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@TheDarkOne
Sancireph, you invite the soldier to join you on your quest for answers and he agrees, stopping only to ask if you have need of supplies before you depart. Confirming you have everything you need, you pause to ask the mage if he will assist. The mage does not give you the opportunity, however. As soon as you mention HEDGE WIZARD, he chimes in that the magic was most likely the work of a hedge wizard and the bartender might be an APPRENTICE, an ACCOMPLICE, or the WIZARD HIMSELF. This mage also pauses to introduce himself as MALICHOR THE SORCERER.
Making the hike up the hill, you find the gates of the mansion are unlocked. This place is enormous! You can see a HEDGEMAZE, a GREENHOUSE, and a PUMPKIN PATCH, as well as the FRONT DOOR. You feel an eerie shiver as you step on the grounds, as if magic is pooling in this place.
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@mrz84
Zataka, the half-elf adventurer introduces himself as SANCIREPH and the wizard introduces himself as MALICHOR THE SORCERER. Malichor mentions that the spell appears to be HEDGE MAGIC, and if the man on the hill truly is a HEDGE WIZARD this would be the place to start. You recommend gathering necessary supplies and then going to the mansion to investigate. When Sancireph tells you he has everything he needs, you take the lead as you make the hike up the hill. Arriving at the mansion's gates, you find them unlocked.
This place is enormous. From your position at the gates, you can see the FRONT DOORS, a HEDGEMAZE, a FOUNTAIN, and a GREENHOUSE, though there may be other structures on the grounds you can't see from here. It is not so much a mansion as it is a CASTLE, one in remarkably good condition. It looks almost... new.
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@Xyvol
Malichor, upon hearing HEDGE WIZARD you jump into the conversation and inform them that the brawl was quite likely HEDGE MAGIC. Since the BARTENDER is still in the contaminated area, you recommend seeking the man on the hill as there may be some information on the spell he used that you can ply towards a counterspell. You also think the half-elf adventurer said his name, but you missed what it was.
You travel with the two adventurers up the hill, where you find the mansion sprawled out before you. This place feels very, very wrong. There's magic EVERYWHERE--up the walls, in the trees, in the animals. In fact, as you step onto the grounds you notice that every single animal in the area is staring at you. You try a few quick movements to test your theory and yes, you are being watched.
The FRONT DOOR is before you. There's also a GREENHOUSE to your left and a HEDGE MAZE to your right. What do you do?
(Don't be afraid to wander away from the group! I won't punish you for exploring separate areas. In fact, as a group you'll be able to discover more more quickly if you split up.)
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I suggest we start by checking the greenhouse--going to the front door would be foolish, and I don't wish to get lost in the maze. I start off in the direction of the greenhouse.
((I want to point out at this point that I wear a Cloak of Elvenkind, which allows me to blend into shadow much the same way a thief or rogue might do. I can still be seen in lighted area, however))
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The front doors would be the least favorable way for entry if we want to surprise the wizard (if that's even possible at this point), instead I follow Sancireph's suggestion with the greenhouse and take a defensive position at the main entrance to it with Sancireph on the opposite side of the door and Malichor ready to cast whatever spell that would give us the best advantage once the door is breached.
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For now I will follow along with the others. As we walk, I comment on the strangeness of the place, and offer the opinion that the wizard already knows we are here, so it doesn't matter where we go.
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Rule Clarifications
General: Grouped Scenario
When more than one player takes very similar actions, I will lump the response into a single group paragraph, followed by several smaller paragraphs that represent each character's specific observations, and then sometimes another group paragraph. As always, the paragraphs that you are expected to read are those that begin with your character's name or with "all of you".
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@TheDarkOne
@mrz84
@Xyvol
Sancireph, Zataka, and Malichor, on Sancirephs' suggestion you have come to the GREENHOUSE. The doors are not locked, and despite the party's trepidation what waits beyond is only rows of planters with various STRANGE FLORA. Malichor mentions that trying to lurk around is pointless, as the HEDGE WIZARD is already aware of your presence.
Sancireph, you notice several of the plants are MEDICINES grown by your people. You are surprised by this; an outsider should not be able to make such plants thrive.
Malichor, you are unfamiliar with plants and Hedge magic in general, but some of these specimens look excessively dangerous. Are they reagents for some POISON? Probably. You feel you are coming to understand just what this wizard is up to.
Zataka, despite your fears there does not appear to be any peril here, though some of the plants seem possessed of a dangerous sentience. A VENUS FLY TRAP catches your eye, particularly because the plant's mouth is surrounded by thorns that are exuding a NOXIOUS OOZE.
To the three of you, you might be able to learn something about the plants if you are curious enough. Otherwise, this greenhouse seems to be nothing more than a source of raw materials for the mansion owner's chosen profession. You can see a PUMPKIN PATCH through the window, and there is also a TOOLSHED just outside the back door.
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((By "your people," I believe you mean elves? Aasimar do not have their own society))
I look around at the plants grown by the elves(?), to see if I can discover how they survive here. I will also try to find the herb used by the bartender to make his special drink.
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I will examine the plants more closely, to try and determine if any could be the source of the pollen that was on the gold. If I discover something of importance, I'll share it. If not, I'll wander over to look at the toolshed.
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I examine the fly-trap with caution to see if there anything I can gleam from it, if not, I continue to the pumpkin patch and from there, the tool shed with similar intent. I plan on sharing anything I notice immediately with my comrades.
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Noticing their interest in the toolshed, I warn my companions to be wary of traps. I have the distinct feeling that something here not quite what it seems.
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@TheDarkOne
Sancireph, the plant is a WRAITHWOOD TREE, old enough to bear fruit, though only one. The black plum-looking fruit rests dangling from the tree's largest branch, swelling before bursting into a puff of black fog and growing back. You know of these plants from family history; your parents told you these things can only be grown with blood infused with celestial power. AASIMAR BLOOD. The stories were warnings to beware of mages, particularly those that extended offers of hospitality.
Either the owner of this mansion is AASIMAR himself, or he has a ready source of the blood. WRAITHWOOD is a tremendously precious commodity, though this plant isn't large enough to be worth harvesting. The fruit is worthless, considering it can only cling to one dimension for minutes at best, but you've heard some mages use it to practice DARKSPACE magic. Any which way, you are incredibly offended by the presence of this plant.
You search the greenhouse for the MYSTERIOUS PLANT used by the bartender, but alas you cannot be sure what it looks like, as it was already ground into powder by the time he placed it in your beverage. You'd need an expert in HEDGE MAGIC or HERBALISM to help you distinguish which plant is correct, or at least an ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO HOME GARDENING.
@Xyvol
Malichor, you don't have the training to know for sure, but you do know that the more colorful a plant, the more likely it is poisonous. And this greenhouse is practically a TIE DIE SHIRT of colors. Still, you can't sense any latent magical traces on the plants; they appear to have been grown through natural means. If he did use these to create that toxic pollen, he must have conducted the conversion somewhere else.
Bored, you go to the TOOLSHED and open the door. A rake falls on you, but otherwise it's just a boring collection of gardening tools. A manual PUSH LAWNMOWER... you pity the employee that has to use this thing to mow the grounds of this mansion. A RAKE, of course... it fell on you. GARDENING SHEERS... no doubt used to shape the TOPIARY ANIMALS on the grounds. And... wait, the SHOVEL is missing.
From where you're standing, you can see the PUMPKIN PATCH as well as a gated section of the yard. You can't see past the fencing; vines have overgrown the gaps. What do you do?
@mrz84
Zataka, as you examine the FLY TRAP more closely it opens its maw, revealing a BLACK PEARL. It is of astounding quality and it bears an almost mesmerizing gleam to it. You find yourself wanting to grab it, but as you reach out you hear a SNICKER in the distance. Yanking your hand back, you barely evade the snapping jaws of the trap.
No longer comfortable in the GREENHOUSE, you advance to the PUMPKIN PATCH. The gourds near the edges are reasonable enough, but the ones in the center are TALLER THAN A MAN. As you wander into the patch, you find yourself turned around, unable to determine which direction you came from. And you hear FOOTSTEPS approaching.
Hiding behind one of the tall gourds, you peek around the corner and see a SILHOUETTE OF DARKNESS. It is roughly the shape of a man, but its posture is wrong. Bestial. It pauses to sniff the air. You still have the element of surprise, what do you do?
