Poog struggles rather miserably with his bonfire, trying to light it the hard way with his flint.
Mogmurch is all about looking for more treasure. "Spider might have good stuff. Now no spider, so let's go find nest. Mebbe bodies with fireworks on them!"
Survival while Sickened
"Reta build fire!"
Chuffy nods vigorously, and follows Mogmurch's lead in looking for more treasure!
With Reta's help, Poog is able to collect a great deal of burnable fuel. It's a bit damp, but by splitting some rotted wood they are able to find enough dry parts to get a nice large fire going.
The fire burns quickly, consuming the carcass of lotslegs. Several efforts to light her tree on fire are not successful. The webbing burns quickly, but not long enough or hot enough to catch the damp forest on fire.
Moggy and Chuffy like fire, but don't like the work of collecting fuel, so they wander off to follow the webbing and search of the spider's hoard. A couple hundred yards to the South of the creek near the deadfall of some old trees the pair find a "pantry" of hanging and discarded bodies. Many are goblin, some are human.
Surely, this is the spider's home. One would think there would be a discarded pile of inedible trinkets, or that some of the bodies might still have some treasure, but the pair find nothing of value, and redouble their efforts. Anything to keep from having to work and carry wood...
On their second pass, Chuffy and Moggy see some clues that they missed, and come away with quite a haul!
- 24 gp
- Small MW light crossbow with 11 bolts
- pearl (worth 100 gp)
- 2@ green potions
- a red potion
- a blue potion
- a wax-sealed package of something firm, but squishy (it smells a little bit like licorice)
Chuffy eagerly grabs the crossbow and bolts.
"This be better than silly darts!"
He then suspiciously sniffs the potions...
...before turning his attention to the licorice-scented package.
"Moggy? Is this edible?"
Eventually, the fire dies down, and the goblins continue their march. The ocean is close—you can hear the waves in the moments when the swamp is quiet. You come across a derelict ship, held mostly upright by mud and marsh gorse.
A two-masted ship lies mired in the mud in this clearing, its rigging thick with moss and decorated with lanterns and windchimes made from goblin skulls and bones. Strange writing is faintly visible along the ship’s prow, while the soggy, swampy “yard” that surrounds the wreck is encircled by a rickety wooden fence. A thin curl of smoke wafts up from a chimney that protrudes from an unusual box-like structure near the ship's bow.
Chuffy quickly deduces the green potions are potions of cure moderate wounds. The other two remain a mystery.
The package smells like something humans might eat, but is just sweet and bitter enough that it might interest goblins too.
"Yes Chuffy. Eat all that right now. Bet it be yummy. You am the finder so you am the eater," Moggy encourages, wondering what awful fate might befall the sneaky Chuffy eating the unknown stuff.
Several thoughts runs through Poog's twisty head before he arrives at this one. Poog spreads his arms in a way he considers welcoming.
"Hello brothers, Reta and me have built a good fire for his burniness and he will remember this." He says, looking meaningfully at the two that left to search the spider nest. "So what shinies did you find for Zarongel?" He holds out his hand.
Assuming they show him the potions:
At the shipwreck:
Poog speaks around his mouthful of pigtail. "I has the bestest of plans." dramatic pause and gulp "We burn it.
With the help of a little detect magic, Poog is certain the red vial is a potion of bull's strength. The blue one is still a mystery, though.
Reta immediately charges and wrestles the bearer of pretty color vials in order to take one for herself. If there's licorice to be had she institutes a viscous tug-of-war to get some.
After any wrestling is complete and she's acquired a random vial of liquid and made it's former bearer cry she looks over scene.
"RUM-PUS!! RUM-PUS!!
Moggy encourages Reta. "Eat it, Reta! Bet it am taste real good. Chuffy trying to hide it from Reta. Him say Reta is selfish and hogs all good foods," the little goblin encourages, desperately wanting someone to eat what was in the box and hopefully get poisoned.
Somehow thinking Chuffy is hiding rum made from puss (and what better thing for a goblin to have?!), Reta pounces.
Reta swipes the scented pouch from Chuffy, and chaos ensues.
Chuffy responds to Reta trying to steel the licorice by punching her on the nose.
As she wrestles the licorice away he snarls, then backs off, ready to run if Reta looks set to chase him.
"Keep Away!"
"Fight, fight, fight! Reta and Chuffy am like to battle, Reta and Chuffy heads both rattle, Reta and Chuffy fight for da food, Mogmurch am be the coolest dude!"
----
Mogmurch dances and whoops with glee as Chuffy and Reta quarrel over the licorice-scented pouch. Reta eyes Mogmurch, knowing he has some potions.
Poog is tending to the fire with the carcass of the defeated spider, which is still burning strong, but is only the size of a large campfire (not for lack of trying).
While Reta and Chuffy were involved in their courting ritual, Moggy stashes both lotions at his belt and pulls out a vial of acid. "This potion am to be thrown at dogs and horses. It make them sizzle," Moggy offers the 'potion.'
Reta tears at the pouch with her teeth to get whatever is inside, eyeing the Mogster.
But that's Then Poog realizes it goes with his values pretty well and quickly grabs the "potion".
Holy Zarongel like dog-sizzle. You am very holy Moggy
"Ah, Reta, Poogie got potion now. Must see if him give you. Him very selfish, though."
Inside the licorice-scented package are six pieces of something stiff, but yet still bit gooey and sticky. Humans would probably call it "taffy".
Reta pops a piece in her mouth. It's pleasingly sweet, and (unsurprisingly) flavored with licorice.
Reta's stomach is more settled than it was. Not that she was sick before, but she's definitely not now. Man, that taffy was satisfying!
Reta shoves another piece of the taffy in her mouth. It sticks to her teeth in a pleasant sort of way, and she smacks her lips loudly to make sure the other three see her enjoying the taffy while they get none.
This is surely the sort of home remedy one might want after a full night of drinking strong apple brandy. It might even have helped with that time she drank a whole bucket of curdled milk and was sick for two days.
"*SMAK SMAK* ....TASTE LIKE WORMS ONLY... G-U-M-M-I-E-R-Y!"
Moggy is sad Reta hasn't poisoned herself, but he isn't interested in the human snack.
Moggy is getting frustrated by the whole thing. "Reta, am Moggy have bite of food? Reta not get sick, so maybe Mogmuch am not get sick too."
"Moggy promise to throw fire explodie things to keep Vorka from beating up on Reta's big noggin'!"
Poog wants the food but is more afraid getting punched or bitten by Reta.
Alright Zarongel happy now gogo!
"Give me potion--one that matches eyes, and me give you one. Maybe."
Chuffy simply looks relieved that Reta's attention has been drawn elsewhere.
He then does his best to melt silently into the background.
Chuffy blends into the shadows of the trees.
Reta, laying on her stomach and kicking her bare feet in the air, takes the time to lazily gouge an intricate stick-figure picture in the turf of a dozen goblins crossing the Mindspin Mountains on huge goblin dogs in order to take the enemy unaware. Failing that she draws a second scene were she supervises the rest of the group constructing a large wooden badger that you subsequently all hide within....
Moggy tosses Reta the red potion and grabs a piece of taffy, shoving it into his mouth. "Yuck. Not taste like worms all! Reta lie. Dis am nasty!"
As she pauses to listen as the goblins creep up on the ship, Reta thinks she hears an animal walking on the other side of the derelict ship from the goblins. Almost certainly something with four heavy feet.
Dis house is too wet for burn then some next level goblin thinking from the outside. We go inside. Then burn.
His intricate plan laid out, Poog heads towards the ship. But he stops well before it to make sure he isn't alone.
Moggy follows Poog, thinking burning was a pretty nice little idea. "Am good idea, Poog! First good one ever!". The little alchemist couldn't help but congratulate the cleric.
"Sounds good!"
Since Poog is clearly so eager to take point, Chuffy is perfectly happy to let him do so, eagerly waiting to see what tries to kill Poog.
Chuffy attempts to climb over the fence.
Poog glares at Moggy Atleast more than you has.
Poog goes through the gate, but in a sneaky sort of way and with his dogslicer drawn.
Before they go Reta explains that she heard something big and stompy stomping around and where she heard it.
To increase her bravery she takes a swig of her 'strong human liquor' which smells more like (and actually is) lavender and peach perfume and then sets off, dogslicer in hand.