"That...thing was a Faceless Stalker. A creature capable of taking on someone else's form. There is a tribe of them in the swamp but they seem to be dying off over the years. Just not fast enough for my tastes." he looks intently at the lot of you "I thank you for your timely rescue, but I take it that you didn't just happen by and that this is more than just a "social" call, eh."
"We're hunting goblins. We came looking for you hoping you'd have some advice about the area," Ceru explains. She pales as a thought occurs to her. "Gosh, I hope the goblins aren't actually these faceless stalkers. Or that the other groups are running into them..."
"Do they really die off, or are they just... disappearing?" Ryoko pondered aloud. Maybe the goblins, hermits and assorted misfits of the area were just turning into something else entirely.
"Ceru, I like the way you think" Ryoko answered. "We should be on guard. The entire tribe might have been replaced, or maybe just their leadership."
"That beastie told us the goblins are on a trail south of here. We were just headed that way when Ceru here," Hjorleif nods at the gnome, "caught that thing changing into something ugly."
"Aye, the creature had the right of it, the gobbo's live in a little village just off the old fishing trail.I'm not sure what's got them so upppity recently, both they do seem more active as of late. You could get there by cutting southeast through the brinestump and if you like I can lead you there, but it would be easier if you just followed this trail back to the road and followed it to the old trail."
Getting somewhat unsteadily to his feet, Walthus makes his way to an old wardrobe and opens the doors pulling out a moss green cloak "I don't think i'll ever be able to adequately repay you for saving my life but at least I have to try. Take this cloak, it'll help bolster your resistance to magic and poisons and such."
"You're welcome to stay the night here and in the morning we can be off. I'll even cook up a nice dinner for you all."
"Master Walthus, we would not dare impress upon you such an undertaking, certainly not in light of your wounds. We should have no trouble finding the goblins, your directions are clear enough. Stay, rest and recover. No more trouble for you, hopefully."
Ceru nods, though part of her is desperate to find out what kind of recipes the halfling has devised to survive upon in the marsh. Halflings normally had a good reputation for culinary senses, if she recalled... but she shook her head, forcing herself to focus. "You should probably rest after what you've been through, Mr. Proudstump--but tell you what, we make it through, we'll stop for breakfast."
And then they could trade recipes.
"Aye, my friends are right. Hard as it is for me to decline a meal, I think we should take care of these goblins sooner than later. If we can make it there and back before nightfall, that is..."
Walthus sits on the edge of the bed, quite fatigued Yes, you're probably right. But if ever you need a place to stay here in the swamp just stop in and I'll cook you that meal I promised."
Ryoko nodded. "We'll do. I can tell you, travelling these parts is hungry work, and we've not even met any goblins yet." she declared, giving the halfling a short squeeze of the shoulder. Slips were highly priced slaves back home, but she'd never been fond of slavery, and liked them for a long time.
Eden smiles at the man's kind offer for food and lodging in the future. 'Perhaps this outside world is not as mean and cutthroat as the elders said it was.' He silently thought to himself patting Tisa on the head.
Ceru notes how weary the halfling looks. "Rest up now. Folks, let's head on our way. And keep an eye out for anything or one who isn't acting like they ought."
Before leaving, Hjorleif takes the cloak offered by Walthus. "Oh, no need to repay us, but if you insist. I'm sure we'll put this to good use! We can stop back after we've taken care of the goblins... check up and make sure no more of those stalker things are around. Come on, friends, we have goblins to kill!"
With that, Hjorleif gestures to his companions and leads the way out of Walthus' house. Once outside, he grins and holds up the magical cloak, "So... who gets it?"
"Give it to Eden." Renjiro states, before he moves down the path toward the goblins.
He cleans and checks his blades and armor as he waits for his companions to catch up, and heaves a sigh as he notes the damages from the monster's attacks.
That went... poorly.
"You alright there, Renjiro?"
Taking your leave of Walthus, you travel back towards the Lost coast road. Another hour passes before you emerge from the swamp into the afternoon sunshine of the road. Heading south along the road it takes another 45 minutes before you come to the overgrown remnants of the old trail Walthus had told you about. Despite the swamps best intention to reclaim the ground, the trail is still visible disappearing into the gloom of the trees.
Eden blinks and seems rather shocked by the gift. "I... Me?" he asks before taking it. "Thank you." He says once more before putting it on and trying it out. Looking a lot like a shirtless child with a towel tied around his neck.
Hjorleif grins at the half-elf, "Yeah, sure thing. You're the one who can save our arses if something goes wrong, so best to keep you protected!" His grin changes to a scowl as he gives the back of his sweaty neck a hard slap. "Unless it helps fend off these blasted bugs! Then I want it back!"
Renjiro does not answer Ceru for some time.
"The nature and talents of such monstrous things are deeply unnerving.
he says. "I was too quick to trust. Fortunately only I was hurt by this, but in the future that may not be so."
Renjiro looks ahead to the trail and nods once.
"Friends, the way is clear and our goal is noble. Let us be done with our errand." The samurai forges ahead.
Ryoko shrugged as Renjiro started to "forge ahead". She had always considered him a bit on the stiff side, but this was getting a bit too dramatic for even her taste.
"Hey, it suits you" She teasingly said to Eden, falling into step besides him. Her black familiar scuttled up her clothes, settling into her shirt. "I bet there's plenty of goblin girls going to swoon at your feet.Oh, and if they don't swoon, we just stab them until they bleed at your feet."
Eden is quite surprised at the attention and kindness he is receiving apparently not used to it in the slightest. He then laughs at Hjorleif’s seeming misfortune with the bugs. “If we have time I will prepare and cast a spell that will hide you from animals in the swamp Hjorleif.”
When Ryoko catches up to him he smiles at her and thanks her for the compliment obviously unaware she was teasing. At the sight of the black familiar Eden’s smile begins to fade as he stares at it. Then as she speaks her comment about slaying the goblins Eden realizes she had been joking up to that point.
Looking toward the familiar he opens his mouth as if to speak with a somewhat concerned look on his face but decides not to say anything. He instead opts to walk at a slower pace letting her pass him.
Ceru looks up at Renjiro and smiles reassuringly. "Well, you're okay, and we saved the real Walthus, so don't be so hard on yourself. We know what to look out for now and that's the important thing. If we knew everything we were supposed to know before it happened without any risk, life might be safer but far less worth living."
Ceru marches along as best she can, trying to stay on the alert as they return to the gloom and muck of the swamp.
"come on, spit it out." Ryoko answered, as she slowed down to match Eden. The weasel poked out of her shirt, a red eyed black furred head seemingly growing out of her chest.
Eden’s face becomes a cross between embarrassment and anxiety at the rather direct confrontation, made even worse by the appearance of the weasel. Eden runs his hand through his hair before focusing his bright golden eyes at her and saying: “I am not very good with… um… understanding what is and is not appropriate to say, and I don’t want to offend you… but I… That weasel is unnatural, and powerful, and I am sensing a connection between you two, a lot like mine with Tisa… But unlike Tisa it is not natural and I am not entirely sure it has your best intentions in mind… Not that I am saying it wishes you harm… Just be careful.”
"Hey. Keep swallowing your words and you'll one day take your tongue with them. Back in Cheliax, I swallowed so many of them they came out of my backside undigested." Ryoko replied, privately enjoying how her comrade seemed to wrestle with talking to her. She hadn't had much positive effect on members of the opposite sex, so this teasing was very gratifying. "My aunt may be all proper and respectable now, but my mother told me she had quite the sailor's mouth when she was younger."
Moro bared its needle-like teeth, but disappeared from view again, seemingly satisfied it had its intended effect on Eden. "All things added up, I figure Moro and whoever send her to me can't mean me that much harm. If they'd wanted me to die a gruesome death, all they would have had to do is not act at all."
Eden still squirms slightly at the direct confrontation but seems to grow a slight backbone as he says. "I didn't say it meant you any harm, it could want you alive for some reason, I don't know, but what I do know is that you need to be careful with... it." He says before patting his leg for Tisa to come to his side.