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Davi's been standing in the doorway with a look of disgust and horror on her face. A detached part of her brain is trying to calculate how many people would it take to get that many teeth. Catching the locket is an automatic reflex. She opens it, peers at the pictures inside and turns a pale shade.
"That's my dad. So....I guess that's me." Davi stares at it with an unreadable expression. After a few seconds she snaps it shut.
While Davi inspects the locket, the cauldron in the center of the room lurches to life!
Initiative Rolls
Initiative Order
1. Adrac
2.Davi
3. Soroza
4. Ulizmila's Cauldron
5. Anthony
6. Herral
Surprise Round!
The ancient, dusty cauldron lunges at Herral, but the lucky halfling manages to shove it away with his shield.
Round 1
Adrac is up.
Adrac inspects the room with a curious gait as he steps around examining the shelves. Looking at the life-size doll of wood, teeth and moss in the center of the room, he gives it a once over, but ultimately dismisses it. One has to wonder what he's seen before to warrant such casual looks at such a grotesque sight.
Watching Davi examine the locket, he eyes her carefully, expression neutral, before inhaling and speaking. "Davi... do not let--!" his advice is cut short as the cauldron suddenly springs to life, trying to eat Herral and failing. Adrac grits his teeth as he snarls. "No! I will be having exactly NONE of this ludicrous behavior right now!" he shouted, before moving deftly forward and striking his palm into what he suspects is a weak point in the cauldron.
Adrac strikes the cauldron, hard, but fails to deal any damage to the solid iron object. He pulls his hand away, smarting.
Davi is up.
Davi puts her hand on the hilt of her sword but doesn't draw it. What's it going to do, make a nice ringing noise against the cauldron? Maybe there's something else she can do...
"I command you to halt!" Davi yells at the magical object.
The cauldron instantly goes inert, though the devils engraved on its circumference begin to caper and dance as if they lived.
Combat ends.
Upon entering, Anthony had begun inspecting the room, searching around for any hidden danger or clues to Ulizma's whereabouts.
When Adrac shouted, he whirled about, confused at what had transpired. Something attacked Herral? He looked at Davi, who had just commanded... Something to desist. He followed her line of sight and his eyes widened a bit. The cauldron?
He draws his rapier and notes the little devils dancing around the edges. "And what manner of witchcraft are you I wonder..?" He says bewildered, but excited.
Soroza whips around at the sudden commotion. However, craning her neck to look over Davi's shoulder she sees nothing out of the ordinary save the curiously animated images on the cauldron.
"What in the infinite planes of the Abyss is going on in there!?"
Adrac withdrew his hand and shook it lightly before the cauldron went inert. For a second, he believed that somehow worked, but his mind quickly put two and two together. He smiled, turning back to Davi. "Well done, Davi! Quick thinking!" he praised, looking back at the cauldron.
"It would seem Miss... or, I suppose, Mrs. Ulizima left a surprise for any intruders. Seems she did not anticipate one of them to be a blood relative." Adrac's eyes quickly returned to scanning the shelves. Exciting as that was, they were in here for a reason...
Due to the volume and disorganization of the cottage's contents, it takes ten minutes for the group to locate the rat's tail - but eventually Herral emerges, triumphant, with the strange little tuber in hand.
"Davi, they is right. That was clever of you, you gots me best wishes when I rarther be doin' the eatin out of a pot! ...... here be the rats tail."
"Well, I'm just glad nobody got hurt. Now that we found the thing we should go. I'd really, really like to get far away from here."
Anthony takes another cautious step towards the cauldron and pokes it with the tip of his blade.
He wonders idly if the cauldron can feel anything, or if it's just an animated cauldron. Either way, its probably best Ulizma's herself didn't show up and try to kill the party.
He frowns, and then gets back to searching the little cottage with the others. A search through a pantry reveals several arcane reagents spoiled through years of disuse.
He begins tearing through the pantry searching for something useful. He almost spills the contents of a sulphurous pouch, turning out to be salts used in a ritual for summoning a familiar. Not wholly useful to him, but in case he had learned the rest of the process, he knew the salts themselves would be useful in summoning such a creature. Or he could sell them to an actual wizard.
He takes a little more time around the house, looking for anything of value. It appears Ulizma's whereabouts have not been here for quite a while. He and the others doubted the things on her home would be missed.
He finds a neat row of statuettes depicting several fairies. Recognizing the good name of the craftsman's initials on the base of the statues, he informs the party and individually wraps them up in parchment paper.
He informs the rest of the party, "I found a few things we can sell. Judging by the state of things, I doubt your mother will be missing anything. Hopefully, I'm not wrong."
Finally turning to Davi, he adds on, "I'm of the same mind. We should make haste to find the rest of the ingredients. He says nothing of the possibility of haunts, ghosts or other dark magics, but his knuckles are turning white around the grip of his rapier.
The group departs from Ulizmila's hut towards their final destination: Droskar's Crag. It is two in the afternoon.
The group continues through the dense forest. Darkwood trees as far as the eye can see. Good news? It isn't raining (though you're still soaked, and chafing in your unmentionable places).
Bad news? Soroza fails to notice a hideous one-foot-long insect fly by and attach itself to the back of her leg...
It clamps down, but on its first attempt, cannot get through her pants. The creature has a needle sharp proboscis, a tangle of thin legs, and bat wings.
Initiative
Initiative Order
1. Herral
2. Bug!
3. Anthony
4. Adrac
5. Anthony
6. Soroza
7. Davi
Feeling movement and pressure on the back of her leg, Soroza let's out a brief, surprised yelp. Looking down and around behind her, she makes a disgusted expression and swats at the bizarre creature with her hand.
"Rude!"
Soroza slaps at the creature, but it detaches from her leg before she can get a good swat at it, buzzing angrily.
Round 1
Herral is up.
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Round One
Herral steps up and pulls out his morningstar. He tries to work out what the beast may be.
The halfling makes a careful swing to avoid Davi's kneecap as the iron ball swishes past her patella.
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The bug buzzes angrily. It must be hungry, because it is still resolved in attacking Soroza.
It lands on her back, its barbed legs anchoring itself to her, and inserts its proboscis into her flesh. It draws blood from her.
Anthony is up.
Soroza let's out a yelp, the tone of which falls somewhere between pain and disgust.
"If any of you could get this thing off of me now would be a good time!" she yells, while futilely attempting to swat the creature on her back, just out of reach.
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Anthony turns and jumps as he sees the threat. A relatively large insect, burying its proboscis into Soroza. Leaping to her aid, he draws his rapier, charging it with magical energy, and attempts to stab it and be rid of it.
Anthony cleanly stabs at the gigantic bug, drawing blood (probably Soroza's).
Adrac is up.
Adrac blinked, turning back before bringing up a foot to swat away the creature and get it off Soroza's leg.
Adrac attempts to kick the bug off of Soroza, but he misses, as he overcompensates to avoid hitting Soroza instead.
Soroza is up.
At the fruitlessness of the other's efforts, and unable to reach the creature effectively due to it's location directly on her back, Soroza adopts a steely resolve and her voice takes on a tone of finality. "That's it then. This thing is getting off of me. Right. Now."
She leaps into the air, kicks out her legs, and plummets back-first to the ground in an attempt to crush the creature.
Soroza lands on her back, squishing the bug into bloody goo, but also getting bug parts all over her clothes and back.
Combat ends.
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Soroza winces as she feels the creature splatter beneath her and it's proboscis jab her sharply from the impact.
She stands slowly, wiping away whatever gunk she can reach, but the proboscis remains planted firmly in the center of her back. She turns her back to the others and, with a coyness that could not be anything but sarcastic, she smiles over her shoulder and asks: "A little help?"
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Adrac reaches up to help pry off the appendage from Soroza's back. "Hold still..." he said, before quickly pulling it out... hopefully as painlessly as possible. "I suppose that's one way to swat a bug."
Anthony cringes a bit at the mess. For one so apparently demonic, he was awfully squeamish. He asks the ranger tentatively, "Are you okay? That was quite a bit of blood you lost there, you might be light-headed. We can take a short break if you need it." The look on his face shows genuine concern. He neglects to wipe the blood from his blade until he's sure Soroza is in no danger.
Soroza winces a second time as Adrac removes the proboscis from her back. "Thank you", she says quietly but sincerely, "I've always considered myself one for creative problem solving."
She turns to face the young tiefling,"I am a bit light-headed, Anthony, but it will take more than an overgrown bug to slow me down."
She sakes herself off, and presents a smile and confident demeanor to the rest of the group. "I am ready to continue as soon as the rest of you are."
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"'Well, shall we be goin' then?" Herral grins.
The group proceeds for a few more hours. It is late in the afternoon when they arrive at Droskar's Crucible, though it will still be a few hours yet before the sun sets. Sitting squat at the foot of an imposing mountain, a ruined monastery comes into view between ancient gnarled trees. Made of simple stone blocks, worn smooth with the passage of time, the stout building is falling apart. Sections of the slanted shale roof have collapsed and portions of the outer wall have crumbled. Weeds and wild thorn plants run rampant across the field leading up to the place, leaving only the slightest indication of a path that ends at the ruined front doors. Beyond, on overgrown yard sits in the shadow.
"Well, at least this place is less creepy than the last house we were at. I guess we're moving up in the worlds"
Davi looks around the front yard. Maybe they can get the mushrooms without having to go inside. This place looks like it's just waiting to collapse on poor unsuspecting changelings.
Davi finds no mushrooms, but she does find large paw prints that lead up and into the monastery.
Soroza walks up beside Davi and kneels next to the footprints in order to get a good look at them.
"Wolves, most likely. If they've made this place their den, then we need to be alert and ready to fight. They're not as fancy as a dragon, but with enough numbers they'll make us just as dead."
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A young man emerges from around the side of the monastery. He is of medium height and athletic build. He appears freshly shaved, but his mop of dark hair clearly refuses to come to order. His high black boots, white trousers, dark blue frock coat with the golden eagle of Andoran on the sleeve make no effort to conceal him for what he is, a Naval Officer. There are twin lines of golden braiding on his sleeves and golden epaulettes on his shoulders. He wears a standard tricorne hat, a basket hilted longsword at his waist, a wooden shield with the eagle of Andoran is slung over his shoulder alongside a crossbow.
The man holds his hands out showing they are empty, ”greetings travelers, you are welcome here. I am Leftenant Jansen Naran, and out here seeking clues as to the nature of certain dark mysteries that appear to be plaguing the area around Droskar's Crucible. Might I inquire as to your own names and business here?”
Anthony glances at the man's hands, a gesture of goodwill. He responds in kind putting out one of his own hands to clasp.
"Anthony Read. Pleased to meet you Leftenant. he says, then gestures the others, "these are my companions. We were on our way in to search for... Some mushrooms. He looks at the others to see if they have anything else to offer, or for any signal that he should divulge more.
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Jansen takes the offered hand and gives a stout shake in return.
"Pleasure to meet you Anthony. Mushrooms you say? Are you then mushroom farmers, or simply mushroom gatherers? I myself am not particularly fond of mushrooms, although we do get them aboard ship from time to time, as apparently they stay, errr fresh, if you can call a fungus fresh, for some time."
Soroza rises to standing, placing her hands on her hips and adopting a somewhat standoff-ish posture.
"We need them for Falcon's Hollow. The town's caught itself a bit of a plague, and the mushrooms are an ingredient for the cure."
She brushes a few strands of hair from her face.
"And you said you were... what? Looking for some dark mysteries to stab a sword into?"
Davi starts when the stranger appears. There’s a lot of things she’d expect to walk out of the ruins but ‘Naval Officer’ was not one of them. It’s rather strange.
“I’m rather surprised to see a navy man in the middle of the forest. Why is the navy interested in Droskar’s Crucible?”
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Anthony gives a smile that belongs to someone years older and says, "It's dangerous to go alone." Turning to his companions, he asks "Why don't we take him with us? There is almost no reason not to. With an extra body, we're safer. Less likely to be attacked, and more likely to fight off any attackers. All in favor say aye?"
Adrac smiles at Jansen, and chuckles as he seems to fit in well with the rest of the group. Nodding in agreement, Adrac laughs a little. "Ha ha ha! ...my apologies, but I confess, it does my heart and mind good to see so many ambitious young folks so willing to work together for great things. For every Kreed, there 5 and 6 more of you ready to step up and balance out the wrong. Soon enough, I'll be able to retire with great peace of mind!"
He places a hand on Anthony's shoulder, smiling. "You are your father's son... no, even better. I think he'd be proud of you." Adrac steps forward, squinting into the dark to try and see. "Lead the way, then!"