Aenon, like the others, fails to notice anything and shuffles around the room,
A sudden thought suddenly strikes Aenon, he holds up one of the gems while pondering loudly ’Why do you suppose someone would bother building a secret entrance to a mine unless it was supposed to be kept a secret? Think this could be what the colonists were fighting over?’
Delia seems to be oblivious to all around her, save for the fantastic jewels they find. "Everyone, this is amazing! I think someone was harvesting these for Ioun stones!" She picks a few up and admires their beauty...
Nox takes the rest of magical items and valuables and collects them for the group. He opens the flask and takes a pull of the liquor contained therein. "Pretty good...it's well aged at least," the gnome tries to joke. "Anyone else want a taste?"
Once Delia pipes up, Nox snaps his fingers. "Oh yes, that's such a good point. Don't know why I didn't think about that earlier. The Azlanti would love to have a ready supply of stones,a nod these look good for enchanting!"
Deth takes a swig of the flask that Nox offers. "Tastes pretty good." he remarks. He picks up a stone. "Ioun stones are a pretty varied lot. What would these do in particular." he asks the mages in the group. "We should report back. And remember, one of those smothering things got away."
Several of the colonists are surprised by your appearance as you treck back from the north, having been expecting you to climb back up the well. Ramona eagerly listens to your report, especially interested in the find of semi-precious gemstones.
[b]"To think we settled right on top of caves like this, it makes me wonder what other hidden dangers our predecessors must have encountered. Fortunately it seems most of the 'natives' are reluctant to approach such a large group as ours. There really is safety in numbers."[b]
Aenon notices that the gems you recovered from the cavern are missing!
’Curious’ Aenon thinks to himself. Assuming they’ve simply been misplaced, Aenon
offhandedly mentions the missing gems to his companions and (assuming none of them have seen the gems) spends some time retracing his steps to search for the missing gems.
Deth also tries to find them in case they've been misplaced.
"You know if they are special gems for Ioun stones maybe they floated back to the caves. That's what Ioun stones do, right, they float around your head."
If they can't find them, then he suggests. "How about tomorrow we go back and pick up another gem. Mark it with some chalk and take it back with us. Then watch to see what happens."
Knowing just short of nothing about magic, all Aenon can do is stand and nod at Deths theories about floating gems.
”If we have a thief in our midst, we need to draw him or her out. That simply can’t be tolerated amongst a crew that depends on each other for safety. This will never do. We need to go tell the mayor (for lack of a better term)!”
Despite your best efforts to locate the missing stones and retracing your steps you find no sign of them...
Despite your best efforts to locate the missing stones and retracing your steps you find no sign of them...
" A Thief!" Deth replies to Nox's suggestion with surprise. "You may be right." realizing that the obvious mundane explanation is probably closer to the truth then his supernatural theory. "If there is a possibility of theft we need to tell Ramona, but I still want to go get more gems, at the very least it will bait a trap." He thinks for a bit and then asks Momo. "If it is a thief, then he/she/it will want to know where we got them from. So they are going to probably follow us back to the caves. You think Scuttles can keep watch and see if anyone follows us?"
Delia shakes her head in anger at the thought of a thief being among those in the outpost. "Yes, let us report this to Romona. She needs to be aware that there maybe likely a thief in our midst."
"Deth's plan sounds like a good start, let's get to it as soon as we can." Aenon ponders for a while. "It's a saddening, but with all the problems our predecessors had, I think we would be lucky if a theft is our only problem."
"You know if they are special gems for Ioun stones maybe they floated back to the caves. That's what Ioun stones do, right, they float around your head."
If they can't find them, then he suggests. "How about tomorrow we go back and pick up another gem. Mark it with some chalk and take it back with us. Then watch to see what happens."
”What?! Float around your head?” Momo doesn’t seem to believe Deth. How can stones float?
”If we have a thief in our midst, we need to draw him or her out. That simply can’t be tolerated amongst a crew that depends on each other for safety. This will never do. We need to go tell the mayor (for lack of a better term)!”
Delia shakes her head in anger at the thought of a thief being among those in the outpost. "Yes, let us report this to Romona. She needs to be aware that there maybe likely a thief in our midst."
"If there is a possibility of theft we need to tell Ramona, but I still want to go get more gems, at the very least it will bait a trap." He thinks for a bit and then asks Momo. "If it is a thief, then he/she/it will want to know where we got them from. So they are going to probably follow us back to the caves. You think Scuttles can keep watch and see if anyone follows us?"
Momo plucks at the string of her bow slung across her back. ”How and where would Scuttles watch us from? By scuttling behind us?” Momo sets her pack on the ground and carefully lifts the mechanical arachnid into her arms. ”Scuttles,” Momo looks sternly into Scuttle’s one large eye, ”Tomorrow, follow and watch us as we explore the caverns. If anything other than us moves, record it and shake.”
Momo sits her pet on the ground and puts out her hand, facing up. ”Aww, widdle Scuttles know how to shake? Shake, widdle Scuttles, shake.” Momo carefully lifts one of Scuttle’s legs and places it on the palm of her outstretched hand. ”This is how you shake, Scudley Wudley.” Momo pulls her hand away from Scuttles before promptly outstretching it again, palm up. ”Scuttles, shake.” Momo watches in eager fascination as the mechanical spider raises a single leg to her palm. When Scuttles tilts its head to signal it’s awaiting further instruction, Momo just about loses it. ”Oh gods! Oh gods! You’re so cute!” Momo bends over to loosely embrace Scuttles. (Peter Griffin sees a hamster)
~*~*~*~*~
Momo carries Scuttles in her arms as the party walks to Romona’s cabin. That must be one slippery thief to have escaped our notice. (Momo has a hard time grasping magic is real, and believes in what she can see.) Best not to talk about the thief openly. Assuming nothing out of the ordinary happens, Momo knocks on the front door of the Governer's House and the party enters to speak with Ramona.
”Ramona, we found some gems at the bottom of the cave and took them into town but now they are missing. Tomorrow we're going to search the cave for more and try to find out who was following us... Have you had any troubling with thieves in the colony?"
~*~*~*~*~
After their meeting with Ramona, Momo takes to the forest to check her traps. She takes any captured animals to food storage before sitting, legs crossed, by the town campfire. "How goes the hunting friends?" Momo isn't particularly good at carrying on a conversation, but her passion and knowledge of hunting and trapping keep her in the conversation. After eating and sharing a drink with the other colonists, Momo retires to bed. Scuttles curls at the foot of her bed, watching over the party for any movement within the cabin.
~*~*~*~*~
At first light, Momo makes a quick trip to check her traps (if there's time) before returning to her companions. "To the caves?"
Ramona has had no signs of the thieves in the colony and is suprised to hear of missing gems.
Returning to the caves something looks different in the largest chamber...
Spotting something, Aenon walks over to the southern wall, crouches down and pulls a hand along the edge of the wall. "I think this wall has been moved." He mutters, and gives the wall a few good knocks.
"Hmm. I'm not sure about that." Deth replies to Aenon, but he examines the souhern wall closly.
Wisdom
Nox takes a look at the wall as well to see if Aenon was right, or if he had lost his marbles. ”You know, I think you might be onto something. It does look like it’s moved. And not just a little bit!”
"Yeah, Aenon is right. The South wall has changed."
Momo examines the wall more closely for signs of life that may have passed by.
Will
”Nobody move! The wall is an illusion, our missing jewels are back there, but two scorpions made out of gemstones are protecting them and looking mighty aggressive!”
"Woa! You're right." Deth says as he steps away from the wall, agreeing with Nox.
"Anybody have any idea what they are?" he asks as he readies his spear to intercept any charges from the 'things'.
Momo squints at the creatures. "At least we've found our thieves. Scuttles, stop watching us and crawl into my bag for safety." Momo insures her mechanical companion is safe inside her pack.
Delia scrutinizes the wall closely and gasps. "Well spotted, Nox!" She looks closely at the scorpions and tries to see if she recognizes the odd creatures.
Scorpion-like crysmals originate in the deepest caverns of the Plane of Earth. On rare occasions, these strange creatures wind up on the Material Plane, usually in subterranean areas rich with natural gem and crystal formations. The crystalline planes of their bodies absorb and refract natural light, which some claim is the source of their supernatural powers.
Singular in purpose, a crysmal seeks only to reproduce. It does so by gathering stone crystals and gemstones, fashioning them into a Tiny facsimile of its own body, and jolting the new creature to life with a burst of the crysmal’s own life energy. These newly created crysmals are known as shardlings, and grow to adulthood after a few months of gorging on crystals and gemstones.
Crysmals do not recognize that other creatures treat gems as wealth, and attempt to seize gems carried by others whenever the opportunity arises. A crysmal normally uses its spell-like abilities to befuddle opponents, grabbing at pouches with gems when the bearer is distracted, and normally only resorts to physical violence once all other tactics fail.
Completely unfamiliar with the creatures, Deth remarks. "I've never seen anything like this." Still bracing his spear in case they attack.
Know. Planes
Momo is holding her bow in both hands but the weapon is lowered. "So, do you all want to kill them? They might harm the colonists." Momo doesn't think the creatures are intelligent.
”I don’t know enough about them to say that they’d be safe around the village. I think we have to eliminate them for safety’s sake. Anyone disagree?”
"I think we need to get rid of them." Deth reluctantly agrees with Nox and Momo. "Do you want to start shooting them and Aenon and I will try and intercept them when they rush out?"
"Sounds like a plan to me" Aenon agrees and readies himself for a fight.
Momo raises her bow and readies a shot. "Well, let's get this over with."
As Momo raises her bow the crystal-like scorpions attack, charging at the nearest foes!
Round 1
Crysmals (Blue):
Crysmals (red) :
Delia:
Nininox:
Aenon:
Momo: Hits- The arrow chips away only slightly against the crystalline shell of the creature.
Deth:
Nox pulls out the wand of Flaming Sphere and summons a ball to fire, rolling it over the closest creature.
Damage
Aenon leaps forwards, spinning into a kick in the side of the creature attacking deth. Barely avoiding a retaliatory stab from its tail, Aenon follows up with another qiuick kick.
The scorpion leaves a horrible gash in Deth's leg and there is a spray of blood as Deth screams in pain. Staggering back a step he draws upon the power of the green to heal himself.
He manages to staunch most of the bleeding. He looks like he is seriously considering picking Nox up and running, but so far he is the only one hurt. "Watch Out!" he warns. "These things are deadly."
As Momo raises her bow the crystal-like scorpions attack, charging at the nearest foes!
Round 1
Crysmals (Blue): @Deth sting: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17 Dmg: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (4, 5) + 3 = 12
Crysmals (red) : @Delia sting: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11 Dmg: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (4, 1) + 3 = 8
Delia:
Nininox: It leaps away from the searing ball of fire.
Aenon: Hits once his fist leaving a spiderwed of cracks over its crystaline form.
Momo: Hits- The arrow chips away only slightly against the crystalline shell of the creature.
Deth: Steps back and heals
14 again directs the ball of fire to roll over the injured creature. He then moves back 20’ from his current position, ready to run if things went against the group quickly.
Damage
DC 13 to resist.
Momo steps West a bit to get a better shot of at crysmal. She aims and shoots another arrow towards the creature.
Delia quickly jumps back from the scorpions and immediately begins to hum one of her tunes, empowering her companions for the fight.
Round 2
Crysmals (Blue): Both of the creatures seem to withdraw for a moment before reappearing surrounding Momo!
Crysmals (red) :
Delia:
Nininox:
Aenon:
Momo:
When the Crysmals move to surround Momo, she widens her eyes in shock. She is both intrigued and stunned. She stands there like an idiot.
"Uhh, guys? Are they... are they friendly?" Wild notions of an animal menagerie spring into Momo's mind. The party is selling stuffed animals, cotton candy, and Scuttles is the park's official mascot. All sorts of humanoids come from all over the world to experience the zoo of creatures. The party is fabulously wealthy and tips entire gold coins when they take the ferry to the other side of the island, which has been converted into a resort with fancy taverns and shops.
She shakes her head and moves to escape the creatures. Momo runs to hide behind Delia like a ninny. "Maybe we should come back later?"