Kragg mentally checks just gear both with him and on the Peregrine. Nothing he had would take care of swarms of little critters like the ones before him. Perhaps it is best to leave them for now unless anyone has means of getting rid of large number of critters at once. Alas I do not have any alchemist fires or acid flasks with me. If not then I agree with moving on.
So far w have found gremlins, ankhegs and grindylows. Nothing too out of the ordinary for new colonies to be able to handle. While we are here let's check out the other fields to see if they are infested as well. Work counterclockwise around till we get back to the main encampment.
"From the looks of it the local critters have had enough time to move into the crops." Kaldan says thoughtfully. [/b]"A quick look over should do it."[/b]
These particular vegetable patches suffer no ravages from ankheg nymph. Other than simple neglect, they appear undisturbed.
Standing near an evergreen tree is a fruit-bearing tree with spiny branches and reddish-purple, apple-shaped plums. A few plums have fallen to the ground to spoil in the heat and birds have pecked at others. Nevertheless, there are still many fruits still fit to pick and eat.
Lara pauses near the plum tree and kneels to investigate a spot near a fist-sized rock.
"What's this?" Kaldan asks, spotting a disturbed area of soil. He waits while Lara checks it out.
If he can do it safely Kaldan collects some of the ripe plums for a snack, offering them to the others.
Kragg follow the others to the next field to see what is going on. It seems these fields aren't infested as the other ones.
1st Perception
Know nature aid
2nd perception
As they get closer Kragg calls out to the others. Careful. There are some remains partially buried in the ground. Something lives there. Kaldan you have a reach weapon. Perhaps you should poke it in while standing back a bit.
At the plum tree Kragg spots the same thing as the others and holds his weapon up ready to swing if necessary.
Trieste peers carefully around, already on alert from the ankhegs. She nods at the spot Kragg points out. "Yes, this whole place seems to be crawling with various vermin." She holds her scimitar at the ready as Lara checks the stone.
Jobert stands at her feet, growling slightly at the vegetable garden.
"Good thinking." Kaldan nods at Krag's suggestion. Moving forward to carefully clear away the soil with his spearhead.
A few inches beneath the soil yields a small, flat, leather pouch like a wallet.
As the pouch is revealed and the note is found Kragg let's out a low whistle. Well this is interesting. Looks like there was some strained politics involved here. Anything so strained to have people start deserting is serious. Perhaps though this may be a good sign that there are still some people from the original group in a different location.
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"Except they're talking about using the canoe, the one we found at the bottom of the harbor. So maybe the escape didn't go as well as they hoped?"
He looks around the area thoughtfully. "Division and open fighting I can see, but no damage and no bodies? Someone or something else must have been waiting their chance."
Lara removes the note from the pouch carefully. Reading the note, her eyebrows furrow, questions clearly writing themselves on her face. "So the colony divided into three factions. You would think there'd be more signs of a conflict," she says, nodding her head in agreement with Kaldan.
"They also speak of a boat. Perhaps that's how a few of them traveled." She ponders over the whole experience.
"It's not outside the realm of possibility of course, but it seems odd that there should be such a split when there are so many threats about. Wouldn't it seem prudent to work together, at least until some level of stability is reached? Let us continue to search and see if there's any more information we can find."
Perhaps the threats were mostly neutralized and only came back in the month that this place was deserted. A month is a long time in the wilderness after all.
While small and vicious the nymphs are quickly dispatched with a few arrows each. The only real threat is the line of acid each spew out when attacked. Striking both Lara and Trieste
Kragg retrieves his Javalins from the dirt where they landed.
They spew acid at you in response.
Not expecting the acid spew Kragg is relieved that the creatures are disposed of. Gathering Lara and Trieste near him Kragg calls on Abadar's grace to heal them.
Channel energy
Trieste pats Kragg on the shoulder. "My thanks."
Atop a sloping hill stands a solitary cottage built apart from the rest of the colony. A stone well has been built not far from the house’s front door. A large stone near the entrance is painted with the words “Levin Farm.” Just south of the cottage is a tilled vegetable patch that grows wild from neglect.
From the outside, it seems there is nothing unusual about the house. It has a thatched roof, a single entrance with a working door, and a few shuttered windows.
"Look here," says Trieste. She point out the more recent tracks. "There is someone or something that has been about recently, perhaps within a week or so. It seems to have been pushing something heavy. These plants have also been recently trod upon."
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Kragg smiles in appreciation of Triests's thanks. It was my pleasure to help out a fellow member of the party. But truth be told the real thanks should be given to Abadar. It is by his mercy that I am even bestowed such blessings.
Kragg looks at the tracks but their exact nature is beyond his experience. Trusting in Trieste he asks her, Do you think the creature that made the tracks is in the building? If so then we should be careful as we explore it.
The interior of the house contains only simple wooden furniture and an assortment of common household and personal items. Unlike the other buildings you've explored, this house is in disarray, with chairs and tables flipped over, blankets torn to shreds, and produce such as corn and melons gnawed upon and then discarded to rot on the floor. There are two doors, presumably leading to bedrooms.
"You're right." Kaldan studies the tracks carefully. "Never seen any tracks like this?" He adds in a baffled voice.
After looking at the wreckage in the house. "So... Someone was looking for something in here. Found it and took it. Something pretty heavy by the signs outside?"
He takes the lead and carefully checks both bedrooms, spear in hand. While covered by the others.
Kaldan notices that one of the boards is warped at an odd angle and has the potential to squeak or otherwise make noise. It could be easily stepped over or pried up.
Carefully exploring the bedrooms reveals a smaller bedroom in a similarly destroyed state. Two barrels have been rolled into the larger bedroom; one stands on end by a window. That barrel is empty, but the other remains sealed. Both barrels are marked as containing ale. The room is occupied by a hunched-over wretch with long, pliable arms like tentacles capped with five wide, spiny claws. Clearly, the beast is drunk and has been so for some time.
It staggers to its feet as the door opens, alarmed by the sudden intrusion.
Underground predators that often dwell on the outskirts of subterranean ruins or in the deep shadows of nameless cavern outposts, chokers lurk in the darkness and lash out with their long, rubbery arms to grasp prey as it passes by. They seldom attack multiple enemies at once, stalking their quarry until they can isolate a weaker victim from its pack.
Chokers walk with a disturbing, almost comical gait due to their extremely limber legs. Weighing only 35 pounds and standing no taller than a halfling, chokers have no problem skittering across walls and ceilings, often lodging themselves into shadowy corners, tunnel intersections, walls, or staircases. A choker will attempt to grasp creatures of almost any size, but prefers lone prey of its size or smaller.
Chokers appear to have little culture of their own, gathering only briefly to mate before their wanderlust and hunger spurs them again to a solitary existence. Their just-better-than-animalistic intelligence grants them a fascination with the trappings of society even if they do not truly understand it. Accordingly, the grubby lair of a choker (often situated in a difficult-to-reach nook or cranny) usually contains valuable objects such as rings, brooches, cloak clasps, and loose coins gathered from devoured victims.
This fascination occasionally compels a choker to abandon its subterranean home for a closer study of the sunlit world's many civilizations. These chokers feel most at home in the darkened narrow alleyways of human cities, squeezing themselves into sewers, forgotten alcoves, barrels, and similar cramped, overlooked spaces. Chokers prefer to keep hidden during the light of day, emerging from their hidey-holes undercover of darkness to hunt for food and cruel pleasure. Favorite tactics include using their long arms to scoop prey off the street from the safety of a nearby rooftop, attacking sleeping families by squeezing through an open chimney, or tapping on a window to bring their curious food within grasping distance.
"Besmara's boots! What is that thing?!"
Trieste has no idea what the hideous creature is, but she's pretty sure it's an unnatural creature. She has no compunctions about seeing it dead.
"Hell if I know?" Kaldan answers, deciding to deal with it before it has a chance to attack.
"Choker! Watch its reach!" Lara calls as she nocks an arrow to her bow and fires.
Kalan and Lara's quick attacks leave the creature bleeding and dying on the stained and filthy floor.
Before Kragg even had a chance to identify the creature it was already dispatched and the area safe. Ver rushes over no tries to stabilize the creature.
Heal check
That was impressive you 2. Quick work indeed. I am hoping that we can subdue and save the creature and ask it if it knows anything about what happened here.
Lara cautiously approaches the fallen creature, nocking another arrow to her bow. "I doubt you'll get anything of use out of the thing. They're barely smarter than a dog," she remarks. "There should be a nest or lair around here, though. It'll probably have a number of rings, brooches and other small, shiny objects in it. May be something useful there anyway."
The Taldan pauses. "Although....I suppose that empty barrel could have been where it was going to make its lair, and we found it before it had finished clearing the barrel out to use for its hidey-hole. Either way, that thing likes to sneak up on the isolated and solitary, then strangle them. I can't imagine it has been here long enough to find any prey if it is just now establishing a lair."
Thame followed after the others, his heart still racing even after the more martial of the group had already put the thing down. He had signed up for studying Azlantian runes and artifacts and helping to establish a thriving colony, not figuring out what had happened to the previous colonists as the local wildlife tried to eat and kill them.
Still, what was done was done. The wizard kept his crossbow at the ready in case something else should jump out at them, eyebrows furrowed. "I agree with Lara...if it just now has started to inhabit this area it likely does not know any information of value. And it's continued existence would be a danger to the colony." And more importantly, to us.
Kragg ponders what Lara and Thame tell him and he shrugs his shoulders ambivalent to the decision. You are probably right. I just don't want to miss something if given the chance. Speaking of which there is that floor board that looks odd. I have a crowbar in my pack outside. Let me go get it.
Upon returning he offers the crowbar to Trieste or Kaldan for use as he then looks at the feet of the creature. Do you suppose these feet match the tracks outside! If so then the barrels would be the other markings we saw outside.
Kaldan takes the crowbar and levers the floorboard up carefully. Opening it away from himself in case something comes flying out.
"Even if that thing can talk you're still going to have to let it sober up." He states while working.
Kragg gives Kaldan a chuckle as he goes over to the barrel of drink. I may have to tap into this and see how strong of a vintage it is. That would give me an idea how long it would take him to sober up. Perhaps once we are down with the rest of the exploration though.
"Are we sure that thing can even speak? And can anyone understand it if it does?" Trieste isn't shy about her distaste for this creature.
know dungeoneering for languages?
I can magically aid myself in translating his speech in the morning but it won't allow it to understand me. Looking at the rest, If you can tell me it does not have a language then by all means put it out of its misery now.
Thame strokes his chin in thought, searching the trove of knowledge he has stored for information about the strange creature they have subdued.
Not having recalled anything of note, but sharing Trieste's repulsion for the beast, he nods after a satisfactory amount of chin-rubbing. "Nope, no language that I know of." It wasn't really a mistruth, it was just said with the bold confidence of someone who knew these things.
Sense motive ahaha
Kragg listens to the council of Thame wh said there wa son languages or speak of. Very well then we should end the threat now then.
Kaldan raises an eyebrow while working at the stubborn floorboard, but doesn't say anything. He can't see any reason to keep this creature alive in the first place?
You discover concealed underneath the floor a +1 longsword with a grip wrapped in green leather and gold wire, glowing with a pale emerald light as per the spell light.
"Oh, that's nice!" Kaldan says in admiration. Taking the Longsword out and showing it to everyone.
The scholar rubs the dark stubble on his chin again as he studies the faintly glowing sword. "That weapon has Azlanti origins. Surely it was found by the colonists, but if so, why hide it?"
There was definitely something strange going on here. The note they had found was troubling enough, and now hidden caches? Thame had worked with the Company for a while now, but was beginning to think a long, safe career in some library might have been the better choice.
Lara shrugs. "Chokers might 'speak' in the same manner a dog or cat speaks, but I don't know whether they know a language we'd understand."
Returning to the main room where the others have dug up a magical sword, the Taldan archaeologist gives the blade a curious appraisal. "Interesting. That blade has to be ancient. Could the choker have been dragging it around with it?" she ponders. Heading back outside, she adds, "No matter. We should keep searching. Toward town?"
Without much fanfare Kragg drags the choker out of the house and a ways away, but still a safe distance from the others, and promptly puts the choker out of its misery. Upon returning Kragg takes back his crowbar. The choker is dead and won't bother us anymore. As for that long sword...that is a nice piece of equipment. Kaldan I think would be the most useful to wield it.
Unstrapping his shield he offers it to Kaldan as well. If you are taking her sword then take my shield as well. It will give you some much needed defense. If you don't mind me borrowing your spear I can use that just as easily. If we figure out what is going on here and the smithy is still in decent repair I have some tools on the Peregrine that I can use to make a larger shield for you if you want.
once the decision with the new equipment is decided Kragg will follow Lara back outside to take a look at the rest of the area.
Lara shrugs. "Chokers might 'speak' in the same manner a dog or cat speaks, but I don't know whether they know a language we'd understand."
Lara pauses to glance at Thame through narrowed eyes. We both know that's not true, she thinks, and then heads toward the other dwellings nearby.
Thame gives Kragg an appreciative look. He didn't necessarily have a phobia of being choked to death by a disgusting beast on a desolate isle. No more of a fear than he had for any other method of gruesome death, anyway. Shouldering his crossbow, he lets his silence voice his agreement with the cleric's assessment that Kaldan would be best served with the blade.
The wizard shares a glance with Lara, expression sketchy as he notices the comely woman's less than enthusiastic gaze pointed towards him before nodding sagely at her suggestion. "Town does seem a good next step. Perhaps we'll find more pieces to the strange puzzle before us." Then, like a good magician, he waits for one of the more martial types to proceed before following, eyes flitting about. He couldn't have someone's back without being behind them, could he?
Kaldan nods, handing Kragg his Longspear (Cold iron), he straps on the shield and tries out a few swings with the longsword. "Oh, this feels wonderful." He says happily. "Never thought I'd get my hands on a weapon like this so soon."
He sets off in front when everyone has decided where to head next.