Stormreach Harbor (IC): Clan 1

[Gnarnia]

Stormreach Harbor Adventurer's Hall, 18th day of Silversun, 10am.

Registering for your mission is as simple as tearing the notice down and turning it in to the quartermaster (an elderly, but spry gnome perched on a tall stool behind the counter). He jots down your names and provides you with a crude map to Farmer McDonald's farmstead.

"Thanks lads. It's about an hour outside the city proper, but still well within the area of routine guard patrols. I don't imagine you should run into much trouble on your way there. He's not expecting anyone until this afternoon, so you've still got a few extra hours if there's any business you need to wrap up here before ya leave. That said, I doubt he'll complain if you show up early either."

[AngryCyc]

Soll

Soll states, bravely and heroically, "Thanks."

[avr]

Spike moves a chair or stool up near to the counter then hops up so she can see the old gnome properly.

"You must hear a lot doing this job - so what's the goss? Anyone else had problems near McDonald's farm that you've heard?"

[Tychris1]

Marcus merely stays to the side (Leaning against a wall), passively overlooking the scene, and merely letting the others handle talking to the Quartermaster. He didn't truly care much for this McDonald fellow, but the others seemed adamant on the point. Besides, he was interested in seeing just how attractive the Farmer's daughter was. Placing his chin upon the chin rest for his fiddle, he raised his bow and began to play on it. As he plays his song (www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGCsyshUU-A) he weaves a spell through the notes of it, imbuing his music with baleful magic.

Casting Beguiling Influence, +6 Bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate for 24 Hours
Perform:[roll0]

[Gnarnia]

Spike moves a chair or stool up near to the counter then hops up so she can see the old gnome properly.

"You must hear a lot doing this job - so what's the goss? Anyone else had problems near McDonald's farm that you've heard?"

The gnome adjusts his bronze rim glasses and replies to you. "Eh? Fraid I couldn't even tell ya where McDonald's farm was if he hadn't provided this map when he submitted the posting. Looks like one of the farms within the protection of the city guard though, I can't imagine they run into much beyond the occasional gopher outbreak though. They just back up to other farms, not dark woods or anything like that."

As you're talking with the gnome, Marcus's begins filling the adventurer's hall with music. A hush falls over the room as several of the adventuring parties stop planning briefly to listen to his song. At its completion, they break out in applause and cheers :)

[Ralasha]

Iyomori remains contemplatively silent through the exchanges. Listening with a calm expression, hands tucks into the opposing sleeves of her elegant kimono.

[avr]

Spike nods her thanks to the quartermaster, jumps down and makes her way over to Marcus. "Neat music. You want to put on a performance for the city guard, see if we can shake loose any rumors, or shall we head straight out?"

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Ketha grunts noncommittally at the fiddling. "My tribe always lacked a good fiddler to help keep the wolves at bay and pitch all the tents." she says sarcastically. She brushed the soft wolf hide pelt covering her shoulder. Ketha grins at her spear.

"I could use a wife. A wife can cook and clean my kills, put logs on the fire. Maybe sharpen my spear. I guess we could share her..." Ketha suggests. She tosses her hair over her other shoulder and gets ready to leave with the others.

[Tychris1]

Marcus' mouth begins to curve ever so slightly, the edges of a smile dancing across his face as he heard the applause of the audience. He was almost ready to do a bow when suddenly Ketha spoke. His eye twitched, a scowl growing across his face at her comment. He merely stood there, rather flabergasted at the whole idea, and finally resigned himself as he put his Fiddle away.

"No, I believe it would be in our best interests to seek out this McDonald fellow as soon as possible. The faster we get there the closer the stolen cows will be. Besides, I doubt we could perform such delicate operations with the aid of certain individuals,"

And with that he glanced at Ketha, walking himself to the entrance of the Adventurer's Hall, and then looked the Half Orc in the eyes. A broad smile stretched across, exposing a full toothy grin, and through it he gently said something in Abyssal to her.

"You're so fat and ugly it's hilarious, and though I wish you get hit by a flying brick, I can say with certainty that you will be a bundle of fun."

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Ketha gets a confused look on her face. She shifts her head to one side looking like a confused dog. After a moment of thought she says a few hushed words in Orc.



Orc:

Are you offering to be my wife instead?



Ketha smiles and snorts twice.

[Ralasha]

The gentle expression still on her face, the small woman follows silently, her wooden sandals beating a double staccato against the ground as she takes her steps. The sound rhythmic, and in beat with the music.

She watches as always, silently, listening to the tongues of the others.

[AngryCyc]

Soll

"HEY!" Soll yells out. "Watch that god damned language! What, do you want everyone in here to think you speak the language of evil itself? Next thing you know there'll be a parchment up seeking us for capture and questioning the next time anything demonic happens..."

Soll speaks sternly and with a cold glare.

[Ralasha]

Iyomori raises a the fingertips of one hand to her mouth to contain her almost silent giggles.

[Tychris1]

Marcus looks at her, his eyes going wide as he attempts to comprehend what she just said. His eyebrows raise as far as they can, signalling his mouth to finally open up and speak, only to be interrupted by Soll's shouting. Looking at the Tiefling and then back at the Half Orc he says in orc.

Orc:
"No, I...... Where did you..... How did you even... Why would I even... No! Why I would never.... Just...."

His mind begins to contemplate the thought for a second, and he holds his hand to his mouth to stop himself from gagging. Stumbling away to the door he mutters.

"**** this.... Lets just get to the barn...."

[Gnarnia]

McDonald Farmstead, 18th day of Silversun, 11:30 am

Following Marcus' lead, and with the pleasant morning banter behind you, the group makes their way towards the McDonald farmstead. Cobblestone roads give way to dirt ones as you leave the walls of the city behind you and head into the near countryside. Ralasha's horse drawn wagon rattles along as Spike darts to and fro on his large yellow chocobo.

The map you received appears accurate as you find yourself standing in front of a long split rail fence. "McDonald" is written on a wooden mailbox that rests near the gate. You see a quaint farmhouse up the walk, near a large thatch-roofed barn. A large cow pasture opens up behind it.

An older gentleman in a straw hat is in the front yard, sitting on a bale of hay while hammering away at a wooden weathervane.

[AngryCyc]

"Ol' MacDonald? Is this your farm?" Looking around, Soll finds himself at a loss for words as this was not quite what he was expecting...

He stutters out a ""He..I-.. He-... I. Oh.

Well none the less, we are here about your cows."

[Gnarnia]

The man looks up, sets down his hammer, and approaches the fence gate to let you in. "Oh good, Hank McDonald, very glad to meet you folks. I've had the city guard out here a few times to check into matters, cattle rustling is a crime after all, but they've had as little luck with it as I have. I hear a lot of stories about the amazing things you adventurers can do and thought I'd give you a try. I can show ya back to the pasture as soon as you're ready, but I guess you probably have some questions first?"

[AngryCyc]

"Walk and talk, good sir. The faster I can get my eye on the animals, the better..." he says, as he starts heading in at a fast pace.

[avr]

Spike considers a moment. Well above human eye level or well below? There's no good answer. She shrugs and bows from the saddle.

"I'm called Spike. Best not to lose Soll, there's no telling what he's planning just now. Did you say others here were losing stock, or is it just your farm?"

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Ketha lets Soll take the lead and falls in behind everyone, taking up the rear. She keeps a wary eye out for any signs of danger.

"Maybe we shoulda gotten a look at da daughter first..." she mutters mostly to herself.

She was glad to be out of the city proper even if it wasn't a full on wilderness. She sniffed at the air, grateful it didn't like people any more. Ketha had to fight the urge to shift into wolf form and run through the fields of grass. She might spook the cows and it occured to her (barely) that might be seen as rude.

"Do youse cows have any reason to run off? Do youse insult them or beat them?" Ketha asked genuinely concerned.

[Ralasha]

Iyomori follows with her wagon. She'll park it next to the house. Odd, don't you think, to see a woman dressed like a noble, driving her own wagon?

She smiles a little more brightly at the orcs questions. Thoroughly enjoying the innocence they represent.

[Tychris1]

Marcus, still beat red from the whole incident, ensures that he stands as far away from Ketha as possible. Namely standig near Soll, following in behind the Tiefling, allowing the Paladin to talk with the Farmer. That is, atleast, until he starts inquiring about the cattle.

Ugh

Marcus didn't really care much for finding Cows, just wanting the reward for solving this plebeians trivial problem. Speaking of which, Marcus was interested in seeing this potential Wife being offered up. Namely, he'd rather have an attractive Wife over some ugly step sister. Especially if he had to potentially share her with that..... Beast. Drifting off to the side, Marcus off handedly said

"I'm going to check the perimeter, scope the land and see any alternative routes cattle rustlers may have taken. Maybe find a clue. I'll catch up in a bit."

In reality he was off to scope the land and find McDonalds daughter, intent on having something to look forward to after todays abysmal start.


Bluff Check:[roll0]

Just to be sure his lie is believable.

[Gnarnia]

Old McDonald leads you out to the pasture, answering your questions as he goes. "So far as I can tell, I'm the only one cursed ta be losin' livestock. None of the other farmers around here are havin' trouble, and the guards haven't received any other complaints.

The fence is tall enough that they couldn't run off even if they wanted to. They're mostly dairy cows, so it's not as if they'd have reason to run off anyways.

It always happens that we go to bed, and come the next morning we find one of 'em missing. It doesn't happen every night, but it's happening often enough that soon I'll have no cows left. I've tried staying up through the night, watchin the pasture, just in case it was a wyvern or somethin flyin' off with them, but I didn't see a thing and still one of the cows went missin that very night."

Reaching the pasture doesn't take long. It's a typical, mundane affair... a large swath of fenced in prairie being lazily munched upon by several head of cattle.


Old McDonald raises no objection, but where exactly are you going to scout and are you trying to do it stealthily or no. There's the farmhouse, the barn, the front yard, and the pasture. The pasture's about 1 hectare in size (about 2.5 football fields)

[AngryCyc]

Soll

Following on, Soll chimes in "Well I'm glad to see you've been vigilant about it. Your advice will help us narrow down the possibilities. Attack from the air seems to be ruled out... Do you know of what the land is like underground? Something may be digging up under the earth and snagging a cow. Additionally, someone might be magic-ing them away... We'll need to set up a constant watch on them while we wait for whatever to make it's move again.

How long ago was the last vanishing?"

[Ralasha]

Iyomori speaks for the first time in days, "It would be helpful to gather all of the cows in a line, or two lines so that all of us in concert could keep watch over the entirety of the herd. We would then have a higher likelihood of noticing when one goes missing. If it please you." She bows as she says the last sentence.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Ketha nods at Iyomori, listening respectfully. "Not a bad idea." . She scratches her forehead with the side of her spear, deep in thought. "Actually it would be faster to just ask the cows what they think is happening. In a pinch, I can probably speak 'Cow'. Gimme a minute first though."


Ketha looks down at everyone's shoes and boots and takes a mental inventory. She then begins to search for other tracks.



Bit of a long shot, Ketha should be able to find any tracks under DC 10.

survival [roll0]

Anything higher than DC 10 requires a tracking feat which Ketha does not have.

[Gnarnia]

"I've been losin one or two cows a week. The last one was about 5 days ago so it's certainly due to happen again soon."

Ketha has no difficulty finding tracks. There are hoof and boot prints all over the place. Following them, however, proves to be too difficult with so many animals in a confined space.

[Ralasha]

"Ketha dear. I suggest looking around the perimeter, rather than within the pen."

[AngryCyc]

Soll begins slowly walking through the area while using Detect Evil, focusing in on one area at a time to get a full reading on it, before heading on to the next area... paying particular attention to making sure each of the cows falls into the area at some point.

[Tychris1]

Marcus will be inspecting the Barn and then the Farmhouse, and if he has enough time, the front yard in that order. He isn't trying to do it stealthily, as that would just seem odd, and instead he just gingerly strolls through, humming a tune he has in his head. Though he does it at a bit of a brisk pace.

[avr]

"Might as well check for magic traces, I guess." Spike dismounts and casts Detect Magic. She scans over the immediate area (including McDonald) before following Soll.

Spellcraft check in case it's needed: [roll0]

[Ralasha]

Iyomori finds a relatively safe area to sit, and casts prestidigitation to make the surface clean. Then sits, pulls out a cup, and begins drinking tea from it as she watches the others quietly.

She pats a cow on the snout when it comes over, rubbing it's nose and smiling softly at it.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Ketha did a double take at the halfling making tea but decided not to say anything. She bends over and grabs a small clump of grass and rubs it in her hands.

"Oh great plain spirits grant me your favor..." Ketha slowly releases the grass and it blows away through her fingers. She continues on completing her spell and ending with a series of moos and grunts.



Ketha casts "speak with animals"'
duration 3 minutes.


In Cow:


"Hail plain sisters! Some of your friends and sisters have gone missing recently. What has been happening here? We've come to try to help"

[Gnarnia]

Soll wanders about the pasture, with a look of concentration on his face.

You sense no evil in the area.

Spike wanders about the pasture, not far behind Soll, with a look of concentration on her face as well. He pauses briefly some distance into the pasture.

Mostly you just detect the magic items carried by your companions. Just as it's starting to feel like a fruitless endeavor, you sense a very dim aura of magic some distance into the pasture. The sense is very dull, as though leftover disturbance from powerful magic rather than an active spell. You're unable to determine what school of magic is associated to the aura.

Iyomori sits in a small patch of crisp green grass and pours herself some tea.

The tea is delicious, as always.

Ketha starts grunting and mooing. It looks somewhat ridiculous, but the cows seem to appreciate it as several walk over to her and begin mooing and snorting back at her.

Several cows respond to your query with a variety of remarks "I like grass" "Not know where other cows went" "I like grass too" "I saw half a cow once" "I make milk" "I was by a cow and then it was gone" "I make milk too" "I like grass" "I'm pooping"

While everyone's attention is on the pasture, Marcus walks over to the barn and takes a peek inside.

You peek inside the barn and see a cow's head looking over the wall of one of the stalls. You also see someone using a pitchfork to move hay around the same stall. The cow starts to leave the stall... holy crap, the cow and the person are the same thing! It's the body of a person with the head of a cow! If you had a rank in knowledge: nature you might hazard a guess as to what it was, but all you can think now is "Damn nature, you scary!" It doesn't seem to have noticed you.

[Tychris1]

Marus woefully regrets not studying up on natural things, but assumes that if it is doing labor on the farm and is vaguely human then it is also probably not dangerous. Who knows, maybe it even knew where McDonalds daughter was. Pulling out his Fiddle, Marcus leaned against the entrance of the barn and began to softly play it. His words carried over by the notes of his music, all in a grand attempt to mesmerize the cow-thing into spilling the beans.

"Hey there, pretty little thing, I've been looking for Old McDonalds daughter all morning. She around here somewhere?......"

He simply let his words drift through the air, laced with honey, and heavily implying with his eyebrows that he was looking for an answer.

Perform:[roll0]
Diplomacy:[roll1]

[AngryCyc]

"I detect no evil here. Whatever is taking the cattle, it has not left a malevolent aura around..."

Dude I'm laughing my ass off. Seriously? All of this. This whole game. Just... Just awesome. My money is on the farmers daughter being a Minotaur. In which case... Dibbs!

[avr]

Spike traces the outline of the area with a stick as best as she can see or remember it then calls out "Over here! This is where they vanished, 'm sure of it! Guess it can't have been demons, hey?"

Without waiting for a response she begins searching the area for tracks which don't belong there.

Search can be used to find tracks or signs of passage, though not to follow them. [roll0]

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Ketha frowns slightly. Talking to animals was always hit or miss.

"It sounds like the cows just disappear - these cows dunno what's going on. They like the grass though." Ketha smiles warmly at the cows.


Cow:


"I like grass too but I don't eat it much. Is it day or night when the other cows disappear? What do you mean by half a cow? Where was the other half? " Ketha asks another barrage of questions.

[Gnarnia]

Marcus continues his side investigation.

The cow-girl looks up from her work and loses grip of her pitchfork, letting it fall into the hay as she becomes entranced by the handsome virtuoso's swansong. She walks over to him, her big brown eyes wide with wonder. "I'm McDonald's daught!"... the excitement on her face fades.... "Oh, you're probably looking for Beryl, she's in the house somewhere." Her shoulders fall and she turns to mope back into the barn.

Spike crouches low to the ground (she doesn't have far to go), searching the area where the dim magical aura was sensed.

Sadly you find only normal signs of passage. Hoof prints and the same boot prints you've seen elsewhere around the pasture. Nothing that looks like it doesn't belong or out of place.

Several cows are following Ketha around the pasture, mooing over one another in inane happiness at the conversation and jostling eachother for the opportunity to chat.

"You're nice" "It always happens at night" "I'm pooping again" "Is that bird nice?" "I don't know, it was near where that little farmer is. The back half of a cow was standing there, with no front half" "Can you milk me?"

[Tychris1]

Marcus nearly gagged on his own tongue when the Cow-girl mentioned she was the Farmer's daughter. Surely he couldn't marry this.... Thing. Ketha could keep her for all he cared. He almost began to start hurling when the thoight wormed its way through him some more, only to be pacified by the news there may be another, more weddable and certainly beddable daughter.

"Oh thank the gods! Now to go searching through this house!"

He thinks to himself, a sense of euphoria washing over him as he began to run wild with his imagination. Like a young child he began to fantasize about his reward, and how she would appear. His gleeful and dirty thoughts grinded to a halt when the Cow Girl began to mope. Ugh. Marcus began to scratch his head awkwardly, not entirely sure what to do. He didn't want to be a jerk, but.... well he was a bit of jerk. But he wasn't heartless! Atleast he didn't think so. He was pretty sure. Grimacing, he took a sharp breathe in....

"Please don't be clingy and emotional, please don't be clingy and emotional, please don't be clingy and emotional, please don't be clingy and emotional. I'm just trying to be nice, don't cry, and please don't overthink this or get too attached. Please don't..."

And stepped forward, placing a hand on the Cow Girls shoulder, and turning her towards him with a smile.

"I'll get to her later, right now I want to hear from you. I need you to tell me everything you know about these disappearing live stock. Spare no details, it's very important I learn as much as I can, and I promise I'm a good listener. Oh, where are my manners. The name is Marcus. Adventurer Extraordinaire. Travelling bard, hero, and a wicked good fiddle player,"

And with that he backpedaled, pulled out his Fiddle, and played some tunes wreathed in Warlock magic, shooting off an Eldritch Bolt harmlessly into a pile of hay in the process. A toothy grin enroached his face as he bowed.

"And I do mean wicked good. But enough about me! There must be a name behind such a kind face, tell me, to whom do Inhave the pleasure of addressing. It would be very disrespectful of me to take a job from your father, or interview a potential witness, without knowing the names of his lovely daughters."

[Gnarnia]

The young minotaur woman gasps at the display of magic. "Oh, you must be one of the adventurers Pa was talking about hiring! My name's Mildred and I'm pleased to meet you. I don't know if there's much I could tell you about it, just what he complains about during dinner anyways. Pa takes care of the pasture, I take care of the barn but they've never gone missing from here. It always happens at night when they're out in the pasture. At first we thought someone might be stealing them, but it's usually not more than one at a time that goes missing and we've lost too many overall for it to be some kid's prank." She scratches her head, "That's about all I can think of."

[avr]

Spike stands up, dusting off her knees "They covered up their traces too well. Unless anyone else has ideas I guess we'll have to watch tonight. Where's Marcus got to?"

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

"I think hes checking the perimeter. Sounds like something happened over by you Spike - but I dunno what. We should watch that spot too" Ketha offers.

She turns back to the cows and began emphatically moo'ing again. Ketha motioned to an area in the open nearer to the barn.


Cow:


"You girls mind sleeping in a row over by the barn? we're hoping to catch who ever is making off wiff your sisters."



Ketha gently rubs the top of the head of one of the cows and feeds another one some grass she pulled from the ground. It was good to be out of the city.

[Tychris1]

Marcus smiles, contemplating whether or not it would be considered rude to pat the Minotaur on the head. Deciding to err on the side of caution, he doesn't, and simply decides to move himself along asap.

"You've done me a great service, Mildred, I can't thank you enough, I am in your debt,"

He did a quick flourish with his hand, a bow, and promptly turned behind him

"Now, I have to talk to Beryl aswell. Can you be so kind as to point me in the right direction? I seem to be rather lost in this wide expanse of a farm."

[Gnarnia]

At Spike's query, you glance around, and can make out Marcus standing at the entrance to the barn, about 150 feet away, talking to someone.

The cows crowding around Ketha moo happily and lick the grass from her hands.The cows moo in agreement to your request and will do as you've asked

The young woman gives you a curious look before smiling and pointing you towards the farmhouse not at all distant from where you're now standing. It's the only house on the property.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Ketha smiles again and then says " The cows have agreed to stick together over there by the barn tonight. I was thinking we could camp between the cows and the 'SPOT' but dats up to you guys." Ketha emphasises the word 'spot' unsure of how to refer to it.

[Tychris1]

Marcus, with a bit of a blush, bows and awkwardly walks away to the farmhouse.

[Gnarnia]

McDonald Farmstead, 18th day of Silversun, 11:00 pm

The remainder of the day passes peacefully, if not a little slowly. The cows meander about the pasture, munching on grass. Small flocks of birds come and go, as does the occasional farmer making his or her way up the roads with carts drawn by horses or ponies. As night falls, the cows do as requested and line up in a neat row next to the barn and go to sleep.

It's a clear evening, and the starlit skies cast a very pale glow over the landscape. The light of torches and candles can be seen in the distance, growing more bright as you turn your eyes towards the city, and much more sparsely lit as you turn your eyes to the countryside. With Marcus having rejoined you, you take up positions of hiding around the field in the hopes of catching whoever might be stealing the cows, and paying particular attention to "the spot".

The evening seems as peaceful and quiet as the daytime, but around eleven o'clock you here a very faint humming sound that seems to be coming from somewhere underground. It's easy to miss and it's only by checking with one another that you're able to confirm that you're really hearing something over the din of the crickets and frogs chirping.

The walk from barn to farmhouse is uneventful. The building is rather plain, but looks sturdy, two stories in height. When you knock on the door, a young man in overalls who appears to be in his late teens or early twenties answers the door. "Um... Hello. Can I help you?"

[Tychris1]

A smile stretched across Marcus' face as he knocked on the door. Thoughts of a buxom house wife flashing through his mind. His smile persisted as the door opened, only to crumble apart as he saw the teenager in front of him. His face blanches, his tongue stuttering for words.

"I-I-I, I'm s-sorry. Do I have the wrong house? I'm..... Looking for....... Beryl?"

[Ralasha]

Iyomori casts Detect Magic, and readies magic missile.

[avr]

Spike mounts up and casts Dancing Lights where she detected magic earlier. "Ready" she sings out softly.

[Gnarnia]

Iyomori opens her mind to the presence of magical emanations. You sense a strong aura of magic actively located in the field ahead of you, at the same location where only a faint lingering aura was previously detected.

Spike hops aboard her Chocobo who squaks happily. She flicks her wrist and speaks some words of magic, but nothing happens, at least not initially. The patch of grass is still there, looking the same as it ever did. A few moments later though, about 30 feet further from where she'd tried to cast it, four colorful globes of light wink into existence bobbing and drifting along.


The young man looks unsurprised. "Hey Beryl, there's someone at the door for you!" With that, he turns and walks elsewhere in the house.

Not long after, a rather attractive young woman in her twenties emerges from the kitchen wearing a flour covered apron. Like her brother, this one also has a human head attached to a human body. "Hello? Can I help you?"

[Ralasha]

Iyomori begins walking towards it. "It's here."

[avr]

"Something certainly is." mutters Spike. The lights move one at a time, probing the edges of the effect as Spike and Fluffy move to a few feet to Iyomori's left.

[Tychris1]

Marcus had drifted off into a light doze, his head vagrantly bobbing to some unknown beat as he dreamed the night away. That is until the talking started, grunting he began to wake himself up and vacantly ask.

"So, who's going in first? We gonna sneak up on it or just blast it immediately while we can?"

He propped his chin against his chin guard, readying his eldritch bolts of energy in the process.

Marcus almost released a sigh of relief when it turned out the young man wasn't Beryl. Blood began to rush to his face, his heart thumping as he saw the prize that awaited him, and his previous anxiety melted away into his normal cool and collected form. Flashing a devilish smile he leaned himself against the side of the doorframe and cooed.

"Well, aren't you just the most beautiful thing I've seen all this month. MacDonald couldn't offer a better prize. Names Marcus, I'm nothing special, just the Traveling virtuoso leader of a group of heroes. We're here to handle the Cattle theft problem, though personally I think their are better things to be had on this farm....."

He paused for a moment, ever so slightly raising an eyebrow

"Now, Lady Beryl, it will be most helpful for me if I can collect information. Get as many points of views as I can for this and see it from all the angles. I need you to give me a breakdown of everything you know about the incidents, no matter how small.... Can you walk and talk? I find most of my best thinking happens when I move."

He pushed off the door frame, motioning for her to follow him around the farmhouse.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Ketha yawns and shakes some leaves out of her hair. "whut am I looking at?" she asks no one in particular. She blinks twice looking at the 'spot' unsure what is happening.

[Ralasha]

"Only one way to find out." She steps into the area.

[Gnarnia]

The demure spellcaster steps across the threshold and vanishes from view. The night remains as calm and peaceful as it was before, but she's no longer anywhere to be seen.


As you step across the threshold, your vision goes wonky (for lack of a better term). You can still make out your companions, but their forms are blurry and indistinct. It's like looking at them as though through eyeglasses rubbed with lard. You can also still hear them as well, slightly muffled. Your vision doesn't extend very far, as it turns to misty fog in all directions not too far from where you're now standing.

As you go to take another step, you notice you're now floating just slightly above the ground as though weightless.


You recognize this as the Ethereal plane. One of the transitive planes which overlaps the prime material.



The young woman's demeanor sours a little as Marcus lays in immediately with flirtations "Hello, Marcus. I'll be happy to help solve Pa's cattle thefts however I can, but I'll have you know I'm engaged." She darts past him and points him in the direction of the pasture.

She's not able to relay anything more than her younger sister has (a little less, in fact), simply that she knows some of the dairy cows have gone missing at night, and that her father has enlisted the guard to investigate but no sign of the culprit has yet been found.

[Ralasha]

Iyomori quickly attempts to guide herself out of the planar portal. :smalleek:

"Stay out, and throw me a rope!"

[avr]

(If Spike can hear Iyomori)
"Hang on!" She gets a rope out of her saddlebags and ties one end to the saddle, then throwing the end with the grappling hook in the direction of the sound.

(If not)
"Guess we're looking for whatever stole Iyomori, Ketha" She probes the area where Iyomori vanished with the tip of her lance.

[Ralasha]

If no rope is forthcoming: If any section of the lance passes into the ethereal Iyo attempts to grab it, to use as a line.

[Gnarnia]

Unable to hear Iyomori, Spike extends her lance into the area and a portion of it vanishes from view. Not long afterwards though, she feels someone or something tugging on the other end. A moment later, Iyomori pops back into view. She looks unharmed.

You call out your warning, but the others don't seem to hear. As you're looking around, you see Spike probing the area with his lance. The end is clearly in view, rather than the hazy distortion that the rest of it has, so you grab hold and pull yourself back across the threshold, though it offers no resistance and you begin to suspect you could've just walked back across, at least for now. As you're leaving, you can hear a faint "Moo" from somewhere up above you.

[Ralasha]

"It's an inter-planar portal."

[avr]

"Oooh! To some exotic land of adventure with demons and genies and weird monsters?" She thinks for a moment "And were the cows there or had they been eaten?"

[Ralasha]

"Into the ether, actually. Saw no cows. Best to fence it off."

[avr]

"Huh. We should show McDonald I guess and then keep watch in case some ... Ether dragon comes out tonight?" Spike remarks hopefully.

[Ralasha]

"The wise fish does not taunt the shark." ((LOL face.))

[Tychris1]

Marcus, upon hearing the words "Ether" and "Demons" promptly clapped his hands together and nervously tried to sound nonchalant.

"Well I think we all learned a lesson, and I learned a little something, so how about we pack up and head on back to the farmhouse to tell Old Mcdonald what's going down. I'm pretty sure different planes are well out of our jurisdiction, SO I'm thinking beef. Anyone interested in eating some beef?"

His hands twiddled and fiddled nervously, bouncing around his pockets as he looked at the portal and began to circle around where Iyomori walked through, trying to get a better view of it.

Marcus paused for a moment, the gears turning in his head as he slowly and cautiously asked.

"So.... You're not the reward for our quest?"

[Ralasha]

"I may be able to seal it. Physically. But even if I can... it would likely take me a couple of days."

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Ketha shoots Marcus a dirty look. "Dis is a dairy farm - don't let the cows hear you talk like that." she says in a hushed tone.

[avr]

Spike shrugs "Then there's no need to start shutting it now. I'm with Marcus, let's find out what McDonald wants done. Um, and if he wants to pay for a couple of days of your work in more than dinners. I don't think you were looking for a wife?"

She heads down to the farmhouse without waiting for an answer.

[Ralasha]

She shrugs mentally as she follows, and gives spike a playful spank. Then tries to look innocent.

[AngryCyc]

"I'll keep watch on this spot, lest anything make its way out..."

Soll keeps a vigilant watch, casting a constant Detect Evil so that he might not be caught off guard by anything nefarious slipping through.

[Gnarnia]

Spike heads to the farmhouse and bangs on the door a few times. After a minute or two, the door opens to old McDonald standing before you in a nightgown and cap, holding a candle.

"Sorry, an interplanar what now?" he asks, scratching his head. "I don't rightly know what you're talking about, but I ain't never had a skill with magic. Are you sure that's what's happened to my missin' cows? Did you find some sign of them in there?"

[Ralasha]

"Fairly certain. They may be in there... but even attempting to retrieve them could be danherous."

[avr]

"I thought they'd been eaten?" Spike mutters. Out loud, "We can check again, Master McDonald, but the question is what you'd want done beyond that. A bit of fencing should stop the cows wandering through on their own, if not other things wandering on to your farm from the other side. Properly blocking it would take Iyomori a few days and a dinner isn't going to cover that. I don't think" she gives Iyomori an odd look "that she wants the hand of your daughter in marriage. Is there anything more you could offer?"

[Ralasha]

"I will take her as an apprentice."