The woman is a lamia matriarch. She can look how she wishes. Cadas says with some urgency. Speak to this man if you will and lets be off.
Not all agreeing, but coming to a consensus, the group heads to the home of the man that had the Sihedron Rune on him. Knocking on the door a young woman, asks who you are and why you are there. With several of you speaking, you say that you are investigating the sinking of the ship and had noticed that the man who came hear had the tattoo. The woman confirms that her husband had the tattoo, but he was a hunter and would not be back till tonight. She then goes on the explain that even though he had the tattoo, she finally convinced him that home life was more important than gambling and he swore off going to the boat. In fact he stopped going about two days before it sank.
If we leave now we can survey the fort tomorrow afternoon and decide if we want to tackle it then or the next morning.
Marcellano sighs, seeming aggrieved. "While I'm loath to leave any avenue wholly unexplored, it seems vital that we get to Fort Rannick with all speed...so yes, let us set off."
+2 familiar near
Speaking with Shalelu "yes, I will accompany you. I have a personal reason for wanting to go to the fort" the usually tight lipped ranger says, while gathering up her gear and waiting on the group to ready themselves.
Leaving the town of Turtleback Ferry, you head north along the east side of the Skull River. From the directions given to you by the villagers, you should travel about three miles north, and then there is an old wooden bridge that crosses to the west side of the river and the trail heads all the way up to the impressive Thassilonian ruin known as Skull’s Crossing, an immense stone dam that holds back the waters of the Storval Deep. About three miles before the dam, there is a side road that leads to Fort Rannick, a bit to the west.
You follow the trail, and come to the old wooden bridge. Just after crossing, Robin hears a yowl of pain in the woods nearby, as if a large cat were wounded.
This way to the dam. Cadas says, mostly sure.
Atrius will hang back with Marcellano, allowing Robin to scout ahead.
Cadas follows at a slower pace, giving those scouting a round's lead. Plus her slower speed allows them to continue their advance and lengthen their lead.
Marcellano frowns. "I hardly see why the local wildlife is cause to--" But Robin is already gone. He sighs. "Halflings." He follows the other three into the bush, staying close to Arthas.
Hearing the sound, Robin, impulsively as usual, takes off sneaking into the woods heading towards the sound, with Adolina right behind him, and the rest of you follow behind them. About 100 yards into the woods, it opens into a small clearing and you see a what Adolina recognizes as a firepelt cougar, with its left rear leg stuck in a bear trap. The small cat, sees Robin and becomes quite excited, and tries to approach the halfling, but continuing to wound its rear leg in the trap. Not taking an attack position, but more of a please help demeanor about it.
It appears tame. Maybe someone's pet. Cadas postulates as she come into the clearing and sees the animal.
Marcellano watches warily, ready to cast if anything goes wrong. "...could it be a pet of the Black Arrows?" He glances back toward the path. "We're not that far from the path to the Fort."
"What a magnificent creature!"
Robin does a check of the area, and finding no other traps, moves over to the cougar. The cat lays down as Robin works with Adolina to force open the bear trap and after the cat removes its paw, they let it close. Adolina spends a moment offering the cat some meat, however the cat, gently taking her pants leg in its mouth starts to tug her in the direction of the woods to the west.
You hear something large coming thru the forest, along with the baying of hounds. You have perhaps twenty seconds before whatever is heading your way makes it to the clearing. At the sounds of the baying, the cat lets go of Adolina pants leg and turns to the sound and holds still, slightly growling and twitching its tail as if ready to pounce.
Cadas allows herself to be directed in hiding. She casts Bearskin and Bless as she hides.
Marcellano looks up, startled. "Hunters...?" Hesitant to unleash arcane magic on what could be innocent people or creatures that he can't see, he just accepts the invisibility and takes cover behind a tree.
Atrius heeds Adolina, readying his weapon for combat.
Robin quickly casts invisibility on Cadas and Marcellano, then joins everyone moving into the trees away from the roaring. Just as you all get into the treeline a lumbering giant with Its body twisted and deformed, having tiny eyes and a mouth of jagged teeth enters the clearing along with five wolves, one of the wolves almost as large as a horse.
The giant sized creature speaking in common to the wolves, "find kitty" and the five creatures start sniffing the air and head towards Adolina and the cougar.
"I think not," Marcellano mutters to himself, pulling a tiny, rubbery tentacle from his pocket. He mutters a few arcane words and suddenly, massive black tentacles sprout from the ground and lunge at the newcomers!
Cadas watches to see if which creatures are grappled and which are not.
vs DC 18
vs CMD 22
Robin begins to dance, and tell jokes. The giant is so amused by his antics that he collapses to the ground, and gales of horrible laughter come from his mouth. Atrius, seeing the giant down, stands fast to protect the wizard and bard especially, before rushing into combat. Marcellano casts a spell and the area where the giant and all the wolves are located is covered with large rubbery tentacles that reach out and attempt to grapple them. While the giant, even though laying down, is not caught up, all the wolves are and they are grappled.
Cadas, Adolina and the cougar watch and wait to see what the creatures will do now.
The giant is laying there laughing, while all of the wolves try to break free from the grapple, with only one wolf succeeding, and it runs away as soon as it is free.
Marcellano frowns (though no one sees it, since he remains invisible). "This is no time for jokes, Robin! A giant like this is a dangerous beast. Now everyone back away!" Muttering some more arcane words, he prepares a spell to bring more destruction down on the giant and the wolves (hopefully driving any that escape the grapples to run).
Cadas complies, backing up as she pulls her sling. I am not very effective at long range my arcane friend, but I'll save my spell power for now. She slings a stone into the tentacles at one of the entangled wolves hoping to encourage the general desire to flee.
Atrius stands in defense of his allies and thinks to himself that he really must acquire a bow when he has the opportunity.
vs DC 18
Robin continues to talk, taunting the giant as it lays on the ground laughing. It seems to work, as even though the giant is laughing he seems worse off than when he first fell to the ground. Atrius stands there, ready to protect Marcellano and Robin in case one of the foes breaks free and attacks. Marcellano black tentacles, continue to grapple, and this time even the giant is caught in their rubbery grasp. The tentacles do enough damage to all, that the remaining wolves, sans the large one, lay on the ground bleeding out. Marcellano, casts another spell, and rocks pelt down upon the foes, which outright kills the remaining wolves, once again except the large one Cadas slings a stone, and misses while Adolina shoots an arrow and continues to wound the dire wolf.
The giant continues to laugh and roll on the ground, while the dire wolf is still caught in the tentacles.
Once the stone call is cast Cadas advances to stab at the prone giant.
Marcellano watches with grim satisfaction as the wolves fall, then moves forward. The tentacles keep up their work...
As he approaches, the wizard calls out to the giant, "De kie vi venas, giganta? Via vivo povas ankoraŭ esti ŝparita se vi povos esti utila al ni."
"Where have you come from, giant? Your life may still be spared if you can be of use to us."