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Adroushan begins to gag and cough as he approaches the goblin-smelling man.
My good man! How about some manners! You smell as if you showered with goblins!
Adroushan waves his fingers around, creating an odor of oranges.
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Dashki seems very uncomfortable as you all approach him, as if being surrounded.
"No!" he yells loudly. "Lies! I was finishing dinner by the campfire when the wagon up in flames! ."
You can't tell if he's lying, but don't see anything to indicate he is. You see nothing out of the ordinary.
Josria raised an eyebrow at the man's antics. Even though, she couldn't tell if the man was lying or trying to hide anything, she continued to speak to him.
"But do you have any ideas to why the firrre starrrted? It is like Rrreja said, we arrrre just trrrying to be thorrrough."
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"Why would I know how the fire started? Why do you even think I set the fire!? That idiot burned a hundred candles in his wagon. Perhaps he got unlucky. We're in gnoll country. It was probably pugwampis."
Dashki is still very much defensive here, his eyes never on staying one person for long.
Josria was a bit puzzled by Dashki's actions. She had never heard of these Pugwampis before.
"Pugwampis? What arrrre they? Arrrre they allies of the gnolls?"
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Dashki nods to Reja and quickly answers.
"Terrible critters what crawled up from the Darklands below the earth. 'Jackal rats,' some folks call 'em, on the account of their pointed little heads. They worship gnolls as gods and infest their communities like rats. Wherever pugwampis go, bad luck is sure to follow. The gnolls hate pugwampis because of it, and try to kill them all the time. Bu they always come back. Perhaps their bad luck caused the fortune-man's candles to start a fire? Yes, pugwampis. I am certain it was pugwampis."
If you'd like, you may roll a nature check for knowledge of Pugwampis.
Adroushan, casually, walks a circle around Dashki, as the others question him. Absently caressing his aldori dueling sword, he stares him in the eyes without blinking.
"I see. So you believe these Pugwampis arrrre what caused the firrre that killed Eloais then, rrrright? Tell me, what is your interrrest in Lady Almah? Severrral of the otherrrrs have spotted you watching herrr tent quite a lot lately. Why is that?"
As she spoke to Dashki, she searched her memory to see if she recalled ever hearing of these Pugwampis, hoping that maybe by describing them, Dashki had jogged the catfolk's memory. But alas, she couldn't recall anything.
Nope. pugwampis seems like a made up word since you never heard of them.
"Lies!" he says at Josira menions his interest in Lady Almah. "I was hired as hunter and guard, so it is not strange that I watch out for her.."
Dashki grows more irritable until he waves you all off.
"Bah! I did nothing wrong! If you insist on all these questions, then bring my employer with you next time."
He stalks off towards camp, away from you all.
Josrai shrugged her shoulders and turned to look at the others.
"Well i don't know about the rrrest of you, but it seems that Dashki is cerrrtain that it was these Pugwampis that caused the firrre. I guess we take what we learrrned back to Lady Almah and see what she wants us to do next."
As she leads the others to Almah, the catfolk stops, however, and wonders out loud, "I wonderrr though: could these Pugwampis be anotherrr name forrrrr anotherrr crrrreaturrre? What type of monsterrr causes bad luck wherrrreverrr it goes?"
She scratches her head trying to think of the answers but is not able to come up with any. The sorceress motions the others to follow as they head to Almah and Garavel.
Upon meeting the merchant princess Josria explains what they found, "While many believed that Dashki set the firrre to kill Eloais as the gnoll hunterrr was jealous of the forrrtune tellerrr, thinking Eloais was too close to you and that Dashki is...um...attrrracted to you. Howeverrrr, severrral in the camp noticed that when the firrre starrrted, Dashki wasn't anywherrre nearrr the firrre. Also Dashki believes the firrre to be the worrrk of Pugwampis, a crrrreaturrre that can cause bad luck wheneverrr it goes and it seems to common in arrreas wherrre gnolls arrre. Of courrrse, none of us has everrr hearrd of a Pugwampis beforrre, so unless we find one, Dashki is the obvious suspect."
Almah takes in the information you give her, and thinks on it. She seems surprised at the mention Deshki might have an interest of her,but dismisses the thought almost immediately.
"If my expert is correct," she says, "the hills around here should be crawling with these pugwampis, or at least some sign of their passage. If what Dashki says is true, it should be easy for him to find one and bring it back to me...However..."
Almah turns to you all.
"As he is our best suspect in this affair, it would not do to send him out into the darkness alone. I'm afraid that your investigation is not yet at an end. Go out into the desert with Dashki and find me one of these pugwampis.."
Adroushan bows to his employer.
We shall escort our good man into the dry desert. What could go wrong in such an...uncivilized environment.
Josria nodded and bowed to Almah, saying, "Underrrstood Lady Almah. It shall be done. May the wind always keep the sand frrrom yourrr eyes."
"Ah yes,"Almah says quickly, "before you go, there is another person that should be of help. Garavel had scouted him as well but it seemed he had some trouble getting to camp. Something about...trouble on the way here. I'm sure he'll be quite helpful."
She informs you of the last time she saw this man, on the outskirts of camp waiting for orders or the caravan to begin leaving. Should be on the way to find these so-called pugwumpis.
Josria gave a puzzled look as she wondered what sort of trouble this newcomer had getting here.
"No matter. It will be good to have more help in tracking down these Pugwampis. Still I wonder what this person is like..."
Josria nodded and thanked both Garavel and Almah and promised them both that the she and her fellow adventurers would return.
"Of course Lady Almah. This one will assist the group with finding one of these creatures. And we will recruit that one Garavel scouted." Alayi bows her head. She turns to the group. "Lady Almah has spoken. Lets find Dashki and then this new recruit."
"Oh please let me tag along on this one Reja!" Naseem begs. "Just the name 'pugwampi' sounds amazing! I want to see what one looks like. Besides, it's not fair that Ajala gets to have all the fun just because she can fight the best," he pouts.
Walking away from Almah, you see a rather tall and lanky human carrying in scythe, with a longbow over his shoulder talking with someone and the person points out where Garavel and you are standing.
He walks over, and introduces himself, "greetings all. I am Mahk. Sorry to have missed the caravan when it left town, but there were a few last minute errands that I had to do" and he grins as his hand holding the scythe grips it tighter. "I just caught up to the caravan a few minutes ago." The man, boy really, looks young, perhaps in his late teen, and is dusty from the road. "You look rather determined and heading somewhere. Has Garavel sent us on a mission?"
Adroushan places a handkerchief over his face.
The dust in this desert is annoying.
He looks at the new comer as he approaches.
Ah, this must be our man.
Waving to outdoorsy-type, Adroushan welcomes him.
You there. We have some business in those hills it seems. A nasty bit of fire and intrigue, I'm afraid. Should be on the way to find these so-called pugwumpis.
Josria greets Mahk, bowing to him as she purrs a bit.
"Grrreetings Mahk. I am Josrrrria al-Zarrrqa. We welcome yourrrr willingness to accompany us. And like Adrrrroushan said, we arrrre investigating a firrre that killed Lady Almah's forrrtune tellerrr, Eloais. Dashki, ourrrr gnoll experrrt, believes that Pugwampis arrrre rrrresponsible. The way he explained them they seem to be quite dangerrrous so we best be on ourrr guarrrd."
The catfolk then asked, "By the way what sorrrt of errrrrrands did you have to take carrre of?"
"Greetings Mahk." Alayi flatly states. "Lady Almah has commanded us to hunt these 'pugwampi' creatures. She has also commanded that we bring Dashki along with us. So you will be joining us in this endeavor." Giving him a nod of her head, she then introduces herself. "This one is called Alayi. A servant guard of this caravan."
Looking over the young man, she becomes a bit curious. "This one apologies for herself, but what skills do you have with... Hunting?"
Mahk nods to the group as they introduce themselves, and shakes some of the dust off himself. He looks at Josria and replies, "there were some gnolls hanging around the city gates when we left. They are not hanging around there anymore" and you see a nasty grin on the young mans face.
At Alayi question, he pats his scythe and his longbow. "These hunt well, especially gnolls."
"One of your companions, Reja?" he queries, "you have more? and are all as good looking as Naseem?"
As Adroushan (he doesn't know his name yet), calls to him. "Greetings, Yuther. Yes, let us hunt. I have not heard of these pugwampis. What can you tell me about them?"
The magi looks a bit shocked as he recalls that he hasn't properly introduced himself.
Beg your pardon, sir. This dreadful environment has befrit me of my manners. My name is Adroushan; magi and swordsman. He bows.
He then shrugs his shoulders.
I must confess that my knowledge of these creatures is nonexistent. But, I should think, not for long.
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"Ah, I misunderstood Adroushan. I thought you introduced yourself as Yuther."
"You mention a man called Dashki as a gnoll expert. I would like to meet him and he can tell me about these pugwampis. Perhaps we can find some tracks and follow them."
Mahk straps the scythe on his back, and holds onto the longbow as he is ready to speak to the man and leave.
"Indeed. He says that they arrrre often nearrr gnolls and somehow worrrship gnolls but anywherrre they go they cause misforrrtune. Hopefully, we can brrrring back evidence of these Pugwampis," Josria said to Mahk.
Dashki readily agrees to the hunt, and advises you wait until night as Pugwampis are bolder at night. According to him, if you tried finding them without knowing where their lairs are, you'd be searching for hours until night anyway.
The desert at night is cooler and feels almost chilly after the intense heat of the day. not only that, but the winds that blow scatter sand which sets off the keener of the group as potential enemy movement.
Dashki has a torch for himself, bu the light it casts won't get far if it should last the entire hunt. How are you all solving your lighting situation, either depending on others, nightvision, etc?
Josria purrs as she takes her staff and blows on it, whispering some sort of magical incantation as she does so.
" Qad daw' Rrrra tusaeiduna."
"May the Light of Ra aid us."
Suddenly the top of her staff lights up!
"Therrre is enough starrrlight and moonlight for those like me and Adrrrroushan to see but a little light should help the rrrrest of you," she says smirking.
I have a dancing lights cantrip if, or when needed.
"I have some sunrods that will last six hours each, but only if we need it. Josria light is good unless it gets much darker."
To Dashki, "Mr. Dashki, how close to the fire did these pugwampis have to be to cause the misfortune? We can look for tracks at that distance from where the fire was."
Dashki shakes his head.
"I hunt gnolls. Pugwampis are just a nuisance that can be there before you even know it."
With your light sources readied, you all set off on your hunt.
The patches of rocky hills are harder to climb than you anticipated and you find you scuff yourself against the cragerous earth. Uneven shadows dance about in the crackle of Dashki's torch. Every now and then, you can swear a physical shadow is rushing towards you, but a quick wave of Dashki's torch reveals either a small animal or nothing at all.
"We are looking for a little creature, human-shape, even smaller than small-folk (halflings). Light fur, dirty claws, and a tiny jackal head."
You stop at some point.
"Look for tracks.." Dashki mumbles, and presses his face closely to the ground.
You do find dozens of small footprints leading to and from the Sultan's Claw, fianlly retreating into the darkness of hill county. What's more, you swear you find what looks remarkably like goat tracks.
Josria assists Mahk in searching for tracks.
"It would be best Mahk if you hold onto those sunrrrrods in case we need them," the catfolk said.
Once the group begins searching for tracks, Adroushan waves his manicured finger a bit, producing 4 lantern like lights to appear.
He then moves them around the area to assist in the search.
With the hunt starting, Alayi follows along. Her demeanor has changed since leaving the camp. "I don't really need light. Since I can see in the dark anyway." She says in a more relaxed mannor.
Walking along, she tries her best to keep her eyes open for the creature's tracks.
And the rocky hills confounds her to no end. "Blasted shadows." She draws her scimitar due to the rushing shadoes around them. "I hope we find them soon."
Responding to Dashki, the catfolk sorceress asks, "so a Pugwampi is like a small gnoll?"
"I found tracks here" Mahk points them out to the group. "Many leading into and out of the camp area. Then they take off into the hills."
He looks a bit puzzled for a moment, "did someone loose a goat, as there are also goat tracks leading out?"
Mahk takes the lead with longbow in hand, just staying within the light from Josria spell on her staff.
"Ah yes someone did lose a goat. The camel drrrriverrrr, Hadrrrod, and his wife, Hadrrrah, lost theirrrr favorrrrite goat, Rrrombarrrd, durrring the firrrre that the Pugwampis caused. They arrrre deeply concerrrned and fearrr the worrrst. I did prrromise them that we would look forrr him if we found anything," Josria answered Mahk's question about the goat tracks.
"I wonderrrr....could have the Pugwampis have stolen Rrrombarrrd?"
"Well, roasted goat tastes quite good, especially if seasoned well. But I doubt these critters would cook it" Mahk muses as he continues to follow the tracks.