Against the Cult: Disappearances (1.6)

"I wanted to make sure that they were awake and happy when he returned. It would've been much worse if I'd taken them into Hochoch; he would've been very upset, and he was already so concerned about his boy." Jonbon shrugs and looks sad. "I was alarmed when they fell asleep and wanted to make things right, not attract attention to my role in their condition. I figured that a priest could help. I figured they'd be happy to help, since I attend services regularly! I could be in and out and get them back home, and we could all laugh at what happened." He smiles again, ruefully. "But you caught up with me when I had them asleep in the wagon, and that looked really, really bad. I would never harm them, but I'm sure it looked like I had some nefarious deeds in mind. I didn't have time to explain myself."

Myrtha and Aanbo both glance at Brother Jamin the Dellebene, who confirms with a nod that everything Jonbon has said is true. He is very charming and affable, and his answers seem reasonable. Could it be a misunderstanding? But at the same time, they are also aware that he is answering very carefully, sometimes making statements that don't directly answer the questions asked.

Jonbon leans forward earnestly. "I said a priest, but really there's a priest and a priestess. The people at the temple of Merikka treated me like family, even though I was a stranger. There is great comfort in the arms of Merikka. When the Jarls fell asleep and I couldn't wake them...I'm not a religious man myself, and my prayers have no particular power, but I figured either Abramo or Misha would be able to help the Jarls."Brother Jamin pulls his earlobe; about half of the time of the power granted to him by Delleb (ie, the Zone of Truth spell) has elapsed.

"It's a spice blend; it contains basil, garlic, buteo, shaved rind of a lehmin (it's a kind of fruit from the southern lands - they had some in Hookhill when I passed through), onion, salt, and fermented pepper, all mixed together and ground into a powder. It's very savory! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Of course, I am thirsty, too. My skills at entertainment aren't just limited to musical performance, you know: I'm quite the cook, too! I like to pick up new recipes and new ingredients everywhere I travel." Jonbon smiles, clearly pleased with himself. "I love to talk about food! Would you like to hear about some of my other recipes?"

Each PC should roll a Nature check, DC15. If your character is not proficient, the check should be made with Disadvantage.

Brother Jamin can cast Zone of Truth once more.

Myrtha recognizes that "buteo" isn't something you would normally find in a spice blend. Myrtha hadn't thought about it in years. It was that summer after father had left and everyone was still trying to figure out how they were going to fill the hole he'd left in their lives, before Myrtha had started as an apprentice. Myrtha's sister Peka couldn't sleep for nightmares; the traveling wise woman had come through the valley and agreed to stay with the family for a while and provide simples for payment. She'd described to curious, 12-year-old Myrtha some of her process: "graybird for insomnia" she'd said, using the common name of the plant. "They say that the sages call graybird 'buteo,'" she said, while shaving two tiny slices of a root into a pestle, grinding it up, and adding the powder to a jug of mead. "That's just like sages, making things more complicated than they need to be." After a week, during which time Peka continued to wake everyone with her night terrors, the wise woman had said that the mixture had "cured" enough, and was safe to use: a couple of drops in a spoon at supper and Peka was able to sleep through the night for the first time in a month. The wise woman had left a while after that, but the memory of the family's gratitude (Peka was able to sleep unassisted again after about a month, well before the mixture ran out) and the curiosity that a plant (unknown in those parts) would be named after a bird stuck with Myrtha.

Louis Marks has been observing the questions and answers. Now he interjects with a question of his own: "You expected the family to be better after you got help in Orlane?"

Jonbon considers, then nods. "Yes, they'd be awake."

Louis followed up: "But not just awake again. Did you expect them to be changed somehow, too?"

Jonbon frowns and answers carefully. "I didn't expect any noticeable change."

Louis slaps the wall in frustration, takes a deep breath, and tries again. "But when you brought them back, whether it was noticeable or not, it's not just that they would be awake again, and not just that they would be days older and in a different place: they would be changed in some other way from how they were before they fell asleep. Correct? Yes, or no?"

Jonbon looks at the ceiling with shifting eyes, struggling to speak. But he can't tell a lie. Finally, he mumbles: "...yes."

"Yes." Jonbon presses his lips together as he answers Myrtha's first question.
"No, this is my first time in Hochoch."