Indeed, Unrak and Zed have little luck at the Trading Post. Everyone has heard rumors about the Stag Lord, but nothing remotely helpful.
Jhod, perhaps due to his attachment to Erastil, is the most skeptical about this supposed 'Stag Lord.' "A group of evil monks and priests of a lesser-known goddess of hatred, extortion, and spite once dwelt on the northern shore of the Tuskwater to the south. I bet there are still cultists out there, and that they’re behind the sudden rise in banditry! Not some cruel caricature of Old Deadeye, certainly."
Ready.
Did we order a wand of CLW?
READY
28th Gozran
The group heads out the next morning, traveling west. You cross through the northern edge of the Narlmarches and come out the other side onto a broad open plain, setting camp on the edge of the wood.
29th Gozran
Surveying the nearby area is easy work, and you soon dive back into the forest. You encounter the Thorn River again and follow it until you come to its springhead, then trace its route back south. Late in the day, you come across the maggot-ridden body of a man, evidently a trapper, pinned and crushed by some heavy logs that were part of his own trap.
DV60
and LLV Scent
LLV
Taranis notes that the man's trap appears to have sprung prematurely. Further, the ropes that were binding the logs to their prior position appear to have been chewed through. The man likely died of blood loss, or else starvation.
Southwest seems good to me.
Any idea on what chewed it, or what ruined the trap?
"Unless we have compelling reason to revisit the Temple of the Elk, I agree that Southwest is our best bet."
Studying the ropes, Taranis surmises that the teetch that chewed through them were tiny, but beyond that he cannot determine the creature.
The team camps a ways away from the dead man and strikes southwest in the morning.
A dozen miles southwest of the springhead of the Thorn River, you discover two hotsprings that form the origin of yet another river, this one known as the Skunk River. The name is apt, for the hot pools give off the distinct smell of rotten eggs.
As you approach one of the pools, a pair of giant frogs croak for your attention!
+2 if Surprise
Round I
1. Taranis, Marc
2. Frogs
3. Zed, Augrym, Unrak
Taranis hangs back a bit, summoning nature's acerbic power, "Toth! Guard me!"
The cat's teeth begin to drip a caustic acid.
On my turn, draw my sword and shield.
Study target and knowledge check.
”It would seem a shame to waste our talents on mere frogs. I follow your move good leader friend Taranis.”
Taranis augments his companion, which growls to match the croaking of the frogs.
Augrym announces that they are, indeed, merely oversized frogs.
Round I
1. Taranis, Marc
2. Frogs
3. Zed, Augrym (will study target), Unrak
Marc sets himself up with room to swing.
The frogs, each comfortable in the water, lash out with enormously long tongues and try to drag the heroes to them!
MISS
HIT SUCCESS fail
Marc suffers nothing more than a tongue bath, but Augrym finds the frog tongue stuck to him! He barely keeps his feet and avoids a plunge.
Round I
1. Taranis, Marc
2. Frogs
3. Zed, Augrym (can change study target if desired), Unrak
Round II
1. Taranis, Marc
2. Frogs
3. Zed, Augrym, Unrak
Taranis hurls a sling stone at the closer frog
for
With a snap and point at Toth, the cat leaps into the water:
THREAT
for
Unrak casts back & forth between the 2 frogs. Seeing most of the group converging on one, and Marc engaged & tongue-tied with the other, he pulls out his bow and a Special Arrow, hoping to put this frog down quickly.
<--ha!!
Taranoth team up to score deep wounds on the southern frog.
Unrak fires a shot at the other and it, uhhh... explodes.
Round I
1. Taranis, Marc
2. Frogs
3. Zed, Augrym (can move if desired), Unrak
Round II
1. Taranis, Marc
2. Frogs
3. Zed, Augrym, Unrak
. Seeing the Redleaf brothers making good progress, and comfortable with the others, Zed offers a simple cantrip of caustic splashing upon the Anoura:
for
Zed burns a patch of frog skin! Toth's bite actually turns out to be deeper than it first appeared...
The frog twitches, then goes still!
Taranis immediately begins to give thanks to Gorzeh for the bountiful meal.
He prepares frog legs for a feast.
”I have never eaten legs of a frog before. Human cuisine is still quite weird to me but I thank you good leader friend Taranis for this bountiful meal.”
Unrak grunts Taste like chicken.
The Feast of Frogs is indeed bountiful! The remainder of the day, and the entirety of the 1st of Desnus, is spent mapping this western reach of the Skunk River.
Morning portends rain, although none has fallen yet.
The company follows the Skunk River southeast, and soon arrives back at the wary boggard's home. Once again, the boggard eyes you suspiciously and asks, slightly more tentatively this time, "Tar-ruce?"
Taranis casts a spell of Enhanced Diplomacy on himself before parlay. "Truce. Friends. Trade good for good. Can we learn about your home area?"
”All of my life, I have had no interest in diplomacy. Be respectful, live and die with honor. This is all I knew. I am learning so much from good leader friend Taranis and all of my compatriots.” Augrym says almost like he doesn’t know it’s not an inner monologue but sort of near the end of Taranis’ question.
Unrak snorts softly. Yeah, I never learned much about diplomacy either--never had to. I'm just here for when it doesn't work.
The boggard is surprised to understand Taranis's words, and manages to respond in kind -- still crudely, but decipherable.
"Me, Garuum, no want trouble. Garuum tell you about Kingdom and woods, then you go? Leave Garuum be, Garuum leave you be."
"Deal. If something threatens you, or your land, you will tell us?"
If yes, then Taranis will go about mapping with the party.
Garuum rubs his noggin with his mangled hand, looking confused. "How Garuum tell you if in danger? Garuum take slurk and defend Kingdom!"
Garuum is clearly uncomfortable with allowing you to map his miniature "Kingdom," but will let you pass to map the remainder of the area . In any case, he will happily tell you all about what he knows of the nearby stretches of the Narlmarches. He tells you about ruined temple to the northeast and the lair of a great boar to the east, both of which you have visited. He also tells you about a strange statue of an antlered man to the west, and the den of a pair of great tatzlwyrms downriver to the southwest.
I give our "ally" our thanks and once we have some separation so that he's not stressed, "Might I suggest we go after tatslwyrms first? We have a quest for such beasts. Zed, I know enough to understand that they are more your realm of expertise. Tell us what we should know."
Unrak doesn't verbally reply--just narrows his eyes, smiles slightly, and nods, adding a subvocalized growl.
Zed knows enough to note that tatzylwyrms are miniature dragons, akin in physical form to a linnorm, and possess a poisonous breath.
The Huntsmen make for the Tatzylwyrm den. As the sun begins to set and you start thinking about making camp, you come across a lone man standing astride your path. His clothes are worn and patched, and a thick stubble adorns his chin. He slaps the flat of a shortsword against his callused palm. "Evenin', travelers. There's a toll to take this road. A hunnerd crown apiece, and y'can pass."
A quick prayer to Gozreh and a command to Toth... Taranis looks at the man skeptically, but not cynically, "Friend, if you wish to tease, you should have asked for a more reasonable toll. I can appreciate an honest man's work, but The Stolen Lands require unity. Introduce yourself and join us for eveningmeal."
Toth sneaks off at his master's command and waits patiently...
Unrak lets his brother take the lead in talking. He tries to catch his other companions' eyes, and quickly mimics glancing around--he KNOWS that this isn't just one guy asking a ridiculous toll. He rumbles softly find the archers. this will get ugly
he starts calmly rubbing his neck, which coincidentally puts his right hand in easy reach of the sword strapped on his back...
Zed looks around for hidden archers, and shrugs his shoulder almost imperceptibly to encourage Aurora to take wing and scour the landscape for anything alive, but too big to eat.
"What the!" A sudden cry goes up from the bushes to the left as a tiger bumps unexpectedly into a bandit's groin.
The lead bandit smirks. "Talkin' outta both sides o' the mouth, eh? And 'eveningmeal' almost sounded tasty-like."
+2 if Surprise
Surprise
1. Toth
Round I
1. Bandits
2. Zed, Augrym, Marc, Unrak, Taranis
ROAR!
Toth's razor teeth clamp down on the hidden bandit's thigh. for
"YYRGGGHHH!" A pained cry joins the crunch of bone and sinew as Toth's jaws clamp down. The bandits fall to battle, with another pair coming from the trees to the right and swinging for Unrak. Blades ring against armor all around.
MISS
MISS
MISS
MISS
MISS
Marc calls down a blessing for his comrades.
Round I
1. Bandits (Red @ 4 dmg)
2. Zed, Augrym, Marc, Unrak, Taranis
Unrak rips his sword out of its sheath, and takes a deadly swing at Orange, bellowing THIS?!?! THIS is all you brought?!?!? Are you KIDDING???
"Not both sides of the mouth, we just know your kind! Are you pets of the Stag Lord?!"
Taranis casts a spell after he finishes speaking. His skin hardens and cracks into the bark of a willow tree. .