"Do we not keep cattle for such purposes? We do not have a method for communicating with them. Yet, what if they were to gain sentience? Would they be in the right to slaughter us all due to how they are treated?"
"I would argue no. To my knowledge they are not sentient. Yet, I do not have the capability of speaking with them at this time. If suddenly the gods decided to grant them sentience, how would we know?"
"As far as we know, these creatures believe us to be little more than wild animals and livestock. We have a lack of ability to confirm this. Thusly, the main issue here, could quite literally be a language barrier. Perhaps, if we explained the situation to them, they would cease this practice. Perhaps not."
"That entirely aside, this creature is now helplessly at our mercy. It would be one thing to destroy it on a battlefield in self defense. It is quite another to just murder it now. At the very least, it should be given a fair trial and a chance to explain itself. Are we no better than the runelords and great liches of old lore? Should we simply slaughter all that oppose us or disagree with our values at our whims?"
"I believe we have are better than such deeds."
Uncharacteristically, Tess somewhat loses her patience.
"With all due respect, Grandfather, we do not keep livestock for our own procreation! And if I'm to believe these creatures have a concept of wild animals and livestock, I'm inclined to believe they should be able to recognise a town when they see one, and as such, recognise we might be more than wild beasts. We gave them a chance to stand down, a chance to discuss this, and they drew their weapons without hesitation. How far must our patience reach?"
She takes a deep breath. "I'm fine with freeing it, but please don't act as though we're nothing but callous villains and they nothing but innocent victims."
Jader looks at the rest of the group
So are we questioning this creature or not. I can use my healing magic to allow it to regain consciousness, but I’m afraid I speak limited languages and likely not this creatures native tongue. I could be an intimidation factor though. Personally I’m inclined to do as Ramona said. I am a company man after all, but if any of you wish to question it and/or let it go I am willing to turn a blind eye, but I will not allow it to hurt anyone if let free. I’ve shown mercy once, next time it attacks I will exact justice.
"Yeah, let's just try this again."
Once the frog's awakened, Tess will attempt to command it again.
The creature wakes up in time, and immediately begins to struggle. However, Tessamine's control takes it over and it seizes up, unable to do much but...well, whatever she wants.
Tess sits down in front of the captive monster, thinking a little about how to approach this questioning. She turns to the others.
"I've got something, I think." She then faces the Skum. "If this works the way I hope it will, we'll at the very least be able to at least get some confirmation about some questions raised. If any of you guys have questions, let me know, and I'll pass them on."
"I am going to ask you some questions. You can answer with yes or no. If the answer is yes, you nod. If the answer is no, you shake your head."
She then starts listing a few questions.
"Did you come to the town to abduct us?
Were you planning on harming us?
Did you know we were here?
Will your group attack the town again?"
She then points to the symbols on the map, asking a few questions about each of them.
"Is this where you live?"
If the answer is no:
"Is this a good place?"
If the answer is no again:
"Is this a dangerous place?"
You manage to convey some of what you're looking for to the creature, though it seems to not understand the third question, as it's a bit hard to mime "thought" or "knowledge" of your location.
It nods in answer to the first...same to second...a shrug for the third....and a nod to the last.
When looking at the map, the creature responds.
Southern structure - shakes head, shakes head, nods head
Northern structure - shakes head, nods, shakes head
Though...the answers seem to be coming from his perspective, not yours...
Well if we are to understand and believe this creature then we are needing to prepare for a fight with more of them. What now? Do we turn it loose only to fight it again later? Do we let it warn it’s kind? I don’t know that is why I ask.
Jader rubs his jaw as he speaks contemplating his own words
"I'm willing to give them a chance. It doesn't seem like diplomacy will be of much use here, but maybe an intimidation angle might.be effective."
She turns to the skum.
"When I untie you, you head back home, to your fellow skum. Then, tell them what happened here. Tell them how you were effortlessly defeated. Tell them of the man who wields lightning, the big half-orc with a deadly whip, the small person who summons forth dragons, and the woman who can muddle and control your mind. Tell them that if you try again, we will be there. And we will take no prisoners then."
The odd creature does, at least, understand your hand-waving implications of death and suffering, if it doesn't understand your words. It seems almost mindless, though, as it blinks and then follows your instructions to the letter.
Sleep and then check with Romona in the morning? See if she has anything for us.
If Ramona doesn't have any pressing matters for us, we could also move to investigate the points on the map the frogmen left us with. The southern structure is closest and apparently bad for them, though that needn't necessarily confirm that it's good for us.
Silently watching the interrogation and subsequent release, Posh nods to himself. 'In the end, they did do the right thing...'
Glancing towards Tessa, he ponders 'I truly expected a godly warrior to see the situation in the same light as I...perhaps she's not all she seems to be.'
"It would not be amiss for us to rest, but I would certainly like to check out these structures. Are thy considered bad due to the residents? Is the region cursed? Is it protected by something else?"
"Such answers could not only shed light on what we are dealing with, but also help us better understand how to protect our own interests in a more hospital manner... That is other than just killing everything that wanders by."
You pass the rest of the day and night without further mishap, and the next morning meet with Ramona.
Really...no. At least, not right now. We've much to do about the colony, but, well - no one said this would be easy. She gives a wry smile. Where will you be headed today, and how long should I wait before sending out a search party? She winks.
Well Ramona if you have nothing pressing for us to do then I think it may be wise to investigate the cave where the grindylows were. Maybe there is a connection between them and the skum. I thought the grindylow leader said something rather menacing before she left. Maybe it was referring to the skum.
Jader looks to his comrades for a sign of approval
"Sounds like a good spot. Maybe we can have our friend the scholar check out the big hand, see if he can make some more sense out of it. After that, we could check out one of the spots on the map."
"That's as good a plan as any I suppose." agrees Posh. "I've prepared a different spell so we should be able to understand them if we encounter them again. Though communicating could be problematic still."
You run this by Carver Hastings before heading out. He nods quickly. Yes, give me an hour so to wrap some things up. It sounds like this could be a long trip. The caves are most of the days' march to the north...should I figure we'll be camping out as well?
"Been a coons age since I laid out under the stars. Could be quite fun! Yes, lets prepare for it."
"Even if we planned on returning before dark, don't want to get caught out there without anything."
Our wise gnome has spoken let us prepare to camp and visit the closer locations along the way. But also be prepared to make haste back here if necessary too.
This talk of going out to adventure reminds Jader of the magic items the party found earlier but were unable to identify their magical properties. He decides to study them some more to see was he can learn about them
Casting detect magic followed by spellcraft checks
"Sounds like a plan." Tess is ready to head out whenever possible.
Jader looks and these and with a second look can get two of the items.
One is a wand of color spray with 12 charges
The other is a lesser talisman of good fortune
After gathering all of the items that you think you'll need for the journey, your group sets off to the north, keeping the coastline to the west. After an hour or so, you come to the wooded area that leads to the north. You'd passed through this area before, on the way to the second landing point of the ship. Last time, you encountered a creature that seemed to animate a corpse while being worn like a hat...a memory you'd much rather forget.
And, once again, you come to this very same stream, at a shallow point in the stream, though not at the point you were before.
That is why we're here. If there is danger, better we encounter it than the other settlers.
Also, would we have been able to convince the priests to heal us?
Looking around, he presses his lips together. "I sure hope this time is a bit less exciting."
Tess will cross the stream first, reasonably secure in the idea she'll be able to deal with whatever decides to show up. If anything does.
Kar will go next, lending a hand to Grandfather as they go.
Tess starts across the stream as everyone keeps their eyes on the stream and forest beyond.
Jader, from the back, has a good eye upstream, and he shouts a warning and points. From upstream, you see three small, shadowy forms swimming through the water towards Tessamine, who stands with one foot hovering over the surface of the water.
Kar takes a single step forward, enters snake stance and total defense.
Jader readies his magic sword and his shield
Tessamine something approaches be weary
Tess nods. She turns to the shadowy things in the water and attempts her Sealord power again. "Calmly reveal yourselves."
One of the creatures slowly rises to the surface, and you can see a strange nautilus that drags itself over rocks on oversized tentacles, its crimson-streaked flesh textured like the surface of some exposed, alien brain.
You recall this creature as the one that, once before, had taken control of a human host by perching atop its head and inserting its tentacles into its brain.
"Hey! Don't let it stick anything inside you guys. Don't forget what it did to the other one in probed."
As he tries to recall what he's read in the about these things, he lobs a dart of ice in their direction.
for
Posh knows this to be an Incutilis - an evil little creature that can latch onto a living organism's brain and take it over, making an effective puppet out of the creature. Though these little beasts are only really large enough to do this to a creature they would render helpless, the danger is still there. One may not want to let one get too close.
Posh's ray of frost skims the surface of the water, but misses its target!
The little creatures swim forward, save for the one that seems to be under the power of Tessamine's call. It merely sways slightly above the surface of the water.
The other two streak forward through the water and leap up on to land...but that's where their bodies seem to fail them. They seem to crawl forward at an agonizingly slow pace, like oversized hermit crabs. One, however, manages to leap towards Tessamine and whips its tentacle about to attack! It slams into her, and attempts to wrap a tentacle about her.
Kar will move up and try to beat the crude out of these things. He summons elemental power to the heels of his feet as he curb stomps them into the bank of the stream.
and
and
Quickly firing another blast of ice, he informs his companions of his recollections. "Yeah, so these tentacled beasties like to wriggle into your brain and take over. Like the one we saw before. Judging by their size though, I'd guess these ones aint any older than my grandkids. Likely can only take over an unconscious subject."
"So...don't let them touch your brain and kill them quick."
for
Tessamine's attack misses the tiny beast, but Kar moves in and slams it with his mighty fists. It appears nearly dead, almost immediately.
Jader assesses the current situation then attempts to keep the third creature at bay if it approaches any closer
Posh singes the creature with a blast of supernatural cold; it wiggles and lets out a high pitched whine, but still remains moving.