The Chapel of Stone

> "Stone cares for all would receive her embrace, and it is her will that people live in peace, caring for each other and seeing each other’s needs met."
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The Chapel of Stone is an island community between Anterrande and Altonshire that boasts a small village, the namesake temple to Stone, and strange rumors about visitors vanishing in the night...

## Factions

As Chapel is a community united in their devotion, they have but the singular faction that runs the small island. There may be a divide in the beliefs of the priests here, but if so, the party has not uncovered it yet.

## Characters of Note

### Jeremiah

Deacon of Chapel, Jeremiah is both the emissary and leader of the island and it's temple. He is in charge of handing requests and managing shipping manifests for the incoming ships once they pass the port authority inspection. Genial and a touch bombastic, Jeremiah calmed the mob of frightened villagers when the party stormed the temple during the first visit, and now works directly with Hans as the new captain.

### Gawain

This member of the congregation leads the second set of lessons that Chapel has to offer on Stone. Formal, but polite.

### Galley

A female member of the clergy who was targeted by Hans during the search for their lost companions during the first visit. Treated as a hostage after being hit with *Maximilian's earthen grasp*, Galley was eventually released when the party relented and left the island.

### Cerise

A gentle-seeming woman who leads the first of the lessons intended to inform visitors about Stone. After her lesson is complete, the student is required to leave Chapel and think on the information they have learned before deciding to continue upon return or not.

### Osara

Not much is known about Osara, other than that they have mostly been seen helping in the kitchen.

### Forthigan

Nervous and quiet, Forthigan was in charge of administering the third lesson, wherein he gained confidence through his faith for the duration of the sermon. Was originally seen studying the Dagger of Doubt before it was stolen, and due to its effects ended up wounding himself and creating a rather disturbing scene in the study room he was occupying.

### Salana

This member of the congregation has not spoken to anyone yet, but has been seen helping out in the kitchens.

## Items of Significance

Pamphlet for Stone (accessible by taking the first lesson with Cerise)

Dagger of Doubt (stolen from the temple by Riff)

## Plot and Story

(Note: the writing below is based on notes written down after-the-fact and from the perspective of Cosette, so there will be events missing or glossed over that they were not present for)

### The First Arrival

#### A lesson in hospitality

* Crew arrives in Chapel via rowboat while the Unyielding is anchored for repairs and are greeted by Deacon Jeremiah
* Cosette heads into the Chapel while most of the crew helps with unloading the supplies from Altonshire, and is told to feel free to look around at their leisure; heading down the main hall, she sees someone burning offerings in a brazier
* Upon closer inspection, the smell and look of the offering indicated it was a wafer-thin piece of dried flesh being burnt
* After further exploration of the Chapel, Cosette was approached by Cerise who offered to give her a brief lesson on Stone's teachings; Cosette agreed on condition of receiving a tour.
* During the tour it was indicated that the area beyond the red curtain was for higher ups
* Passed by a man hunched over a bench inside a Study Room; there was blood spattered everywhere, and when Cosette inquired to Cerise if the man was alright, the response was that Forthigan was researching "practical applications of Stone's teachings" to be applied "out there".
* After the general layout was gone over she was lead to the lecture hall and received a lesson on the basics of Stone's tenants (received Pamphlet of Stone item)
* Was told that in order to continue to the second half of the lesson a gift of food adequate for **five** was required, as "you must learn to give" before you can accept the gifts of Stone
* After some debate and deliberation she offered up five of her seven rations, as she didn't have any other food, and was taken to the kitchen where she was introduced to Galley and Osara - Alva was already inside helping out, but being unusually quiet and focused on the task at hand
* The food was eventually prepared and brought out to the dining hall where Riff, Kothar, and Hans arrived (Hans whispered to Cosette that Klunk had been "dealt with" - he meant that he had been taken to the brig)
* Kothar was incredibly hostile for no reason and left halfway through but the priests seemed unperturbed
* The priests went on to offer all who wanted it a place to sleep for the evening; Alva and Hans took up the offer
* Cosette told the priests she didn't intend on sleeping to which they seemed surprised and said that they thought "sleep will find you", to which she responded she would come back to the beds at Chapel. They responded with an ominous "we will see".
* Left with Riff, saw Reggie and Kothar outside drinking, and we all began to head down to the docks when a priest came out and caught up to us to extend the overnight offer to Reggie and Kothar since they hadn't been present for that part of the dinner.
* Kothar stormed off in the middle of the offer, and Hans and Reggie stopped to debate the physical nature of Stone (DWARF WOMAN! :D) with the priest

#### The well (actually)

* Cosette and Riff wandered off at this point to explore and exchanged thoughts and opinions on Chapel
* Riff produced the bloodied dagger that Forthigan had been studying earlier and mentioned that he had seen a room containing a bunch of important-looking documents; Cosette asked him to retrieve them while she wandered around for a few minutes and found the village garden.
* Riff returned with some books and scrolls (art iconography, scriptures) and Cosette pointed out an eerie-looking well in the north that they decided to investigate.
* The light of the candles near the well was an odd blue compared the usual flames on the ones farther out; when she tried to change the colour with a cantrip she found that she could not.
* Riff pulled a candle out of his bag that he stole in Altonshire; the same type of candles that were burning all over Chapel. When he lit it the flame burned the same eldritch blue as the others here to his surprise; he tells Cosette that the candle had been perfectly normal earlier.
* Curious, Cosette walked away and brought back a regularly-coloured candle that was burning some distance away; as she brought it within the radius of blue candles it too changed colour.
* The two tried to peer into the well but found they couldn't see very far. There was no evidence that showed it was being used for water, no bucket or pulley.
* Riff cut a length of rope he pulled out from his bag, drenched it in oil, lit it aflame, and dropped it down the well, revealing that the inside was covered with sharp and jagged metal protrusions.
* Though it is hard to see with what exactly, the blue light of the burning rope clearly reveals that the metal is stained with something. Riff assumes it to be blood because what else would a murder-well contain?
* Cosette is able to recall the lessons from today (N20 Religion) and piece together subtle hints that this group may practice self-harm. This may be due to their desire to give part of themselves to the goddess. She is certain that the theory lines up with purification, as this topic came up several times in conversation - they have rituals to cleanse the mind and soul, so self-harm might be to cleanse the body?
* They ponder if the well is used for sacrifices. There seems to be a passage at the bottom of the well, as if you could go elsewhere if you were lowered properly... though rappelling down seems like a horrible idea thanks to the metal.
* They debated if they should guard the well, or the ship itself. Decided that splitting up would be detrimental and that they would best serve everyone by keeping watch over affairs on the ship.

#### An uncommon kind of sleep

* Riff and Cosette returned to the ship where they spoke briefly to Hilde and Lark; they told Hilde of the well and what they saw inside, and asked Lark is she had seen anything ominous in the sky, to which she responded that she hadn't but she had mostly been watching the water.
* Hans, who had been watching from a distance on the top deck, went down below and Cosette began wandering up and down between levels.
* Eventually Cosette found herself awakening on the floor, much to her surprise as she didn't remember falling asleep; she looked around frantically to determine what had happened and saw a few people likewise passed out.
* Woke Baal first; he had been hiding in that spot and slept intentionally.
* Woke Levian second; he had very much *not* meant to pass out in the middle of the floor and the two began searching for the others.
* Cosette went downstairs to find Obric lying on the floor with his mask slightly askew; she woke him and he adjusted it, surprised and confused about what had happened.
* They heard Riff on the other side of the main mast saying he saw Galley before he fell unconscious; he had managed to fire off a shot but didn't think it connected.
* The crew scrambled together to do a head count (Cosette went to fetch Heskan from his room) and they came up missing both Kyris and Slate.
* Riff, Hans, Kothar, Reggie, and Cosette headed to Chapel to follow up on Riff's last memory before he passed out in an attempt to find the missing crew members, though Reggie says he can't sense Slate anywhere within a mile.
* Riff decided to bring along a barrel of gunpower, but Kothar ended up carrying it

#### Search (and maybe destroy)

* The party started to slowly cross the island as Cosette darted ahead to check the well, but finding nothing had changed quickly returned back to the group as they arrived at the main doors to the temple which are closed for the evening.
* Deacon Jeremiah meets them at the door and lets them in, saying that he doesn't have either Kyris or Slate but that they are welcome inside.
* The party starts to search the temple as Jeremiah goes to look for Galley as per Riff's request.
* They split up; Cosette and Kothar pair up in the room at the back of the hall with the altar after Reggie searches for hidden doors and rooms - the rest of the party goes into the hallway to the west while they study the door to the east.
* Cosette takes a book of rites off the table.
* Hans, Riff, and Reggie can vaguely be heard speaking with Galley who has come into their hallway and stands between them and the red curtain.
* The encounter is later described to Cosette and Galley was said to sound like they were "reading from a script" as they told the others they did not know where the missing two crew members were.
* Jeremiah was with them and said something along the lines of: they will go and see the people who do not come into Chapel proper, considering it their right to inspect them (even on private fucking property like a goddamn boat).
* Hans starts threatening Galley (out of earshot of Cosette) and ends up using *Maximilian's earthen grasp* on them
* Cosette and Kothar begin trying to open the door to the east (it's locked). Kothar doesn't manage to break it down, but the noise attracts someone who asked us to please not break down the goddamn door, but more polite than that.
* Cosette explains that they are looking to get inside to search for their companions and requests that someone with the authority to allow them entry be brought to open the door before her companion smashed it down. The acolyte leaves and brings back Gawain, who explains that this area is actually the larder, and lets them in.
* Nothing seems out of place or weird.
* Cosette sees stairs in the corner and heads down as Gawain calls out that it's just the salt mill below. The salt produced by the mill is flecked with an odd dark colour, but nothing else stands out as noteworthy and she goes back upstairs to find Kothar arguing with Gawain, trying to find out why they wear masks.
* Cosette interrupts and says that it is likely due a practice involving scarification.
* Gawain intoned that it would not be "pleasant for anyone" if they removed the masks. He added that Cosette didn't fully understand, but asked how she had come to the conclusions that she did. Cosette explained, and Kothar mostly tuned out at this point.
* Gawain clarified that the rituals of self-harm center around a desire to purify the mind, aka bring clarity by "driving out outside forces". He also mentioned that the masks are representative of the goddess herself. The tales are't entirely clear, but they imply that her face "was as stone", or perhaps she wore a mask?
* He mentioned at this point that this thought originated from a similar island devoted to her worship known as Visage - in fact, *many of their interpretations were borrowed from this particular sect.*
* Gawain went on to say that he could not explain much further at this point, but that if Cosette wished to further her studies he was actually the teacher for the next stage, and he would gladly share more insight at that point.
* The other party members can be seen filing out at this point so she thanks Gawain and starts to leave; when she catches up to them at the entrance there is a frightened mob of villagers at the door with Deacon Jeremiah.
* Jeremiah is trying to calm them down by telling them we mean no harm and are on our way out, but Hans immediately almost fucks it up by threatening to "roast" the "fucking hayseeds", but Jeremiah's voice rang out louder.
* As she is standing a ways behind the others, Cosette looks over her shoulder and sees the rest of the priests gathering around the altar area.
* The villagers are shouting and explaining in bits and pieces that they feel safe here and wanted to defend their "slice (was it "piece"?) of heaven"
* Things start to defuse slightly when it's clear that we mean them no harm (other than Hans), but a gunshot rings out across the island. We are quickly able to determine that it came from the ship and race back to the docks and dingy.

#### Mutiny, murder, and mayhem

* When the party gets back aboard the ship they hear Gaela yelling at the others and calling for cast-off
* Cosette sneaks over to Keyleth as an enraged-looking Eric storms downstairs and asks her what's happening; Keyleth tells her that she should talk to Eric, so she slips away after him to the mess hall.
* Eric tells her that Hilde had wanted to hold a memorial service for Kyris and Slate "since nobody ever comes back" once they disappear, and Havard chose this time to make an appearance and an announcement: they were not to hold a service.
* Havard then had Mist confirm that in their current state of repair it was possible to limp to Anterrande, and once she let him know that it was in fact theoretically possible, he had told them all that they were to cast off **now**.
* Eric had stepped up and told Havard this was a load of bullshit, to which Havard leveled his gun at Eric's face and held it there for a long moment before snapping it away and firing into the air (the shot that the away crew heard). Eric is still shaken up and angry about the whole affair.
* Cosette goes up a level and sees Hilde talking to Levian with Lark keeping an eye on them off to one side, and decides to join in on the conversation: Hilde seems frantic and angry, claiming that Havard is sacrificing crew members to Storm.
* The subject of mutiny comes up; Cosette says that she will need to know where everyone stands before they make a move, because while challenging Havard is one thing, challenging most of the crew is another.
* Levian offers that he doesn't care about a coup, but he would like to see where the chips are falling before he places a bet.
* Riff and Cosette go upstairs to talk to Gaela, who tells them that Havard knew people were going to go missing, since he had been told by him to stay in his room and not to come out on the deck of the ship during the night no matter what he heard... presumably because Gaela can't sleep or be forced to sleep.
* He was also specifically told not to warn the crew.
* Gaela added that if he knew the mutiny had a good chance, aka buy-in from most people, he would throw in his lot with them.
* Cosette agreed to come back with more information once she had it and left with Riff
* Riff heads downstairs to begin his plan to slow the ship and get back to Chapel for exploration
* Cosette stays on the top deck and chats with Calista until Kothar comes up to tell her Klunk is free and she pretends to be extremely surprised and upset (Riff had told her this was going to happen)
* A huge bang rocks the ship and most people rush downstairs; Gaela comes out of his room and demands that Cosette explain what the hell is going on, to which she responds that she believes the sound was *thunderwave* being cast below.
* She stalls a while longer before muttering that nobody can do it right but her, and descends with Mist
* When they reach the entrance to the bilge she stands back as the crew crowds around and talks to Levian, who explains that it's her group causing trouble in the bilge.
* Eventually they end up sealing Riff, Kothar, and Klunk in the bilge, and everyone heads topside to the sound of a gunshot.
* Motherfucking Havard is there.
* Havard lines the crew up, each on half of the ship, and pulls Mist out of the line to rip her a new one, claiming that her position makes her responsible for the crew being a bunch of shits, and levels his gun at her
* Hans tries to talk him down but Havard is beyond reason at this point
* Cosette tries to attack, but finds that she can't bring herself to do so
* As Havard is about to fire, Hilde sends out a wild shot of her own that begins combat
* Combat happens and it is ugly. Havard has the ability not only to stop some attacks from happening on him at all, but can cause crew members to attack their allies. Of these, Hilde attacks Mist, and Cosette attacks Gaela.
* Some people (Kothar, Gaela, Mist) go down towards the end but ultimately everyone is ok... except Havard. During the fight the crew in the bilge manage to swim out and climb up the side of the ship to enter combat.
* Obric was thrown a weapon and even joined in near the end, though he missed.
* Levian, Heskan, Calista, Baal, Lark, Keyleth, and Alva did not participate.
* Eric, Hilde, Mist, Gaela, and Obric participated.
* Cosette instructed how one should prepare a body for burial at sea, and Hans prepped it.
* The crew took note of red runes running down Havard's face that had become visible during combat, as they seemed to be the source of his ability to command attacks (to and away)
* Hans and Riff lead a charge into the captain's quarters while Cosette stayed with Mist
* Hans found a *magic circle* on the floor that he determined was connected to somewhere in the rear of the ship
* Reggie took this to mean the kitchen and marched Levian and Alva back to investigate
* Poor Alva was tearing apart his kitchen trying to figure out what the fuck was going on
* It was revealed that the *magic circle* was connected to the rudder, allowing Havard to steer from his room
* Eric and Hilde retreated below deck to nurse their wounds and rest
* Hans pulled a necklace off Havard before sewing up the sheet and throwing the body overboard
* Cosette demanded to be given it, saying it rightfully belonged to Hilde, and not Hans - to his credit, Hans forked it over grudgingly
* It was determined that they would hold an election for a new captain tomorrow morning after everyone had a chance to rest and recover from this ordeal
* With Alva in the kitchen, Baal on the aftcastle, Heskan looking for his maps in the captain's quarters, Klunk carrying a stable but unconscious Kothar to his room (Hans demanded that Klunk return to the brig after), and Gaela/Cosette/Mist on the main deck, we end the session.

### The Second Arrival

asdgajsgfksf notes. Notes I don't have this time! SO I'M DOING IT NOW THIS IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Arrived, got off the ship and went straight to Chapel because fuck unloading that's why. Some people, better people, stayed to help. Went inside and instantly fucked up by calling Deacon Jeremiah "Gawain" but he hand-waved it and laughed saying they all wore masks so it kinda happens a lot. They discussed lessons and she proved she wasn't a total knob by managing to recall that Cerise gave the first lesson and Gawain was due to give her the second one. She explained that Havard wasn't the captain anymore because he had died at sea, and that "the loud one" was the captain now. Jeremiah said he would go find Gawain, and she said she'd be helping out in the kitchen until then, but would like to stay the night. He seemed pleased with that. She went and dropped her stuff in a room before zipping through the dining room to the kitchen, barely hearing Xylis call out after her but dismissing it and closing the door behind her, saying hey to Osara and Cerise. Hans started chatting it up with Deacon Jeremiah in private to go over captain-y stuff. Cosette stayed there a while until Gawain came to grab her and was super cold and formal and she was like 99% sure he didn't remember that she had in fact met him before. He took her to the store room before leading her downstairs and [REDACTED].

Anyway. Gawain told her that she might be able to squeeze the third lesson in tomorrow morning if things went well. Spoiler: They did.

After she came back up it was time for dinner, yay! Food was yummy and Alva came to join the away crew for noms. After that Cosette went to check out the well, which was busy being a well and not doing anything more ominous than last time, before going briefly back to the ship and then back to her room +1.

The next morning brought breakfast, and a very nervous-sounding Forthigan, here to show Cosette her third lesson if she wanted it. And she totally did. He kept repeating that she could leave at any time, which sounds like something normal that someone normal would totally say about a normal thing they were doing.

Anyway. After the lesson she chatted with Forthigan a bit and then immediately went and stood at the docks until the others arrived.

## Locations

### The Docks

oooooo(How one gets in and gets the fuck out again... hopefully)oooooo

### The Village

oooooo(Trading post, community garden, list businesses here)oooooo

### Chapel

The dominating piece of architecture on the island gives it the name by which it is known; pyramidal in shape, the Chapel houses the priests who educate and provide for the town below.

#### Main Hall

Runs the length of the Chapel from front door to the rear Altar. Connects to the Dining Hall (southeast) and Storeroom (northeast), as well as the Study Rooms (southwest) and Lecture Room (northwest). Other than some altercations and annoyed stomping about, it has not been a scene of overt significance.

#### Offering Room

oooooo(Where Reggie ganked the bowls that were since replaced, probably. Checking contents and to whom each was set for, since I vaguely remember there were ones for various gods in case visitors were more comfy with that. Contained three individual booths for privacy)oooooo

#### Guest Rooms

Individual rooms outfitted with beds and locks on the doors. These extend both east and west along the first accessible cross-corridor from the entrance of Chapel, leading to the Dining Hall (east) and Study Rooms/Lecture Hall (west).

#### Dining Hall

Containing some of the Guest Rooms, the Dining Hall is accessible via the first door to the east of the Main Hall. It connects east to the hallway containing the Sleeping Quarters (west from the hall) and Kitchen (north from the hall). Visitors to Chapel are invited to partake of meals with the priests here, and ample space is available at their tables to accommodate such guests.

#### Kitchen

Where everything from general meals to feasts are prepared. Connects to the storeroom (north) and hallway leading to the Dining Hall and Sleeping Quarters (south). At least two priests are usually present here.

#### Storeroom

Links to the Salt Cellar via staircase leading down in the northeast corner, the Main Hall via door to the west, and the kitchen via the door to the south. Contains foodstuffs.

#### Salt Cellar

Where salt is produced via the mill to be used in the kitchens upstairs. Ocean water is not a key component, but all that is given is given willingly. Unique batches are marked and bagged.

#### Lecture Room

Where the first and third lessons of Stone are held, and likely any usual sermons that the townsfolk attend. There are pews here to rest on in the southern part of the room (as per the virtue of hospitality) unlike the main altar at the end of the hall where there is no seating. A small altar graces the north end.

#### Study Rooms

One of which where Forthigan was first introduced, these rooms are used to ponder on Stone's teachings, specifically their implications and implementations.

#### Sleeping Quarters

Shared sleeping area for the priests of Chapel. Not thoroughly investigated.

#### The Well

An eerie well located to the west of the Chapel. Candles are lit in the surrounding area, but within a certain radius the flickering flames become blue - bringing a new candle into this space will likewise turn the flame blue and *Thaumaturgy* is not sufficient to stop this change, implying a powerful magical presence. There is no bucket and pulley system above the well, indicating that (despite the fact that water was in evidence at the bottom) it was not used for accessing fresh water.

Riff dropped a burning piece of rope down the well to investigate and it was revealed that sharp and jagged metal spikes/blades protruded from the walls further down.

Based on the rituals of scarification and self-harm practiced in Chapel, it can be assumed that the well has religious significance rather than survival-based significance.