The thorough search of the village is done under a sunny sky and a balmy weather. The village counts a tannery, a brewery, a livery, a blacksmith, a taylor, a potter, a weaver, a gemcutter, an inn called The Waterhorse, a church dedicated to Erastil. You also find another trap, but this time, Kriger finds it without falling into it.
A whole bunch of valuables are found, but they clearly belonged to the disappeared Varns:
-15 barrels of bier (7 gp each)
-115 gp
-an elegant set of f lagons and platters, hand crafted and chased in platinum, that was intended as a wedding gift for King Noleski’s eldest daughter next spring as indicated by a small placard. The set is worth 300 gp because of its fine craftsmanship.
-a book that has been torn in half at the spine. The book is about three-quarters f illed with handwriting in Skald.
-several books with titles like Iobarian Prehistory, The Centaur Skyles of Central Casmaron, The Untold Heritage of the Taldan Armies of Exploration, and the aforementioned Secrets of the Rashalka Mounds. With them, a number of charcoal sketches of a heavy jade bracelet bearing peculiar markings. At the bottom of the stack sits a letter dated 2 months ago from Maegar Varn and addressed to Maestro Pendrod (a resident of the inn). This letter describes the discovery of a jade bracelet on the banks of a “river of local provenance” and requests Pendrod’s presence for further study of the artifact.
-a centuries-old geography book created by one Carmyn e’Brothasa, chronicler of Taldor’s Third Army of Exploration into the north. One passage is marked with a note in the margin: “Vordakai—perhaps a Nomen centaur god?”
-a masterwork viola.
-100 gp
-three scrolls of cure serious wounds, three scrolls of remove paralysis, a scroll of restoration, a scroll of break enchantment, a scroll of breath of life, and a scroll of raise dead.
A few nuisances were found, like a mad boar, but those were swiftly dealt with.
Of notice, the front door of the Waterhorse inn has a single word hastily scratched into the wood of the front door in Common—“NOMEN.”
"I don't recall anything about the bracelet, although I'll take a closer look at the markings."
"As for the Nomen, that's the local centaur clan, as I remember. Is there sign here Kriger that many many horse-hoofed centaurs have ridden into the area and perhaps made off with prisoners and plunder, enough to carry away everyone into the night?"
"I'll take a look." Kriger examines the ground to see if can determine if there are any.
As far as you can tell, there is just no way a whole tribe of Nomen could have been trampling here.
"I'm gonna go with 'No', Servayn. Just... no." He says in a tone of defeat. A curious thought then comes to mind, "Who the heck is this, 'Nomen', fella?"
"Maybe it's a tribe of centaur amazons, hence the name 'No Men.'" Servayn says, half seriously.
"I'll give it a look. Hopefully we can find something. I'm startin' to get a bit worried."
Most of the tracks go for a bit, then vanish. It would seem not so far from the church of Erastil, but not that close either.
Recovering from my exhaustion after being captured, I take the scrolls from the village.
"Thankyou, Kalsgrim, have you encountered the centaurs before? I know little of their ways."
Anything clearly not belonging to Malaswyn or the Spriggans or distributed for use by one of his companions, Servayn will wrap in a bit of cloth from the community, and place within his haversack, to keep it from 'getting mixed up' with their own gear and treasures.
"I'll keep this seperate, since we'll hopefully be returning it to its rightful owners when we recover them..." Servayn explains.
He leaves the fifteen barrels of beer behind, as they won't fit in the haversack.
The road stops at the village. To the west and south are mountains, while the east lies plains.
"Following that thought, do we know if the Nomen have any traditional enemies? Other than expansionist humans, in general..." Servayn ponders aloud, as the companions debate a heading.
"Well, if the Nomen are our only clue perhaps we should talk to them? Althoug I agree that we should approach with an open mind. How do we find the Nomen?"
"It sounds more and more like we are headin' straight to these 'Nomen'. Well, off we go." Kriger then takes the lead heading east.
19th of Rova, 4711
After a night's sleep, you cross the Kiravoy River and make your way east, through the hills, leaving the road and the village behind you.
The hills are slowly taking the colors of Fall, as the month of Rova starts its second half. The air is fresh and the wind chilly, but the sun bathes you in a radiant warmth. After a day of exploring, you make camp near a small stream at the bottom of a hill.
"As far as a fire goes, I think we'll be alright with one going. But I'm good with no tent. I'm gonna go ahead and get a bit of shuteye. Wake me in a couple hours. And I mean that literally. That's about all I really need. It's pretty amazing. I can take watch all night after that. The rest of you can divvy it up however you want." He slaps Kalsgrim on the shoulder and moves to a spot to get some rest.
"Ember requires my consciousness to remain in this world, so if I can take first or last shift, it would be easiest." Servayn says, before turning to their newest associate, "Malaswyn, you are a priest, correct? Do you need an unbroken period of sleep, or have some sort of required time for prayers? If so, first or last watch might also be a good idea for you."
I give due thank to Sarenrae at the dawn. As such, I would prefer to take the final watch.
The night passes without incident. As the Sun rises up to the east, you resume your march east, spurring your mounts to climb the hills, until you reach the summit of what looks like the last great hill.
From a rocky outcrop at its top, the sun climbs over the plains of Dunsward, a lush grassy expanse undulating slowly to the east, extending for miles, while south looms the craggy spires of the Tors of Levenies, the forsaken mountains whose spine extends all the way between Frieland and Varnhold.
As you make your way down and reach the plains, Kriger notices strange furrows lacerating the ground and forming odd obstacles in the peaceful landscape.
Ember, for once, attempts to sniff about, hoping to show up his 'master.'
All for naught, it appears...
Servayn says aloud, "I read a bestiary once that told of a monster once that swam through the earth like a shark, and rose up to devour sheep in one bite, and those marks look a lot like the tracks drawn in the book."
"I was kind of hoping it was make-believe..."
"Yeah, a land-shark. Nothing but a freak of nature. A nasty freak of nature at that." Kriger looks a bit worried at the thought.
Servayn dismounts, not wanting to get tangled up in reins and saddle if his horse is attacked from below (and, conversely, wishing to allow the horse a better chance to flee if *he* is attacked...).
Ember looks suspiciously at the ground as they travel, and flutters into the air and back down again any time the ground feels 'weird' to him, like a dog on a trampoline.
Kriger looks to Kalsgrim, "Nope. Swampland maybe. But where we're at, they'll have us right where they want us if they're here."
You walk nervously through the land scarred by the furrows.
A mass of flesh explodes forth from the ground, hurtling towards you with great speed! Its huge elongated body is armor-plated. Its toothy maw gapes wide as a fin-like dorsal plate rises between its shoulders as it breaks the ground.
Kriger
Kalsgrim
Servayn
Malaswyn
B
Before you can react, the beast leaps forth in your midst and claws at Ember first, in a quick dazzling series.
Crit confirm:
One strike finds its mark, hitting the eidolon, leaving a long gash in its side.
"Ahhhh, freakin' crap! Heads up!" Kriger moves toward the over-sized beast.
Servayn utters a profanity, followed by the words of an incantation. Everyone feels arcane energies rush into their bodies, giving them a surge of speed. Haste on Kriger, Kalsgrim, Servayn, Malaswyn and Ember for six rounds. +1 to attack rolls, +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves, +30 ft. to all movement types, +1 attack at full BAB when you make a Full Attack.
I stare intently at the creature for a second and my face sets in a grim mask: Lady, protect us.
With a chanting prayer, I extend my arm and send a ball of flame hurtling toward the strange land-shark.
The bulette contracts quickly, blocking most of the fire blast, then lashes out at the surprised Ember, tearing it to shreds.
Ember growls in frustration, the sound cut off abruptly as his body flies apart into clumps of hot ash and black smoke.
Servayn casts another spell, calling down a rain of glowing embers, attempting to blind the beast.
Kriger's eyes narrow in anger as he sees the bulette literally obliterate Ember. Moving at a rapid pace straight towards the beast, "BURN!" Kriger yells as his weapon catches fire.
As he buries the greataxe deep within the bulette's form, "HA! HA! AND NEXT, I'M GONNA EAT YA!" He says in a wild-eyed and crazed fury as the creature's gore sprays all over him.
Astonished by the ferocious beast's fortitude, I send forth a prayer to Sarenrae for aid.
You bring special favor upon yourself and your allies while bringing disfavor to your enemies. You and each of your allies gain a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks, while each of your foes takes a -1 penalty on such rolls. It all stacks with haste.
Stunned at the savagry of the creature's attack on Ember, and Kalsgrim and Kriger's brutally accurate retorts, Servayn is all-too aware that death herself must be watching this battle with measuring eyes, to take up the first to show themselves unworthy of another breath.