Yoshi's notes

Date

3/24/2005

17th year of the reign of King Kevin.

Twenty-ninth day of "July". Afternoon.

A nice summer day.

Characters

Carric Dendreu - Male Aasimar Druid 2 (with eagle Tan-kurun)

Caelesti - Female Feytouched Rogue 1/Sorceress 1

Lady Lyonessey "Nessey" Lavena Rowana - Female Aasimar Aristocrat 1/Swashbuckler 1

Yoshi - Male Human Monk 3

Log

Carric produces 5 goodberries.

We head towards the market.

Carric speaks to the party. "I just made these berries. They're called 'goodberries'. They'll last for two days and each berry will give you the equivalent of a cure minor wounds consumed. So, Caelesti, you can hold on to them, and if you get injured you can eat them."

Nessey blathers on to Yoshi about voices he might be hearing. She then goes on to say that she is concerned about Carric's ability to be diplomatic in town, talking about bad dogs in town.

We enter the market. There is a square, around which is a bunch of building that open into stalls. There are merchants from out of town out in the open.

We sell the mug for 350 GP. After pooling our funds, we purchase a wand of cure light wounds that Carric will carry, a masterwork scimitar for Carric, a cold iron shortsword for Nessey, and three potions of cure light wounds, one each for Nessey, Caelesti, and Yoshi.

While shopping, we also inquire about hydras, as we believe the creature to be. The alchemist from whom we bought the potions, Irvin, tells us what he knows for 10 GP. "It's a pretty nasty creature. Each head can bite pretty hard. It heals almost instantly any damage you do to the body. If you slice off all the heads it will die, but otherwise, if you slice off a head it grows back two heads pretty quickly unless you burn the stump with acid or fire."

Carric notes that he can cast a spell called produce flame that should accomplish this goal.

Yoshi asks Irvin if he knows Corrum Trimble. "He's a merchant, often on the road. He arrived around 3 or 4 years ago and purchased the house he lives in. The house had been vacant for 10 years; it had been owned by a mage."

It's late afternoon. We head back to the inn, where we ask more about Corrum Trimble and the mage.

When we get back to the inn, we see some people we recognize. We see Mavis and Gareth.

Carric goes up to him. "Hello Gareth."

"Well, hello!" Gareth says. "I saw you ten days ago. What have you been up to?"

Carric says, "We've had some adventures." Nessey blathers on about our adventures. Then Carric describes our encounter with the lizard men in more details, as well as our encounter with the redcaps. Nessey shows him her redcap tooth.

We ask about Corrum. Gareth asks, "Why did you want to talk to him?"

Nessey says that he was reputed to be going around with someone who looks just like Nessey. We also tell him that Corrum was implicated in the plot to kidnap Nessey by Meaghan. We inquire if he can help introduce us to Corrum.

Gareth says he will take Caelesti and Nessey to meet Corrum.

[July 30th] Nessey buys a beautiful new dress. We go back to the inn. Mavis and Gareth and Caelesti and Nessey go to Corrum's house. Carric and Yoshi follow along far behind.

Corrum knocks at the door, but nobody answers. He tries the latch and it opens. "Well, I know him. Maybe he's sleeping or something. Let me step in and see if I can call a servant or something." He steps in. "Yoo hoo! Yoo hoo!" He closes the door. Caelesti opens it a crack to listen. But a minute later the dcor opens, and we see a man we don't recognize.

"Hi," Caelesti says, "are you Corrum Trimble?"

"That's the master," he says. "Gareth is with him. He sent me to invite you in. I am Bryce; please come in." They enter. "Wait in this room, and the master will come see you when he's done talking with Gareth." To Mavis, he says, "The master wishes to see you, too. Please come with me."

Now alone in the parlor, Caelesti and Nessey look around. Amid the furniture is some bookshelves; they examine the books, which are mostly historical texts of local interest, expanding as far as the duchy. They do not see any white pigs.

At some point, they feel a prickle, and notice that a man has been standing at the door watching them. For a while. It appears to be Corrum Trimble.

"So I understand you were looking for me, ladies. Have you been enjoying my library?"

Caelesti says, "What a lovely library you have!"

Nessey says, "Are you Corrum Trimble?"

"I am, and who are you?"

"I am Lady Lyonessey Lavena Rowana!"

"Well I knew who you two were, of course, because Gareth told me your names. But ... why did you want to talk to me?"

"Well, we heard that you had a friend that looks like Nessey's sister. That it looks just like her."

"Perhaps. For somebody that did not know Nessey herself."

"Well, I find that somewhat startling that there would be someone who looks just like me that people mistake me for her!"

"Well, let me go find her. Lady Nessey, why don't you come with me and we'll go find her."

"Caelesti should come with us too! I'd like a second opinion about whether she really looks like me. Because I'm a noble lady and I'd be unhappy if some commoner looked like me!"

"Very well, you wait here and I will bring my sister."

All of a sudden, Nessey falls asleep!

In through the door walks Corrum Trimble and a short woman.

"So, what do you think, does my sister look like your friend?"

"No," she says, and turns to wake Nessey.

Corrum says, "Why don't you put her on the couch."

Caelesti helps lift her to the couch.

Corrum says, "Come with me to the kitchen. We'll get some water for your friend. My sister will stay with her."

They go to the kitchen. Corrum putters around, gets a drink together. "Um. Are you hungry? Would you like a snack while we're here?" He gives her some bread and some cheese.

After about 10 minutes or so, he takes her back. There is Nessey lying on the couch, but the sister is not there. Corrum shakes her awake. "Have some water!"

The woman on the couch opens her eyes and immediately starts blathering.

"I think I've satisfied your curiosity. You've had enough of my time. So, if you are indeed satisfied, perhaps you could be on your way?" He shows them to the door.

They rejoin us. Carric says, "Where's Gareth? What happened? Tell us what happened?"

Caelsti starts telling us about what happened, including that Nessey fell asleep.

"You fell asleep! How did that happen?"

"You know, one of those lady's things. Maybe my new girdle was too tight."

"You know, since Corrum seems to have been okay, maybe we should go back to Rowansmeade."

Carric comments that he would like to deal with the Hydra first.

Nessey says, "You know, I'd like to go back to the inn."

Caelesti continues to explain what happened, including saying that she had gone into the kitchen with Corrum to get Nessey water. Yoshi asks about this, and becomes suspicious but does not say anything. He studies Nessey for a while.

Carric, meanwhile, is talking to Caelesti, "Did you ask about Nessey's double? Or Meaghan?" Caelesti says she forgot.

Yoshi determines that Nessey is on the level. Still, it seems a bit odd...

Carric examines Nessey to see if she's okay, and determines she is.

Nessey keeps saying she wishes to go back to the inn. We do.

Come noontime, Carric prays for his spells.

Gareth returns, and Carric mentions that we forgot to mention Meaghan. "I'd like to go back and ask him about Meaghan."

"Well, you could go back, but I cannot make the introductions again. I really need to leave."

Caelesti, who had gone up to be with Nessey, returns. "Well, she's asleep."

The three of us discuss going back to Corrum's. Carric wonders if we should wake Nessey to bring her with us, but Yoshi is pretty sure we should leave her a note and go without her. We leave the note, which says, "We've gone to talk to Corrum Trimble one more time. Be back soon."

We go to Corrum's house. The plan is for Caelesti to "work her magic" while we hang back. Caelesti knocks several times and gets no answer. She tries the latch. It opens. She calls in. "Hello!" No answer. She walks in. We approach to the doorway. Carric enters while Yoshi stands at the door.

Caelesti and Carric keep calling, look around,and go upstairs. Yoshi enters the house, but goes no further.

After a bit, they come back, and we talk a bit and decide we should go. Yoshi suggests to Carric that he look about the house to see if someone has left recently. He finds nothing of significance.

We go back to the inn. Nessey seems to feel much better now.

Carric says, "We have a problem now. We seem to have reached a dead end on the kidnapping." All of a sudden, Carric notices the boy who was the messenger. We run out. "Hey boy! We understand you are a messenger boy."

"Do you have a message?"

"No, I want a message."

"I have no message for you!"

Carric takes out a gold piece and holds it up. "Okay. What message do you want?"

"I want the message you delivered to Corrum Trimble." The boy hesitates. "Don't worry! They're not there any more. They won't mind."

The boy considers the gold piece. "It was just a short message. It was, 'The lady is here.'"

"And you delivered it to Corrum? Who sent the message? A whole gold piece..."

The boy says, "Can I examine the gold piece?"

"You can look at it. Don't worry, we won't tell!"

"I'll never be trusted with a message again if I tell!"

Carric turns to Caelesti, "Why don't you reassure the boy?"

Caelesti says, "Don't worry! It'll be okay!"

Carric says, "You need to be especially enchanting."

Caelesti, finally, catches on, and casts a charm spell.

The boy says, "You are right. I won't get in trouble. It was Blaine. Do you have a message for me to deliver?"

Carric gives him the gold piece. "Thank you. No. No message."

"You probably shouldn't say where you got that coin. You might say you got it in the marketplace. Do you know where Corrum Trimble is now?"

"I don't know. I saw him earlier. Maybe he's at home."

"Okay," says Carric, "thank you."

And the boy departs our company.

We go a bit away from the inn to discuss this, like to a park.

We decide we no longer trust the innkeeper, Blaine, even if he might be totally innocent. Then we think that maybe Caelesti should interview Blaine, using her persuasive personality, to try to learn more about Corrum, especially what his instructions were from Corrum and where he might be now.

Caelesti goes back into the inn. She locates Blain easily.

"Good afternoon, Blaine, could I have an ale please? I understand you are a friend of Corrum Trimble. Do you have any idea of how we can get ahold of him now? He doesn't seem to be at home? I'd be most appreciative."

"No. He's in town now, though. He's been in town for the past 14 days."

"So he checks in with you when he comes into town."

"No. But he's well known. Nothing happens that we don't know about in this common room."

"So if he were to leave town you would know, assuming he stopped by the inn."

"Yeah, sure."

"So, I have another question for you. When we first arrived, you sent a message to him that we were here. Why was that?"

Blaine stops pouring the ale. His eyes narrow. "You seem to be a bit inquisitive yourself, miss. Here's your ale."

Caelesti looks about the room. It's not crowded, but people are talking loudly. No one is looking in her direction. She casts a charm person. He does not appear to succumb.

He frowns. "You know, I think you're being a little extra nosy, here, young lady, I suggest you back off, here."

"All right. Then I guess we'll just have to leave." She conjures again.

"Please don't leave! I certainly have the best inn in town right here. And you are more than welcome to stay here."

"Oh. Oh, thank you. But I really want to know why you sent that message to Corrum when we got here."

"Well, he just wanted to know when she got here."

"He didn't say why?"

"Not my business! He's a friend of mine. A good guy. Certainly no harm in wanting to know that. He's a friend!"

"And you have no idea where he is now?"

"At his home? I don't know."

"It's really urgent. Do you know where we can find his sister?"

"I don't know any sister of his!"

"His sister, who's staying at his house." Caelesti describes her.

"I don't remember seeing anybody who looked like that. He doesn't have any sister so far as I know."

"Well, does he have any other friends in town he might visit so we can find him?"

"Maybe his neighbors, I don't know. I would expect that he's at home. Unless he's out arranging for his next trade journey. As I said, he showed up about 14 days ago, presumably having had a successful business trip."

Yoshi enters, and says, "Caelesti, perhaps your friend can introduce us again to Corrum."

"Well, are you off work any time soon?"

"I own this establishment! I'm always on work. I don't go off to have fun; my friends come here to have fun!"

Yoshi takes her aside. "I think the goal is for Blaine to visit Corrum while we hang back. If Corrum answers the door, we can go forward."

Caelesti goes back.

"Well, hello!, young Caelesti."

"I was wondering if you can do me a favor, and take a break and go to Corrum Trimble's house and see if he'll answer the door for you, because sometimes he won't answer the door."

"Well I'd only do that for my best friend, so let's go!"

"Oh, thank you so much."

When we get there, Caelesti says, "I'll just hang back so I don't spook him. I want to see if he'll open the door for you."

When we get to his house, we note a mule parked in the driveway. Yoshi locates cover and approaches within 40 feet.