Session 8

The Hermit and The Boogeyman

General Summary

Recap

We found out more about the Musk Lily through autopsy. Apparently they can climb and hang on ceilings (terrifying) and don't have an apparent means to digest their prey. They are linked to the acrid marmelade. How exactly we are not sure, but where the marmelade is, the fungi are too. Meanwhile the guards found the reason for the foul smelling water - a huge heap of acrid marmelade. They scooped out all the jelly from the well and uncovered a cavern behind it, We also re-investigated one of the ships and found the smuggler's alchemy lab. The crew was arrested but the captain fled. Afterwards we rested at the inn while the guards kept watch to make sure nothing came out of the well.

Summary

For the first time since arriving in Seeblick, we met Gretchen, the local hermit. We brought her some food, she let us in her tower (which apparently is very rare) and asked a bunch of questions. While she couldn't help with the fungus-related matters she is knowledgeable about the Current and shared more information about it.
After this brief detour we met up with Alaric and Ingrid and decided to try and smoke out the fungi at the reservoir. The wood was gathered and the smoking went succesfully, but we couldn't determine the effectiveness as the fungi were already killed (likely prior to the smoking) by having their stem cut-off. This was done by an unknown boogeyman/person with a blade.

Session Notes

New day, new plan

hunt the captain?

explore the cavern?

bottle identification?

Muir wants to be as inconspicuous as possible but doesn't want to appear meddling with anything.
we plan to go to gretchen
from Aida - basket with bread milk and basic groceries to last a day or 2 for gretchen
gray day with few rays of sun
more guards around well
medium sized tower with firm wooden door at bottom few windows atop - thick grey brick stacked long ago
full iron doorknocker
not at halfing height
solid 5 min wait
small weary grey-blue iris older woman voice
mousy woman 160 height in her 50-60s not sure , thin grey hair in ponytail, grey blue dress similar to muireal's but with sleeves
once the tower was used to see far and wide but not anymore
she is very confused by the fungi talk
As expected she knows nothing
This is Saga our herbalist, Arti , a genius halfling and I'm muir a formerly-drowned woman - Muir
we are let in!!!!
lot of the tower is empty, heavy bolt on the door
1st floor empty, 2nd floor cupboard table single stool and some books window to harbor other to cliffs = rather barren
marmelade and fungi - chicken or the egg situation
Muir just dropping the fungal infestation of our town
Gretchen has an old friend in Capital - more an expert in flora/fauna - Harold Mayer
in 80s if alive
last she heard of him he just moved there - probs uni or academy if not private mansion with nice garden
Specialises in the flow of the current and use it to affect the weather
if the current dissappears magic would cease to be for everyone
the current is a source of magic for magic mutation a pooling of ether would be needed
a cairn or pool (plenty of wizzes want them) - old wiz tower pool was in or around it
Lumicite a crystal that forms if the conc of aether is large - appears in abundance at pools and is very sought after
used in enchantments
even then at pools it is rare, if cairn is a cavern the lum would be 5 clumps at most
advantage of a pool is that it might regrow
doesn't think there is any in Seeblick
remnants of pools can exist
find lum gets Gretchen out of tower
- NEW GOAL
underwater breathing - some species and potions (temp)
personal reason to not come out of the tower
claims to not be able to help with identification of purple bottle - even tho Alaric said she could - misremembering?
moorlanders on stilts can outrun a man

Head to Alaric

at the station? only one guy behind desk
is at Ingrid's
Milky like eyes Ingrid - Alaric is pensive
Messenger bird to be sent to capital - but not sure it will be fast enough
scouts along coast to find smugglers
marcus discuss if explosives is possible
need more explosives
pure metal lid for well to close it - not ready yet
mayor left a month ago to visit family dont remember where
fungi might not be affected by poison
they might need humidity
we need to find the source of the fungus
the bottle produces endless smoke - used for hiding or smoke someone out
fungi could be reliant on air? not sure
learn by observation what they can and cannot handle
smoking out for entire day and then send someone in to investigate
only water connected reservoir and well not air?
Arti is done with Muir is drinking
Ingrid will continue investigation and will check station specimen
get lumberjacks to gather at the station

At inn

Aida hasnt gone in Gretchen tower before its rare she lets anyone in
I manage to convince 1 lumberjack to go to the station
no one else :(
flanel heavy beards, heavy boots, stout human man
saga follows us like a stalker
I dissappointed Alaric :(
bring alot of wood to reservoir area, use smoke bottle
collect bottle from Ingrid
bottle is nice black, weighs a pound feeld bit cold, the stopper is sone form of lead lined with purp cord
arti tries to carve an explody woodcarving while the others dont really do anything

Smoking time

barricade of wood in front of cavern
muir rolled the bottle into cavern
used eldritch cannon to burn wood faster
muir tries to control smoke a bit to channel all smoke into cavern
night has hit only ashes and charchoal remain
inside of cavern is blackened
Alaric follows us inside
dead silent cave - no lilies on the water
clear water nothing at the bottom of the pool
collapsed hump on the edge
could be they escaped through the water
2 huge fungus - look bigger than before - doesnt look like the smoke got to them
the stems were removed, bit discarded up ahead
sensory organs seem to be pierced and cracked
clearly something sharp went through but also necrosis and/or something acidic is there
no marks of a scuffle, no blood
they have been ambushed
their necks have been cut so to speak, straight up decapitation, bigger blade
don't know who/what did this
smoke cloud 100 feet from the bottle
- the ever smoking bottle
holes for water are rather small, human wont fit - maybe halfling can squeeze
we collect the fungus corpses
gonna create a fence around the place
peeps think either we killed them or boogeyman did it

back at the inn
Gollum is apparently as scary as this

______________________________________________

Rewards Granted

Arti:
Eversmoking Bottle
Muireall:
NA
Saga:
NA

Character(s) interacted with

Direct contact:
Aida
Alaric
Ingrid
Erick
Gretchen

Mentioned:
Harold Mayer
Marcus Lightfoot
Merida Gray

Created Content

Lumicite
The Currents

Related Reports

Session 7
Session 9

Arti is on the list to enter the danger cave!

In game date
1051 AS, 11th October

Report Date

29 Jul 2023

Primary Location

Seeblick

Secondary Location

Seeblick Reservoir

Related Plots

• Acrid Marmelade
• Boogeyman of Seeblick
• Bounty: Merida Gray
• Musk Lily Origins
• Smuggler activity at Seeblick

Related Characters

• Artiana Sootfoot
• Muireall den Mhuir
• Saga

Related Historical Events

• 1051
  Smoking the Reservoir

"This is Saga our herbalist, Arti , a genius halfling and I'm Muireall, a formerly-drowned woman." -
Muir