The party see someone going around posting pamphlets advertising a ceremony happening in town. Grimm wonders if there will be an open bar and pockets the poster. The person posting them approaches the group and asks if they are going to attend. She explains “when the elderly here are no longer fit for work and are in pain and anguish and wish to move on to their final death, we uhm… we all gather around the base of the clock tower as they leap off into the arms of god.” Beau says that he’s not interested while Grimm exclaims that he “love[s] to see people jump to their death”.

Wickermoor Village

The party head to the tavern to discuss everything from the past few days. Not a single one is interested in staying at the Druskenvalds. The innkeeper welcomes them and Eleana just shouts “ALCOHOL!” She brings over a bottle of imported Purple Grape Mash #4. Grimm buys one for himself. The party knock it back taking in what they had just been through. While nice tasting, the alcohol content isn’t high enough for Grimms new form. Eavesdropping, the group hear some strange rumors from the townsfolk. Every night fires have been dotting the horizon paired with the sound of drumming. No one really knows what this is or who is behind it. Stranger even, they hear that local children have been growing strange patches of fur all of the sudden. Finally having a moment to explore the strange town they’re in, the party discuss what they want to do. Zora is keen to visit the apothecary, especially since hearing the strange rumors. Grimm agrees, saying it’s his expertise. Osiera, Jiwho and Eleana are just happy to tag along and window shop. Beau tells the party: “I’m, uh actually… I’m just gonna wander for a bit. Go and see what I can get off into.”

Zora looks at Beau as if silently asking for permission to go with Grimm. (She is still under the effect of Beau’s charm). → →→→→→→→→→→

Before heading out, Grimm buys even more alcohol – a bottle, several shots, and two large tankards of ale in to-go cups. OH, and he also fills his waterskin with ale. They say goodbye to Beau, tell him to make good choices, then head off to town.

E: “Bye Beau”

G: “Bye Beau”

B: “Bye, see y’all later”

O: “Don’t die. Or do. Whatever”

Z: “Make good choices”

Looking for magical nicknacks, the group enter a shop drowning in weird and strange artifacts for sale. In the window there is high level weaponry worth thousands. In a locked box there is a shortsword +3 displayed behind the counter. There are two men with arms crossed standing menacing in the corner just watching. The shopkeep greets the party and offer them his wares.

He displays for them a trauma pipe (pipe of remembrance) and a magical compass. The compass intrigues Zora and she pulls out her own explaining to the shopkeep that hers doesn’t point north like compasses are meant to do. The shopkeep asks to buy it from Zora, an offer she declines and instead buys the pipe because her memory isn’t that good.

He continues asking too many questions making Zora conspiratorial and Eleana suspicious. Zora explains that the compass helped them navigate the Ghostlight Express to defeat the haints, also revealing that it pointed towards the cemetery in town. The shopkeep is intrigued and offers her a chance to trigger her compass again. “I know of another machine, like the ghostlight express. Perhaps if it was triggered by the thing that runs the ghostlight maybe it could be triggered again. This is not a train however, but a boat.” He says the Boat is in a place called Stranger Ferryworks (a name which the party have seen before aboard the Ghostlight). He offers to keep in touch and share information about the boat if Zora shares similar information about her compass. Zora accepts and the shopkeep gives her the pipe for free (which Zora is incapable of taking and gives him 20gp).

Zora feels a strange connection with this person, sensing that he can help her and receives Bless for 24 hours. Curious to see if the shopkeep genuinely wants to help or if there is some nefarious purpose behind the niceties, Eleana rolls an insight check. She learns that he does have an ulterior motive and he does seem very interested in the compass but he doesn’t seem nefarious, just excitable. They talk about rings, a ratty cloak, and his overpriced bird cage before realizing that there isn’t much in this store they can afford and leave.

Zora’s Heart to Heart

Eleana asks Zora if she’s doing alright

Outside of the apothecary is a sign saying “Walk-ins Available”. As they enter they see a (hot)🥵 androgynous ginger person sitting behind a desk that welcomes them, hands them forms, and gestures to the waiting room. Sitting down and reading the forms they notice a section that says “ask for the secret menu” which the group definitely ask about. They explain that it refers to experimental potions that haven’t been tested and might have unpredictable side effects.

Eleana silently hands over her form and sits back down to wait. They look down, look at Eleana, look down again. “All I’ve really got for that is two things: One is 500 gold and will help with that for quite a while. The other one is just a basic potion of healing.” Eleana asks if there’s anything else they have because she can’t afford that. They reply “Unfortunately, no. I can give you this on the house. Just a couple of things that I’ve crushed up and made into pills” (it’s aspirin). Eleana thanks them, pops a pill and also buys a potion of healing. Zora looks at Grimm with an eyebrow raised.

Grimm requests a paranormal potion and something to “help [him] evolve”. The shopkeep quips he can help de-volve but not evolve. He offers some potions: Lillypad Tonic, jinxed Rum, and Silence of the Drowned. Grimm buys the silence potion which “makes everything around you not be able to speak for 20 minutes. Reason you’re not going to be able to speak is ‘cause you’re going to have tentacles coming out of your mouth.”

Osiera buys the heightened potency of the Lillypad Tonic which gives the drinker 6 doeses of polymorph in the form of a frog that doesn’t require concentration.

Grimm leans over to Morgan and quietly asks if they knows of anyone in town who has any dealings with experimental procedures with the goal of making someone “better”. Morgan says he doesn’t but to keep looking around. Eleana asks if he’s heard the rumors in town and again he doesn’t. He says he’s an outsider in town and there is an absentness to him that the group notice. The party thank him, tell him to feel better and leave.

O: “What is going on in this town?”

Z: “Everyone seems worse off than the last”

Jiwho heads over to the school but before he walks in Eleana stops him.

E:   “Do you know what that guy was talking about when he approached you? That seemed real strange”

J:    (in undercommon) “I tried to absolve myself of the sin of our people and I think I unleashed the worst part of me.”                       

E:   (In undercommon) “IM SORRY, WHAT?”       

O:  (In common) “You know it’s kind of rude to talk in another language  infront of people”

Z:   (In Elvish) “Yeah!”

E:   (In Elvish) “Very sorry about that”

J:   (In common?) “I’m sorry, I did not mean to offend. Before coming   here I tried to remove the taint of my people’s  sin that was born in me through my blood. It did not end up as planned and I fear the worst part of me now walks because the part that stands before you feels no sin.”

E:   “I’m confused. Can you speak plainly? What happened?

J:   “I’m still uncertain other than I tried to cast a ritual to make myself better (he glances over) as some of us know evolution sometimes has setbacks. In my evolution to remove myself of wickedness I saw my twin before he vanished. I’ve seen him here as well and I fear, after talking to this teacher, that it is my twin who committed these murders that he spoke of.”

O:   “Are you guys identical or fraternal?”

J:   “neither. Anything is possible when magic is involved, especially magic that comes from aliens beyond.”  

Z:   “So my heads messed up, you have an alien twin?”

J:   “Pretty much”

E:   “You beget evil into this world?”

Z:   “Osiera lost her sister. Eleana has a brain! Grimm, anything to add?”

G:   “I just want to be as powerful as I can be. I’m just a normal werewolf guy.”