As you enter the dome, you see in the shadows, two humanoid forms, both having back-bent, dog-like legs and hideous mouths flanked by tiny arms with three-fingered hands. They see you as well.
Init:
Braydon:
Fibek:
Goldilocks:
Ikshvaku:
Kayosin:
Straehan:
Sumisu:
monsterx2:
Round 1:
Braydon
monsters
Vak
Fibek
Kayosin
Straehan
Sumisu
Goldilocks
AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural)
hp 19 (3d8+6)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +4
monster 1 goes for Kayosin
monster 2 goes for Straehan
Caught off-guard as he is, Kayosin has no time to react. Lucky for him, though, the creature's bite doesn't penetrate his tough, scaled skin.
He wracks his brain for any knowledge of these strange creatures as he dives into a flanking position with the gnome, swiping at what he hopes is a soft spot.
Braydon takes a moment outside as the others slip in to scout, calling his armor and blade with the usual fanfare [Move action to call the blade, move action to call the armor].
Perception:
He glances around for tracks, then hears the scuffling from inside.
"No need for tracking. Here..it comes!"
Round 1:
Focusing his internal power, Ikshvaku takes a short step forward to close with the nearest of the attackers. As he steps he brings his empty hands around in the beginnings of a yokomenuchi strike just short of the creature; by the time his hands have reached the point of impact, though, his mind blade has finished manifesting. It slices cleanly into the enemy's shoulder.
The gnome slaps away the creature's clumsy attempt to bite him and follows it up an arcanely charged roundhouse punch and a stomp to the monster's in-step.
MODS: FOB, Flank
HIT #1:
DAM: sorcerous strike
HIT #2:
DAM:
Sumisu throws a bomb behind one of the new monsters to try to burn it with an indirect hit and racks his brain for information about these creatures. They seemed familiar to him somehow as if he may have studied them before. Tanooki leapt off of his head and flew up and out of harm's way, losing a feather or two in his haste.
And they're both down.
Sumisu pulls out a scroll and begins taking notes. He mutters a bit, quietly to himself, "Sinspawn, that's strange. I would have thought they'd have died out Milennia ago. Well we are in the right area, so that's not terribly surprising."
Tanooki floats down and lands on the small figure's head again, taking a moment to preen himself and adjust his plumage in case one of the lost feathers might have been unsightly.
"Sin-whatnow? Either you or your bird is gonna have ta start speaking Common."
Kayosin's face reflects the curiosity and concern in the gnome's words. "Agreed. We need to knwo what we're getting into here. And especially if knowledge of those Sinspawn gives us any information about the potential status of the children we're looking to find. Do those things take captives? Or are we likely looking for a pair of corpses?"
"Done? Gone..so soon? I'm going to have to..to be faster, if I want..to get some practice in."
Braydon looks about to make sure we got them all..
Perception:
[occ]Pass or fail, looks clear to him..[/ooc]
"Were these..the soggy river monster people were so afraid of? Let's see if there are any..missing townfolk about?"
The cat growls at the elf until the elf casts a spell putting a magical set of armor on the cat.
Sumisu puts away his scroll and cocks his head back a little as to see Straehan and Kayosin from under his shadowed cowl. "Sinspawn are shock troops of ancient Thassalon. Recently there was a discovery of a Rune Well under Sandpoint that can make them. I don't know what they would have been doing here, unless they escaped from there in the last couple years. I don't know what kind of monster the Soggy River Monster is, but if these were it, I'd be a bit disappointed. Intellectually and academically that is."
Kayosin frowns, "Yah. I've heard a bit about that. Academic disappointments aside, if that is the case, we could be doing Sandpoint a great favor in removing the threat. Is there any reason to believe these two – plus any more we run into at these ruins – are the only ones in the area?"
Either way, he shrugs, "Though I guess that, too, is a bit academic as we're here to look in on some kids and see about a goblin problem."
A search of the den provides answers, though not, perhaps, the ones you wanted.
Along with the creature's filthy beds of mud and reeds is a strange mound of what first appeared to be a stack of nearly a dozen muddy spheres.
Unfortunately, these tun out to be the poorly preserved heads of 11 of the missing folks. The hole in the floor seems to have been used as a crude toilet and garbage disposal, and the lower level contains the rotting corpses of four of the smaller faceless stalkers.
Mayos in suppresses a frustrated sigh as he searches for the two younglings, "So, if nothing turns up here, do we head straight for the goblins? Cut across to old Megus? Or circle around the swamp to approach her place from the south?"
He flicks his gloved hand to fling off a bit if what he hopes is just mud, "If we cur across towards Megus along the coast, we can keep an eye out for those old ship wrecks." He shrugs, "Not sure how confident i am that those goblins would have left much of value, but it may help shed some light on what all has gone on recently."
Sumisu shrugs a little, while Tanooki prepares for a nap. "Well, we did come here to gather goblin ears, but it would be good to do either. Which is closer on the map?"
"The goblins by the crow's flight. But that's cutting straight across the marsh. Haven't spent too much time out here, but I can't imagine that's the safest route. I was hoping hitting the shipwrecks or Old Megus's place would give us some more information about what's going on with the little green-skin runts. Their behavior is certainly odd enough... well... more odd."
Reviewing the map; the goblin village seems slightly closer, though both involve marshy treks.
Braydon is clearly upset at the discovery of the severed heads.
"I think we definitely killed them far too quickly now. They should have been burned alive for this..this.."
He regains a measure of composure..
"Well, they are no longer going to be a threat. We should..get these heads..remains..back to town for identification. Anyone have a bag they don't want back?"
The group can take whatever measures they wish about the remains of the sinspawn's victims.
The group heads up toward the main road, looking for the trail that Walthus marked as 'Witch's Walk'.
It's a bit of a trek, but you eventually reach an overgrown clearing, starting to be swallowed up by the swamp. A sagging, one-story shack sits in the clearing, its walls dingy with age and encrusted with lichen and fungus. A partially collapsed shed sits just to the northeast, while small pouches, twisted knots of feathers, and dangling wind chimes made of bones hang from branches and roof edge alike.
Oddly, during your trek, you see no further signs of goblins.
Kayosin slinks forward, blade in hand, trying to keep his black eyes everywhere even as they try to linger on the strange dangles.
He gives the group, or any that can see him, a shrug as he continues looking for the strange woman.
Kayosin: As you approach,you hear nothing but some chittering and scrabbling sounds. There are rat tracks crisscrossing the area, and a few -disturbing- tracks, rat-sized but resembling tiny human footprints
Braydon & anyone else with scent: you smell rats and -something else- but no humans.
Not willing to let Kayosin go it alone, and not liking the silence, Straehan takes a moment to cast a spell and then tags along after the scout, whispering "They call this architecture Swamp Chic, I think."
Flare (1):
Prestidigitation (1):
Dancing Lights (1):
Elemental Ray (7): xxx
Elemental Fist (2):
Produce Flame (1): x
1st Spells (4): x
Spell Effects: None
Ikshvaku concentrates briefly , then calls up his mind blade and moves up behind the scouts.
As you approach the door, you realize it's swollen shut by moisture, moss and mold. [DC 14 Str to break it open]
You also notice a trail leading away from the shack, towards the shoreline.
Upon breaking open the door, you find yourself in a large room with sheets of fungus growing along the walls and floor and on the numerous gourds, twigs, and bones hanging from the ceiling on sinew and string. An archway opens in front of you and there are wooden doors on either side wall.
Kayosin looks in uncertainly, "She may not appreciate us just busting in like this. I mean, we're just supposed to check on her..."
He looks around at the others, then shrugs, cupping his hands around his mouth as he shouts, "MEGUS! HEMLOCK SENT US TO CHECK IN YOU! YOU HERE?"
Sumisu becomes busy working on taking notes about the various fungi that line the walls. Despite being born in the dark, he had not yet done much research into fungal forms and this was a veritable cornucopia of samples to study.
Tanooki, having finished his nap, takes interest in what Kayosin is yelling and hoots a bit to accentuate his exclamation and flaps his wings as to be more easily seen.
Straehan heads down the trail towards the shoreline. "Perhaps, she is this way. I'll check it out."
The elf approaches with his cat. "I sense something wrong."
Ikshvaku stands back, listening and looking for threats.
@Straehan: the path winds for about 50' before ending in a rickety pier with a perfectly serviceable rowboat tied to it.
After a minute there is a response to Kayosin's call.
"I'm fine. Go away!" The voice sounds hoarse and, well, odd.
Those of you outside realize there's something moving in the collapsed shed.
Kayosin shares a suspicious look with the group, "Unfortunately, Megus, we've run into a few difficulties that make me hesitant to believe you without getting to talk to you face to face. Is there any way you can come out to chat with us? We're only here to help."
@Kayosin: the voice sounds wrong, like someone, or something, trying to sound female. You don't think it's actually Megus speaking. Whoever or whatever spoke doesn't want you here.
Kayosin gets the groups attention, shields the lower half of his face with a gloved hand (so whatever's in the direction of the voice can't see his mouth), and mouths NOT MEGUS.
"Megus. Hemlock said I can't come back without seeing you. My hands are tied." He waves to the group to follow him, then moves to enter, blade ready.
Having found nothing on the dock, Straehan returns to the ramshackle cottage. "Well, there's a nice boat for a lovely midge-infested swamp cruise..." He voice trails off as he sees the intent of some of his comrades.
The Vudrani nods and advances with Kayosin, making very little noise in so doing.
The cat motions for the elf to cast a magic armor on her, and advances quite fearlessly to the shed.
"GRRRR!"
Those inside:
You hear a voice say "I gave you a chance, now die!" Shapes move from behind the walls of the next room and you see three huge rats with rotting flesh, torn and matted fur, reddish blazing eyes and semi-translucent skin showing discolored bones and muscles.
Those outside see a mass of shapes emerging from the shed as a swarm of rats with rotting flesh, torn and matted fur,reddish blazing eyes and semi-translucent skin showing discolored bones and muscles. moves toward you.
Who or whatever is directing them remains hidden, though.
dire shadow rats:
AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 7
bite +4 (1d4 plus 1d3 Strength damage plus disease; DC 13)
shadow rat swarm:
AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +2 size)
hp 39
swarm (2d6 plus 1d4 Strength damage plus disease)
initiative:
Braydon:
Fibek:
Goldilocks:
Ikshvaku:
Kayosin:
Straehan:
Sumisu:
ratsx3:
rat swarm:
Round 1:
Sumisu
rats inside
Fibek
Braydon
rat swarm
Vak
Kayosin
Straehan
Goldilocks
Sumisu, having not gone very far inside suddenly realizes that he is kind of alone in here. Tanooki takes flight for the door and escapes into the open sky, and Sumisu readies a bomb, hoping to take out a rat or two. As he lobs it, he winces a bit, realizing how many specimens of fungus he is about to destroy.
Also curious about the rats, he scans his mental encyclopedia to see what they might have in common with things he has read.
Sumisu's startled reaction still strikes on target, barely (they're still flat-footed) and the splash catches both of the others, doing more damage to one than the other.
Rat 1: Down, destroyed
Rat 2: -6
Rat 3: -3
Braydon blanches at seeing a horde of undead rats. "Ugh, such filth! Who would take time to MAKE such things?"
Already armed and armored, Braydon has a bit of free time, and focuses on channeling a bit of divine power. "Irori look favorably upon us as we battle these abominations!"
The gnome leaps towards the swarm and send a sheet of flame into the crowd of rats at eye-level.
According the PRD an AoE attack does 50% more damage to a swarm - hence the +4 DAM I added to the total.
Flare (1):
Prestidigitation (1):
Dancing Lights (1):
Elemental Ray (7): xxx
Elemental Fist (2):
Produce Flame (1): x
1st Spells (4): xx
Spell Effects: None
Straehan's flame catches the carpet of undead rats, rather effectively.
swarm -12