"That way! Keep close!" Peredur follows the trail.
Eloise follows Peredur, but keeps her senses strained the whole time for another attack by the Phase Spider.
Peredur, followed close by Eloise, plunge from the clearing into the reeds surrounding, following what must be the trail left by Aleece.
The reeds quickly swallow them, only the sound of their splashing and the cracking of the bending reeds note their passage.
Barely ten feet in, and you find Aleece. Shaking, pale, and barely breathing, the misshapen girl is slumped against a tangle of reeds. Bloody and mud cake her, and she shivers violently. A vicious bite has torn the flesh on her left shoulder. She does not react to the hero's approach.
Cure Light on Aleece.
Sour Heck breathes easier as the potion and spells work their healing magic on him and the poison leaves his system. He stares in mock confusion at Peredur and Eloise’s backs as they dart into the reeds. “Are they rushing off to their deaths, or leaving us behind to die? I’m not sure whether I should keel over or shout, ‘Nooooooo!’” He hurries after the magus and ranger.
"We need antivenom, and quickly!" Eloise calls to the others. "We have found Aleece, but the phase spider found her first. The bastard is probably still lurking around, waiting for one of us to fall down and stop struggling so it can chow down."
Talia races after the others. On seeing Aleece, she drops down and heals her as well.
"I don't believe I have any antivenom. Heck? Anyone else?"
Aleece stirs under the healer's ministrations, but she is still weakened badly by the spider's poisons. Long, tense seconds, Heck's performance sounds out over the reeds; but the predator does not emerge.
His trailing done, Peredur watches, alert for the spider's reappearance. "Iesha, can you be casting aught to undo the venom's harm?"
"Not at this time. I wasn't expecting to need anything to stop poison. I DO have a Restore prepared, but it might be best to destroy the monster first. I can guard her and continue to cast Cures if needed."
"Can't you just suck the poison out of her shoulder, Iesha? It's not like the spider bit her bum."
"It's lurking," Eloise says, frowning. "Waiting for a moment of weakness. Such as when one of us has their hands full of, well, Aleece and cannot wield a weapon. We have to risk it; let's just grab her and run."
Iesha nods at Sour Heck's comment, pulling herself together. She leaves the fighting to the others as she attempts to save Aleese.
Aleeze seems to fare well under Iesha's ministrations.
The creature once again appears before the party, simply there where once it was not.
And it is greeted by the preparedness of the ranger and magus: Two blades slice deep, sending sprays of ichor splattering over the reeds. the creature howls in rage, and lunges at Peredur in retaliation, but the clever ranger swats away the gaping jaws of the creature. It rears back, screaming again, and then vanishes, leaving only crushed, bloody reeds.
Realization dawns on Sour Heck’s face. “She’s attacking each of us in turn, trying to spread her poison around. Either that, or she’s checking which of us is tastiest. Either way, Talia, I’d watch my backside if I were you.” He pauses in thought. “For that matter, I’d watch your backside if I were me.” The bard frowns. “That freak seems to understand speech, right? I might have a way to stop it popping in and out.”
"Move," Eloise says. "Peredur, match me."
The Magus circles cautiously around the group as everyone starts to move forward. The instant the monster appears, she points her free hand at the thing and barks out a brief phrase: "Tempestas ex sectura!"
The spell causes the monster to be engulfed in a brief storm of dirt, gravel and pebbles.
The spider materializes again, hissing in rage, but the party is ready, again:
It shrugs off the spell easily enough, but a mouthful of magic rocks cut the hissing short. It gags, trying to clear it's throat; surprise and agony evident on its twisted face. It collapses into a tangle of limbs, kicking and trying to scream.
Rasping, tearing at its throat, it struggles for air. That never comes. The creature finally falls silent, a hulking, hideous corpse in the filthy reeds.
"Yes!" Eloise says, pumping her fist just once, a vengeful expression on her face. It passes quickly enough, though.
"We need to get the girl back to her family and treat her injuries further. Let's go!"
Iesha relaxes as the fighters in the group bring down the creature. "I believe I have her stabilized. Do we want to check and see if that thing lured other poor souls into it's trap?"
"It might not be a bad idea, but only a quick look. We shouldn't linger overlong."
Rummaging around the general area, the party locates some miscellaneous equipment from past victims of the spider.
a potion of Fox's cunning
A magnifying glass with a gold handle, very intricately made.
A small wooden box, when opened it reveals a set of brass weights.
A walnut traveling case, with a set of very well made locks and their matching keys.
A jar of pickled garlic cloves.
the bottom of the box is false, and three silver ingots are squirreled away below the false bottom
"It looks like that creature has been prowling here for a while."
She takes the false bottom out and displays the ingots.
"Ooo, nice." Then she pauses. "Of course we should probably try to locate any heirs of the original owners."
Peredur nods appreciatively. "Aye, so it were. Though without th' bodies, it's difficult it may be to find such. Let's get Aleece back to th' circus."
"This potion would be mighty useful if it ever comes to a spellcasting duel between me and someone," Eloise says, eyeing the potion of Fox's Cunning with interest. "But yes, let's get our charge back to her family."
On the return, the party is greeted with cries of relief, and the motley performers of the Crooked Kin swarm around them, shouting their appreciation and thanks.
A not entirely unfamiliar scene, at this point.
After the young girl has been bustled off under the watchful ministrations of a few of the Kin, Kaleb Hesse finally approaches the group.
"You've done us a great service, friends. Your reward, as promised." He produces the promised dagger, and offers it forward.
"We are on our way to Lepidstadt, for the festivities. If your destination is a shared one, your company is most welcome. There is after all, safety in numbers, and even more safety for us in the company of such well-armed and capable folk." he says with a salesman's smile.
Sour Heck looks over the spoils of their encounter with the spider. “Looks like it was ambushing traveling merchants. Might make a copper or two off of all this.”
When they get back to the caravan, he listens to Kaleb’s offer, then shakes his hand somberly.
“We’d be glad to travel with you. If the spider’s poison makes us grow extra eyes and legs, we won’t have to track you down to begin our new careers.”
“Speaking of freakish spider bodies...the thing that attacked Aleece lies dead in the swamp, not far from here. If any of you have the knack of preserving bodies, you might display it in a wagon as a new attraction. It’s really, really weird.”
The bard then goes to meet the other members of the show, sharing his black humor with all of them.
Talia smiles at Kaleb. "I would be happy to accompany you to your destination. I'm sure my companions would be as well. Thank you for the offer." She puts her hand out to shake his, then introduces herself to the rest of the troupe.
"There is no service, there is no obligation," Eloise says, bowing her head formally. "This is something which was right. That said, I would gladly travel with you all to Lepidstadt, and it would seem that the rest of us would as well." She smiles a little.
Peredur looks around at his compatriots, sensing which way the wind is blowing. "Aye, well. 'Tis a great favor you're after doing for us, look you, providing a new audience for Sour Heck's jests. Let us know when you tire of him, and we'll part ways then. In th' meanwhile, it's of Lepidstadt I'd be hearing, when you have th' time."
The newly formed travelling group sets out again the next morning, with dear Eloise resting in a trundling wagon train with her sisters looking after her.
As they walk, ever northward, Kaleb speaks of the road ahead:
Through Tamrivena first, we go. Always a royal welcome there, provided the orcs don't gut you, rape you, then eat you, nor the Foreguard gut you, rob you, then bury you in a shallow grave." he says. "Once we're in the city, well, then you have to worry about the Wallguard arresting you, accusing you of being an orc spy, and then dropping you in a dungeon till you forget what the light looks like."
"It's a jewel of a city, it is." with a wink. "We'll set up outside and earn some coin for an night or two, 'fore we're on to Lepidstadt for the ... 'trial'." he notes, the air-quotes implied.
Tamrivena is currently under the sway of the Wallguard, a military force originally created to guard the city from Orc invaders. Now they are little more than an occupying force. While the Foreguard does not have the reputation for brutality that Kaleb assigned them, he doesn't seem the type to trust anyone in a uniform.
"Rumor is they caught the Beast of Lepidstadt recently. That city being the paragon of law and order that it is, is going to put the poor thing on trial. Which, as far as I'm concerned, is just a talkative prelude to the usual torches and pitchforks." he says with a weary look.
"Course, where there's a crowd, there's coin, and where there's coin, there we be. It's my business motto."
Peredur nods at Kaleb's reference, his time spent studying the towns between Ravengro and Lepidstadt already paying off. "What's this 'Beast' you're after speaking of, Kaleb? I've heard naught of it before."
Eloise frowns. "How might we best go about placating the occupying forces, er, 'the guard' while we are in town?" she asks. "And yes, do tell us more about this 'beast'."
Iesha sighs. "Yes, tell us a bit more about the attitudes in Tamrivena. And this Beast creature...is in Lepidstadt, not Tamrevena?"
“Oh, Kaleb, don’t exaggerate. Tamrivena isn’t nearly that friendly. The best thing I can say for the town is that I’m not likely to get murdered there, since they’ll never let me in the gates. Nathrus Village has its charms, however. Its dirty, smelly charms. I’ll play roustabout for your carnival, maybe spread the word in a few taverns that you’re here. What do you call yourselves, anyway?”
"A beast on trial?," Talia says, intrigued. "And angry folks with pitchforks? I'm not sure which town sounds the more charming. But at least the company on the road is nice."
"Lepidstadt caught the Beast. Tamrivena would've hung it from their walls given the chance more'n'likely. Best way to keep the Wallguard from noticing you is to not be an orc, smell like an orc, look like an orc, or even say the word 'orc.'"
"As for the beast himself, he's been the terror of the Lepidstadt for years now. Monstrous and ugly, apparently patched together from the corpses of monsters or some garbage." He looks down a moment and sighs.
"More like a poor unfortunate born different, I think. I guess we'll just have to see how the thread unspools once we get in to town."
To Heck, finally: "the Crooked Kin we are, and any you can roust out while on the road will be most welcome."
It's another day of travel before the walls of Tamrivena loom before the party.
"The south keep is where most folk enter the city. It's kept by the Foreguard, unlike the rest of the walls, so if you've any need for business in town, I'd try there. We'll be ouside the western wall with the rest of the unwelcome rabble." he says.
"Do we have business inside the walls?" Eloise asks the others. "Mind you, I wouldn't mind having a look at this 'beast' myself. I'm a bit curious."
"And there be a temple to Pharasma, it's there I'd be going."
Eloise smirks a little. "Wouldn't mind burning a candle in a shrine to Milani, myself," she says, "but she doesn't have that many temples. Mind you, it's easy to explain why you haven't been attending services regularly when your patron doesn't have that many holy houses to go to..."
"I don't believe I've any pressing business at hand, and would be delighted to stay with the troupe."
The party parts, then, those with business in Tamrivena entering, the rest swinging west around the town wall and making camp with the motley assortment of Varisians and other unwelcome sorts.
The Kin break camp in a rapid and practiced manner, setting up their tents as Hesse begins to round up an eager and fascinated audience.
Peredur finds the temple easily enough, but noting on his way that people tend not to linger on the streets here, and wallguard patrols are regular, heavily armed, and travel in large packs.
The half-elf enters the temple and makes his oblations at the appropriate place, nodding politely to anyone there but not actively trying to speak with anyone. He'll talk if anyone initiates conversation, though.
Sour Heck wanders the circled caravans and shanty shacks outside the town walls, learning the news of the road.
He spends most of his time in the informal markets that spring up wherever caravans meet, hoping to lighten his purse before it draws thieves. He’s looking for a fine bodhrán to replace his worn funeral drum; if such a masterwork instrument can be found anywhere, it’d be among the footloose Varisians here.
He also spreads word among the bored and stranded travellers about the wonders never to be seen again that wait inside the Crooked Kin’s wagons. He particularly mentions the talking raven that, for a single silver coin, will tell the future.
Heck learns much of the Beast of Lepidstadt. How it stole a child from its bed, and ate it alive in front of horrified villagers. How it burned down an asylum after baring the doors, laughing as the patients screamed and died. How it dug up the graves of the dead in a village near Lepidstadt and feasted on their rotting remains.
He finds the drum easily enough, as well.
As the party reassembles, the crowd around the Kin's show grows, folk from within the walls even coming out to be entertained and amazed. A few uniformed guards mill about, trying hard to look like their working, instead of gawking.
Talia finds herself inundated with citizens, each holding out a silver coin, and asking for a future. Kieli, perched on her head, caws in annoyance at all the attention.
Sour Heck presses in to offer Kieli a silver. “Tell me, O prophet...will I be finding any more raven droppings on my bedroll this journey?” The bard leans over and stage whispers, “If you want to get rid of the crowd, just tell ‘em all they’re going to die. It’s the most certain fortune they’ll ever get.” He pauses. “Don’t tell them they’ll die horribly, though, even if it’s true. There’s a town of Versex I can’t pass through anymore after my own try at Harrrow reading.”
Later on he shares the stories he’s heard with the crew (peek at the spoiler above, folks). “Sounds like the road to Lepidstadt is going to be crowded. Ustalavics love a good execution even more than a freak show.”