The next morning dawns, and the pair of you get to the hunt. It proves immediately to be a frustrating one. There are people all over the city, here and there, who have heard Whisper or seen her in a dream or know someone who has. Not everyone, but more than a handful. In every case, though, there is no trace of her. No scent. No footprints. No physical traces at all.

The one thing the rumors do confirm is that there have been many experiences involving the fire-haired woman, in Almas. More than is comfortable to contemplate.

"This isn't good. We're finding nothing but more sightings and rumors for her throughout the city here." Firea grumbled, clearly getting frustrated. "We need something concrete. Firm, like someone that knew her."

"That would be wise," Voh'ren agrees while handing a piece of roasted meat he purchased from a vendor to his wolf companion, Kiru. The young wolf gobbles up the meat in a few bites, and then pants happily as he waits to see what his master and the Kitsune firefox decide to do.

"It would be nice if we found someone who also still had something of hers," he adds. "It might have the scent still on it, or serve as a focus for you and the other arcanely inclined members of our group."

Firea scratches her head a moment in thought as she tries to piece together everything they have heard. "Let's think about what everyone's said a moment. Look for the common threads... A common name, location, something."

[OOC: So are there any new commonalities in what they heard? New pieces of information that are the same? New locations mentioned that are similar? A name?]

OOC: The main common thread is the appearance - she's always a red-haired woman with vivid green eyes. The only name anyone reports hearing is Whisper, and only a few have heard that. Locations...not really, though it always seems to happen when there is no one else around. Either because the person is asleep, or because they are alone while waking. Most of those who have had encounters while awake say that they first saw her while asleep.

After a fruitless morning of searching, Firea and Voh'ren meet up with Bristle and Sebastian, who have had rather more luck, but require some assistance with the next step of their investigations.

"How did your search go?" Bristle asked Firea and Voh'ren. "We had quite a bit of luck ourselves." She then went on to explain all they had learned about the dream ritual they could attempt during the new moon, the author names and the children's rhyme about whisper, and how they were going to look for a spell that could keep everyone from needing sleep. Bristle made minor readjustments to pieces of her armor as she spoke. The enchanters had done a good job, but had messed up some of her well-worn settings for her straps.

"Nothing. We found a lot of the same." Firea said with a soft dejected sigh. "You?"

We found hints and wisps of the truth. One thing I found, was a dread affliction called "the dream plague." This plague struck two thousand years ago, and records of it have been struck from the records. As such, I have little information about what it is, or whether it was done around the new moon. But I have learned a lot. Whatever it was, it killed almost a third of the population, and threatened ever worse calamity. Even afterwards, people feared to sleep.

Furthermore, the missing record is listed as being taken out by a particular librarian. This librarian has not been seen in weeks, but the librarians seem unconcerned, to an extent that reeks of mind-magic.

We are on our way to investigate this missing librarian. Having skilled trackers with us might be useful."

"Dream plague? Missing librarian? Other librarians aren't concerned?" She frowned a bit. "Do you have anything of his to get a scent from? Or are you hoping that we might find something?"

"Or even a name," Voh'ren adds. "If we can find their home and acquaintances, we can find more pieces to this puzzle. Whether by tracking by scent or shadowing anyone suspicious."

"We have both a name and an address. Roselyn Pilov, of 1101 North Lady's Grace Lane." Sebastian says with some satisfaction. "I suggest we head there immediately unless you have any other leads?"

"Nope. Maybe from there we can get a scent for me and the pup to follow." She said thumbing towards Voh'ren's animal. Then she grinned. "Or get to burn a few things in some righteous fury."

"Just... please don't burn down half the city." Bristle gave a half-smirk, then headed toward their destination. She was unsure about what they would find when they got there. Hopefully more information, considering she was the last to have some of the texts Sebastian had been looking for.

As they approach the house, Sebastian utters a brief prayer, lacing it with magic to heighten his senses and bring forth enlightenment. The hilt of his sword begins to glow with a light that helps the entire group.

Cast Heightened Awareness, Discovery Torch and Heroism (on self)
From Discovery Torch: Allies within the area of this light (20 feet) gain a +2 enhancement bonus on Perception and Sense Motive checks, as well as on Knowledge checks to identify monsters that are also within the area and their special powers and vulnerabilities.
Spell slots used:
1st: 1/9
2nd: 1/7
3rd: 1/3
Buffs in effect: Heightened Awareness, Discovery Torch and Heroism (70 minutes on each remaining)

"Okay, just a quarter of it then." The scary thing is, she may well be able to do it based on the toothy grin that she displayed as she shifted her form once more to that of the seven fluffy tailed fox. Then she would begin sniffing at the air to see if anything smelled off.

[OOC: In her fox form she has Scent and is trying to discern if anything smells of. And will be doing so throughout there time there.]

"A name and address is a good start," Voh'ren agrees. He follows the others' lead as they make their way through the city. He focuses on keeping an eye out for any stray shadows or suspicious sounds. Kiru follows at his side, the wolf's chain barding clinking every few steps.

When Firea transforms into her fox form, Kiru's ears perk up in surprise. The wolf looks over at Voh'ren and gives a quizzical whine.

"What?" Voh'ren says to his animal companion with the hint of a grin. "It's not the strangest thing you've seen so far."

OOC:

Voh'ren's passive Perception is 21. I can make a roll if that would make more sense, though.

"I guess I'll knock," Bristle said as they neared their final destination. However, she cast a handful of cantrips on herself and the team just before she did.

---

Bristle cast Detect Magic and Enhanced Diplomacy on herself, and Guidance on everyone else. Then she knocked.

Moving into the modest house on Lady's Grace Lane, you find no immediate sign of anything amiss. A voice calls out to tell you to come in. Within, it looks like a normal enough dwelling place, for someone who values books over nearly anything else. There are shelves everywhere, loaded down with books, and more books on chairs, tables...nearly every surface has some kind of book, scroll, or folio on it.

A cheery-looking woman is sitting in the kitchen, reading through what looks like a Tien cookbook. She looks up as you walk in, her expression curious. "What's this about, then?" Her voice isn't frightened at all, just intrigued.

Firea turned to Kiru. "What, never seen a talking red fur'd seven tailed fox before? Or never seen a human turn into one? I ain't human pup, so don't try nothin'."

Then she would move up next to Bristle as she knocked. When the door opened she would press her nose past Bristle and sniff more. "Smell nothing but books, leather, dry paper, glue. Structures old...aged wood and dust. Nothing unusual." She said low to the others. Then she walks in with the others, taking her human form before they get to the kitchen.

Bristle entered the dwelling with that familiar feeling of unfamiliarity. The one people tended to get from being in a home they haven't been in before. Almost cautiously, the changeling woman approached the room the voice was coming from. After all, it would be weird to barge through a stranger's home at a brisk pace.

She nodded to Firea as the sorceress reported on the spells, then she stepped into view of the librarian and spoke. "Hi. We understand you work at the People's Library? They said you have been out sick for quite some time now. And well, normally we wouldn't pry, but... you may be the only one who can help us find what we are looking for. I may even be able to help you with your illness as a thanks for tolerating our intrusiveness."

As she spoke Bristle tried to gauge just how sick this librarian might actually be, if at all. Not only was Bristle a cleric of Death, but she was also a quite capable healer if she decided to apply herself.

---

Can Bristle see if the librarian really is or was sick? And if so, with what?
21:09, Today: Bristle Chonk rolled 39 using 1d20+21.  Heal check - librarian's illness.

Sebastian stays back, content to let the others do the talking. Instead, he looks at the books strewn about, quickly reading covers and trying to find any theme or commonality among the titles and topics.

The librarian looks confused. "Illness? What do you mean? I was put on leave by my supervisor, I'm not out sick." She shrugs.

"I guess that would explain why they are not concerned about your continued absence..." Bristle mused. "I have to say, you do not look sick either. Can I ask why you were put on leave?" Bristle realized after the words were out of her mouth that it did in fact sound like she was prying too hard into this stranger's life.

"I apologize. I really don't mean to pry. It is just that the information we are seeking could be incredibly important. My name is Bristle Chonk, and these are my friends." She would let the others share their own names, if they felt so inclined.

More weirdness. Letting Bristle do the conversation, Sebastian activates his more arcane senses, looking for signs of enchantment or similar magic.

Cast detect magic, and if not interrupted, concentrate for three rounds to look for magic auras on the librarian.
16:05, Today: Sebastian Kosmin rolled 31 using 1d20+1d8+8.  spell craft to identify auras.

"Voh'ren Wildheart," the Half-Orc says with a courteous nod as he introduces himself to Roslyn Pilov.

"This wolf pup here is Kiru," he adds as he gestures toward his animal companion. "He's well-trained and friendly, but I can have him wait outside if you would prefer."

Once introductions are over, Voh'ren stays quiet and allows Bristle and the more charismatic members of his group take the lead. It is plain to see that the Half-Orc is uncomfortable being put on the spot, and prefers to leave socializing to those who are eloquent and erudite.

"I'm Firea." The young redhead said with a small wave. She stood there, next to Bristle but was still looking around curiously. "You have a lot of books! Do you have any about Kitsune?"

Roselyn laughs and pets Kiru, and shakes her head in response to Firea's question. "No, I'm afraid not - I've heard the name, but I don't have much on Tien history, I'm afraid."

There is no sign of magic. The librarian just shrugs in response to Bristle. "I've no idea, actually. He just told me he was putting me on administrative leave. Something about having damaged some books? But I don't know what he was talking about. I think I'd remember doing that." She laughs a little.

"Sebastian. What were the books you were looking for? The ones last checked out by Roselyn here?" She was curious to know if Roselyn would recall checking them out. Or what was in them. Chances were that those books were the same ones she supposedly damaged, but couldn't remember.

Sebastian watches the woman very closely as he speaks. "I was looking for the annals of Andoran for the year 2062 AR. The records at the library suggested that you were the last one to check it out, and I would very much like to read it as well." He says.

Roselyn's eyes twitch. A shudder runs through her body. Her expression is briefly twisted and tormented.

And then it's gone. She smiles, friendly and cheerful. "I don't remember checking that out, no. I suppose it's possible - I do read the annals a lot, it ties into my interest in history and culture, naturally. But I don't remember checking out 2062."

"Hmm..." Firea took not in both the woman's answer to her question, her reaction to Sebastian's question, and her answer to his question. "The you should know there is a large Kitsune population in Varisia. The race has lived there for for some time." Her tone shift a bit, it was obvious that she suspected something, but she was sure that it was not the woman's fault. "Are you alright?" She suspects something was done TO her.

It was time for another tactic, with that thought in mind Firea walked over to the woman. She'll walk behind her, running a gentle hand along her shoulders. "You know you want to help us, and answer our questions honestly despite anything that might hinder you. Right?" Then she  stopped in front of her and smiled. "And if you do, I will show you something rare that only few ever see."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:27, Fri 09 Oct 2020.

The woman smiles warmly to Firea. "Oh, yes, there is that subpopulation in Kaer Maga, and they've spread somewhat. But it's just not an area of focus of mine. There's so much history to know, after all. So many things to know..." She trails off, still smiling, and then starts.

"Oh, I wish I could help you, but I don't...I don't remember..." She shakes her head and coughs, then straightens. "I really don't know anything about this book. I don't think I ever even read that volume of the annals - it's so far back, and so specific. I do wish I could help, but I simply do not know."

OOC: Sense motive please.

[OOC: 17:32, Today: Firea rolled 3 using 1d20.  Sense Motive.

I can Bluff, Intimidate, and Charm my ass off. But when it comes to sensing another's motive? Nope, not me. lol]

I on the other hand, am quite good at sense motive...
17:36, Today: Sebastian Kosmin rolled 37 using 1d20+1d8+16.  sense motive (with free inspiration).

Bristle isn't half bad herself, it seems.
16:49, Today: Bristle Chonk rolled 30 using 1d20+10.  Sense Motive.

Voh'ren grins as Roselyn pets Kiru. The gesture helps put him at ease. Kiru, though, enjoys it more. The wolf pulls its lips back in a toothy smile and pants happily.

OOC:

15:20, Today: Voh'ren Wildheart rolled 16 using 1d20+11.  Sense Motive.

I'm not too bad at it, but the dice do not like me. :-p

Sebastian knows this woman. Not her face, but her mannerisms, her taunting tone of voice. He had heard her before. Her voice still haunts his nightmares. He snarls with rage. "Whisper... You're not fooling me again, not this time. Leave. Now." His hand goes to his gladius, knuckles white with the tension and fury of his grip.

Firea cocked her head to the side, then looked between Sebastian and the woman. "So...what I did had an effect?" Maybe not the effect wanted, but it was one nonetheless.

"Can't blame a girl for trying," the woman says. Her voice is completely different, now, nothing like Roselyn's - that mocking tone and flippant disregard for the implicit threat is so reminiscent of the presence in your dreams that it's eerie. "I had you going for a while there. So what's new, darlings? Enjoying your vacation?"

She leans back in the chair, puts her feet up on a stack of books (knocking one off carelessly), and yawns. "Any of you got some food? This bitch doesn't eat enough, I'm starving."

"I wouldn't feed you even if you were in my body." Firea growled low as she looked at the woman.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Bristle asked, moving to push Whisper's disrespectful feet off the book pile. The woman had no respect for knowledge. "You just go around possessing librarians?" The changeling had definitely been surprised that Whisper had made an appearance in the flesh, but maybe they could squeeze some information from her as a result. In fact, maybe she already had...

Even so, Bristle still opted to cast a thought-detection spell on the red-haired witch. Maybe she could glean some additional information, either from Whisper or the librarian.

---

When Bristle pushes Whisper's feet back down, I would like to attempt to use Bristle's Lore Keeper ability. "Lore Keeper (Sp): You can touch a creature to learn about its abilities and weaknesses. With a successful touch attack, you gain information as if you made the appropriate Knowledge skill check with a result equal to 15 + your cleric level + your Wisdom modifier. (28)"
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/class...ns/knowledge-domain/

After asking her question, Bristle will also cast Detect Thoughts to try and sense what is really going on inside Whisper's mind.
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic...ls/d/detect-thoughts

Bristle goes slack for a moment. Whisper smiles, a knowing smile, removes her feet from the books, and sits up a little straighter. She dusts off her fingers casually on her shirt.

Kiru whines as "Roselyn" transforms into her true appearance. The wolf looks over at Voh'ren, his ears pressed down flat in a distressed position.

"I tried to warn you before," the Half-Orc says nonchalantly, doing his best to be reassuring and hide his own surprise.

"I have some travel rations," Voh'ren offers when Whisper raises the topic of food. "They aren't the most flavorful, but they are filling." His mood changes when Bristle goes slack.

"What have you done," he says, his voice betraying the hint of a growl.

"I didn't do anything," Whisper says casually. "It's hardly my fault that your associate tried to go peeking where she wasn't invited. Rather rude of her, really. That's a habit that might come back to bite you one day, darling."

"So it's rude to do the exact thing you do? Maybe you should take after your own words and advice lady." She said with a growl, even she was starting to get to the point that  she wanted to rip this woman's throat out.

Sebastian glares at the woman, then stops, thinking. She's trying to anger us, taunt us. Why? Simple perverse joy at it? Or is she trying to distract us, make a mistake. Instead, he ignores her and looks at Bristle, examining her eyes carefully for signs of possession or control.

"I'd say you've made your point clear," Voh'ren replies. The edge is still in his voice, but it is difficult to tell whether it comes from repressing fury or concealing fear. "Would you please release her?"

Bristle had been rendered into a pseudo state of shock by what she had seen. Not with her eyes, but with her mind. She was unable to know. To comprehend. Whisper... What had Bristle just witnessed? Experienced? Her companions' words mostly flew past her ears without being registered. At least not at first. It wasn't until Sebastian purposefully looked into her eyes that she even realized it. Sebastian would find confusion and fear within both Bristle's brown eye and her green eye, but they were still hers to control.

"I am not hers to be released," Bristle muttered, replying to Voh'ren. Her knuckles gripped the edge of the table nearby to keep herself steady, but her grip suggested she was trying to turn the wood into coal. She finally looked up at Whisper again. Or, at least, the physical body she was peeping through.

"What... ARE you?" she hissed. "Nobody's mind is that vast. That... unfathomable. You cannot have been a person such as us. No mortal could have a mind like that..." Bristle leaned against her table for additional support, but did not take her eyes off of the witch in the room. Was she an aberrant horror birthed into being? An eltritch entity form the pits of eternity? A discarded deity chained to the realms of dreams? It was impossible to know. Quite literally.

"What I am," Whisper says pleasantly, "is complicated. And hungry." Whisper's smile is unreadable. She picks up a book, leafs through it. "You wouldn't believe how many things they got wrong in this. All of these. Full of holes, if not outright propaganda. Waste of paper."

"Let us have the book we look for, and be our own judge." She said in a low measured tone. It was obvious that Firea had no love for this woman.

Sebastian refuses to give Whisper the satisfaction of engagement, but he watches her closely, looking for hints and clues. He tries to identify the book from across the room.

Do I need a perception for that?

"No can do, darling, that book is ashes in the river," Whisper says easily. "But trust me, you wouldn't want to read it anyway. It's unbelievably dry."

In an instant she had lost it. Within seconds she was in her true form, those seven floofy tails wavering then suddenly stiff behind her as those fox ears laid flat on the top of her head. Pure flame burning in her right hand as her left was suddenly on the old woman's shoulder, a low growl escaping her as even her eyes looked aflame. "Give me one good answer other then the body you are in why I should not fry you to a crisp right now. Because in my eyes, as long as you are in her body, she is not an innocent. So tell me some peace of information that I give a shit about now, bitch."

[OOC: 00:14, Today: Firea rolled 19 using 1d20+16.  Intimidation.

LOL, just...LOL!]

"Please, stay your hand," Voh'ren says as he gestures for Firea to stand down. "We are here to solve problems, not start them." The Half-Orc frowns as he considers his options given the current situation. He chooses to go with the threads the mysterious Whisper offers, and prays to the Green that they are not his undoing.

"You mentioned propaganda," he says to Whisper. "What did you mean by that?"

"Oh, dear. I am imperiled." You hadn't known it was possible for a voice to be quite that dry, but Whisper manages it at Firea's threat.

She then smiles to Voh'ren. "Well, it's simple, really. History is written by the winners. There's always a temptation to...pretty things up. No one needs to know about this massacre, or how dirty that city's sacking was. Pretty little lies, and no one remembers the truth, it's been so long and who cares enough to go digging?" Her smile is sharp now.

Bristle smirked when Firea threatened Whisper. She found the action to be particularly impressive now that the cleric had glimpsed just how futile the idea of threatening Whisper actually was. The changeling woman remained quiet as she continued to recover from her recent experience, and opted to listen.

The exchange went about as Bristle expected. Even so, Whisper may have been letting more information slip through the cracks than she realized. For instance, knowing how long the librarian had been on administrative leave let them know how long Whisper had been influencing her actions. It also let them know that not everyone at the library was under her influence, at least not at that time, since otherwise there would be no reason for her to be punished for destroying a book.

Likewise, whatever was in that book was worth it to Whisper to keep secret. Which suggested either herself or her plan had a weakness they could exploit, if only they could find it. Luckily there were roundabout ways to gain the information that was destroyed. None of them easy. But at least they were possible. It was also worth noting that she had dodged the question about what she was. Was that information another possible weakness?

Having realized all this, Bristle felt it might be beneficial to keep Whisper talking. Maybe she would let more information slip between the cracks.

Making an effort to stand up taller, Bristle asked, "How do you know the books are so inaccurate? I thought you've only been around for a few weeks or months. Even if you were around long long ago, how would you know what is inaccurate in the books written in-between? Or why would you even care?"

"She started the problems, or did you forget?" She reminded Voh'ren. "If not for the problems she has been causing, we'd not be here now."

"And you. If you can affect people here, that means we can find you and destroy you. It might be hard. Maybe even damn near impossible, but it is possible." She growled out, then stepped back.

Moving back past Bristle, she would whisper to her. "Hurry and get you answers, because that one tests the ends of my tails." Then she turned around and leaned her back against the wall behind Bristel.

"Perhaps she did," Voh'ren replies to Firea, "but I think it's clear she would not suffer the consequences of your actions. It would cost her host her life, and I am certain we would be held responsible." The way Voh'ren phrases "we" hints that the Half-Orc worries that the brunt of the blame might fall on himself.

Voh'ren grunts and the hint of a wry, bitter smile plays at his lips as Whisper mentions propaganda and "prettying things up."

"I can sympathize," he says, "as I'm pointedly aware of what it means to be the subject of...'misconceptions.'

"I am curious, though," he adds, echoing Bristle's own interest. "Did the inaccuracies offend you on general principle, or was there something personal involved?"

"I care because inaccuracy and imprecision offend me," Whisper says, tossing the book aside casually. "It's sloppy." She smiles.

A knock sounds at the door. Walking in, Caleb and Hester find the rest of the party sitting opposite a woman who looks simultaneously like a complete stranger, and eerily familiar. She is sitting, smiling, moving, far too much like Whisper's appearance in your dreams for comfort, though her body is nothing similar.

Hester looks from the others to the Librarian/Whisper and rolls her eyes.  "Hello", she greets her colleagues and then Whisper, "Hello Mother. What are you doing here?"  Finally she says, "My grandmother was of little help. She's on her way to Absalom."

Sebastian grits his teeth, trying his best not to let the rage get the best of him. He can see it in his mind, his blade slicing through her flesh, killing and slaughtering. Blood, hot and red, spurting out, spurting everywhere. NO!

He shakes his head, and addresses Whisper, doing his best to keep the rage from showing. "All right then. If that record was inaccurate and imprecise, then now is your chance to correct the record. What really happened in Andoran in 2062? What did you do Whisper?"

Caleb entered the room warily, tensing up as he took in the unknown woman, his face hardening and drawing his crossbow upon realizing where he recognized that behavior from, a bolt loaded quicker than blinking. "You. I don't know how you're here, but I'm pretty sure a bolt'll work this time. Give me a reason not to test out the idea.

"I already tried that approach." She said flatly. "The only thing keeping me from torching her right now is the kindness of him." She thumb'd towards Voh'ren. "Otherwise, I'd have torched half the building right now just to make sure she's dead ever since I woke her up." Her tone was sharp, cold, but full of fire and hatred.

"Hello, child," Whisper says casually to Hester, her tone almost affectionate. Then, to Caleb, "I'll give you three. One, a bolt will do far more to this poor librarian than it ever could to me. Two, you'd be found guilty of murder, which might be somewhat of an inconvenience. And three, your friends are much more likely to get something useful from my words if they aren't just bloody gurgling, no?"

Smiling, she turns her attention fully to Sebastian. "What happened in 2062? Nothing of particular note, in a cosmic sense, I assure you. All I did was what anyone else in my position would gladly do, had they the power to make the attempt."

"And what position was that?" Bristle asked Whisper. She was a bit annoyed that someone with a mind more expansive than a mountain couldn't seem to grasp what sort of details they were interested in. Although Bristle suspected Whisper was being evasive on purpose. "What power did you have to make an attempt at what?

"She's being evasive of purpose." She said as she looked towards Whisper. "Likely because she knows that if she gave us a straight and truthful answer she would be giving us a means to find or beat her. She's scared, or a chicken."

Hester's response is anything but casual.  It's much more a scolding tone, insistent even.  "And what was it you did in 2062 that anybody would do if they had the power but most do not."

"I'll tell you later," Whisper says with a sly smile. "Maybe tonight. Maybe tomorrow. I look forward to the chats we'll have, darlings." She raises one hand in a mocking salute, and then her face goes slack. Empty. Not her, not Roselynn, just...empty. Breathing, eyes open, but nobody's home.

"Well that was typically frustrating for her. Let's search the house, see if we can find anything useful. Confirm that the book isn't here." Ishmael said, and describes what he knows of the book.

17:57, Today: Sebastian Kosmin rolled 31 using 1d20+1d8+13.  perception - search house.

"Surprise, surprise. Whisper conveniently avoided telling us anything useful," Bristle commented as she leaned down to check Roselyn the librarian's status. She doubted there was anything they could really do for her, but still thought it wise to check. She also wanted to be certain Whisper was truly no longer listening.

When she was as certain as she could be, even going so far as to plug the librarian's ears, Bristle felt it would be a good time to inform her peers what she had come to realize about whisper. "When I touched Whisper's foot, I was able to get a sense of who she was. Chaotic and jumbled. Alien and vast. I could tell she was not mortal. Even so, it did not prepare me for what I "saw" when I tried to read her thoughts. Just a hair's breadth behind what was left of the librarian's mind, I found a boundless consciousness. If a normal mind is like water in a bucket, her mind was as the sea. It was... jarring, to say the least." Bristle was not a fan of feeling so helpless. Nor a fan of admitting her helplessness.

"However, I still believe we have pieced together a few important clues. For instance, knowing how long this librarian had been on administrative leave lets us know how long Whisper has been influencing her actions. It also tells us that not everyone at the library was under her influence, at least not at that time, since otherwise there would be no reason for her to have been punished for destroying a book."

"Likewise, whatever was in that book was worth it to Whisper to keep secret. Which suggests either herself or her plan has a weakness we might exploit. If we can find it. She certainly avoided our questions about it. It is also worth noting that she dodged the question about what she is. Either she doesn't know, can't explain it, or wants it kept secret. My bet is on the latter. At any rate, I think we should try and look up beings with unfathomably vast minds when we get the chance."

---

Heal check with Guidance to check Roselyn's status.
21:13, Today: Bristle Chonk rolled 29 using 1d20+22.  Heal check, with Guidance - librarian's status.

Sebastian finds nothing about the house that suggests it is more than what it seems. There are a great many books, but no sign of the annals volume he is looking for at all.

Meanwhile, Bristle confirms that Roselynn appears catatonic. She is still breathing, still alive in the most technical sense, and not unconscious, but not responsive to any external stimuli. She is, quite simply, not present in her own body, though it is still alive.

Voh'ren's lips pull into a thin, tight scowl as Whisper vanishes.

"Damn," he grumbles, frustrated at being given the slip. The Half-Orc goes over to the recently released Roselynn. However, he lets the more learned cleric determine Roselynn's condition.

"I had hoped for more answers," he says, "but I suppose we have some new trails to follow. Perhaps they will lead us to more favorable footing next time we cross paths with Whisper.

"May the Green helps us," he adds softly upon hearing Bristle's description of the scope and magnitude of what Whisper represents.

As Whisper left, Caleb slowly lowered his crossbow, a scowl still firmly on his face. "It's proof we're on the right track at least. You don't try to destroy information about yourself unless it can be weaponized against you. I think we'd be well served trying to hunt down another copy of this book you're looking for. Before that though," he said, slinging the crossbow back across his shoulder and gesturing to the librarian, "What do we do about her? I haven't the first clue what Whisper did to her, do you have any magic to fix her Bristle?"

"My guess is that her mind was frayed. I could feel my brain fraying just trying to read Whisper's thoughts. I can't imagine what would happen if she possessed me directly." Even so, Bristle thought for a moment about any tricks she might know that could restore Bea's mind. "There are always Miracles... Or vanquish her body to speak with her soul maybe?" Bristle shrugged as she continued to contemplate.

---

Does Bristle know a way to fix the librarian's mind?

"None of my gifts I think can fix that." Firea said in thought about the woman. "As to the book, where could we get another copy of it? Wasn't this area still part of Taldan in 2062?" She asked curiously.

OOC: Bristle has not previously seen anything quite like this, I don't think, and doesn't know of a way to repair it offhand.

Sebastian also investigates the librarian for signs of physical or magical mental damage.

16:57, Today: Sebastian Kosmin rolled 41 using 1d20+1d8+20.  heal check.

"Yeah, that's all I can think of right now," Bristle said after she had pondered a bit more. "I don't really feel like spending one and a half grand to bribe master cleric into healing this lady, and I'm going to assume killing her is not everyone's preferred course of action, so I suppose we will need to find our information by other means. Maybe find another copy, as Firea suggested. Or go back and check who else may have read the missing book in the past? Talk to them? Regardless, what should we do with this librarian in the meantime? Leave a note for her neighbors?"

"We can't just leave a note, look at her. She's apt to starve to death before anyone finds her. I say we drag her to the local temple of Saranrae, they'll take care of her. We can also look for information about that Elias Halson guy while we're there, two birds with one bolt," Caleb said, already moving to get a hold of the comatose librarian, assuming she lacked the faculties to walk under her own power.
"After that, I don't know about any other libraries that might have a copy of the book you were looking for, but there is a local history nut that might know something, a half-elf that goes by Wren. Fair warning, she's got a reputation for being more than a little strange. If any of you know how to communicate in sign language, it'll make this easier."

"Sign language? No. But I can use my abilities to possibly keep her calm and easier to deal with." She said with a simple nod.

Hester reaches up to touch her headband.  "Ahh yes", she says.  "I know of these libraries..." [ooc.  Ylva?] her face signals embarrassment. "I don't know how I could have forgotten."

12:55, Today: Hester Darkeye rolled 17 using 1d20+14.  Any other libraries? Know local (not sure how many ranks of know local from the headband I guessed 4 but it may be 8).

Headbands that give Intelligence always give full ranks in one skill per two points of bonus, so, 8.

Hester can think of other libraries, but none that are as comprehensive as the People's Library that Bristle and Sebastian have already examined.

Voh'ren stays silent as he listens to the others discuss their options. While he thinks, he directs Kiru over to the catatonic woman to get familiar with her scent.

"I would prefer that we do what we can to help make Roselyn whole again," he says. "I can contribute some gold if necessary, but if the Temple of Sarenrae will care for her then that might be a better option.

"I'm not learned in sign language," Voh'ren continues, "and I doubt I could be more than an extra pair of eyes in a library. However, we could also try retracing Roselyn's steps. Kiru has her scent, and we might be able to find out where she went while still under Whisper's control. It might lead to nothing, or it might lead to the book's remains. I have heard that mages can sometimes repair broken items. Would it work on a burned book?"

"If the booked is truly burned the likelihood of repairing it is next to impossible even for a mage. There are two spells possible for such a task, of which I know one of them. Mending and Make Whole. Sadly though both require that all pieces of the object be present to fix. The issues with burning is that it is impossible to ensure all pieces will be present." She explained. "We would be better off seeing if one of the other libraries Hester mentioned had another copy of the book, or seeing where this woman went and if the book was actually destroyed."

"Perhaps you can set up a meeting with this Wren lady tomorrow, Caleb. It is getting late and we still need to bring this lady all the way to the temple. Wish I could have brought my bear..." Bristle was not looking forward to carrying an unconscious woman through the streets. Maybe they could make her appear passed out drunk so that it wasn't quite so suspicious. She began looking for any sort of alcohol container even as she continued to speak.

"I do agree that retracing Roselyn's steps could be useful though, Voh'ren, if possible. Even if it doesn't lead us to a book. It could be useful to know what other tasks Whisper may have used her flesh puppet for."

---

It is late in the day, correct? If Bristle finds some alcohol in Roselyn's home, she will soak a rag with it and tie it somewhere to give Roselyn a strong alcohol smell. Then help carry her to the temple of Saranrae.

Roselyn is quickly carried to the temple of Sarenrae, where the priests take one look and say that they will do their best to keep the woman comfortable, but don't expect much more than that. Retracing her steps shows that she took a winding route through town, stopping at the river and several stores that deal in alchemical and magical items - especially spell components.

A message is sent to Wren, and receives the reply that she will meet with you in two days, after the inauguration festival - she dislikes arranging things immediately before such events, apparently.

Is there a way to find out what items/spell components Whisper may have purchased? Can Voh'ren tell how long ago she was there?

Tracks were left over the previous three days. You can roll diplomacy to convince the shopkeepers to tell you what was sold. Or intimidate, I suppose.

Might as well roll Diplomacy since she has her Enhanced Diplomacy cantrip prepared today:
15:14, Today: Bristle Chonk rolled 18 using 1d20+9.  Diplomacy, with Enhanced Diplomacy - Whisper's items.

The shopkeepers prove reluctant to talk about what another client bought with a stranger, and do not share what items Whisper used Roselynn to buy.

Firea will attempt to play bad cop with the shop keeps, countering Bristle's good cop, in order to get the needed information.

17:57, Today: Firea rolled 32 using 1d20+16.  Intimidate the Shopkeepers (Badcop mode, initiated).

When they arrived at the temple of Sarenrae, Caleb was quick to explain how Roselyn became the way she had, as far as he understood it anyway. When she was bundled off into the depths of the church, he lingered a while before seeking out one of the older priests, asking what they could tell him about Elias Halson, the better to find and punish the monster who had so brutalized the librarian.

ooc: I figure this place should be good to learn a little bit more about Whisper and Halson, not sure what, if anything, I should be rolling here.

Firea manages to pressure the shopkeepers enough that they reluctantly share what they remember of the purchase list. It involves a great deal of ritual components, and a handful of esoteric spell components, mostly for spells involving sleep or dreams in some way. A great many enchantments, as well.

Meanwhile at the temple Caleb asks about Elias Halson. Most of the priests seem confused by the questioning, but one older woman blanches and pulls him aside.

"Sir Elias Halson, now there's a name I haven't heard in years," she says, her voice a rasp. "Can't say I'm surprised that the younger folks don't know it. He was a paladin of our Lady, back in the day. Fought all manner of darker things back into their holes. But he went a little mad, towards the end. Raved about some monstrous thing infecting people, said his friends weren't themselves but some replacement. I've no idea what he has to do with the poor woman you brought in."

She sighs. "It's a shame he ended that way, in truth. Such a bright star, and he lost it all. Went into the woods chasing a dream, he said, and didn't come back. Said he would trap her as long as he could in the fortress of his mind, and just walked out. Nobody knows what he was talking about, if it wasn't more of the madness."

Voh'ren kneels near the tracks by the river. He rubs his chin while he considers the reasons that brought the mysterious presence out here. He searches the area with Kiru's aid, trying to find any traces of clues that might shed light on Whisper's past actions and future designs...

OOC:

I'm not sure if this is Perception or Survival. Kiru's skill level is the same, but Voh'ren's is 1 more for Survival.

21:42, Today: Voh'ren Wildheart rolled 15 using 1d20+5.  Kiru-Aid another for Perception/Survival.

21:43, Today: Voh'ren Wildheart rolled 26 using 1d20+13.  Voh'ren-Perception with Kiru's Aid. (or 27 if Survival)

"It has everything to do with that woman," Caleb said to the priestess once she had finished speaking. "Halson wasn't mad, the thing infecting people was, and sadly still is, real. She's some kind of witch, calls herself Whisper. She attacks people in their dreams, breaks down their will to fight, and then uses them as puppets, the woman we brought you was her latest victim. All that business going on in Falcon's Hollow, that was her. She got her hands on a local girl and brutalized her to act as some kind of link to the physical world or something like that, I don't know the technical details. Read this if you don't believe me." Caleb continued, pausing a moment to pull the log the party had recovered from his pack and hand it to the priestess. He waited a minute or two to let her flip through and read it before carrying on.

"There's a statue of Halson outside the cave everything was centered around before it was purged. He knew about Whisper, and went down fighting her in that cave less than a day away from Falcon's Hollow. She's out now, and she's already got the town under her thrall. Did Halson leave any personal effects behind? A journal maybe? I need to know what he knew if I'm going to finish what he started.

Firea considering she was helping Bristle, will share what she finds with her. "We should share this information with the others. I have a spell I know that could keep us awake, make it harder for the things that these components are for to affect us."

"I only need two hours sleep a night", said Hester.  "I don't think Whisper is a witch or something undead as such.  I think she's a monster of some kind.  As for Elias Halson's Journal, could it be the one we found in Falcon's Hollow?"

"Sleeping even two hours may even be too long," Bristle said to Hester with a grimace. "We should try and find out where Whisper stowed her supplies and maybe set up a stakeout. She'll probably send another of her minions to retrieve them. Perhaps we could follow them and get additional clues about what Whisper is up to and who else she has already enslaved." Her plan would require sneaking though. A skill Bristle was notably poor at.

---

Would Bristle be able to glean any more specific information about the magics Whisper is trying to use, working with those specific components? Here is a spellcraft roll, with Guidance, if needed:

14:53, Today: Bristle Chonk rolled 21 using 1d20+7.  Spellcraft, with Guidance - spell components.

"Also, during the time under my spell you'd not be able to do any vigorous activity. So, grab a good book?" She said with a wry grin.

The priest of Sarenrae blanches as she reads through the logbook. "Merciful Lady," she murmurs. "I...do not know what to say. I can show you the relics Halson left behind - they are in storage."

Storage proves to be under the temple, in a back room. Inside, there is a suit of mithral armor, a blade, a holy symbol of Sarenrae, and yes, a book, ancient and weathered. The priestess points to this last, her hand shaking a little. "That is his journal. It is written in some sort of code, sections of it at least, and the rest is hard to decipher any real meaning from. Another reason we thought him mad towards the end. He left it behind with his armor and blade when he went into the woods, saying that they would not help where he was going."

Bristle ascertains some specific spells, including several that put people to sleep - deep slumber and cloak of dreams, both using components that are older in their application. Not more recent versions of the magics.

Caleb looked over Halson's things, eyes skimming disinterestedly over the armor and sword, instead fixating on the journal. He gently picked it up and began thumbing through the pages, trying to gauge just how much of the book was written in before looking up to the priestess. "Thank you, this could be the best lead we've had yet. Do you mind if I take this until we can decipher its contents? I promise you that I'll return it as it is now."

"The spell I know does not stop those from working on you..." She says indicating the Sleep and Deep Slumber spells. "...and that one only works if the caster is only within five feet of you."

"Yes, it is definitely troubling," Bristle agreed. "Did you get a good sniff of those ingredients, Firea? It may help us detect who is helping whisper if they are carrying around the same stuff for spells. Especially since she is using the... antique components."

Then a thought occured to Bristle. "Do you think she is going to try something at the coronation tomorrow? All those powerful people, packed in tight? What better time to use area-based spells?" The changeling hoped that was not Whisper's plan. Because what could they really do to stop her?

---

Did Whisper buy enough ingredients for a lot of castings for each spell? Dozens of castings? Hundreds? And could Bristle buy a sampling of each spell component for Scent purposes?

Hester looks over the journal, frowning slightly as she tries to figure out what the code might be or even what language it might be before it was encyphered.  "Are there any documents in the hoard that might contain the key to this cypher?" she asked at last.

09:57, Today: Hester Darkeye rolled 15 using 1d20+8.  linguistics (given decipher script doesn't exist in pathfinder) .

Sebastian looks over the journal as well, but isn't able to get much more from it then Hester was.

06:56, Today: Sebastian Kosmin rolled 15 using 1d20+1d8+8.  linguistics on journal.

"Hmph," Voh'ren grumbles as his search turns up nothing. He whistles a pair of soft, low notes, calling Kiru back to his side. He then sets out to track down the others and see if they had better luck in their searches...

"Yeah, I got the scent. Were you able to get some of the components just incase?" She asked considering. "I think it is a prime target. Lot's of people, lots of powerful people too."

Bristle is easily able to obtain samples of the spell components, although the ritual components are mostly out of stock after the purchases that Whisper made through the librarian.

The only document in the collections of the temple related to Halson is the journal itself. It's heavily enciphered - what language it is in is unclear, much less the specific cipher in use.

"It seems we are stymied, and there is little we can do in the time we have remaining besides plan to be at the inauguration and attempt to counter whatever horror Whisper has planned. Unless someone else has an idea, as I do not." Sebastian says somberly, his eyes weary.

"Only to be prepared in our dreams." says Hester.

"We'll have no dreams tonight, I'll see to that." She said with a nod. "Its at the inaugeration we'll need to be ready for."

"I got a sample of what components the vendor had left," Bristle replied to Firea's earlier question.

When they had all reconvened and began discussing their plans, Bristle had managed to come up with a few potential extra layers of protection. "I do not believe I can do anything about Whisper's Cloak of Dreams spells, but I am able to protect one or two of us from Deep Slumber spells. At least for about an hour at a time. It would require reserving my most potent spells for that purpose though." The changeling woman shrugged, leaving it up to the party to decide if that would be a wise use of her magic.

"I do have another idea for how to keep us awake in a roundabout way too. And possibly other nearby people as well. For if we get caught in Deep Slumber areas of effect." Bristle breathed deep, then let out her breath slowly. What she was about to suggest was probably a little ugly. At least not on its surface. "I can raise us a swarm of undead critters tonight. Crows, rats, frogs, etc. We can each carry one with instructions to wake us if we fall asleep. Maybe even wear a frog skeleton as a necklace or something? And whatever extras we have, we can keep in a sack to let out if the crowds start falling to sleep. Undead don't sleep, so a swarm of them waking up members of the gathered crowds could be just what we need to thwart the bulk of Whisper's plans." Bristle shrugged. "You know, if Whisper's plan actually does involve putting large numbers of people to sleep. But the critters could still prove useful in other ways too."

---

GM, did Whisper buy enough ingredients for a lot of castings for each spell? Dozens of castings? Hundreds?

Party members, Bristle can cast Spell Immunity up to twice if she prepares it in her 4th level spell slots. This could counter Deep Slumber on one person for 70 minutes at a time.

GM, are there limits to what sorts of low HD critters Bristle would be able to find on short notice? She would not be above going to a park or wooded area and channeling a burst of negative energy. Although if there happens to be a vendor selling a flock of ravens cheap, she might go that rout instead. The lower the HD for the critters the better, as long as they can be turned into skeletons or zombies, and would be capable of waking someone from a Sleep-type spell.

"An hour maybe be all we need to avoid her casting of the spells, the issue is we need to know when she plans to cast it." She said with a nod. "Also like I said I can cast a spell that will keep us awake tonight, but you will not be able to do anything else that is strenuous."

She considers a moment about Bristle's idea. "As much as I do not like resorting to the use of undead like that, I think it might be a good idea to use them in this case as you suggest. That way we can keep your higher spells in reserve in case we need them for other purposes." She explained.

"Aside from sitting down with this journal to properly crack it, the only thing I can think to do in the time we have left is to do a little scouting on the actual site of the inauguration. If Whisper has physical minions or people enslaved like the librarian, she's going to need to stage her ambush somehow." Caleb said as he gingerly stowed the journal away in his pack.

"I shall wait", said Hester, "until 6AM and then sleep.  That way if I need to cast any spells or rob any stores tomorrow, I will be able to do so."

"FIrea, I would appreciate that spell. I do not like the idea of sleeping tonight, but I will need to be rested to be at full strength tomorrow.

Bristle, the use of undead is a dangerous temptation, and I of all people know the dangers of moralizing that evil actions are worth it for the greater good. Still in this case, perhaps it is necessary. I do not know. I myself would not resort to such things, I wouldn't trust myself to do so. But if you do, a crow perhaps would be appropriate for me, or whatever you can easily find."