"Well, perhaps we could work out a trade. We have a mission as well, which is the reason we are out here in this swamp. Maybe you could help us and we help you?"
Hrungir gives the woman a sniff.
He turns to the others
Do we abandon our own quest to aid this Human Female?
"Fix men first." The Warden grumbles, working on an antidote. "Tell us where witch is."
"An excellent idea," Kennen says, agreeing with Dolpho. He waves a hand at Hrungir saying, "Certainly not abandoning, just a slight detour. Also, she's a half-elf. But the Warden is right. Best to get these guys on their feet first. Might be the old woman was a witch. If that's the case she might have an antidote we can...persuade her to gift us. Or if it was a mistake, she still might know of way to help correct her mistake. Which way did you come from?"
The Warden knows there is no easy cure for bad mushrooms. Drinking copious amounts of clean water to flush their systems will speed their recovery some but its going to b at least 24 hurs before these men are going to be capable of moving anywhere, and twice that time again before they are anything close to fighting strength.
Celia is startled by Hrungir's speech, but quickly adjusts and seems overjoyed by Dolph's offer of a trade. Really? that would be wonderful! She opens her satchel again and pulls out the potions and scrolls. I can give you these now, and I know my family will pay you more for the return of the heirloom - a ring. Do you have a map? I'll mark the location of Oakentombe on it.
To Kennen and Warden's inquiries about the old woman: Well, I don't know that she was any sort of witch, but we ran into her about a half mile back that way. She gestures south-west. Our trail should be fairly easy to follow.
"Well that's a 10 min walk. Let's see if this was an accident or premeditated." Kennen looks at the others to see if they will follow.
The warden walks over to Kennan and waits for the rest of the group before taking the lead. Following tracks in reverse wouldn't be too hard.
Dolph hope in line. He was always ready to help a beautiful damsel in distress. 'Lead on boys. We've got a witch to catch.'
Kee-rik silently comes along.
Hrungir gives the woman a final sniff and turns, disappearing and reappearing some distance away. He waits for the others to catch up and then continues his scouting ahead.
The group has no trouble following Celia's trail, as her troupe made no effort to. On dal their passage, and quickly foundlocate the place where they amen across the old woman and stopped for that fateful rabbit stew lunch.
From there finding the old woman's path away from the site proves more challenging, but Hrungir and the Warden are up to the task and after about an hour spy a modest daub and wattle cottage built around a tangle of huge mangroves. A hunched-over figure putters about the porch, humming a nameless tune, seemingly oblivious to your approach.
The cottage is built on a series of rickety wooden platforms anchored to the trees and suspending it above the water, which surrounds the structure on all sides for about forty feet. A little raft is tethered to the cottage's porch.
"Anyone else suspect that there are a ton of traps all around that place? It's certainly not an easy approach."
Water? Trees? Kee-rik gives Rodolpho a puzzled look at his "not an easy approach" comment.
Kennen steps forward and far enough away from the others that the Warden Could disappear if he so chose. "Hello there, young woman," he says, putting a little emphasis on young as flattery. "That is an impressive abode. I saw it through the trees and had to come and ask how you managed it all?"
The woman starts visibly as Kennen speaks. She twists around to face him and squints long and hard at him for a moment then shouts back, Its not nice to sneak up on old ladies little boy! What's a little lad like you doing wandering around out here on your own?
-Posted with Wayfinder
Hrungir watches, ready to teleport in to assist Kennen if need be.
"Ha. I bet I look like a child," Kennen says with an amused grin. "But no. I am a Halfling. And I am a not alone." He turns to look at a different section of the forest that others are waiting in. "My companions are around here somewhere. I tend to go ahead a lot. The wanderlust take me many places but I've seen nothing quite like this. It is impressive." Kennen waited for a reaction to the fact that he had friends nearby and if she'd still invite him over as she had Celia's men.
The old woman peers across the water at Kennen. An 'alfling? Well, I've never met no 'alflings before. Why don't you come on over and I'll put on a nice pot of tea, and you can tell me all about these 'alflings of yours while we wait for your friends, dearie.
She turns back to the hut and ylls abrasively. Olki! Get out here you worthless girl! After a moment an unkempt goblin child wearing a blue pinafore comes scampering out. The old woman pats the goblin on the head and say to her, [b] Be a dear and go fetch our new friend there for tea. That's a good poppet.[b]
Olki obediently unties the skiff and begins poling over to Kennen.
Dolph continues to wait until he gets a sign to show himself.
Kennen's eyes widened a bit at the goblin girl. How in the world did that happen and why? As first impressions go, Kennen was leaning towards foul play with the men in the clearing rather than accident. He did not fancy going into that house alone. "There you guys are," he says turning back to the woods. "What took you so long?" He takes a few steps in his companions' direction and subtly signals them to come out.
When he sees his mate turn, Dolph stands out into the open and waves. "You know I'm not good at following you through the woods! Hold on a minute. Hey, did you make new friends?"
Kee-rik is trying to find a way to sneak onto the platform, but 40 feet of water is a long way...
The little goblin keeps making her way across the water to the little jetty where Kennen, and now Dolph, stand; seemingly oblivious to the sudden arrival of Dolph.
The old woman waves greeting to Dolph. Oh, you've been found. Well that's good news, my little 'alfling. The bog's no place for a little'un like yourself to be wandering about alone. Why just today I came across a band of no good ruffians not far from here. thugs and thieves every one of them everyone. Nay, can't be too careful, I always say. The old woman makes to head inside. Farewell little'un, travel safely.
"What sort of trouble were the ruffians up to that you came across earlier? Did you see them doing something wrong?"
Kennen is about to correct the old woman and say he could handle himself but shuts his mouth a moment later. Wasn't worth it.
Olki's raft reaches the other side and she begins tying off.
Oh, its not about what they did, dearie, but about what they were going to do. She taps the side of her temple knowingly and disappears inside her hut.
Come Olki! Don't dawdle! The goblin girl gives a heavy sigh and starts undoing the knot she just finished.
Dolph looks at Kennan, waiting for him to confront the lady, as it seemed he had less of a rough edge about him than the Mage did.
Kennen looks at Rodolpho, then at the raft, then sighs. He got the feeling the old woman wasn't evil, just really paranoid. If they could convince her they weren't bad, they might be able to get a cure from her. He gives one last look at the forest and his apparently overly paranoid companions before hoping on the raft. "Uh. Thank you." He tries to smile winningly at the goblin girl but it was hard. He'd never been comfortable with goblins and the outfit did not go well with goblin green.
"Hold on, Kennan! We've got to ask this lady a few questions. We can't just let them shut us out. Ma'am, those men you poisoned are dying. We need a cure to whatever jinx or curse you put on them. They meant you no harm. If you help heal them, we will get them out of the swamp as soon as possible," the Mage calls out, as subtlety was thrown out the window.
Hrungir grumbles from his place in the reed. He teleports himself onto the porch.
This human. She says things that are strange?
Kennen looks at Rodolpho confused. His expression turns pained as he let's the cat out of the bag. He couldn't wait until they got across the moat? Within attack range should something happen. Kennen really hoped that blinkdog Hrungir could get them across.
The old Woman calls back out from the hut. Poisoned? Why I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about... Yeargh!!! She steps back out of the hut to see the shaggy form of Hrungir crouched at her front door. Foul cur! She hisses at Hrungir and darts back inside, slamming the flimsy wood-plank door closed behind her.
Sounds good to me!
Hrungir sniffs the air where the woman was just standing.
Something is not right here Kennen Heartwell.
"Guys. What. Ugh," Kennen starts with a frustrated groan. "Of course something isn't right. You pounced on old woman. Granted she is very suspicious but c'mon." He looks over at Olki and asks, "Can you take me across so we can sort this out?"
Olki who had frozen in fright at the appearance of Hrungin on the porch, regained her composure and began ferrying Kennen across the water.
Kee-rik slips into the murky waters just east of the hut and begins slowly swimming across.
Hrungir sniffs the air for clues as to what is going on, but unusual or suspicious.
Kennen and Olki make it to the hut, and Kennen hops up to join Hrungir as the goblin ties off the raft.
Dolph begins making his way forward to try and join the others.
Kee-rik slips into the murky waters just east of the hut and begins slowly swimming across.
@ Kee: yes definitely swamp
@ Dolph: there's 40'of water between you and the others. You could spend a SP to warp over.
Kennen walks up the door and listens first in case any incantations were being cast.
If not, he knocks on the door. "Ma'am. You can't poison people for what they might do. We find the people you spoke of not to far away in awful condition. They said they started feeling bad right after they left here. Now they are stuck in the wild, sick, trying to get over what you did to them."
Fools and chattel, the lot of them cackles the old woman from the other side of the door. There is an ominous cracking and popping noise and her voice takes on a deeper, ominous timbre. They are paying the price for plundering MY bog - AS WILL YOU ALL!!
Suddenly the wooden door is blown off its feeble hinges as a twisted green monstrosity bursts forth from the hut with a roar.
Stringy, mouldering hair whips about her grotesque features as Sartrise the hag pivots to face Hrungir. And you, star hound; I don't know how you escaped the hobgoblins, but I'll skin you alive and suck the marrow from you bones like I did the rest of your pack!
*Thud* *Thud*
What's that noise?
*Thud* *Thud* *Thud* *Thud*
Oh crap.
One moment a door is there and Kennen has his ear pressed against it. The next, he and the door are gone. A splash is heard several feet away. Kennen and the door resurface, a dazed look on the halfling's face. Someone get a description of that charging bull?
Initiative
Hrungir roars his defiance in a bellowing growl. His form begins blinking in and out of the Material Plane. [
If Kennen looks like he is having trouble keeping his head above water, Kee-rik will go help him. Otherwise, Kee-rik will move up as close as he can to the hag in a single move action.
If after moving he is close enough to be heard at a normal speaking voice, Kee-rik will say to the hag, "Bog belongs to The Goddess, if anyone."
If he is close enough to attack at the end of his move, he will bite the hag; otherwise, he will ready a bite for whenever an enemy gets close enough. [If the goblin isn't attacking, I won't count it as an enemy.]