Araxiel scratches his head a little as the elf starts talking in his native tongue, but quickly shakes it off.
"Is that a polite way of asking us freaks to bugger off while y'all go rub elbows with the yocals?"
He pointedly looks at some of the gawking locals, then swats away some of the nagging bugs before folding his massive arms across his chest.
Otis starts in the direction the old lady indicated and looks back
"Are you coming"
Looks at Drau 'I must learn this one some tact, I love a good project' laughs to himself
As the five of you begin making your way over to the hut, the group of locals who were conversing at the dock start making their way up to you.
"Stop yerself right there fellas!" shouts a middle-aged man with skin the greenish-brown colour of the swamp. There are around eight locals in all, stout men and women with surly, unhelpful expressions.
"We ain't got no nothing time fer furriners in Morast! What business do ya have with us? Ya demon freaks and pansy elves and ... what's that big cat doin' here?!" The small group is around a minute from actually getting to the group as they navigate the tricky boardwalks.
Otis steps forward.
"Easy friends we are not looking for any trouble, we just wanted to ask Lazne a few questions"
The group finally approach the group and the man who was shouting comes up to stare at all of you belligerently.
"I'm Lazne and save yer breath, I ain't answering no questions from nobody! Git yer carcasses outta Morast, we don't like yer types." His voice is thick with the strange local accent. He spits out a bit of swamp weed he had been chewing on at your feet.
Araxiel puts his hand on the hilt of his mace instinctively, his tail flicking rapidly back and forth.
"Well, ain't this a bit of deja vu." He states sullenly.
"We ain't here to eatcha, we just got some questions and then we're as good as gone."
"Elder Lazne," Drau says, bowing lowly and respectfully to the man who has identified himself as Lazne.
"We have been sent by the venerable Judge Daramid of Lepistadt to meet with you regarding the Beast. We understand that it was your cunning played no small part in the ambush that injured the Beast and forced it into the swamp. The Most Esteemed Judge Daramid has asked for us to sit with you and hear your tale, so that your words and experiences may factor into her judgement and the subsequent ruling on the punishment of this most foul creature that has wounded your town so grievously."
Drau straightens up and smiles at the elder, trying to convey both authority and dignity as he does so.
You don't have a 'highway of roofs' like you do in Lepidstadt as this is an isolated village in the middle of a swamp. There are some climbable trees and around twenty different hovels, but the hovels are thatched with swamp reeds and probably won't hold your weight. The best they can do is keep the rain out.
Elder Lazne stares at the group for a while as they speak up to try and calm down the angry mob. He still doesn't seem too impressed and is positively taken aback by Drau's flowery rhetoric.
"Quit yer fancy talkin'! I'll make it quick. We gots work t'do 'round these parts. I already told ya city folks my story and I gotta go fer the Trial and all too, but ye's been respectful and I 'preciate that."
He plugs a bit of dried swamp weed into his mouth and begins to speak.
"First, y'see, t'Beast took lone villagers at night. Folks just disappeared. But it got greedy fer souls!"
There's a little murmur of agreement from the group.
"An' soon it started to attack our 'omes! No-one saw much. Beast was clever. But saw t'big feckin' shadow and knew something was up! So I called me boys and girls tegether an' set it a trap. We all gots some weapons together. We ain't fightin' folk but we's proud, and we waited. After a few nights it came, and then we got it!"
A rousing cheer sends up from the swampers around Lazne.
"It came up on a hut and we surprised it and gave chase! It turned and ran, and being so big it took to the swamp. So we got in our boats an' kept after it. Chased it to the Boneyard when a gator got it. Oooh ya shoulda heard that thing swear. Said words the worst hoor in Lep wouldn't be caught sayin'! Made a huge bite wound on t'Beast's shoulder, clear as day. Then it dragged it into t'water. We thought it was done fer and we were safe at last. But then t'damn thing lives somehow and is on Trial! Well I fer one will be happy to see it burn so it won't come back this time! We can't even use our Boneyard, its blood tainted t'ground it did."
He spits a bit of the swamp weed out and looks at you expectantly.
"Well, that it?"
Rowena listens to the villager's story, trying to recall if she saw the Beast with a bite on his shoulder. She couldn't remember. She also wonders if the beast was intelligent enough to cuss.
"Don't suppose you caught a glimpse of it's face...?" she asks with some hesitancy. She doubts the swampers saw anything other than what they wanted to see.
Lazne harumphs. "Oooh t'were nasty and big! Hard t'see its face 'cause it only came out after dark."
The people in the crowd start shouting out.
"It were made up'a different parts! Fur and scales and whatnot!"
"It had a big toothy maw like a croc!"
"Nah, it were a shadow with burnin' red eyes!"
"Thass rubbish Eliza and ye knows it. It had the face of a dog it did!"
"SHADDUP!" shouts Lazne. "It were too dark to see," he says with finality. He looks over at Secondous. "T'beast be a cursed creature. We bury our dead at that boneyard... bad omen t'bury 'em there now. Blood of evil creatures don't belong where our dead lie."
listening carefully Otis is trying to determine if these village folk are telling what they think is true or are they hiding something
"Well from what these good folks have told us I do believe we must investigate this boneyard they are talking about"
'This might be fun'
"Hmph!" Lazne spits on the ground. "Take t'river north and then yer left at the fork. It be an island with gravestones all over it while t'river bends west. Beware - that land is no good no more! Ya got any more questions or are ya done scarin' me children? If'n ya needs a boat then Oxanne will rentcha one fer five gold down by t'dock. Should carry yer lot."
"Tou-chy," Drau whispers to Secoundus, rolling his eyes theatrically. He turns back to Lazne."Thank you ever so much for your hospitality. We shall be sure to inform anyone we encounter of both the assistance and the warm welcome you've shown us here today. Perhaps, if we tell enough people, your primary industry here can be tourism."
Drau pushes his sleeves up to his elbows. They promptly slide back down to his wrists.
"Would you care to lead on, Otis? The sooner we're away from this man-" He points angrily at Lazne. "The sooner he can remove that rather large shillelagh from his puckered posterior!"
Rowena mumbles to Drau "Let's not insult the locals too much! We might need them later. She turns to Lazne and tries to smile cordially. It looks more like a snarl. "Thanks so much for the information. We're just trying to understand what's really going on."
She whistles for Toypurnia, who was sniffing an obvious local. "Off we go?"
The local is a young man who looks delightedly at the firepelt cougar, having never seen one in its purple and orange majesty before. He holds out a hand before he is cuffed by Elder Lazne.
"Back t'business boyos!"
The five of you make your way down to the edge of the deeper swamp with Toypurnia occasionally scampering off to mystify and terrify locals. Eventually the hovels are all shut up and you find yourselves staring at a strange, perfectly circular boat. A stout, greenish-brown skinned woman glares at the group.
"Five gold for the lot of yeh fer a try at me coracle! Dunno how t'row? TOUGH! And bring it back in one piece!"
Hands the boat owner 5 gold
The coracle is sort of like floating around in a soup bowl, and soon the party is piled in. After some coaxing, Toypurnia also hops into the coracle to huddle near Rowena. Otis and Araxiel man the two oars and the party begin to slowly and awkwardly make their way out into the swamp.
The Dippelmere swamp is a massive, temperate swamp noted for its blood caiman and of course Lepidstadt. The insects mercilessly plague you, delighting in the buffet of human, tiefling, half-elf, and elf that float along in the swamp. Occasionally a red reptilian nose can be seen, evidence of the blood caiman or 'crocs' as the locals call them.
Although the wetlands never cease, you make it out onto the river where the water is deeper and fast. Mercifully, the insects cease and you are able to more or less control the boat along the current.
After around an hour, you spot a few gravestones on a tiny island. Carefully, you push the boat to shore where you all pile out.
A tiny, miserable island rises from the swamp, a tangle of trees covering its dour, reed-choked surface. Hundreds of fetishes hang from the trees—simple, roughly humanoid figures made of sticks and bound with twine. Larger fetishes are planted in the ground on various parts of the island, leaning drunkenly in the soft mud. A large nest built of sodden swamp wood sits high in the boughs of a trio of tangled trees on the northwest side of the isle.
You all set yourselves on shore, beaching the coracle. As you pile out and get used to standing on land you take a look around the island. You see the fetishes, the strange nest, a horrible creature flying at you from the strange nest, and a lot of swamp.
A loud "KEEE-AWWWW" sound rings out over the island and all of you spot the creature quickly enough to defend yourselves! As it swoops down you spy a lion's head and body, wings like a dragon, and a tail covered in fearsome spikes.
This creature is a manticore. They are fearsome predators known for their love of the flesh of humans. Manticores are extremely clever and known for creating strange hybrids with other creatures. Their tails are known for firing volleys of spikes, making them dangers opponents from afar.
Combat Round One
Intiatives:
Initiative order:
Araxiel
The Creature (flying, 30' up)
Everyone else!
Araxiel is up!
Drau's eyes nearly pop out of his head as he goes through his mental index cards to try to figure out if he's seen this thing in any of his years of study.
"MANTICOOOOOOOOORE!" he shrieks. "KILL IT! KILL IT! KILL IT BEFORE IT MATES WITH US!" He looks at the group a little uncertainly. "Unless you guys are into that kind of thing. Also, you should probably watch out for the spikes and the flying. Just sayin'."
Otis draws his sword and waits to see what this creature will do.
Araxiel steps out a bit from the group and yanks out his huge earthbreaker, holding his action.
The manticore begins to enter a dive, but then pulls up a good 10' out of melee range. As it pulls up, it snaps its tail like a whip several times, firing four spikes at four people!
Araxiel turns to the side and the spike glances off of his armour.
The spike flying at Otis buries itself in the ground at its feet.
Secondous ducks hard, and a spike sails over him to narrowly miss your boat.
The final spike lodges itself into Drau's shoulder!
Seeing that the manticore doesn't look like it's going to land when it can strike from the air, Araxiel exchanges his Earthbreaker for the heavy crossbow at his waist, which he starts loading.
Secondous' arrow flies true and punctures the wing of the manticore with a nice hole. It roars in pain and falls ten feet in the air before it rights itself.
Round One
Manticore (flying 20' up)
Araxiel
Secondous
Drau (9 damage), Rowena, Toypurnia, and Otis are up!
Drau looks a little faint at the sight of a spike sticking out of his shoulder and casts Mage Armor.
Otis now realizing the beast does not need to land to attack, switches to his longbow (dropping shield and sword)
AC/wo sheild = 20
Rowena spies the creature in the sky, eager to test out her new longbow. She whispers to her growling cougar. "Toypurnia, over there!" She points to a tree out of the manticore's line of sight. Toypurnia slinks over to the shadows, attempting to remain undetected.
Toypurnia roll stealth:
As Toypurnia tries to hide, Rowena lets one her glistening arrows loose.
Although not normally trained to hide on command, the strange, violent creature is more than enough to spook Toypurnia, who bolts into a copse and out of the manticore's line of sight. She manages to hide.
Rowena and Otis both raise longbows and loose their arrows at the manticore as Araxiel feverishly cranks his enormous crossbow. However, the arrows bounce off of the manticore's tough hide.
The manticore flaps its enormous wings clumsily and flies straight up into the air before wheeling and loosing a volley of spikes, all aimed at Secondous for having dared wound it. Three spikes land in a circle around him, but the fourth slams into his leg.
Round Two
Araxiel
Toypurnia (hidden)
Rowena
Drau (9 damage) (mage armor +4 ac, 4 hours remaining)
Secondous (11 damage)
Otis
Araxiel snarls as he finally gets his crossbow set up for the shot, takes aim and fires at the manticore.
Otis takes aim and looses another arrow.
Secondous manages some partial cover under the trees and vanishes from sight. Meanwhile, Otis' second arrow finds its mark and the manticore lets out another fearsome screech. It manages to right itself and remain at its current altitude.
Round Two
Toypurnia (hidden)
Rowena
Drau (9 damage) (mage armor +4 ac, 4 hours remaining)
Drau lets out a tremendous shriek, mostly of pain, and fires two magic missiles at the manticore.
The manticore lets out its own shriek as two little darts of energy fly from Drau's hands as he speaks the arcane words. They unerringly shoot upwards to slam into the chest of the manticore, rocking it and causing it to lose altitude as it tries to climb. It plummets ten feet before righting itself.
Round Two
Gone
Manticore | wounded | Flying 110' up
Araxiel | 41/41
Drau | 15/26 | mage armor (+4 ac, 4 hours remaining)
Secondous | 13/24 | hidden
Otis | 39/39 | shieldless -2 ac
Still to Go
Rowena | 23/23
Toypurnia | 27/27 | hidden
Rowena steps forward to get within range and fires off another arrow. This arrow flies true and slams into the face of the manticore, taking out one of its eyes!
The manticore flaps to remain upright and somehow manages to keep its altitude. With a roar it fires a last volley of spikes before it starts flying as fast as it can away from the island.
Round Three
Gone
Manticore | near death | flying 160' range from party
Still to go
Araxiel | 41/41
Drau | 15/26 | mage armor (+4 ac, 4 hours remaining) | 6/7, 4/4 spells remaining
Secondous | 13/24 | hidden
Otis | 31/39 | shieldless -2 ac
Rowena | 17/23
Toypurnia | 27/27 | hidden
Otis takes careful aim and fires at the retreating manticore
Drau hitches up his robe and darts out twenty feet towards the manticore and fires off two more magic missiles.
Secondous emerges from his hiding spot and looses an arrow at the retreating manticore.
Rowena fires another arrow out over the swamp.
Both arrows slam into the manticore and a loud *SPLASH* sounds out as it is knocked out of the air and falls into the swamp!
Manticore - 1600 party xp (I'm tracking this for y'all)
Araxiel | 41/41
Drau | 15/26 | mage armor (+4 ac, 4 hours remaining) | 4/7, 4/4 spells remaining
Secondous | 13/24
Otis | 31/39
Rowena | 17/23
Toypurnia | 27/27
The sudden fury of the battle is over, and all you now hear is the sound of the swamp. You look out over the tiny island. It is dotted with graves marked by fetishes and covered in trees. The manticore's nest lies up in a tree. If you wish to search, please indicate where you're searching.
Otis retrieves his sword and shield. He stands with his hands held high and everyone feels the Positive Energy in the air
Everyone heals 7
Araxiel | 41/41
Drau | 22/26 | mage armor (+4 ac, 4 hours remaining) | 4/7, 4/4 spells remaining
Secondous | 20/24
Otis | 39/39 | 2/4 lay on hands remaining
Rowena | 23/23
Toypurnia | 27/27
Otis chants to his Empyreal Lord and soothing feeling washes over the party, healing or partially healing your wounds. Manticore spikes fall out of the large holes they have created and you feel better.