Holmburg furrows his brow and looks at Doc "Pack Wagon?... what do you mean?"
"Here, look out th' window." Doc points to the the yard where the big black and green wolf-wagon was parked under an awning.
Grusk smiles while Doc gets started talking about the wagon.....
"The Screaming Jungle; a lovely place. Sentient, angry plants; monkeys, monkeys, and more monkeys; and, lest I forget, the charming vacation spot that is the empire of Mzali, a land of savages and a mummified child god. I suggest we take a beach blanket, our swim shorts, and a royal sized armory."
"Ah got tha' last one covered." Doc says with a grin.
Sentis's curiosity almost over rode that sliver of fear that crept through him.
Mummified child god? How does that happen? I mean we've dealt with savages, plants and monkeys before. But that last seems impossible?
"Doc what we got in tha wagon fer them tings?"
"Did I mention the monkeys? There are lot of them, and not the cute, pettable kind you find in the circus either."
"Ah meant th' armory, not th' child-god-thing." Doc says with a roll of his eyes. "Ah got those grapple guns we used on th' ankheg, flame-throwers, guns, mortars, a cannon tha' fires th' returnin' trident we picked up from Throney, an' a buncha spear an' arrow slits t' fight through fer when yer monkeys decide t' git upclose an' personal. Mah Pack Wagon's one bad b$&+!."
Doc introduces the pack-wagon to a Holmburg that is simultaneously impressed, perturbed, amazed, confused and ultimately satisfied that the pack-wagon would be a suitable construct for their conveyance... though he did have one question "So do you use horses to pull it? It looks awfully heavy..."
Decision at least mostly made to pursue Holmburg's interests, papers were signed with the Captain and preparations made to get underway. Given your good standing and in acknowledgement of your service - Holmburg saw fit to provide an advance so you might prepare for the journey.
As he brought together his books and possessions in readiness for the journey so you also had a chance to do some last minute shopping / research and preparation... for in three days you would be heading into the wilds...
"Oxen, actually. That's temporary though. Ah'm workin' out some self-locomotion ideas. Eventually, she'll be able t' run 'round like a real wolf."
Sentis beemed with wonder at the idea of the wagon stalking through a forest like a wolf but part of the plan had him questioning.
Oxen? I thought we were going to use the ankhegs?..Which reminds me that we should check in with the trainer on their progress soon.
"Yeah, event'ly. Ah jus' figured it'd take 'em a while longer t' grow up. Yer th' critter expert. Think they're ready?"
"Seems like it time tah check on tha bugs an see what they ave been trained tah do."
"Doc yah got them instant oxen ready fer backup?"
"If by instant, ye mean "in th' stables", then yeah, sure."
Hmm...I suppose they will have some growing up to do. Im not that familiar with the life cycles of insects...Especially insects that will grow to be as big as an ox... to be too sure but your guess is good that it will probably be well after our upcoming trip.
Once they were all at the stables, Doc simply shook his head in amazement. "Well I'll be damned. Them critters grow up fast. What d' we do now? Let 'em got t' know us? I ain't never been much good wit' critters."
"Not sure if I trust Grusk enough to be the driver. Let's get a move on, one way or another"
"Ah think he'd be fine. What better t' understand a fang-mouthed acid-droolin' monster, than another one?"
"At least one o them lil huggers thought I wuz its mum, when it was knee high, hope it's brains grown nuff tah know I'm not."
Sentis laughed at Doc's barb and smiled as the group settled into their preparations and their typical 'smack talking' began in earnest. He was eager to be away from the city and back to work.
I'll take turns driving the cart if you wish Grusk.
Renting a couple of bullocks to get the battle wagon out of the city, a decision is made to not risk trying to bring the ankheg into Kalabuto just yet. Holmburg is picked up from his inn with a couple of large trunks that are heavy as stone and you wager are filled with books and notes. Upon the initial journey out to where the ankheg have been kept for training he makes conversation "So it looks like we'll need to head East across the plains... I've heard there are some nomadic mwangi that roam there - the Bas'o? Have you run into any of them before."
Before long you pass out of the city proper and the corral of the gap-toothed mwangi can be seen in the distance. Curiously though... the ankheg are nowhere in sight...
Sentis searched his memory... before answering Holmburg.
Yes we have run into the Bas'o before. They helped us hunt ankhegs. Hopefully we can continue to be diplomatic if we run into any more...
Sentis trailed off as they saw the empty corral...hmm...I wonder where the ankhegs are?...probably dug themselves underground...
"Sentis yah think them buggers is burrowing yet?"
"We met em on tha plains they was interested in what we was up to, but when yah travel wit nary do wells, yah jus expect that."
I was just thinking that our bugs had probably figured out how to dig by now. This could be problematic.
Sentis will wait until they were closer to the corral before jumping to conclusions though...maybe that mwangi trainer has them at task...
Doc, up in the main turret, swiveled about scanning the area for telltale bug holes.
As you continue to roll closer you hear a high pitched whistle sound from the farm and can just make out the gap-toothed mwangi standing there. Roughly a minute later two ankheg burst from the earth before the mwangi. Holmburg looks to the ankheg, then back to you with a degree of incredulosity upon his face.
Grusk laughs at Holmburg....
"Yah ain't seen nothin yet."
Sentis positively beamed at the sight of the ankhegs bursting from the ground.
Yup. they've learned to dig alright and it looks like they will do so on command. We should give this guy a bonus.
"There's a couple pony kegs o' my latest brew in th' main bay, strapped in on th' right side next t' th' hatch. Give 'im one."
The wagon rumbles on nearer to the ranch as the ankheg are led to a trough to one side of the field. You then spy the gap toothed mwangi rancher waving you down with a big grin on his face.... Holmburg remains speechless.
"What err we attachin tha reign tah, tha durn things acid mouth will eat through a bit.
Gets a drink from the small keg for Holmburg....
"Jus some insect oxes is all!"
"Ah designed a few differ'nt harnesses back when we decided t' use 'em t' haul th' wagon. They're made outta th' leftover chitin tha' Ah made intae our armor. They should be plenty resistant t' acid an' fit in ways tha' they won' be able t' git at wit' their jaws."
Sentis ducks inside the war wagon and rummages around until he finds the small keg that Doc said would be there. The half elf got out, approached the trainer and offered the keg to the man.
Greetings. Looks like you have been very busy with our six legged friends. Accept this as a bonus of our appreciation. How many commands do they know?
Grusk approaches the mounts thinking surely they are going to eat the oxen.....
"Ask him how much is instinct an what tha critters understand?"
The mwangi trainer smiles as the keg is offered "Be thanking me later when you happy they do what you want... not now when not sure they follow what I teach yet. But keg is good, be able sell for good coin and baccy later. Come I show" taking Sentis and anyone else animal focused aside to run through what he has taught the ankheg.
They will take harness but not reins, control instead through tapping their carapace with a goading stick... left for left, right for right, on the back to stop and just behind the head to move forward. The whistle blown twice sends them into the dirt, while a single blow brings them back up again... without harness though - as being able to drag a full weight carriage and burrow through dirt is beyond them at present. The last thing he offers is a few wax sealed balls of what looks like rotted meat - explaining that what's within is like catnip for ankheg.
"Ye be throwin that at someone ye don't be liking... the pups will go for the eating. Still not sure how they do when fighting... but you like surprises eh?" grinning widely and chuckling through missing teeth.
Farewells are made, ankheg hitched to wagon and Holmburg fortified with the application of alcohol and you set out Eastwards along the path as laid across the plains. Your first few days are uneventful, the ankheg proving reasonably reliable bullocks though unused to the weight and needing regular rests to start with. As the days continue they lean into the yoke and take it more readily.
You spy a few groups of Bas'o at a distance, but none approach... likely turned away by the threat offered by a large green wagon towed by twin creatures of death. Holmburg also continues to recover snatches and threads of thought - spending his time split between feverish writing and glassy eyed recollection.
At fading light on the fourth day in transit... you come across something of more sinister nature. Running across your path is a wagon trail not dissimilar to your own, heavy rutted tracks and signs of outriding horse. In the near distance you also spy carrion birds alighting on a site about ten minutes travel along said wagon trails.
It would not require much deviation from your journey to draw near and see what might have drawn bird of carrion from the sky to ground to eat...
Seeing the vultures, Blaze calls a halt. "Sentis pull us a bit closer, but not too much so. Don't want to scare whatever might be there, survivors or otherwise"
Aye aye captain!
Sentis tapped the ankhegs on the right to stear them towards the scene. The druid was settling into driving the war wagon. He would have preferred to walk...but sometimes we all must do things that take out of our comfort area...and had sent Baran ahead with Grusk. The wolf wasnt too keen on the ankhegs yet...and might never be...
Following the trail left by the other wagon you soon find what has attracted the carrion. A patch of earth has been tinged crimson with broken bodies in the near distance. Even from this distance you can see that the dead men were mwangi and that something had been done to the corpses after they fell. Though you'd need to draw nearer still to ken exactly what.
"Grusk, scout ahead. Sentis pull us to about fifty feet and then come with me to give Sir Ugly a hand. Doc, stay with the wagon and man the weapons"
Stealth
Perception +2 monsterous humanoids
Initiative
Grusk steals closer still and finds no reason for raising blade yet. All on the field bar the vultures are dead and will not be walking again. There are roughly ten Bas'o warriors dead on the field and another mwangi who is not scarred like the Bas'o. All of the dead have been flipped onto their backs and their chests opened.
Ribcages ripped apart like paper and the organs that dwelt inside their chests removed. There is little to imply why, apart from the fact that the wagon trail that heads eastwards includes blood trails.
The ankheg are easily brought forward to where it is wished, the verminous beasts of burden are unworried by the charnel house stench. Holmburg however is less able to stomach it and retreats within the confines of the green wagon to lessen his exposure.
Doc rotates his gunmount towards the cave and trains the big trident launcher on the entrance.
"On it." he says curtly.