Realizing that Melon has the superior position, Aago gives a wordless shout and begins a series of short, lightning quick jabs toward the creature, his hands seeming to blur as they move.
"Now, Melon!"
"Stabilized. Now let's get you up and about, shall we?" Muttering a quick prayer, Rajah places a healing hand on Gilfroy.
Gilfroy's eyes flutter open for a second...long enough to realize that he's lying at the feet of some hideous monster and is covered in puncture marks...and he promptly squeezes them shut again. He attempts to cast guidance defensively from his position
Bluff: Barely successful, he opens his eyes and slaps Melon's heel, granting her a +1 bonus to any one attack roll, skill check, or saving throw of her choice within the next minute.
Gilfroy's eyes flutter open for a second...long enough to realize that he's lying at the feet of some hideous monster and is covered in puncture marks...
Gilfroy's eyes flutter open for a second...long enough to realize that he's lying at the feet of some hideous monster and is covered in puncture marks...
Well, the guy made his save, so doesn't that mean he managed to avoid getting grease on Gilfroy? I think if you try to grease somebody's weapon and they make their first save, they don't have to keep making any more.
Melon grins impishly as she sees the strange thing before her is thoroughly distracted. Her fingers close to stiff pointy arrows and she thrusts a debilitating attack into what she thinks is the back of the creature's neck.
From his spot, Aago works to distract the creature so that Melon can get in a better hit. Malan strikes, but the creature successfully dodges his thrust.
While this is happening, the Blue Rajah leans over and performs more healing on Gilfroy, returning him to consciousness. The grease-covered gnome immediately casts a spell, infusing Melon with greater precision in her attack.
Next Up: Melon, "Walthus", Aago, Malan, Blue Rajah, Gilfroy.
Having succeeded thus far in doing nothing but making Gilfroy very messy and ready for deep-frying, Corinna hangs back behind the knot of people fighting and watches for any signs of the battle turning one way or another.
Whith Aago distracting the creature, Melon strikes, delivering a nasty blow to the back of the creature's neck. It makes a gurgling noise as it tries to swat her again.
It's tentacle arm slams against her thigh and then wraps around, its little pin-like protrusion digging into her skin.
Next Up: Malan, Blue Rajah, Gilfroy, Corinna (subject to delayed action), Melon, "Walthus".
Malan takes advantage of the creatures helplessness.
Rapier: arcane pool (+1), flank
to hit damage
Recognizing the stun effect, Aago strikes with his fist, using his own, improved version of the stun punch.
Gilfroy will recognize his chance, and scramble to his feet and out of harm's way.
He'll get behind Melon and put another guidance spell on her, this time slapping her where he can reach, on her butt.
Aago slams his fist into the creature's head, snapping its neck back. It is clearly disoriented by the blow. As it stumbles back, Malan slides his rapier into its side. A loud gurgling scream emits from the creature as blood pools from the wound. It remains standing, but only barely.
Next Up: Gilfroy, Corinna (subject to delayed action), Melon, "Walthus", Aago, Malan.
Seeing the creature get pummeled to the edge of death, Rajah can't help but wonder how this could've gone differently for it.
Having succeeded only in making a mess of Gilfroy, Corinna continues to hang back and dither uselessly.
While the Blue Rajah shifts positions near to Malan, Gilfroy gets to his feet and slips past Melon into the cottage.
Corrina continues to wait.
Next Up: "Walthus", Aago, Malan, Blue Rajah, Gilfroy, Corinna (subject to delayed action).
"Don't underestimate this pretty face," Melon's grin broadens even more. Then she headbutts the creature, causing a satisfying squelch sound to come from it.
Melon's headbutt sends the creature falling backwards and hitting the ground. It briefly raises its head as if to stand up again and its tentacle arms quiver, but then its head drops and it lies still.
Gilfroy collapses against something inside the hut and retches again, though (fortunately for the actual owner if he still lives) there's nothing left in his stomach to make a mess with. He then quickly shoves past Melon and anybody else between him and fresh air. He plunks himself down somewhere and after a few moments, lifts his shirt up to examine the strange puncture marks.
He then hugs himself and rocks gently back and forth, his shadow rocking in the opposite direction.
Aago claps his hands together with satisfaction. "Well done, friends! We seem to have vanquished this...thing...whatever it was. That was an unusual last attack, Melon. And you," he turns to Malan, "certainly have a way with that sword."
He moves to kneel beside the dead creature, hands searching. "Let's see what we can learn about this fellow, shall we?"
The creature has leathery skin and is completely hairless. Aago's examination reveals that the creature is wearing a thick leather jerkin that blends in with its skin almost seamlessly. There is nothing else that he is able to discern about it.
The cottage's entry chamber contains a settee and several potted plants. The pots are all cracked and damaged. A staircase leads to the upper floor and three doors provide entrance to other parts of the building.
From upstairs, you hear a voice call down, "Hello? Who's there?"
Seeing Gilfroy race past, Rajah watches him. Feeling sorry for the gnome, he tries to think of something to say that would help calm him. He starts to head his direction, as a voice from inside the cottage grabs his attention.
Taking a deep breath, Rajah turns to the Dawnflower for aid and then responds, "Hello? We are an...," He looks around at the party, "eclectic group of people who are attempting to deal with the local goblins that have recently attacked Sandpoint. I promise you, we mean you no harm. Would you be willing to come down and speak with us? Maybe you can tell us what has happened to Walthus Proudstump. I fear the worst for him, seeing how there is a creature down here who took his physical characteristics for his own. Please, sir, we just want to ask a few questions, nothing more."
Corinna cautiously approaches the doorway, giving the fallen ... thing a wide berth. "I'm sorry," she tells Gilfroy, trying to explain why he's slippery all over. "It was a simple grease spell. I thought it might make that ... whatever-it-was let go of you. It's only conjuration magic; it will be gone in a matter of seconds."
"The creature...the faceless stalker...is...is it dead?" the voice calls down in response to the Blue Rajah.
Rajah looks down at the dead creature and then peers back upstairs, "Quite. It actually lies here still. I say, we will remove it for you, do not worry. Or do you wish to verify the creature for yourself before we do so?"
"Once you are done," Says Malan standing on the opposite side of the creature from Aago, "I will finish it." He then recalls Shalelu's request. "Thank you for the complement. You are also capable."
"Oh, thank the gods!" There's a sound of shuffling from upstairs and then a halfling who looks exactly like the one the creature used to look like comes stumbling down the stairs. He's bruised and battered, and covered in pin pricks. His skin is very pale.
"I was tending my snakes when it attacked. I... I didn't see it coming." He limps over to the body of the creature and peers at it. "I was lucky to escape and I fled to my safe room, where I've been hiding for... for... I'm not sure. A day maybe? I think it thought I fled into the swamp."
He stumbles back and collapses onto the settee. "My name is Walthus. Walthus Proudstump. I... I owe you all my life."
Melon follows and pats Gilfroy reassuringly on the back. Probably not very patronizing. "It's okay little buddy. You did real well there, the little critter looked like it has some poisonous or infected bite; because those tiny teeth seem to do a whole lot more damage than you'd give them credit for."
She nods over to Walthus, "Not a problem; if you have snakes, can you look at Gilfroy here? He's been bitten and I think some sort of poisonous reaction took place."
"G-grease?" He looks at himself, and barks a small, weak laugh. "Oh! I didn't even notice. Thank you."
"What are we doing here, Corinna? You're some sort of noble wizard student, and I'm just a lousy, untalented painter! I'm supposed to be in a little studio somewhere painting junk, and you're supposed to turn your nose up and refuse to buy it."
Aago looks up from the creature's body and wipes his hands on his pants. "I can't say that I've ever seen anything like it before. Quite repulsive, actually. There's nothing to indicate where it came from or what it's intentions were." He nods to Malan. "Feel free to do with it what you will."
Malan makes sure that it isn't blocking the door and makes sure it is dead.
Malan makes sure that it isn't blocking the door and makes sure it is dead.
After Malan's administrations, the creature is now well and truly dead.
She nods over to Walthus, "Not a problem; if you have snakes, can you look at Gilfroy here? He's been bitten and I think some sort of poisonous reaction took place."
Walthus looks over at Gilfroy. "The creature drains blood if it gets a hold of you. It is not poison, just blood drain. I've suffered similarly, worse I'd say. He'll recover in a day or so. There's nothing I can do to speed that up." His head begins to droop a little and his eyes start to close, but then he jerks his head back up. He is clearly very exhausted.
Gilfroy wipes his eyes and leaps up to place the halfing's arm over his shoulder and lead him back into the cottage. "Where is your bedroom?" he asks Walthus and leads him there, helping him into bed. "Someone go make this man some food," he calls behind him.
"So was that creature just a denizen of the marsh, or was it working with the goblins?"
Walthus leads Gilfroy upstairs to a simple, but comfortable bedroom. A portion of the wall in the northwest corner has been slid aside, revealing a secret room behind it. "That's where I was hiding," Walthus comments as he slumps onto his bed.
"The creature was a denizen of the marsh. Years ago, there used to be quite a few of them. I thought they were all dead now. I don't think it was working with the goblins, but it's not impossible."
"Caution is wisdom. I suggest we stay in pairs and keep from being alone with Walthus." Warns Malan. "Corinna, would you mind helping Gilfroy? While you do that, the rest of us can search the house." He motions for Melon to come with him.
"The cottage belongs to Walthus. It seems to me that we shouldn't be searching it without his invitation," Aago points out. "Staying in pairs is not a bad idea though."
"What are we doing here, Corinna? You're some sort of noble wizard student, and I'm just a lousy, untalented painter! I'm supposed to be in a little studio somewhere painting junk, and you're supposed to turn your nose up and refuse to buy it."
Corinna smiles wearily into the swamp. "Actually," she begins, "I'm no longer a student. I'm on staff at the Academae...." As she looks around, however, Gilfroy has already leapt up and is helping the halfling back into the cottage. She sighs, leaves her story untold, and follows the others inside and up the stairs.
Accepting Malan's order to stay out of the way, she tries to find room to sit down. "You say those things were common in the marsh?" she asks Walthus with some alarm. "Why have we in Sandpoint never heard of them? We all know about the goblins, of course, but I've never heard of a ... a faceless stalker?"
Gilfroy, finding a vestige of his humour somewhere, pipes up, "You've never heard of them, but you may have met them. Since they are able to impersonate people, who knows how many Sandpoint residents are actually faceless stalkers. Brisbane, the baker, perhaps? That guy with the really bad breath that makes boots? Hey, maybe Ameiko and Shalelu are really faceless stalkers!"
Corinna turns shocked and horrified eyes on Gilfroy at his suggestion. "Oh, you shouldn't even joke about such things," she reprimands him. "How awful! Not knowing who is real and whom you can trust." She turns back to the Warden. "What happened to all the faceless stalkers, that you thought they were dead? And what did that one want with you?"
"Inbreeding and malnutrition mostly," Walthus says. "You never heard about them in Sandpoint because they never went to Sandpoint. I said there were quite a few of them once, but I didn't mean that there were a lot of them or that they were common. They stayed in the swamp and slowly died out. At least, I thought they did. What that one wanted with me, I don't really know. A food source probably. I live here by myself. It probably thought I was an easy target. And since it took me by surprise, it kind of ended up being right."
He lies back on his bed. "I really need to rest." His eyes begin to flutter closed.
Corinna looks across the room at Gilfroy bleakly. "Then we have come all this way for nothing," she whispers, keeping her voice down for the benefit of the exhausted halfling. "I mean, yes, for Warden Proudstump it worked out, and it's nice that we were able to rescue him, but he's not going to be able to give us any help against the goblins in this condition."
Aago takes a guarding position outside the door of the cottage and turns back with his arms crossed to keep watch and make sure no other danger threatens.
"You aren't seriously going to go invade the Warden's privacy, are you Melon?"
"I am still not sure that that is Walthus. Do you know him well enough to identify him? I did not think so. If no one else wishes to investigate, I will." Malan searches the cottage.
Perception
Heal to diagnose:
Well, he still looks sucked dry. At least, the wounds are similar.
Heal check for long term care (if they decide to stay):
Malan begins to search through the cottage. To the north, he finds a dining room with a wooden table and a single chair. Off of that, he finds a pantry.
To the west is a storage room containing sparrows, mice, and other small live animals. All of them are caged.
To the southwest, he finds a garden open to the sky.
Upstairs, the room in the southwest corner is a supply room containing several axes, a longbow, a supply of arrows, and two suits of leather armour. All the items are Small sized. The other room is a guest bedroom.
Rajah examines the halfling closely. He turns to the others, a stoic expression upon his face then immediately turns back and speaks to Walthus. "You are quite right, my good halfling. You have suffered greatly. Rest up, I will take care of you as best I can. Along with my fellow healer, Gilfroy. You would not happened to have any form of restoratives about, would you? That would help you immensely."
"All seems clear here. We should be on our way. If you recall, we were chasing some goblins."
Rajah looks toward Malan with a calm, yet determined look upon his face. Quite irritated at the rude elf, he says nothing as he returns to looking after Walthus.