Quest #6 "Return To The River"

[Hotgoblin]

Franny can't believe how incredibly poorly she's wielding her battle-ax!



Attack w/Battle ax [1d20+1] = 1+1 = 2 Damage [1d8+1] = 6+1 = 7

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

As the creature takes another taste of the friendly gnome, Bonnie desperately slashes with her blade. Unsure of the result, she says a silent prayer in the hope of ending the feasting undead.
Long Sword (20) = [1d20+1] = 13+1 = 14, damage SM = [1d8] = 6

[OGRE MAGE]

Lacedon Attack, Round 4

Bonnie is able to put down the second undead monster before it devours the rest of the gnome. She kicks the dead body as it hits the ground while Keilif smashes in its head in for good measure.

Though still paralyzed, Ferris and Brufrig somehow continue to bleed out in their unmoving state. Keilif sets to binding the gnomes wounds, stabilizing him for the time being. He begins another prayer to his Sea Mother, ready to administer more magical healing.

Wes moves back over to Brufrig, staunching his bleeding and preventing any further decline in the dwarfs already grim condition.

The third and final entangled monster continues to flail and growl at those still living with an extreme hatred. Wes shouts out to anyone who will listen. "Someone shoot or stab that last one before my magic wears off. Use my spear if you don't have any long weapons!"

Actions?

Ferris -2/7 DM, RM, 1/1 first (Unconscious/Paralyzed 5 Stabilized)
Waesfaren Rhey 10/10 3/4 first (Entangle 7)
Bonnie 6/6
Krystal 5/5 CL DM RM 1/1 first
Franny Buurlslammer 12/12
Brufrig Granitesunder 3/15 (Paralyzed 3 Stabilized)
Keilif 9/9 2/3 first

[Spearmint]

does Wes not want to use his own spear?

[OGRE MAGE]

Wes moves back over to Brufrig, staunching his bleeding and preventing any further decline in the dwarfs already grim condition.

He is currently tending to Brufrig this round, but he will certainly use it next round if no one takes it.

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

Fresh off her heroic last second slaying of the creature, Bonnie rushes back to her bow. She sheaths her blade and readies the bow to fire.

"Quick! Finish him off!"

[Spearmint]

Krystal

"The spear is just too heavy for my skinny frame, let me do the bandage work on the dwarf, besides your reach is longer to get over the entangling roots." she says to Wes . She closes Brufrig's eyes, not that he's dead but still staring eyes gives the girl the creeps.

[OGRE MAGE]

Lacedon Attack, Round Last

Wes is happy to allow Krystal to finish tending to Brufrig. Though, when she tries to close the paralyzed dwarf's eyes, they just stay open in a very disturbing way. The druid walks to the edge of his entanglement spell with his spear and begins stabbing at the monster while Bonnie also fills it full of her arrows. It doesn't take long to put an end to its grim existence and soon enough, there are three dead lacedons on the groups kill list.

Keilif casts his powers of healing on Ferris, hoping that he has finally learned his lesson with these deadly monsters now. The priest touches the gnome's chest with the palm of his hand and a soft light envelops his prone form. His gory wounds begin to heal and he is even able to slowly regain consciousness. Unfortunately, he is still very much under the effects of the ghouls paralyzing touch for the next few minutes. CLW=5

As you look around this immediate area, you begin to realize that nothing has been left behind here that wasn't either killed or burnt, or both. There is absolutely nothing of value here and you find only destruction and burnt dreams left in the wake of whoever did this. Keilif suggests searching the river. Once the others come around, he wants to continue up the trail to see if the other villages suffered the same fate.

Actions?

We can just wait the few rounds it will take for the shortys to recover if you want. I just didn't want to take anyone's fun away from them if someone were inclined to tickle some feet or lay one of the dead monsters on top of those still unable to move.


Ferris 3/7 DM, RM, 1/1 first (Paralyzed 4)
Waesfaren Rhey 10/10 3/4 first (Entangle 6)
Bonnie 6/6
Krystal 5/5 CL DM RM 1/1 first
Franny Buurlslammer 12/12
Brufrig Granitesunder 3/15 (Paralyzed 2)
Keilif 9/9 1/3 first

[Spearmint]

Krystal

might have been tempted to cut the dwarf's beard but with his eyes open. Instead she will climb the observation platform on the tree and take a view of the place from the top.

[Hotgoblin]

Franny will retrieve her throwing ax, then scout up the trail, while some of the party members regain their mobility.

[Bluetongue]

Ferris

tries hard to blink but can only star at the gory faces leering over him.

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

"They set a trap for us. Cunning bastards." Bonnie looks down at the fallen creatures in disgust, then drags the bodies away from the paralyzed duo.
"How many villages are in this area, Keilif? I'd be up for going on to the next one, if it's not too far." Bonnie starts wandering over to the nearby riverbank to look around.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Aftermath
Early Afternoon
Hot, Humid, Buggy


Franny moves ahead alone, checking out the rest of the village and the trail beyond. Krystal climbs a tree to get an aerial view. Neither of them spot anything other than more burnt carnage.

Bonnie suggests the group move along to the next village, grabbing Keilifs attention with the comment. She then moves over to the riverbank to check out the waters edge. There is one long bamboo skiff awkwardly beached or possibly abandoned in the soft mud below. The drag marks scattered throughout the village all lead to one final spot at the rivers edge before disappearing into the water. It seems the water ghouls were stockpiling some well done food for later, indicating that somewhere under the surface remains a gruesome cache.

Wes tends to Brufrig and Ferris as they slowly come out of their paralytic conditions. Ferris is starting to get used to the uncomfortable, and at times even painful transformation, though it still takes a while to shake the sickening feeling off completely.

Keilif explains that the skiffs are, or were, commonly used among the native people to travel back and forth between villages and also for transporting much of their goods and crops. "There should be more than just one abandoned raft here. Something doesn't make sense to me. I am going to figure out who did this to these people if it kills me. I agree with Bonnie! There is another village about a mile up river, and another after that. I would like to see if they suffered the same fate as these poor souls. I would go 50 miles into this jungle if I knew I could inflict the justice these people deserve, but my will to survive tells me that we should take this one step at a time. Are you all willing to continue? If so, let's go!"

Actions?

Ferris 3/7 DM, RM, 1/1 first
Waesfaren Rhey 10/10 3/4 first (Entangle 2)
Bonnie 6/6
Krystal 5/5 CL DM RM 1/1 first
Franny Buurlslammer 12/12
Brufrig Granitesunder 3/15
Keilif 9/9 1/3 first

[Scott308]

Brufrig Granitesunder

If you wish to continue into the jungle to the next village, I will accompany you if the others are will. Remember, however, that Ferris and I are pretty beat up right now. Trying to figure this out may kill more than just you, but we are here, we may as well press on.

Krystal

might have been tempted to cut the dwarf's beard

I think that was a good show of restraint. Brufrig would not have taken kindly to that, and then Keilif would be all, "Stop killing people that aren't attacking you!" again, and nobody wants to hear that broken record.

[Spearmint]

Krystal

Climbs down from the viewing platform. We can follow up river, punting in a skiff not my idea of fun, especially if we can't see into clear waters. Anything on this Bone-Nose ghoul that might be worth taking. He had all these bolts thrown into him, are the bone piercings carved into shapes or have any art to them. I get the feeling they are just shards of bone and are tribal ornamentations rather than stuff of value?

[Bluetongue]

Ferris

will check that the two bites he received from the lacedons, one in each shoulder give him matching scars."Should get a nice tattoo to cover them,"he thinks. "Maybe a tribal tattoo.". The little gnome will check over his pick, happy to have retrieved it and then to see if he can make out any purpose in the actions, walk around in a circle like the lacedon did in the same spot. Unconvinced of any compulsion, he will follow after Keiliff further upstream.

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

"How many natives used to live here?" Bonnie looks about quizzically. She seems deep in thought."Franny, that vine you snagged on the way here. Right after there was a crash, right? Did the ghouls setup a tripline to alert them of prey?"

She turns to Ferris "And those bolts? Were they yours? Were did they come from? This just isn't adding up."

"Let's move to the next village, keeping a eye out for traps."

Bonnie graciously offers the lead to Krystal.

[OGRE MAGE]

The After Aftermath
Mid Afternoon
Hot, Humid, Buggy

The group spends a little time going over the area and the bodies, trying to discern exactly what has happened here. Krystal looks over the monster that was once affectionately called Bonenose. She sees that his accoutrements are nothing more than tribal decorations, none of them possessing any value. But she does find a small leather pouch tied around his waist. Opening it reveals 5 small uncut stones that must certainly hold some monetary value. The other two creatures have nothing on them at all.

Ferris looks over his pickbow, finding it unloaded, but otherwise fully intact. He spots the bolts stuck into the ghoul then realizes that they are all from his own empty case. He walks around in the small circle that the lacedon made in the dirt, but can come up with no logical conclusion as to what the undead monster was doing. Wes joins the gnome, also wondering about the bolts stuck into the monster. He has seen hazing rituals among certain species in the wild, but he has never seen it from the undead. Ferris plucks out all of the bolts and refills his case.

Brufrig mentions that he is badly injured, but decides that he will continue exploring along with the party if they want to press on. Keilif of course ignores his words. Bonnie takes it all in, still not sure what to make of these findings. She asks the priest how many villagers lived here before tracing back the vine trigger to find that it was indeed rigged to drop the branch into the water. She assumes that it was some type of simple warning signal set up by the cunning monsters.

Keilif tells the group more of what he knows about these indigenous people. "There couldn't have been more than a few dozen natives that lived here at any one time, but there are several more villages that follow along this river. We need to move on to the next one right now. There may be survivors there that need our help. When I find out who did this.......
The clerics words fall off to a mumble as he follows Franny, heading further north, past this clearing and back up the trail to the next community.

The group departs, walking up the trail for about another half hour. You find several more prints in the dirt along the way, both animal and humanoid. The human boot prints give Keilif the most concern as these natives never wore any footgear to his knowledge. He announces that they are getting close to the next village when suddenly loud growling noises begin to emerge from the west over the usual noise of the jungle. Keilif presses his finger to his lips, hoping everyone will keep quiet. He motions for the leaders to press on and ignore the frightening noise.

Actions?


Ferris 3/7 DM, RM, 1/1 first
Waesfaren Rhey 10/10 3/4 first
Bonnie 6/6
Krystal 5/5 CL DM RM 1/1 first
Franny Buurlslammer 12/12
Brufrig Granitesunder 3/15
Keilif 9/9 1/3 first

[Spearmint]

Miss Tal'

The sense of 'keep quiet and press on'indicates that Keiliff might actually know what sort of creature is lairing hereabouts from his previous missionary work upstream. Is the growl of something we might recognise, feline in nature, panther, tiger or more bestial such as a giant lizard, ape? Does Keiliff says if Krystal whispers "what is it?" Krystal keeps close to the cleric.

She pockets the pouch of gemstones from the dead Bone-nose, (added to inventory).

[Bluetongue]

Ferris

collects his bolts from the random places loads one in the crossbow, just in time for the growly creature to be heard. "Oooh!"he whispers,"I hope it is another sleek black panther..." thinking of its silky hide decorating a fire light hearth.