Not really knowing what else to do, Qina followed Allister's lead. Reaching into her small pouch, she pulled out firefly, still alive somehow and occasionally flickering the in darkness. She grimaced as she smushed the tiny insect and quickly wiped her hands on Vivian's armor, quietly whispering a quick incantation until Vivian's armor began to shine as bright as Allister's greatsword.
The largest lizardman, his face poorly hidden by a Razmiri mask that is slightly bent just under the chin, hisses and stalks forward ending up next to Belathorian and Qina.
The rest of the lizardmen move to surround your group, only one making it into combat with Alister, the others moving over the large fallen tree nearby.
The leader hisses out in response to Gad'larr, "దురాక్రమణ! డై!"
Brezik looks back and forth between Gad' and the lizardmen, having no idea what is going on, but seeing the lizardmen still advancing. He decides to give the lizardmen a reason to back off.
He does his best to flank one of the lizrdmen ducking and dodging to avoid an easy attack drawing his own axe as he moves.
...
He brings his axe around slamming the broad side of it into the back of the lizardman's head.
, nonlethal
GAD WHAT'S GOING ON!
Feeling somewhat safe standing behind her three armored friends and Gad to her side, Qina looked around for Brezik, fearing the worst. Pulling out a pinch of ground mica from the pouch on her waist, she chanted the magic words to summon a cloud of fairy dust that enveloped the two lizardmen closing in around Brezik.
Belathorian steps around the closest lizard and, muttering a benediction to his goddess, swings his scythe.
Brezik successfully sidesteps and knocks one lizard so hard there is a large gash along the backside of its head. Belathorian and Vivian take the fight to the chieftan wielding two morningstars and injure him. Qina's spell goes off, blinding the lizardman farther away from Brezik and causing him to scream out.
Taking a few steps, Alister successfully cuts down another of the lizardmen, popping open some tumors under the beasts' scales and bringing forth both thick black blood and nauseous oozing pus.
Their chief does not like the position it is in, but swings dangerously with its morningstars nonetheless.
Seeing its swinging arms ineffective makes it lunge dangerously at Belathorian, who was saved by his armor more than his grace, for a savage bite!
Teeth cracking against armor the monster doesn't understand why it can't seem to hit a couple of puny humans.
With determination on his face, Gad silently steps up between Vivan and Bel, then brings his attack routine of fists and feet to bear against the chieftain!
-Includes Dragon Style
+ Flurry!
-Includes Dragon Style!
Gad'larr does all he can, but the chief blocks with his morningstars and thick scales.
The other Whisperscale hunter stays where it is blinking its eyes trying to regain its sight.
Allister wheels around and attacks the chief with his glowing greatsword.
Power Attack, Flanking: 1d20 + 12 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 12 + 1 - 2 = 30
Power Attack, Flanking: 1d20 + 12 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 12 + 1 - 2 = 14
Damage: 2d6 + 7 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (4, 1) + 7 + 1 + 4 = 17The paladin's glowing sword gives him courage and somehow makes it easier to find weak spots in his foes' armor.
Seeing the last of the smaller lizardmen blinded Brezik moves towards him to try and knock him unconscious like his friend.
...
But between the uneven ground and the unpredictable motions of the blinded lizardman the Dwarf misses his target.
Bel swing his reapers blade once more
Alister and Belathorian's combined efforts finally take down the chief of the lizardmen.
Pulling out her wand, Qina waited to see what would happen next. She felt bad about shooting a blind man, even a blind lizardmen, but less so about making him blind. So, she waited for whatever was going to happen to happen.
The chief and his bleeding crony continue to pour their life into the swamp.
Shouting to be heard over the storm, Gad moves to the blinded lizardman.
"Stabilize them! They are mad from living in this constant storm, nothing more! They think we are just intruders in their territory! There is no need to kill them!"
-Includes Dragon Style!
Possible Crit!
-Includes Dragon Style!
Gad'larr knocks out the last of the lizardmen before it really has a chance to clear its eyes.
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Vivian will move swiftly to stabilize the Lizardmen. "Help me tie them up, does anyone know a way we could rehabilitate them? Cure them of this negative energy affliction? If they know this island then they're knowledge would be a huge boon."
Once the lizardmen are stable and bound, Vivian will take a breather as she thinks things over. "Resting will allow us regain our power.. but at the sacrifice of giving them a few more steps... My desire to bring Iramine to justice is pushing me on, yet I know resting is the wisest decision. How old do the tracks look? Could we potentially catch them soon? Likely injured, worn by this place.." Vivian has he arms crossed and chin in hand as she muses out loud.
Gad shakes his head negatively, then realizes no one can see him well in the gloom.
"No. Their semi-insane. Born that way I suspect, over years of exposure. Their basic territorial nature magnified by paranoia and various treasure hunters over the years. Take their weapons and equipment, bury whatever we can't use and leave them. I don't feel safe sleeping here, but the rest of you look exhausted. We could still rest here if you want to do so."
We could always wake one up and see just how gone their minds really are.
Gad continues to remove weapons and basic equipment from the lizardmen, throwing it all in a pile nearby.
"That's still an option my friend. I just fear its futility, and I feel we're wasting time even now for some reason. Our true enemy gets further away as we deal with these people here. If you want to try, I can translate as needed. If that is what we intend, someone should start a fire. It would give us a chance to dry out a bit at least."
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Allister looks over the lizardmen trying to find one that is in decent enough shape to revive.
"I'm worn thin, friends. This armor is heavy and I feel like I haven't slept in weeks. The people we're chasing will have to rest too, right?"
He quickly stabilizes one and, once the defeated foe is bound, tries to awaken it.
"Hey, this one's in pretty good shape."
The lizardmen are not well equipped, but what they do have is taken care of. The chief has a pair of morningstars that are incredibly well made, a set of three javelins, five vials full of what looks like river water, a small pouch with 31 gold inside, and a pair of thick leather braces with the teeth of something large and nasty sewn along the edges.
The other three each have four more vials of river water, morningstars, wooden shields, and sets of javelins. More interesting is the detritus from the battlefield around you. It is awash with dropped or tossed aside gear. There are nine suits of studded leather, two of which look better made than the rest , nine wooden shields, a dozen daggers, several of which are in lizardmen bodies, an expeded crossbow with a case attached containing 12 bolts, two well-balanced but horribly gaudy rapiers, nine saps of the type typically found on slavers, seven short swords, three salvagable iron masks, and a leather purse with four vials , two smokesticks, two sunrods, a set of thieves tools, and 150 gold coins.
"Viv...uh, Captain. I'm tired, but this place is scary. If we sleep here, what do we do with the lizardmen?"
Gad nods, since the decision has been made.
"I should need only an hour or two at most to rest and meditate. Once you all are rested of course."
Based on the wounds on the lizardmen the basic hunters will take a few days before they get up, and the chief will be up in about 24 hours. It doesn't take Vivian long to get the camp set, especially with everyone's help. Say what you will about the Razmirans, they do look for luxury even in the wilderness and were able to find a sheltered area for a fire and sleeping bags.
With the decision made to camp Brezik sets quickly to work. He makes a point of starting a fire and setting Qina's cooking implements down by it
The Fire started Brezik walks away and performs a thorough search of the camp.
Grateful to have anything to do to take her mind of their surroundings, Qina set to work immediately seeing her pots and pans setup. Something about the familiar process of preparing food calmed her nerves and distracted her from their mission. For a moment, where she was didn't matter anymore.
She pulled out some hard cheese and onions and emptied most of her waterskin into the pot. She tossed in a few more ingredients and sat close to the pot stirring the contents for a long time. Her eyes closed occasionally as exhaustion started to seep into her bones.
Finally they fluttered a few times and she stood up. She waved her arms over top the pot and whispered a few quiet words. She dipped a heavy ladle into the stew to give it a taste before waving her hands a few more times. Finally she turned with a smile "soups on...although it's more like chowder." She shrugged and started filling bowls.
Brezik doesn't find anything of note during his search, it looks like the Razmirans took everything they had with them after repelling the lizardman attack. The dark lightning continues through the night, but the warmth of the fire keeps the party dry. Sleep is restless, and fraught with nightmares, likely from all of the negative energy in the area, though you still manage to rest up.
It is in the 'morning' after you have prepared for the day that rustling nearby sets you on alert. Emerging from the nearby brush with his arms raised high and bearing no obvious weapons is a human man, about six feet tall, with a tangle of long, dirty red hair and a long red beard, wearing tattered, hole-ridden clothes soaked through with mud and stained black in many places. Even before he gets close, his stench precedes him—it’s not only as though he hasn’t bathed in years, but that he seems to have actually gone out of his way to cover himself in the most horrible smells the Isle of Terror has to offer: a blend of rotten eggs, human waste, and decaying organic matter. An arrow is lodged in the back of his right leg, but seems to cause him no pain as he sloshes through the waters of the swamp. Suddenly he stops. His eyes go wide and he loudly exclaims, “I found you!”
Suddenly alert, Gad draws his sword and approaches the man carefully.
"Who are you? Are you with the Razmirans?"
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The next morning, Allister fights the need to rise from his bedroll and blanket. However, when the stranger enters camp the paladin springs to his feet wearing nothing but skivvies and socks, his greatsword in hand.
"Slow down there, friend. You okay? What do you mean, you found us? You've been looking?"
As Allister speaks he moves up, putting himself with Gad'larr in front of the others. He has forgotten his clothes and armor, but not his confidence.
Bel reaches for the light crossbow beside his bedroll and draws the string. Not exactly aiming at the newcomer, but not exactly not he waits to hear the man's reply.
For a while, he simply stares at you, dumbfounded, and then erupts into a loud, blubbering fit of equal part tears and rage. He tugs at his hair, pulling out fistfuls of it and shaking them at you as if the sudden loss of hair is your fault.
.
Hearing the commotion outside Brezik quickly pulled on his armored jacket, with just his underclothes underneath, and walked out of the tent he had been in carrying his Great-axe. Having heard the man and not seen him he started talking before he had seen him.
And we were looking for you too.... Seeing the man in his "shambled state the dwarf pauses clearly a little taken back. What happened to you?
Looking at Vivian, Gad asks her advice.
"His shouting could bring more enemies, should I silence him quickly?"
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Surprised by the man's mental state, he tries to calm him down in the same way he would an irritated horse.
"Easy, friend. Easy. You have nothing to fear any longer, the Keepers of the Flame are here. What can we do to help you?" He gives the crazed man an easy and confident smile. "You are with friends, now."
The paladin can scarcely help himself, even in this place, of seeing the better nature in everyone and remaining positive.
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"Well, hello? Why were you looking for u..." Vivian is cut off by his madness.
"Don't know if you want to touch him Gad... Sir, please settle down. It is this island, isn't it? It's a horrible place, please let us help you."
Vivian tries reason and steps forward but doesn't feel confident that it'll work. She keeps her left hand free to signal the others with in case this man makes a move.
Both Vivian and Allister seem to affect the man. He introduces himself as Dusan Dremlock in halting words, then tells the following, barely coherent story.
“Venture-Captain Tree Roots said we should come to... island to island and then we left the city and swam north, keeping abreast of each other to fend off fish and then we swam and swam and we swam for years and came here to the island and we went inside the island and saw its heart and it was black and we knew it was black and we came out and we were black and then the blackness consumed them, ate them alive, ate me alive, and then we were all dead all dead all dead and I was dead and they were dead, and they were dead and I wasn’t dead—do you see? I was alive! I was alive and they were dead and then I lived here and I lived in a tree and a cave and in the ruins and I saw, I saw, I saw things, and then the men in masks came and they fought the lizards and many died on both sides, many died, oh yes, many died and they did not get back up they were not dead like me and they headed to the doors, to the many doors by the river, the many doors where I slept once when the storms reached down and grabbed me. They are there now, they try to open the doors come with me, yes, come come come with me. I can show you where they are.”