KC's Age of Worms

Game Master Kobold Catgirl

Carina walks over to Spiny and pats his muzzle, trying to calm the distressed dinosaur. "It's okay, Spiny. We're here for ya."

Handle Animal?: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

"Now, I don't believe any of us got your name, miss...?" She turns back to the elf lady.

"I'm Farrukh, by the way."

Spiny seems assuaged, but still a bit stressed. He starts sniffing the air.

"Anlathi Merilain." The elf smiles. "I manage the shrine here. Ygbin isn't here, but she's a very dear friend. She's quite good at seeing things."

"Rodrigo, darling," the nobleman says, stepping up to the elf and taking her hand. He offers it a light (chaste) kiss before releasing it. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Led here by a cat? What have I gotten myself into now?

Carina looks up from tending to Spiny. "The note we got said that you would be able to help us." She nods at the corpses still tied to Spiny's back. "Specifically, the girl."

"What is it, Spiny? What's wrong?" She whispers to the dinosaur. She feels somewhat silly after doing so. ...how, exactly, is he supposed to tell me? I can't speak 'dinosaur'...

The last of the wax boils removed from his face and wadded up in his hand, Eben cocks his head to the side. "You've been waiting a long time? Um... how long are we talking?" I thought we were here about what went down yesterday...? He steps away from the shying Spiny, leaving the dinosaur to Carina's more experienced handling. "Pardon Spiny, he's been having a rough couple of days. His... owner? Partner? Master? I'm not sure there's even really a term for it... is one of our friends that died yesterday."

"Rodrigo, darling," the nobleman says, stepping up to the elf and taking her hand. He offers it a light (chaste) kiss before releasing it. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Led here by a cat? What have I gotten myself into now?

Anlathi goes red, pulling her hand back. "Um...thanks. You're new, aren't you?"

Carina looks up from tending to Spiny. "The note we got said that you would be able to help us." She nods at the corpses still tied to Spiny's back. "Specifically, the girl."

"Yes!" Anlathi snaps to attention. "Ygbin saw your friend Astraden. Or her body, anyway. I asked her to keep an eye on you after she told me you were back in the city. I can bring Astraden back, and I won't charge for the casting fee, either."

The last of the wax boils removed from his face and wadded up in his hand, Eben cocks his head to the side. "You've been waiting a long time? Um... how long are we talking?"

"Only four days. Nogwier's owl arrived a day before you did, and then...well, I wasn't sure how to approach you."

"Pardon Spiny, he's been having a rough couple of days. His... owner? Partner? Master? I'm not sure there's even really a term for it... is one of our friends that died yesterday."

Anlathi frowns. "You mean you lost more than one? I'm so sorry. I...I can give the same deal to your other friends—if you pay for the components, I'll bring them back."

She looks at Spiny. Crouching, she makes crooning and grunting noises, beckoning. Spiny stares at her, then hesitates, glancing up at Carina and the others.

"How long will that take?" Tanith asks recalling the ritual to bring Carina back. "There's some bad stuff going on and we really need her back."

"Do you speak, uh, speak dinosaur?" he adds after watching the exchange with Spiny in confusion.

"Contrary to the beliefs of some, dinosaurs are not dragons. They're something much greater than that. You'll find most druids can 'speak' with beasts, to some extent." Anlathi doesn't break eye contact with Spiny. "Casting materials are easy to find here in Greyhawk. That part shouldn't take more than an hour."

"Only an hour? Yes, do it! We'll get the coin together. How much is it?"

"I'll need one thousand gold orbs per casting. And the process itself takes about an hour, too, just so you know."

Tanith ponders the situation. Cuetzpalli was his brother in Kord but Astraden would be able to help them sort out the treasure they'd recovered from the doppleganger's lair so they'd have more funds to work with. He hated that he had to make a decision like this.

Sorry Cuetzpalli, you're up next.

Retrieving a few gemstones and a small sack of coins, Tanith provides the requested funds. "This should be it."

Anlathi doesn't take the funds yet. "Hang on, I didn't just contact you to hand out free spells. I need something in return. I need a favor."

"What is it?" Tanith asks suspiciously.

Carina pats Spiny on the head. "It's okay, Spiny. She's a nice lady."

"Now, what's this favour you need?" She turns to Anlathi, still resting one hand on Spiny's head.

"Are they really free spells if we're paying all of the expenses?"

Eben weighs the options in his head. "I guess this is the best way of getting everyone back in one go..." Otherwise it would just be Astraden first and then we'd have to wing it from there... "Maybe we can swing the guild payout into that Norebo priest just casting the restorations after the fact for everybody. I hope everyone's fine with waking up in a new body, though. I mean, if Cuetz comes back as a orc or something, will Spiny get confused and try to eat him?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Carina folds her arms. "And I'll do what I can to help them adjust to their new bodies."

Rodrigo Dantares wrote:

"Rodrigo, darling," the nobleman says, stepping up to the elf and taking her hand. He offers it a light (chaste) kiss before releasing it. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Led here by a cat? What have I gotten myself into now?

Anlathi goes red, pulling her hand back. "Um...thanks. You're new, aren't you?"

"New? No...I'm twenty five years old. I did just meet these barbarous adventurers though."

"Wow. How tactful." Carina narrows her eyes at Rodrigo. "You know, not everyone is cut out for the adventuring life--but, then again, I imagine the choice to live this way was an easy one for you."

Despite it coming from an unwanted source, Tanith beams at the compliment.

Barbarous? Barbarians are favored by Kord!

"Wow. How tactful." Carina narrows her eyes at Rodrigo. "You know, not everyone is cut out for the adventuring life--but, then again, I imagine the choice to live this way was an easy one for you."

"I am here through enormous amounts of personal irresponsibility. I hope that such a lovely creature as yourself wouldn't hold such a fall from grace against me though. I would be simply mortified," Rodrigo replies to Carina, making an expression of mock dispair.

"And even upfront about it. I'm almost impressed." Carina isn't especially moved by Rodrigo's 'despairing' expression. "I'd be even more so once we have a chance to see you in action."

Carina pats Spiny on the head. "It's okay, Spiny. She's a nice lady."

Spiny slowly pads over to the elf and lays down, grumbling. Anlathi remains hunched, placing a hand on the dinosaur's head, and frowns. "This beast has been adventuring with you a long time, hasn't he?"

"Now, what's this favour you need?" She turns to Anlathi, still resting one hand on Spiny's head.

Anlathi looks up. "I have a problem. M-Midnight's Muddle has a problem. Have any of you heard about the fire at the Kordian shrine?"

"Spiny? Month or two, I'd say. Don't know how long Cuetzpalli had him before we started raiding cults, tribes, and gangs, but he's definitely gotten bigger over the past month alone." Eben says, kind of impressed by how well Spiny is taking to a stranger.

"Many druids and beast trainers make the mistake of keeping one animal too long. They become too attached to it, and forget that even the most basic of creatures can suffer emotional stress." Anlathi pets Spiny's head softly as she sits down in the lotus position. "A beast raised into constant violence needs time to rest and relax. That's why druids release their companions from service from time to time."

She scratches under Spiny's chin. "When your friend returns, he might consider finding a new ally for a while. I or any other member of the Old Faith would be honored to look after such a creature."

"I have a problem. M-Midnight's Muddle has a problem. Have any of you heard about the fire at the Kordian shrine?"

"I've heard something about it..." Carina shrugs and walks next to Spiny. "Tanith and I were planning on investigating it ourselves at some point."

"When your friend returns, he might consider finding a new ally for a while. I or any other member of the Old Faith would be honored to look after such a creature."

She turns to Spiny and looks the dinosaur in the eye. "What do you think, Spiny? You've been a very good boy all this time--I'd agree with her. You've earned yourself a vacation."

"I've heard something about it..." Carina shrugs and walks next to Spiny. "Tanith and I were planning on investigating it ourselves at some point."

"I don't suggest you two try it alone. There's something seriously wrong here. Vermin have crawled where they shouldn't be." Anlathi grimaces. "When you're ready to look into it, come and talk to me. Nogwier said you're good people, so I'll take you at your word."

Now she does take the money. "I'll head out and buy the materials at once. Leave the body here."

Tanith frowns at the suggestion that there's something bigger afoot but tries to put it aside for now.

"We'll look into it alright", the big man confirms. "Right after got our friends back and our current problem's dealt with."

"I'm surprised you're so calm right now. Haven't you been itching to look into that since we got here?"

"By the Brawler you know I have been but I'm more interested in the monsters that killed our friends right now."

The druidess heads off to buy the materials, leaving the adventurers alone at the shrine.

"So what do you know about the fire at the Kordite shrine?" the big man asks while they wait for the head druidess to return. "You think it's more than an accident. I spoke to the man that keeps the new shrine in order, he's a generous little halfling. He seemed so sure it was nothing to worry about."

Are you asking Carina?

Having reread that whole sequence I realize I was wrong but I totally thought there was a second druid or druid-type at the shrine.

Tanith quickly realizes that he's mostly talking to himself.

"I know it burned down, and that's about all." Farrukh says, eyeing Tanith like he's a crazy man.

"Well, she said 'vermin'. You think she was talking metaphorically or literally? Like, are elemental fire rats a possibility?"

After an hour, the druidess returns. The bag that once held gold now holds vials of exotic oils—and one with what looks suspiciously like blood.

Anlathi lifts Astraden's body and carries it into the center of the shrine, where she lays it on the ground. The druidess begins pouring the mystical concoctions over the deceased priestess, rubbing them into Astraden's temples, neck, and belly, murmuring softly in a mysterious tongue.

Anlathi turns to the party. "If you wouldn't mind, I think Astraden might prefer some privacy for the next part."

Carina nods and respectfully backs away. "Of course."

I hope this turns out okay...

Any preferences on how you pass the time over the next hour?

"You guys want to come to Norebo's Temple and play some dice?"

"We should be here when she wakes up", Tanith suggests. "But I suppose we've got some time. What do you think Red?".

Feel free to post what you're returning from. I'm assuming Farrukh went gambling with some of the party, but it's not too significant.

A bit over an hour later, the group returns to the shrine. Anlathi is there on her knees, singing a repetitive song in the same mystical language as before.

What must be Astraden's body has been completely covered in grass, dirt and brambles. Nothing of her can be seen.

Anlathi doesn't look up as the heroes enter the shrine. Her hands are on the mound of plants and earth, giving off a pale green glow.

With a flash, the song ends, the glow suffuses the body, and Anlathi slumps to the ground.

Tanith returns with one arm wrapped around Carina and the other holding a fistful of wooden skewers loaded with savory fried meats.

"Astraden, can you hear us?" the big Kordite asks. "Should we, uh, dig her up?"

The brambly knoll shudders and slowly falls to pieces as something inside it stands. Garbed in mud and leaves, a tall creature steps out of the cocoon - something with protruding fangs, oily black hair, and pointed, ash-colored ears.

Wiping the dirt from her eyes, Astraden growls, "Where am I?" Hearing her voice, she grunts in surprise. "What am I?"

Carina munches absentmindedly on her steak skewer as she returns to the shrine. By the time the ritual is complete, her first one is picked clean.

Her eyes widen and she drops her skewer to the floor as she sees Astraden... well, in the body of a half-orc. She feels a major pang of guilt.

"...Astraden?"

Tanith's reaction is almost the opposite. Astraden had returned in the body of a brawny half-orc! Surely Kord had had a hand in creating her more perfect form.

"You're back", the big man explains. "And you're you. I think."

"Nice. You look like you, but a little greener. Got lucky, I'd say."

Carina's lip quivers, and she moves to hug Astraden.

"OhgodsohgodsI'msosorryAstradenIdidn'tmeanforthistohappenI'msosorry--" She's crying and starting to become incomprehensible. She squeezes her eyes shut, but it's not stemming the flow of tears from them.

Having been banned from Norebo's temple long ago (a slight misunderstanding with a deck of cards that were most most salaciously accused of being marked...) Eben takes the hour of downtime to go over his transcribed copy of the 'doppelganger papers' and make sure he didn't miss anything while exhausted and nodding off in the wee hours of the morning.

When the time for the reincarnation reveal comes around, he's actually more than a little bit interested to see what comes out. Because if a dear friend is being miraculously reborn, why not make it a sporting event? Still, at the sight of the thing that arises, he softly mutters, "Oh..." We are not letting her know that we actually had an arrangement to raise her in place... "Well, that's a... new look for you..." he says, guardedly.