Ilix's body is soon found and laid to rest alongside Annabelle's, and then the group settles in to rest for the night, a rest much-deserved after the stress of the caves. But it is a rest that is, perhaps, not so smooth and undisturbed as they might like.

In reply to ylva (msg # 1):

Hester moaned in her sleep.

Bristle snorted loudly in her sleep, then rolled onto her stomach, mumbling something unintelligible.

Caleb tossed and turned in his sleep.

The moon slowly tracks across the sky overhead...

Hester turns over in the dark.

Hester took the Wraith's arm and walked beside her.  "Is that even possible?" She asks with all the guile of a baby crocodile.

Bristle's leg twitched restlessly for a moment, then settled back down again.

Caleb muttered something unintelligible, rolling over onto his side.

The sky begins to brighten with the coming dawn...




After what feels like a surprisingly restful night's sleep, the group awakens on the hill, beside the statue and the graves and the remnant of the previous night's fire. It's morning, and while the forest is still eerily quiet without birds, it no longer has the bone-deep silence and disturbing shadows of before. It would seem that the curse on these woods is, if not broken, at least eased still.

When Caleb woke, he laid still for a moment before he truly processed what had occurred, at which point he pulled himself quickly from his bedroll while grabbing at his crossbow, scanning his surroundings for anything out of place.
When that was done and nothing was revealed, he relaxed just enough to lower the crossbow as he walked over to what remained of the fire, sitting down and warming his hands over the coals, noting that the others had woken up as well. "Morning all. I'm going to guess that your dreams had an unwelcome intruder, am I right?"

"It was She", said Hester.  "She says she wants to live but I don't think she's going about it the right way."

She frowned as she thought of the implications of that.  "Perhaps death holds a certain terror for her which brings with it a weakness?"

Bristle nodded when asked about her dreams. "She visited me too. Said to call her Whisper. She tried to get me to make an agreement with her to show me how she did..." Bristle gestured vaguely at their surroundings. "This. But I turned her down." She didn't feel the need to mention that she was the one to request the information in the first place.

"She said she had a very long time to figure it out though. Something to do with putting people in prisons they don't want to escape from? I'm pretty sure that was a metaphor though." Bristle shrugged, unsure of what to make of it.

She looked at their surroundings, noting the burning skeletons she had circling the camp as smoldering guards in the night. With a sigh, she said to nobody in particular, "I guess I have no reason to keep you guys around anymore. A promise is a promise. My two-legged minions, tear yourselves apart." Her mindless humanoid skeletons did exactly that, showing no emotion as they pulled themselves to pieces until their own flames were extinguished. Only her cow and bear remained.

Hester shrugged.  "So", she said.  "We dreamed about her but she wasn't really trying with us."

Caleb listened with interest as he rummaged around in his bag, pulling a ration from his pack and beginning to eat quickly as the other two talked, only speaking up after he had finished eating. "She didn't say much of anything to me, probably because I shot her when she didn't leave my head when I told her to. It didn't work by the way, she didn't even bleed. Gonna have to find a way to fix that."

"I have a feeling we haven't heard from her for the last time though. I got the sense that, at least for me, that she would be invading my dreams until the end of days, trying to coerce me into making a deal with her. Or something like that." Bristle's face took on a look of mild concern. "So I guess the next question is, "what is our next step?" Go back to a town with actual people in it and try to find a lead while we make preparations?" With Illix's "contributions" to their cause and an entire village full of "abandoned" supplies, Bristle figured they could probably upgrade their own supplies before seeking out more confrontation from Whisper.

"The way I see it, our job here isn't done yet. You said that huge mob of creatures we saw had living people in it, we ought to look for them in case they're lost out here. If nothing else, I have people to find out here, dead or alive." Caleb said matter of factly, leaning back as he spoke. "After that, I say we leave this place for now so we can research what exactly is happening with this witch or demon or whatever she is and how to actually kill her for good."

"I still need to see my Grandmother", said Hester.  "She's not among the dead or among the living as far as I can tell.  What else is there?"

Bristle merely shrugged at Hester's question. Maybe her grandmother was not here when events started happening, or maybe she was at the bottom of the bone-lake in the caves after being turned into a shadow creature. Either way, their next move was clear. "For now, let's starts with the obvious move. Let's head back to town and see if anyone has shown back up. See what they might know or remember." The changeling woman began the walk toward town, leading her undead creations through the forest.

Sounds fair to me, but I'm keeping an eye open for people on the way back." Caleb said, rising from where he sat as he began to break down the small camp they had set up, following Bristle and her skeletons once he had finished, crossbow readied and eyes peeled for movement.
ooc: Rolling perception to keep an eye out for people or signs of passage on the way back, result is 30.

Moving back to the village, Caleb sees occasional signs of passage back in that direction, but no people. The first people you see are when you get back to the village proper, where a bare handful of humanoids are visible. They look normal enough, many of them exhibiting signs of serious stress. Upon questioning, none of the two dozen or so people express any memories of their time under the spell whatsoever. They universally claim to have only disjointed recollections that feel dreamlike and don't match up to the real world in the slightest.

Then one of them says, quite calmly, "She was such a bother until I let her in, but it's much easier now." And she smiles. It's a look of relief, of calm.

Hester frowns.  "Who was such a bother?"

Bristle was glad to see that not everyone in the village was gone for good. Although she doubted the village would ever get back to normal. And the living people would probably remain traumatized from all they had lost. Or at least that is what Bristle was assuming before one of them sent shivers up her spine with a couple sentences.

"The hardest prison to escape is one you don't want to escape from," Bristle muttered, quoting something Whisper had said to her. Then, to Hester and Caleb she whispered, "I think she is talking about you-know-who. It almost sounds like she liked being enthralled."

"The woman in my dreams," the woman says blithely. "Pestered me endlessly, until I let her in. But it's much easier now. Not a bother at all."

On their return to the village, Caleb was visibly pleased to see the mercenaries he'd been looking for wandering about, and diverted from the other two to pull them from the crowd, explaining that they had been missing for weeks and delivering the orders for them to get back to Almas before returning to Bristle and Hester.

When he rejoined them and heard the oddly calm woman speak, Caleb gave her a hard stare for a few moments, before shaking his head. "That's... great for you, I guess," He said, leaning away, hands twitching as if he longed to be holding his weapon as he muttered back to Bristle. "I don't know what's up with this lady, but it's freaking me out."

Bristle shared a look of agreement and gave a slight nod. She was getting more and more eager to be on their way. And in that vein, she nudged Hester along in the conversation. To the people present, she asked, "Say, none of you happen to know where," she looked to Hester, "What was her name again?" Bristle honestly couldn't recall if she had even been told. But regardless, she would let Hester handle the details.

"Carien Silverhair", asked Hester.  "With hair like mine?  My old grandmother.  Anybody remember her?"

Hester is becoming anxious, wondering whether her granddam is still on the prime material plane, or even whether any reason remains for her to revisit the village that birthed her.  She has little fondness as she casts back her memory.  Only her grandmother stood out as a point of beauty in a drab history.

"Carien?" a middle-aged woman standing nearby says. "So you're her girl, eh? Afraid I can't help you. Carien went to the capital some time agone. Funny thing, she left just before everything went sideways here in Falcon's Hollow. Like she knew what was coming, eh?" The woman laughs cheerfully at the absurdity of her own statement. After all, no one could have known what was coming. It was a strange coincidence, though....

Hester nodded, "No you're right, I'm sure she couldn't have known."

But there were so many things Hester didn't say.  She didn't say that she was not a hundred percent sure that Carien's disappearance had nothing to do with the coming of the Whisper.

Neither did she say that she wasn't even sure that Carien had gone to the capital.  After all, Hester had something of an idea of what may lay ahead of her as her magic poisoned her system.  First there came the all black eyes and the silver hair, then her arms had grown so abnormally long.  She did not know how her body might change in the future but Carien was her grandmother and she might be years along the path that Hester was doomed to follow.

She did not even suggest that there was nothing left for her here and that perhaps the next cluse might be found in the capital.

"So... should we head to the capital next then?" Bristle suggested, almost as if mirroring Hester's thoughts. "I mean, you could look for your grandmother, Hester, and it would be a good place to look up information and collect supplies. Unless there is a good reason to stick around here a bit longer?" Additionally, the bigger the city they went to, the more likely she would be able to find a buyer for her burning cow skeleton.

Hester sighed.  "We might as well go to the capital, although whether we'll find my grandmother... well let's say I have my doubts although if we do, it will give me some clues about my own destiny."

As talk turned to leaving Falcon's Hollow for Almas, Caleb quickly nodded along. "I have to head back to make a report, and it's not like there's anything I can do about what's happening here at the moment anyway." Honestly, he was just happy for a reason to put this place well behind him, if only for a little while.

The trip to the capital goes relatively quickly, and without great incident. Your dreams may be haunted, but if so, it seems to be by mundane nightmares, and there is no further sign of Whisper in your dreams.

Moving out of the forest and into the plains is a relief, making travel easier and memories perhaps a touch more distant. The people in the villages you pass through seem a little troubled, but nothing terribly unusual, nor do you hear of any troubles like those that afflicted Falcon's Hollow.

Finally, after a week of travel, you reach the city of Almas. Built on a series of hills scattered among the Andoshen River and her tributaries, it is a city of bridges, slopes, and fields. Each hill has a different neighborhood, with its own culture and businesses. The culture of the city as a whole is fiercely Andoren, with free markets and an emphasis on freedom and self-governance in general. On the southern side, the ocean lends the air a salt-spray aroma and moisture, and shouts can be heard in a plethora of languages from merchants and sailors alike.

It's an auspicious time to be arriving, the locals say, because in three days the newest Supreme Elect of the People's Council will be elected. This woman, a former general named Elena Raskovel, is to be the next head official of the state and leader of the executive office of the national government. The formal appointment to office is to be quite an event, they say, and one which is accompanied by city-wide festivities.

Caleb walks through the streets of Almas with the casual indifference of a man who has seen many cities in his lifetime, though he does perk up on hearing of the festival being planned. Turning to the other two, he hands over the sheathed and wrapped up dagger to Bristle, hilt first. "I have to go to the palace to give my report, would you mind selling the stuff we don't need while I'm off doing that? I know a dwarf named Dolgrin over in Smithtown, he deals in magic odds and ends. Depending on how long everything takes, I'll meet you in a couple hours in the Crashing Eagle, little tavern down by the docks." When Bristle took the dagger, Caleb gave a small wave and began moving through the crowd, making his way to the Field of Concord.

It was good to see a large civilization again after having spent time in the boondocks. After stashing her undead creatures where nobody would stumble upon them, she eagerly headed into the city with her companions.

When Caleb held out the magic dagger to her, Bristle took the dark blade carefully and tucked it away. "I'll search out your contact and see what I can get us for our gear. While you're out, keep in mind that it might do us some good to recruit a couple more people to aid us on our journey. So if you know of anyone who might be in the city..." She let her sentence drift off. She figured the implication was clear.

Turning to Hester, she said, "Feel free to join me in Smithtown if you would like, but don't feel obligated. I may also end up trying to find a buyer for my... cow. Which means I may end up talking with people you may not wish to associate with." In the end though, Bristle let Hester make up her own mind and continued on her way to sell their goods. Maybe while she was in the market, she could also buy some raw materials to increase her collection of onyx gems. She did quite enjoy turning rough-cut gems into polished beauties, and it seemed they may have a tiny bit of extra time on their hands over the next couple days.

---

Bristle is looking to sell their items (see OOC), and trying to track down a buyer for her cow. Additionally, she'll scout out a stall to buy materials for Crafting onyx gems, but won't buy any until she is sure she'll have time to work.

16:48, Today: Bristle Chonk rolled 13 using 1d20+9.  Diplomacy, with Enhanced Diplomacy - selling items.

14:46, Today: Bristle Chonk rolled 17 using 1d20+7.  Knowledge: Local with Guidance - locate undead buyer.
She would also settle for someone who would pay her to destroy her undead, but that seems less likely to occur.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:49, Thu 10 Sept 2020.

Caleb makes his report, which is met with disbelief but grudging acceptance. After reporting in, he looks around, and finds rumors of a handful of people who were asking questions about a similar person to Whisper - a red-haired woman who spoke in dreams. After a little more digging, he manages to get a messenger to them. A meeting is arranged at the room he rented in a local inn, for that evening.

Meanwhile, Bristle has sold her undead, as well as the various magical items, for a tidy sum of coin. There are onyx specimens suitable for the cutting process available for sale, though not all that many.

That evening, the inn has a festive air, music spinning through the air, the smells of food and drink rich in the taproom. People are in a celebratory mood, but upstairs in Caleb's room, the mood is much less cheerful. Three people are arriving - one who has been asking about Whisper, two who allegedly spoke with people from Falcon's Hollow before starting to ask the same sorts of questions. Three people are waiting, who saw what happened in that village.

Hester walks along with Bristle to Smithstown.  She has no problem dealing with people who would bu undead cattle, any more than she would have a problem making such creatures, nor even with people who would have dealings with creatures such as herself.  Already she can feel her own alien nature growing inside.

She is looking too for those who react to her with fear or disgust or any other emotions that might suggest that they may have met her grandmother.

18:27, Today: Hester Darkeye rolled 16 using 1d20+6.  Sense motive (can she see signs that they have seen her like before?).

Sebastian walks through the inn, ignoring the festivities. "Soft and Decadent" he thinks to himself. Sebastian shakes his head to clear his mind, rejecting those thoughts. That way lies a greater darkness, one he had seen all to closely. He can practically smell the coppery taste of blood on his tongue.

In any case, these people are not what he is here for. Instead, he strides up the stairs to the room indicated in the letter he had received. Sebastian pauses outside the door. This could easily be a trap. The woman, Whoever She is, might have been arranging this as yet another perverse trap.

With a shrug, he opens the door. Sebastian does not have an impressive physical presence. He is of average height and weight, his face unattractive and not particularly distinctive. What he lacks in appearance, he makes up for with a clever mind and a keen eye for detail. He quickly looks through the room, taking in the details of the three inside.

Fact: At least one, maybe two are not fully human.
Fact: The pale skinned one seems as wary of him as he is of them.
Fact: The one in dark robes looks vaguely familiar. An acquaintance from his previous life? No matter.

He addresses the group in front of him, his voice calm and collected. "You sent me a messenger, implying you had information about the woman with the tongue of gold. The red-haired woman who speaks in dreams. I would pay well for such information. I have unfinished business with that woman." He finishes darkly, his last few words words dripping with hate and menace.

Firea was a wanderer, but still somehow the message had reached her to meet here. She was a very beautiful young woman with fiery red hair tied back into a high ponytail, and ended in tuffs of white. She was lithe of form, and perky. The oriental features of her face though gave way to a woman who was a long way away from home.

She was in a new place, not known to her so she remained in her human guise as she walked through the streets to the inn. Walking in she would move through the building to the room that was indicated. Pausing for a moment at the door, even if it was open, she then knocked on it. Her deep blue eyes staring ahead of her for the moment, awaiting acknowledgement as she listened to the other man speak.

[OOC: I found a good pic to represent her, right now she looks completely human though.]

As the three arrived, Caleb kept a careful eye on all of them from his seat, his crossbow not at hand but within easy reach. He looked towards the doorway at the knocking, and suppressed an instinctive twitch towards his weapon as he saw the red haired woman standing there. Motioning for her to enter and take a seat, he pulled a bottle purchased downstairs from under the table he sat at and began to pour half glasses of spirits, offering one to everyone present before responding to the plain man. "That was me that sent the message. And calling it information isn't exactly right, more like we personally saw the merry hell she likes to play with people up in Falcon's Hollow. People enthralled and set to wandering the forests, shadows that looked apt to strangle a man, and more undead than I thought it was possible for anyone to control," he said before knocking back most of his glass.
As the alcohol settled in his stomach, warming him from within, he continued. "I sent you those messages because you've had some kind of run in with her, so you're not just going to disbelieve us. You know things, we know things, together we can use those things we know to make that bitch dead. What do you say?"

The young woman, who at the moment appears to be human, walks into the room and drops her pack just inside the door. She then walks to the table and takes a seat. "Anyone who decides to try and insert themselves in my head like she did with her dreams, gets the flame." Was all she said in reply to his question.

Bristle sat comfortably in the corner as the "guests" began to arrive and Caleb talked. She sipped at her drink, trying to recall where she had seen the first guy before. His name was on the tip of her tongue too. Something to do with an ocean fish? A brown one? Normally she was terrible with names, but his was unique enough that it stood out. It would come to her eventually.

When Firea mentioned Whisper would "get the flame," the cleric leaned forward in her seat. Her armor creaked loudly beneath her robes, and there was a wide smile plastered on her face that stretched from her brown eye all the way to her green one. "I like your flare, girl. If you got the drive and ability, we've got the path to direct your wrath."

She then turned toward Sebatian with a glint in her eye. "What about you, Mr. Tan? Sea-bass Tan." She was certain he would be impressed she had remembered his full name. "You want to just pay us for our information, or do you want to help us use that information to get results?" She was genuinely interested in which he preferred.

Sebastian noticed the redhead walk in behind him with some irony, but it was definitely a different woman. That woman's face was indelibly fixed in his mind, and this woman was totally different, despite superficial similarities in hair color.

Sebastian declined the offered drink while he mulled over Caleb's comments, examining them through his mind. "People enthralled and wandering through dangerous forests filled with undead sounds similar enough to my own experience. I have no reason to doubt you."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at Bristle's comment. So he had met her before. Interesting, but still irrelevant. If Bristle expected him to be the same naive idealistic young fool that he had been back then, she'd be thoroughly disappointed.
"It's pronounced Sebastian. Sebastian Kosmin. Not that... whatever you garbled. As for getting results? I got results once, doing what I thought was right. Those results were dark and full of horror. Perhaps there would be some value in working with others." He says, drifting off as if he had forgotten he was talking to others.

"I am not opposed to helping you, so long as your goals match mine. But before I join others, I would like to know who it is that I would be joining?"

The pale skinned girl with eyes like pools of darkness listened to the conversations going on around her.  She would have blinked had she still been capable but instead, she gave the words her full attention before saying finally.  "Sorry, I hadn't realised Caleb had sent the message. Pleased to meet you all.  I'm Hester.  The woman in her dreams calls herself Whisper.  I guess that means she's forgotten the name she wore when she was alive."

She stopped talking for a long moment. , she thought [Red hair, green eyes, just like I used to have.  She's not my grandmother is she?]]

When she spoke she gave a bit of a start as if shaken out of a daydream.  "She wants to be alive.  We want her to be dead.  Nobody wants her to be in her current state.  We have to make sure she goes in the right direction."

The red haired woman looked towards the one that called her 'girl' and stared at her with piercing blue eyes for a long moment. "Girl? Drive and ability?" She scoffs then shook her head. "I may have walked in here without armor on, and with my weapons tied on my pack, but do not take that as a sign of having no ability. It's because I need neither. Magic is my armor, and the flame..." She utters a single word and snaps her finger, a small flame appearing in the palm of her hand. "...is my weapon."

Then she looked around a moment, taking a few breath's a calming down as she dismisses the Prestidigitation. "The flame has flowed through me all of my life. I have the drive, and the ability." Then she paused for a moment, and finally introduced herself. "I am Firea. Many who have seen my wrath, or felt my intimidating force, and lived to sing of the tail call me Firea the Firefox."

Bristle wrinkled her nose when Sebastian informed her of the correct way to say his name. She thought Sea-bass Tan made a lot more sense than Sebastian. But then again, her own name was Bristle. At least she hadn't been completely off though.

Then Firea went into her speech/demonstration, and Bristle had to admit, the Firefox's abilities could come in handy. "I think you'll be a much better fiery asset to our team than the burning cow we just got rid of." She did not provide any additional context to her statement, but instead stood up and offered to shake the hand of both Firea and Sebastian. "My name is Bristle. Bristle Chonk. And I hope the both of you decide to help us get to the bottom of this mystery."

Voh'ren makes his way through the town, heading toward the inn. He keeps his eyes to himself, and by pulling his cloak tightly around his body implies that he expects others to do the same. If that gesture is not enough, he trusts that the oversized sword and bow strapped across his back will dissuade others from bothering him. A young wolf in chain barding trots at his side, its lips pulled back in a decidedly canine grin. Both ranger and hunter steal glances at the festivities, and both are drawn to them for different reasons: the spectacle pique's Voh'ren's curiosity, while the scent of cooked meat tickles the wolf's nose. However, they both stay their course.

Upon arriving at the inn, Voh'ren takes a moment to consider what to do with his companion.

"I need you to stay here, Kiru," he says to the wolf, kneeling down and gently scratching him behind his ears. "Stay out from underfoot, and don't cause trouble. If you can manage that, I'll buy you something good to eat." The wolf snorts---Kiru's version of begrudgingly agreeing---and finds a spot nearby to curl up and wait for his master to return.

Voh'ren enters the inn, and glances around. He pulls down his hood, revealing his Orcish heritage, a vicious scar running down his right cheek, and a long ponytail of thick, black hair.

"I'm under contract with the Andoran government and looking for people investigating Falcon's Hollow," he says in a deep baritone voice loud enough for people to hear above the buzzing of festivities and bar talk. "I would appreciate it if someone could point me toward them."

The bartender directs Voh'ren upstairs, to Caleb's rented room, with a shrug and as few words as he can get away with.

It sounds like the meeting has already started within.

"Thank you," Voh'ren says gratefully to the bartender. He then makes his way to the room and knocks on the door.

"Burning cow?" The young woman perked a brow, as she shook Bristle's hand. "I assume that there is a story in there someplace that I would likely find either very amusing, or very sad." Then she finally takes the offered drink from Caleb.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:59, Mon 14 Sept 2020.

At the request for his name, Caleb opened his mouth to introduce himself, just as the knock sounded through the door. "With any luck, that'll be the third. Come in,"\ Caleb called out, producing another glass in preparation for the arrival of the last person he'd sent for. "As I was about to say, I'm Caleb. I'm not here for the mystery so much as I am to put a bolt in that woman in a way that'll actually hurt.

Sebastian nods his head politely as the group identified themselves. Internally, he was disappointed, but not surprised. Mere names did not answer his question of who these people were. Firea had at least shown some of her own character, her own spirit. The others? Well, perhaps he would learn that, with time.

"Very well, you wish my help finding this "Whisper" and seeing her punished. I wish to help with that task. Do you have any leads, any plans towards accomplishing this? Any knowledge of her goals, her techniques, her personality?"

Bristle nodded to Firea in response hand smiled, still not elaborating at all about the call. She figured right now was not the appropriate time to go off on a tangent about her undead creations. Instead, the cleric stepped over to answer the door after Caleb asked the new arrival to come in. She was surprised to find someone who was at least partially orc, like herself.

"Come in," Bristle said to Voh'ren. "You must be the third person we've been waiting for. If that is the case, perhaps you could start by answering Sebastian's question and sharing what you know about this Whisper character. The read-headed dream-witch that plagued Falcon's Hollow until a week ago."

Almost as an afterthought, she added, "I am Bristle. That is Sebastian and Firea, whom I've only just met. And that is Caleb and Hester. My traveling companions who helped take down Whisper. Or, at least suppress her for a while." Hopefully that would get Voh'ren all caught up.

"Well met," Voh'ren says to Caleb and then to Bristle, grateful for the introduction. "I am Voh'ren Wildheart, a tracker hired by the Andoran government to look into Falcon's Hollow---but it seems you've dealt with that problem. As for Whisper, I wish I had answers to share, but I have none."

"well, you're another warm body, that's something. Here, have a drink." Caleb said, pouring Voh'ren a glass and sliding it his way before facing Sebastian once more. "I'm no wizard or scholar, so I can't really offer much on ways to kill her other than saying attacking her in a dream apparently won't work. I don't know about any long term plans of hers either, but it seems to me she's trying to accumulate followers. The people that came back to Falcon's Hollow talked about "letting her in", which says to me she needs physical minions for something," Caleb said, topping off his drink and downing a mouthful before continuing.

"She was also using a cave tied into a local legend about a hungry wolf as a base of operations, and that same cave has a statue of a Sarenite paladin who banished some great evil over it, and used to have a demonic shrine inside it as well. If we could find some historical documents to do with Sir Elias Halson, that'd probably be a good start."

"I have a few ideas on how we might track her down.
First, minions, even mind-controlled ones will need food, supplies, logistics unless she is immediately killing and raising them. If such things are being transported to a remote area, it is difficult to do so without leaving some trace.

And the woman herself might be from here. However she became ... whatever she is, most likely she originated as a relatively normal person. Perhaps she was even local. We have a good physical description, perhaps someone from around here will recognize her.

I must admit I am not the best at such interactions. I have little patience for the useless small-talk and nonsense that is needed. I will try, but if any of you have talent in that area I would suggest you help.

Finally, perhaps we could look through any local records for strange events involving a red-haired girl or woman? Do you know of any local broadsheets that print news? Or perhaps the local churches record births, deaths, marriages, and the like?

We need more information, and it seems right now we have none." He finishes up, with a dissatisfied grimace.


Trying to know if there are any local newspapers, libraries, churches, etc that might have records we could search through: 20:46, Today: Sebastian Kosmin rolled 13 using 1d20+1d8+6.  knowledge (local).
If there are, what sort of check would it be to go search through records like that for potentially relevant information?
If there aren't, I will spend the time gathering information at the bar below, trying to find local rumors on either strange supply caravans or strange events, particularly those involving a red-haired woman.

"Whisper told me that she has had a very long time to figure out how to do what she did in Falcon's Hollow. Enthrall the people village and animals in the surrounding forest, both living and undead. I got the sense that she may have been born long long ago, despite her appearance. And was maybe trapped somehow, either physically or spiritually. Perhaps trapped in her current dream-state, and was unable to affect the world of the waking for a long while. Although that is more of a gut feeling than it is based on any kind of hard evidence. Something to keep in mind though."

Having offered up that information, Bristle tried to think of anywhere that might house the information they sought. Being a cleric of both death and knowledge meant it was information that she should know. She cast a bit of Guidance on herself as she pondered, as was usual for her. She shared what she recalled with her group members.

---

Knowledge checks, with Guidance:
22:14, Today: Bristle Chonk rolled 18 using 1d20+7.  Knowledge: Local with Guidance - where are records kept.
22:15, Today: Bristle Chonk rolled 27 using 1d20+7.  Knowledge: History with Guidance - where would historical records be.
22:16, Today: Bristle Chonk rolled 27 using 1d20+13.  Knowledge: Religion with Guidance - where would birth/death records be.

"I am not much help with all of that...  But give me an enemy to burn and I'm there. Or a scent to track, and I got that too, literally." She said with a small chuckle, then she considered a moment. "Though I do know a bit about planes... Hmm... She might be in another plane." The young, odd, red-haired woman taps her chin thinking.

[OOC: Knowledge Planes and Arcana just incase.
23:50, Today: Firea rolled 23 using 1d20+6.  Know Planes.
23:50, Today: Firea rolled 20 using 1d20+9.  Know Arcana.]

Hester frowned.  "So..." she seemed to be struggling with a concept that didn't want to be born. "Perhaps she is trapped in sleep and we have to waken her.  What punishments can we give to one who transgresses in dreams?  No matter, punishment is secondary, getting her to ****ing STOP has to be first.  Where can someone sleep for aeons?  Perhaps there's a library we can use?"

"That bitch!" Firea finally growls out as she quickly straightens up in her chair! She'd been silent for several moments, so the sudden outburst from her was well, sudden. "I think I know where she is!"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:07, Thu 17 Sept 2020.

Bristle was about to share where she knew they could search for records, but was suddenly taken aback by Firea's declaration. "If you do know where she is, it would definitely save us a lot of time and effort. It probably wouldn't hurt to double check though. Still, where?"

After hearing what Firea seemed to know, Bristle would inform the group of what she remembered of this city's record-keeping-locations. Namely, that historical records could be found at the People's Library, the Registrar and Clerk's Office at the Palace of the People's Council, or the Museum of Andoren History. The correct place to search would depend on the specific subject though. For instance, the records of local births and deaths would be kept at the registrar's office. Non-local births and deaths would need to be searched for in other cities.

"Where is she, Firea?" asked Hester, wondering whether it was something she said that gave Firea a clue and wishing she could give herself clues like that if it was.

"So, as I was thinking about it, it's very likely she is in another plane completely. I first figured the Astral or Ethereal planes were the most likely places, but then I thought more about it." She paused for a moment to catch her breath. "You see, there are many planes of existence that are demiplanes to those two, but one in particular rang out to me that makes what she is doing to us and others possible. The Dimension of Dreams." Another pause for a moment, then she continued. "From there she could very easily access the dreams of others with little or no hindrance. Further, she could through magic or spells make others through through that access do her bidding. Those other's could be anyone, from normal people to necromancers, even us."

"Oh", said Hester.  "Oh shit.  Does that mean she would have no physical body?  How do we get to her?"

But then of course, she realises that she for one has not a clue where to find a way in to the other dimension.  "And if there is a way that any of us know, is it something we can do now or do I have time to look for my grandmother?"

"I have actually made somewhat of a study of the planes. Several have interesting properties relevant to more complex forms of healing. I will think on what I know of these things."

Later, after gathering rumors, Sebastian returns to report what he had learned. "There have been several sightings of a woman matching the description of Whisper. One interesting thing is that most of the sightings have been while awake, although often in altered states, such as intoxication or hallucinations. Perhaps she has learned to reach out in daydreams as well as the more common nocturnal ones. A worrying sign."

06:48, Today: Sebastian Kosmin rolled 28 using 1d20+1d8+12.  knowledge (planes).
Are there any easy ways to access the dimension of dreams?
Could "Whisper" being on the dimension of dreams explain all of the rumors I have heard?"

"People seeing her while they are in altered states such as intoxication or hallucinations somewhat confirms my theory, because those states make your mind more susceptible to the dream dimension. As does deep sleep." Firea said with a nod.

"So she exists in another dimension? As in, some place where wizards and such can take you to to do things? That's great if it's true, all we'd have to do then would be find a way to get there, and I'd bet anything shooting her would work then." Caleb said, a small, somewhat sadistic smile creeping onto his face at the thought of properly ventilating the witch from his dreams.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:37, Sat 19 Sept 2020.

"Perhaps. There was one more story which doesn't make sense. A woman who said she had a perfectly normal conversation with a woman matching the description exactly but who she later realized hadn't opened or closed the door of the shop to enter and leave. That doesn't comport with the dimension of dreams theory.

As for accessing the dimension directly, that is tricky thing indeed."

Hester frowned.  "It doesn't?  Surely just appearing in a room and then disappearing is a completely dreamlike thing to do?"

"Yes, but at the time the event occurred, she wasn't sleeping, nor did she describe any intoxicants or similar. If it was a dream, it was a waking one."

"I think we should still do some more research and investigation, especially now that we have potentially narrowed down our search criteria." Bristle nodded her head, hands on hips, agreeing with herself. "One or two of us should look further into this "dream dimension" thing, and the best ways to access it. My own magic is not yet powerful enough to manage such a feat. A couple more of us could do some more talking with people who have encountered her and start writing down what we learn. Get a better sense of what her goals might be. And what other dangers we should watch out for when going after her. It would also be nice if we could track down her origin story too. How she came to be where she is, doing what she is doing."

Bristle looked at her allies, old and new, to see if they agreed or had any amendments to her plan. She had already thought of an amendment of her own. "Also, it probably wouldn't hurt to look into a way to protect ourselves from dream intrusions too. It would be good to know how before it becomes necessary."

"I'm going to see if I can find my old gran." says Hester, "She's a powerful sorceress and she might know the answers to any of those questions.  Besides, she's the reason I went back to Falcon's Hollow in the first place."

"Sounds good," Bristle replied to Hester. "As far as I am aware, we are not in any particular rush to find this information. We just gotta find it before another Falcon's Hollow situation arises. We still need to live our lives too, so in the morning I am also planning to take my armor to get enchanted and maybe do a bit of shopping before diving into the city's archives."

"I will help with the research. Direct access is beyond my capabilities as well, but if Whisper entered, perhaps there is a portal or something around here. Alternatively, perhaps we can find a magic scroll or something similar.

As for warding ones dreams, I have an idea that may sidestep that issue, but it will take some investigation and luck, and if that is successful, some money. Let me see what I can do."

Sebastian will look for a Page of Spell Knowledge with "Keep Watch" https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic...spells/k/keep-watch/
If it's available, it should be only 1000 gp, and with two castings a day, 6 people (the whole party) doesn't need to sleep.

"You do not have to be asleep to dream. You can have daydreams." She considers for a moment. "There are various spells that would allow the woman to see what she saw and interact with it. Dream or some variation of it, Audiovisual Hallucination is another, Complex Hallucination. Those are to name a few, but I am sure there are others." She considers again.

"I know of a spell that could get us there, but it lies outside my abilities as well. It's called Gate." Firea said with a simple nod. "It is quite powerful. Even for a Nine-Tailed Heir like me."

"I agree with Bristle. We have leads, we should investigate them, and see if there are others. I can help with talking people, if you need a bad cop." She said with a chuckle. "Otherwise I am just a Flame Sorceress with a bad attitude, and planar knowledge."

Voh'ren stays silent as the others discuss subjects like other dimensions and traveling through dreams. Once they finish, he offers an apology.

"I'm afraid I can't help with tracking anything beyond the physical plane," he says with a frown. "Kiru---my wolf---and I can help you track them should they leave a trace behind, perhaps a scent or phantasmal residue. I can investigate that site if you like."

She looked to Voh'ren and grinned a toothy grin. "I can help with that type of tracking too." She said, tapping her nose. There was that hint again that there was more to this girl then meets the eyes.

"And just like that, you've gone over my head," Caleb said as the conversation got more and more magically technical. "I can help you hunt down your grandmother though, finding people is a specialty of mine." he said, looking over to Hester as he did so.

Hester smiles to Caleb and nods.  "With luck, I may have found her as well, but perhaps you could come with me to the Goose's Wing Inn and I can either introduce you, or you can help me with the next step along the way."

"Alright, it sounds like we have a plan forming then. How about we all get some rest tonight and start fresh in the morning. Hester and Caleb can track down Hester's grandmother. Make sure she is alright and see if she has any insights to offer. Firea and Voh'ren can investigate the people who have had sightings of Whisper. Either people we already know about, or find some new ones. Take good notes and see if you can find any traces she is leaving behind at the sights that we might follow. Use Kiru's nose and... whatever you were referring to Firea?" Bristle was obviously confused about Firea's tracking claim. Especially considering the facial expressions Firea made when she said it.

"Sea-ba- Er, Sebastian and I can go search the archives for more useful information. After we track down the supplies we are looking for." She looked specifically at Sebastian. "You want to try and see if you can track down some history about Whisper? Or at least look for references about someone who might have gotten banished to the dream dimension? And I'll work of finding a good way to get there. Or to bring her to us."

"What I am talking about is, this." She stood up, or started to anyway, but as she started to in a matter of seconds she had shifted forms into that of a fox with red fur. She had not one, but seven poofy fox tails that ended in tufts of white fur just like her hair did, and fox ears on the top of her with tufts of white in them. She was...a seven tailed fox. An animal. "In this form I can sniff out things, track by scent. I'm also a lot more stealthy in this form." And she can talk in it!

The small fox with all of the tails hops onto the table, then pads in front of Bristle, before padding around the table towards Caleb. "Since it's out though, and she was confused by what I was referring to I may as well show the rest. This, not the human form are my true forms." The fox says, stopping in front Caleb, sitting there for a moment, an ear twitching. "This is my true form." And she started to shift again. This time back to a form more like the human form she had before, but without the human ears. This time she had a pair of fox ears on the top of her head with tufts of white fur in them. She still had all seven of her floofy red tails as well, that ended in tufts of white. "I am a kitsune. My parents before they died said that kitsune like me very rare and that I am blessed by Daikitsu himself. That's why I have more then one tail, and can take Fox Form."