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Leading Yurei up to the large pit, Senketsu spies the large wold and their eyes widen in surprise. Hopping of their loyal comrade, the Wayang walks a little closer and gives the Wolf a smile. With a gesture to show they are not hostile, the Wayang reaches in their pack and pulls out some of Yurei's feed, salted meats.
"This one knows it is not much and this one does not seek to insult a hunter but will you except a gift?" they explain, offering the meat to the wolf. "This one carries the name Senketsu, and my friends is Yurei. Do you hold a name? Can we help you? And do you know of the walking dead?"
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"You are not a wolf, it's true," Gbagbe says, hopping a little closer out of curiosity. "You are a mighty...uh...worg, that's it!" He scrunches up his flexible little face in concentration, then asks, "But are you not usually in the company of goblins and other such races? Why is a magical beast such as you guarding the holes of the risen dead? Or am I not getting something here?"
The worg seems to consider the party's words before cautiously approaching the offered rations, giving them a sniff, and tearing into them ravenously.
"I am Feren and I'm not guarding anything little frog. I was drawn here by the stench of rot and came seeking something to fill my belly. Unfortunately everything I've found is long dead."
"A hobgoblin tribe, one I do not recognize, came across this place several moons ago. They spent many days turning the land and removing the dead — human, goblin, bugbear, it did not matter to them.”
“They have made their lair not far from here, toward the setting sun. A nearby trail should lead you directly to a tree broken in two. The entrance lies somewhere off the road, beneath the tree.”
The worg licks her lips and pauses. "I could show you some shiny bits the hobgoblins left behind, in exchange for another morsel of food."
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Senketsu thinks for a moment before reaching for their own rations and sharing them with the Worg, giving Feren a beaming smile. Sorting out their pack whilst the Worg eats, Senketsu calls up their own silent wolf.
"This one thanks Feren for the information and warning. If Feren would be kind enough to show us, we will explore what was left behind."
"The hobgoblins just take the dead away", the worg explains. "I don't know what they do with them within their lair but from the number of risen dead I've seen lately, you could be right. I've already told you where that is."
Feren greedily wolfs down the additional rations before padding over to one of the dug up graves. She drags a fallen headstone aside with her teeth revealing an abandoned cache of goods including a well-crafted steel shield, a mummified hand attached to a length of cord, and assorted coinage.
Sated and preferring her own company, Feren darts off into the woods as the party looks through the treasure.
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"That went surprisingly well. A talking wolf... I wonder if it wasn't something else entirely after all" Vanya considers, before turning towards her companions.
"Seems like we are up for a little walk. And hobgoblin necromancers and obviously more undead... Are you ready for what needs to be done?" the silver crusader asks in a solemn tone.
The tracks lead to a path that winds its way through the Chitterwood until it forks at the foot of a large and mangled tree. A large tear runs the length of its trunk, splitting the tree nearly in two. The southern half of the tree hangs awkwardly to the side, casting a shadow over a small dip in the land.
Following the information from Feren, the party easily finds the hidden cave beneath the fallen tree. A crude flight of stairs lies just beyond the cave entrance.
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Gbagbe looks longingly at the magical hand, thinking what fun it would be to play with it, but is distracted by Ashara's remark. "It wasn't really a wolf at all," he tells her, "it's a magical beast, just looks like a wolf."
Looking down the crude stairs, Gbagbe swallows loudly, then draws out a wand and taps himself with it, looking the slightest bit nervous.
Sneaking down the stairs, Kelumur finds that they exit into a large chamber guarded by a pair of bugbear skeletons with strange runes etched on their bones. Crudely carved wooden doors provide exits on two ends.
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Smiling as the Worg leaves them, Senketsu scratches Yurei behind the ears and clambers to the Wolf's back. Following the skulking Half-orc down the path, they nod when they find the split tree, happy Feren's directions were not wrong. As they see Gbagbe activate their wand, the Wayang reaches for their own and indicates Yurei.
"Friend would be so kind as to armour Yurei?"
Waiting patiently for Kelemur to return and report, Senketsu nervously scratches Yurei behind the ear as their eyes are peeled.
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Senketsu listens carefully to the brief given by their Scout and nods solemly. Turning to Xiao the Wayang shrugs slightly.
"If two scouts believe they can ambush, then we can try. Yurei is a swift as the wind and will be soon to you. This one simply laments they have not brought a mace or hammer."
As soon as the scouts are round the corner, Senketsu will slowly lead Yurei down the staircase.
Kelumur finds the skeleton too heavy to upend but that doesn't stop Xiao from scaling the wall and delivering a punishing kick. The blow knocks the skeleton's head clean off its shoulders. A moment later, what's left of the undead explodes sending bone fragments flying at both scouts.
The moment Senketsu gets near the other skeleton the floor gives away!
Just keeping their paws on the ground, Yurei gives a yelp as the floor gives way, yet manages to hop over the crumbling floor to avoid a sudden plunge.
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Seeing how quickly his fellow grippli has managed to kick the head off a skeleton, Gbagbe decides to make use of the newly-liberated skull. Nimbly scaling the wall of the corridor, he waves his webbed fingers at the skull and tries to send it flying at the remaining skeleton, but manages only to smash it into the wall nearby.
Gbagbe's flung skull sails through the air. The display is impressive but it misses its mark.
Yurei and Senketsu manage to avoid toppling into the pit and land a powerful blow against the other bugbear skeleton shattering several ribs. Xiao tries to finish it off with another kick but the skeleton stumbles out of the way.
Mindlessly, the skeleton claws at the adjacent Xiao.
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"Whoa! Ondir, was that a big ball of sweat?" Gbagbe asks. "That's gross! But also amazing!" As the solid liquid flies past the skeleton, Gbagbe has an idea! He waves his hand toward the solidified sweatball and catches it from a distance, sending it looping around and sailing at - and then past - the target again!
Perhaps thrown off by the awkward placement of the pit, the party's attacks all miss their mark.
The damaged skeleton shambles forward to claw at Kelumur.
Xiao's kick sends cracks through the skeleton's spine. Kelumur's daggers, though ineffective, do just enough damage to shatter it. The undead loses its form and falls to the ground only to explode like its pair sending bits of bony shrapnel through the party's ranks.
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As soon as the creature disintegrates, Kelumur backflips in the air at an angle that dodges every shrapnel that flies, and lands perfectly on his feet. He wipes his daggers and retrieves his bolas.
He heads to the door, and cracks it open a little to take a look inside, signalling the rest to be quiet as he does so.
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Too slow to raise their newly acquired shield, Senketsu takes the full force of the shrapnel as Yurei manages to avoid harm. Wincing as the fragments strike them, Senketsu begins to pick them out whilst fishing for their wand and passing it to Ashara with everyone else.
"This one wonders if you would be so kind?" they ask politely.
Once their wounds have been seen too, the Wayang looks at their two options and indicates the top door.
"This one suggests this door, then we can go deeper into the cave."