Nico continues.
"Another possibility is one that, um, speaks to the qualities of these lands.
"It is old land. Meaning, it has not been tainted by civilization. Many of those who live here, such as your fey friends, can be traced back to the first beings to come to Golarion, or the first to return after Earthfall. The very presence of fey suggests there are connections to the First World.
"Those who have lived here have survived by finding their place in the wilderness. By, um, coexisting with it. Those who have tried to exploit it for their own purposes, such as your former Stag Lord and our dead Tiger Lord..." he shrugs as his voice trails off. "They have had ... less success."
Marisol chuckles and says, "If we want less boring we can always say something like 'strifeland' or 'lake conflict.'" She can't help herself from continuing to chuckle slightly and puts one gloved hand in front of her mouth until she can compose herself.
Still riding near Vlad she says more seriously, "Is it possible to make an accord with the Fair Folk? To find some way to live peacefully with them? Perhaps a name suggestive of that, like Crossroad or Accord?"
"We could, um, call it 'Accordian'. I am sure someone, somewhere, will appreciate it."
Balter snorts at Nico's suggestion, before addressing Marisol's question.
"A way asides from abandoning these lands and never coming back?" he asks rhetorically, quirking one of his brows slightly. "They did drive off the last wave of colonists, after all."
Nico nods in response to Balter. "I think what that says is, uh, how we do this matters. We'd be true imperialists if we just, um, marched in here and started building cities with no regard for who was here first." He shrugs. "It's inevitable that there will be conflict. But we can be compassionate and fair in how we address it."
He hesitates, and then adds, "You know, Accordia is not such a bad name."
Durielle remains silent and appears lost in thought, troubled by the vision she received of the Tiger Lords and their long passed campaign of conquest..
Vladimir smirks before saying, "Sounds a bit too much like accordion, but I have heard and made worse suggestions."
"Where's a bard when you need one?"
Vladimir raises his hand.
"While not my primary focus, that would be me." he says with a wink.
Nico look surprised, "Really? What instrument do you play? I, uh, think someone's been holding on me, he says, winking.
"How about Erwyn. Or Erwin if you prefer it, um, a little less pretentious. From an old fey name for beautiful friend, or fresh water."
"Are you trying to name a nation, or are you trying to name Vlad's firstborn?" Balter asks with a smirk.
Nico looks innocent. "Are those different?"
"I will likely have a much bigger influence on the name of one over the other," says Marisol sweetly.
"Well, what I think we have all learned here is: why I am, um, rarely invited to social gatherings, and that I, uh, shouldn't name things."
When asked about an instrument, Vladimir responds "More of a storyteller and re-teller of histories than a musician. Although I have been known to pluck away at a mandolin on rare occasion."
The swordsman simply smiles and shakes his head at the back and forth bantering about the name of the settlement - and even more so as it relates to his hopefully distant firstborn.
In the morning you move on to the next area of planned exploration. The sky is overcast, and it begins to sleet for while. The winds are significant.. whipping across the plains. Though the precipitation tapers off within a couple hours, but the wind persists well into the afternoon.
You see little of note.. a few elk.. remnants of a hunters' camp - seemingly a year old, at least.
You finish your exploration by sundown.
The following morning you head into next area of exploration.
You travel through the large clearing toward the source of the Skunk River, and catch the rotten egg stench of it soon after it comes into sight. You have heard of these springs.. they are a hundred feet away at this point.
"Uhg...What a wretched smell. Do you suppose those two frogs will still be there when we reach the hot spring?"
Marisol wrinkles her nose as she says, "I would imagine they love it."
"We should not, uh, name your new nation after this place."
"Our new nation." Vladimir says with a smile. "But otherwise, yes, I certainly agree with that."
"Maybe we'll find what's stinking up the river," Balter suggests, his nose wrinkled. "Call it wishful thinking."
"Given the smell, it's a fair bet that it's a sulfur spring of some sort."
You move closer.. you see steam rising. Several mounds of rock jut from the surface, and around a good portion of the perimeter.
Nico whispers, "Um, at least two of those mounds of rock are frogs."
Vladimir nods, whispering to his companions "We opted to let them be the first time we were here. It would seem that we have little alternative but to deal with them if we are going to continue on through here."
Durielle is taken aback by Vladimir’s statement.
“Are we going back on our agreement then? The truce offered by Garuum was made in good faith. We were to leave him to his land, and he would leave ours.”
The Oracle seems rather distressed.
Nico whispers back, "Different frogs. This is not the boggard."
Vladimir nods, confirming Nico's statement before drawing his blade and slowly moving forward.
"If his land encompasses this entire forest, then our first war will be with frog people," Balter remarks dryly, reaching for his swords. "So are we going to try being diplomatic?
"Again, if these are the same two that were here before, these are just rather large frogs. I suppose we could approach defensively and see if they are aggressive if we wanted to. I am not entirely sure I care either way."
"I expect if these were more than just frogs - if this was our, ah, 'friend' Garuum, we'd already be in a position to talk," says Marisol.
As Vladmir and Balter get within five feet of the spring's edge (twenty feet from the nearest mostly submerged frog, they both turn toward you and rise... until the top of the steaming water is level with their mouths.
As they do, you get a better idea how large the creatures are... the nearer one is as big as a horse. The other is the size of a large dog.
You hear an odd throaty growl as the larger frog swells up threateningly.
Marisol quips, "Watch out for the tongues - I'm guessing not a good time." She draws her shining mithral cutlass in one hand, steps forward (5' step) and then outstretches her other hand and blasts a ray of fire at the large frog.
(no save)
"See, what did I tell you? This is Frog Kingdom," Balter says as he poises himself for battle, making it clear that he was joking before.
Taking note of his lover's spell, Vladmir heads for the same target and defensively slashes away with his blade.
(Fighting Defensive, vs Flat Foot AC)
Nico gestures and creates a bolt of energy, which he shoots into the larger frog.
The three attacks hit the massive creature, but do not fell it.
The smaller frog moves closer to the southern edge of the spring. The massive frog angles its head then snaps at Vladimir.. grips him in its mouth, and does not let go. Vladimir is held fast in its maw.. left arm and torso.. from his chin to his knees.
The smaller frog seems to be lying in wait.. eyeing Marisol and Balter.
Durielle quickly moves forward upon seeing Vladimir's plight.
Concentrating through the lesser metamagic rod of reach in her possession, the oracle is able to alter the circumstance of Vladimir's wounds despite his distance to her position. The space between the elf and the cavalier is distorted and for the space of a few seconds, the others see flashes of different moments for this place. Whether they show what occurred long ago or have yet to come is unknown. Regardless, the effect is a bit jarring, but perhaps gives insight as to what the oracle experiences daily.
"Ah, hell," Balter utters before hurrying to Vlad's side, sliding both of his blades out of their sheaths.
Taking care not to accidentally hit his half-devoured comrade, the ranger sweeps at the giant amphibian's belly with his longsword.
The visible part of Vladimir's form glows briefly with divine energy. As Balter rushes into the water, the other frog lashes out, but unfurls its tongue too slowly. Balter's blade cuts deep into the creature's gullet, it makes a "glort" sound... Vladimir is dropped into the hot sulfurous spring.
The massive frog drops lifeless a moment later.
With quick nods of thanks to both Durielle and Balter, Vladimir stands up and casts a healing spell on himself.
It is going to take a lot of castings of that cantrip to get this smell out of my clothes. he thinks to himself.
Marisol moves knee-deep into the water and charges her sword with cold before lashing out at the smaller frog.