You obliterate the first two boggards to approach you, and quickly thereafter the next two to make it to you.
That seems to put a little fear into the other sentries and they quickly turn tail and dive into the water, leaving you seemingly alone in the village.
Kereek looks around, confused. "These am the people who am causing so much trouble? HELLOOO? We am coming in peace to talk! We am not wanting to squish you, but we am needing you to stop attacking our caravans! HELLOOO?"
With the sentries scared off Katerina begins making a detailed search of the camp. "What are we looking for exactly?"
"More frogmen to fight! These ones am not for being any challenge at all!" Prazil shakes the remains of the boggard he clove in the shoulder from his sword as a cloud of disappointment washes over his scaled face. Shrugging, he tromps through the waters to the nearest hut and kicks the door open, broad sword still in hand. "Hello? We am here to stop you from making trouble! Am you for hiding in here?"
"There's beasts disrupting trade in the area. I'm assuming we're looking for the beasts." says Marcelline, joining Katerina in searching the area. Specifically, she's looking for more boggards, which she will kill on sight, and entrances to secret hidden boggard caves.
"I bet if we kill a leader, or if we kill most of these frog-creatures, we'll succeed at stopping the piracy."
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Looking around, you see most of the small, crude huts are falling to ruin, and if they've ever been used, you haven't found any sign.
However, a large, crude hut, its circular roof thatched with dry, brown fronds of fern, near where you landed yields a surprising occupant: A narrow, beetle-like creature with four brown, spindly legs. Powerful mandibles click in rhythm at your entrance to the hut, reed-thin antennae waving upon its head as if testing the air.
It burbles at you in a language none of you understand.
Kereek casts elemental speech on himself, in case it helps.
Agnar eyed the beetle-like creature carefully, trying to identify it.
He tried a few magically enhanced words to communicate with it.
Marcelline pulls a scroll from her pack, unfurling it. She holds her ring hand in front of the scroll, and reads an abbreviated version of the arcane formula scribed on the scroll.
She puts the scroll away afterward, and using her own magical power casts the spell that was scribed on it. She reaches out and touches the creature, and shares with it her knowledge of Common. Then, she gives the strange creature a thumbs-up sign and moves her index fingers in circles around each other, to indicate for the creature to try again.
Agnar, you believe it's actually a bog strider, a type of monstrous humanoid that can walk on water and communicate via tapping it.
The bog strider flinches away as Marcy reaches for it, but relaxes when she transfers her knowledge of language to i.
"Please, you must free me before they come back!" it clicks at you.
"Who are you and why are you their prisoner?"
"I am Ka-Kekt. I do not know why they took me, but they boggards are bad. They are vicious and delight in evil!"
Kereek shakes his head. "They am for attacking us when we am coming in peace. What am they doing to do to you."
"It am sounding like they am needing to be stopped! If you am for knowing where they am hiding, Prazil am for showing them how strong Prazil am!" He glances back over his shoulder and back toward the other buildings, looking for boggards to fight.
"They am -- I mean, they ARE -- probably in the water. They live underneath it, though I don't know where the tunnel they use to get there is."
Agnar fumbled in his belt pouch among some carefully rolled bark sheaves.
"If we wished to continue our discussions with the boggards, I have something here that would allow us to go underwater for say...five hours or so? We'd be wet, but we could breathe."
Kereek nods at Agnar. "Kereek have water for breathing magic, too! Kereek also have spell that makes magic eye that am flying out for him! It for searching before we am going in. Kereek will make it go!"
Kereek casts arcane eye, his newest fun spell! He sends the eye under the water, scanning around while there. He keeps up a running commentary on what he sees, trying not to get distracted by cool fish or fun shapes in the kelp.
"Good idea, Kereek!" Agnar said, and peered into the water trying to track the eye.
A survey of the water in the area doesn't reveal any obvious tunnel entrances -- meaning they must be hidden on land somewhere.
Kereek lets the spell go after the last two really cool fish turned out to be merely regular fish with delusions of grandeur. "Maybe they am hiding on land somewhere?" He searches around!
As you look more carefully around, you realize several mounds in the ground have holes in them leading downward, knotted roots leading to a 10-ft. drop to the floor below.
You can also see another mound on a small island at the lake's edge, though can't tell if it has a similar passageway down. You do see clean-picked bones litter the island and several human skulls line the island’s perimeter, some placed just inches deep in the water. They all face away from the lakeshore, staring north across the lake as if watching for
intruders from that direction.
Angar took a long, searching look at how the mounds were placed, along with the northward facing skulls. He was trying to figure out which of the holes might be the most important, or the most direct to the leader of such a living community.
You're just not sure, Agnar, and no tracks really seem to indicate any options either. You're likely just going to have to choose one at random.
Kereek points at one at random! He heads into it!
Agnar ponders the different roles that thoughtful consideration and instinctive action play in his life. But only for a moment before he follows the enthusiastic Kereek into a random hole.
"Heel, Fang. You've been very good and quiet on this trip, but now you need to go into this hole.
Yes, like a terrier. Yes, I know...I don't want to either."
Marcelline follows along quietly, already tired of this swamp and these stupid frog creatures they had come here to kill.
You climb down the roots through the hole, funding yourself in a cramped cave with minimal room for those humans and half-elves among your group.
Thick mats of roots hang from the ceiling, and the floors are thick morasses of mud, water, and fungus.
An excited buzz of agitated insects fills the round cavern you find yourself in, emanating from a row of wooden cages. Along the far wall hangs a variety of leather sacks, harvested roots, and swamp-pickled meats.
A passageway south splits to the east and west.
Kereek featherfalls down into the cave. His keen darkvisioned eyes spot everything and he makes ooo and aaa noises as he does. Looking at both branches, he heads down the western fork.
Two long lines of matted rushes extend down the center of the new chamber. Between them rest large, round baskets meant to act as serving platters. Scraps of leftover bones, insect carapaces, and tangled roots lie scattered along the walls.
Six boggards look up as you enter and begin croaking loudly in alarm.
Agnar:
Katerina:
Kereek:
Marcelline:
Prazil:
Antagonists:
Before anyone else can rush in, Kereek calls out, "Hello hello! We am here to stop raiding on trade caravans! We am not here to hurt but to talk!"
On the surface, Katerina shrugs and gets ready to go into what are most likely water filled tunnels or fetid pools at least. She takes off her skirt and rolls it neatly, palcing it into her pack and leaving her legs covered by her knee length pantaloons. Seeing Marcy's smirk she just says, "Don't make fun, at least I will have something clean later!"
With Kereek's magic Keterina drops into the hole, ready for anything. Or so she thinks. The bugs are thick as fog, so Kat covers her mouth with the sleeve of her free arm. When the boggards come out croaking, she begins moving towards them only to be caught by Kereek's squeaking plea. Well, we don't have to kill them. Not really anyway.
Two of the boggards croak loudly as the others rush for the entrance, trying to get past you.
Prazil takes a step forward, greatsword seemingly eager in his hands, when Kereek calls out. He looks back at Kereek, utter confusion on his face, then turns back just as they croak loudly and burst into motion.
As the boggards rush forward, Prazil's sword falls in a gleaming arc. "You am not for making trouble any more! Prazil am showing you! Prazil am showing all of you how strong Hartsland and Prazil am!"
Kereek sighs as the croaks begin. He shakes his head and lets the others cut them down because he's too disappointed that monsters acted like monsters. Perhaps kobolds really were the only civilized species?
Katerina shrugs off the blood chilling croaks and focuses on her job. Without adjustment she breaks the tide of boggards that tries to sweep past her. At first it's like clockwork and then her blade hangs up against one of the boggard's hip joint, slowing her follow-on enough that one gets by unscathed.
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Marcelline shrugs as the creatures rush past them, swinging her blade in a wide arc against one that gets past Katerina.
Agnar sighed at the needless carnage. He then placed a friendly hand on Marcy's shoulder, noting she was feeling a bit off.
You're able to strike down several of the boggards as they race past you, but not all, and you hear croaks echo down the tunnel as they flee, alerting all to your presence.
"Good! More for Prazil to be fighting! Bring Prazil strongest and Prazil am for showing you! Froggies am not making trouble for Hartsland any more!"
The burly kobold, sword at the ready, switches belts and shifts into his tauric form. He then goes galloping after the last of the fleeing boggards.
Kereek sighs as the froggies go a-courting.
Leaving Prazil to mop them up, he scans the room, searching for anything with a magical aura.
He'll only find trouble without me. Aterina hustles after the bold and scaly knight.
Agnar gave a consoling pat to Kereek, hoping to calm him as well.
Kereek doesn't find any magical auras in the room as Agnar and Marcelline stay close to his side.
Despite your longer legs, you find yourself falling behind the two boggards, who seem to skim over the grasping mud and roots that slow you down. You stay close enough to see them take a left turn as the tunnel branches, but then they're lost to sight.
Prazil continues to move forward, tracking the boggards despite them slipping from view. "You cannot be running for long! Prazil am for finding you and stopping you, frogs!"
As Prazil puts his eyes to the ground, Kat keeps her eyes up, expecting ambush at any moment.