"On it." Switching his FF back to that of the Falcon to boost his perception, Garethane starts looking for tracks to see where these beasts came from.
"Nicely done!" Rhiannon says, cleaning off her sword and re-sheathing it before picking up her bow. "How are you doing, my lady?" she asks Tove.
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Azen hopes they find some treasure at the lair too, but doesn't mention it, since people are hurt and it might be in bad taste.
Garethane goes about the business of tracing the leucrottas steps back to their lair. This is suprisingly easy for the skilled hunter to do, despite the rocky terrain that leaves little in the way of actual tracks to follow - a small pile of rocks out of place here, a broken twig there...
The trail leads to a narrow valley in which the monsters once dwelled. The leucrottas' ill-gotten gains are stashed here, consisting of a blue dragonhide breastplate, a matching blue dragonhide heavy shield, a masterwork battle axw, a tree feather token, an ivory comb (worth 50 gp), and 286 gp. The gold pieces are coated in a foul-smelling slime.
"Grateful to our Magister, that’s for certain," the Baroness groans, nodding respectfully to Kalamazoo. "One more hit like that and I think I might’ve been done for."
Tove gathers her companions round and channels some positive energy to heal the rest of the leucrottas' damages.
Rhiannon lets out a low whistle as they come across the spoils of the leucrottas' lair. "Looks like at least one of the people who met their fate here was quite the warrior. Anybody have any insight into the disgusting goo covering the gold?" she asks, picking up a random stick and poking the vile slime.
"Nooo idea," says Celebeth. She pokes around, looking for signs of the leucrottas' victims.
"They must've gotten the warrior while sleeping and not wearing the armor. I don't think a critter with no thumbs would've pulled someone out of armor to eat them after fighting them."
Celebeth shivers.
"I keep forgetting how many things out here actually eat people."
(fail)
Azen has no idea what the goo is, but she uses Prestidigitation to clean off the coins before gathering them up with the rest of the loot to take it all home.
"looks like goo," kalaman says with a shrug
"Yeah, that’s err… that’s what you get when you try to eat gold. Doesn’t look like it was particularly pleasant to pass."
Tove scrunches her nose in a look of disgust.
"You’d do well to give those coins a thorough cleaning anyone committed to liberating them from here."
"Is there anyone that we owe debts to that we don't particularly like? We could always keep some in their 'as found' condition." Garethane grins. While his feral focus doesn't change, his grin definitely has a feline element to it.
After some judicious use of the Prestidigitation cantrip, the party gathers up the spoils of their fight with the leucrottas, by time that is accomplished, nightfall is approaching and you decide to find a suitable place to camp for the night.
The next morning arrives sunny and pleasant. After a bit of breakfast, you pack up your camp and continue on your path northwest toward home.
At mid-day you reach the next obstacle in your path home - the Gurdin River - no wonder why this region is known as the River Kingdoms. The Gurdin is fairly deep and swift and you spend most of the afternoon searching for an area where you might ford the river. As luck would have it, late in the afternoon you find just that. After crossing the river you spend the remainder of the daylight hours mapping out the region and then camp for the night.
Morning arrives with the second consecutive day of pleasant weather as you head west, following along the banks of the Gurdin River. By mid-day you see the banks of the Tuskwater.
A three-mile stretch of the Tuskwater shoreline rises up above the water below here, presenting a swath of 40-foot- high cliffs and limiting access to the water below. The cliff tops are thick with stinging nettles, but Garethane's keen eyes find a hidden trail that leads through the nettles and down a cliffside trail to a secluded pool, 50 feet in diameter, at the Tuskwater’s edge.
Following along the trail, you are suddenly greeted by a massive snapping turtle bolting out of pile of muddy thicket, heading your way.
Riding along with her longbow across her lap, Rhiannon quickly fires off a pair of shots, while whistling to Ballista to halt and be ready for battle.
Rhiannon, as quickly as the monstrous turtle burst out of its den, fires off two arrows. The first ricochets off of the beast's shell, but the second finds one of the turtle's legs.
Celebeth spots the turtle and pulls her horse up short so that she can cast mage armor.
Krezzik says something in his lizard-man language and draws a javelin, then waits for the turtle to advance into throwing range.
Celebeth wisely casts a protective spell on herself before the massive snapper moves toward the party.
Krezzik hurls a javelin in the general direction of the turtle, but doesn't come particularly close to hitting the beast. For it's part, the turtle lumbers toward you as quickly as it can.
Tove quickly loses an arrow at the lubmering beast, then dismounts her horse.
Tove's arrow finds an opening near the beast's neck.
Azen stands her ground. It's a turtle, how fast could it go?, she thinks.
She takes time to steady her shot and then shoots at the thing.
(point blank, bullseye shot)
Rhiannon takes another well aimed shot, before stowing her bow, drawing her massive sword, preparing to strike from horseback, as Ballista paws the ground in readiness, glaring at the approaching beast.
The hunter's eyes begin to take on an orange hue as hetakes a pair of shots before backing his horse up, staying ahead of the slower creature.
"Keep out of its range Duchess, we should be faster than some turtle."
Arrows from Azen and Garethane find their mark, further wounding the massive turtle.
Kalaman will also cast mage armor in preparation for the fight
Kalaman casts a protective spell as Rhiannon's next arrow drives home in the turtle's neck.
My computer died, bot as needed.
Celebeth, deciding staying out of biting distance of turtle would be prudent fires off an arrow, while Krezzik hurls another javelin. The half-elf's shot misses the target, but Krezzik's javelin lodges itself into one of the turtle's legs.
Angered by the tresspass into its territory and the damage it has sustained, the massive turtle gets to within biting distance of Celebeth's horse.
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The hunter continues to pump arrows into the turtle.
Tove casts Admonishing Ray, hoping to wear the turtle down before it has a chance to snap its powerful jaws.
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Garethane carefully lines up two shots and procedes to sink both arrows into the turtle, one into each of the beast's eyes.
For its part, the massive turtle slumps to the ground dead.
As the giant turtle is felled by Garethane's deadly arrows, Rhiannon puts away her sword, nudging Ballista forward and dismounting to take a closer look. "I wonder if anything can be done with the shell?"
Exactly my thinking as well, Rhiannon. I'll help you skin it.
"Nice shooting Marshal," Tove applauds.
While Rhiannon and Azen get to work removing the beast from its shell, the Stag Lord busies herself investigating the creature's nest.
While Rhiannon and Azen de-shell and skin the old snapping turtle,
Tove and Celebeth search through the muck and muddy water that was the beast's den. After a few minutes of searching the pair determine there is nothing of value in the turtle's lair.
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Krezzik takes the opportunity to salt some of the turtle flesh to make soup later in the evening.
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Packing up the shell and skin, Rhiannon nods her agreement. "Ready to move on!"
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With the turtle harvested of its flesh, skin, and shell and nothing else of note to be found, you saddle back up and continue north. Just after sunset, you find yourselves just outside the Stag Lord's former fort that you now call home and is the center of your nascent nation.
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