"Well, if Proudstump is an halfling of his word we should have a dry spot to sleep in this night. And if we are lucky Koya may have joined him too, I agree. Otherwise we'll have to search for her tomorrow, night is falling and we need shelter"
Survival check (to determine if the water is safe to cross):
Almar -
Lisabett -
Raziel -
Sorin -
You walk through the water carefully. It comes no father than your waist, so you are able to keep a few things dry by holding them aloft.
You reach other side and approach Proudstump's home. As you draw near, the door swings open, and the halfling stands before you, bow drawn.
"Who comes?!"
"Travelers," Lisabett answers wearily. "Victors of the Licktoad compound, captors of the goblin Chief Gutwad, men and women bearing naught but filth and dragging tired and aching bones to your 'keep this night, Warden," she continues with an air of ritual. "We humbly petition your hospitality."
"Friends, you return!" Walthus lowers his bow. "Are hurt? You say you have a captive?"
"Ask the captain if we detain him," Lisabett replies and moves closer to the house.
Lisabett pulls her skirt up on one side of her long legs, gathers the cloth and rings out the swamp water, then ties it in place about mid thigh, then repeats the process on the opposite side before sliding what remains of her arms and her gear off her back and leaning it against the house. She leans over and begins unlacing her boots, wishing to dry her sodden feet.
"I searched the mud for track of the dead men," she reports while she dries, "but found nothing. Tomorrow's weather will be favorable to track, we can hope," she continues, "although Mother Koya's skill at evading leaving them behind thus far has been... infuriating," Lisabett freely admits and sighs.
"Captain?" Walthus Proudstump looks confused. "Ye said 'goblin chief', or was I hearin' wrong, ai? Offer is standin', of course, for ye to rest here any time, but there ain't ever been a goblin inside these walls and I be intendin' to keep it such."
Lisabett glances about, wondering if and when Sandru escaped from their group. When did he...
"Gutwad was marched to Sandpoint by my companions, we brought no goblins to your door, Warden. Nor would I," Lisabett answers and kneels down. She was not exaggerating when she reported that she was weary to the bone, she reaches out to stabilize herself by placing a hand on the soggy earth.
"If it is of no... consequence to you, sirs, I would like to take the morning watch. And an hour... to... to observe."
Raziel slogs through the water, keeping close to Sandru, ready to offer aid if needed, but allowing him to make his own way.
On the other side, Raziel follows the group.
"Let me see your wounds, Lisabett," he says, as she kneels on the ground. "And yours too, master Proudstump. I will see what my skills and prayers can do for you tonight."
"I have known worse wounds," Lisabett replies wearily to any offer of healing. "I will have a new set of scars, but... that is permanent," she concludes in a whisper.
Lisabett looks to Brother Holheim finally, and offers a weak smile. "Although, if there were something in the swamp filth that would affect my abilities to contribute to our search, I would know it."
Sandru is still with you, standing beside Sorin.
Proudstump looks at Raziel graciously. "Thank ye, friend. But enough jabberin'. Let's be gettin' ye all inside."
He invites you in. The house is warm and welcoming. "I don't have a bed for each of ye, but there's room upstairs, and bundles of blankets, kept dry for just such a happenin' as this. I'll be cookin' up a stew fast as I can for all of ye. Truth told, I'm glad to have ye tonight, what with what I been through of late. Been lookin' out the window into the dark about five times to the hour. How I spotted ye comin' up."
Lisabett acknowledges Proudstump, thanks him for his hospitality, then jogs upstairs.
She takes a blanket, then will apologize softly and close the door for a few moments, and emerge wrapped in two blankets, carrying her wet clothing.
Lisabett returns wrapped in two blankets, one effectively tied around her bust and quite a bit of her long legs from what it does not cover, and a second draped around her shoulders. More tattoos can be seen to decorate her chest beneath her collar bone, and there are the beginnings of more, simply outlines on her left leg as well. In the light of the home, it is not difficult to make out that her scaring is not limited to her arms. She hangs her dress from any convenient chair, hook, or even door knob near the fire to dry, then politely excuses herself to observe the spheres.
She isn't here...why would she be? Koya, I hope we do not have to bear your doom on our shoulders.
"I'll take first watch if nobody minds," Sorin says with disappointment etched in his voice. "I don't think I'm unwound enough to sleep right now anyways."
When Lisabett moves to exit the house, Sorin will lightly grab her arm.
During his watch, Sorin will keep his Detect Evil going focuing on the main entrance to the house and the water. He'll check in on Sandru at least once and Lisabett a few times depending on how long she's out there. On one occasion, it appears as if he'll move out to talk to her but in his own weariness he does nothing. Or perhaps his courage simply fails him.
Lisabett's eyes narrow when Sorin reaches for her, but understands in the next moment when the rush of magical healing prickles her skin that he means no harm by the action. Disarmed, and fatigued, she whsipers a word of thanks, and continues out the door.
Outside, Lisabett gathers her bedroll from where she left her things, and rolls it out in full view of the house before kneeling upon it, tilting her head back and gazing at the spheres.
Lady, you guided us here in Your wisdom, for much needed respite. As you hold us in your breast, also hold the Mother, Koya, Lisabett prays. And please, Lady, if Your errant child were known to You, send his family a dream and let them know of his passing.
"No man should be forgot."
Lisabett remains still for a very long time, watching the spheres pass above, as though in a trance. Her lips move occasionally, but unless one comes exceedingly close, no sound leaves her lips until after an hour has passed, when she lowers her head and begins to sing.
0 Create Water, Mending, Purify Food and Drink
1st Entangle, Feather Step (Domain) Obscuring Mist
Proudstump -
Lisabett will think upon and create water for the very first time, and after no small amount of confusion to be drawing upon celestial/nature magics from a much different source, will channel a fair amount to wash the swamp filth from herself, her hair, and her clothes. She'll sleep wearing the blankets if it means she has cleaner clothes to wear in the morning.
The dangers of the swamp to not encroach upon your resting place, but the night does not pass without a strange occurrence. All five of you share a single, disturbing dream:
Your foot catches, and you fall. Sharp rocks cut into your hands and knees. You push yourself back up, with difficultly, and as you rise, you notice that there is light around you. The cavern walls are caked in blood, and a small figure is hunched before you. It is an old woman, on her knees and sobbing. She turns to look at you, and you see that it is Koya.
You snap awake, simultaneously.
"Captain!" Lisabett hisses, and throws open the door. "Captain!" she says again, desperate.
"Warden! Please," she cries, gathering her wits. He cannot be far, he cannot! "There is a cavern near, you must know of it. It cannot be far, it... it was still dark. They could yet live!"
"What?! Blazes! What are ye yellin' about?" Walthus Proudstump nearly trips over himself running to Lisabett.
A moment later, Sandru emerges from his door, half-dressed, and stumbling as he fastens his sword belt. There is fire in his eyes.
Lisabett quickly averts her eyes from the captain, going so far as to lift her hand to shield them from the sight, and looks to Warden Proudstump.
"My Lady Desna sent a dream," she begins to explain. "Someone, perhaps capable of tracking... Mother Koya," she continues, pausing for a moment to consider how best to present what she had seen without stirring the others to panic . "They are in a cavern, and they are in danger.
"And something or someone caused me to fall asleep on watch," she admits after a beat, sadly.
Sorin wakes from the dream in a panic. Fool! Idiot! You knew there was no time to waste and you stopped anyways!By the fires of the nine Hells it will be on my head if anything has happened to her!
He rushes out of the room and says, to anyone to happens to be around, "Koya's in danger! I've just had some kind of sending in the guise of a dream. We shouldn't have stopped! I shouldn't have...we need to hurry, there's no more time to waste! Warden, where is the cave you spoke of earlier?"
Without waiting for an answer, he rushes out the door where he will, impatiently, wait for everyone else. He seems a bit wild around the eyes and is muttering to himself,
Proudstump's eyes are wide with surprise. "I'll take ye to it this minute, friend, but ye don't want to be goin' in there."
Sandru looks up grimly. His eyes are cold. "But we will be."
Hearing the hubbub and waking from the dream, Alazandaru is slow to arrive to the discussion- but when he does, he is armoured and enters the room while slipping freshly sharpened daggers into his wrist sheaths. He says not a word, but already expects the group to be heading out to find Koya.
Lisabett nods when Alazandaru arrives, and moves closer to him so that she only has to whisper to be heard.
"I have magics which will assist you to move unimpeded in difficult areas. You may not agree, but I would prefer you to have the freedom to move ahead than the Captain."
Too sleepy to grasp the reasons why Lisbett is whispering, Alazandaru simply nods in agreement to her to help with the quiet communication.
Proudstump sighs. "Can't be talkin' tall folk out of nothin', brave as they like bein'." he mutters audibly.
"Let's be headin' off then. Grab what ye need and we'll be gone."
Lisabett will bring two blankets with her. Having lost the spear, she has adequate strength to bring them along, to make Mother Koya and whomever it is that is with it comfortable, when we find them.
Sorin is already outside impatiently waiting for the rest of the group. He already has all his belongings and is pacing back and forth in an agitated state.
Awaking from the dream, Raziel fights down his panic, and starts to prepare for the day ahead.
'Truely Koya,' he thinks, 'What are you mixed up with now? Must you always rush off, leaving others to chase?'
He meditates for Sarenrae's guidence and help for the coming day, choosing the blessings that he might need.
Afterward though, his panic about Koya starts to rise again, and he has to concentrate to keep from rushing off without the others.
He steps outside to join Sorin, finding Sorin's frantic pacing somehow calms his mind.
"There was a bit of a map on the fan we found," Raziel comments to Sorin. "That might lead to the cave in question."
He pulls out the fan in question, and peers at the markings on the back.
Lisabett watches Sorin pace while she lashes the blankets to her pack, draws out a pack of rations, and begins carving slices of cheese and from the dark, oaty bread.
"Sorin," Lisabett says as she approaches, and extends the bit of food. "You must eat something. Everyone," Lisabett looks to the assembly, "even if you must eat while we march, do so. The moisture in the air, seems almost nothing when it is hardly warm, but it will drain your strength. We do not know what enemy lies ahead of us, they have the advantage of knowing the terrain, let us not inhibit ourselves by rushing in completely unprepared."
Damnation! We need to move faster or Koya my die on my watch! I can't let that happen!
Almar says nothing wearing a scowl of grim determination while getting out of the house amred and ready to go.
The fan has a crude drawing that looks somewhat like the view of the swamp from the bluff. There are a number of red Xs marked on it. One along the southern curve of the cliff, and two within the body of the marsh, at least as best as you can discern.
"We need to move." Sandru speaks with harsh determination.
"I be sensin' that!" Proudstump answers. "And so we be settin' off!"
You move quickly through the swamp, following Walthus Proudstump. Your path last night must have been a good one, for he seems to retrace it almost exactly. It is not long before you come to the base of the familiar cliff. The halfling leads you along it until you come to the trail you descended last night.
It is then that he notices the tracks of the undead.
"Blessed Desna!" He whispers, urgently. "What manner of...? These marks...never seen anythin' of the like!"
"The goblin chief, he... spoke of dead men, and brother Holheim confirmed that these were made by the undead," Lisabett answers. "The... remains wore arms that are unknown to me. Although, I recognize very few."
Lisabett pushes her hair back from her face, tracing the pink scar beneath her left eye with her fingertips, and crouches beside the track to confirm the Warden's findings, and possibly, to recognize if there are any other beside them.
["Sorin," Lisabett says as she approaches, and extends the bit of food. "You must eat something. Everyone," Lisabett looks to the assembly, "even if you must eat while we march, do so. The moisture in the air, seems almost nothing when it is hardly warm, but it will drain your strength. We do not know what enemy lies ahead of us, they have the advantage of knowing the terrain, let us not inhibit ourselves by rushing in completely unprepared."
Sorin blinks blankly for a few moments, as if his mind were far away and was taking a long time returning. He turns and looks at the food for a little bit before he takes it and mumbles, "Yes..of...of course you're right." He seems oddly ashamed. He eats the food but keeps his eyes averted from Lisabett
Sorin grimaces at the sight of the undead tracks. This is hardly suprising though...
He brings up Detect Evil and will keep it up unless something breaks his concentration. If we're moving too quickly for that, he'll bring it up at periodic intervals whenever possible.
Lisabett's eyes widen briefly when Sorin turns away from her. "I am sorry, sir," she apologizes softly, and then pulls the loose portions of her blonde hair over her scarred face.
Proudstump harumphs. "I ain't about to be abandonin' ye now, but what ye might be thinkin' headin' to such a place as we're goin', I can't get a hold on. Whoever this Koya ye mention might be, must be important to ye. Ye can be sure I honor that, ai."
Proudstump continues to lead you. Some time passes before he signals for you to stop. He points to the cliff face that you have been walking beside. In the southern part of swamp, its face is a thick tangle of jutting rocks and bright green vines and nettles.
"There."
Following his finger, you notice that a curtain of the thick nettle vines partially conceals a cave opening at the base of the cliff.
Without, though I prefer it not, there is life. Within, pain and blood. But also the Mother Koya and... whomever Desna lead to find her. Both within, and very likely immobile.
Lisabett rubs her lips together, then frowns. "Have... have we any reliable method of drawing our enemy out of the cavern that would not put Mother Koya and... the other in danger?"
"The undead follow commands, and not their own wills," Raziel replies. "I would not think that they could be tricked into coming out, and I do not want to wait for them. Best if we move to the cave, and attract their attention."
Raziel hunts along the path for a stout piece of wood, making a club.
"I do not know what we will face in there, but I have heard that blades do not cut the bones of some undead well."
"I think we should get in immediaqtely. Every second we waste is possibly a second of Koya's very own life"
Almar has his pistol in hand and motions the others to follow him inside the cave
"Restrain yourself," Lisabett hisses in response to Alamar, sparing the barest of glances for Sandru. "Think you I have no concern for the lady? Quick blood scarcely allows for a calm, informed response to a known threat, and I would remind you that there are two persons within which require our aide."
Lisabett exhales heavily and pushes forward.
Put some light on us, spellcasters. If we had the luxury of time i'd scout ahead but as it is... We must be the fools who rush in!
Raziel casts Light on his buckler.
"At least keep close together," he says as he prepares to enter the cave. "And watch for the vines and nettles, they may cause injury if forced."
Almar pays no heed to Lisabett's words and continues going on. As he does he speaks without looking back.
"Would you move and be quiet, please? We have no time and no options left unless we want to run away and I know we are not taking the yellow belly route... so let's cross our fingers and get ready to lay some corpses to rest!"
Then the gunslinger whispers to Alazandru "Can you check for traps? I hear these kind of places are rife with those..."
Lisabett's fingers twitch and her eyes cover over with frost, and her next breath mists on the humid air.
This aurochs will not heed counsel, the knight will not see me, and the rake believes me a murderer. Desna could not have chosen this path for me, it is some trick of the wasp b*tch.
Lisabett does not rise to Alamar's bait. At the entrance to the cavern she casts and touches her quiver. She will not move forward unless bidden, and only does so at comfortable distance from Alazandaru so that she could aide him with if appropriate.
Alazandaru strides in swiftly, making no attempt to remain hidden.
Sorin winces as Alazandaru moves into the cave but moves quickly to back him up. He keeps his Detect Evil up as he moves in.
Sandru draws his sword from its scabbard. "Bickering will profit us nothing." He moves up to join Alazandaru and Sorin.
"Wait," Lisabett says to the others as they approach the entrance. "Nature is cruel, something blocked the light for Mother Koya's pursuer."