As the leech starts paying attention to Arathoth now that he's carved several lines in its side, he jumps back. [You're no fun. How abouuuut...you!] Abandoning his prior target, he leaps at one of the leeches surrounding Shattertooth, mouth filled with whirling, serrated blades.
The jaws of the FerroFox sink into the leech, carving through its flesh before tearing a massive chunk out of it and tossing it aside. [Muuuuch better. Let's see Willam do that!]
The fire stung and burned, of course, but it wasn't to bad. He takes the fire and tries to ball it up and throw it at one of the leeches!
He is apparently very distracted at the moment...
And re: Spirit Tongue - that allows him to understand the language of the animals, which is distinct from being able to converse with them.
Wek looks for dried grasses to set on fire, and when he spots them, he sets the torch-branch amidst them. Shattertooth! Build this fire! Draw the leeches and distract them! he sends in his strange thought-ripples, which break up on the skulls of his allies like ocean waves, echoing and fading. Hoping to attract the leeches, he screams defiantly and flaps his wings, making as much noise as he can.
Wek looks for dried grasses to set on fire, and when he spots them, he sets the torch-branch amidst them. Shattertooth! Build this fire! Draw the leeches and distract them! he sends in his strange thought-ripples, which break up on the skulls of his allies like ocean waves, echoing and fading. Hoping to attract the leeches, he screams defiantly and flaps his wings, making as much noise as he can.
Stybar throws himself to the ground, and continues to wrestle the leech. Someone help me please
Uek, I agree with Shattertooth, that's an Aid roll! Roll 2d6+Bonds to aid Shattertooth's Zuko Style roll. I'll wait to see the roll to tell Shattertooth what happens.
Stybar, with difficulty you manage to get both of your arms around the giant leech and wrestle it off of you! You have it pinned beneath you, but it's squirming violently to get free of you and escape. Do you allow it to escape you and flee or do you hold it in place?
Note to Uek also : since these Giant Leeches are animals, you can understand them - and though they aren't "speaking" per se, you can hear from the keening notes in their subvocalized "voices" that they are being induced to this current behavior - as if some unseen taskmaster bids them to attack you with whip in hand.
If you wish, this understanding will allow you to roll a Spout Lore (after you roll to Aid the Immolator) regarding what could force leeches to attack in this way.
Meanwhile, Arathoth is violently butchering two leeches at once, the hooked blades on his war-mech tearing through the rubbery skin of the creatures with abandon. However, just as he clears the immediate area around Shattertooth of leeches, keeping the Immolator safe from attack for the time being, the werefox looks around at Ozmus and sees a horrible sight.
The leech that had engulfed the were-spider's head and neck had succeeded in tearing the merc off his feet and pulling him to the ground. The human's limbs twitch and jerk violently as the leech drains him of blood, the spidery features twisting and emerging through his skin before reverting to soft human flesh. Two more leeches join in, their black bodies pulsing and heaving as they viciously drain the Merc of blood. The merc can't even scream; his face is completely covered by a huge Leech.
Stybar lets go of the leech and backs off. He tries to get back to back with one of his comrades while he draws his short sword. Swinging at everything else he sees.
Wek, in order to assist Shattertooth in his firebending, comes dangerously close to the leeches--and the flame itself. His intention is to for Shattertooth to create a particularly hot fire to lead them away..but will it singe him as well?
something is controlling the leeches...there may be a way to break control... Wek sends his peculiar thought-waves to roll over the entire group, signaling his uncertainty of his knowledge.
Whatever the outcome, Wek will stay aloft after the burn is set.
Okay Shattertooth, roll your damage! Apply half of the total damage dealt to Wek, which ignores his armor, as cost for his interference.
The fire spreads along the leeches' rubbery bodies viciously, burning them severely. Being attracted to heat doesn't mean that the creatures enjoy being set on fire in the slightest.
The leech that Stybar wrestled off of him squirms away out of the strong house, leading the way for the other gross creatures to follow it. Having struck and drawn blood, the leeches are now attempting to withdraw.
You notice that two of them are attempting to drag Ozmus' body away. He isn't moving.
Wek: You know of a creature in local myth that is said to exert mental control over all bloodsucking creatures. They bring a "tithe of blood" from every meal to offer up to him as tribute, and serve as his eyes, his mouth for speaking, and his clenched fist for striking down his victims. Little is known of him for sure, but you know his name: Silithus, the Leech Lord.
We have attracted the attention of Silithus, the Leech Lord, says the hawk, attempting to fly as the flame blasts him. He, or it, is controlling these things. To what end, and how to stop him, I know not.
Wek swoops and strikes at one of the leeches dragging at Ozmus.
In his confusion and pain at being burned, Wek misses entirely, landing on his feet in a crouch, returned to his lizardfolk form. He immediately shifts again, this time to the shape of a tiger, growling with menace.
Stybar sees the leeches dragging Ozmus's body away. If the human did indeed have something to do with the raid as I expect, logic says something in his possession will give it away He turns around and charges one of the leeches, dragging the body. Swinging the short sword at the mouth of the foul creature Dont let them get away
Ozmus's grisly fate doesn't particularly faze Arathoth. After the things he managed to do when he was allowed to try the (admittedly clunky) IronOrc...
Arathoth suppresses a shudder. He went through several FerroFox iterations that week due to the pressing need he'd felt to Ozmus-proof the suit. If the werefox felt anything, it was relief that the world might never see the brand of atrocities he'd managed to commit that day again.
It's Uek's call that puts his mind back on track. [It's not that hard. Just kill him!] He leaps up to the second floor, on course with one of the leeches waiting in the upper level. [Just like this!]
Wek lands nearby to one of the strong house's exits, swiftly changing from bird to lizard to great cat. With a snarl, the cat crouches to pounce. At that moment, Stybar charges in, shortsword swinging. Stybar isn't accustomed to combat, and his slashes lack precision - as a result, when his blade cuts open the Swamp Leech's flesh, the arc of black blood sprays across his forearm. It doesn't hurt or impede the thief, but the smell is...pungent.
The slash is enough to drive off the leeches, and the tiger's warning growl sends them scurrying back into the waterways. This is consistent with what you know about Swamp Leech behavior, Wek - they're ambush predators, preferring to strike, retreat, and strike again, sometimes hours later when the prey is weakened from bleeding wounds.
Arathoth strikes down a leech on the upper floor, tearing it apart after some initial difficulty penetrating its rubbery flesh. That done, the were-fox looks up, angling his mech away from its fresh kill. For a moment, the were-orc thinks he sees a humanoid figure standing there in the ruins of the second level, but the shape quickly breaks apart into over a dozen leeches that scatter in every direction. You had heard tales from the local minotaurs of a Lord of Bloodsuckers, that sometimes showed a human form in this way - but you weren't sure whether to believe it was true until now.
Silence falls over the group as the leeches flee in every direction from the party. Ozmus is dead, his flesh sunken and wasted, most of his blood having been stolen from him. His expression is fixed in a rictus of horror.
What do you do?
Shattertooth run up to the injured now-a-cat and looks for the wounds he's sure he inflicted.
I'm sorry! That didn't go well at all.
Stybar searches the body of Ozmus, looking for anything incriminating as he is still convinced that the human had something to do with the raid on the Settlement.
You find the following on Ozmus' body:
dungeon rations (5 uses, 1 weight)
a Hunter’s bow (near, far, 1 weight)
a bundle of arrows (3 ammo, 1 weight)
Adventuring gear (5 uses, 1 weight).
Chainmail (1 armour, 1 weight).
Pair of throwing knives (thrown, 2 weight).
I won't be auditing players to make sure weight limits are being followed, but please do try to follow them! The challenge of deciding what to bring and what to leave behind makes it more fun.
"Silithus showed itself," says Wek, returning to his normal lizard-biped shape. He sports oozing blisters on his left flank, courtesy of Shattertooth's friendly fire.
"I can take Ozmus' adventuring gear," offers the druid. "We leave his body for the marsh. The leeches have drained him, but other beasts will find his remains useful." This is all the eulogy the lizardfolk offers the fallen werespider.
"Stybar. You may want to wash. We're easy enough to track, but..." Wek flicks his crest a few times, indicating the stinky stain of black blood on the minotaur.
Wek climbs up to the second floor of the strong-house, examining the spot where the Leech Lord or his avatar stood, and looks to see if this vantage point can assist them in where they are to go next.
Wek, you are a wise companion. When there is time, you must teach me about these things He washes off the stinking blood. A little disappointed, he picks up the Hunting Bow and the spiders dagger, leaving behind his own bow and dagger. Maybe you will find these useful wherever you will travel next. if it wasn't the human that sold us to the raiders, who did? Stybar climbs up to stand next to Wek. Wek, what do you lizard eyes see?
The blood is surprisingly viscous and difficult to wash off with water alone, Stybar. You get much of the actual material off of you, but the stink lingers - albeit to a lesser degree.
Arathoth jumps down and looks at Uek. [There was-] He sniffs the air, and looks at Stybar. [...you reek. Get your act together, assistant!] He returns his attention to Uek. [I saw a man body burst into leeches up there...coward! Couldn't even fight us like an ORC!] A variety of deadly implements sprout from the FerroFox. [AFRAID OF THEEEESE, BLOODSUCKER MAN? COME ON, FIGHT!] After a moment looking about, the instruments of death retract into the suit. [BORING! YOU'RE BORING!]
Arathoth pads over to Ozmus's body, and kicks it. [...well, the Calamity Spider is dead, and the coward ran off. Let's just get going already!]
Wek inhales the reek of the the leeches, the burnt wood and burnt bodies, the spilled black blood, the song of the swamp, the sticky black mud teeming with microscopic life. His tongue clicks on his teeth and flicks the air. "A moment, Ssstybar..."
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Who’s really in control here?
What should I be on the lookout for?
What here is not what it appears to be?Wek inhales the reek of the the leeches, the burnt wood and burnt bodies, the spilled black blood, the song of the swamp, the sticky black mud teeming with microscopic life. His tongue clicks on his teeth and flicks the air. "A moment, Ssstybar..."
You feel certain, Wek, that the Leech Lord was behind this attack. Little is known about him, but for the fact that he is as opportunistic as the animals he controls. He's like a druid, of sorts...but warped, twisted, and evil. He attacks sun-lovers and lizardfolk at will, appearing to know no allegiances but to his own hunger and the hunger of that of his "children."
He's gone now, and while the fires are still burning all around you in the ruins of the village, they don't appear to be spreading any more. You can navigate them safely without fear of their hazards.
You notice something odd about the leech that Arathoth shredded to bits with his strange, fox-like machine that never sat right with you somehow. It's like a vein, pulsing weakly as the leech bleeds out, but it's glowing ever so faintly. You feel certain that if you were to touch it, you could feel the mind of the far-off manipulator...as the connection between them appears not to have been fully severed yet! Take +1 to the inevitable defy danger roll that will ensue if you try this, due to the Discern Realities success.
Arathoth, when you kick Ozmus' body, his arms and legs contract and curl up over his body like a spider's does when it dies. It startles you for a moment, so you kick it again to make sure he's dead. He is.
Arathoth, when you kick Ozmus' body, his arms and legs contract and curl up over his body like a spider's does when it dies. It startles you for a moment, so you kick it again to make sure he's dead. He is.
...
Arathoth kicks the body again.
And again.
A mixture of morbid curiosity as to whether anything else will happen, a need to vent frustrations from the IronOrc incident, and sheer amusement causes him to continue the process.
Nobody seemed to like him anyway, it was probably fine.
Shattertooth huffs at the naming of the Leech Lord, but moves off into the ruins of the village without comment to search for survivors.
'Uek focuses his mind and then places two scaled, clawed fingers upon the leech tendril.
What is everyone else doing or preparing to do while Uek is communing with the Leech Lord?
If the party stalls, the DM attacks. :)
'Uek goes into a trance, murmuring. "The swamp. The marsh. All things flow. Estuary to the sea. Blood to the leech. Up the roots, out of the leaves; leaves fall to feed the tiny things. Thus do I find you. Thus does your blood sign your way."
He manages to speak an aside with some difficulty, his eyes closed to concentrate. "I may find him yet. Speak not your intentions while I search. All in time."
Uek, you can sense a multitude of creatures all at once in your mind, like being in the audience of a music hall where everyone around you is chattering at once. It's a dull roar of local minds, giving you perceptions of mosquitos, leeches, vampire bats and other bloodsuckers. Fortunately, your mind is steeled against being overwhelmed in such situations, and you're able to pick out one shining beacon of consciousness in the blackness - Silithus himself.
His consciousness maps itself to a tree near the edge of the Endless Marshes. He appears to have withdrawn his attention from you minotaurs and lizards, for now, and is peering out of the marshes.
Tentatively, you bring your mind closer to his in the neural net, to get a better look. You attempt to peer through his very eyes directly, without him realizing you're scrying him.
His consciousness "perks," and whirls around, seeking inward to find the intruder - but too late. You had already escaped, and had gotten a good look of where Silithus' attention was fixed.
A great portal lies just outside the marshes, and it appears to be active and open. There is a whirling aura of energy that lies within it, and there's a sound of wind as air is continuously sucked into it. Through the eyes of the Leech Lord, you are able to see the last of the Five, the adventurers that had destroyed your home, stepping into the portal.
It was the dwarf alchemist. He clanks up to the portal, his heavy armor sounding strange to the ears of the leech. When the dwarf touches the portal, his body is lifted up the ground and spun around like a top. After a few seconds of spinning faster and faster and faster, the dwarf is hurled across the desert at high speed.
You've seen this portal before, with your own eyes. It is known to the lizardfolk tribe, though you are not certain if the minotaurs know of it as well. Previously, it has always been dormant; the adventuring party appears to have knowledge of how to turn it on, somehow.
Your consciousness is jolted back to your own body, and your own voice is the only one inside your head once again. The leech at your feet has finished bleeding out and has stilled its struggles in death.
What is everyone else doing or preparing to do while Uek is communing with the Leech Lord?
If the party stalls, the DM attacks. :)
Stybar stands next to Wek and watches the druid with wonder. He runs through his stuff to make sure everything is in order and then starts looking for William.
Wek explains everything he saw whilst communing with a fragment of Silithus.
"The Lord of all bloodsuckers saw one of the Five, and that should be our goal--to follow him through the portal, before it closes." Wek blinks his translucent third eyelid across his eyes, as if to cleanse his vision of Silithus and shakes his head, his crest low. "And when we return to the marshes after all this is done, we can deal with the Lord. He should not be upsetting the balance of nature as he has. I know how to track him, the next time we meet something under his domain."
Shattertooth continues his search for survivors.
Shattertooth, you recall that Uek mentioned a few survivors over in the lizardfolk village, but there are no living minotaurs in the vicinity.
You're all local residents of this swamp, so if there is some other point of interest nearby that you would want to check out before heading out, feel free to speak up and say that you want to go there; otherwise, it seems as if Uek wants to visit the portal he saw in his vision. What say the rest of you?
Shattertooth trusts the lizards to take care of their own. He returns sullen and angry. Everything is gone. Everything. Let's go skin their families and roast them over hickory until medium well, then serve them over white rice with a side of steamed vegetables!
Arathoth stops kicking Ozmus to look over at Shattertooth. For all the his suit doesn't really allow for facial expression, the lit eyes of the FerroFox give him a...questioning, look.
[...I have questions.]
Arathoth shakes his head, before jerking stiff as what Uek said finally turns in, his head snapping to the lizardfolk. [WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?! LET'S GO KILL HIM!]
Stybar abandons the search for the barbarian. I guess he or the mask was needed somewhere else I am ready. Let's go
'Uek flicks his crest at Arathoth. "Indeed."
The edge of the marshes is only about 5 miles from here, Uek - a journey of about two hours, when on foot.
The lizardfolk druid leads the way out of the Minotaur village, as it continues to burn to the ground. All around you, where once were familiar sights of home, now is nothing but flaming rubble. Acid burns are visible on some parts of the buildings that were made of stone, and deep-scored claw marks are visible in other places.
Leaving your home behind, you set off through the marshes in pursuit of the adventuring party. Though there are natural perils that all travelers must beware of, most of them are cleared out through a fairly obvious path - the adventurers that passed this way before you were killing anything that presented a danger to them, which amounted to an awful lot of preemptive death.
Upon arriving at the location Uek saw in his vision, two hours' walk later, you hear loud conversations and the sounds of horses whinnying. There is an encampment here, laden with goods. There are several wagons here, parked near to the portal, filled with treasure. While peering at their camp through the trees, your group can see that they're mainly gnomes, halflings, dwarves, and the odd elf or human - they appear to be a group of sunlover traders, perhaps following the adventurers' wake like pilot fish following a shark.
Wek shifts into a poisonous water moccasin, slithering through the grass near the tree roots. He speaks to the party in his odd telepathy.
I suggest we ambush them and kill all save a few. The swamp has been harmed and needs food to repair itself. They will do. Then, we interrogate them, feed them to the swamp, and be on our way. If you agree, nod. If not, we retreat to form a different plan. Do not speak--they may hear us yet. The words wash over the minotaurs and orc like oily waves out of an estuary.
Shattertooth nods.
Stybar nods as he applies his poison to an arrow. This time he will be prepared and aim for the toughest looking sunlover.
Shattertooth again summons three throwing daggers. When the trap is sprung he will pop out of his hiding place and hurl one toward the closest target.
But she shot isn't the clearest and he can't get his best throw in.
The last remnants of the Laogo tribe surround the sunlover caravan. It's immediately apparent that these followers are largely not warlike folk, but merchants - but there is a group of three gnomes, a human, and a dwarf that are armed and resemble bodyguards or mercenaries in appearance.
The human is keeping to himself and picking at his fingernails with a curved knife. He is wearing a mask that covers his face below his eyes, and has light armor.
The dwarf is having an argument with one of the merchants and gestures angrily by banging his spiked mace against his armored forearm, making a loud clanging racket.
Two of the gnomes are wearing magician's robes that match, and have complimentary patterns in the fabric. They are both poring over the same book, which has a swampy-looking appearance to it. Perhaps a treasure that the adventuring party cast aside to their pilotfish.
The third gnome looks to be the leader, judging from the way the others defer to her respectfully. She's wielding a heavy crossbow, and is walking through the camp yelling orders about packing up to move through the portal. Behind her is the portal itself, still swirling with the same magical energy that you saw in your vision before, Uek.
The Laogans waste no time, and pick their targets individually, seeing no need to coordinate their ambush in their haste.
Stybar initiates battle by firing an accurate shot at the toughest-looking sunwalker, which I interpret to be the dwarf. It hits, the minotaur's heavy-duty arrow puncturing him in the side of his breastplate! Roll your damage, and describe the effects your poisons have, Stybar!
Your attack sends the entire merchant encampment into a panic. The merchants scatter in all directions, hiding in their tents, hiding behind their pack animals, and generally making a huge commotion. The mercs are reacting too, but not until this "surprise round" is over!
Uek moves over to the gnome mage twins, noting that they're absorbed in what they're reading and less likely to dodge a snakebite. What effect does your water moccasin venom have on your target, Uek? Spend a Hold and roll your damage. Meanwhile, your target's twin is casting a defensive spell that will temporarily immobilize you if it strikes! What do you do?
The nearest target to Shattertooth is the human. The immolator's chosen target is on his feet immediately when an attack strikes, and you can see his eyes smiling even though his mask covers the expression up partially.
The rogue bats aside your thrown weapons, Shattertooth, though the flames burn him even so. He is charging right at you, what do you do?
Shattertooth tosses another of his firey weapons at the puny human, but in stead of aiming to strike he bends the fire in the weapon causing an explosion!
... crap.