Visruþ replies to Muhdzuzi: « Enkosi, Muhdzuzi, ukuba kuya kuba luncedo. »
And then replies to Zooif: « Ndiyaqonda. Kwaye sinombulelo uncedo yakho. »
And then Visruþ address them both:
« Sinethemba ukwakha ikhaya apha. »
« Uya zombini udle njengabahlobo bethu apha. »
"You will both be welcome as our friends here."
The rest of the day passes quietly and in the evening you all gather in the Stone Hall to meet with Hamsa Gadd.
"I believe you had some questions for me?" she asks you sitting behind the table.
Sau're'!K takes a deep breath to indicate that he is getting ready to talk and after a moment begins... The jungle can be a terrible place to those who do not tread lightly, and are unfamiliar with its dangers. I would wish for us to all be aware of what dangers may lie in wait in this particular expanse of jungle. Anything you can tell us of your expedition and how it faired could prove useful. How many did you take? Were any of your peoples familiar with jungle terrains? How long did you travel? How far were you able to go? What dangers did you successfully avoid? What dangers were you able to defeat? What eventually forced you to turn back? If you had to describe the mood of the jungle here what words would you use?
"I would like a few extra supplies before we go."
"Will that be possible?"
"That is a lot of questions, but I can't answer each of them, I'm afraid," she sighs. "There were four of us, including me. No locals, so we didn't know much of the jungle. The expedition lasted for two or three days, with usual problems for that kind of place - snakes, insects, beasts and thick bushes. We... I was forced to turn back after Song'o raided our camp at night and killed everyone but me. It was somewhere east to town."
She looks at Visruþ with her eyebrows slightly raised.
"You've seen the town. There's too much to do, so I doubt there will be any shops open at least in the next couple of day."
"The Song'O raided your camp and killed everyone but you? When did that happen? So far we don't have much experience with them aside from one individual, so we don't know much about them. But from what I we saw that one song isn't the type to kill people for no reason. Do you remember where you were camping? I'd be curious to see the site." Trem study the woman as he speaks, wondering if there isn't something she is not saying.
"About half a year ago," she answers. "It was east of town, I don't remember exactly where, since I ran for my life."
She speaks reluctantly and sternly, as would anyone after such an experience.
"I'll talk to Muhdzuzi about this. Doesn't sound right somehow."
"She's sincere. Maybe it was someone impersonating Song'o?"
"I'm so sorry that this happened to you!" Sulia empathizes. "How did you know it was the Song'o? Do they have a tribal sign we should look out for?"
"They were small and with spears. That's enough for me."
Visruþ thinks: "There are other small people. Not just halflings."
This leaves many question... how aggressive are the Song'o. The only one we have ever encountered alive is Muhdzuzi. He does not seem all that violent... but he may be Atypical.
Maybe you had gone into some of their sacred land without knowing it? Did they try to communicate before attacking?
Either way we will have to be careful when we approach them.
"We will have to be careful!" Sulia says cheerfully. "I dont want any of us getting hurt!"
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"Yes you should be careful," nods Hamsa. "If we did enter some sacred ground of theirs, Song'o didn't tell us anything."
She stands up.
"Now if excuse me, I have something else to attend to in the town. I wish you luck," with that Hamsa leaves the Stone Hall.
When Hamsa is out of ear shot:
"Maybe an attack by goblins or kobolds?"
"Aggressive halflings sounds ."
We need more information.... we should talk to Muhdzuzi.
"Agreed."
You find the halfling just outside the town gates. When he notices you, he nods, greeting you, and continues to stare into the jungle.
Visruþ approaches Muhdzuzi and starts speaking to him:
« Molo, Muhdzuzi. Ngaba ucinga ekhaya? »
"So, we leave first thing in the morning to go visit Muhdzuzi's village? Nothing much else we can do while they reopen the shops around here." Trem moves closer to Muhduzi. "Ngomso, siye kwilali kuni. Kulungile?" The words are thick with an accent, but a Trem thinks he got the meaning clear. He smiles at the halfling, inviting him to head back to the inn so that he can practice more the language and get a good night's sleep.
"Tomorrow, we go village you with. Ok?"
"Ndiyayithanda apha, ukuba idolophu intle, kodwa lali likhaya lam," he nods to Visruþ.
The Song'o halfling brightens when he hears Trem.
"Kakhulu! Enkosi! Ndiza kuba xa wena."
"Great! Thanks! I'll be ready when you are."
Sau're'!K looks at Muhdzuzi.
Good siza ukukusa ekhaya kwaye siza kudibana nawe apho ngokukhuselekileyo. Kwakhona uya kuba kuhle ukubona ukuba abantu bakho kwanezethu basebenze kunye ukugcina omnye ekhuselekileyo. Ndandicinga ukuba ... ngaba ubeka ukuba simele sikuphephe. iindawo ukuze abe ngcwele kubantu bakho okanye zilawulwa ngokwezizwe ukuba silwe ukuze Song'o
The dragon Shaman pays special attention to see how the Halfling responds looking for signs of nervousness or deceit.
Muhdzuzi thinks for a moment and shakes his head.
"Ukuba ndiyazi ngayo. Song'o azinazo naziphi na iindawo ezingcwele kunye isizwe kuphela kulo nasemahlathini thina."
And adds with a sigh.
"Ngaphandle namacikilishe."
You don't see any sign of anxiety or deceit on his face or in his voice. The halfling looks as sincere and friendly as always.
While you prepare for your expedition - which doesn't take much effort since all the shops are closed - you hear people talking about a ship got caught in the storm and run aground west of town. The ship was supposed to bring a team of cartographers to Laughing Jungle.
When you're ready to begin your expedition and are ready to walk outside the town's gate, a woman's voice stops you.
"Please wait!" you recognize Adaela's voice as she strides towards you. "You're probably tired of me asking for your help, but can you listen for me once more?"
She asks for your map and marks a place, not far from Pridon's Hearth.
"Could you please check on my brother Jheri? He runs a dika plantation and I'm worried about him after this storm. I would check on him myself, but with everything that's happening now..."
"Shouldn't be a problem, from the look of it, it's not too far from here."
After Adaela left the group, Trem takes out the map again and bends down near Muhdzuzi. He points to the town and slide his finger to the plantation. "Ukuba siye khona ke, Jika omkhulu ilali?" He waits to let the halfling recognize the area on the map and estimate if it's a detour.
"If go there, big detour to village?"
"Ezisibhozo kweeyure. Yintoni le?" he looks at the map with interest.
Sau're'K leans over the map and answers the Halfling.
Yindawo apho abanye abantu isizwe sethu abezeke. Injengele iye yacela ukuba ukukhangela kuwo. Na wokusibonisa balala apho kwimephu yethu kwilali yakho. Kufuneka sijonge phandle eyona ndlela zombini itshekhi kuzo ninduluke ekhaya.
"Kanjalo. Yinto apha," he points at one of the river crossings in the jungle.
"Well, it's a little bit of a diversion, but we could tend north to the plantation and then move to the village. It would only be an extra what? couple of hours?" Sulia asks.
"With any luck, we could get some extra supplies there too."
As the group prepares to head out Sau're'!K takes a moment and pulls some berries out of his pouch and casts
The Saurian Shaman laughs... It would seem that fate is with us this day. The omens are good. Lets get traveling and see what the fates have waiting for us out there.
Sulia adjusts her backpack and looks to the rest of the group. "I'm ready!" she cheers.
"Likewise", Visruþ says to show he's ready to go.
The way is a bit slow due to ragged terrain, but you arrive to Jheri's plantation about two hours after the noon. Although, to call this place a plantation would be an exaggeration. It is a simple log cabin with dika trees surrounding it.
The storm has damaged Jheri’s cabin, tearing away part of the thatched palm-leaf roof and several shutters, but the door looks fairly intact and closed.
Jheri has lived well since arriving in Pridon’s Hearth, and having found an ideal location to grow crops (dika fruit and seeds), he supplied the settlers with cheap and tasty calories during the colony’s difficult first few years.
"Well, this isn't a good sign." Trem walks closer to the door and then calls out. "Anyone here? We were sent by Adaela to check on you after the storm!" He waits a bit to see if he gets an answer. If he doesn't get one, he signals to Sarari to move in closer to the building and try to see inside without getting in.
No one answers your call. A single room makes up most of the cabin interior, save for a large storage closet in the far corner with a muddy puddle in front of it, most likely a water from the teared roof. The rest of the furniture inside the cabin is upended.
"Maybe he's hiding?"
Visruþ opens the closet. Carefully.
Seeing the Mess Sau're'!K takes a moment and his eyes and nostrils seem to grow longer, more saurian. Using Totem transformation to gain low-light vision and scent.
He then immediately does a once around the cabin looking for tracks or signs of where the ransackers have gone.
After this he walks in the cabin and takes a few minutes looking around for clues.
As soon as both of you enter the cabin the poodle, which looked like a muddy puddle of water, begins to ball up into quivering brownish spherical shapes. The final result is sickly mass of protoplasm with long, dripping pseudopods that starts to slowly move towards you.
Initiative:
Sulia casts Bless.
"Eww... Goober monster!" she protests with some amusement in her voice.
"What is that thing?" Trem uses is arcane energy to try and hit the thing with a small glob of acid. He then back away slightly. "Visruþ, Sau're'! K, step outside to lure the thing out. We can't all fit in there." Trem then takes out his crossbow for now, getting ready to load it.
Sarari waits by the door, ready to swing her greatsword at the thing the moment it's outside.
Visruþ enhances his blade with is Arcane Pool (swift action, +1 to hit & damage)
Then strikes at the blobby thing with his rapier …
… and use spell strike (free action) to cast Shocking Grasp through is rapier:
Hearing the commotion Sau're'!K comes running. Seeing the creature he orders his Saurian Companion to attack.
Looks like some kind of fungus...
The Dinosaur sees the strange creature and has no idea what it is. This makes him angry... so he does what he always does when something makes him mad... He hits it with his head....
Trem's attack makes a burn on the ooze, while Visruþ's strike does nothing but a squishing sound - the ooze just splits in two identical oozes, and then again when his electrical magic discharges. Now there are three oozes in the cabin. Rekth splashes into the original, spilling a considerable part of it.
The mindless oozes in their turn attack those closest to them. The original fruitlessly attacks Rekth, while the second and the third are getting closer to their prey.
"Damnation! Blades are useless here! Cutting them makes more of them!"
Visruþ steps back and then chants briefly: « ጭጋግ ሬይ »
… he tries to cast Ray of Frost at the nearest blob
"No swords?" He looks at Sarari. "Sadly my dear, I think this a battle where you won't be participating much in." He then takes aim again and fire another ball of acid.
We need clubs...
The Shaman runs out the door and towards a tree pulling his scimitar as he goes.
Seeing the first creature seemingly dissipated the dinosaur continues his assault on the second thing...