Aza grimaced at the deadly-looking swarm, somewhat thankful that she was not one of the victims of the skittering things. Noting Pious's several severe-looking wounds, she moved over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder - "May the winds soothe you..." she muttered, as a healing breeze flowed from her hand and onto his wounds.
Jamba throws a flask at the spider and then moves further away.
Once the ringing in their ears cleared, the smoke from the second successive detonation in the small room cleared, and Pious and Chest Thumper patted down yet more slashes of flaming oil from their faces, the danger was over. Caught full-frontal by Jamba's well-aimed throw, the giant spider had withered in the heat and now lay, legs curled up, upside down behind the bed. The entire room reeked of burnt spider.
As they exclaimed glances of relief the party began to look around the room, stamping on the remaining vestiges of the swarm and a few patches of burning books and bedclothes. Fortunately, the sturdy construction of the Fort walls and the pervading dampness prevents a larger conflagration.
'oops' Looking completely embarrassed, Iradyiel turns to 'Pious' and then Chest Thumper, nodding to Francis. "Sorry about the fire, guys, I didn't know what to do, so I guess I panicked."
He then leans his glaive against the wall in the corner and begins looking around the room, first, kicking the body of the giant spider away from the bed and checking the body of the commander, looking for the key to the chest.
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Chest Thumper waves away Iradyiel's apology. "I'd rather get a few burns than be devoured by spiders," he tells the half-elf. "I don't think any of us could have smashed enough of them to matter before they ate us alive."
Francis is less sanguine about his scorch marks, but shows his displeasure by going into the corner and sulking. He sits with his back to the group, occasionally looking over his shoulder and giving disapproving hoots.
Chest Thumper leaves searching the room to the rest of the group. He focuses on the body, wondering what fresh perversions are going to assail him in this place that is turning out to be a house of horrors. He pulls the dagger free and examines it quickly to see if it matches or is similar to the one that they found in the bucket.
Then, he returns to the body, having stalled for as long as he can. Even before removing the bedding, he is sure that he is going to see the unmistakable marks of the spiders' depredations. He only hopes that they have not done so much damage as to hide what actually killed him.
Silence creeps into the room as the smoke settles. Bile rises in Pious' craw as he realises the stench of cooking flesh that fills his nostrils is coming from his own seared face. He wretches and spits crudely on the floor.
"Fire reveals truth to those who can pierce the smoke."
Aza's magic has proven a balm to his pain but removing a gauntlet and sweeping a bare hand across his scalp reveals the truth. Fully half his head is burnt bald and his skin is puckered cross his temple. Without wasting a moment more on his own situation Pious helps with the search.
Jamba checks out the burned up arachnoid carcasses. "Jamba no like dose creepy crawlies. Nasty, nasty dey be." He picks up parts of the spider to add to his components pouch. "Dis fang be good for da magics dough."
He assists Iradyiel in searching the room.
Hands pressed against their mouths to mitigate the smell of charred spider and burnt Pious, the party search the room.
In the NE corner, Jamba and Pious leaf through the contents of the fallen bookshelf. The books primarily relate to simple poetry and tales of adventure imported from Cheliax as entertainment for the militia members. They’re already moldering from the humidity and are of no particular value. Of more interest is the heavy trapdoor blocked by by the fallen shelves, which appears unlocked.
Iradyiel searches the headless cadaver on the bed, gingerly. Wiping away the remaining spider eggs and a few rogue hatchlings, the body has been dried to a desiccated husk within, meaning the masterwork studded leather armour of the commander of the Fort Breakthrough militia is entirely unspoiled, should anyone be sufficiently immune to squeamishness to take it. At the Commander's belt is a masterwork silver dagger, a pouch containing 126 sp and two keys; one smaller (chest-sized) one and another large one suitable for a heavy door lock.
Chest Thumper examines the corpse carefully with a practiced eye. Whilst certainly gruesome, it is clear that the giant spider swarm found the body after death. The cause of death was a crushing blow to the chest; carefully inspecting the broken ribcage reveals a large shard of obsidian, akin to that found on the terbutje Aza found in the well and which Iradyiel subsequently claimed.
Finally, the party together gather round when Chest Thumper retrieves the small dagger found impaled in the body's chest. The dagger is similar to the one found embedded in the bucket by the well, and possibly of halfling origin. Of more interest is the note, written in the Common, or Taldan, language, which was pinned with the dagger to the cadaver.
'Ah Jamba uses natural things for his magic.' Iradiel scoops out a small handful of the spiders eggs from under the colonels nice armor and asks, "Master Jamba, can you use the spiders eggs for anything?"
'The commander had nice gear, that's for sure. Wonder what's in the pouch aahhh, there are the keys were looking for.' Iradiel fishes out the commanders pouch with the silver dagger, opening pouch he lifts up the keys. "I bet these are the keys for the chest."
[I]He watches as 'Chest Thumper' inspects the body, watching as he displays the different shards and then the note and dagger.
"It looks to me that the green clawed things are trying to scapegoat the halflings. Shall we go back and open the chest, or continue on through the trapdoor?
"O-oh no..." murmered Aza, her own blackened hands trembling after she attempted to magically stitch up Pious's wounds. "I'm s-sorry, sir, I didn't mean to..." she trailed off, looking away and sighing. She nodded at Iradyiel. "It l-looks to me that whoever this Cahsil-sil tribe was, they wanted to leave a message-ge for... well-well, us." She bit her lip and examined the letter closely. "Semms like-like their grasp on c-c-common is a bit shaky... I think for n-now we should expl-plore the rest of the place.
The ch-chest isn't going anywhere."
Jamba gives the half elf a brown toothed grin, "Dat even too nasty fah Jamba!" Jamba looks around. "Any of yah heard of dis Cahshil Tribe?"
...tap tap tap...
Aza attempted to think through her studies of the history of Golarion to try and recall any mention of this Cahshil Tribe.
...tap tap tap !...
You can hear muffled shouting coming from somewhere nearby...
'Hey there is tapping!' Iradiel looks around. "do you folks hear that tapping? I think it's coming from the trap door!" Iradyiel goes to the trap door and attempts to open it.
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It had not occurred to Chest Thumper that the halflings might be being framed. It was obvious that they hadn't wielded the weapon that killed this man and there was at least one other corpse that had been slain by a creature larger than Halfling size.
It would explain why the halfling bodies had been mutilated after death. Someone was trying to make it look like they had died in the raid but the bodies had been brought here already dead. They were meant to be evidence that the halflings were involved.
Chest Thumper grumbled under his breath. He was sure he could figure this all out if it weren't for that infernal tapping distracting him.
Francis was also annoyed by the tapping as he dulled in the corner and nursed his wounds. He was direct in his ire, though. He pounded on the floor with both fists, growling and hooting.
"Let me help," Chest Thumper says to Iradyiel, moving to the shelf covering the trapdoor. He takes an edge and adds his muscle to the half-elf.
The room is a strange mirror of the past as Iradyiel and CT prepare to lift the trapdoor and Pious stands over it, ready to strike.
"Trust not the whispers from below"
The trapdoor itself is heavy enough, but moving the toppled bookshelves and accumulated books from on top of it takes the party several minutes. Whilst this is being done the tapping and muffled shouting cease, and are replaced by an ominous silence. With the debris cleared, the others stand back and ready themselves as Iradyiel and CT prepare to lift the trapdoor.
Lifting the wooden trapdoor reveals a dark storeroom fifteen foot beneath, accessed by a single wooden ladder. Boxes and barrels line the sides. A waft of dried goods rises from the room, mixed with other less pleasant biological odours which suggest someone has been living down there for some while.
Peering up from the gloom below is a small dark childlike face, clad in simple leathers , and taking cover behind a wooden crate. In his hand he wields a dagger, but it is clear that he is temporarily blinded by the light, wincing and squinting at the limited light from the trapdoor hatch. Seeing the party's faces, he shouts up from below in an unintelligible tongue.
'He looks so much like a child.' Finally lifting the trapdoor, Iradyiel looks down the ladder at the small face, "Ungakhathazeki, sizokhipha, ngiyazi ukuthi asazi kodwa sifikile lapha, gcina."
Holding his index finger up to indicate a moment, Iradyiel turns to the others "He's fed up and wants out, looks to be thirsty and upset. Said something about 'should have never asked for shelter."
Turning back to the Halfling ""Nginamanzi, ingabe ungakwazi ukuza esikhwameni? Uma kungenjalo ngingakuletha kuwe. Ungasitshela okwenzekile ngaphambi kokuba ushiye."
"I have water, can you come up the ladder? If not I can bring it to you. Can you tell us what happened before you leave?"
"Does he sp-speak common? I-is he injured?" queried Aza, cautiously standing a few feet away from the trap door in case whoever was down there decided to assault the party. "We-we could provide h-healing..."
Scowling down at the face, Pious does not lower his blade.
"Tell him he gets nothing 'til he drops the knife."
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The exchange between the halfling and the half-elf is all gibberish to Chest Thumper. He also knows he'll be little help in negotiating with the little being given his lack of understanding of the language.
Not unlike Pious, he watches the halfling warily. Somewhat unlike Pious, he is not aggressive about it. Unless this is the person who's been throwing around the lightning magic, he's not much of a threat to 6 adventurers (yes, he includes Francis in the count.)
"Sorry, I don't know what he's saying, but if worst comes to worst, we can always put the trapdoor and bookshelf back," Chest Thumper says. "But hopefully he can tell us what happened here."
The half-orc is not the least bit conflicted about the possibility of starving the halfling if he proves too recalcitrant.
Jamba looks looks down at the dark childlike face. In Polygot, "No worries lil mon. Jamba here ta rescue ya! Come out an' let Jamba get ya sometin' ta drink and munch on!"
He offers his waterskin and some rations.
Gently, patiently, and over the course of some time, Jamba and Iradyiel coax the little halfling hunter into trusting them. The offer of water was particularly helpful; he drinks deeply and gratefully from a waterskin before finally climbing up the ladder to emerge blinking and shaking into the room above.
In a thick dialect of Polyglot which Iradyiel and Jamba sometimes struggle to understand, he cautiously introduces himself as Muhdzuzi of the Cashill tribe, and begins to open up.
"Ngiyabonga, ngiyabonga - ahh Angizange nginamanzi izinsuku eziyisikhombisa kodwa ukuthi ngifake ezindongeni zegumbi elingezansi. Izinsuku eziyisikhombisa! Angikaze ngishiye ehlathini izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngaphambili, futhi ngibanjwe emgodini omnyama ngezansi - kube yinto eshaqisayo. Noma kunjalo - ngomoya wabokhokho bami - wasindisa impilo yami ngaleso sikhathi. Futhi usindise impilo yami manje! Ngiyabonga."
At this the little halfling looks nervously at the remnants of the spider by the bed, and the mutilated body of the Commander. He'd rather be outside of this room in the open air, you feel.
I have reinstated the Fort Breakthrough map at the head of this post.
Still in Polygot, but translating in common for the party. "Dat one terrible story, mon" He turns to the others. In common, "Small up yourselves an' let's get out of dis stink." Returning to Polygot, "Ya member of da Cashil Tribe? How ya get stuck in here. Dere be lot of bad vibes in dis place. Ya want da weed ta relax?" Jamba offers him a cigarette. "Yo Jamba. Nice ta meet ya, Muhdzuzi"
The little halfling takes the roll-up offered by Jamba, sniffs it, licks it, then pops it in his mouth and starts chewing. Sitting on the rampart wall, his feet dangling over the edge towards the yard, he seems to relax a little, shuddering, then says (in Polyglot): "Yes I am of the Musdah family of the Cashill tribe. We hunt this land here and there; keep out the way of the big people." Here he steals a look around the Fort, then asks directly, "So they all dead? The big people, and my hunting brothers too?" He shakes his head, "We came here for shelter, running to save our necks, but they wouldn't listen. All dead now."
When Iradiel took the water down to the Halfling, he quickly searches the room below the captains quarters.
As the team heads out of the captains quarters to return to the ground, Iradiel asks the hafling "So were you and yours being chased by something? Were they green with claws on hands and feet?"
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It soon becomes clear to Chest Thumper that Jamba and Iradyiel have the halfling in hand and that he will not cause any unpleasantness. He kind of wishes they'd found him before they disposed of the other halfling bodies as they could have been sure to respect their funerary customs. But then, nature reclaimed its own no matter what and the spirits seemed to be appeased so it had all worked out.
He was trying to get Francis to go into the room below with him when Iradyiel beat him to the punch. Not surprising given the fact that "convincing" Francis started with some grunts and signs and ended with the Half-Orc punching the sulking ape in the arm and the ape replying with a shove that sent Chest Thumper sprawling.
Fortunately, Francis was more willing to go back outside and he watched the storm in the distance from the rampart while Chest Thumper listened in and watched (without understanding) the conversation going on between witch, barbarian and tribesman.
"Looks like we're going to have to pass back through the room with the trunk to get back down to the ground. Unless anyone wants to jump or climb down the walls. We might as well see what's inside it on the way. Maybe something useful," he suggests.
In the storeroom
In the process of teasing the halfling out of the storeroom, Iradyiel carries out a quick search. Holding his nose against the choking smell inevitable in an enclosed room where someone has been sealed for a week, he finds supplies of dry goods, nails, canvas, fresh clothing, and other basic supplies in the chamber. It appears these were located under the former fort commander’s quarters for security, given the importance of these supplies to a growing colony far from the mother country.
Although Muhdzuzi nibbled on the contents of the large crate of rations here, it still contains 100 gp worth of food. It may be that the good folk of Pridon's Heath would prefer these supplies to be returned to the town, rather than left to rot or be looted in the devastated Fort.
In the shooters hide, NE room
Using the smaller of the keys liberated from the Commander's belt, Chest Thumper and the others accompanying him gingerly unlock the (untrapped) hardwood chest. Aside from the box itself, which is a very well made (masterwork), solid and secure piece of craftsmanship, they find a selection of alchemical items and shiny objects the Glippli must have scavenged while looting the fort. The chest lock automatically on closing; it may be that she found it, filled it, then shut it inby accident.
The chest contains 112 gp, a silver holy symbol of Erastil (25 gp), a silver flatware setting (20 gp as a set), three bottles of acid, two tanglefoot bags, and a thunderstone.
On the ramparts, with Mudhzuzi
The little hunter looks up sharply at Iradyiel's question: "You mean lizard folk, yes? That what you mean? Yes, of course, they why we asked big folk in Fort for shelter. Nine days ago, eight brothers and me met them in the jungle. They coming this way, and they not hunting but killing. We lost one brother. We fled here for safety. No good. No good at all." He looks up at Jamba, "We told big folk, but they no speak our tongue, and we no speak big folk language. They try writing but us brothers we have no letters. We tried acting the lizard folk" here he does a reasonable impersonation of a hulking figure swinging a mightly club, "But they just laugh at us. They no laughing when the killing start. They no laughing now."
Aza attempted to understand the conversation going on between the Polyglot speakers, but she shook her head - the words just didn't make sense to her. In any case, she nodded in agreement with Chest Thumper. "I think opening the ch-ch-chest sounds like-like a plan. I'll c-come with you."
Upon opening the chest, Aza sighed, looking into the chest and examining its contents once it was opened. "Wh-while this appears to be a treasure trove, I th-think that the town would like all of these-these supplies returned." She leaned on her staff and considered for a moment. "I don't think that th-there are any more sentient cr-creatures in this for, but... I don't know if I trust that there won't be more... bu-bugs." She shivered as the image of the massive swarm of spiders ran through her mind.
Pious, seeing that the exploration of the fort is in good hands and not being one for spoils himself takes a look around the gate. He bends down intermittently to trace faint patterns in the dust.
After giving the Halfling water Iradyiel inspects the room he was hiding in. Returning from below the captains quarters , Iradyiel observes, "There are a lot of supplies down there."
Lizard folk, is that what they were.' As the little jungle inhabitant joins them outside and enjoys Jamba's gift in an unusual fashion, Iradyiel nods, "Will you stay here with him Jamba, while we search the rest of the fort?" turning to the group he tells them, "The Halfling says they were attacked by lizard folk, and they did all of this."
Following Chest Thumper Iradyiel, after opening the chest, nods his head in agreement with Aza "I believe you are right Aza, we should return this and the supplies, in the other area, to the town."
Iradyiel, crossing over the ramparts, going back through the towers, to the southwest corner he climbs down the ladder; returning to the ground level. He moves into the courtyard, waiving to Mudhzuzi and Jamba, he proceeds to the door on the eastern wall drawing his club, just in case, he checks to see if it's unlocked.
Outside the gates
Pious heads out to the shattered gates and beyond the smoldering remains of last night's pyre, to examine what tracks might have been left by the attackers. What he finds is that a good sized force accompanied the tracks of the large dino that was used to ram the gates; maybe 8 to 12 strong. An attempt has been made to cover these tracks, but in several places, now he knows what he is looking for, the mud betrays the tell-tale imprint of reptilian foot. The tracks head back to the northeast initially (see Map 2) but Pious does not venture far from the Fort alone.
In the yard
Iradyiel approaches the unexplored building to the east of the yard, directly underneath where Jamba sits with the halfling on the ramparts. The door to this building is sturdy and securely locked, but the larger of the two keys from the Commander's belt opens it. Inside he finds an armoury: wood-and-metal racks — their hinges slightly corroded from the tropical humidity— line the walls, each fitted with an assortment of arms and armor. It appears Fort Breakthrough’s defenders never made it here before they were overrun. Searching the room, the armoury contains five short swords, three longswords, four light crossbows, two heavy crossbows, 60 bolts, four suits of leather armor, two suits of studded leather armor, four heavy wooden shields, and a masterwork breastplate. A crate in the corner is packed with straw and contains an additional four short swords, four longswords, and 144 crossbow bolts — the box stamped 'Northwind Smithy'.
On the ramparts with Mudhzuzi
The little halfling shakes with the memory of the attack; "They came crashing through the gate. The big folk were caught by surprise - there was fighting, but not for long. Them lizards had magics too - storm magics crashing and cooking folk. My brothers were in the yard and fought, too. I threw a dagger, then hid in that room. Then they came up there, and I hid down the ladder. Very quiet, extra quiet. When they gone, I couldn't light the trapdoor.". He pauses, and looks sideways at Jamba, "You found the brothers? There was seven. They all dead now?
NE building:Mess Room, in the yard
Broken halves of a large table lie askew in the center of this room. Half a dozen four-foot-long spears protrude from one half of the table, and brown bloodstains mar the floor. A basic map of the region covers most of one wall, hanging next to a picture of an austere-looking man.
The large map depicts the coastline and rivers in great detail, but labels little else beyond the fort and Pridon’s Hearth. It matches the map of the Korir River Delta which the party were given by the explorer, Umuzu, on the Kaava Cutter. The portrait depicts Baron Utilinus, Grand Custodian of Sargava, and conceals a hidden cache behind the portrait containing 100 gp as part of the fort’s payroll. The spears embedded in the table are all Song’o.
NE building: Kitchen, beneath the office room above
Shelves bedeck the walls of this square room. A solid stone slab sits atop a waist-high counter at the northern edge of the room, covered with spoiled vegetables and rotting hunks of meat. A wooden door exits to the east, while a wooden ladder ascends fifteen feet to a second floor.
This room has been looted, but the Fort's attackers missed a medical supply chest. The party find a healer’s kit, two bottles of antiplagueUE, two bottles of antitoxin, four bottles of bloodblockUE, and two sunrods, as well as bandages, wood alcohol, needles, thread, splints, and herbal tinctures worth a total of 100 gp.
Wrap up
The Fort is now fully explored, and you are able to decide what to do next.
- You have the hand cart if there are supplies you wish to transport back to Pridon's Hearth;
- The only uncremated body is that of the Commander, Marcus Pendalion;
- I will add the loot above to the Loot Sheet but it is your responsibility to ensure that everything you want to take is on that list. There are a few items you have ignored;
- are there any requests made of you you want to fulfill before returning to town?
- Muhdzuzi will accompany you to Pridon's Hearth for now, to share his tale.
Please RP the wrap up at the Fort before starting the journey back. Oh, and -CONGRATULATIONS!-, please level up before turning to town !
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Chest Thumper does take one of the flasks of acid with him before they leave the room and the chest. He, also is now paranoid about the possibility of facing more flesh devouring bugs.
"It might save us if we run into the wrong kind of trouble," he explains. If we get deaded they won't get anything back. I'm sure they'd rather us use this than get nothing."
He and Francis follow Iradyiel, as the barbarian leads the way investigating the rest of the fort. Much to his relief, there are no further threats.
As the group gathers in the yard again, he speaks. "I think we have two paths before us. The people at Pridon's Hearth need to hear what happened here so they can decide how they're going to deal with the lizardfolk.
"On the other hand, we could try to avenge the attack ourselves. There is a chance that in the time it takes us to get back and for the people in town to make a decision and then get back the raiders' trail will disappear. I don't know if I think there are enough of us to deal with a band of lizardfolk this big though, especially if they have a tame dinosaur and a spellcaster with them. The path of vengeance may be the path of suicide," he says.
As they are gathering supplies he points to the crate with the smithy's name on it. "This must be the shipment the smith is missing payment for. I think we should take it back and return it. If the sheriff still wants it, she can pay him for it."
After that, he suggests the chest from the sniper's hide then the food supplies found under the spider room be loaded in the handcart next. While the armory is a veritable treasure trove, it's all useless to him, though he will suggest that the breastplate be taken, at least. It is clearly valuable. If there isn't enough room for the rest of the weapons, they can lock them, and anything else they can't carry out back up in the room.
He'll also suggest they provide the fort commander the same respect they gave the rest of the bodies and cremate it.
Aza took it upon herself to load and carry the medical supply chest - the village would certainly need to get these as well as the spare weapons, especially if there was antagonistic notions from the people who assaulted the fort.
When the group started to converse on what how they might proceed, Aza offered her opinion: "While it might be dangg-gerous to pursue these lizardfolk, I feel th-that not only do we risk losing-losing the trail, but we might not-t be able to save those who are missing." She nods towards Mudhzuzi. "If what he says is true, we are still missing s-several halflings from th-this fort, and... it's likely that th-they and maybe some of the people stationed here were taken as-as prisoners. Every moment we sp-spend not getting to them is one wh-where they could be further harmed or k-killed."
Aza suggests that they also return most of the supplies when they do return - most of them belong to the fort and the town, and taking them would be kind of a bad move, as they could really assist the town.
Iradyiel nods his head in agreement with Aza "I agree with Aza, the lives of Mudhzuzi family lie in the balance. If we go to town first, we may be able to find the lizard people afterwards, but will the halflings still be alive? We can secure the goods here, rescue the halflings then take the goods back to town. Even if we use some of the supplies in our effort to avenge the raid the town folk would understand."
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Two points which may be relevant to your decision:
- from what you heard from Muhdzuzi and saw of the decay of the bodies left behind, the raid happened eight days before you arrived, now nine days ago. Making up this time in a pursuit would require some considerable time in the jungle. Are you equipped / prepared for this?
- from what Pious saw, the raiding party left the Fort headed NE. This would take them up the same coastline you came down to get here, ie towards Pridon’s Hearth.
-Posted with Wayfinder
As the morning lengthens, the day's heat begins to build. The weather is oppressively humid, oppressively so. There is an electric tension in the air, the sun is concealed by cloud and the sky is dark and ominous. Drizzle and gusting winds begin buffeting the jungle foliage. It appears the first vestigial element of the enormous storm which can be seen out to sea in the east, is on a collision course for the coast.
The party consider their options...
"We're not provisioned for the jungle, let alone a jungle in that storm. We need to get back to the hearth." assuming there is a hearth to return ...
Pious looks ominously at the tracks that seem to be heading back the way they came in.
"the lizard trail is old. We'll not catch them before they get wherever they are going, not on their territory. I says we travel light, take what we can easily transport in that cart and hurry."
'Pious does seem very wise, we should do that.' Iradyiel nods his head in agreement, getting up to fetch the cart he turns and asks. "Since the footprints head the same general direction as town, after we take the stuff there can we go look for the halflings? It would be nice if we helped Muhdzuzi find his family."
As they talk, Iradyiel helps load the cart, and will happily heft it down the road to Pridon’s Hearth.
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AbyssDancer, will we be able to take all of the items we found assuming we put most on the cart and carry the rest?
Yes, certainly.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Chest Thumper nods as Pious points out factors the rest of them had not yet considered. He and Francis could likely survive in the jungle indefinitely, but they would have to spend most of their time searching for food and water rather than running down their quarry and the jungle was not the home of the rest of their companions, so the group as a whole was currently ill-suited for a jungle chase of a week or more.
"Pious is right. If the scaly folk are headed toward Pridon's Hearth, we should get there to warn them, in case they have a similar attack planned. But once we prepare them, I agree with you Iradyiel and Aza. We should help the halflings and the fort guards, if we can find them," Chest Thumper added his opinion.
He was ready to set out as soon as everyone else was, helping with the cart when needed and taking a turn pushing it to give Iradyiel a rest.
But first, he had to get Francis out of the fort. As the first sprinkles of rain came down, the big ape had gone back inside, seeking out a roof to sit under.
"What do you mean you don't want to go out in the rain? You were born outside! You spent half your life without ever being in a building!" Chest Thumper chides. He gets an annoyed growl in return.
"I'm just saying, if you're not careful, people are going to start thinking you're going soft."
Another, louder growl answers.
"Fine. Stay. Baby."
A roar follows and Chest Thumper comes racing out of the fort with Francis hot on his heels. The ape catches the half-orc and gives him a shove that sends him sprawling.
Then, he gives the rest of the group a baleful, challenging glare before going down the trail back toward town.
Chest Thumper stands up and brushes himself off with a sly, toothy grin before following.
The sun, had it been visible through the gathering stormclouds, would have nearly been at its peak in the sky when the party left Fort Breakthrough for Pridon’s Hearth. Before leaving they had shut the Fort up as best they could and arranged a temporary barricade at the gate to warn off at keep out at least some of the local wildlife. They loaded the handcart with all they could carry, and relit the pyre to lay to rest the Fort Commander, Marcus Pandellion. As they turned to start the journey back to Pridon’s Hearth, they considered the news they brought back. They had discovered the reason for Fort Breakthough’s silence, for sure, but by no means could this news be considered welcome. The militia members would have families and friends at the town, and now the fledgling colony was bereft of the only fortification to provide warning of incursions from the jungle. No, their news would be not welcome at all. At their backs the Fort stood empty and silent behind them.
Winding back down the hill from the Fort, the party press on through the jungle, retreading their steps from yesterday. It’s much slower going, due to the effort of pulling the heavily-laden handcart, along the muddy path. The trail of the lizardmen raiders leaves the path early on, disappearing into the thick jungle. The party make note of the trail for the future.
Fortunately, there are no encounters with the denizens of the jungle on the return trip. In fact, it is as though the oncoming storm is causing the wildlife to run for cover; wandering animals are seen desperately seek shelter from the coming storm. A constant gray haze covers the sky, darkening to an ominous black to the west.
The party clear the jungle and approach the Witterwil farmstead, halfway between the town and the Fort. Here they pass on the grim news of the massacre of the militia; a rider is sent ahead to warn the town and two farmers pitch in with a pony to pull the handcart. After a short rest the party push on, keen to arrive at the town before the storm hits.
It is late afternoon as, fatigued, they turn the final curve in the road to arrive at the town gates. Ahead of them, through the wind and rain, they see a reception of sorts – Sheriff Adaela Praet, the blacksmith Vethorn Valgardson, and three of the town militia. Sheriff Praet has heard the dreadful news from the Fort, but only in brief, and suggests the group gather in the Stone Hall to discuss the matter in more detail, and comfort, whilst the militia remain outside to guard the handcart and its precious contents.
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Over to you…
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Action 1
Chest Thumper is more than a little relieved when they come around the final curve and see the town ahead of them. The entire trip back he watched the jungle closely, expecting at any turn to spot a scaly hide followed by a bolt of lightning. After all, they knew that the raiders had come in the same direction they were traveling. The relative safety of Pridon's Hearth was welcome.
He follows the sheriff to the Stone Hall and sits at one of the tables, while Francis looks around expectantly for the same feast he had the last time he was here.
He speaks quietly when Praet is ready for the report, careful not to be overheard. I'm afraid that your fort has been wiped out, sheriff. All we found there were bodies and Muhdzuzi, here. From all the evidence we saw, a group of lizard folk chased Muhdzuzi and his companions into the fort then attacked and staged things so that it seemed like the halflings did it.
"We laid the bodies to rest as best we could and brought back all the supplies we could find, but we also saw evidence that they were headed this way. We also saw evidence that at least one of them is a powerful spellcaster and that they have the services of a dinosaur. I suggest you put your militia on alert, in case they attack."
"Francis and I will help, as well," the half-orc says, which garners a grunt from the ape.
"Yes we will." Grunt. "Yes we will." Grunt. "Yes we will." Grunt. "Yes we will." Grunt...
This goes on for a while before Francis petulantly relents.
Action 2
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Unless any of the rest of the party objected, Chest Thumper would pull Valgardson to the side after they had given their reports to Sheriff Praet.
"I could not get your payment, obviously, but we did find your shipment. It's outside on the cart. I have little doubt the militia will need it so I'm sure that you can still get paid for it if you give it to the good sheriff."
He will linger around the Stone Hall until the sheriff either calls for him or it is obvious she is not going to. In the former case, he does what is asked of him. In the latter, he returns to the shacks to rest and wait.
Pious is silent as he listens to Chest Thumper tell their tale, he doesn't sit though, preferring to pace up and down the hall.
"My wise comrade here has the gist of it, though he understates the difficulty we had taking the fort. Him and his beast nearly died in the taking. A frog had taken up residence."
It seems that this is all he feels is needed on that matter.
"You should make ready your troops. But not in fear. Live not in fear, for I am returned Aroden returns to us. And when he casts his eye upon us he will see a land scourged of the blasphemer and the heretic, I will take the blade of judgement into the forest, my heart girded with the armour of contempt."
Pious heads straight to the bank of Abadar once the meeting in the Stonehall breaks apart.
Thumping a fist against the door he hollers