Rhainnon searches her memory for any recollection of a creature of that name. "What did this hodag look like?"
"Damned thing is as big as and as stout as a bull, with a reptile’s scaly, spiked body." Stas says.
Celebeth is only too happy to get out of bed on the succeeding day and get back to work. She accompanies her sister to see the baroness, which is a somewhat comical moment because Azen keeps looking concerned and doting on her, which causes her to buffet her sister on the shoulder with light slaps of her palms while complaining, "I'm not an invalid! I'm just, y'know, possibly cursed. I can still walk and talk."
She subsides as the pair take up positions with the baroness to learn about their next challenge.
Okay, okay. Yeah, no worries. Sister schmister. That's what I say.
says Azen, and stops looking concerned, at least while Celebeth is turned towards her.
Obviously she still is scared for her sister, but she is pretty good at hiding it.
Watching the two sisters approach, Tove is glad to see Azen in better spirits than she had been before they parted ways the previous night.
“Good morning, Celebeth, Azen,” the Baroness greets each of them in turn. Listening to their reasons for seeking her out, she considers the situation at hand for a moment before replying.
“Well, truth be told, I’d like to get out and explore some of the land to the south, and west of here. I don’t much like how vulnerable we are here at the edge of map, as it were.”
Tove rests her hands on the frame of a south facing window and stares out at the ramshackle village below, the shimmering expanse of the Tuskwater beyond, and the brown hills of the Kamelands on the horizon. She sighs.
“But that can wait. Until Garethane returns from his flight, I suggest you continue to make yourselves useful around town. I won’t have us venturing out into the unknown before our party is back to its full strength. Speak to the people, make sure they’re happy with the way things are going, and if they aren’t, do what you can to change their hearts. We need everyone in this together here if this community is going to take root.”
Azen is relieved, and smiles at Celebeth.
Sounds like a hard day's work singing to cheer everyone up.
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"Damned thing is as big as and as stout as a bull, with a reptile’s scaly, spiked body." Stas says.
"I'll take your concerns to the Baroness. I'm sure she have this looked into, and the creature dealt with. We'll keep an eye out for your spear as well." Rhiannon replies reassuringly.
"a hodag" kalaman says scouring his memory as well,
Azen is relieved, and smiles at Celebeth.
Sounds like a hard day's work singing to cheer everyone up.
"I'll put on the jester hat and do the song-and-dance routine if you tell the jokes," says Celebeth. "Or we can swap this time, your choice."
Azen laughs
You didn't actually pack that ratty old hat and bring it with you, did you? If you did, you should totally wear it. Maybe some juggling too.
She grins more genuinely. Maybe things were going to be okay.
Tove chuckles lightly at the sisters’ banter. Gazing out the window at the small town below she takes in the hustle and bustle with a sense of fondness. Her town. Her people.
“I’m sure folks’ll love that. Good luck to you both,” she smiles.
"Of course I kept the hat," says Celebeth. "It's too ridiculous not too. Plus the apoplexy on the faces of leering, creepy guys when you tell them what it symbolizes," says Celebeth. "I could juggle. Balls or knives?"
To Tove she adds, "They always do! We have an act with patter and everything."
Azen smiles back.
Let us know if you want us in on something else.
She starts out the door, responding to her sister as she walks.
Just balls this time I think. We want to emphasize calm, not attract the ones that come to watch just in case you miss.
Rhiannon heads to meet with Tove, bringing the Baroness news of another predator presenting a danger to the community.
Tove sighs and recalls the sisters as she processes Rhiannon's news.
"Sounds like the juggling act is going to have to wait. We should clear out this hodag before it causes any more trouble."
After learning of the existence of the hodag, the party gathers up and heads off in the direction that Stas had said he had seen the creature. If his directions are accurate, the ride to the lair will take nearly three days.
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Celebeth is only too happy to get away from the camp for a few days of roughing it again.
"I may like sleeping in a bed, but at least this way I'm busy thinking about something else," she opines over breakfast one morning.
"Feel pretty good about this. At least a hodag can't bite me and turn me into a were-hodag."
Rhiannon prepares to leave as soon as it is decided, saddling Ballista as the party rides out to explore and hunt down the dangerous creature.
"While that might be true, how about not getting bitten at all?" Rhiannon quips as she hones the point of her estoc. If this creature was anything like a wild boar or some other such four-legged creature her favored weapon's ability to also be used as a hunting sword would likely come into play.
Azen gets ready along with everything else, and starts to relax unless Celebeth starts showing any further signs of corruption or sickness.
Not being bitten sounds like the best idea, agreed.
The party, sans Garethane, packs up for a journey and makes their way out of Elkmark, heading west in search of the hodag's lair.
It is a temperate morning, with a pleasant breeze. Looking at the sky, you can easily make the assumption that it should at the very least be a dry day...or at least that is what you thought.
As you approach what you had hoped would a crossable ford in the Skunk River, you hear the sound of unintelligible cursing echoes through the woods. Just visible through the trees, a small wagon sits mired in the middle of a swiftly flowing river as the waters threaten to overwhelm its sides. Two ponies hitched to the wagon flounder in the swirling waters, close to panicking. Two more wagons sit safely on the far bank.
As you approach closer you see a group of apparently battle weary gnomes struggling with wagon and ponies. On the far banks of the river you see a couple of other gnomes and the bodies of several dead kobolds. In their panic in dealing with the task at hand, it does not appear that the gnomes have noticed you as of yet.
Seeing no obvious conflicts of interest in helping the struggling gnomes, Tove rides to the bank of the river and calls out over the rushing water.
"You there, you look like you could use some help there?"
Azen casts Unseen Servant and sends it to help get the ponies to land. She walks forward, smiling and singing a calming song, so that the Unseen Servant doesn't get out of range and is able to help.
"We're assuming this isn't an illusion or a trap, right?" says Celebeth. She stows her bow, normally in-hand while she's scouting outdoors, and makes her way cautiously to the river's edge.
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As the group works to guide the horses to safety and set up to pull the wagon free, Rhiannon dismounts and gets behind the wagon, prepared to push.
"I think we can definitely handle this!" the powerfully built woman says with a grin.
Kalaman, unless he is needed will wait in the wings, not too sure how a group of gnomes just getting out of battle with kobold, will take to a horned person walking up to them,
Also, next time he rests, kalaman will prepare detect magic in lieu of ghost sound.
"I've got some strong rope and a grapple, I might be able to get out there to the wagon," says Celebeth, raising her voice over the roar of the flooded river. "But I don't know anything about wagons and I don't know how to unhitch the ponies."
Seeing the state of the river, Rhiannon takes a few minutes to remove her breastplate, hoping to make the swim out to the wagon substantially easier.
"Anyone good with animals, or have experience with farmwork? Getting the ponies unhitched and calmly across is likely to be the tricky part."
Well, I don't have any experience like that, but I might be able to get them unhitched even so. I'll try.
She attempts to see if she can get out to the hitch to look at it.
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"I'll get this started."
Celebeth pulls her spider silk rope out of her pack and ties one end of it to a thick tree. Affixing the grapple to the other end, she wraps it around her waist and then dives into the river.
With the swimming skill of an otter she races from stone to stone in the river, using the rocks to help push off and reach the next spot until she climbs out by the carriage. She unwraps the rope from her waist and hooks the grapple securely into the front of the carriage.
Turning, she signals for Tove to make her way across via the rope.
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Rhiannon dives in, swimming strongly out to the wagon, preparing to deal with it once the horses have been unhitched.
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Tove take's Celebeth's rope firmly in her hands and wades into the river, making her way to the front of the wagon.
Once she's there, she works to calm the frantic ponies and entrusts them to Rhiannon to guide to the far bank.
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With the ponies calmed, Rhiannon guides them to the far bank, handing the reins to one of the gnomes who had already made it to safety.
Once the horses are secure, she turns around to go back to the wagon.
rhiannon, would you like some additional assistance in pulling the cart? I can grant you the strength of a bull, or make you larger to help pull the cart easier and risk losing to the river less, kalaman says when she reaches the shore guiding the ponies back
"The spell to make me larger would definitely be helpful in pulling or pushing it across." Rhiannon replies.
"Can do, this ought to make quick work of that wagon."
Kalaman pulls a pinch of powdered iron from his spell component pouch, chants lowley for a couple of seconds while making some gestures with his arms, with the final one being towards rhiannon.
CASTING
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, M (powdered iron)
EFFECT
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one humanoid creature
Duration 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw Fortitude negates; Spell Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
This spell causes instant growth of a humanoid creature, doubling its height and multiplying its weight by 8. This increase changes the creature’s size category to the next larger one. The target gains a +2 size bonus to Strength, a -2 size penalty to Dexterity (to a minimum of 1), and a -1 penalty on attack rolls and AC due to its increased size.
A humanoid creature whose size increases to Large has a space of 10 feet and a natural reach of 10 feet. This spell does not change the target’s speed.
If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, the creature attains the maximum possible size and may make a Strength check (using its increased Strength) to burst any enclosures in the process. If it fails, it is constrained without harm by the materials enclosing it–the spell cannot be used to crush a creature by increasing its size.
All equipment worn or carried by a creature is similarly enlarged by the spell. Melee weapons affected by this spell deal more damage (see Table: Medium/Large Weapon Damage). Other magical properties are not affected by this spell. Any enlarged item that leaves an enlarged creature’s possession (including a projectile or thrown weapon) instantly returns to its normal size. This means that thrown and projectile weapons deal their normal damage. Magical properties of enlarged items are not increased by this spell.
Multiple magical effects that increase size do not stack.
Enlarge person counters and dispels reduce person .
Enlarge person can be made permanent with a permanency spell.
Celebeth and Rhiannon have little difficulty navigating the rushing waters. Tove struggles a bit more but makes to the cart as well.
The Baroness of Elkmark has very little difficulty calming the ponies allowing Rhiannon to guide them back to the river bank.
Kalaman casts a transformative spell on Rhiannon, allowing her to wade back into the river and back to the cart.
"I don't think I'm strong enough to help push this thing," says Celebeth to the gigantic Rhiannon, shouting over the roar of the river. "Where is it stuck?" She bends down and looks around the rocks and mud to see if the wagon is jammed into a rock, sunken into mud, or just caught against a shelf with the pressure of the water holding it in place.
Celebeth's inspection reveals that it is a little of both, one of the wheels is sunk about half its diameter in silt and mud along with being lodged against a decent sized stone.