"No, Burnsten, I got dis...ahhhh shiiii..."
"No, Burnsten, I got dis...ahhhh shiiii..."
Sorry, there's actually a 1 minute onset time with this poison, but I don't think anybody in the party can really do much. In any event, the Fort 22 is more than enough for Pete to thwart the contact poison.
He pulls up the trap door revealing a dark cellar with a dirt floor. The area immediately underneath the trap door is clear.
Pete looks over to Burnsten, "I be checkin' dis out, cover me will ya?" He then moves to the edge, and climbs down to the cellar, looking for any hidden threats.
"Will do Pete, if ya need a hand I'll send Tracant in an instant for ya"
Pete descends into a cellar of the same dimensions as the hut. Rickety wooden posts hold up the floor above, the floor below is hard-packed dirt. Two rough tables, covered in blood and sharpened oyster shell knives, sit in the middle of the room, while five woven cages line the walls. In each cage is a miserable, wingless faerie dragon, barely alive.
"Ach, sonofabi..." Pete mutters to himself. He yells up to the others, "I found 'em, 'n they be in bad shape! Abbas, kin ye git down 'ere? They could use yer god's touch 'ere."
He will start freeing the faerie dragons from their cages, unlocking their cages if necessary. He will also check for traps on the cages, if they happen to be locked.
Abbas descends the ladder as Pete gets the faerie dragons out of their cages. He channels a couple bursts to heal them of their open wounds and dehydrated states, but there's nothing he can do for their severed wings.
Pete finds no traps anywhere.
Meanwhile, Quist has come to land on Burnsten's nose. He leads Burnsten over to a medallion hanging from a wall in the outer room and mimes the up and down motion again. Assuming Burnsten gets the message and destroys this medallion, Quist instantly reforms into himself and offers his thanks.
There are also still a couple unexplored rooms in this upper level.
Pete will check the other unexplored rooms, but he won't spend much time searching unless he sees something unusual.
Here are some rolls for him.
Perception trapfinding
Perception trapfinding
Perception trapfinding
There are two other rooms, as well as a short hallway connecting them. Just off the room with the trap door is the pantry from hell. Shelves are crammed with a mix of normal cooking and baking supplies mixed in with all manner of disgusting witch-type components (Pete's quite certain he sees a jar of eye of newt).
Mixed in among the various supplies, Pete finds five little containers of what he suspects are poisons. Craft Alchemy checks needed to identify the types.
The final room in the southwest corner is a bedroom. A damp, mouldy bed rests against the west wall of this bedroom. The deer and bear hides which serve as blankets smell of must and unwashed bodies. There are two strong wooden chests. The chest by the bed is not locked and contains ragged clothes, a cracked wand, a pouch of amethysts, a beautiful shell necklace, and three potions in what look like deer bladders. The other chest is locked.
Pete appropriates the potions and hands them to Alexis for her to identify. He then moves to the locked chest and examines it thoroughly for any traps. Once finished, he examines the necklace and gems for their value.
"I believe that alchemy is one of your pursuits, correct Gregor?"
Alexis hands the poisons over to Gregor noting that Burnsten is also interested in what they might be. (Alchemy +7 for Gregor, +6 for Burnsten)
"That it is child, that it is... the old druid says as he begins to examine the liquids.
Craft (Alchemy):
Craft (Alchemy):
Craft (Alchemy):
"Hmmm...Burnsten, you might want to have a look at a couple of these."
"Well this place is quite... nasty, but other than that I hope there are no more traps around or interesting sights, not to say disgusting ones...
Not getting the nicer effects of the smells and overall horrible place
"Well I trust Gregor with Alchemy, do it sound interesting I rather see it in a more safe place to properly review it, unless I must do it here?"
Edit:
Well alright let me check it
If there are any actual potions or magic items, Alexis will give them the once over.
Alexis identifies an elixir of love, and two potions of endure elements from the unlocked chest in the moldy bedroom. Two cracked wand is of speak with animals with 14 charges remaining. A make whole spell would be able to repair it and allow use of the remaining charges.
Between the two of them, Gregor and Burnsten identify three doses of oil of taggit and one dose of hemlock poison. The fifth poison remains a mystery.
There is still a locked chest (and several magical auras unaccounted for).
There is still a locked chest (and several magical auras unaccounted for).
Pete finds no traps on the locked chest, and with a bit of work, gets it open.
Inside are a pair of rolled tubes of a white tree bark, and a silver statuette of a raven wrapped in crumbling cloth, all of which are magical.
Alexis' spellcraft for bark 1:
Alexis' spellcraft for bark 2:
Alexis' spellcraft for raven:
Ouch. First two rolls are immaterial, as Alexis quickly realizes that they are scrolls, just written on bark instead of parchment. A quick read magic spell shows that one is a scroll of summon swarm, the other hideous laughter.
She is unable to identify the silver raven statuette at this time.She'll have to try again the next day.
Where to from here?
"Abbas, Gregor, is there anything we can do for those poor faerie dragons? Quist, what can we do to help?"
"Beggin' yer pardon 'ere, but I t'ink we should take 'em back ta Quists village now. I really dinna like this place."
The old druid shakes his head...
"Sorry lass, we can see that they get food and water, and we can get them home, but being able to do anything about their wings is beyond my abilities."
The hut's cleared, even assuming you all take 20 looking for secret passages or compartments.
"Quist and Quist's friends take them home now. Quist offer many thanks to new friends for saving these ones."
The hut's cleared, even assuming you all take 20 looking for secret passages or compartments.
"Quist and Quist's friends take them home now. Quist offer many thanks to new friends for saving these ones."
"Beggin' yer pardon 'ere, but I t'ink we should take 'em back ta Quists village now. I really dinna like this place."
"I couldn't agree more and the faster were out of this place the better..."
Alexis gently picks up one of the injured faerie dragons looking for others to do the same. Once they are all seen to, she says, "Alright Quist, I think we are all ready to head back now. Please lead the way."
Abbas picks up one of the injured faerie dragons and looks it over to see if there is anything more he can do for it before turning to follow Quist.
While a regenerate spell would probably grow their wings back, that's pretty powerful magic you don't have access to. Expensive healing rituals requiring powerful components may exist, but Abbas has no knowledge of them. At this point, all you can really do is make them comfortable and get them home for their own people to look after. From what you can tell from Quist and Pupa's interactions with them, they're going home heroes.
And indeed, you are all going back heroes. Mates or mothers of the rescued dragons come flitting over to you as you return, weeping over their aliveness and winglessness alike. Others cheer your success. A dozen or so surround Pete and manage to lift him a few feet into the air before they just can't hold on any longer and he thumps back down.
They bring you a feast of grubs and fruit like the time before and you finally get to sleep, just as the sun is starting to peek over the trees.
When it's time to depart, Quist comes for a few words.
"You all good friends of Quist, now. Many times, Quist see travelers from over Big Water come to this land, they come to conquer it or takes its treasures, treat natives very badly, and natives kill them or drive them off. Quist no think you eight like that. Not know others in your group, though. Maybe they good, maybe not, but you have ally in Quist. Quist have gifts for you. Quist buy these many many years ago when Quist was a young hatchling, off on youthful quests to see world. Quist never need them, but maybe you find use. For one hour, they make whip that float next to you and attack enemies." A couple faerie dragons land next to you with feathers in their hands. You each receive a feather token (whip).
That night...Quist, we would like to find out more about the surrounding area? What is the terrain like. Are their any powerful predators. Any unusual formations or man-made buildings? What about other native tribes in the area? Any help would be appreciated by your people.
"Of course, friend Elorin," Quist replies. "The land about these parts is mostly forested. A day and half of travel past Griselda's hut would have put us into Midnight Expanse. Very dangerous place. Do not go there. Akechata live there, where sun's light never touches ground. Around Midnight Expanse live Savagemen. Not as savage as Akechata, and more savage than you," he points at Biter. "Many of your kind live there. There are some human villages, but they move from year to year, so Quist not know exactly where to find them. Quist think there is Long Ridge village where people make home more permanent. Weronesqua Oak Bark is very old and wise, peaceable but firm as old roots. That village to north of yours. Clay Hollow village also not move much. Weroence Three Spears mean bully. No visit them, they kill."
"No man-made structures - natives no make stone buildings - Quist think there green dragon live in marshes upriver. Avaina live in lake near your village. She nice, but probably not talk to you."
"Quist not know much more to help friends, but will keep ears out and send word of anything dangerous to new friends."
Alexis perks up at the mention of someone living in the lake near the fledgling colony. "Is Avaina, a woman, or is she a water spirit of some kind, or...?"
"Well I see no need to explore such dark places friend Quist, but in regards of Avania... can you elaborate more?"
"Aye...Queest. Why she be not wantin' ta talk to us? She be shy or somethin' like that?"
Sorry folks, for some reasoni didn't get the new posts alert.
"Avaina is water spirit. She sleeps a lot. If you want see her, start destroying lake, then she wake up and kill you all. On second thought, maybe that bad idea."
"Of course, friend Elorin," Quist replies. "The land about these parts is mostly forested. A day and half of travel past Griselda's hut would have put us into Midnight Expanse. Very dangerous place. Do not go there. Akechata live there, where sun's light never touches ground. Around Midnight Expanse live Savagemen. Not as savage as Akechata, and more savage than you," he points at Biter. "Many of your kind live there. There are some human villages, but they move from year to year, so Quist not know exactly where to find them. Quist think there is Long Ridge village where people make home more permanent. Weronesqua Oak Bark is very old and wise, peaceable but firm as old roots. That village to north of yours. Clay Hollow village also not move much. Weroence Three Spears mean bully. No visit them, they kill."
"No man-made structures - natives no make stone buildings - Quist think there green dragon live in marshes upriver. Avaina live in lake near your village. She nice, but probably not talk to you."
"Quist not know much more to help friends, but will keep ears out and send word of anything dangerous to new friends."
Alexis, should we report back and let them know what we found? This more friendly Long Ridge Village to the north may also be of interest as a place to go to next as well.
Alexis doesn't comment on Quist's seeming attempt at humor but instead replies to Elorin, "Yes, I believe heading back would be a prudent course of action. Mind you, I should prefer to get some rest first in case we have any other... incidents on the return trip..."
"Well let us rest then and maybe come up with a plan to speak with Avaina"
Pete gives Burnsten a long look, "I not be sure how ye be persuadin' a water spirit ta talk to us. Methink a better plan be ta try ta make contact wit' th' Long Ridge Village 'Lorin mentioned."
He looks around the filthy insides of the late hag's hut, "As fer restin', I know where I not be sleepin'..."
The faerie dragons treat you well, and send you off with a hearty lunch, fervent good-byes, and crazy pranks.
An hour later, as you're on the way back to the colony, Rath's head suddenly erupts with green hair, followed by Biter with pink hair.
After a good chuckle and a signal to Biter the two sneak off into the woods ahead of the party to make sure we arrive back at the colony safely...