Appropriately as clear as mud Natalya sighs
We should keep an eye out for it then, unless you can tell us which direction the Horned Horse lies o boggard?
Gareth sits cross-legged and slouched and watches boggard's interaction with the hypnobard. He does his best not to look at the pet frog-thing that he killed.
Marlani will try and provide suggestions to the creature while it's in it's fascinated state;
"We would like to be friends with you; you wouldn't try and attack friends, would you?"
"Can you take us to the Horned Horse?"
Marlani will also feed him some food.
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"No," says the fascinated boggard.
"Yes," says the fascinated boggard.
He gobbles down whatever Marlani offers him, his huge mouth slurping down any morsel in seconds.
He tries to get up. Even if his feet are tied he rolls about.
Fascinate does not have a specific duration, but lasts as long as Marlani us talking to him. . Once the fascination breaks Marlani can attempt another diplomacy roll, with a +5 bonus circumstance.
If the boggard manages to make it to his feet and lead them toward the cave then Gareth will do his best to stay out of his field of vision. It is doubtful seeing him would help the situation much.
Marlani will also heal the creature:
During a break in the march Gareth will ask Marlani if she can cast Identify on the wand that they found, in order to learn the command word.
Marlani will inspect the wand:
"Sorry I can't tell what it does today; I can take another look tomorrow though."
"It was very gracious of you, all the same" Gareth says with a slight slurring to his speech.
As they march, Valkus sidles up to Gareth. He keeps his voice low as he tries to comfort his friend. "Personally, I don't understand what Lorald's problem is. It's a frog! Who cares if it attacked first? Are we supposed to make a peace treaty with these mosquitoes, too?" He slaps at his neck, illustrating his point. He smears the gore on his pants, disgusted.
"You are probably right. In the future I will wait a bit longer before engaging in bloodshed. This is probably the sort of thing that moved Natalya to leave her prior companions."
Lorald remained alert as always. While they head west, he would not object if it was not to far out of their way. They did have perishables, not to mention the smell of rotting flesh would bring predators for miles the more rank it got.
It seemed his keen senses picked up more then just their surroundings overhearing a near by conversation. He turns to look directly at the pair.
"Perhaps my problem is looking deeper into things. If that had been a tribe rather then a lone frog as you put it we would all be dead. Not to mention we could have sparked a war in the region to which those at the trading post would suffer for our actions."
His duel colored stare was not of anger or even annoyance, it was more akin to a parent scolding a child. Which could make it better or worst.
"Such forward thinking would have helped your words remain unexposed as well."
He says no more.
Gareth, whilst your actions were on balance ill-considered, there is a sea of difference between your good self and those I chose not to travel with any more. Not the least of which is that you, without anyone else's prompting, have realised your aggression was unprovoked.
she tries to sound reassuring
It would take a lot more than that one incident for me to strike you off my dance card she winks.
And as for you she turns her attention to Valkus it was a slurk, frogs don't have tusks
She crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow Or does that make it too difficult for you to rhyme in the ballad you are surely writing of our epic journey!?
She seems happy for Lorald to lead, but keeps an eye out herself for anything that might threaten the group.
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The boggard leads you west, it takes the rest of the day, following along behind it, before you arrive at your destination.
Still under the forest canopy you arrive at a clearing. In the center is a stone statue of a man glad in furs and rough leathers. The head of the man is that of a stag, complete with a six-point rack of antlers.
This is obviously a statue of Erastil.
That statue is overgrown with moss and the plinth upon which it stands is surrounded in shrubbery and other brush. This place has not been disturbed in some time.
"This way, this way," croaks the boggard as he leads you towards a rocky outcropping near the edge of the clearing.
Lorald makes a mental note to inform Anton of the statue's location. It may be a holy place or at least a shrine in need of tending from time to time. While it was not his god he did have respect for all goodly gods. When the frog man leads them near an outcropping he draws his crossbow in preparation of anything hostile that may appear.
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The outcropping seems to open up into a dark cavern below. This entrance looks like it might have been recently opened by a cave-in or some other geologic activity. There doesn't seem to be any sound coming from down there.
"There, there," says the boggard as he gestures towards the hole, his arms still tied to his sides.
"Oh good," Marlani says, "another hole."
I'll use Detect Magic around the statue and the vicinity.
"Can we let the poor dear out of his restraints for now? He won't be causing trouble."
If the boggard is untied, Gareth will offer him a healing potion as compensation for killing his pet without provocation and for the time he spent as a prisoner. Hopefully, hypno-bard can facilitate the communication on Gareth's behalf because, in an interesting twist on things, he is drunk and she is sober.
Valkus sullenly takes his lashings, refraining from retort. He distracts himself for a moment with Natalya's challenge. Let's see... Ode to a Tusky Frog, in D Minor. D Minor is the saddest of chords, I think.
A frog with tusks is called a slurk
A rhyme for that is no hard work
If sung aloud, this song might irk
Lorald's a jerk
He likes to lurk
No time for fun
Work to be done!
He needs a perk
But duty, I shirk
My brows, I quirk
My lips, a smirk!
The challenge is won
My song is done
If I don't quit,
I'll laugh a fit
Lorald would stab me with his damn dirty dirk
Certainly not my best work, but true art is never finished, is it?
Sensing his presence is perhaps unwanted, Valkus slinks back to trudge along with Eusebius Jens. There wouldn't be much to talk about with the gruff bandit, and it might keep him out of trouble.
Reaching the hole, Valkus conjures glowing motes of pale yellow light. He lets them slowly swirl about the party, waiting for the go-ahead to send them into the hole, lest he act too early and send them all headlong into a perilous war with the darkness. He scoffs at the thought, but remembers a lesson from a long-forgotten class. Never make war on vague concepts. They're wonderful for commanding the hearts of the people, but they're impossible to win. And never go in against a Chelaxian when death is on the line. The memories of Taldor's ignominious fall from greatness leaves a bad taste in Valkus's mouth.
Natalya pauses, the area by the status imbuing her with an otherworldly sense of calm.
Well wherever here is, it might be something special to Old Deadeye, I think he just spoke to me... she trails off, not really sure of what she's saying.
It might be something to do with that statue, but to be honest I'm not exactly sure. Regardless let's press on for now, I'm sure he'd have sent hunger pangs or somesuch rather than feelings of serenity if he didn't want us here.
She moves to the cave entrance, sword drawn.
I see you're keen to ruin my nightvision Valkus, let's get it over with then so we can all see!
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It's starting to get late in the day.
Natlaya peers down in to the dark hole. She can see that the bottom is only about 20 feet down. It appears to open up into a limestone cavern, no sign of anything hostile.
Marlani cats detect magic and finds that the statue is radiating a delicate mist of divine magic but also that there is some powerful abjuring magic located directly underneath you all.
Right well it's not going to explore itself, so what the hey!
Natalya sheathes her sword, pulls out some rope and loops it around the statue (praying under her breath that she hopes Old Deadeye understands her need and that she trusts him not to let her down) then climbs down in to the cave then drawing her sword again and shouting up to her companions a description of whatever she sees.
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The limestone cavern is quite large, Natalya finds herself near the middle of room whose edges flirt with her darkvision. There are multitudes of stalactites and stalagmites permeating this cavern. To the south she sees that floor drops down a few more feet to make room for a large door, at least 20 feet tall, carved with the image of a grinning frog.
Marlani will warn Natalya about the abjuration effect.
She will then offer a few words to old dead eye...
...consider the statue's magical effect:
... and finally yell down to Natalya:
"What do you see? Is it safe?"
It looks clear Natalya shouts back up to Marlani.
There's a 20 ft tall door down here that I'd love our resident trapfinder to meet before I go anywhere near it, any volunteers?
Marlani will descend and inspect the door with Detect Magic; she'll also take a look for traps;
A bit unsteadily, Gareth will follow Marlani and also detect for magic. He draws his rapier and holds it ready, should they encounter enemies.
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Valkus and Lorald are left alone on the surface with the prisoner. Now untied he just sort of stands there. "Are you from the same spawning pond as the beautiful one?" he asks.
Down below Gareth detects magic to similar effect. The door is magically locked. A Divination of some sort might reveal the nature of the key, or experimentation. A skilled rogue can disarm even magically warded doors.
"I have tinkered with locks and whatnot a little bit in the past, but I don't have the appropriate tools. I don't believe there is anything I can do now."
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Could you bring the Boggard down and see if he knows how to open this thing!?
Otherwise we're going to have to find a rogue or wizard, Natalya racks her memory but she is unskilled in such things.
Lorald keeps alert and ready for trouble.
"Same family if that is what you mean. But I am mixed blood if it is not apparent."
Natalya swears darkly under her breath in Necril at the closed doors.
Right then if Garuum doesn't know how to open it, let's call out a few names... 'Bactrophan'... 'Bactrophian'... 'World's most amazing boggard wizard'...
You get the feeling she's not particularly experienced, or indeed skilled, with such things.
A ha! she disappears off up the rope and returns a few minutes later clutching something in her hand, wandering over to stand in front of the door she presents the muddy frog she just collected from outside in the swamp.
Anyone any idea how I can get the frog to smile?
She sighs.
I know where there were the corpses of two of the wizard's creations, maybe we could grab those and present them to the door?
She's really reaching now...!
Marlani will consider the door, however she is not particularly experienced;
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Marlani is not having much luck with this hole.
Any other ideas?
The boggard siddles up to Marlani and puts a hand upon her shoulder. "There, there, Bactrophan was a mighty wizard, wise in magic as well as war. Like all boggards he was also quite skilled in love." He seems to trying to wink.
Garuum, I think Marlani would be most impressed if you were able to try opening the door yourself, I believe you will have more of a friendly face as far as any protective magics go...
She sweeps her arm at the door, inviting him to attempt to open it.
"I could use a break, and some... supplies. I agree with Natalya."
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"Anything for my beauteous Malawi," he struggles with the pronunciation of Marlani, his lips not quite made for those sounds.
He goes over to the door and carefully looks at it. After a moment he begins to run his hands over the surface of the door. He seems to find something near the center and holds his hand there for a moment.
There is a deep "CLICK" and the doors part. There's a massive in rushing of air, a vast sucking breeze that flows into the area behind the doors. For the first time in many, many years the dark areas behind the doors feel fresh air.
The doors only open wide enough for one person to pass through, in the darkness beyond you see more limestone caverns, filled with stalactites and stalagmites all fluted like freshly melted wax.
Garuum steps back in surprise from this development. At first he seems surprised and then he puffs himself up with importance. "You see Malawi, Garuum looks after you."
Natalya glances around to make sure Lorald, Gareth and Valkus are still in the cavern and haven't nipped off for a quick nap somewhere, before winking at Marlani and grinning.
I knew you had it in you Garuum! she pats him gently on the shoulder as she passes by him on her way to the doorway.
No time like the present, Marlani do you have the ability to conjure lights for yourself and the others? I don't need them so I'll stay just out of the radius so it doesn't interfere with my vision!
She draws her sword and rests it on her shoulder as she strides forward confidently in to the darkness.