Black Tom's Serpent Skull

Game Master Black Tom

If you want to stand by your bets, we can run the fight with Gelik rolling for Muddy Lyza and Aerys rolling for Cornugon. But maybe you should bet on the same bird or you'll only be taking money from each other. I understand that Torch is going to be keeping out of the betting.

There is some frowning as Gelik talks to the birds and a Garundi man leans over and hisses. "No magic in this contest, little man."

Aerys noticing the subtle way Gelik does his betting, follows suit and changes her strategy to bet on the same bird as Gelik.

Are you accusing me of using magic on my cock? I assure you, my cock doesn't need magic. It's a natural winner.

He nods in appreciation when Aerys changes her bet. Smart move. Never bet against my cock.

He points up at the Garundi man, smiling good naturedly. I'm going to let it pass that you called me a little man, and just assume that you're ignorant of the physiology of the gnomish race. I am, in fact, a fully grown gnome. I pack more awesomeness in this small body than most humans manage in their oversized, bloated frames. I'm sure you'll agree that I also have impeccable taste in haberdashery. But just watch your mouth in future, all right?

Ralf smiles and looks at the birds intently. "Lovely creatures! I hope they won't get hurt."

The man grunts something at Gelik, then goes back to watching the birds.

If you don't want to interfere with the fight, maybe you would just roll for initiative for Muddy Lyza, and we'll see how the fight ends.

Gelik has no interest in interfering with the fight. He watches with interest, but more to see the acrobatics of the birds than which one wins.

initiative for our favored chicken 1d20 ⇒ 7

Aerys watches from the side, unable to do anything to influence the way the fight turns out,

Somewhere Cornugon must have found courage, for he jumps on to Muddy Lyza and claws her viciously. The fight is over almost instantly and a hush settles on the crowd.

Muddy Lyza's owner scoops up the bloody bird and makes off with her, trying to nurse her back to health, while the skinny Garundi man, "Rickets" Perga, who runs the fights, turns to you and demands that you pay double your bet, since your bird was beaten in the first round. He is flanked by three mean-looking Garundi men, and he looks like he means business.

Well. Old Lyza seems to have a very inflated opinion of himself. He went down like a real chump.

Gelik looks up at "Rickets". It appear that you have a similar misconception. If you start anything with us, we'll kill you and all your guards, too. We'll pay what we owe you and not a copper more. How does that sound? Be careful, this could be the last decision you ever make.

Gelik is going to try to Fascinate the men with his Perform:Oratory bravado. He'll try to determine whether the thugs can understand him, and he'll repeat his words in Polyglot just to be sure.

Fascinate (Ex, 1/day, DC 15): At 3rd level, you gain the ability to use a Perform skill to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with you. This acts as the fascinate bardic perform ability, except the save DC is 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Charisma bonus, and it lasts 1 round/level. You may use this ability once per day at 3rd level, twice per day at 8th level, three times per day at 13th level, and four times per day at 18th level.

Crossing his arms slightly Kamal nods. Take what you have one and not a copper more. This is still the jungle and the jungle is hungry.

Since Torch made a point of absenting himself from the cockfight, what are the odds that he can see the brewing confrontation? Do I need to make a Perception check, perhaps?

Gelik's dazzling wit entrances Ricket and two of the thugs. Only one manages to shrug off the fascination and he looks a bit unsure of what to do.

Torch notices a commotion and comes running.

What are you going to do next?

Intimidate 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Aerys glares at the remaining man, as she clicks her knuckles, splitting on each knuckle in turn then rubbing her hands. "Be off with you, the last man I got in my grip had difficulty taking his last breath. We'll pay our dues, but your master would hate it if you got us annoyed and we paid nothing."

Faced by Aerys' belligerence and Gelik's oratory the man slinks off. What's Gelik's plan as the fascination wears off on the other three?

Uncertain as to the specifics of the situation, Torch steps up behind the three remaining men, looking toward Aerys and Gelik for a lead to follow.

Gelik tosses 5gp in the dirt at Ricket's feet.

Well, I suppose we'll be moving along. I'm not the best judge of character, but I doubt you're the sort that lets a little spat like this drop. Follow us, and you'll regret it. We'll actually, you won't regret it, because you'll be dead. I thought I sounded tough with that line, but it didn't really make any sense. Oh well, Kamal's hungry jungle line was better. More poetic. I'll probably steal it.

I say we beat feet at least a few miles away, then make camp for the night. Somewhere defensible.

Having already lost one of his men and with Torch coming up behind him, Ricket is in no mood for a fight. He scoops up his gold, muttering curses at you but he does not bother you again.

Assuming you make camp with the caravan, you have nothing to worry about from the merchants.

You get 360 xp for the encounter.

As you make your way across the plains the following day, Torch comes across a set of disturbingly large tracks.

Knowledge (nature) 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

¨Stegosaurs,¨ Torch tells the others. ”Herbivores, slow-moving but big. If the caravan riles them up, it could be trouble. Still, now we know they're here, we should be able to skirt around and stay out of each other's way.“

Ralf goes into a trance, and then repeats the same information word for word.

;-)

You give the dinosaur a wide berth and it doesn't cause you any trouble. Later that day, as the trail skirts the northern border of the Laughing
Jungle, you spot a wisp of smoke on the horizon, coming from a small Zenj village huddling under the jungle’s eaves. As its inhabitants notice you they come out with offers of fruit and drink, addressing you cheerfully in Polyglot and broken Common and invite you to join them for supper.

Untrained Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2, +4 if it's night

Untrained Sense Motive : 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Reaching the village Kamal breaks into a grin. His people, the signs were apparent all around them. Raising a hand in the traditional Zenj manner Kamal steps forward. "Greetings! I am Kamal of the Fire Mountain Zenj, and we are passing through. We bring water and salt and a thousand blessings to my kin."

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Gelik smiles at the invitation. This is more like it! A little local hospitality won't go amiss.

Gelik chats with the residents, complimenting them on their fine village and digging for gossip.

I can regale the village-folk with the story of our travels after supper. It'll be a real treat for you all.

As you accept the invitation, you are greeted by everyone in the village. Villagers smile, toting baskets of fruit, meat, and laundry. Others sit in the shade weaving leaves and vines. Barefoot children dart about chasing each other around the small huts. The only person who seems uninterested in the visitors is an older woman with a painted face who, upon your arrival, ducks into her hut and pulls a cloth across the doorway. When you ask about the woman, one of the villagers says, “She is our shaman, and is old and wary.”

Supper consists of f latbread, fresh fruit, and a tasty porridge seasoned with sweet tubers. After the meal you are offered a heady wine and treated to an impressive performance of acrobatics, dancing, and fire-eating as night falls. At the end of the festivities, the villagers offer you a hut to sleep in, then retire to their own huts.

As you prepare for bed, you receive a visitor — the village shaman. She waits to be invited in, then sits down next to the small fire with a heavy sigh. After a few moments of silence, she speaks in thickly accented Common.

"I am an old woman, and set in my ways. My master taught me long ago that foreigners like yourselves carry curses. But this village suffers under a curse already, and all my magic has so far failed to lift it. The spirits do not help me and I have nowhere else to turn. Perhaps I have been wrong all these years, and perhaps you are the ones who can help free us from the curse."

Torch sits in the shadows of the hut, on the far side of the fire, studying the old woman. "Perhaps we are," he replies. "Tell us of your troubles, if you please, and we will judge."

"Wise woman, tell us of this curse. If we can help your people in your name and remove any evil that lies on the village, we will consider if we can help or not." says Aerys as she drinks water taken from her backpack..

First the wining and dining, then the hook. Classic. No matter how this works out, I'm going to need more wine.

Ralf nods sagely at the solemn turn things appear to have taken.

The woman continues: "Our poor village is plagued by a vile monster called a chemosit, a malevolent and cunning ape-bear that delights in human prey, particularly relishing the taste of human brains. The beast has come out of the jungle every night for two weeks, stealing into the village in search of victims. We would be infinitely grateful if you could put a stop to its depredations. Alas, there is not much I can offer you in way of reward, only an old treasure map and a magic charm."

"Chemosit" Kamal murmurs thoughtfully.

Knowledge (nature) : 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

Nodding slowly the Zenj Druid stares off into space. My tribe had legends of such creatures. Ape men who would devourer the brains of their victims. "They come at night yes? Taking the weak or the sick? Like a Lion among the gazelles? "

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Chemosit are ambush hunters. They have the ability to gain some of its victim's power by eating their brain, and their roar terrifies the bravest of men.

"They take whomever they can lay their paws on. If they are left unchecked, they will devour our entire village."

** spoiler omitted **

I'm not quite that old; I first read about the chemosit in Dragon #122 -- "Gaming the Dark Continent" by Roger Moore.

Torch looks at the others. "Friends here would be helpful to those who follow behind, and these people seem to be in dire straits. With preparations in place, we should be able to help them."

"Then we must come up with a plan to turn the ambusher into being the ambushed. We must keep a watch, maybe even some sort of magical watch on the place, whilst leaving bait for this creature. But the bait must be prepared and ready to turn defense to attack. So how can we do that." muses Aerys her breath short as she thinks on the problem before them. "Indeed Torch is right, this is something we must do to protect these people and our caravan to come. "

Seems fairly obvious to me. We use Ralf as bait. He's oblivious.

Gelik strokes his goatee in contemplation. Actually, couldn't we put out some brains to attract them? Maybe goat brain or something?

The witchdoctor regales you with a mirthless smile. "I know of some ancient charms", she says. "One of these painted in goat's blood on your threshold should draw the monster to you. Then I hope you are prepared to deal with it.

Kamal's ivory white teeth glint inside of the thatched hut. So the creature will be drawn towards us tonight then? Sighing the guide rummages through his bag seeing if he might have anything useful. At least it will come for us and not one of the villagers.

Is there anything else you'd like to do to prepare for your visitor?

Do the locals have any goods for trade that might help? I'm thinking specifically of things like a scroll of remove fear or something similar...

They only have mundane goods, and a rather meager supply of those by adventuring standards.

"Has anyone got a charm or something that will make us unafraid of the noise this thing makes, we must stand firm against its power. I don't want my brain chewed up and spat out." says Aerys realising the danger the creature brings. "And if I were to ambush creatures, perhaps we need something I'd want to be invisible. We could also set up a warning system, trip wires or something? "

Aerys will at the very least attempt to stuff her ears full of cloth to stop the sound of the thing, if no-one else has any earplugs or stuff.

I take it we don't have any alarm type spells, or see invis just in case. A slow on the thing might help.

Ralf nods agreeingly at Gelik's suggestion, since it seems like the gnome knows what he's talking about.

Ralf knows what's up.

I can make you invisible, but I think you know that already. As far as I'm concerned, it's time to paint some goat's blood. How dangerous could an ape-bear possibly be, really?

Shaking his head, Kamal sighs. The blessings of the wild do not give me such power. I might be able to call forth a giant spider or ant that would be too stupid to understand fear, but I cannot protect you from its scream. Nodding thoughtfully, Kamal rubs his chin, However, if one cannot hear the scream, you could not be affected by it. Turning back to the shaman, Kamal gives a thoughtful stare. Are there any rubber trees around that I might harvest from before the sun sets? If we can dampen the roar, we might be able to protect ourselves better from it.

Knowledge (nature) to identify useful jungle plants that could be used to dampen ones hearing. 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

According to Ultimate Equipment, earplugs grant a +2 circumstance bonus on saves against effects that require hearing. The good news is, at least one of us is already immune to the roar...

Torch looks thoughtful, then retrieves a small, round object about the size of a sling bullet from his pack. "If deafness is what we're going to try, I have a foolproof way to make that happen," he says, turning the stone over in his hands. "Might even catch the beastie off-guard in the process."

"Kamal, can you set up a warning system of trip wires or anything, perhaps they have something like it in the village? Can you ask?" says Aerys, feeling better that they will have some protection against the noise at least. She looks at Ralf as he smiles one of his strangely confident smiles. "Well I hope you can handle this, we'll be there to help as soon as we can." she says looking straight at him.

You can get some wax from the villagers to fashion ear-plugs to give you all the +2 circumstance bonus but Torch's method would work too. If you want to rig a tripwire you would need the appropriate skill or an alarm spell.

I take it you're getting ready to face the beast? I guess Perception checks would be in order when you feel ready.

Gelik looks at Aerys in surprise, wondering how she could take his plan seriously. He shrugs, and decides to run with it. Stuffing wax in his ears, he shouts That's great Ralf, you just stand right there! I'll be right behind this thing, covering you!

The second he sees anything unusual, he'll cast Vanish on Aerys.

perception 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Aerys takes up her position, hiding as much as possible, but withing charging range of any creature that might attack her friend Ralf. She watches Torch on the opposite side, hoping to that they may quickly get into flanking positions on the beast.

Perception 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0