He nods to Sonechka - seeming to soften his demeanor a bit knowing his idea is understood.
To Green and Furiel he nods... "Your words lead my mind downriver while my feet are still firmly here. I will think on this... until your tribe moves for war. We will see what manner of beast beats in my chest... when the day catches up to the dream."
As he speaks, he ushers you out.
This last bit got him... If he were to be pressured now into a response, he might balk, but right now... it is sounding too good to be true (to someone already extremely suspicious.
At the entryway as you leave, Ike'yurot leans in to hear Ahn-gur'frok say in Draconic: "I like the little one."
"Well Rogar did talk me out of selling the mass of weapons we captured. We can use that to outfit our troops immediately."
Furiel answers Kane: "We will continue to adventure. We have lots of this map to explore." Furiel displays the current map, which shows a lot of unexplored land.
Sense Motive
Perception
You find a good variety of terrain and small to medium-sized game in this hex.
The lower elevation terrain southwest of the river contains fetile soil, but much of it appears to be prone to flooding. Nothing woody or delicate... but the reedy grasses, rhododendrons, and various vegetation with stout petioles seem to be thriving.
Northeast of the river you are finding wooded hills and dry ravines as the sun begins to set. You have a few hours of exploration left to do - just the 3 by 6 mile swath of land northeast of the woods.
You make camp in a small clearing a little over a mile from the edge of the wood, two miles north of the abandoned Narthropple camp. There is very little growth on the ground here, the floor of the woods is coated with last fall's dead needles from the surrounding bald cypress trees.
The "garbage" from the trees is not terribly comfortable to those with slim or no bedroll, but the choked down undergrowth makes for as good visibility as you can ask for in the thick of the woods.
After you finish eating, and prepare to set watch or bed down, Kane and Sonechka spot a small snake wriggling from your gear gathered at the edge of camp. Still twilight - its green color stands out among the grey-brown sheddings of the trees as it heads out the south side of your camp.
Its belly looks lumpy and full
"Someone grab that snake." She points it out and glances over at Dolgrym. "One snake, I don't think anything about. Two snakes, and this one in our things? Let's see what it was doing."
Dolgrym moves to try and grab the snake with the others, knowing this was more than just a coincidence.
Furiel confers with Dolgrym.
"Can this be a familiar or servant of evil?"
The dwarf casts Detect. Magic on the snake, wondering if it might have some magic aura placed on it.
1st round of Detect magic... yes you detect an aura.
Furiel
Furiel doesn't grab it, but sprays a fountain of colors on it.
"That snake is magical, everyone! Get it!"
Initiative
The little snake with a bulging belly stops dead in its tracks.
"Did the bugger eat our gear?"
Norton immediately calls your attention to the pile of gear. More snakes pour from your packs and satchels... dozens. A swarm of tiny green snakes with lumpy distended bellies... They wriggle the same direction as the other en masse to the south.
"Glaza, grab one! Any one!" Sonechka points at the nearest fleeing snake. "Sleep, creature!"
Glaza pecks at the edge of the swarm, but fails to get a hold of anything.
The mass of snakes continue on unaffected... without hiss or bite at Sonechka's raven.
Animals usually drop pretty easy, but no reaction whatsoever.
"It's a swarm, we need an effect that covers the whole area! Furiel?"
Dolgrym casts Create Pit trying to catch as many as possible.
DC 16 Reflex to resist.
You hear derisive snickering as the ground drops underneath the snakes.
The swarm hovers above the pit before it fades.
A voice - which seems near, but difficult to pin down. "Make my figments too hard to do, but you're still caught b'tween Clat and Clew.
Not written down, but here it comes. A message sent from the Foul One.
One will die, the rest will run. Nursing break and bruise...
signed, sealed, and delivered by... yours truly, the notorious Clat and Clew."
The voice comes from just beyond the first snake.
You smell sulfur - as if someone were carrying a bucketful of Skunk River water past you.
You notice invisible depressions of large feet on the pine needles on the west side of you - heading to the north side. (like something big walking by invisibly...)
Sonechka quirks an eyebrow in the direction of the first snake. "You do know those are terms for a group of worms, don't you?"
Dolgrym: 9
Furiel: 14
Green:
Kane:
Norton:
Sonechka:
enemies:
Furiel begins to reach into another plane of existence.
The Green Man snorts loudly with derision.
"Clat and clew? What kind of silly nickname is that? Sounds like what a person with a bad lisp would say.
And if you are so notorious then explain why nobody here has ever heard of you."
The Green Man realizes that if he manages to taunt the invisible assailant enough, he might be attacked, but he would rather it was him than one of his comrades.
You see Kane stab at the air toward the northwest side of camp.
"Worms?!" a bestial voice bellows from where Kane had just attacked.
"Are you sure it's worms Madame Alkaeva? I think it might be...maggots? Something small and slimy either way, leaving a trail behind it wherever it goes, like a snail."
Not being able to see an enemy yet, The Green Man casts a quick spell to increase his defence, then moves to stand between the voice and Sonechka.
Dolgrym casts Mirror Image, creating duplicates of himself.
Images created,,
Sonechka strolls toward Dolgrym's pit. "You may be right, Green. Something small, slimy, and squirmy. I would imagine anything that named itself after something like that would be... ugly, to say the least." She smiles in the direction of the voice. "That explains the invisibility." And then the light all around her suddenly dims.
Dolgrym will also dismiss his pit, once he sees it isn't doing any good right now.
Dolgrym will also dismiss his pit, once he sees it isn't doing any good right now.
A rising growl comes from the northwest, the creature becomes visible as it tries to knock Kane from its path - charging at Green.
Though Kane cannot see the large pond-scum colored creature as it barrels through his personal space, he avoids being shouldered by the beast.
"Not small!!"
It swipes at Green (awkwardly at reach as Kane's ground was not yielded as expected) its dagger-length claws with rage-amped ferocity strike which would remove a common man's head.
Those to the south of camp see the single small viper being lifted by the still-invisible speaker, and he (assuming by the height and "draping" of the snake) lays it on his shoulder. "Come Bingo. Oh... its on now..."
You hear the sound of arcane words, then a faint "shuuuuk".
Sonechka moves unhurriedly to the very edge of the dim light she'd just created and glares at the troll. "I think you're going to have a bad night, worm."
Dolgrym turns toward the invisible creature and the strange snake, and casts a spell causing shimmering motes to appear all around it, illuminating it for all to see.
Cast Glitterdust Will DC 16 to resist.
Norton will get on Murak as soon as possible.
"Who are you, that stalks us in the night, and creeps around invisible? We don't want a fight, but if you give us no other choice..."
Always trying the diplomatic way first Norton hopes for a spoken resolution.
The Green Man grins, feeling battle lust rising in his body, remembering the previous time he fought a troll.
But this time it was a troll unhindered by mutilation, so the challenge was much greater...then again, so was his own skill...
"Oh, you are big, but you are slow and stupid as well...and green as you are, all I see now...is...RED!"
Before the battle lust takes over completely, The Green Man begins to slowly circle the troll, intending to fight it together with Kane like a pack of wolves.
The hidden voice takes time to respond to Norton. He speaks as though introducing himself with a bit of grandeur "Sir we are the Clat and Clew, and we don't work for the likes of you."
Dolgrym's patch of sparkling powder then coats the hidden speaker.
He exclaims "Bahf!" as he struggles to see. "Bright light in my eyes! Am I seen?! Curse you toad! ... you toad of dwarf! Come to my aid dear Mossberg, I'm... I'm all out of sorts!"
He is a human-sized humanoid with satyr-like head. He holds a steaming-cold dagger in his right hand. The other hand wipes at the scintillating powder coating his face as he slowly steps back.
Kane slices at the angry wet troll, and Green's maul does some damage even though it was mostly shaft which struck. As Green pulls back from delivering a bite, the troll's claws tear at his side. The claws that stick keep Green near enough for a quick bite.
Round 2
Furiel completes the creation of his massive creature of earth.
CR 1
XP 400
N Small outsider (earth, elemental, extraplanar)
Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +4
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (–1 Dex, +7 natural, +1 size)
hp 17 (2d10+6)
Fort +4, Ref –1, Will +3
Immune elemental traits
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft., earth glide
Melee slam +9 (1d6+7)
Special Attacks earth mastery
STATISTICS
Str 20, Dex 8, Con 17, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +2; CMB +6; CMD 15
Feats Improved Bull RushB, Power Attack
Skills Appraise +1, Climb +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +1, Knowledge (planes) +1, Perception +4, Stealth +7
Languages Terran
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Earth Glide (Ex)
A burrowing earth elemental can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, it can even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing earth elemental flings the elemental back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.
Earth Mastery (Ex)
An earth elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its foe are touching the ground. If an opponent is airborne or waterborne, the elemental takes a –4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. These modifiers apply to bull rush and overrun maneuvers, whether the elemental is initiating or resisting these kinds of attacks. (These modifiers are not included in the statistics block.)
ECOLOGY
Environment any (Plane of Earth)
Organization solitary, pair, or gang (3–8)
Treasure none
Earth elementals are plodding, stubborn creatures made of living stone or earth. When utterly still, they resemble a heap of stone or a small hill.
When an earth elemental lumbers into action, its actual appearance can vary, although its statistics remain identical to other elementals of its size. Most earth elementals look like terrestrial animals made out of rock, earth, or even crystal, with glowing gemstones for eyes. Larger earth elementals often have a stony humanoid appearance. Bits of vegetation frequently grow in the soil that makes up parts of an earth elemental's body.
A small earth elemental is 4 feet long and weighs 80 pounds
Round 2 earth elemental
The creature of earth attempts to grab the caster--his massive arms attempting to hold the Clat tight.
Furiel begins to cast again, choosing to bring another elemental to his aid.
Dolgrym casts Bull's Strength on himself, and moves toward the glittered demon thing, pulling his axe as he advanced.