'Johns right, it is good cornbread.' Angus nods in agreement. "My friend John is right, It is good Cornbread. Where are my manners? I'm Angus Elphinstone my colleagues and I are the new Corps of Exploration. We have been sent by Colonel Swift to map out the new lands acquired by these United States in the war. As to what brings us to your ranch in particular. An officer Charles, we met him heading west from New Orleans, asked us to stop in and see how your doing." Angus smile widens, "Apparently your cornbread made an impression on him." He then nods in the general direction of the west, "He also thought your husband would be the best qualified to tell us what to expect west of here."
Tilda sets down her spoon before saying, "Corps of Exploration? I remember back when Lewis and Clark headed out to explore the continent. " Jack nods and says, "Charles sent you? He and a few other soldiers were stayin' here when a Mexica raidin' party tried to attack us. We managed to fend 'em off, but it was a hard few days. Glad to hear he's still thinkin' bout us old folks. Well, I can't say I know too much about the west. I haven't travelled too far beyond Texas." Dinner continues on a bit, before Jack speaks up again, "I have a bit of a favour to ask. There's a spring a few hours ride north of here. The water comes out all bubbly and it does wonders for our health. I ain't sure exactly what it is but there's some varmint up there makin' it hard to get to it, and these old bones ain't what they used to be. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, would ya'll folks mind dealin' with it? It'd really help out."
Sure we will! says Zaranna before remembering and looking to see if the other members of the party agree.
"Aye, of course we will clear that out if.... you make us more of this cornbread when we get back."
The night passes uneventfully, with the four of you spending the night in a large bunkroom off of the living room. Morning rolls around and Tilda makes eggs and bacon for breakfast before thanking you all for clearing out the spring. You ride for a few hours up a stream before reaching the spring. Several small streams come from it before converging on the larger stream you all followed. The spring rests at the base of a steep hill.
The chip an Kuruk's shoulder seems to fade a bit as he rides. Upon coming to the spring he dismounts Huera and looks about, checking for danger and for tracks. If all seems clear he lets his Buffalo take a deep drink after allowing everyone else to fill their skins.
Animals come to drink, predators come to hunt and drink themselves... Water is always a place for potential danger.
"Right, just like a saloon. Some come to drink and some come to 'hunt'."
John Thomas stretches and slips his shield onto his arm.
"I guess were the big predators out here now."
Zaranna keeps an eye out for drakes... and other things of course.
Angus sits astride Marion, his rifle resting across his saddle horn, looking towards the spring.
Kuruk, Angus, and Zaranna notice a couple of spiny lizard-like creatures lurking in the underbrush, tensing to attack!
Surprise round action is to dismount and draw her bow.
Angus dismounts Marion, rifle in hand, pushing the Gelding back, "Stay back Marion, no need to be in the way." He then lifts the springfield rifle and cocks the hammer.
swift action = animal aspect bull for a +2 to strength
Move action = retrieve bow knock
standard action = fire on one of the creatures
free action = Huera defend
Huera imposes herself between Kuruk and the creatures, she will hold her action for an enemy attack. Note Huera has an Int 3 thus my not using Handle Animal.
"Well now looks like some future boots."
One of the creatures runs at John Thomas, trying to bite at him.
Zaranna fires at one of the lizards.
"Aye that is enough of that."
Firmly planting his feet John Thomas jabs at the creature, twice in rapid succession.
"Hmm I must be getting soft."
"Huera get the other one"
Kuruk:
Huera:
As Marion moves away, Angus studies the nearing creature for a moment as he calmly raises the rifle and fires.
The creature to the southwest growls and attacks Huera, slashing at the buffalo with wickedly sharp claws before biting it. The creature next to John Thomas attacks him again biting and clawing at him.
Against Huera:
Against John Thomas:
"That is enough of that you beastie."
John Thomas calls on years of fighting to improve his chances of landing a blow and unleashes another flurry.
Dropping his rifle angus moves to the side to get a clean shot at the creature, drawing his pistol as he moves he shoots at the creature again. "Does anyone recognize these things?"
Kuruk:
Huera retaliates using smite:
Zaranna recognises these as chupacabras, although these particular specimens seem a bit tougher than average. The beast attacking John Thomas collapses with a screech as John lands a solid uppercut on the creature's jaw. The other, while injured by Angus' rifle and the combined efforts of Kuruk and Huera manages to soldier on. It bites Huera but her thick hide renders it's claws ineffective.
Chupacabras.
As the creature falls John Thomas brings a fist up, elbow to the side and drops to his knees as his fast thunks down on the fallen creatures skull.
Seeing it dead he gets up and turns to the other one.
'Chupacabras, I've heard of 'em never seen the varmint's before." Angus quickly loads his pistol and cocking both hammers, fires both barrels at the lizard-thing.
Kuruk:
Huera smite:
As arrows, bullets, and buffalo horns rip into the chupacabra the last of it's strength leaves it. It falls to the ground with a thud. The chupacabras have been defeated. The spring sits in front of you, along with chupacabra tracks in the soil.
John Thomas wipes off the worst of the blood, well what he can.
"Nasty little buggers."
reloading his pistol, Angus, lifts the dead lizard thing with the toe of his cowboy boots, "Nasty little things, do you recon there are more of 'em?"
He retrieves his rifle, and gathers up Marion's reigns and begins to look for tracks, "We should check for a nest and get rid of any others."
The spring is a mineral spring, with the unique property of producing carbonated water. Following the tracks around the hill you find a hole large enough for one person to squeeze through at a time.
"Hey, this is tasty. I suggest we all take a drink of this and maybe bring some with us. Should be fortifying."
John Thomas fills a waterskin with some of the spring water after a good long drink.
At the hole "Well.. I'm not much use at a range so I would offer to go first but I also don't see so well in the dark."
Zaranna takes a drink from the spring, as suggested, then she digs her torch and her trident out and jumps down the hole.
Zaranna crawls into the cave, and as her eyes adjust to the low light she sees something strange. On a large flat face of the cave wall there is something of a crude mural on the wall. Partly made from scratches on the wall and "enhanced" with dried blood, it depicts a reptilian beast with a vast fanged maw. A spiral sits in the center of its mouth, either depicting a tongue or something stranger. Littered at the base of it sit bones, tattered clothing, and several items of interest. There is a bow and a quiver of arrows, a set of leather armour, and a ring.
Zaranna pauses, trying to identify what the beast in the mural is:
She decides to gather the stuff and show it to her companions before venturing farther. She takes the bow, arrows, leather armor, and ring, and crawls back out of the cave.
She tells them about the cave and the mural, and asks
Does anyone have a way to tell if any of this is magic? It was all in front of what looked like a shrine.
Pointing the tracks out, Angus moves over to the water winking at John. "These tracks head off that way, we can follow them after I take a sip of this water." Cupping his hand Angus draws some of the water to his mouth. "Your right John, that is good. No surprise there, so far you have proven yourself to be an expert on quality beverages."
Angus follows Zaranna into the cave, pistol in one hand, bowie knife in the other. "I don't have any supernatural knowledge but that looks like bad medicine to me."
casting detect magic
also cure light wounds for huera
+4 so 9 back
John Thomas keeps an eye out around them until he sees the healing energies bolster Huera.
"Mate, any chance I could get a touch of that? I am still bleeding pretty good."
"I'll need to pray and call it. In the mean time let me patch you up.
You fought well but I could have entangled the beasts and then we could have taken them with bow and gun, not risking your life and Huera's.
It is good to fight well, better to fight smart. Though perhaps some of that is my fault for not making know my abilities and tactics. I am not fond of social situations, particularly in settlements."
calling a cure moderate in place of SNA 2
Kuruk is checking if the gear is magic
Zaranna does not recognise the beast as any she has seen. The bow and armour are magic, along with three of the twenty arrows.
Angus begins picking up the items on the floor, "We may as well bring these with us. What do you think this place is? Could the Chupacabras have made all this or was it something else?"
Zaranna puts on the non-magical ring to wear as a souvenir
She adds the non-magical arrows to her quiver, and then asks if anyone else uses a bow. If not, she carries the magical bow and arrows as well.
Then she re-enters the hole. If she is in time to hear what Angus has to say, she responds I don't know. Perhaps we will find out further in. I wonder who they have been either killing or stealing from to have these things.
John Thomas sighs when the healing energies was over him. "Much appreciated. Most my life I have had to let nature take its course so that is a nice change of pace."
Not much use for identifying magic items he figures that bit will work itself out.
Kuruk is filling his water skins with this special spring water. Then he is examining the Chupacobras. Are they wearing anything, are their hides or claws possibly good for skinning and curing? IF you need a survival or perception check let me know.
Kuruk thinks that he could make a dozen masterwork arrows from the spines of the creatures. The hide might be useful to sell, although this far out of civilisation it's hard to tell.