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Cup happily pulls out her teapot and makes tea. Singing a nice mellow G flat, she sings a fat solid note into being that she can use as a step stool to reach the family's stove. When the tea is done, she hops down and starts pouring for both the farmer family and her friends. "I find tea to be very calming. Anything that you can remember about where you've seen that purple substance would be very helpful."
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"Thank you," Carlo and his mother both take a sip from their cups. His mother smiles as she drinks. "Oh wow, this is both warm and comforting. We do enjoy living just outside Saringallow. We sell most of our crop there, and it's our wheat that Gunty over at the bakery uses to make his best damn bread this side o' the river."
Garreni steps back inside from the barn. "Brunella's fine now. A little bit of brushing and a few carrots calmed her right down. Those goblins are lucky she was barred up, or they'd have been trampled before you fine folks even got here!" He chuckles before joining you at the table.
"Okay, I'll stay well away from that purple stuff, not to worry. As for where I've seen it..." Carlo thinks back a few days. "Four days ago, I was chasing a lamb that strayed past the fence. Out of nowhere, I saw two ugly, green little goblins out in the clearing. They were talking some nasty, jabbering language I didn't understand. One of them, the one wrinkled like a raisin, was all scarred up. The other had a big blade for chopping tied to the end of a pole and a trumpet. They were arguing back and forth, and then they walked off in different directions. Once I was sure they'd gone, I ran home and told my ma and pa."
"I can take you there if you'd like. It's not far from here and the pasture does seem quiet now that you've rid it of those nasty goblins."
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Mr Peppers continues his writing, looking up to nod along at times, especially when Mom mentions Gunty's bread, then turns and smiles as Garreni returns "Glad to hear she's well and there weren't any green guys hiding out in there. Horse hooves do quite a number on goblin skulls... right Uesugi?" He says leaning back away from his book and massaging his hand.
"His mount Yurei mashed one up back where we saw Carlo here. Or was that one of their dogs?" He flips back in his notes to check then shakes his head. "Never the less, back to the point. We'd love it if you took us to where ever you've seen more goblins or any of that purple sludge. That goblin with the trumpet is probably one we just killed back at the stream, I don't remember any wrinkled looking goblins though."
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"Ma, pa, I'll be back real soon! Close and lock the door after I leave, just in case. Wait for my family knock before you open it again." Carlo's parents nod at his instructions as he leads you out of the house.
You follow the young shepherd past Clover Stream. On the way there, he tells you that the dead trumpeter you pass by is indeed the same one he saw the other day. Before long, you end up at a small clearing not far from the edge of the woods.
"Here. This is where I saw them chatting. I'm not sure what they might have been saying, but I remember them clearly. They both had that purple stuff on their faces and they seemed rather ... crazy, even for goblins!"
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Mr Peppers takes in the surroundings as they head to the goblin meeting spot, hoping to remember where it is for later. "You're quite the brave young man Carlo, keep you and your family safe." He then hands him a dagger if he doesn't appear to be armed.
When the group passes the trumpetting goblin Mr Peppers hunts up a stick and hooks it through the curve of the trumpet and lifts it from the grass. He shields his face and nose from the goblin filth and casts a spell and cleans it ,and cleans it some more, and probably just a bit more just in case. "Nasty creatures, made nastier by that bile. Playing this horn may be a useful distraction at some point to the other goblins." He'll even go as far to cast detect magic on it and anything else they've found just in case.
Once at the meeting site he'll help the others look for tracks but mostly just watches what everyone else is doing and follows them around trying not to step in anything gooey.
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Gallix gives each of the farmers a kind smile and a wink before he departs with the rest of the party. "You make sure to keep that door locked until young Carlo here comes back. No telling what these goblins'll get up to now with the way they've been acting. Don't worry though, we'll get this all sorted out in no time."
When they arrive at the clearing, Gallix meanders around for a while, just taking in the sights, but not looking for anything in particular. When Uesugi kneels down nearer the wood's edge, however, the brawler can't help but to give in to his curiosity and to come check out what the samurai is up to. His curiosity is quickly overcome, however, by the boredom of standing around, looking at grass. "I'll uh...be over here," he says, stepping back from the woods again.
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Cup looks with dismay around the grass. It all looks like grass to her. "I'm an urban girl, but dogs can track by scent. I bet Oolong can do this!"
She brings a sample of goblin clothing to her black puppy. Oolong growls and narrows his eyes at the tangy scent of goblin and bile.
"Oh, that's it! Good boy! Good boy! Go get them!"
The dog barks happily, wagging his tail and taking the lead.
"Rawwwwwwwwwk!"
The dragon settles with dignity on Uesugi's head to better watch the puppy's progress. It was always educational to watch lesser beings at work.
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"As I said, I saw two goblins here: the warty, wrinkly one, and the one with the pole and trumpet," Carlo says to Uesugi.
Oolong finds a set of tracks and the smell of goblin growing stronger to the west, deep into the woods in the direction of the distant mountains.
"It looks like your dog has picked something up," Carlo watches as Oolong circles the area, sniffing enthusiastically. "If you're going into the woods, you'd be wise to follow the stream as long as you can. It will help you in avoiding getting lost."
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Carlo smiles as you agree to head into the woods, relieved at the possibility of not having to worry about them any more. "I hope you find them. If you need anything, I'll be with ma and pa at our farm. You're welcome to spend the night should you ever stop by again!" With that, he waves to you and happily walks back home.
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The path through the woods isn't initially densely forested, and you get the idea you can make pretty good time if you keep on moving. Birds happily chirp from up high as you walk through soil and crunch dead leaves under your feet, the waning afternoon sun slowly disappearing behind the trees as the day goes on. The journey towards the mountains is slow any steady, and before long, you come to a large escarpment.
A small stream passes along the base of the thirty-foot tall black stone scarp. Strange, horse-sized cavities decorate the face of the cliff, their edges smooth and warped as though etched or melted into the stone rather than carved. The air is thick with the stench of decay and rot, beneath which there is a faint tinge of an acrid, chemical odor.
Despite the smell, things here are eerily peaceful.
"Rawwwwwwwwk!" Eager to show up the dog, the tiny parrot flies in circles overhead, trying to sniff the air. Unable to detect ANYTHING, he flies back to Uesugi's head and mopes.
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Mr Peppers marches along in the middle of the line with his wayfinder out, constantly looking and fidgeting with it. "You sure we're going the right way Uesugi? You haven't lost the trail have you?" He does his best to 'help' point the group in the right direction and not get lost.
Mr Peppers looks up at the cliff face then begins sniffing the air. "Peww! We aren't going to need to climb up that are we? Rotten smell too." He dabs a touch of vermin repellent under his nose to help with the stink then takes a harder look at the holes in the cliff face, trying to see if he recognizes the formation.
Oolong wags his tail happily, despite the nasty stench coming off the cliff face. His person, Cup, is paying attention to him. Everyone's paying attention to him! He licks Cup's hand, just to let her know that he's there to help.
"Rowf!"
He sniffs around, nostrils flaring as he catches the acrid scent of goblin and bile again.
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The walls in the horse-sized cavities have been decorated with a variety of crude drawings, one of which Cup is able to recognize as a large, lopsided bugbear, and the other a goblin covered in terrible scars.
There's also a shrine to the mother of monsters, Lamashtu. A crude drawing of the jackal-headed woman with a third eye has been drawn on the wall above a pool of what you recognize as - yes - Demon's Bile! A cold iron dagger lays close to the pool, forming a conspicuous indentation where the goo has grown around the weapon.
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"Intriguing. Why would someone put the cold iron dagger here? Perhaps as a warning?" Sirettis feels the wind blow against her hair, only to realize it's not wind. Her hair is reaching out towards the pool.
"I must...try something. A moment, please." She kneels in front of the pool and reaches her arm. She dips her finger into the pool and her hair grows rapidly, stretching into the pool. A burst of positive energy flows down her locks of hair into the morass.
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Sirettis' positive energy crawls into the pool and forms a cocoon-like bubble of light around the Demon's Bile. An ashy gray circle forms in the center of it and extends outwards until the purplish ooze is now nothing more than a pile of ash, and all evil is extinguished.
D and Uesugi notice a hint of something shiny up resting on the edge of the topmost cavity of the cliff.
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Sirettis stands up, watching some of her hair break off and disintegrate along with the bile. She takes the dagger. "Now that this bile is cleansed, the dagger has done its job. I may find it useful, though."
Uesugi makes a good suggestion, and she turns to Isa.
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Uesugi nods as the spirit interprets the chirps for the group "We should gather whatever items have been left there." Looking up at the cliff he turns and looks in the direction of the barbarian. "I have seen you climb before in the jungles. Do you think you can reach up to that cliff and drop what Isa has seen down here? If we have a rope you can lower the items down that way so you do not need to carry them yourself."
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Cup looks up at the cliff.
Cup pulls out her silk rope from Oolong's pack, and checks to make sure all the knots have been tied in it correctly. "Would you like some aid going up that cliff? I can inspire competence, or one of the stronger people could aid you with a boost up. We might be able to use solid note."
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Gallix draws out his way finder as Oolong leads the way through the forest, following the scent of the goblins. As they travel, he pulls out his small leather journal and makes some notes about how to navigate using the device, and manages to learn a good deal about it in the process. Eventually, the group finds themselves at a tall escarpment replete with demonic influence.
"Well this place has played host to something nasty," Gallix remarks darkly. "Can't say I've ever seen anything exactly like this, but there were plenty of evil-looking places back in Kintargo that had the same feel as place." He approaches the cave cautiously and sees the religious insignia. The others describe it as a sign of Lamashtu, and Gallix takes a quick step away from the scene, a bit of fear entering his eyes. His fear turns to awe as Sirettis gives the pool of Demon's Bile a light touch with her hair and the purplish substance turns to ash. "Well done, Sis!" He lays a hand on her shoulder and gives her an encouraging shake to show his support.
Uesugi then points out the glimmering metals atop the escarpment, and Isa reports that it seems to be some old belongings of an Isgerian soldier. When the samurai suggests that Gallix do some climbing, he is unsure at first, but a sudden feeling of calm washes over him and he feels a sense of divine empowerment like that he had felt back on Jalmeray. Without a word to Cup or the others, who are offering plenty of help, Gallix steps toward the cliff face and closes his eyes.
Ragdya, I feel your presence, even this far from your holy temple. If you're there, help me up this cliff. A subtle glow begins to emanate from within Gallix, and, as he turns to face the others for a moment, his features appear almost simian. He then turns back to the cliff and climbs it with the skill and ease of Ragdya's sacred monkey.
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MonkeyGallix easily scales the scarp and reaches the floor level of the cavity, hoisting himself up. Other than the canister, shield, and gold, the cavity contains scraps of rotting animal flesh and bones that look to be no more than a day or two into decomposition.
Twisting the rusty canister open, some old water leaks out as you tilt it and inside you find two potions of lesser restoration.
The shield appears to be a masterwork light steel shield, and the gold amounts to 73 gp.
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Before climbing back down the scarp, Gallix looks closely at the ground around the animal remains to see if he can find any tracks and to see if he can identify what kind of creatures might have made them.
He then swiftly gathers up everything and climbs back down before Ragdya takes his blessing back. It's good to have a god on your side, I guess, but I'd rather not test how long he'll stick with me.
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Gallix isn't able to identify any tracks or distinctive features on the ground where the canister and rotting meat was, but the rest of the group finds dozens of goblin footprints at the base of the cliff, some quite well-worn into the ground, indicating that the goblins had spent more than just a few minutes here.
The last of the day's light has faded and the moon now rises high in the night sky. The dark woods are all too quiet as you investigate the cliff, though the silence might be perceived more as creepy than as comforting. Goblin tracks, Demon's Bile, and rotting meat are never good signs, but could they be worse than traveling through a dense forest in complete darkness?
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"A conjecture: the goblins used this pool of Demon's Bile as a shrine to Lamashtu, the mother of monsters. At least we have eliminated it. The potions Gallix found may help Nixa if she has been...corrupted."
"We should camp for the evening. I need to draw better powers from Isa to handle the goblins. If they all resist cold and fire, some of magic won't be as effective."
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Mr Peppers watches as monkey Gallix scales the cliff like he lives there and casts detect magic to see what sort of trick he had up his sleeve. "You're quite the climber man! Better you than me I guess, I prefer to keep my feet planted on solid ground, maybe I've got a touch of long lost Dwarven blood in me. Ha! Not a chance. I crack myself up sometimes.
Once he gets down with the cache Mr Peppers will take a look over the items with detect magic, as well as the cold iron dagger. [b]"Don't mind me, I can't help myself... Oh! Miss Cup you mentioned something earlier about practicing identifying potions and such? Care to give it a go before I spill the beans?"
Mr Peppers watches the sun setting behind the hills and the darkness creep towards them. "So camp here you say? Ya I guess that sounds a bit safer than in the woods. Lets search these caves thoroughly though first, I don't want any surprises biting me in the rear in the middle of the night. I wouldn't be surprised to see some goblins show up for the night either."
Mr Peppers takes 20 (22) to check around the area they'll be camping, as well as using prestidigitation to thoroughly clean out a cave to stay in.
"So who's building the fire..."
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Cup watches, open-mouthed, as Gallix climbs up the cliff with seemingly no effort at all.
"That's amazing, Gallix!" She has spells to spare today, so she summons an unseen servant to help clean the site.
"Aren't we supposed to gather dry sticks and things to help start the fire?" I could have the Unseen Servant help with that after we get the place cleaned up!
She sighs when the Unseen Servant brings back a lot of wet, green wood, unsuitable for the fire.
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"Oh, why don't we try this? One of my owners was a lumberjack." Whether by instinct or by memory, Sirettis gathers some drywood. "Miss Poshkettle ask your servant to try these branches."
When the collecting finishes, Sirettis pulls out her flint and steel set, striking them near the branches to create flame.
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Uesugi nods as the barbarian takes on yet another form and climbs to the ledge securing the items from there. When the barbarian returns to the ground Uesugi puts a hand on his shoulder and respectfully bows his head to the man. "You are full of unusual traits barbarian."
As the others go about setting up camp Uesugi checks around the area trying to investigate the tracks. Unfortunately the ground seems to be too hard to see anything at all.
"We should set a watch tonight.
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Mr Peppers nods at Cup, very teacher to student like when she correctly IDs the potions. Well, she seems to have the basics of spellcraft down at least. They then get to doing what low level spellcasters do... clean things, only instead of labs and studies its a goblin camp...
Once the fire starting activities begin Mr Peppers will watch, especially the part where Sirettis starts the fire with the flint and steel. "Huh, so that's what those are for. I have a set that came with my camping gear but I wasn't quite sure how or why you'd use them. Magic seems much more reliable."
Mr Peppers agrees with Uesugi. "Goblins are supposedly pretty sneaky, especially in the dark. Maybe we could pair up our watches 2x2x2? I'd prefer early morning light if possible. Its a great time of day as an Elf."