Hello, everyone! WaterDragonMaverick here with the 10th chapter of my Owl House Dungeons and Dragons fanfic, "Your Turn To Roll". Last time, our heroes managed to find and defeat a coven of hags that were causing a plague around the island of Helhemichi. After they returned to Kachidoki Village, they met a doctor who helped the town while they were battling the hags. With him joining them on the ship, the party is now heading off for the island of Orphechelon.
With this, we begin a new story arc that will eventually bring our heroes to Level 5, showing that things will become more intense. Especially as I add in some familiar things from The Owl House series, especially a certain item that was important.
If you're wondering about the doctor's stats, here they are.
Doctor Bartholomew Chaplin Jr. aka "Buddy"
Level 6 Grave Cleric
Strength: 8 (-1)
Dexterity: 12 (+1)
Constitution: 13 (+1)
Intelligence: 18 (+4)
Wisdom: 20 (+5)
Charisma: 15 (+2)
The Owl House is owned by Disney and was created by Dana Terrace
Dungeons and Dragons is published by Wizards of the Coast and was created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson
Vee was going over her notes for the next campaign session when she heard Camila humming a song to herself as she came in the front door. "Hey, Mom. Do you know where Luz is," she asked.
"I think she was talking with her friend, Viney. That girl with the fish hook earring that helps me in my clinic," Camila said, reminding Vee of the intern.
"Oh, right. I remember now. I wonder when she'll be ready to play," Vee said, questioning when a new player would come in. Just then, Luz came in with Willow and the others. "Hey, did you talk with your friends?"
"Viney said she thinks she has a character, but needs to check things over with Jerbo and Barcus," Luz said, mentioning Viney's other friends.
"Alright. Is everyone ready," Vee asked, getting replies from King and the teenagers. "Alright. When we last left off, you left Helhemichi Island after beating a coven of hags. Joining you on the Luminous Gull is Bartholomew Chaplin Jr., a doctor who was traveling to help Kachidoki Village when he received word of the Blood Inves spread. As all of you are hard at work maintaining the ship and keeping everything in order under Captain Marsh's watchful eye, Chaplin steps into view and sees how everyone's doing."
"I'll head over and ask him why he took so long to reach Helhemichi," Gus said before voicing his Gnome Wizard, Wrenn Shadowcloak. "Excuse me, Doctor? Can I ask why it took you so long to reach Helhemichi?"
"Oh, it was quite sudden. I took a small boat to reach Helhemichi, but halfway into the journey, some sort of creature attacked. I was able to drive it away, but my vessel took too much damage and it sank just before the island. Thankfully, I had magic to grant me safe travel onto the shore," Vee said in her impression of David McCallum for Chaplin's voice.
"How so," Gus asked as Wrenn.
"I was able to cast Water Walk, which allowed me to reach the surface and take a casual stroll toward my destination. But I needed new transportation to Orphechelon, so that's why I'm joining you," Vee elaborated in Chaplin's voice.
"Interesting. It's a funny coincidence because we recently gained a ring that allows the wearer to walk on water," Gus remarked as Wrenn.
"Life's full of moments of irony and coincidence that make it enjoyable when you reflect on it," Vee said as Chaplin.
"While that's happening, I'll attune to my new ring as I work," Hunter said.
"Same with me and my new Cloak of Elvenkind," King added.
"Okay, then. As you go about your duties on the ship, you attune yourselves to the magic items you recently acquired. Caleb feels as if a magical aura envelopes his body like a second layer while Reverence tests out the cloak by blending it in with the wood of the ship. Removing the hood returns it to the color you desire when not active," Vee described.
"Then I want it to be a cool shade of black. Helps with my roguish look," King declared.
"Hehehehe… 'Ever since I was a small child, I was living on the streets. I had to wrestle alley bears for food and fight guards for my freedom.' You're not an edgelord, King," Gus joked.
"I still think black works best because I'd blend into the shadows with it," the younger boy said.
"Good point. Anyways, back to the game. I think that as we pass the time on the Gull, Philomena would try to study what's in the books we took from the hags," Amity said.
"Same with Wrenn," Gus added.
"Noted. You take the time needed to research the books while the others continue their work," Vee described. "Anybody want to do anything?"
"Oh! How about I roll for Performance to entertain everyone," Luz says as she gives her d20 a toss. "I got an 18 on my die for a total of 23."
"What do you do for entertaining the crew," Vee asked.
Luz responded by getting out her phone and playing a certain song from her music list, which she then began to sing as Carmen.
"Yo hohoho, yo hohoho~
Yo hohoho, yo hohoho~
Yo hohoho, yo hohoho~
Yo hohoho, yo hohoho~
Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew~
Sea wind blows, to where, who knows? The waves will be our guide~
O'er across the ocean's tide~
Rays of sunshine far and wide~
Birds they sing, of cheerful things, in circles passing by~"
Hearing the familiar song, the rest of the table couldn't help but join in as well. After they finished singing, Vee began to narrate the scene. "As you sing that familiar tune, all the sailors join in and the work goes by a lot smoother as they sing. Even Captain Marsh and Doctor Chaplin sing along."
"After hearing them all sing that, Caleb would go and speak with Carmen," Hunter said before voicing his Paladin. "Where did you learn that song? I never took you for a vocalist."
"My captain loved to sing it with her crew on the Strix. I learned how to play and sing it while sailing with her. Even learned some other songs to perform and learned how to act," Luz replied as Carmen.
"Huh. Never realized that pirates had a joyous song like that," Hunter says in Caleb's voice.
"There's more to the world than what the Empire thinks there is," Luz stated as Carmen.
Rolling her dice quietly, Vee looked at the results before saying what the next moment was. "By the time afternoon comes, you notice another ship approaching. From what you can tell based on the ship's flag and design, it's a galley that acts like a merchant ship. Seeing the boat, Captain Marsh speaks up to the crew as everyone's gathered together on the main deck," she told everyone before voicing the captain. "We're getting close to Orphechelon Island. Prepare to dock at the harbor."
"And where would that be," King asked as Reverence.
"That would be the town of Lotara Port," Vee said as Chaplin. "It has quite a fascinating history behind itself. It used to be home to a variety of races such as Centaurs, Minotaurs, Tabaxi, Orcs, and Dragonborn. This was alongside Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes. But there was also plenty of conflict over the years against other settlements because of territorial disputes and monster attacks. Eventually, it was an all-out war until everyone banded together to face off against a pair of dragons that attacked the island."
"Whoa. What happened," Luz asked as Carmen.
"After the dragons attacked, a group of warriors fought to defeat both. They were driven off to separate ends of the island. Lotara Port was named after the dragon that was killed in that area. While she was bested, she ended up killing the warriors who fought against her," Vee explained in Chaplin's voice. "To this day, the dragon slayers are celebrated as heroes and are buried with full honors in the island's largest burial ground. I could tell you more, but the memorials there will tell the full story."
"Sounds interesting. Maybe we should go and see it," Gus said as Wrenn.
"I wouldn't be against it," Willow said as Sariel.
"We just have to deal with our main business first," Hunter voiced as Caleb. "When we get to Orphechelon, we need to get in contact with the Alexandrian Empire outpost there."
"Ah, yes. The Empire helped aid in the reconstruction of the island's cities back when those dragons attacked. They were quite the help," Vee said as Chaplin. "However, there's always good and bad to a person. One cannot have light without casting shadows. The size of them depends on what's on display."
"Ooh! Cryptic. You know that somebody's wise when they say stuff like that," Gus remarked.
"Soon, the Luminous Gull reaches Lotara Port and docks at the harbor. As everyone ensures things are secured, the Captain steps off the boat to handle the paperwork with the harbor master. When Marsh returns, they look at you all," Vee says before doing her voice for Captain Marsh. "And with this, our travels together have come to a close. I appreciate all the help you've given us, especially when those mercenaries attacked."
"You're welcome, Captain. We're glad to have helped," Amity replied in Philomena's voice.
"May we meet again in favorable conditions," Vee says as Captain Marsh.
"Same to you," Luz added in Carmen's voice. "And we all get off the boat."
"Your group steps off the Luminous Gull and onto the harbor of Lotara Port. When you get there, you see everything seems well-maintained. Stable buildings on the dock, cranes moving goods on and off other vessels, plenty of dock workers effectively handling their duties, and the smell of salty sea air fills your noses alongside fresh fish," Vee described.
"Ah, this is wonderful," Luz says as Carmen, sniffing the air to show her character was doing the same.
"We might as well ask around town where the outpost is," Hunter said as Caleb. "If Doctor Chaplin's story is any clue, the Empire would likely have an outpost or two on this island. Most likely, they're placed where the dragons were first seen or where they were killed."
"With that, how would everyone like to gather their information," Vee asked.
"We could split up into pairs and search," Amity suggested.
"Or I could take with the local animals thanks to my spells," Willow suggested.
"Or maybe we talk with the guy who says he has family here," King remarked, reminding everyone of the NPC ally.
"Everything works, really," Gus mentioned. "I say we talk with Buddy, then start searching."
"Works for me," Luz says.
"Okay, Caleb will turn to the doctor and ask him," Hunter says before voicing his character. "Doctor, do you know where the Empire outpost is?"
Vee rolled her d20 and facepalmed at the result, signaling for everyone to look at the roll. "Ouch. Natural 1. Guess his age is getting to him," King remarked.
"When you ask this question, Buddy ponders for a moment before he frowns," Vee stated. "Dreadfully sorry, but I've never needed to visit the outpost myself," she said in his voice.
"Then we better split up and search," Gus suggested as Wrenn.
"I'll go with Wrenn," King says.
"I'll head off with Sariel," Luz declared.
"That leaves me with Caleb," Amity voiced.
"And Buddy will go with Wrenn and Reverence," Vee declared. "Okay, I'd like Investigation, Perception, or Persuasion rolls from each of you. See if you can find anything on your own or by asking around," she stated.
The sound of clattering dice filled the room as everyone made their rolls. "I have a 16 to make 23 for Investigation," Gus declared.
"19 total on Perception for me," Willow says.
"Ugh, that's 5 total on Perception for me," Luz muttered. "At least I'm with Sariel."
"I got a natural 20 for Investigation," King exclaimed happily. "That's 22 total."
"12 total on Persuasion," Amity says.
"12 for me as well," Hunter says.
"And Doctor Bartholomew Chaplin gets 21 total for Perception," Vee says. "When all of you split up, the group of Buddy, Wrenn, and Rev all manage to find the outpost within 10 minutes."
"Dang, they got good rolls," Luz remarked.
"As for the rest of you, after Carmen got turned around because of the new location, Sariel spots a sign that says the outpost was on another street in the opposite direction. And for Caleb and Philomena, you ended up asking enough locals until they point you in the right direction. Everyone meets up with Buddy's group as the doctor has treated the Gnome and Tiefling to a cup of tea at a store around the corner from the station," Vee states.
"Excellent, you've found the outpost," Hunter said as Caleb.
"And a tea shop I quite enjoy," Vee said as Chaplin.
"So, are we still going to let you send me back to my family? I don't want anything to do with my mother," Amity stated as Philomena.
"Why don't you wish to return home," Hunter asked as Caleb.
"Remember those bounty hunters that attacked us before we reached Helhemichi? They came from Merlot," Amity reminded them in Philomena's voice.
"I know that Scalnoir was from there, but what does it have to do with your family," Luz replied as Carmen.
Amity took a deep breath to show Philomena was doing the same, then answered the question. "My mother put me into an arranged marriage and never let me have a word about it. My fiancé is the Duke of Merlot," she told everyone. "I ran away from my engagement and my mother sent those bounty hunters after me with my 'beloved' ordering them to."
"Do any of us know anything about the Duke of Merlot," Luz asked.
"Roll some History checks. Everyone but Philomena," Vee told the party before rolling her own d20 to see if Chaplin knew the answer himself.
"I got a natural 20," King exclaimed.
"I have a 4 to make 8," Hunter says.
"Mine is a natural 1," Gus remarked.
"Total of 3 on my roll," Willow says.
"I have the same," Luz says.
"And for Buddy, he got a modified 20," Vee states. "His travels to the country are how he has information about what the Duke of Merlot is like. As for Reverence, his background in Daggercrest Quay is what allowed him to overhear travelers who visited there before," she says before voicing Chaplin. "Oh dear, I'm afraid that you've been betrothed to a character that isn't known for his hospitality. He's considered a hero to his country because he's never lost in a battle, however, he's quite full of himself because of it."
"That's nothing. Back in Daggercrest, I heard that he's the sort of guy who fights anybody that makes him mad. Those saps never stand a chance and he never gives them one," King said as Reverence while Vee handed him a note card to read. "Not only that, but a few sailors I overheard leaving a tavern said that he's got three other wives. They complained that some men have all the luck because they're nobility."
"So the guy's a pig," Willow remarked with a deadpan voice.
"There was also this one rumor that he allied with the Empire because they offered him some sort of magic item or something. Wouldn't be surprised if it included any girl he wanted either," King added as he read the card.
"This is exactly why I didn't want to be with him," Amity stated in Philomena's voice. "I heard about his other wives and was disgusted at the idea of just being a trophy wife in a harem to a narcissistic brute. When I told my mother about it and refused to marry him, I was punished and was locked in my family's home until my older siblings helped me escape," she elaborated.
"Caleb would be shocked at this news," Hunter says. "What!? Is this what my mission was about? I was told that you were a runaway that just needed to be reasoned with. Not some sort of unwanted marriage!"
"My mother lied to you about the details, likely. Not the first time she's ever done that," Amity voiced as Philomena.
"Do you still want to send Philomena back to her witch of a mother," Luz asked in Carmen's voice.
"Ugh, no… But I still have a mission to complete. I need to bring her in for confirmation about her identity. I can't just let her go away. It would be best to at least have her go in with me and we handle this," Hunter stated as Caleb.
"Or what if she wasn't the girl you were looking for," Gus said as Wrenn. "To prove my point, I'll use Minor Illusion to form a miniature figure of Philomena that changes shape into a different elf girl."
"That's brilliant! We can send somebody else in as me," Amity said as Philomena.
"I'll do it. You've seen what I can do," King said in Rev's voice. "I'll use my character's ability to cast Disguise Self and turn into an elven girl that resembles Philomena, but has slightly different hair and eyes."
"The teenage Tiefling begins to change appearance and turns from a red-skinned demon into a nearly identical twin of Philomena Yolande," Vee described. "The resemblance is almost perfect, but just flawed enough that one would reasonably make the mistake of thinking it was you," she told Amity.
"Alright. Let's go and confirm if you're the runaway or not," Hunter said in Caleb's voice, ready to continue the story.
"Taking the disguised Reverence into the Imperial Outpost with you, you're greeted by some guards who see you're their superior officer," Vee narrated. "When you enter, a human who's a fellow Commander sees you and speaks in a deep voice. 'Hello, Commander Xiloscient. I am Commander Blake Jacobson. The last we heard, the Bloodsail Bandits attacked the members of the Imperial Guard at Bone River on Kuugaw Island. We're all glad to see you safe and sound.' He makes sure to salute you as he speaks."
"I'm happy knowing I can continue my mission," Hunter responds with Caleb's firm voice. "Speaking of which, I need to receive confirmation about if the runaway I located is who we're supposed to find," he added, gesturing to King to show Caleb's similar gesture about the disguised Reverence.
"Of course, we'll get to a communications room right away," Vee said as Jacobson. "He then leads you to a room on the second floor that has a large magic crystal that an operator begins to activate using magic. After a minute of connection, the image of a goblin with a high-collared shirt covering her mouth is visible on a projection from the crystal. The badge on her collar indicates she answers directly to the Emperor himself."
"Seeing this figure, Caleb will speak first," Hunter says before voicing his Paladin again. "Hello, Kikimika."
"It's Kallista," Vee exclaimed in a high voice for the goblin girl.
"That's what I said," Hunter remarked as Caleb, getting snickers from the table.
"Why have you contacted us here at Gigantesco, Xiloscient," Vee asked as Kallista.
"I just wanted to report that I've located the girl who fits the description of the runaway we were tasked with finding," Hunter answered in Caleb's voice. "And I show her the current form of my associate."
"Reverence will step into view and do an impression of Philomena as he speaks," King said before clearing his throat. "Can we just deal with this now so I can go back home? I have a busy day of studying, tea drinking, and noblewoman stuff to do," he says, attempting to do a spoiled brat version of Amity, making her glare at him in annoyance.
Vee picked up her die and began to roll it. "Kallista will need to make an Investigation check with disadvantage because she's trying to see if this is truly Philomena's description from the request given," she said before releasing her die onto the table. "And the first roll is a natural 1. While the other die result is a 15, she fails and instantly believes this girl to be Philomena."
"Hahahaha! Nice," King chuckled.
"Ah, this must be Philomena Yolande. Your family and husband-to-be were worried sick when you ran away. But I'm glad that you've finally come to your senses," Vee says as Kallista. "The guards will escort you to a ship and bring you back to Verderben. Excellent work in retrieving her, Xiloscient. You may go on your way and return to Gigantesco as soon as possible."
"Very well. I'll tell Miss Yolande where her ship is and return as soon as I can, Callused Toe," Hunter declared as Caleb, getting the goblin's name wrong again on purpose.
"It's Kallista," Vee shouted in the goblin's voice. "Then at that, the operator freaks and loses the connection."
"Come with me, Miss. We have another ship to board," Hunter says in Caleb's voice.
"Very well. If you insist, Commander," King responded in his impression of Philomena.
"I'll escort the disguised Reverence out and meet up with the others," Hunter says.
"Hey, what were we all doing when that was happening," Willow asked.
"That's for you to decide," Vee replied.
"Then I have just the thing. While they go with that whole thing, we'd be sitting down and having drinks with Doctor Chaplin," Luz said. "Hey, Doc? Why do they call you 'Buddy'? Why not 'Bart' or something," Luz asked in Carmen's voice.
"Ah, you're not the first one to ask me that question," Vee says in Chaplin's voice. "You see, when I was just a young lad, a family of Aasimar moved into my neighborhood. When I was getting to know the family's daughter, Common wasn't her first language and she had trouble speaking it. Despite the language barrier, we became friends and I helped her learn how to speak Common more fluently while I learned how to speak Celestial. Eventually, she called me 'Buddy' when attempting to say my first name. The nickname has stayed with me ever since."
"Aww, that's so sweet," Willow says as Sariel.
"Emily and I are still friends to this day, but while I'm approaching the end of my life, her angelic heritage means that she'll live twice as long as the average human. I'll admit I'm envious of that, but I've been living a good life and wouldn't have it any other way," Vee says in Buddy's voice.
"That's the spirit," Gus replied as Wrenn.
"You're all quite pleasant company. You must meet my family. I'm sure that they'll be happy to give you a place to rest for the night before you continue your adventures elsewhere," Vee says as Chaplin.
"That would be very of you," Amity responded as Philomena.
"At this time, Caleb and Reverence return to your group," Vee tells them.
"How'd it go," Amity asked as Philomena.
"They believed it. Luckily for me, the Emperor's Aide, Kallista Nola wasn't able to tell it wasn't the real you from the communication crystal's image," Hunter explained in Caleb's voice.
"It just means I was good enough to fool them. What a stooge," King declared with a laugh. "And then, I'll return myself to normal."
"They think I'll be showing her to a ship toward Verderben before I have to return to Gigantesco myself," Hunter said as Caleb.
"Then it's a good thing we won't be in this area much longer," Luz says as Carmen. "Buddy was kind enough to let us stay with his family for the night."
"Thank you, Doctor," Hunter smiled as he voiced Caleb.
"It's quite alright," Vee said as Chaplin. "Come along now. Let's get a cart and head for my family's home."
"Alright then," Willow said as Sariel.
"The seven of you all head for the edge of town and Buddy meets with an old friend on the border guard there. They greet each other before he takes a cart and horses to transport you to your next destination," Vee narrated. "After you leave Lotara Port, you begin to pass by verdant fields and rolling hills. When an hour passes and the sun begins to set, you see a sign that reads 'Edmire's End' and you see a bustling town just ahead."
"Is this where we're staying," Amity asked as Philomena.
"Indeed. Welcome to Edmire's End. It used to be called 'Caravista', but after the other dragon was slain here, the town's name was changed to show our history," Vee said as Chaplin. "My family lives around the historical district. You'll see that the buildings there are older than the rest of the town."
"Considering dragons attacked, I'm surprised there are still old buildings around," Gus remarked as Wrenn.
"As you head into town, you see the newer metal buildings close to the entrance and center of the area eventually give way to older ones made with stone and clay. When you reach that district of the town, the carriage driver lets you off and bids you farewell," Vee says. "As you approach the door of the house Buddy leads you toward, I'd like a Religion check from everyone as you see an emblem on the door."
Rolling all their dice, everyone looked at their results before announcing them. "I got a 5. That makes it 6," Luz says.
"I have a natural 1," Amity stated.
"11 for a total of 14," Willow says.
"18 for me. That makes it 25," Gus declared.
"13 to make 17," Hunter announced.
"Straight 17," King said.
"Philomena and Carmen have no idea about the emblem on this door, but everyone else has heard of it from stories they heard or research they've done on cultures and religions. The emblem consists of a wing containing a trio of stars and a crescent moon. The four of you recognize it as the emblem of Father Owl, a figure of myth from far-off lands that's a deity of the night and death. But rather than being a malevolent figure, he's more of a psychopomp. A spirit guide that takes the dead to be remembered in the land of the dead with all their remembered loved ones. All where they'll eventually be reborn as new lives in the future," Vee states.
"Where did you find that sort of character," Camila asked.
"I found out about the 'Humblewood Campaign Setting' and looked it up online," Vee told her mom. "The god Tyton is pretty interesting in that."
"I bet Eda would like him. She's always had a thing for owls," King remarked.
"Anyways, let's get back to it. Buddy knocks on the door and after a moment, a human woman in her mid-30s opens the door and speaks to the doctor with a worried look on her face," she says before voicing the woman. "Dad, it's good to see you, but something came up."
"What is it," Hunter voiced as Caleb.
"The woman looks behind Buddy and sees your group. Upon noticing Caleb, she sighs in relief," Vee stated before voicing Dr. Chaplin's daughter again. "Oh, good. You brought a guard to help."
"Help with what, exactly," Gus asked as Wrenn.
"Abigail, please explain," Vee says in Buddy's voice.
"Is something wrong," Willow asked as Sariel.
"Abigail sighs before she explains what she has to say," Vee said before speaking as the woman. "It's just… Gray hasn't come back home yet and I don't know where he is. None of his friends know where he went."
"Gray? Who's Gray," King asked as Reverence.
"My grandson," Vee said in Buddy's voice to answer Rev's question. "Where was the last place you saw him?"
"We can help search for him," Luz said as Carmen.
"I dropped him off at Emily's home and her family was looking after him. They went to Speculum before they said Gray went to be with his friends," Vee said in Abigail's voice.
"Speculum? What does that mean," Amity questioned in Philomena's voice.
"It's the name of the local cemetery. I've been there quite a few times for my work. I can take you all there. It's only an hour's walk away," Vee says as Buddy.
"Then let's go and find your grandson," Hunter declared as Caleb.
"Don't worry, ma'am. We'll bring your son back home safely," Amity said as Philomena.
"Thank you. Thank you so much for helping. You're such kind souls for doing this despite just meeting me," Vee said as Abigail.
"No big deal, ma'am. We'll be back with him," Luz says in Carmen's voice. "And with that, we'll bring Buddy with us to help search for his grandson."
Vee nodded as she began to describe what the team's next move was. "You make your way from the historical district of Edmire's End down toward the Speculum Cemetery. As Buddy said, it takes you an hour and the sun has now started to set, turning the orange and pink skies into a darker indigo color. When you arrive, you see a large gate with an iron fence surrounding a large field with hills. The sign above the gate resembles a mirror and says 'Speculum Cemetary'. Entering through the open gate, you gaze upon numerous gravestones and mausoleums scattered around everywhere you see with stone paths and wooden signs guiding you. In the distance, you can also see some type of statue, but it's getting too dark to tell what it looks like," Vee described.
"Here we are. The graveyard Buddy's daughter mentioned. Let's split up and search for the kid," Gus said in Wrenn's voice.
"Graveyard? I thought it was called a cemetery," King remarked in Rev's voice.
"What's the difference," Hunter asked as Caleb.
"The difference between a cemetery and a graveyard is rather simple. While both can be used to mean the other, a graveyard is more recognizable by that word as it's a yard of graves on a temple or church's land. The word for 'cemetery' actually comes from an ancient word that means 'put to sleep' and 'dormitory'. In other words, a cemetery can literally be translated as a 'sleeping place'. Does that answer your inquiries," Vee said in Buddy's voice.
"That really does sound like Ducky," Willow remarked.
"Thanks," Vee said with a smile. "So, what does everyone do now that you're here?"
"I suppose that we'll all split up. But before we do that, I'll get my Goggles of Night out from the Bag of Holding so I can have some Darkvision," Luz said.
"Who's going with who," Gus asked.
"Well, we have dice. Why not roll for it," King remarked.
"That sounds like a fun way of choosing who goes with who," Vee remarked. "Everyone, roll a d12 and if your number is the same as or one close to another person's, you pair up with that character."
"Interesting way of doing that," Hunter mentioned before rolling his die. "I got a 4."
"Mine's a 5," Gus said.
"Mine's a 4, so I'm going with Caleb," Willow stated after her roll.
"I have a 6," King told everyone.
"9 for me," Luz says.
"That's a 1 for me," Amity stated.
"And Buddy got a 10. He'll be going with Carmen while Reverence goes with Wrenn," Vee declared after rolling her own d12. "What about Philomena?"
"I think she'll try exploring on her own with her familiar aiding her. With a snap of her fingers, her cat emerges magically and wraps around her shoulders," Amity declared.
"Alright then. With the party splitting up to search for the missing kid, you all go off to different areas. You have options for the north, south, east, and west sides of the cemetery. Who goes where to search," Vee asked.
"Buddy and I will take the east," Luz decided.
"I'll go to the west with Sariel," Hunter said.
"Me and Wrenn can take the north," King said.
"That leaves me with the south," Amity says. "We'll have our characters meet back here in an hour or if they find him."
"Agreed," Everyone said in response.
Taking note of who was going where, Vee then rolled a die to see which group to focus on first. "You all split up and when you do, we'll start with Philomena. What do you do," she asked.
"Alright. I'll have Specter go in one direction, making sure she knows to alert me with our mental link if she spots who we're looking for. Meanwhile, I'll search in another while casting Dancing Lights. While I can see in the dark, I don't think the missing kid can. Plus, for some stupid reason, cats in D&D don't see in the dark," Amity declared.
"I agree that it's dumb and that's why I'll be changing it. Cats can see in the dark when I'm the DM," Vee declared. "Now, give me two Investigation or Perception checks."
Rolling her dice, Amity looked at what Philomena and her familiar were able to find. "I have a total of 14 for myself and an 11 total for Specter."
"As you look around, you hear nothing but the sound of the wind and some owls hooting in the distance. When you and your cat search, you don't see any signs of a child being here. With this being a dead-end, you then hear a familiar voice in your mind," Vee described before speaking in her impression of Odalia Blight. "Philomena Yolande! Do you truly believe that you can get out of your engagement? I will send more bounty hunters for you! Come home now!"
"You can't tell me what to do, Mother," Amity replied as she voiced Philomena. "I'm not under your roof at the moment. I can do whatever I please and that's that!"
"With that magical message sent and replied to, I'd like you to roll another Perception check," Vee said.
Rolling her d20, Amity looked at the result. "6 for a total of 8."
"You feel a chill from the wind blowing, but you don't see anything else. We'll now move onto Wrenn and Reverence in the northern side of the cemetery," Vee said. "As you make your way up there, you see a statue of some sort of figure covered in shadow from how dark it's getting. But you're able to make out the general shape of it with your Darkvision. While it appears as shades of gray to you currently, you see a horse-like body with a humanoid torso instead of a horse's neck on the statue. The centaur figure of the statue is carrying a sword of some type raised above its head, ready to attack."
"You think this is one of the warriors that defended the island," King asked in Rev's voice.
"Probably. But let's focus on finding Buddy's grandson," Gus said as Wrenn.
"Give me some Perception checks, you two," Vee told the boys.
Picking up their favored red and blue dice respectively, King and Gus rolled to see what they noticed. "I have a 16 even," King stated.
"Same with a 15 on my die for 16 total," Gus said.
"The two of you look around and aside from the statue, you notice something strange. From what you can see, there are freshly dug holes in the ground. While one is large enough for a casket to be lowered down, the rest are all smaller than a standard grave. They also seem too scattered around the area. Almost as if somebody was looking for something," Vee states.
King and Gus looked at each other in confusion as they wondered what the holes meant. The other players were curious as well, but they knew their characters hadn't seen that detail yet. "What do you think made these holes? Gophers? Moles," King asked as Rev.
"I'll roll an Investigation check to see about these holes," Gus said as he rolled. "And I got a 4 to make 11."
"When you take a closer look, you see that from how the soil was disturbed, it wasn't from an animal burrowing or from a shovel. Instead, it feels as if it was moved on its own," Vee described.
"Hmm… if he notices that, then Wrenn will take the time to cast Detect Magic as a ritual," Gus stated.
"As he takes the 10 minutes to do that, what does Reverence do," Vee asked King.
"I guess that while he's doing that, I'll be using the time to check the holes for myself. See if I can see anything inside them," King declared before rolling his d20 again. "And with a 2 on my die, I see nothing."
"While you look in the holes, you see nothing inside of them. You spend 10 minutes doing this and Wrenn's ritual is completed, allowing him to sense any magic within 30 feet of himself," Vee stated. "When Wrenn opens his eyes, he gazes upon the area around him and sees that the holes were indeed excavated using transmutation magic. But after seeing that, you notice a faint aura coming from one of the larger holes thanks to your spell," she added.
"I'll go in and look for it after ending my spell's use," Gus declared.
"Seeing him try and search the holes for something I might have missed, I'll help by giving him some rope to tie around himself and lower him down into the hole if it's too big for him to climb out of," King said.
"Good to know," Vee says. "With the two of you working together and lowering Wrenn into the hole, the gnome wizard digs through the loose soil and finds a small pebble. It's a shimmering blue color about the size of your eyeball, but you can feel the power coming off of it. Give me an Arcana check, if you would," Vee asked after describing the item.
"I got a 4 for a total of 11," Gus says.
"You aren't familiar with this sort of stone, but you feel as if it can provide a power boost to magic," Vee said.
"I guess I'll pocket it for now and start climbing up with Rev's help," Gus decided.
"With you storing the stone away, you start to get out of the hole with Reverence assisting you. As that happens, we'll cut over to Luz with Buddy. As you search the eastern edge of the cemetery, the doctor calls out for his grandson," Vee stated before voicing Chaplin. "Grayson, come out! It's your Grandbuddy!"
"Grandbuddy?! That's so cute," Luz says as Carmen, voicing her opinion of the nickname in and out of character.
"It's just something that a coworker came up with when he and his wife were expecting their daughter. They named me godfather and I accepted," Vee said in Buddy's voice before returning to her work as DM. "Give me a Perception roll, if you would," she said before rolling her own die.
"Ugh, I got a natural 1," Luz groaned. "If I had to flavor it, I walk face-first into a low branch."
"Buddy got a 6 for a total of 14," Vee says. "While you do end up walking into a tree branch, the doctor looks around and sees a gravestone with an emblem of the Father Owl. Seeing this, he remembers something," she described before voicing Buddy again. "I just remembered. Gray should have a pendant I gave him for his birthday last year. I can search for that with some magic."
"That's good to know. Is there a reason you didn't use it while in town," Luz asked as Carmen, miming that she was picking leaves out of her hair.
"It has a limited range and we were still in town. But since this is Grayson's last known location, I can use my spell," Vee declared as Buddy. "He then casts Locate Object, allowing him to sense the direction of what item he's looking for within 1000 feet of himself. When he does, he senses the item he's looking for in the northwestern direction of where you currently are."
"Carmen will follow after him and cast Light using her ring, giving the doctor better vision to see where he needs to go. I'll cast it on my sword and hold it out as a golden light shines from it," Luz decided.
"When he sees you do this, he focuses his attention on your ring for a moment," Vee said before voicing the doctor once more. "That's a very rare magic item you have. Where did you get it?"
"My friends and I found it on Kuugaw Island when we raided a goblin camp. I managed to discover what it could do when we fought an owlbear. It's busted, though. Doesn't have the full power it usually has," Luz said as Carmen. "It needs some gems put in it like moonstones and stuff."
"Hmm… I have an associate who makes jewelry. I'll introduce you to them tomorrow. But for now, my grandson's pendant is this way," Vee says. "He then leads you to a tool shed of sorts where the graveyard staff maintain the area for visitors. When he attempts to open the door, he finds it locked."
"Allow me," Luz says in Carmen's voice. "I'll roll to pick the lock with my thieves' tools," she declared before rolling. "8 for a 14 total."
"It takes you about a minute, but you manage to mess with the tumblers of the lock and safely open it without anything breaking," Vee states. "When you open the shed, you see a young boy around the age of 5 hiding in the corner and clutching something in his hands. He's got brown hair, a muddy shirt and pants, and looks at the illuminated duo before immediately recognizing his grandfather. He runs up into his Grandbuddy's arms and doesn't let go."
"Looks like we found your grandson, Buddy," Luz says as Carmen.
"Grandbuddy! You're here," Vee said in a youthful voice on the verge of tears.
"Awww… happy reunion," Amity gushed.
"It's alright now, Gray. Why were you out here anyway," Vee asked in Buddy's voice.
"Your mom was worried sick about you," Luz added as Carmen.
"S-S-Some scary people showed up. My friends ran away and I hid in here," Vee said as Grayson. "But the-then somebody locked me inside."
"Sounds like somebody didn't want the kids getting in their way," Luz theorized as Carmen.
"I have the feeling that we'll need to investigate the cemetery in the morning," Vee said as Buddy. "But for now, let's meet back with the others and bring Grayson home."
"Good idea," Luz agreed. "And to help calm the boy down, Carmen will demonstrate her ring's magic with Dancing Lights to create glowing wisps around the three of them."
"While this is going on, let's see what Caleb and Sariel are doing on the west side of the graveyard," Vee says. "When you reach your section to search, you see several grave markers covered in vines and moss. Before you roll me a Perception check, what do you do when first getting there?"
"Sariel will cast Druidcraft and make the vines bloom with fresh flowers to pay her respects, even if she doesn't know these people that are buried here," Willow told Vee.
"I'll wait until the Perception check results," Hunter decided as he rolled his gold d20. "I got a 17 for a total of 18."
"I have the same total," Willow said as she looked at her die's result of 11.
"The two of you look around and after Sariel gives flowers to the graves, you both notice holes in these old graves that look like they were unearthed recently," Vee stated.
Thinking it over, Hunter immediately knew what his next move was. "I'll utilize Caleb's Divine Sense, allowing him to search for celestials, fiends, or undead within 60 feet of him. I'll be able to notice them as long as they aren't behind total cover," the blond boy said.
Nodding in response to that move, Vee began to narrate the scene. "When you focus your senses, a noxious odor worse than the swamp in Helhemichi floods your sense of smell, alerting you to the presence of the undead within the area," she declared.
"I knew it. We're probably dealing with ghosts or zombies on this island," Hunter said before voicing his Paladin, holding his hand to his nose to show his sense of smell was assaulted. "Be careful. There are restless souls around us. I can smell the living dead."
"However, you sense the presence leaving your range. Whatever you sense has decided not to engage with you. Whether it's from coincidence, them sensing your divine power, or somebody commanding them has yet to be determined. But with something important like this, it would be best for all of you to reunite and share the information you discovered," Vee tells them.
"Let's go meet up with everyone," Willow says as Sariel.
"You're right. We need to go and warn them of these undead that are around," Hunter declared as Caleb.
"You're a good man, Caleb. Always wanting to help people," Willow said as Sariel, hoping to work in some roleplaying.
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just doing my job," Hunter replied.
"Then why do what you did for Philomena by saying Reverence was her with that disguise he did? That seems more like doing good than just your job," Willow mentioned.
"If you ask me, it is my job to do good whenever I can. Especially stopping anybody who misuses magic," Hunter said.
"I think that's very sweet of you," Willow replied. "And I'll use Druidcraft to help with the smell since I noticed him holding his nose. He now smells lavender as we return to everyone."
"With all of you reuniting at the entrance to Speculum Cemetery, you see that Buddy is walking with his grandson, Grayson," Vee states. "Come along. We have to get back to the house," she says as Buddy.
"To help with transport for them, I'll pull out the Broom of Flying from the Bag of Holding," Amity says. "Would any of us know the command word?"
"Give me an Investigation check," Vee said.
"22," Amity replied after rolling her d20.
"Looking on the broom, you notice some Sylvan script on the shaft and the translation of it is 'Nimbus'. You believe that this is the command word for the broom," Vee said.
"I'll read it aloud as I straddle the broom. If successful, I'll take a test flight with it before returning to give Doctor Chaplin and Gray a ride," Amity says.
"Upon saying the command, the broom begins to hover. As you take to the sky with the broom giving you a safe and steady flight, you return and allow the Chaplins on, letting them rest their feet after the day's events," Vee says. "With all of you heading back into town, what do you discuss about what you saw in the cemetery?"
"Caleb would go first," Hunter declared before he did his voice for Caleb. "Something's not right at the graveyard. While I was looking around with Sariel, I sensed some undead around the place before they got out of my range. I think that they just recently came out of their graves based on the holes we saw."
"Hey, we saw some holes too. But we didn't know there were zombies," King replied as Reverence.
"I used some magic to see what might have caused the holes and turns out that they were dug up with transmutation magic," Gus says as Wrenn.
"Transmutation? I know some of that myself," Amity said as Philomena. "And she'll use Mold Earth to smooth the path a little."
"That's probably the spell used. Not only that, but we found this," Gus says as he mimed pulling something out of his pocket. "And I show them the stone Rev and I found."
"Buddy looks at the stone and hums to himself in thought," Vee described before voicing the doctor. "I believe that a trip to the local library is in order. I can't recall what this stone is, but I feel as if it's important."
"We can figure out more later. For now, we all need rest after today," Luz said as Carmen.
"Soon, everyone makes it to the Chaplin House and Abigail is immensely relieved that her father and son have returned safely. Grateful for your help, she invites you inside and offers a hot meal. After everyone enjoys a nice fish dinner, she shows you all the guest rooms where the boys and girls can sleep. With each of you drifting off to sleep, we'll end it there for this session as you get a long rest," Vee states.
"I was expecting a fight, but this sort of session was fun too," Luz said.
"Yeah. I thought we'd have to fight a zombie or two at least," Hunter agreed.
"Don't worry. I have plans," Vee said with a mischievous grin on her face.
"Just as long as we can solve this mystery. Like Sherlock Holmes or Batman," Gus said. "A lot of times, we just end up in fights. Like against the Wicked Witch of the West."
"Or Batman," King quipped with a smile.
"I'd love to see what Buddy can do in a fight. Clerics are more than just support and healers, after all. Just like Druids," Willow said.
"Yeah, I bet he'll be an invaluable ally later on in the story," Amity agreed.
"He's going to be one in this story arc if his rolls are good enough," Vee remarked. "Next time, we'll continue with solving this mystery."
"Nice," everyone said as they packed up their supplies for the game and were ready to continue the rest of their evening.
And with this, we begin the Orphechelon Arc. I wanted this chapter to be mostly setup for the later chapters as I've got a few different enemies planned. Especially the main antagonists of this arc. If you're wondering about the stone Gus/Wrenn found, I'll explain it in the next chapter, but I have foreshadowed what it is thanks to the location's name. Also, the joke with the Kikimora character's name being said wrong is from Tomotasauce on YouTube. He does great Abridged Series stuff. Check him out.
Next time, we'll have the heroes do some research, meet new characters, and learn about that statue in the cemetery. All while some interesting stuff will happen and some answers will be shared.
Until next time, WaterDragonMaverick signing out.