"Almost all the Tian treasure came from a cave that had undead."
"Could the stuff we found be related to the wrecked ships we found? Ameiko-san, we found two wreaked ships that bore these nameplates...both Kaijitsu something. Do you know anything about them? If the stuff in the cave came from them, this stuff is yours, I guess."
"Talk about an unexpected inheritance..."
Ameiko:
"Those might be ship from about good time ago, like before I was born."
"Well, if this goblin sage is as ancient as you say, maybe it'll know something about that. Or heck, maybe it was there!"
"What goblin sage, goblins likely found it just recently, and one was the ultra rare cartographer."
"Did I say goblin? I meant witch. Old Megus. She'll know."
"I've heard she's only been around for about70 years."
Parvaneh shrugs. "It's the only lead I know."
Alfric looks around at the others.
"We set out tomorrow morning then, agreed?"
"Agreed! It'll be so nice to get out on the open road again."
Natara shrugs. "OK, but, really, I was so looking forward to NOT dealing with that swamp again." Then she chuckles. "Still, it might be fun to meet a non-winter witch for a change."
Panicked, Alfric wakes in a cold sweat in the morning; the chill of the dragons breath in his dream was simply because he had kicked his blanket off during the night. Yes, that was the reason.
Washing up in cold water, he dressed and packed for a short trip. Since they were going to traverse the swamp again, he would forego taking his trusty mount this time.
Feeling better, he walked out to meet his travelling companions...
"Bad Dreams, Sir Knight?"
she asks inquisitively
The Sandpoint priestess is ready and raring to go the following morning. The only difference in her dress from the day before is that she's wearing boots today and has a patterned knapsack. This girl is ready to tackle the world.
"Rise and shine! The road awaits!"
"What?" He glanced at Mai startled. She could read him that easily?
He rubbed his temples.
"Ah, no. Just... wierd. Predator/prey, running, all that."
"Rise and shine! The road awaits!"
He nods.
"Quite right. Since we're all together now, let's be off!"
"I'm guessing you were the prey, and without a thing to hunt?"
You start moving to the swamp, and the swamp gas this morning is way worse than normal.
Alfric pauses and glances back at Mai.
"No... and yes. I just hope it's not an omen." He replies, his eye serious.
Later on in the swamp...
"Dreams have a lot of meaning, sweet prince. They're always an omen of something. If not a vision from the goddess of what may come then a vision of what you face. Or don't want to face," she adds, ominously. "Why don't you tell me about it? Maybe I can offer some insight."
Alfric looks a little uncomfortable.
"Well, there is little to tell. In it, I was chasing a Hobgoblin, but I was also being chased by a White Dragon. That's all that I can recall. It seemed so real, or at least significant."
"So, don't steal a white dragon's lunch?"
Mai replies
"It could be your chasing something minor, when you should be chasing something bigger.
In fact about how big was the Dragon, was it a baby or an adult one."
and also thinks
"A white Dragon, those tend to be more northward, why would a white dragon settle in a warmer climate.
It's likely a symbol of some sort."
"Hm. Maybe." Alfric said moodily.
"Were you afraid of the White Dragon, or was its presence merely incidental and you felt no fear of it? This is a dream with some symbolism. The goddess may shed more light upon it through the Harrow."
Alfric pushes a vine out of the way and he ducks under it to proceed along the marshy path.
"What I told you is the sum total of what I remember of the dream. I recall it making perfect sense at the time, like dream logic is like."
He glances back at Parvaneh with some skepticism.
"You really think the Harrow will make more sense of it?"
She nods emphatically. "And if not, it will at least ask all the right questions."
Perception checks please
You all, except Sir Alfric, spot three Lizard folk setting up an ambush.
Parvaneh slows her pace by half, but tries not to let on that she has noticed the ambush. She stage whispers to Alfric. "Don't look now, but someone thinks they can take us by surprise..."
Parvaneh quietly tries to recommend that they let the lizardfolk follow for a while until they find the first bend in the path, then they leave the path and hide for a counterambush.
Alfric listens to Parvaneh and nods. He continues walking until they turn the bend, then slips into the underbrush and hides to prepare the ambush.
"I suppose just turning around, waving, and saying 'Hi' is not the best plan?" Natara whispers jokingly.
"Everyone appreciates a surprise," Parvaneh says, and slips off into the underbrush.
Before you approach the first bend, they attack, 6 Lizard folk
Nat
Parvaneh
Sir
Sir
Mai
Mai
----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
One manages to strike Natara.
Dodging the attacks easily, Sir Alfric turns and whips a throwing axe at a convenient enemy.
for a possible slashing damage.
Parvaneh kick steps five feet away from the lizardman accosting her and lifts the small butterfly hanging from her neck. She gives it a soft kiss and then smiles with a joy that defies their circumstances.
Mai returns the favor to her attacker
and misses horrible as if the Lizard has jinxed presense
Natara's shock of the attack made he unable to act.
Nat
Parvaneh
Sir
Sir
Mai
Mai
----------------------------
Sir Alfric fends off a couple of attacks with his shield. Then he steps forward, unsheathing his sword at the same time, and attacks one of them.
but miss.
Natara snaps out of a flashback to previous dealings with lizardmen and joins in the attack.
"Uvelucal Gyhoirn'gis" she snaps, pointing at the nearest attacker.