Bart cracks his knuckles. "Some things should learn to just stay dead."
"The priestesses of Sarenrae at the Orphanage kept telling me that the wages of Sin were death..maybe they had something there.."
Quillin closes in on the magical ring. "..and what is this?"
spellcraft
"Looks to be something under the pile as well if you care to dig."
"Tell me when I get close!" Fjori says as he wades into the mess within the tent.
Fjori give me a perception roll and how about a basic dex check.
Quilling examines the ring, made from what looks to be platinum with no other real adornment, and easily identifies its purpose. The subtle vibration and confidence of the magic is protective in nature, a minor enhancement that makes the wearer harder to harm.
Well I found something...by falling into it!! lol
Quillin holds up the platinum ring triumphantly, "Ah-ha! A warding ring that deflects-" He stops as he is interrupted by Fjori falling into the pile of rotting corpses.
[indeed]
Fjori sifts through the bodies apparently undetered by the ichor and various offcasts the rotting bodies have left in the pile. Finding no easy or "clean" way to make his way through the pile, the freebooter finds himself slipping, sliding and knocking over corpses and their pieces to make his way to the bottom of the pile. His efforts, however are keenly rewarded even if he ends up as covered in filth as the corpses he was moving.
In addition to finding the superior, and suspiciously clean cutlass that caught Quillin's eye before Fjori manages to find three small pouches that jingle with the sound of coins, another golden ring that features a strip of brilliant blue lapis, and a corpse that is wearing what looks like a pristine quality (though quite muck ridden) breast plate.
This ring, also, appears to radiate magic.
Quillin pulls a wet handkerchief from his soggy coat and places it over his nose as he eyeballs the assorted quasi-cleaned items. "Knew I should have kept prestidigitation handy..."
Casting detect magic again, he looks everything over.
Ajani reacts in much the same way as Quillin, wrinkling his nose in distaste at the rank scent Fjori has discovered. Rather than respond in any verbal way, though, he spends the next twenty or thirty seconds continually conjuring six-gallon increments of water, trying to wash Fjori as clean of the muck as he can.
lol...this has been happening a lot lately...I hit the drop down and pick the character, then suddenly it goes to my default!!! And darn that Fjori anyway...it will take forever to get those stains out of my shirt!!!
"Ahhh...thanks Ajani!! That was much appreciated!! "
"Please, master vanara, allow me to humbly assist."
Hassan waves his hands and snaps his fingers, and with an arcane command the filth slips away from Fjori.
"That is such a useful trick."
"Ah, that is much better. Thank you Hassan for that! Now let us look at the items which I was able to retrieve from that charnel pit."
Quillin gives the Qadiran the stink eye, but holds his tongue as he makes himself busy inspecting the items.
Bart watches in abject amusement as the spell-slingers all attempt with varying degrees of success to clean Fjori.
"Whew...thank goodness for cantrips, eh Hassan? Now let us examine these trinkets and then continue our search for Lady Quinn."
The breastplate appears to be made from mithril and features an engraving of a falcon with a fish of some sort clutched in its beak.
The ring enhances the wearers ability to navigate water.
The cutlass is enhanced to be sharper and more deadly than average but features a strange quirk that it seems it can never get dirty.
Ajani admires the magical gear Fjori stumbled over (pun intended), though he doesn't claim any of it for himself, instead moving beyond the tree that the tent was attached to search for further sign of their quarry.
"If no one minds, I would like to claim the cutlass, but the armour and ring do not interest me."
"Nor I."
"The armor don't fit and as for the ring..." the gnome waggles his fingers showing off the ivory ring prize. "I've already got one."
At your pace versus theirs you would estimate they are only an hour ahead at most. At some point they stopped and you have gained on them significantly. The trail heads west and south.
Ajani, his eyes seeming unusually keen on the trail, follows a barely-perceptible trail leading away from the swamp.
"There are...five of them, I think...one of them is being dragged. There is no sign of struggle, and since none of the other bootprints match Quinn, it seems likely she is being dragged unconscious. Further, one of the other four is walking heavy...see how the bootprints are deeper than the others? This wasn't in the tracks before...seems likely someone had a bite taken out of them by our friends at the tree and is now being carried."
"Good news, though...these tracks are relatively fresh. I'd estimate they're no more than an hour in front of us. The trail heads west and south from here. I'm ready to continue pursuit. What say you all?"
Lets go. I have a score to settle with those dogs, and more so if any harm has befallen Quinn!!"
Quillin tosses the found ring to Mel and calls Smudge down. The gray parrot shifts as it perches on the rolling hat as the gnome nods. "Ready!"
Mel slips the ring on her finger, retrieves her crossbow and reloads it.
"Lets go..I have a bolt with Plugg's name on it."
Bart shuffles along silently after the group.
After an hour or so of your southwesterly course you make your way out of the thick jungle onto a white beach, burning brilliantly from the sun over head. Tall palm trees continue a few yards off to the west but the sand reveals you intended prey: Plugg and company shuffle off in the distance, a mile perhaps a bit less.
"Ho-Ho...there is our quarry!! Looks like there was some sort of fight and Plugg's group got the worst of it, hehe. I do not see Quinn among those dogs either, though one of them is now carrying a chest. But wait, what are these weird prints that go off in this direction?"
"I see the Rahadoumi carrying the chest...nor does Quinn seem to be among them. To what footprints are you referring though, Fjori? Show them to me...perhaps I could help to identify them."
Quillin glances up from feeding Smudge a piece of fruit, "Huh?"
:
:
"Wonder what they packin' in that chest?" Bart says greedily.
Hassan shades his eyes against the sun, peering into the distance. "A fight? As you say Master Ulfen, and I shall not question the wisdom of your peerless eyes. But if the lady Quinn is not with them, we should see to her safety first, and resume the chase thereafter. Let us follow this second trail and see where it leads us."
"I agree. Let me take a look at those tracks and see what else I might discover.
The tracks are lost easily in the sand and those who might know can't seem to summon the knowledge to place the manner of creature that might have made them.
If someone wants to to to follow the mystery tracks that would be survival please. Otherwise let me know how you want to approach.
Quillin watches the confused milling with some impatience. "So where did they go? Aw, Hells. Go take a look topside, Smudge." The gnome shoos the gray parrot off his head to fly up and scope the island for lost shipmates.
"I agree with Hassan. I believe it more beneficial to continue seeking out Miss Quinn rather than continue pursuing the others. There's only so far they can go, after all. Anyone who wishes to accompany me is welcome." Ajani comments, then heads off in the direction of the mystery tracks.
"Lead the way, master vanara," says Hassan, following after.
Following Ajani
Ajani follows the tracks and finds that instead of wheeling into the trees or farther down the beach they seem to lead to the water itself. the crashing surf has quickly eroded the subtle signs of these creatures though Ajani can be certain there was at least 5 or 6 of them and the were dragging a person into the water.
knowledge-Nature:
ok...now that is better!!
Quillin stumps after the others, "Hold up, you crazy ape. I was waiting for Smudge to come back."
Bart huffs as he watches the group losing them in the distance. With a growl he turns and follows the others.