None of them are "safe", but the northernmost road is the best-traveled.
Terflynn ponders the path for a moment, then speaks. "This isn't the only way into the marsh. There are other paths further South. This one is perhaps the most well-traveled, but I am not sure if that makes it safer or more dangerous, all things considered."
"Good point there Terflynn, if the gobbos like to attack people on the trails, they'd probably pick the most well traveled.
I'd say we take one of the others, might as well save our strenght for now yeah?"
"I would point out that this swamp holds other dangers. We would likely be trading one for the other. We must weigh the risks against the potential reward, as we only get paid to kill goblins." Terflynn notes.
Cally listens to the conversation between Terflynn and Ruhk, then pipes up with her own opinion. "Whichever path we choose to take, I believe we should follow the sheriff's advice, and speak with this Walthus Proudstump first. If that means taking the direct trail, so be it, but it doesn't then mean we have to keep following that trail. We could always head back out, circle around the swamp, and come back in from another direction, depending on what this 'warden' has to tell us about the Licktoads. It'd probably be quicker doing it that way rather than slogging directly through the mud and muck anyway, I'd guess... not that I have any experience with such things yet."
Ruhk laughs and holds up both hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Ok ok, take it easy, you both make good points. However, even if we run into other danger that we might not get paid for, it might still serve Sandpoint if we remove it.
Still, if we want to maximise our changes for goblin ears, maybe we'll just take the path the sheriff suggested since they might be haunting that place, and it does lead to Stumpy as well."
Having said his peace, Ruhk smiles and runs a hand through his hair, enjoying the sun for a bit.
"I say we take this route, Aldel said, pointing out the clearer path. "Happening upon goblin patrols in the swamp doesn't do us much good if our aim is to destroy the tribe. Perhaps this Proudstump fellow knows the way to the goblin camp. Even if he doesn't, he likely has a better idea of where to find them than we do."
Having made his recommendation, Aldel waited, wondering if anyone would heed his advise.
"I agree. Blindly thrashing about in the Brinestump, hoping to find a goblin patrol or two is foolish. If we want to finish the Licktoad's once and for all we need to find their camp. The Sheriff believes that this hermit my have information we need to formulate a plan of attack. That alone is enough to justify a couple of hours delay it would take to find and talk to him."
Putting words into deeds Caerwyn begins heading down the fishing trail into the swamp.
Terflynn looks alarmed at the most recent commentary, and responds, "I agree that this is the path we should take. But if you all intend to take on three dozen goblins at once, you can do it without me. I'm here for the money, not to get myself killed."
Nevertheless he continues with them on the trail.
Perhaps surprisingly to the other members of the hunting party, the little halfling bard seems to have no difficulty in keeping pace with their longer strides, although once they enter the swamp Cally does have trouble seeing over some of the taller vegetation lining the muddy fishing trail they are following. Every now and again as they trudge along she mutters under her breath, gesturing with the hand that isn't gripping her sling-staff, and the numerous buzzing, biting flies and mosquitos suddenly veer away from her, as if deterred by something they find offensive. Otherwise she remains silent unless she has something to say, at least for now, and again perhaps to the surprise of the rest of the party.
"We don't have to fight them all at once. For one thing, a decent number of them will likely be out wandering the swap. Also, it shouldn't be overly difficult to peel them off in small groups without getting overwhelmed." Clearly Aldel didn't think much of the threat the goblins posed, possibly because of that time he'd beheaded one in a single blow on his trip home from Magnimar.
"You know...I'm no goblin expert, but I seem to recall from the raid on Sandpoint all those years ago that they are very fond of fire, and having a stash of fireworks probably means they have killed off some of their own numbers.
Maybe just being overly optimistic here, but I don't think we'll be facing a whole tribe, even if we came upon their camp when they were all there.
Should we plan a few strategies while we travel?
I'm mostly a straighforward fighter, get in, smash and get out. Might be we need something more subtle than that this time however."
"The goblins must keep their fireworks stashed in their camp. If we could get in and set a few off, it might be enough to light the entire stash. Not only would that probably end the raids, but it might provide the kind of distraction and damage we'd need to rout the camp." Terflynn ponders out loud. "But we'd need a solid getaway plan in case we were to be overrun."
As you enter the swamp, you are forced to slow down - even the well-worn trail is is a tangle of nettles, reeds, and other swamp plants. Additionally, most of the sunlight is blocked by the dense limbs of the cypress, eucalyptus, oak, and willow trees. The air is thick and humid.
The entire atmosphere is oppressive and spooky. You hear animal calls that might be soothing elsewhere - but here they take on a strange, almost menacing tone.
Every few steps you hear sudden movement in the underbrush or in the tree canopy above, the splashing of something large wading through the swamp just out of sight, and eerie low growls and bellows from deeper in the swamp - nothing directly threatens you as you move slowly along the trail, but it certainly seems there are things out there, eager chew on you - or worse.
Not long after you enter the marsh, you spot a strangely mutilated animal corpse on the side of the trail - it doesn't look like the victim of a typical predator's attack.
As you trek, you come across several swamp bridges crossing the rivers and creeks. These bridges are all soggy wooden affairs with mossy surfaces and a few missing planks. Although
they look treacherous, they are safe to cross.
Finally, after a tiring, sweltering walk, you finally seem to have reached your destination. The muddy trail leads up to a swampy lagoon. The open ocean is visible just beyond these shallow waters, while an old two-story building, its walls soggy with moss and its roof sagging with age, sits on the lagoon’s eastern shore. This must be Walthus' Proudstump's home.
Ruhk grins at Terflynn.
"I like the way you think, not only robbing the enemy of resources, but using them against the foe at the same time.
If we time it right, we might make it a REALLY big boom too.
Pity it might not leave any ears to claim..."
Cally will pause by the trail when she spots the mutilated animal corpse. "Hey, I don't know much about wild things and animals, but this doesn't look right to me..."
By the time the party reaches Proudstump's house, Cally is probably beginning to wonder if she's made the right decision in joining the hunt for the Licktoad goblins. <Seriously girl! What were you thinking of? You're no warrior or ranger to be trudging about in a swamp...>
As they walked, Aldel waited for someone else to comment on the animal carcass. When no one did, he began to wonder if anyone else had seen it. Finally, he decided to bring it up himself. "Did anyone see that? Some animal got butchered a little ways back, and it didn't look like it was killed by a predator, either. I'm starting to see why not many people come out here." He didn't sound afraid so much as concerned, and he began looking around in earnest.
As they walked, Aldel waited for someone else to comment on the animal carcass. When no one did, he began to wonder if anyone else had seen it.
Caerwyn will kneel over the carcass after it's pointed out to him. " I can't say as to the nature of it's demise but we explore further if you wish."
Survival (track):
Once the group reaches the house Caerwyn does a quick inspection of his surroundings, approaching the domicile and stopping halfway in the clearing before shouting out
Perception:
Terflynn hangs back, in case something goes wrong.
But somehow decides a small shrub is totally big enough to hide behind.
Aldel approached the house. When he reached the door, he looked back at the others, wondering if they would stand with him or hang back. He found it interesting how he was able to speak and act decisively when acting in an official capacity, but it took effort to do so for his own sake.
Once the others chose how to respond, Aldel knocked on the door with his closed fist. "Walthus Proudstump! We need to speak with you."
Cally follows Caerwyn and stops with him halfway across the clearing, but notices Terflynn hanging back, and doing a very bad job of trying to hide. "Hmpf. You make a poor substitute for frightened bunny. I didn't realize we halflings were so terrifying to you." When Aldel keeps going and marches right up to the front door, without waiting for a response to Caerwyn's hail, she pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs. "One hides behind the scenery for no reason, the other thinks he's some kind of lawkeeper. Aldel, you'll terrify the poor man, pounding on his door like that!" She walks up to the Desnan priest and glares up at him, one hand on her hip. "Try to remember that halflings have good reason to fear longshanks like you who barge into their homes and demand things! Stop behaving like some Chelish slave-taker." Cally is making no attempt to hide her impatience at the silly behaviour she thinks she sees going on around her.
"Say what you like. Caution has kept me alive. " Terflynn retorts.
Ruhk hangs back, grinning at the antics of the people around him.
"Lil' lady does have a point, we're not exactly the most neighbourly bunch of people come a callin'. For one thing, we have much too much oversized cutlery about our persons.
Let's see if he answers, if he does, a good idea might be to introduce ourselves first of all, its good manners and all that. Just saying..."
Aldel looked at Cally as though she'd slapped him, perplexed at what might have caused her to react in such a way. For an enforcer of a god's will, he responded surprisingly like a boy who'd been caught doing something wrong. "I wanted to ensure that he heard. He could be in any room, or somewhere outside." His voice lowered as he continued, "And slavery is a far larger matter than a taunt to be thrown about because you don't like my manner."
Should I step in? Hmm...no, I don't think I should. It's like dad always says, "A boil should be lanced, not covered up".
Let them have a confrontation now, either they grow to understand one another better, or it shows we are not compatibel, and I'll strike out on my own when we come back to Sandpoint.
Cally gives Aldel a ferocious scowl for a moment, before looking away and rubbing her ears ruefully. When she turns back to the inquisitor, she has composed herself, and even manages a wry smile. "Alright, you're correct. You didn't deserve that, I just over-reacted to the way you approached a fellow halfling's home, and I apologize."
The halfling bard moves over to the door herself and raises her staff to knock on it again. "Máistir Proudstump, níl aon rud a bheith eagla, tá muid ach anseo a iarraidh ort le haghaidh aon eolas atá agat faoi na yrch Licktoad. Sirriam Hemlock ó bhaile sheoladh chugainn ar an mbealach seo."
Speaking to Aldel over her shoulder, Cally says mildly "It may be best if you let me do this, one halfling to another, and all that..."
After Cally knocks and calls out, the door to Walthus' shack cracks open. You can see a halfling with a ruddy face, brown hair and eyes, and a surprising number of bruises and cuts covering him. "'Ello? Don't see too many visitors out this far into the swamp. Must be serious. Serious indeed," he says, glancing back into his home, before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.
Emerged from his home, you can see that the wounds on his face are matched by the wounds on the rest of his body, he looks incredibly exhausted and is wearing torn, disheveled clothing. "So who'd you say sent you?" he asks, his voice equal parts curious and wary.
You notice that as Walthus emerged from his home and as he speaks, it seems as if he's looking past you, into the swamp, as if he's looking for something or someone.
Nice language, flows of the tongue easily. Then again, she is a bard, what else could you expcet?
Ruhk gives Walthus a cheerfully wave as way of greetings, but lets Cally do the talking for now.
Aldel nodded, taking a step back before the door opened. He was quietly relieved that he wasn't going to have to be the face of this party, since his training in dealing with others inevitably boiled down to talk of an easy way and a hard way.
Looking at the wounds on Proudstump's body and his disheveled clothing, Cally's attention is fully on the halfling warden. "Mister Proudstump? What in heaven's name has happened to you? It looks like you've been beaten by someone! My name's Cally Pertwee. Do you need help?" She does notice the odd way he closes the door to the cottage behind him and his nervous disposition, and leans in a little closer to whisper: "An bhfuil duine éigin eile taobh istigh den teach? D'iarr duine éigin ag bagairt ort?"
Terflynn listens for danger.
Now that's a good question? We help him and he helps us maybe?
Perception:
Caerwyn stands back letting Cally take the lead on this. Once the Halfling emerges from his home looking all disheveled Caerwyn looks surprised as he blurts out "Goodness, Master Proudstump. What happened here and are you alright? Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Uimh. Níl aon duine sa teach. Tá sé díreach tar éis mo nathracha - fuair amháin dom deas go holc. Tá mé cinnte go leor tá mé fós nimhe."
No. No one is in the house. It's just my snakes - one got me pretty badly. I'm pretty sure I'm still poisoned.
Seeing that not everyone understood what he just said, he repeats, "My snake bit me pretty badly. I can still feel its poison runnin' through me." He looks around at your group. "Don't suppose any of you know how to care for such a thing, do ya?"
"Your snake bit you?" asked Cally incredulously. "You mean you have a pet venomous snake?" Shaking her head with disbelief, she looks at rest of the hunting party. "Terflynn? Do you know anything about treating snakebite? Or does anyone else here?"
Aldel watched him with concern, and said "You seem remarkably calm for a man suffering from a venomous snakebite." As he spoke, Aldel tried to remember if Shalelu had taught him anything that might be useful in a moment like this.
You can't recall anything Shalelu mentioned about treating snake venom without an antidote. And the halfling seems to be telling the truth about his condition.
Caerwyn approaches the wounded hermit and takes his arm to look at the wounds "If I may?"
After a quick look Caerwyn reaches into his back and pulling his dagger begins to cut strip of cloth from an old shirt of his. Wrapping the cloth over the wounds the young scout states "I can help you treat these injuries but it will take some time. We would be more comfortable inside your house rather than out here on the porch."
Heal (treat deadly wounds) check:
Heh, he speaks with the same easy manner as if he just told us he made a batch of muffins. Little man has fortitude in spades.
Aldel looked around, remembering the mutilated corpse he'd seen on the way here. "Perhaps we could better assist you inside, where we face less risk of attack by whatever local creatures leave brutalized carcasses in their wake."
Aldel didn't truly mind being outside, still he couldn't think of any reason why they should be standing outside when they had come here seeking assistance, and he seemed in need of some as well.
Stepping back and letting Caerwyn take over treating the halfling warden's snake-bite, Cally uses the opportunity to have a good look around at the outside of the building and the ground surrounding it. "Err, where did you say this venomous snake that bit you had got to again, Mister Proudstump? I'd hate to stumble over it by accident..."
"Hmm, seems like Caerwyn is our most skilled healer, and no point in looking at me to help. I'm all about hurting foes, not healing friends. Might be fun to be able to do both, but I'm just not very spiritual, I doubt any god would answer my prayers. Maybe Cayden Caelian..."
Caerwyn's inexpert hands somehow manage to soothe the halfling's pain. As Caerwyn binds his wounds and uses some swamp mud to staunch the bleeding, the halfling smiles and sighs - clearly feeling much better when the task is completed. "No...no...can't come inside now," he says. "Too messy. Yes. My home is far too messy."
In response to Cally he says, "Oh, it's dead. I had to smash its head in when it bit me. Foul beas...I mean...tragic thing to do. Heartbreaking."
You get the sense that the halfling is hiding something or not being completely truthful about the nature of his injuries.
"So goblins, eh?" he asks, once the treatment is complete. "I don't know much about 'em, but they're southeast of here. Their camp can be reached via the Old Fish Trail. That's all I know. Thank ye' kindly for your healing, but I really must be getting back inside. Must clean...you understand."
With that, he turns to go back inside.
As he turns you notice a strange rippling effect that seems to slither over Walthus’ face.
Sense Motive;
Perception:
Caerwyn finishes up his triage looking at the halfling "There that should do it. Just take it easy while they heal or you'll undue everything I've done."
As Walthus turns to go inside Caerwyn calls out "Are you alright, Master Proudstump? It looks like the poison is causing muscle spasms. Perhaps we should take a further look."
Muscle spasms? I'm not sure I think so, but I'm no healer of course.
Ever cheerful, Ruhk smiles and motions to the door.
"I don't mind a bit of a mess myself, I promise you I've seen worse after a drunken bender. And I am very good at cleaning up. Let's go inside, have Caerwyn look you over further, and in return for the help we need from you I'll set your place straight again, no worries."
"NO! You stay outside!" Walthus' cries suddenly. He tries to quickly compose himself, but seems to be failing. "You aren't needed or wanted here any longer. Go get your goblins and leave me be!" He stands in the doorway, not moving, but clearly barring your path.
You see a rippling effect pass across the halfling's face - it doesn't appear to be natural and becomes more noticeable when the halfling gets angry.
Terflynn starts to sneak around the back to check out the house.
