The dwarf stands there a moment, staring at the group, as the others turn their gazes away from the fire and take in the party. After another long moment the dwarf who spoke first says "You wish to help us? Good. Come." He gestures to one of the nearby tents, larger than the others, possibly the command tent for the group.
Magnus pauses a moment staring at the tent before approaching.
Magnus continues into the command tent, walking with confidence and immediately clearing a place to sit as though he owned the place.
The others still crouched behind the horrorshow wagon, Magnus and Stilgar enter the tent with the five dwarves, the other two gnomes in tow. Four of them take up positions at the table's corners while the fifth moves to the small chest on the table and opens it, beckoning to the group.
"Come. See."
Magnus looks into the chest.
Raising a brow, Stilgar steps forward and takes a look as well.
The chest opens with a faint waft of decay and offal. The chest is filled halfway with dirt, from which several ugly, yellow-brown capped fungi grow. As you watch, two of the fungi twitch, and with a soft sound, their caps pop upward, like a parasol turned inside out by a strong wind.
What would you like to do?
Magnus looks to the dwarves. Explain?
Stilgar jerks his head back slightly, startled by the fungi's sudden movement. He looks to the other dwarves expectantly, awaiting an explanation.
The dwarves stand there, eerily silent for a long moment, simply staring at you, as if waiting for something. Their gazes become uncomfortable, but then their eyes leave you, as if following something through the air to the ground. Then the one that spoke to you before says "You have helped. Thank you. You may go now," as the box is returned to the table and the lid closed.
"Any idea what it is Jon?" the witch asks.
Jon peers at the fungus bodies without disturbing it them in any way.
Msgnus will return to the rest of the group and describe the fungus to the best of his ability so that Jon can help.
Stilgar shakes his head, frowning. "What was that? What do you mean that we 'helped?'" he asks, clearly confused. A little more suspiciously, he glances at the box and adds to those questions, "What did you do?"
The dwarf turns to you with the same blank look. "Spores fertilized. Return tomorrow. You may help further when germination is complete."
Even more confused, Stilgar decides to let the matter rest for the time being, simply nodding at the dwarf. He joins Magnus in leaving the tent and returning to the others.
He adds what he heard to Magnus' report. "There is something wrong with them," he says, scratching his beard. "They want us to return tomorrow, when the 'spores' have finished germinating... does any of that sound familiar?"
Magnus looks at the group and then at the cart. He looks in to the cart then recoils at the sight/smell. "What in the world?"
Again, it seems like some sort of digestive acid/enzyme. Likely not a fungus. Whatever it was, it was big, to have dissolved a dwarf, let alone a cartload of them.
"Spores... that doesn't sound very benign. We should get you both into a change of clothes at the very least, maybe wash your hair and eyes. Are there any tracks about for whatever creature may have eaten and spit out these sods?"
Auric covers his mouth and looks over Stilgar and Magnus for any kinds of early symptoms.
Heal:
Auric gives both companions a thorough examination and notes no signs of fungal infection or disease of any type. Granted, they also didn't see any visible spores. If they inhaled them, it may take more time for symptoms to show.
Alright, I am somewhat concerned about this secrecy. In the absence of our magician quarry, what say we gather some more information on these mushrooms ...without the knowledge of the dwarves?
Magnus begins grinning slyly and rubbing his hands together.
Between the pile of dwarf bones and the prospect of possibly being infected with some kind of disease, Stilgar seems just a tad nervous.
"Espionage is hardly my specialty," the cleric says grimly, glancing towards the campsite, "And we should really head west... though I confess, this development does concern me. It might not hurt to learn what we can before leaving."
That's fine, that's fine Magnus says, waving his hands dismissively. A good espionage mission is not necessarily a group task. I can do it myself if you would have the patience to wait for me, and the kindness to protect my limp body. Magnus looks to his friends for permission. If it is given, he will go into a trance from a safe position of cover.
"Are there any tracks about for whatever creature may have eaten and spit out these sods?"
A Survival check will do for this. Meanwhile, if you want to check things out here, let me know what you're going to do. At this point the five dwarves have gathered back around the small campfire again.
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As Magnus' body falls limp, his familiar perks up and its eyes become wide and aware. It speaks. " I wont be long, maybe some of you could set up a distraction for me. Less guards will be better. " At that, the weasel scurries off toward the dwarf encampment and the main tent. He moves cautiously once he gets close enough.
Once he has snuck into the main tent, he will search for clues.
Stilgar looks on in horror as Tuboo slinks away.
Magnus, in Tuboo's body, easily evades the few dwarves standing outside, slinks around the tent and noses his way under one of the walls.
Dismayed by the strangeness of Magnus' new ability, Stilgar stands vigil by the gnome's body.
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Auric looks around for tracks with his inexpert eye.
Survival:
"Oh, there's a boot print! Wait... that's mine. Nevermind."
Jon notes what he initially thought to be a dirt road is actually the trail of some creature. Whatever it is is legless, sliding over the ground and apparently destroying everything organic in its path. There isn't much left here so close to the blast, but the trail has been swept clean of any organic material. It seems to wander erratically before straightening to head nearly due northwest toward the hills.
Magnus/Tuboo returns a short time later, dragging some sort of vegetable matter with him. It's about a foot in length, bulging out towards the middle like a developing pea pod, but clearly some type of fungus to Jon's keen eyes. It trails a number of "roots," which Tuboo/Magnus is using to drag it along.
"Baal's breath, is everything near the star so strange?" Stilgar says exasperatedly upon hearing Jon's report.
Upon seeing what the weasel dragged in, the cleric sighs.
"Is this what was... germinating?"
Magnus gasps deeply from his own body and responds to Stilgar's question. "Seems that way. I still don't have much in the way of information, but I do have this souvenir. Let's replant it and let it grow. I'm curious what it will turn into." Magnus' eyes gleam. "But, let's do it further away from the dwarf camp. They're likely to notice this is missing sooner than later."
"We have a promise to fulfill, Magnus," Stilgar replies, shaking his head. "Time is of the essence. If you must know what it is, is there not some other way to investigate it?"
Magnus waves his hand at Stilgar as he scoops up some dirt and opens a larger pocket of his backpack. "You misunderstand me. We can do both." He gently packs dirt around the roots of the pod and closes the bag. "Now let's go fulfill our promise."
Stilgar opens his mouth, perhaps to object, before closing it again. Instead he nods, more or less satisfied with the outcome. He acknowledges the others, looking for their approval.
"West, then?"
"Whatever it was that did this we need to follow it's path. It may be drawn to other organic life forms seeking to feed on them." Kalaya says with some urgency.
Stilgar turns his gaze toward the trail that Jon had pointed out, considering Kalaya's words. "Then I suppose we have no choice, then," he decides, nodding, "Northwest."
The trail is easy to follow, looking much like a dirt road. As it climbs into the higher ground, it gets a little strange, as it goes through another group of charred, fallen trees. Quite literally, it goes through them. The trees lie at an angle to the trail, blown down by the impact of the fallen star. The trail cuts through them. A section of the blackened trunks neatly removed, the ends of the bisected trunks sporting a slimy residue similar to the skeletons in the wagon. Whatever this is, it appears to be headed up into the foothills.
There is also sign of a large force moving through here as well, easily seen. Many booted feet, shod hooves, and wheels traveling in the same direction.
"It seems that the tracking part of this venture is not hard, but we may be in competition for our quarry. Is there anything we can do to speed up our journey?" Magnus inquires of the group, looking at his own spells as well.
"I have no power of the sort, I'm afraid," Stilgar replies, shaking his head. "But if the ones who left these tracks share our concern, then perhaps we are also of common purpose."
You trudge uphill for a couple of hours, your progress hindered not only by debris from the impact and mud from the storm, but by strange vegetation as well, shrubs and trees twisted into strange forms and colors.
The trail leads into the hills and then merges with a clear trail. The other tracks likewise seem to have taken this path.