The halfling does not understand dwarven either. Ood notices that the halfling is very, very frightened. He has likely spent a few days alone in this tower, trapped with no water. He also shows signs of recent distress and shock, likely having witnessed horrors of some kind and still trying to process them. He is not threatening the party because of aggression, but out of fear and uncertainty.
"This one is going to be trouble. I should just knock him out and we can haul him back with the frog thing."
With nobody stopping him, Odie moves to knock the halfling unconscious.
Alset ponders the note found on the commander's body. "I don't think it was written by halflings. The spelling and word choices don't fit any halflings I've known or heard of. I guess they are being framed, perhaps the lizard-folk footprint is telling us by whom. Let's exit this hole and head to breakwater." Looking up at Odie, "Odie!, knock it off. Go up and check on Beloved."
"Well, he seems to like you best Alset. See if you can get him up and out into the courtyard. Ood and I can get the commander and the rest of the stuff. I wish I knew what happened here. Were the Halflings just visiting when this happened? I wonder why they were here. I wish I knew for sure if the grippli was working with the lizard folk or if it was just another scavenger."
"Well, he seems to like you best Alset. See if you can get him up and out into the courtyard. Ood and I can get the commander and the rest of the stuff. I wish I knew what happened here. Were the Halflings just visiting when this happened? I wonder why they were here. I wish I knew for sure if the grippli was working with the lizard folk or if it was just another scavenger."
"Stonewall, the grippli was rather well armed for just a scavenger, but she may have been just a low-life looter taking advantage of the situation."
Alset suddenly remembers something the Commander said, "Friends, I remember that Ameadala the Commander said something about her militia not being able to write well. I believe it was, 'their writing leaves something to be desired.' It was when she was telling us about the Whitherroot farm halfway between here and Pridon's Heath. I wonder if some of the militia are traitors and wrote the note."
Odie is called off by Alset, and the halfling is not unconscious. With careful pantomiming and a calm demeanor, you are able to coax the halfling out of the room. He is cautious and slow, but soon puts his knife away to climb the ladder. In the courtyard, when he sees the destruction, his eyes go wide in horror. He has not seen the place destroyed like this before.
Stonewall finds about 100 gp worth of food in a large crate in the room. Nothing else is of value.
With the mysterious note, the frightened halfling, and commander's body, the group successfully feels that they have explored Fort Breakthrough. Even without coming to a definitive conclusion, you know there is little more to be gained by sticking around the Fort.
The path to the breakwater is simple logs laid along the sloping trail like steps. A mile from the Fort you come to the coast, a brackish tangle of reeds and seaweed. A pile of lumber lays next to a worn wheelbarrow at the end of the trail by the waters. The wheels are good, and carrying it back up the path is of no consequence.
However, as you stand by the waters, if you happen to look out to the ocean, large stormclouds are gathering out to the west over the open waters. You feel a gusting wind off the coast in your hair and beard.
It appears a storm is beginning to brew. The time is now 2:00. It is 12 miles back to Pridon's Hearth, 6 to the Farm. The journey, with the heavy loads you bear, will take about 4 hours. This is the same time it took to travel south because dwarves are stolid creatures.
"That Ocean is a pretty sight with that storm rolling in. We should pack all this up and check out that farm. They may have more information and might speak that language enough to translate for that halfling."
Stonewall shakes his head in disagreement. "I don't think we should stop, I want to get that grippli to town as quick as possible. Also, I think I want that terbutje if no one else does."
Dejected, Odie says
"Ok, fine." and the begins our long walk home before the rising storm as if the party itself is bringing a storm to Pridon's Hearth.
I was really looking forward to a home-cooked farm meal, it just sounds so good!
"Does anyone want that Breastplate? My chainmail serves me well enough but if no one else is interested, I will take it."
Alset agrees with Odie, but offers a compromise. "When we get to the turn off for the farm, I suggest we re-evaluate the time, the weather and our two captives and decide whether or not to continue to Pridon's Heath or the farm."
"It's all yours, I just want this nice looking studded leather armor. Does anyone want my old wooden stuff? I'll also take a bunch of these viles and stuff if we run into any more spiders, I want to be prepared. Stonewall, this smithy stuff can be yours as well if you want. I don't think they'll be using it."
The weather worsens as the party walks back along the trail to Pridon's Hearth. Drizzle and light rain fall from the sky, and gusting winds buffet the open areas raised above the swamplands. Vestigial storms strike the coast to the west, a constant gray haze above them that darkens to an ominous black in the west. On the trail, wandering animals are seeking shelter from the storm, hiding from the open areas to the relative safety of the trees in the jungle.
The Whitherroot farm is preparing for the storm, with windows being boarded shut and anything loose strapped down or hidden away in sheds. If you try to talk to them they are frightened that you are attempting to walk back in the open; the storm should break tonight, and it looks to be a bad one. They usher you on, fearing for your safety but unable to house anyone else in their small buildings , especially individuals carrying an unconscious humanoid.
It is now 4:00.
"So, this is getting rough and it's about to get worse. Should we look for a cave or push on guys?"
Odie also checks on the luggage.
The grippli is waking up, but everything else is well strapped down. The trails are not wet, and crossing the next 2 hours should be any more difficult than it was going here.
Odie takes out his sword and deals non-lethal damage to knock out the grippli that is waking up. Sheaths it and goes on like it's a normal thing to check on and do.
Ood volunteers to push the wheel barrel saying, "I don't need a hand free for weapons, I think it makes sense for me to push the commander and whatever else we can fit onto this."
Ood goes to the wheel barrel and starts moving it next to the commander for easy loading. With perhaps some assistance, the load is readied for the trip back.
I will take the crate from the smithy and determine what to do with it. Maybe I can build some goodwill with the owner of the smithy and he will let me use his forge. It would be nice to be able to make things once in a while.
At 6:00, the party rolls into Pridon's Hearth amid blustering winds from the west. The town guard welcomes you back in, surprised at what you carry, and you soon meet with the sheriff in the Stone Hall.
Sheriff Adaela is distracted by the coming storm, but glad to see you four return alive.
"So they're dead," she says, noticing you did not bring back any living members of the fort. "We'll mourn their loss. There were good people at the fort; the Commander was a good friend of mine. But what's with this grippli and halfling? Oh, you don't speak Polyglot? Why don't you tell me what happened first, then I'll get their story out of them."
She locks up the two creatures in a cell in the back of the Stone Hall, near her office and waits to listen to your story.
"Ok, here is goes. We got to the fort and the frog thing attacked my pig! I'm kind fuzzy on the next bit but we knocked it unconscious eventually. From there we find all the bodies, this cub in the well, and this halfling in the basement trapped by a bookshelf that fell. We also found this note. Did I miss anything guys?"
"Yes, it seemed to us it had been made to look like the fort had been attacked by halflings. A lot of the wounds that looked like they were made from halfling weapons were made after the soldiers had been killed. We also found evidence that Lizardfolk had been there and killed at least one of the soldiers. We found 2 halfling bodies as well which we brought with us, we couldn't bring back all the bodies so we buried the soldiers at the fort.. We don't know how the Grippli was involved but it attacked us while we were there.
"Another point of note, was we found the chest with gold intact and unlooted."
"I think it important to mention that some of the bodies appeared to have been damaged by being frozen or iced."
"We also found this Wand of Infernal Healing, is there anyone in town who would be willing to trade for a Wand of Cure Light Wounds?"
She gives you a doubting look and says, "Lizardfolk, hm? They've never been seen south of the Korir River, and never are they this aggressive. The frozen damage sounds like magic to me. And without looting any gold, what could these lizardfolk have been after?"
She heads to the cells to question the halfling and the grippli.
The halfling's name is Muhdzuzi. He claims to have sought shelter at Fort Breakthrough with 6 other hunters from his tribe after they encountered a Lizardfolk raiding party 9 days ago. The halflings asked for shelter, but none of the guards at Fort Breakthrough could speak Polyglot of Halfling. The Song'o halflings tried to warn them of the impending lizardfolk attack. That night, a raiding tribe of Mireborn lizardfolk assaulted the fort and killed everyone. Muhdzuzi was trapped during the encounter. He would like to return to his village Cahshil, to the northeast of Pridon's Hearth. However, he is too weak and afraid to travel alone.
The grippli came to the Fort only 2 days ago. She was exiled from her tribe for reasons she does not say and was coming to the fort to trade for alchemical goods and potions. She saw it was devoid of life and went about looting it for potions and weapons. When she saw what a great view the tower had of the surrounding area, she set up camp in the tallest tower and decided that this was to be her new hunting blind.
The halfling has heard the grippli moving around only the past few days and agrees with her story.
"Well I don't want to believe it, but your account seems accurate. Thank you for your service to the city." she says, and gives each of you the promised reward of 50 gp each.
"You all look quite tired. Why don't you return those items you found belonging to the members of the community and get some rest. It looks like we're going to have a big storm tomorrow, and I might need your help if things worsen. Storms like this take a day to roll in, so don't worry about getting flooded out during the night."
"Thank you! Let us know if you ever have any more work for us. We don't enjoy finding dead people, but we can always use the money and learning from the experience also helps!"
As the party leaves,
"I think we should go return this body first, I don't want people to get the wrong impression of us because we're dragging a priest around town all day."
Odie grabs the wagon and heads off to deliver the bad news.
To Adaela, "I would like to ask Muhdzuzi what we should do with the other halfling bodies. Would you mind asking? Also, do you have access to a healer who would be willing to tend to us? We have some wounds which need some attention."
To the rest of the group, "I can take care of the weapons while you return the acolyte's body. I have my own reasons to talk to the smiths here."
"I'm in agreement with Odie and Stonewall. I'll go with Odie to return the body. I want to hear more about the religion of the priest.
To Adaela, "Thank you for letting us know what the hobbit and the grippli said. What will you do with them? Will they be set free?
To the party, "I think we'll need to learn some new languages or get an interpreter if this kind of thing keeps up. I wonder if the hobbit could learn common and be an interpreter?"
Muhdzuzi, through a translator, is heartbroken over his fellow tribesmen's bodies, but is willing to take them and burn them in the proper Song'o way. He will keep their ashes until they can be returned to his village of Cahshil. He is deep in mourning, but sees you four as his only source of protection.
"The halfling will be set free, Alset. He's your responsibility, though. The grippli I'll keep locked up overnight, and likely send her back into the jungle on the morrow. Unless you want to deal with her in your own ways; she did attack you, after all."
"As for more work, Odie?" Adaela asks. "Well this storm is blowing in quick. Since you've proven yourselves trustworthy and reliable, I'd like to deputize you four into the guard, if you're willing. We need everyone to throw in with the defense of this little town. Come back when you've finished your business, and I'll let you know how you can help. I don't run too strict a ship; you can deal with problems in the field as you see fit. Meet back here when you're done; we're using the Stone Hall as a refuge for evacuees from Island Town."
Out in the streets of town, people are hurriedly patching up their windows and moving valuables inland or to their rafters. Water laps at the edges of Island Town higher than the tide normally is at this time of night.
Odie and Alset go the Bankinghouse of Abadar. Banker Valdra is dismayed at the sight of the acolyte Quinn's body.
"He was a good lad. What a horrible tragedy at the fort. I fear, however, there may be more horrors to come with this storm." She looks out the windows of the temple at the stormclouds in the west. "Anyway, here's your payment for returning his body to us." She hands a pile of coins to you. "And you look pretty roughed up, young ones. I'll get one of my acolyte to patch you up, if you want." She takes back a few coins, calculating the costs of cure light wounds spells under her breath.
Stonewall (and Ood...?) head to Northwind Smithy. The door is decorated with a twisting dragon entwined in symmetrical knots. Inside is a bearded half-elf with white-blonde hair, his walls decorated with heavy furs and assorted weaponry. All simple and martial weapons are on the walls, as well as all light and medium armor. He sees the crate with his symbol on it and rejoices.
"Aha! My crate! Finally, some good news despite this horrid weather. I've been waiting a whole month for payment for that! Are you returning it or buying? It's 95 gp for the lot. If you're returning the weapons themselves, well, I think I can offer a hefty 10% discount to anyone honest enough to return goods that aren't even their problem! I bet you dwarves like the smell of that! By the way, I'm Forthingr Valgardson, of Land of the Linnorm Kings. You two remind me of home, ha ha! How can I help a pair of dwarves such as yourselves, now that you've helped me?"
- Return body: DONE
- Return plants
- Return weapons: DONE
- Ask about arrows
- Get healed: DONE
- Buy CLW wand
- Become deputies
- Prepare for the storm
- (After the storm): Escort Muhdzuzi back to Cahshil
Ood browses the smithy's shop curiously admiring the craftsmanship, but not spending too long looking at any one thing since no purchase is likely.
I think I will take the herbs back while Stonewall enjoys the forge
"Well, i'll be off for now. I'll meet you back at the sheriff's office.
Ood makes his way toward the herbalist's shop.
"Alset, I think the group should buy a better wand than the one we sold. 750 Gold is more than I've seen in my life but if we keep getting knocked around like this we're going to need it. Maybe we can find a wand that heals and feels less evil than the one we sold."
Odie will go wherever Alset goes to help him pick out a wand.
"Odie, I'm with you, let's go and find a CLW wand before the storm hits, and I'd like to see if Adaela knows someone who can teach this halfling the common tongue. Since, we'll need to escort him back to his home with the ashes of his companions, it would be good to have him able to speak with us.
Ood finds Heri's Conservatorium, an apothecary shop run by a chemically-stained halfling woman.
"What? Who's there? What's this?" she asks, looking at the crate of herbs. "Oh, some herbs? You're not trying to kill me, are you? Hmm, I've been needing some of these plants for poultices lately, yes, I have. But how did you know? Have you been reading my thoughts? But I've been needing them a long while. Why, there's even a note here! With my name on it! Oh, oh oh oh, you are a very forgetful halfling, yes you are, Heri Hinkard. Well no matter, I guess you'll want something for a reward, hm? No no no, don't protest, I know how your kind work. Take these, they're all I can offer you. Four potions of lesser restoration. Watch out for the side effects! They're the best part!"
Odie and Alset find Oyin Emporium, out on Island Town, where the waters are lapping dangerously close to the streets and buildings. Oyin is an old woman selling various magical items:
- Ring of Protection +1, 2k gp
- Ring of Swimming, 2.5k gp
- Wand of Ant Haul (30 charges), 450 gp
- Wand of Cure Light Wounds (50 charges), 750 gp
- Rod of the Python, 13k gp
"I'll gladly buy that wand off of you sirs. But keep your grubby hands off of my wares! Magical and nonmagical items, you dolts. I don't have any of those bloodthirsty magical armaments, I know what you're really here for. Northwind Smithy is what you want. Now get out of here! Young whippersnappers..."
Muhdzuzi is unsure how to learn a new language, but he is willing to try. It will take him a few weeks, however, to learn something this difficult for him, especially since he will be recovering from dehydration during that time as well.
When they walk out onto the street, Odie looks at Alset in excitement and his eyes get wider as he speaks:
"Let's go check out this Northwind Smithy, sounds like a great place! I always like to admire fine craftsmanship! I know we just spent a log of gold, but we've still got around 900 left! Maybe we can get a magic sword! I've never seen one but I'd like to! Can we?! Can we!? Can we?!"
To Forthingr, "Yes, we were returning them, we recovered them from Fort Breakthrough. A discount sounds fantastic! We also have these magic arrows but we aren't sure what magic it is, can you identify them for us? I have a question for you. My father runs a smithy in Eleder and I have missed crafting. Would I be able to use your workspace some time? I have my own tools, I would just like some space and some time with the forge every now and then."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Odie, to the smithy, go. I'll go with you. We'll see what they have that can help us protect, defend, and kill if necessary.
Alset walks quickly with a bouncing Odie to the Northwind Smithy, warily eyeing he coming storm. He tells Odie, "After the smithy, we must return to the Sheriff and help secure Pridon's Hearth from the coming storm."
Those acid flasks were pretty effective with the bugs, I wonder what those cost. "Hey Hari, before I leave do you happen to have anything like these acid flasks good for a bit of pest control or the like? Ood holds up the flask that Stonewall had given him at the fort.
"Magic arrows, eh? These are your +1 animal-bane arrows, pretty standard for hunters and trappers out in these humid jungles. These marks look like a local tribe made them. Pick 'em off a dead native, huh?"
Forthingr nods as Stonewall mentions using his forge. "I like a man that makes his living with his hands. I keep pretty busy making weapons for the local militia and a few of the residents. Don't tell them, but they're being overly paranoid. Job security though, am I right? Ha! But as for you, if I'm not using the forge feel free. Don't break anything, or you'll be working for me until it's fixed."
Odie and Alset come into the smithy, and are known to be in a group together. Forthingr offers the same 10% discount to the half-orc and human.
"Magic weapons, eh? I've got a +1 plant-bane greatclub here, a dozen acid bolts for a crossbow, and a +1 sling that glows a soft purple. 7,200 gold for the club, 36 for each bolt, and 1,800 for the sling. I take special orders for you big hitter-types, but can't make nothing magical. Every 20 gold of the price of the armor or weapons takes about a day for me to craft, if you want heavy plate or anything of the sort."
Ood is at Heri's Conservatorium.
"Acid flasks will run you 8 gp a piece from me. Buy as many as you like, but don't use them here! I've burned down this store too many times from a stray flask or beaker exploding. And don't run with them! Or shake them! And definitely don't drink them!"
I'll take 5 of the acid flasks, and thank you very much!
Ood heads out to meet with his party, slowly making his way back to Praet's and enjoying the hearty breeze before the storm.
Alset considers the acid bolts, "I'll purchase five of the acid bolts."
Alset asks Odie, "What do you think of the plant-bane club? Do you see anything else that you like?"