Eben waves his wand over the unconscious girl to staunch her wounds.
[dice=CLW]1d8+1
He then draws his sword and points it, a little inexpertly but still threateningly, at the spawn standing between him and Farrukh.
Tanith steps forward and rears back with his gore-caked poleaxe.
"Alessia, get out of there!"
"I've seen what happens to people who flee these things mindlessly, so, yeah, I'll take—"
Cuetzpalli rushes forward and hacks down one spawn. Tanith follows suit by hacking down the lizardspawn. Farrukh quickly exterminates the worm on him with one deft slice.
"—my time." Alessia blinks. "Or I guess I'll just get to healing myself."
She starts using the wand on her injuries.
The half-orc girl's eyes open as Eben heals her. Her eyes widen as she sees the dead spawns behind him. "Y—you saved me!"
She grabs the bard in a surprisingly strong hug.
All-in-all, roughly two-thirds of the village are alive in the "Brick", including Ma. The villagers are somber as they look over what remains of their town.
Carina breathes a sigh of relief and approaches her mother to give her a hug.
"Mom... I was sooooo worried about you!" Carina buries her face in her mother's shoulder and starts trembling. She's careful not to be too rough with her.
Glad to finally have rid herself of the spawn's fearful influence, Astraden runs up to examine the scene. She burns through her last reserves of healing, then pulls out the near-exhausted wand. She jabs Alessia with it while Carina hugs, finishing its magic.
"Hey Kullen," she says with a wave. "Sorry to see Navius go like that."
"Spell Trigger, Command Word, or Use-Activated Items
Activating any of these kinds of items does not require concentration and does not provoke attacks of opportunity."
Eben gives a reasurring smile at the girl. "Well, couldn't let those things grab one of my fans, right? I don't have enough of those...oof!" he cuts off as the girl throws her arms around him. "C'mon, let's go see if we can find your family..." he says when he can breathe, silently hoping that she'll have family left to be found.
"I'm getting real tired of these f&&#ing things showing up everywhere and killing people I can tolerate."
"You're not the only one," Ceutzpalli says to Farrukh. "We need to figure out how far they've spread and the original source."
"Hey Kullen," she says with a wave. "Sorry to see Navius go like that."
Kullen grimaces. "Least the bastard had the balls to finish himself off. Todrik was bad enough when he was alive."
"Mom... I was sooooo worried about you!" Carina buries her face in her mother's shoulder and starts trembling. She's careful not to be too rough with her.
Alessia blinks, eyes widening as Carina hugs her. "C-Carina? Is that you? You're...you're blue now."
Tears fill her eyes as she holds her daughter close.
Eben gives a reasurring smile at the girl. "Well, couldn't let those things grab one of my fans, right? I don't have enough of those...oof!" he cuts off as the girl throws her arms around him. "C'mon, let's go see if we can find your family..." he says when he can breathe, silently hoping that she'll have family left to be found.
The girl—whose name is Shia—looks down at the ground. "Got no family. Jes' me pa, that is."
Her father, a lanky human hunter, is one of the few hunters to survive. His arm is in a sling. Seeing Shia alive, he runs to her and picks her up with one arm. "Thankye, sir. We got sep'rated durin' the initial..." He shudders.
Seeing Carina reunited with her mother makes the big Kordite smile.
Tearing himself away from the happy sight, he turns his attention to Kullen.
”How did this all go down? We fought some of those things out in the swamp near the fort. We didn’t expect them to be out this far.”
Carina sniffs and looks up at Alessia, her deep blue eyes shining with tears of joy.
"*sniff* Yeah. It's me. The one and only, no baggage attached."
No Other Me to ruin things...
She blinks, clearing her eyes. "Mom, how are you? Did you get any worms on you?" She asks as she starts checking her mother over for any stray worms.
"Hey, just a pa's a family too. I'd a liked one of those when I was a kid..." Eben says calmly as he steers Shia through the crowd emerging from the brick house. The worries that he might need to tell her she's an orphan now evaporate when her father enters the scene. "My pleasure. I remeber from when I was in town before that she's really good at hiding, so I can see how she'd go missing." He fixes Shia with a glance both amused and admonishing. "Which is probably how you stayed safe as long as you did, right? Good job, but in the future, if there's danger, you stick with your pa." Returning his attention to the hunter, he asks, "What started this? We saw a dead lizard man with the... infected. Was that what brought the worms to town?"
Seeing Carina reunited with her mother makes the big Kordite smile.
Tearing himself away from the happy sight, he turns his attention to Kullen.
”How did this all go down? We fought some of those things out in the swamp near the fort. We didn’t expect them to be out this far.”
Kullen shrugs. "Hell if I know. All I know is, yesterday me and the gang was out looking for game when a lizard...thing jumps us. We fought it for what felt like half an hour, but we just couldn't do enough damage to bring it down and the thing kept mending. Wasn't so bad, except Navius couldn't heal us forever an' the thing wasn't slowing down. Finally, it managed to grab Todrik. Things went to s$~& after that." Kullen spits. "We ran like scared elves. Didn't even notice Navius fell behind until it was too late.
"We made it back, but that night, the creatures showed up. Started sneaking into houses. Took folks a while to realize what was up." He gestures to the damaged buildings. "Some of us tried to burn 'em up, but they just ran through the fire like worm-ridden devils. If Alessia hadn't've showed up, we never would've made it."
She blinks, clearing her eyes. "Mom, how are you? Did you get any worms on you?" She asks as she starts checking her mother over for any stray worms.
Alessia gives a weak smile, rolling her eyes. "Get off, you, I'm fine. We Vieras can take care of ourselves, am I right?"
"Hey, just a pa's a family too. I'd a liked one of those when I was a kid..." Eben says calmly as he steers Shia through the crowd emerging from the brick house. The worries that he might need to tell her she's an orphan now evaporate when her father enters the scene. "My pleasure. I remeber from when I was in town before that she's really good at hiding, so I can see how she'd go missing." He fixes Shia with a glance both amused and admonishing. "Which is probably how you stayed safe as long as you did, right? Good job, but in the future, if there's danger, you stick with your pa."
Shia sticks her hands behind her back, looking down.
Returning his attention to the hunter, he asks, "What started this? We saw a dead lizard man with the... infected. Was that what brought the worms to town?"
"Yeh an' no." The man gestures to Alessia. "The priestess can tell ye mo'."
Alessia looks over, releasing Carina. She sighs. "No, that one was my guide. Poor Kelwn. He was so afraid he'd not see his mate again. The plaguebearer was a member of an extinct lizardfolk tribe. Their shaman tried to investigate an egg plague—which reminds me, I think I know where the worms were coming from. It's not what we thought—they aren't from the swamp at all."
"Yeah. Courageous, I guess."
Astraden looks at her wand, trying to remember where she first got it. It's been part of her daily life for something like a month now, and yet she can't recall when exactly she picked it up. Maybe the Cairn? But she figures it doesn't matter, and snaps it in half. "Tanith, if you still have an extra one of these, I'll take it now."
Following Eben over to the crowd, Astraden speaks to Shia's dad. "Hey, are y'all gonna need help rebuilding? I could order you some materials in Greyhawk." She gestures west. "I've got a horse so it'd be pretty fast.
"Wait! My horse!"
Tanith offers up the wand he'd been carrying. "I don't think it's got much left either."
Carina bites her lip. "And... where are the worms coming from?" She asks, looking around at the gathered people.
She briefly glances at Tanith with a worried look in her eye before looking back to her mother.
Farrukh frowns at Kullen's lie, but doesn't say anything.
"Yeah. Courageous, I guess."
Astraden looks at her wand, trying to remember where she first got it. It's been part of her daily life for something like a month now, and yet she can't recall when exactly she picked it up. Maybe the Cairn? But she figures it doesn't matter, and snaps it in half. "Tanith, if you still have an extra one of these, I'll take it now."
Following Eben over to the crowd, Astraden speaks to Shia's dad. "Hey, are y'all gonna need help rebuilding? I could order you some materials in Greyhawk." She gestures west. "I've got a horse so it'd be pretty fast.
"Wait! My horse!"
Ma grimaces as she hobbles up. The old woman has a bandage over one of her eyes, though it doesn't sound like the injury is major. "Thankye, girl, but we don' need help. 'Sides, we prob'ly gon' hafta leave." She sighs. "Ain' safe no more, wit' the lizardmen fixin' fo a war an' us's best fightin' men in the dirt."
Carina bites her lip. "And... where are the worms coming from?" She asks, looking around at the gathered people.
She briefly glances at Tanith with a worried look in her eye before looking back to her mother.
Alessia pauses for emphasis. She looks at those assembled. "A dragon."
Tanith stares hard at the ugly half-orc as he tells his story. He gives him a look that says -you knew- but leaves it at that.
Hearing Alessia's explanation, the big Kordite nods as if it was the answer he was expecting all along.
"Not a dragon - the dragon. The same one that was working to turn the lizardfolk against the Free City no doubt."
"Told you we'd have to kill that thing. Do you know where it is, Mrs. Viera?" Cuetzpalli asks Carina's mom.
Astraden tries to locate Lynwerd.
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Eben debates momentarily whether he has it in him to deflate someone else's moment of theatricality, and then decides what the hell, why not.
Alessia pauses for emphasis. She looks at those assembled. "A dragon."
"Oh, you mean Ilthane?"
Carina shoots Eben a dirty look for deflating her mother's dramatic moment.
"Yeah. Courageous, I guess."
Astraden looks at her wand, trying to remember where she first got it. It's been part of her daily life for something like a month now, and yet she can't recall when exactly she picked it up. Maybe the Cairn? But she figures it doesn't matter, and snaps it in half. "Tanith, if you still have an extra one of these, I'll take it now."
Following Eben over to the crowd, Astraden speaks to Shia's dad. "Hey, are y'all gonna need help rebuilding? I could order you some materials in Greyhawk." She gestures west. "I've got a horse so it'd be pretty fast.
"Wait! My horse!"
Shia's father shrugs, shaking his head. "Stable go' burned good, but I think I saw your horse galloping back th' way ye came. Smart critter."
"I can track her down," Rastophan says, walking up. "Know the terrain. Won't take long."
"Oh, you mean Ilthane?"
Alessia blinks. "What."
"Told you we'd have to kill that thing. Do you know where it is, Mrs. Viera?" Cuetzpalli asks Carina's mom.
"So...you knew about it." Alessia rolls her eyes. "Oh, whatever. No, I don't know. Sounds like she moves around a lot, and if a dragon doesn't want to be found, that's generally the end of it. All I know is, she's not working alone." Her eyes narrow, the spoiled 'reveal' forgotten. "Someone's giving her orders—perhaps that Ebon Triad you've been tangling with. The Whispering Cairn branch was powerful, but I've heard ugly things about that cult in the Free City. Didn't the cultists you dealt with have something to do with those worms?"
"I'm not sure. One of the branches prophesied their coming or something but the other two didn't mention anything about them."
"Thanks!" Astraden (only half-facetiously) flips him a coin. "That's my last silver, so don't lose it. Folks say this is the only stuff that'll keep spawn down for good."
She turns to Ma. "I get that the place is pretty torn-up now, but we just sorta forged a sorta peace treaty with the lizardfolk. Going to get it all formalized in Greyhawk when we head back. And is Kullen really that bad a fighter?"
Ma frowns. "If'n you kin get that treaty, it'd be very well. We ne'er wan'd a fight wit' the lizard boys."
An hour or so later, Rastophan returns with Lynwerd. Once again, Ma offers the heroes rooms to stay in for the night, though now they must share those rooms with several smelly swampdwellers.
Kushak's club (3 lbs)
Exotic red scaly leather boots
Dirt-encrusted silver circlet
Shukak's potion
Shukak's amulet
Kotabas' hide armor (15 gp, 25 lbs) but
Kotabas' amulet
Kotabas' potion
Small masterwork composite (+4 Str) longbow
Magic belt
4 dark glass vials with potions
2 dark glass vials containing an orange fluid
2 dark glass vials containing a green fluid
Dark glass vial containing a red fluid
Astraden strokes Lynwerd's nose and stakes the horse far away from the burned buildings. She spends the evening assessing the damage, hoping to determine the materials the village will need for repairs (and casting a few spells to speed those repairs along).
At supper time, she seeks out Shia's dad and gives him a mass of polished (though bloodstained) steel links. "Can you take this to the Keep in the morning? It is a gift to one named, 'Marinn Limhaare.'"
Shia's father takes Astraden's armor, though he warns it will be some time before it can be easily delivered. With regards to Astraden's help, it's much appreciated, expediting the repairs of the less-damaged buildings massively.
The next morning, the group sets out. Alessia sticks around to help rebuild and tend to the sick, as she has little fondness for the Free City.
In the morning, after breakfast, Astraden leads Cuetzpalli to her room. "I haven't been getting much use out of this thing lately," she says, pulling the shield from her pack. "And you might need the protection, if we do hunt down the dragon." She hands it to him. "So, take it, please?"
Carina makes sure to give Alessia one last hug before leaving Lambere with the rest of the party.
Ma seems stubbornly unwilling to allow Astraden to give the town money, but Astraden estimates it would cost about 100 gp in supplies to rebuild the place.
In the morning, after breakfast, Astraden leads Cuetzpalli to her room. "I haven't been getting much use out of this thing lately," she says, pulling the shield from her pack. "And you might need the protection, if we do hunt down the dragon." She hands it to him. "So, take it, please?"
"Sure, thanks so much. I've been missing my old shield lately. I think I'm going to use the lizard king's trident instead of the axe. That way if I need to shield up, I can." Cuetzpalli takes the shield and sets it aside. Then he hesitantly darts in near Astraden and gives her the kind of hug one man gives another. Then blushing furiously, he grabs the shield and retreats out of her room.
Not wanting to upset Ma's sense of pride by forcing money on her, Eben slips some coinage to Alessia before leaving to be discreetly 'found' when needed in rebuilding Lambere.
That night, he seeks out Shia, and takes the time to teach her a few basic card tricks. "Now, these aren't real magic tricks, but it's still more than your friends will know how to do. And who knows, maybe in time, you'll figure out how to do stuff like this too..." He uses prestidigitation to make the king and queen of hearts make goo-goo eyes at each other. He leaves his 'normal' card deck with the girl when he leaves. (His set of marked cards, however, he doesn't even mention the existence of, having a reputation to uphold among the impressionable young of Lambere by now...)
"Sure, thanks so much. I've been missing my old shield lately. I think I'm going to use the lizard king's trident instead of the axe. That way if I need to shield up, I can." Cuetzpalli takes the shield and sets it aside. Then he hesitantly darts in near Astraden and gives her the kind of hug one man gives another. Then blushing furiously, he grabs the shield and retreats out of her room.
Astraden squeezes back, then, smiling, looks at her feet as he runs out. She finishes packing, marveling at how much lighter she feels without the steel mail (and snickering when she thinks of Marinn having to trudge around in it all day), then goes out to Lynwerd and saddles her up.
The journey to Diamond Lake takes three days.
Upon arrival, the adventurers find it rather...different. Most notably, the sheriff's office has been burnt to the ground. Many other buildings have been badly damaged, and several shops have broken or boarded-up windows. In addition, the party quickly notices that the men who worked for the mayor are nowhere to be seen. Instead, there are only two armed groups walking the streets: The men of the Garrison and the men of the church of St. Cuthbert.
The party's return sends murmurs through the town, and a crowd quickly forms around them as they make their way to Allustan's house. Not even the mage's home is unchanged—the meditative garden outside is overgrown, and the entire area is rather unkempt. Eben's horse stands within the fenced area, and he eagerly trots up to the bard when he notices him.