Weyve dodges the darkmantle's tentacles as he cautiously moves into the cave. The summoned eagle flies to the side and rakes the monster with a talon.
Calvin swipes at the creature but misses again. Tobar takes aim and fires another bolt into its squamous body. It drops to the floor, lying still!
When you get a chance to search the cave, you discover little more than the bones that litter teh floor. The bones are a minor curiosity, because most of them belong to bipedal creatures, but many are decidedly not humanoid, as evidenced by skull shape, finger bones, and other physiological differences. Proper identification is confounded because the skeletons are not intact; rather, their bones are separated and mixed together like a disassembled jigsaw puzzle. At least one skeleton is clearly human, though.
"Well, I was useless that fight...the tight quarters didn't do us any favors, though." Gideon remarks. "Was nice to have you on your feet for this one though, Cal!" he comments in a good-natured way, giving the gill-man a grin before he starts the exam the cave floor with a more critical eye.
"Yeah I know, tell me about it!" Calvin replies to Gideon. "Tentacles are the worst monster theme. I think I'm going to have to ban calamari at my tavern for fear of it crawling off the plates and trying to kill my patrons."
Calvin pauses at the skelepuzzle, and frowns. "They've been busy." he says, using his sword to tip a few bones this way and that, looking for anything useful that has been left behind.
Some of the smaller skeletons seem to belong to chokers and monkey goblins. Others are ichthyic or avian in nature--Gideon remembers reading a few rare tomes on anatomy that depicted the bones of such exotic humanoids. He thinks they might belong to creatures known as skum and strix, respectively.
Calvin does not find any valuable treasures among the bones.
"Oh, I know. Tentacles are not my favorite either. Back in Tian Xia they had books about tentacled monsters that would... actually, never mind."
Weyve looks around.
"It looked like there was another exit in that crystal room. Shall we see where it leads?"
You head back to the crystal room and check out the tunnel there. The cave tunnel gradually begins to slope upward here, with a faint glimpse of light to the northeast and a warming of the air temperature. Soon, you emerge from the side of a low hill not far from Talmandor's Bounty. The colony is only a short hike southwest over the hill.
"Huh. Well whadda ya know. They had a back door to getting into the colony. Seems like we need to task some settlers with helping to get this cave boarded or bricked or caved in or whatever we need to do to remove this as an entrance/exit."
Gideon checks the ground around the cave entrance, looking for any tracks.
There are a few faint choker tracks around the entrance to the cave. The most recent ones seem to be made two days ago--one set of prints that don't return. They likely belong to the choker that attacked you on the way to gather Alba's reagents.
It would seem you have taken care of all of the chokers in this nest.
"Yeah... no other passages? This could be a good mine for those gemstones, of course, but for now, best we board it up."
"I'll get on it." Calvin says, heading to where they've been keeping lumber to get some boards and tools to cover over the passage.
Calvin recruits a few of the carpenters to help him carry the boards and tools back to the cave entrance. With a few hours work, they are able to cover the passage enough so that no other monsters can get in and out.
Ramona is grateful to you once again for dealing with the chokers. The colony will no longer have to worry about creatures skulking around in the night.
As you reflect on the challenges of the past couple of weeks, you feel stronger and more confident in your abilities.
Being the reasonably bland, congenial but not especially exciting type, Tobar spends his next week working on the light crossbow that he's started for the colony's defense. During the process, he continues to show Machi the basics of the craft, knowing that it could take her years to truly master it, but that in just a few months she can easily become skilled enough to be a big help.
Gideon first approaches Ramona to ask if it would be possible to send a special order for a few books about gemcutting and one or two sets of gemcutting tools for the next ship in; it might take a while for them to get back, he knows, but if there is a possibility of finding precious stones on the island, a gemcutter would be a great aid to the island's economy, and the sooner he can start studying the craft, the better.
Gideon also spends the next week interacting with and further befriending the colonists as he is wont to do; he does try to find someone who has a pick they wouldn't mind him borrowing though, takes some time to go back down the well as he had earlier; with no chokers to worry about, he is better able to explore the place, and he takes a while to search the cavern out. Even if there are no actual gemstones down there, he's hoping he can at least find some eye-catching crystals that he can take back to Kulena as a gift. Whether he is able to bring her one or not, though, he makes sure to visit the thatcher frequently, just to talk and see how her days are going and to talk to her about the adventures he and the others are having.
He spends time working with Anya and Hondren, learning their craft and developing at least a modicum of familiarity with the work such that he can contribute to the growing colony's operations in a small way.
He goes to Lutein and asks if it would be possible for him to forge a set of lockpicking tools for him to use, should they ever be necessary; he is still learning from Tobar, and Tobar is kind enough (I would imagine, anyway!) to allow Gideon to practice using his own tools,but the archaeologist feels that it's high time he got his own set of them.
Calvin continues working on the colony's special brand of alcohol, checking the progress of the batch and planning the requisition for the next ship coming in for more general beers to be shipped in.
Ramona agrees to place an order for the gemcutting supplies on the next ship. It's still going to be another two weeks until the first supply ship arrives.
Luetin is able to craft a set of thieves' tools for Gideon at the standard cost, delivering them to the bard before the end of the week.
Gideon's inquiries about colonists with a pick leads him to Tipps Kreggan. The very hairy miner grins at the bard. "Aye, Tipps brought his pick with him!" he says, referring to himself in the third person. "You're welcome to borrow it, just bring it back in one piece!"
When Gideon returns to the caves, he discovers a few changes. In the room with the excavation, most of the crystals that were previously there are now missing, and a portion of the far wall seems to be dug further back than it was before. Strange tracks seem to indicate some burrowing creature has been here, but Gideon is unable to divine much more about what it might have been.
Using the pick, he gather several crystals--though not particularly valuable, they are quite pretty. Kulena seems to think so when he presents them to her. "Oh, wow! These are beautiful! You shouldn't have, Gideon." She blushes and lowers her eyes coquettishly.
Gideon thanks Luetin for the thieves tools and resumes practicing on the lockbox and other things they have found with a lock on them, trying to break them in and get accustomed to the feel of his own tools rather than Tobar's.
He thanks Tipps for the loan of his pick, returning it to him in the same condition he'd received it in. Once he's back at the colony, he lets the others now about the odd, almost burrowing tracks that he found in the cave, though what could've made them is completely beyond his knowledge.
Gideon suddenly turns a bit bashful at the eyes Kulena makes at him upon receiving the crystals. Clearing his throat, he tries to defer the attention by saying that he wanted to give something to her since she shared her candy with him and had made him the bracelet.
"Well, it is a lovely gift. Thank you very much!" Kulena says. She leans forward and kisses Gideon on the cheek.
Weyve returns to the job of collecting and processing herbs for the colony. He periodically visits the wilderness areas around the colony to gather things and uses this chance to also scout for threats approaching the colony/
In his spare time he discusses the possibilities involved in magical crafting with the wizards of the colony.
Weyve is able to gather numerous minor herbs to use in potions and poultices. There are no wizards among the colonists, but Alba Divenvaar, Carver Hastings, and Ramona Avandth are all skilled in spellcraft and are able to offer some advice related to crafting items.
Ten relatively quiet days go by as the colonists settle into a steady routine. The farms are well established, and hunters and fishermen bring in fresh meat for meals. Lyra Heatherly continues to scout the surrounding wilderness, bringing back maps that Perrell Beys insists on "correcting," leading to numerous disputes between the two. All told, everybody seems to be getting along well and working together.
Lyra has asked you to accompany her on her latest scouting mission north of Talmandor's Bounty, near the caves where you fought the grindylows. It is late afternoon, and you are walking along the beach on your way back to the colony, when a trio of creatures emerge from the surf. These hunchbacked, green-skinned humanoids have wide, frog-like heads but mouths more akin to that of a toothy fish. They brandish their tridents and gurgle a challenge as they move towards you!
"Skum!" Calvin shouts. "This is bad!"
He (as usual) moves in and slashes at the one on the right so that it would be harder to move into flank him.
"Agreed!" Gideon says, moving forward and drawing his machete as he does, trying to dodge around the skum Calvin is attacking to give him a flank.
Finishing his dive-and-roll, Gideon comes back to his feet, slashing his machete at the skum's back!
As usual, Tobar brings his crossbow to bear, but this time he loads it while moving into attack position.
Tobar fires his crossbow into the nearest skum's chest. As if bellows in pain, Calvin moved in and slices it with his blade. Gideon tumbles around to flank before slashing it with his machete, leaving it badly wounded.
The creature retaliates, stabbing at Calvin with its trident and slashing with a claw and teeth. The second one steps up to Gideon and unleashes a full attack, while the third flanks the bard and thrusts with its trident. Amazingly, none of their attacks hit!
Tobar adjusts to make sure he has a clear line of fire, reloads, and fires at the same one!
Gideon figures why mess with a formula that apparently works, dropping into another tumble to get on the opposite side of the skum that had attacked him so that Calvin can easily step into another flanking position.
"Hang on!"
Weyve steps back and begins chanting.
Calvin stabs at the injured Skum to finish it off, then takes a step to the side to put a new enemy in flanking with Gideon.
"Watch out!" Lyra shouts as she loads a bullet in her sling. She bonks the wounded skum on the side of the head, leaving it disabled but still standing.
As Weyve begins a summoning spell, Tobar drops the disabled skum with a well-placed crossbow bolt.
Calvin steps to the next skum, driving his sword into its side. As Gideon tries to tumble into a flanking position, it jabs its trident into his back. Wincing in pain, the bard returns the favor, slicing the fishy creature with his machete.
Both remaining skum try to bring down the injured bard, but Gideon manages to keep most of their attacks at bay. One claw slips past his defenses, tearing through armor and flesh.
The multiple blows landed bloody Gideon, but he is far from brought down, recent experience having toughened him. He slashes at the same skum again, trying to deny its ally the benefit of the two-pronged assault.
Tobar turns on his heel, backs up one step, then launches a bolt at one of the skum attacking Gideon.
A silvery eagle appears behind one of the skum, flanking it with Gideon.
With a screech it slashes at the skum!
Weyve maneuvers and takes a shot at the Skum that he can get a clean shot against.
"Squidspawn!" he curses as the bolt misses.
Lyra bashes the wounded skum with a sling bullet as Weyve's eagle appears. It takes down the skum with a talon, then whirls on the remaining for and pecks it with its beak. Weyve fires his crossbow, but the bolt goes wide.
Calvin slashes the last skum, leaving a deep, bloody wound. Tobar shoots it with a crossbow bolt, and Gideon finishes it off with a chop from his machete.
The three fishy humanoids lie bleeding in the sand. One of them carries a map inscribed on a piece of whaleskin. The map reveals the northwestern contours of the island of Ancorato, with a few terrain landmarks and a symbol that resembles a tower. This symbol is also accompanied by another strange, curling glyph.
"Well, this is bad. They've been taking prisoners." Calvin says. "Might be what actually happened to the prior colonists... Skum always work for darker masters."
"... Skum always work for darker masters."
Weyve gives Calvin a dark look, as if to say, "We do not speak of such things."
"If the colonists could be there, we need to go. The sooner the better. But let's make sure we don't blunder into a trap."
"Map'll be useful, though," chimes in Tobar.
Lyra looks at the map. "That tower's about seven or eight miles from here. It will be dark by the time you get there, but I understand if you want to go now. I'll go back to the colony to tell Ramona what's going on."
"I can't see in the dark, so I can't shoot for crap," says Tobar. "Either we need magic light or we go in the day."
"I can create a magic light, and I still have this eternal torch. So I think we should head out."
"Once we are in sight of this place, we can decide if we want to wait for dawn or head in then."
Calvin glares back at Weyve but says nothing.
Gideon frowns thoughtfully as he considers there options in this instance, but then shakes his head. "Creating a magical light and that eternal torch are useful in the dark, but no substitute for the day."
"I don't know anything about darker masters, but I know that the skum are an evil race; kidnapping and killing surface dwellers is nothing for them. Living in the darkness of deep water as they do, I would imagine they can see in the dark a lot better than we can, so we definitely don't need to try and stage any kind of night-time assault."
Still...it's pretty clear that the 'prisoners' this refers to are us, and right now, they don't know that their kidnappers failed and are dead, so we would have the advantage of surprise, but that won't last long."
"Fine. I'll get behind starting the journey tonight, but an hour before dark, I say we stop wherever we are and look for a place to bed down. Not just a camp in the middle of the woods, but a cave or something where we can actually get shelter and security and set up a proper watch."
Lyra heads back to the colony while the four of you set out through the woods to the north, following the skums' map. You blaze a trail for two hours or so, and the sun begins to set behind the trees when you come upon something of interest.
In a grassy field pockmarked with piles of fallen stone and sparse trees stands a monument that is relatively free from damage. A path of broken white marble leads to it, and the grass is curiously cut and edged away from it. The monument itself is a smooth marble disk, about thirty feet in diameter, and marked with representations of the phases of the moon. A semicircular row of thirteen columns surrounds the northern side on a curved marble base, the ends of which have broken off and subsided into the ground. Two adjacent columns near the center are broken and the lintel between them is sundered. Two curved stone benches sit before the semicircle on either side of the path, and two stone buildings lie to the north.
As you draw near, two metallic sculptures of idealized women step forward to greet you. They sparkle in the light of the setting sun. One begins to speak in the Azlanti tongue.
When the sculptures themselves step forward to meet the group, speaking in the language of the Azlanti people, Gideon's eyes go wide. Though he has no idea to what goddess the celedons are referring, he is well aware of what they are and what their purpose is.
"Forgive me, m'ladies, but I must confess that we didn't know there was a shrine here...and I am unfamiliar with the name Acavna. Is she a goddess of the Azlanti people?"
Weyve translates for the others, but lets Gideon do the talking.
"Yes. Acavna is known as the Shield. She is the goddess of companionship, the moon, and defensive battle. She supports the faithful who are besieged or overwhelmed, coming to their aid," one construct says.
"We would be happy to teach you all about the goddess," the other one says. "Please, have a seat and we will begin your education."
Calvin, who was considering the difficulty of fighting two metal women, and knowing they were seeking a place to camp, shrugs and finds a place to sit and listen. "Might as well learn something." He says, sighing. "Gideon, are you gonna take-" he glances over, seeing the bard with his writing utensils and gear. "Notes?"
As soon as the celedon started explaining, Gideon had already sacked out on the floor, paper and pencil out of his pocket, scribbling madly as he tried to remember everything that the celedon had said, eager to learn more.
Sitting up for a moment, as if suddenly remembering something, he looked over at Calvin. "I'm sorry...what were you saying? I'm taking notes."
The celedons, who give their names as Ariel and Urlana, begin to lecture about their goddess. They notice Gideon providing translation for those who can't speak Azlanti, and they offer to instruct the rest of you in the ancient language as well.
Kind and compassionate, Acavna regarded humanity, especially the Azlanti, as something to be protected and cherished. From rural militias to elite city guards, many in Azlant praised Acavna and prayed to her for protection in times of peace as well as in times of war. Acavna looked most favorably upon those who were besieged or outnumbered.
An important story in her holy text tells of the siege of the city-state of Bilith-Vel. The invading army was approaching the city under cover of night, and while the besieged awaited attack, a lone guard prayed to Acavna for a revelation that she could use to save her city. As the army neared, the sliver of the crescent moon suddenly shone as bright as a full moon, revealing the attackers and giving the defending forces enough time to reposition and repel the invaders.
The sun has set fully now, but the celedons show no sign of planning to stop their lecture.
Calvin will try his best to sit and listen, but he will start to nod off after dark. He'd be glad to learn the language, though, since it seems like they will be finding more azlant ruins in the future and being able to read the signs might save him some pain.