The rough man squints, "Ain't rumor. Tis fact around here. Look at Redfang there, or me boy. Fell in the water when he was a wee one. Skin like rock and ... well, look," he points at his son who is picking up a boulder from the cart that is about 5 feet in diameter as easily as if it were a loaf of bread.
He spits once, a faint minty scent wafting over to you, "It's all around here, most people think, but methinks in something in the water or mebbe something below the water that's changing it. Don't drink or touch the water, no mutation."
"No one else comes up here much, though. You're welcome to hunt around if its the source of mutations you're after. We won't stop you, and likely no one else gonna bother you either."
Osakr asks "Sir, you say 'Under the water', what do you think might be down there?"
"Do you remember a time when the water was ok? Do you remember anyone new that was around at that time?"
"Always been bad, just took us some time to figger it out."
Urgeon nods his thanks to the stone mason and then turns to the others. "Let's scout the area around the water and see what we can find."
He follows the others to the water front.
Razorend nods and follows.
Ridic will thank the man, then join the rest by the water.
Can we see into the water at all? The shoreline, is it stained?
Ridic will look to the others and say "My guess is, one of those things that we fought Hellion in, is also in this water some how. I bet that is causing some issues. That place had some strange things going on."
Razorend shrugs, "Maybe. I barely understand the techno-items we've found, even though I'm related to them, in a sense." His eyes flash with a monetary glow.
Ridic is looking where the Yellow rectangles are
Razorend will search the fields and streams leading to the lake.
Is that a crater?
Urgeon will help Ridic search. "Let's stay close to each other - these mutants are likely hostile."
He then moves to search the other side of the lake with the others.
The party spends several hours searching the western edge of Longbitter Lake headed up toward the gap in the wall where the water spills out finding nothing of great interest.
You spy 2 separate sets of prints. Some humanoid and others obviously not. Roll Survival for more info
Perception
"Over here, more tracks!" Razorend calls out, pointing out separate sets of prints. He tries to make sense of them. "I am not a tracker. Can any of you tell who, or what, they belong to?"
Urgeon studies the tracks. "I have no idea."
"Let me take a look"
Survival
Didn't see anything
But if someone points out the tracks...
Ridic and Oskar identify the tracks as separate but seemingly unrelated. A series of booted and shoe-wearing individuals of all sizes and races, but likely mostly human, go to and from the crack in the wall. The prints are as recent as a couple days old and some are far older, indicating some level of use for quite some time.
The other set of prints belong to a large reptile of some sort, perhaps a lizard or turtle. By the size of the tracks, they appear to belong to a very, very large specimen. These prints are more recent, today most likely and lead into the water itself.
Urgeon will take a closer look at the crack in the wall.
Razorend tries to help scan the wall but gets distracted by the huge turtle tracks. "What kind of mutant beast do you think made those?" he asks aloud, nervously.
Perception - Crack in the wall -
Ridic will look at the crack, as well as the rest of the wall. How tall is it? What is it made of? Is it climbable?
If it looks like Ridic can climb it, he will do so, and just peer over the top to see what is on the other side.
Climb
and Perception if he can see over the wall
Perception
The party moves close to the wall to inspect it, noting the human tracks go up and over it. Closer you note scuffs and grooves in the rock and the soil indicating things drug or pulled over. A few pieces of broken wood and glass as well as some snagged clothing and discarded pipeweed and you realize this is pretty well traveled. Seems an easy way to get in and out of the town without any notice.
Exploding out of the water near you is a gargantuan thick-legged reptile, easily 20 feet tall, with an armored shell and ... three!? snapping beaks.
[ooc]Init and surprise round actions if able. I'll get a map up as soon as I find one (or maybe I'll just zoom in on this one)
Urgeon is surprised by the strange turtle but quickly recovers and casts haste on the group.
Oskar looks in the wrong direection.
"A mutant turtle, I knew it!" Razorend gasps, not at all surprised.
Razorend flickers, like the shadow of a cloud passing in front of the moon. One moment he is standing among the group, another he is beside the monster attacking with his kukri, and then he is back to where he started.
; plus plus
Perception
Initiative
Ridic will cast Call lightning (DC Reflex 18 for half)
Perception -
Init -
Kovax will Rage and attack if the turtle gets close enough
To Hit -
Damage -
To Hit -
Damage -
Haste Attack
To Hit -
Damage -
Confirm Crit -
Total Damage - Damage -
Urgeon and Ridic cast spells, Ridic's taking longer to cast
Razorend flickers back and forth, slashing viciously and creating a freezing cut along one of the turtle's front legs.
The turtle charges forward on its stump like legs throwing foul water everywhere and churning up the bank. Its middle beak darts out at Oskar, the dwarf still studying the wall. The turtle picks the gunslinger up easily in its jaws crushing him painfully and holding on.
; HIT!;
; + grappled condition
Ridic will backup while continuing his cast
Take a 5ft step back, then fires at the thing...
Razorend steps in, expending some ki focus to see vulnerabilities in the turtle's thick armor. He slashes his kukri, the blade glimmering brightly like a full moon across the surface of a lake as he imbues the edge with force to slice through the creature's armor.
; plus plus plus
; and
Urgeon will cast enlarge on Kovax.
Urgeon enlarges Kovax as Oskar struggles mightily in the creature's beak.
Razorend steps? and carves deeply into the creature, bypassing it's shell and getting the soft underbelly.
Ridic finishes his spell calling lightning down from on high sizzling the creature as electricity plays across the water on its shell. The druid takes a step back
; fail
Kovax rages and thrashes the creature with his new found strength and size encouraging it to make an angry squeal and bite back. The second head lashes at Razorend. The two heads grab both the party members up. The third one swallows Oskar whole crushing him in its stomach,
; HIT!;
; HIT!;
Razorend snarls in defiance as the beast clamps onto him. He slashes at the turtle's eyes then teleports out of its jaws.
; plus plus
Ridic will once again call down a lightning strike
Ridic will pull out a potion of Cure light wounds and toss it to Razor
"Razor, catch"
Razorend flickers away after slashing at the creature, driving his blade into its brain. The creature's mutation rears its ugly head as the other two heads (one dropping Kovax) bite at each other, snapping several times and then locking on to opposing necks simultaneously. In a spray of green blood the creature slumps to the bank and slides back into the Lake ... with Oskar still inside!
Urgeon will cast grease on Oskar. "Pull him out of there!"
No line of effect. He is not visible.
Razorend watches helplessly as the mutant turtle and Oskar sink into the corrupted waters.
Ridic will cast Bull strength on himself and run over to grab the turtle. He will attempt to drag it up by the shell
"Quick, someone get a rope around this thing, so we can pull it to shore"
Strength
Well, not much I can do
if that doesn't work, try to equip and use the waraxe while holding onto the musket.
19/68 hps current
Oskar attempts to wiggle free to no avail and then attempts to cut his way out. The interior lining of the stomach buts up against the shell and it will require a more aggressive and well placed swing (or several to get out). He finds the stomach is no longer crushing him, but shiny water rushes in and fills the stomach causing the dwarf to have to hold his breath.
Ridic looks at everyone in almost a panic about what he is about to say "Ok all of you hold this rope, and I am tying the other end around myself. I am going in to see if I can grab him. Oh Desna help me!"
With that, he will start trying to crawl down the throat that had swallowed Oskar.
Razorend grabs the end of Ridic's rope. "You're a braver soul than I."