"Bah! I'm certain that the finest of Sandpoint can take on whatever comes our way! And I can probably help too!", says Gilbert in a self-ironizing tone. "At any rate, we should probably get going. If you girls can watch the rear, we should be able to proceed as normal."
Damn this bleeding stinking swamp and its crickets... Me and Duchess are staying here like buffoons...
"Can anyone tell me more about this Proudstump fellow? I can't imagine living in a hovel in the middle of the swamp all my life! I'll go mad and start talking to the animals, isn't that right, Duchess?", says Gilbert, scratching Duchess behind the ears.
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Most folks opt to give him a wide berth when dealing with him, mostly out of fear of his pet snakes than his personal hygiene.
Looking around with distaste at the swamp around her, Nestasha finds the place to be highly unpleasant, "Ssuch a wonderful ssmell these goblinss have found here. I hope we can deal with them quickly because I don't think I can take the smell for much longer, I don't know that I will ever get this taste out of my mouth."
"Oh you haven't smelled anything yet. I heard goblin nests stink pretty bad. Feces lying everywhere together with rotting corpses. They eat almost anything so they don't care about rot." Yui says in an overly cheerful voice.
She lets Gilbert help her dismount and rearranges her dress so that it sits properly again.
Nestasha slides down from the horse, her face turning a bit green at Yui's observations, "Thank you Yui, thank you sso much."
"I remember meeting this Proudstump once on one of his trips into town. Odd fellow, if I recall. Moved out here in the swamp to get away from people be closer to his beloved snakes. Considered himself something of the expert on the different types of snakes out here in the Brinestump." Caerwyn gives a little shiver "Anyway, as I said, odd"
"Afraid of snakes, are you Caerwyn?", asks Gilbert, noticing the shiver. "The most beautiful ones are the also the deadliest. Isn't that right, Nestasha?", says Gilbert, apparently trying to be funny, with the most pathetic attempt at being sly on his face.
Giving Gilbert a strange look, "I'm not sure if I should thank you or not Gilbert sso I will ignore you. Jusst remember, like many reptiless, I am poisonouss."
The trek through the Brinestump Marsh is an uncomfortable experience, to say the least. The trail is sodden with mud and water, causing the party's boots to sink into the earth with each step.
After what feels like an hour, the muddy trail leads up to a swampy lagoon. The open ocean is
visible just beyond these shallow waters, while an old two-story building, its walls soggy with moss and its roof sagging with age, sits on the lagoon’s eastern shore.
As Ikoma approaches and knocks, there is no response for a few seconds.
"Yes? What is it?" A tired, scratchy voice asks.
There's a silence from the inside of the house before the front door opens a crack.
"Goblins? What about them?"
Giving Gilbert a strange look, "I'm not sure if I should thank you or not Gilbert sso I will ignore you. Jusst remember, like many reptiless, I am poisonouss."
"I mean no offense! I was merely giving two honest compliments to you, milady!", says Gilbert, his face starting to glow red.
Ooh, old boy, you screwed it up again...
Gilbert continues for the rest of the journey silently, taking special care not to look at Nestasha as he follows the path.
After arriving at the house, Gilbert says to the person behind the door, "We're here to take care of these goblins attacking Sandpoint's caravans. We heard that they're using fireworks to attack, which means trouble."
She smiles at the man as she speaks, "We were told that you were the besst persson to sspeak to about the goblins here. We had hoped you could tell us what we need to know to deal with them ssuccessssfully and with minimal harm to oursselves."
Walthus scrutinizes Nestasha's words before sighing. "Well, when you put it that way, young lady, I suppose I can let you in."
He opens the door fully and steps to the side. The brown-haired halfling looks to be in a bad way--several bruises and bites are visible on his arms and face, and his eyes have dark circles under them. "Well? Come in, come in. No sense letting the flies inside."
The entrance to Walthus' home is surprisingly well-maintained, considering where it is. There is a staircase leading up to the second floor, a closed door directly across from the front door and what appears to be a dining room to the party's right, containing a table lined with chairs.
"Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable in the dining room, and I'll see if I can find my teapot."
"You seem injured, my friend. Would you like me to provide some healing? It's the least I can do. Also, can I bring my dog inside, she's a bit of a princess and gets all whiney and puppy eyed, if I leave her outside, don't you, Duchess?", says Gilbert, scratching Duchess' ears as she looks at Walthus.
Yui hobbles inside and follows the man into the kitchen. "I'm rather picky about how I get my tea. Mind if I set it? Just show me where you keep your stuff and I'll make the tea."
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Nestasha finds a nice chair near the hearth and sits, waiting for the tea and observing the room.
"Thank you, Master Proudstump" Caerwyn says, taking a seat "It's a pleasure to see you again."
Walthus shows the party into the dining room and its hearth, but is quite reluctant to let Yui into his pantry. "I'll set it, thank you very much. Just tell me how you like it and I'll get it ready for you."
With that, he turns his back and enters the pantry to get tea ready, reemerging a minute later with several packets of tea, some teacups and a teapot.
"It's a bit rough, getting proper drinking water from around here." Walthus says as he sits down and begins sorting out teacups. "Now, young lady, how did you say you take your tea again?" He asks Yui.
There was a bite mark on Walthus' face a moment ago. Then it rippled slightly, and just... vanished. You're not sure if anyone else noticed it, but, you DEFINITELY saw it.
Gilbert looks at the others when the halfling isn't looking and makes a quizzical face, pointing at his own face, at the location where the bite mark was located.
"Hah, Yui and pantries have a history together, my friend. I will repeat my offer, may I provide you with magical healing? You seem a bit bruised.", says Gilbert.
"No, I'm fine, really." Walthus shrugs. "One of my snakes woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, is all."
Looking intrigued, "Your ssnakess?"
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Yui sighs loudly and looks at the tea reluctantly. "Like I told Amie's barkeeps, tea is something that must be brewed properly, not hurried and gulped down. Have you let the water brew for thirty counts? The water needs to cool down first, and... oh you have pre-made tea packets..." Yui says disappointingly.
"By the way, I thought Caerwyn said you are an expert on snakes, how could you let one bite you?" Yui says with a pout looking at the bag of tea herbs.
I remember Koya saying something about illusions..
"Bah! You Tians and your tea! The best one is the Sternwood family recipe. You take the tea, pour in in a mug, take a glass, fill it with whiskey and drink the whiskey while looking at the tea mug. Am I right, Walthus?", says Gilbert and pats the halfling gently in a friendly manner on the back.
Caerwyn stands up and walks over to the hearth, looking wistfully into the fire as he listens to Walthus' story before speaking. "Speaking of snakes. When you were in town last week you had your pet snake with you. Zsa Zsa, I believe her name was? I hope she's not ill and that it wasn't she who bit you."
"Bah! You Tians and your tea! The best one is the Sternwood family recipe. You take the tea, pour in in a mug, take a glass, fill it with whiskey and drink the whiskey while looking at the tea mug. Am I right, Walthus?"
Walthus chuckles at Gilbert. "Quite right, quite right sir. Although I'd have to admit, I think I'd try mixing the tea and whiskey together..."
"Speaking of snakes. When you were in town last week you had your pet snake with you. Zsa Zsa, I believe her name was? I hope she's not ill and that it wasn't she who bit you."
Walthus blinks. "Er--Zsa Zsa? Oh yes! Of course--she's been doing fine lately. It's... oh, what was his name again? Jayne. Poor thing's been sickly the past few days. Maybe it was something he ate..."
Waaaait a minute...
"Hah, that bite must have been worst than you think, forgetting their names like that.", says Gilbert, slightly oblivious to the situation, though trying to play the part.
Taking Gilbert's lead Caerwyn focuses on Walthus' face "Just one question and I promise I won't bother you again." Caerwyn smiles disarmingly, before whipping out his sword and threatening the halfling " Well two questions, actually. Who are you and what have you done with Master Proudstump? I haven't seen Walthus in town for over a month and we certainly are not friendly enough that I would know the name of his pet snakes."
Gilbert's face changes, but doesn't, from the face of a jolly nobleman to a mask of a predator. He looks at the halfling, eyes burrowing into his visage, the way a cheetah in the bushes looks at an antilope just before the charge.
Realizing that something strange is going on, Nestasha begins circling around the room, seeming to examine any nicknacks, pictures, or other things of interest, while making her way behind the halfling. She has no visual armaments but does have her armor on still.
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"Well two questions, actually. Who are you and what have you done with Master Proudstump? I haven't seen Walthus in town for over a month and we certainly are not friendly enough that I would know the name of his pet snakes."
Walthus recoils from Caerwyn's sword.
"...both are good questions."
His face suddenly twists into a hideous grimace. "Pity I won't be telling you the answers." The halfling's voice turns shrill & guttural all at once!
The halfling's form shifts and morphs before the party's eyes. The once pale skin of a halfling bleeds into a mixture of red and black, and his face twists and contorts before smoothing out into a flat, mottled reddish-black. A snake-like tongue lashes out from a slitted pair of lips, revealing jagged teeth!
Fortunately, Caerwyn & Gilbert, having seen through the beast's disguise, are on their guard!
"Wh, What are you?" Caerwyn blurts out before he even realizes he's spoken as the creature shifts forms. Regaining his composure he draws back his sword and strikes, hoping to catch the creature before it has a chance to attack.
Caerwyn's blade slices through the creature's skin, sending blood all over the dining room table! The beast looks down at its newest wound, alarmed at how swiftly the half-elf was able to react!
Gilbert orders Duchess in , and shoots the monster.
Duchess would try to burst in through the door and go to the monster.
Yui yelps in surprise of the halfling changing into another form.
"What the heck is that!"
She drops from the coach and takes a moment to regain her composure. As the monster attacks her friends she sends one of her shadowy spirits after the creature.
"Grab him Grumpy!" she yells defiantly. The shadowy creature with one eye charges the changeling and prods and pokes it, distracting him.
The shifter turns and tries to bolt from the room, reeling from the arrow sinking into its hide! Unfortunately, it notices too late that it's cornered--Nestasha had the right idea, slinking around to block his path.
He swings a fist in a panicked bid for escape!
...and the punch knocks the wind right out of Nestasha, dropping her to the floor!
"MMPH!" Nestasha collapses to the floor from the punch.
Gilbert, seeing the monster dropping Nestasha, shouts a guttural roar and fires two arrows at it.
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