"At times like this when you have to make a choice..."
"Follow your nose...but anyone knows how the gremlins smell?" Bosh confuses himself sometimes.
"Well.....if they are anything like Goblin stories, it's either terrible.... or burning, right?" Scarlet replies, though she too sounds unsure.
Bosh gives the air a sniff and thinks about his time underground in other locations, and thinks that perhaps the path left might be a better initial direction, due to its gradation and the stratification of stone layers in the walls.
Scarlet crouches in the tunnel eyes peeled for anything moving behind the group.
"Well... they'll either be tiny lil' runts an' a pain in tha' @ss. Or, they be somat huge an' we be walkin' down they's gullets. Any one wan'a take a bet?" She whispers.
"They'll be small and hideous" Bosh whispers in return,
"Mmmm...these walls...mmmmm...the smell...." Bosh touches the stone walls from both sides and sniffs around, He scratches his beard and he concludes,
"I say we go left."
"Heh, I feel like I might get stuck in these little tunnels" Oleg complains as his size is a disadvantage for once. "No way they're as big as me, who could live here at that size? I'd go crazy!"
Scarlet just smiles at Oleg's banter even as she scrunches and continues to move along at the back of the party keeping her look out.
You bear left...
...and as you head down the tunnel, Scarlet just manages to call Oleg to a halt before he steps on a tripwire. Following the cord, and see that it is rigged to a line leading to a spike. One that would leave a nasty wound in whoever "caught" it.
As you are investigating, there is a slight sound, as a tiny form dashes in to slash at an unsuspecting Bosh!
Though it is a minor cut, you can tell that the creature could do significantly more damage if it had the chance.
The creature is about two feet tall, with leathery skin and large, bat-like ears.
Cinder moves forward to be ready to attack, when she can.
"Ouch! Damn Gremlin!" Bosh curses at the surprise attacker,he takes a five-feet jump to the back and casts Gravity Bow.,
"Látum Örvar mínir vera úr stáli" He chants a spell to strenght his bow and arrows.
Scarlet peers through the rest of the party, her gun wavers but she doesn't shoot lest she do more damage to her compatriots than the enemy.
She keeps her eyes peeled for any little nasties trying to sneak attack or flank from the rear.
Cinder tries to move to attack the little thing, opposite of Oleg.
Cinder's claws lash out, but the tiny creature slides underneath her strike.
Oleg grins mischievously as he fishes a nasty shard of glass out of his pocket and sticks it between the fingers of his meaty fist. "Come on you little devil, I'll show you how to cut someone!"
Scarlet still refrains from 'taking the shot', not wanting to either risk hitting an ally or wasting powder....
The creature hisses as it leaps forward and retaliates with its tiny sword....
...but only manages to scratch the ground.
Oleg punches in with the glass shard, but misses as he tries to avoid hitting Cinder.
Cinder steps around, trying to stay opposite Oleg. She growls as she attacks, thoroughly annoyed at the near-instant combat now that she's seen diplomacy work down here.
Cinder's first claw flies wide, and though her second connects solidly, they can't quite pierce the creature's skin to damage it.
Bosh pulls out his crossbow and shoots the creature,
"Adding Gremlins to the list of things that I hate"
The hated creature ducks under your crossbow bolt.
Scarlet frowns as their small aggressor avoids getting hit. Putting her loud weapon away she begins to get her x-bow ready.
The little critter continues pursuing Cinder with its little sword...
...but it swings wildly and misses.
Scarlet Grins and draws a bead.
*SPUNG*
(-_-)
Thence quickly sets about reloading.
Oleg continues trying to punch open a nasty wound on the creature, after moving into flank with Cinder if possible.
Oleg's punch lands, sending the creature skittering but somehow unharmed, as though its skin resisted the slashing of the glass. Scarlet's crossbow bolt flies past the creature to impact and shatter against the far wall.
Bosh reloads his crossbow, aims and shoots at the gremlin...
"If just one give us too much trouble, I can't imagine how many more and how we will handle it."
"Claws and glass aren't cutting it!" Cinder appears not to notice the pun, "Just bash it with whatever!"
The critter skitters back from the assault, launching itself into the gloom of the tunnels as he runs away from your attacks , clearly not liking all the attention upon it. You hear its feet scratching at the floor as it runs away, then nothing but the silence of the caves.
Scarlet frowns, "Well.. we're going to learn how many of the lil' varmints are here when it gets its posse together. I say we push on, stay defensive, an' try takin' 'em out..... Or, we scoot back to town an' buy a couple o' small shields to go all 'Tunnel bashin' on they're scabby @rses?" She suggests.
"Either way? We gots to move real quick. They's not gon'a be slow on th' draw."
Cinder looked down at her claws. "First time my own weapons have failed me. I don't think I like it." She looks to Scarlet, "Cutting them didn't work at all. How are we going to handle them if we can't hurt them?"
Scarlet's lens'd over eyes turn to regard Cinder
"Like I said. We bash 'em with th' shields. Put enough force behind anything an' it goes away..."
"Slippery little critters, hard enough to lay my hands on one! And that skin of theirs, it's something unnatural! A cut like I gave it would have bled out an ogre, and this thing just shrugs it off!" Oleg states in disbelief as he agrees with Cinder. "Those tiny knives of theirs don't seem too deadly, but I can see why Sef is so frustrated with these things. Now I am too hehe!"
"Heard a carpenter once tell me, work smart, not hard. Good advice to take here. It didn't hurt us to go back to town in dealing with that torch eyed bugger, and there's got to be someone who knows how to cut through the hide on these creatures." Oleg shrugs, "Besides, Scarlet is right, that thing is probably gathering the whole lot of them on us now, and a bunch of those gremlins would make for a dangerous situation."
Oleg makes a sweeping gesture back the way the group came. "We've got plenty of news for the townsfolk and council already. We've got bodies to bring up, and.. " Oleg points in the direction the gremlin ran off to " ..that way leads to another group never coming up from this place."
Sef is both disappointed (you didn't kill the gremlins) and satisfied (you couldn't take care of them either). She eyes you cooly when you describe heading back to the surface. "If you come back, bring no more delvers with you to this place, lest we see it as an invasion on our territory."
You head back to the surface, through the fetid waters (wretching again as you emerge), and see that it is now late in the afternoon of your first day together. Sunset is perhaps two hours off, and your ability to breathe underwater will not last much longer than that.
Scarlet takes time to both change into and back out of her 'swimming' cloths. Then helps people haul/carry the fallen to where ever such folks are laid to rest.
From there she's inclined to see if there's an alchemist in town and starting to source/sort supplies for her gun.
After that? It's setting about washing her gear, checking her equipment and having a good meal and interesting company.
"This was a rotten first day of 'Adventuring'." Cinder spits out. "But! Oh light be pure! I am not going to stop until the Torch is relit!" She turns to the others, "We meet at the temple, tomorrow morning, to see about more breathing spells. Then we go and find out what is wrong and fix it."
Scarlet looks to Oleg at Cinder's comment.
"Well.... we in't dead.... " And she shrugs, getting ready to help carry the load.
Cinder is more than willing to help transport the fallen to the temple, so that they may be properly laid to rest.
"We learned much from this day, let's take some rest, deliver the corpses and prepare for tomorrow." Bosh is having a stomach ache caused by the water, he just wants to rest and play with his raven.
Oleg helps the others return the bodies of the halflings from the first expedition to the Chapel of the Wanderer, as well as that of the half-eaten human man. Oleg hopes to have them buried properly, but he explains that he is out of money to contribute to another burial. He hopes that any friends or relatives of the deceased might cover the expenses once they are found. The good deed of returning the bodies will have to do, as well as having a drink to their memories later. Oleg describes the silver amulet the human corpse had, a miner’s pick stylized out of a femur, skull and rib, hoping that the chaplains might have known the adventurer or provide a clue as to the meaning of the amulet.
Before it gets late, Oleg will then go to the town hall and try to meet with one of the councilors if any are available and care for an update. Oleg will describe our encounter with the Skulks and their leader Sef, particularly making sure to mention that the skulks were attacked by one of the groups, most likely the one Parda was a part of, and hid from the other explorers. Oleg would explain that he thinks these skulks seemed mostly afraid for their home and their lives, and that the group was in the process of securing their trust by helping them out with a group of troublesome Gremlins.
Oleg asks if the councilor knows of the Gremlins extraordinary ability to shrug off cuts and blows from weapons, and if a means existed to actually hurt the creatures. Failing any personal knowledge, Oleg would ask for the best people around town to inquire with about the topic. Lastly, Oleg would show the patch of skin cut off from the sun-eyed frog beast, and ask if the marks upon it held any discernible meaning to the councilor, or if he could point Oleg to a linguist who might be interested in it. Lastly, Oleg will tell the councilor that since several groups went past the Skulk’s home, it presents some basis for good news that the other explorers survived, and are simply much deeper in the caverns.
Concluding his meeting with the councilor, Oleg will go around several points in town looking into the friends and relatives of the four deceased we brought back, stopping by the Barracks, the Torch Guildhouse, Silverdisk Hall, the Merrymaid and finally, the Copper Coin. Oleg just wants to make sure that if anyone knew the dead, they would know of what happened to them and that the bodies were recovered and awaiting burial at the Chapel of the Wanderer.
Finally, having walked around on his heavy tired feet for far too long, Oleg will go to Khonnir Baine’s house to take Val up on the offer of a free stay. He will give Val the good news that her father made it deeper inside the caverns alive and well , and regale her with the story of meeting the strange Skulk leader Sef and the battle against the sun-eyed frog beast, should she care to hear the story.
You return the remaining bodies to the temple of Brigh. Joram Kyte is there now, taking a short respite from his work at Crowfeather Palace. He looks at you apprehensively when you enter, but when you unveil the remains you have brought forward, he sighs in half relief. "While these deaths are tragic, I am glad that none of them are Khonnir. Do not worry about the cost - this holy symbol is of Zyphus, and it can be consecrated and melted down to help pay for their burials. I shall also make inquiries about this one to see if any have family here, but tell me, any sight or guess as to Khonnir's whereabouts?"
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Sariah has a large pile of cast-off bits of metal on her end of the table, and is doing her best to rivet them together as the hem of a decorative leather skirt. "One of the dancers at The Marrymaid saw another of my works, and requested this one. It's difficult to punch through the metal, but should catch many eyes when she performs - not literally, of course," she reddens, then turns back to her work.
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When you ask about the Gremlins, she thinks for a moment. "It's been decades since I've had to go against such things. If I recall my earlier days, they are somewhat fey in origin, and cold-forged iron would be the best to counter their unnaturally tough skin. Hide? I can't recall. Either way, I'm about to return to my workshop for the evening, and haven't tried my hand at cold-forging anything for a time. If it'll help you get to Khonnir, I'm willing to help you get your hands on a weapon that would help you and your allies. What would work best for you?"
She also looks at the patch of skin, but shakes her head. "Khonnir knew more languages than I, and there are few other scholars in town. Sorry,"
[ooc]Dolga seems willing to craft a weapon for you, possibly for your allies as well. What do you ask?[/b]
Oleg makes a inquiries around town for an hour. No one seems to know where the halflings came from or knew - they seem to have been an outfit from out of town that jumped at the chance for a big payoff. It takes some doing, but in the Copper Coin you manage to find the brother of one of the thugs who accompanied Parda into the caves. "Well, I had heard about Parda, so I figured no good had come to Jerem either. Ah, but he's been a bad seed all along, and when that creepy one with the silver talisman started rallying his mates others around him, part of me knew it was only a matter of time. Thanks for your trouble, friend, I'll go visit the temple and see if that's my brother, or one of the others. Brigh be with your endeavors, Oleg." He pays for your next cup of mead before heading out the door himself.
Though noting if the merchant has gear for Scarlet to work on/improve her main favorite item is also of interest to herself.
She also asks her father if he would pray to Sarenrae with her, to ask for guidance in her actions.
Later, she helps Sariah with with the skirt, using her claws to help punch metal and leather. Cinder heads to bed early, feeling unwell, but still a bit excited at the coming day.
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At sunset, Ada's leads the family in prayer to Sarenrae. It is an old litany, praising the daw flower for the gift of the day, asking for her vigilance throughout the night, and preparing to welcome her strength, wisdom, and mercy anew in the morning.
Sariah welcomes your assistance, and the two of you finish the basic steps of the project in the early evening. The rental home' sheds are not the most comfortable, but definitely preferable to a bedroll on a taproom floor.
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Dolga nods curtly. "I will work on them tonight. Get them in the morning from my home before you see Joram to go back into the caves."
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Val welcomes you, and though she is sad that her father isn't with you, she shows you into the taproom and helps you clear chairs and tables out of the way for your bedroll. You see her take a quick count of the bottles behind the bar before she heads to the house out back, and the silence of the empty tavern quickly lulls you to sleep.
[ooc]You have all been healed of your wounds by Joram Kyte, and will start tomorrow fresh.
"Hey Karasu we got a letter" Bosh changes his clothes to a more comfortable ones, he goes into the kitchen and gets some drink. Sitting in his old chair, he puts out the contents of the envelope and looks throught it.