arell sighs, "I'm in."

Rennick's defense of his boss was admirable.  But Arell wasn't convinced.  There wasn't enough to go on yet to convict anyone, but he wouldn't put it past Kreed to try something like this.

mis post
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:20, Sat 03 Mar 2018.