Rokkad stays alert for any sign of the creature's return until the end of his shift. When he wakes the next person on watch, he tells them about the massive figure and points out the direction it fled before settling down to sleep.
Shalewen awaken quickly when Rokkad rouses her. She was used to sleeping lightly in case of emergencies. Then he tells her of the figure. Usually it was best to leave such things alone but she at least wanted to know what they were dealing with. "Stay," she says to Shadow and Rokkad. Taking only her bow and a torch, she heads to where Rokkad saw the beast and looks around for clues.
Arieys stretches as she wakes with the dawn. There's slight dark circles under her eyes from a night of fitful sleep. She prepares some clean water in her pot to wash her face with, and greets the others as they wake.
"Good morning, fellow goblinslayers! Everyone sleep well? I imagine everyone slept better than I did. Dark dreams last night."
Sleeping in a bit later after his late night, Rokkad stretches and joins the others as they prepare for the day.
"Anything more from our late-night visitor?" he asks Shalewen as he finishes off the last few bits of meat from his rations. "We are going to need to hunt for food today." he comments after her answer.
Shalewen comes back more pensive than scared but says nothing until morning. She wasn't one to believe in rumors but she'd seen the tracks."Soggy River Monster," is her answer. "I think," she follows up, clearly doubting that was what he saw but not able to come up with a different answer. "Local Legend. Same trail as the halfling." She didn't know much about the legend so someone else would have to fill them in. She finishes the last of her ration and tosses a new one to Rokkad. They couldn't slow down for food. Not if that thing was headed in the same direction they were. Once everyone is ready she leads them up the incline to the trail she saw. The new Fish Trail.
Arieys frowns at Rokkad and Shalewen's conversation.
"Late night visitor? Soggy River Monster? Then...perhaps it was not a dream."
She instinctively opens her carrying case and riffles through her cards, seeking an omen or an insight.
After they break camp, Rokkad summons Kokip once more, the huge snake oozing up from the mud this time.
Upon hearing the howl, Rokkad mutters "We should keep going. Hopefully this 'monster' is only guarding its territory and will leave us be if we depart quickly." A quick look at the giant serpent sends a mental message, and Kokip slithers forward across the bridge with Rokkad following after if it proves safe.
Arieys munches on her breakfast rations as they start out. When she finishes, she nudges Shalewen.
"Tell me more about this Soggy River Monster. You know more about local legends than I do.
Shalewen wholeheartedly agrees with Rokkad and crosses the bridge after he is all the way across. She didn't trust it but didn't see a better option.
Shalewen draws attention to the weapon damage and blood by hissing at the others and pointing them out. Was the beast drawn by the blood or was it the cause? If not, then who was Walthus fighting? That thing was approaching so there was no time to do an in depth search. They needed to get to shelter. Shalewen moves towards the house with Shadow in tow.
Arieys is lost in thought when Shalewen hisses, making her jump.
With a quick glance and an incline of his head, Rokkad sends Kokip slithering through the undergrowth around the side of the shack to investigate. He pulls out his sling and follows a bit behind Shalewen.
Tregdorult walks along silently with the group as they travel starting at the wild foliage and strange eyes hiding behind it. He holds his large bulk with tense muscles as they walk, nearly jumping when the sound of the monster calls it to them. As the stranger comes rushing out Tregdorult nearly jumps again and mutters quietly to himself, What have I signed myself up for? Then at the mention of the out of control vipers, Tregdorult seems to change. Instead of the jumpy, tense Tregdorult, he stood tall and firm in the middle of the path, watching all around. The Menton of a specific danger seems to have done him some good.
"It's a monster...a sinspawn creature, like those ones that started appearing last year. If this is one of those things, that it's earned itself a legend to match the Sandpoint Devil...it can only be a dangerous, terribly dangerous creature. We should be cautious...but we're stronger than the average villager or caravaneer. Perhaps we can track this thing to its lair and put it down."
When they're confronted by the strange halfling, Arieys frowns in concern.
"You're wounded. We can help you."
Shalewen jumps at the sound of the halflings voice and draws her bow. He was wounded and panicked. A state that made beast and humanoid alike dangerous to deal with. She made a move to approach but Shadow did not. She could tell he was frightened. And she trusted his instincts over her's any day. She holds up a hand to the others to wait.
Rokkad takes a step forward, then pauses a moment at Shadow's odd behavior. Suspicious, he tries to hold the halfling's attention. "It is all right, we can help you. We are tracking some creatures that attacked a caravan, perhaps they attacked you as well?"
As he distracts the halfling, a mental request is sent to Kokip, who quickly slithers into the underbrush to take a look around.
"I don't think Kokip will make them upset. He's a snake like them. Come to think of it, why would they be aggravated by you? They're your pets, aren't they? If anything they'd be calmest around you."
Kokip slithers around the vipers, trying to see if whatever is agitating them is still nearby or find a trail to track where it went. He avoids going too near them, so as to not aggravate them any further.
"Just relax, Mr. Proudstump. I'll heal you now.
Arieys riffles her cards and touches the halfling's wound, closing it with cold, clean light.
Something didn't seem quite right and she pulled out her short sword to do a simple test.
"Then you want them killed right, since your babies that never strike you? You are not Walthus I think." This of course was because she wasn't sure herself but someone wouldn't demand healing if the threat wasn't closing in to strike.
Arieys blinks in shock.
"Mitsuko, what are you doing?!"
Tregdorult's eyes widen momentarily, but his reactions kick in. His hand dips to his belt and comes up holding a short stick, hand looped through a leather thong at the end of it. Tregdorult steps forward around Arieys and reaches around the halfling with the stick, grabbing on to him tightly, trying to restrict his movement.
5-foot step Can't move myself on the map yet (posting from phone), but I will when I can
Standard: Attempt to grapple Walthus
Arieys shrieks in terror as the man she just healed tries to attack her.
"What ARE you?!" she cries.
Shalewen had not expected this but was thankful for Shadow's instincts. She had no idea what was going on but whoever that was was attacking her friend. She draws an arrow back but can't find a good shot with Arieys and Tree in the way.
Despite his hesitance, Shalewen is forced to send Shadow forward to attack.
His tension fouls up the attack though.
Seeing that they have the halfling impostor surrounded, Rokkad shouts "You cannot defeat all of us! Tell us who you are and what you are doing here!" He readies a stone in his sling in case their foe proves tougher than he looks.
Kokip slithers closer to the house, trying to see what has the snakes so agitated.
Drawing her shield she would shift into a defensive stance as she started to sing, her voice easily carrying over the creature.
"What have you done with Mr. Proudstump, you abomination?!" Arieys cries, drawing her pike and edging closer to Tree and the monster he's grappling.
Tregdorult shakes with the effort of trying to hold the withing creature down. He grabs and moves, holding onto the creature.
"ANSWER ME!" Arieys shouts.
Seeing its form ripple she slipped into her song.
'This creature is an aberration'
Dropping her defensive stance she would stab the creature.
Tregdorult strains, holding onto the creature below him. "Does anyone have rope? We could tie him up while he helps us figure out where the real Walthus is and help him." To the creature, he turns, "Where is Walthus, then? You might want to be quick with your answer." Tregdorult flexes his bulky form, tightening his grip for just a moment.
Mitsuko leaves her blade out and would carefully study the creature to see if he really knew where Walthus was. Highly doubting the creature knew, other wise Walthus probably would have been killed. Also, if he really was meaning something when talking about the river monster.
Deciding to play along for now she spoke.
"The River Monster! What do you mean?"
While the others question their prisoner, Rokkad strides up to the front of he house and pushes the door open slightly. "Hello?" he calls out and pauses briefly. If he is not answered, he opens the door fully and enters to look for any sign of the fate of the real Walthus.
Meanwhile, Kokip circles around the house to search for anything else before rejoining the group at the front. He rears up, his forked tongue darting out near the madman's face as if testing to see if he would be tasty...
Now that not-Walthus was still, Shadow moved in to strike despite Tree's grip. He gets his mouth around the creature's foot but stops short of Shalewen's warning whistle. He doesn't let go until she moves forward and actually pries him off. She nudges him away with a new order to search around the cabin. Something to keep him busy while she watches over Rokkad as he enters the hut.