The disease appears to be very close to something supernatural like mummy rot, though mummy rot doesnt form the pustules like this. You can also follow the path of the disease running through the creature. It appeared to start from the creatures face and maw. Looking over the other fallen monsters it was a simular path.
The Tyrg's are for the most part pack hunters. With them all being sick, and the strage disease emmanating from their mouths backwards its easy enough to deduce that perhaps they contracted whatever this was from something they had killed and then began to eat.
Cutting open one of the creatures led to not many more clues really, their entire passage from throat to stomach was lined with pus filled globules and the contents of their stomach a small blue gemstone (about the size of a birds egg) was glowing... but as you reached to pull it out it faded away almost like a damaged and inert ioun stone.
Though timid by nature, Hanz seems immune to the smell and the dirty deeds that follow. Davco points out the disease's similarity to mummy rot and the flow of the infection. So Hanz opens one Tryg's mouth and sees more evidence of infection. He then takes a pocket knife, which looks like a butter knife in his hand, and deftly opens the beast's stomach. More infection and a small blue gem are revealed. Hanz grabs the gem and holds it close, starring for a long time at it but not recognizing it. He puts it down and concludes with "Ate something bad. Really bad."
Kira looks on in morbid horror and curiosity as Hanz's huge hands rifle through the Trygs insides. A quickly stifled shudder with a gag reflex as the pus globules burst recklessly over his hands. She does not want to get any closer yet is unable to restrain her mount.
Fluffly sniffs at the freshly opened Tryg and sneezes. Thereafter giving them a wide berth which suited Kira just fine. In an effort to put more space between them, "I wonder where they came from?"Kira circles her wolf in ever widening area until she can catch the main trail. "As sick as these are, unlikely they bothered to be stealthy in the approach."
Survival roll for tracking
Katja, keeps her crossbow out and at the ready while the others investigate the corpse and the tracks. As she hears what has become of the tyrg, her mouth drops open. She tries to recall if there is anything that can be contracted via ingestion.
Katja keeping a sharp eye out while the others get to their grim work, cant recall a single thing magical that could do such things... but thinking of magical curses and the like did make her think to look for magical residues... and in each of the Tyrgs a tiny amount of magic shimmered within, about where the stomach was located an no bigger than a small birds egg. It didnt last long enough for her to get a read on the aura of the type of magic.
Hmmm, magic is somehow at play here. It didn't last long, and faded quickly. Whom or whatever made the tyrg like this my have been a spellcaster of some sort perhaps
Kira did take time to recover her lance, shaking it like a denuded tree branch, checking for balance. "Perhaps the balance is off? Or Fluffy started off on the left paw? Or the near meatlessness first breakfast. Yes. That must be it. The 2nd breakfast should compensate."
Kira and Fluffy are earnestly if aimlessly wandering the vicinity, confused over the lack of tracks and scent.
She would look for tracks but would state. "Kira, it was nerves. It is okay, it happens to us all, especially when you have something like a diseased creature bearing down on you along with not having 2nd breakfast." Her tone was light and nice.
"Even if we find the trail we promised to escort him home. We can come investigate afterwards. It is strange that there is magic involved but this was already suspected. The weather is not natural."
After a fruitless search for tracks from the giant, Hanz decides he can put his strength to better use. His pack included a shovel actually sized to his build and he started moving vast quantities of earth with rapidly. He then tosses the bodies of the Tyrg into the hole and begins to cover them.
Whelp the ol' farmstead is just a bit aways now, we should be there in no time barring any...
He paused not sure how to describe angry neighbors, He fiddled with the reins watching the speed in which Hanz moved earth.
YOu ever think of hiring yourself out to farms boy? I can think of a hundred ways that speed of yours with a shovel could be useful.
He said offering Hanz a smile when he was done.
The Denwith home is a nice spacious looking two story home, built in a local wide plantation style. It has a seperate little cart house and a full barn behind that. A newer but smaller looking home rests beside the slightly aging barn and past all of that the fields begin.
Even from here as you come down from the few rolling hills torwards the farm you can make out the tall corn stalks and wide branches of peach trees. A thin fence, more of a marker of territory than an effective barrier, runs along the sides of the expansive lot.
"Home at last." Aldon Denwith smiles.
Let's put the wagon away and tend to the horses. Then we'll dine. You've more than earned it.
Kira frees up Fuffy from his harness, taking care to check out his wounds. "Another scar to show off... Gonna start looking into a little armor for you next paycheck. She sets aside her gear into a neat little pile. Tools of her trade readily accessible and propped around the saddle in the middle. Walking with her wolf thru the cart house and barn, she says "No. Not yours." to each livestock therein if any. Once her rounds are complete, she sends him out to guard her gear in the shade of the cart house.
Kira views the local grounds, noting the difference in the greenery vs fog afflicted grounds. Then she catches a whif of food within, her tummy providing emphasis of her lack of priorities.
Hanz always appreciates a compliment and smiles wide. "Paw taught me a lot a ways. I like to learn more."
At the sight of Denwith's farm, Hanz stops for a moment. He starred out at the rows of corn and peach trees like one would a grand and ancient structure. "That's a nice farm."
After Frank ties up his Silverhall-lent steed as well as his personal mule, he moves towards some of the trees growing nearer the house.
"I agree with Hanz, it's a rather nice farm. I hope you don't mind if I take a closer look."
Frank attempts to get near one of the farmer's peach trees to examine the soil near it.
Brother Davco leads his pony to the barn and begins to unpack his gear.
He watches as the others interact and wonders about the events that have lead them here. Nothing is clear so far. Others suffer while this farm seems to be in perfect order. How far out does the protection go. Is something holding back the evil that is cursing the other farmer or is this farm protected by that same evil.
Tomorrow he plans on heading out to see if he can find the line between feast and famine. If it looks like it is a circle around the farm he will have to find the center point. There will have to be something there that will give him some answers.
Heading back to the farmer he asks, "Where can be stow our gear for the night?"
Katja, goes with Frank, after she stows her belongings, as few as they may be. When near the peach tree, she cast detect magic, wondering if there is magic at work to protect this farm, but not the others,
She also, looks around the vicinity of peaches, in hopes there might be something visible as to why this farm is the odd duck, while trying to aid Frank in his prognosis.
Hmmm, why would this farm be exempt from the other issues affecting surrounding farms? If there is not magic at work, and the natural elements seem to be stable?? Could there be otherworldly factors at work?
She looks to Frank, So, what do you think?, as she offers him one of her vials. Would a sample be beneficial?
I reckon you folks can store your things in the barn.. your uh... friend there isnt going to go after the few cows we have is he?
He asked Kira nervously. It was clear he was somewhat tame.... but still a wolf was a wolf in his mind. As you all began to stow things and move to do your investigations he cleared his throat
I'll be glad to give you folks a tour of my farm after dinner perhaps? really I dont think there is anything special about it.
He began almost embaressed.
The soil looks completely normal. Its a nice robust brown, not too dry, not too sandy, all in all completely normal farmland soil
however . . .
Katja your detect magic has surprising results. You can see faint traces of abjuration magic that seems to emanate from further within the farmers fields... and all around the farms small traces of necromancy, though its strange. Clearly those minute aura's (the necromancy) are whats causing the rot, it wasnt until you saw the clash between the necromancy and the abjuration however that you could even detect it.... whatever the necromatic aura was from you would place it as old old magics
Katja, realizing there is something else at work, leans over to Frank and in a hushed voice, Hmm...interesting. I can see multiple magical auras at work, abjuration and necromancy. It appears the necromancy I presume is causing the field rot, while whatever abjuration there is, is shielding this one farm from the effects of the necromancy. I am not even sure this is something we can cure or save. Whatever it is, is old; very, very old. It may even predate humanity, and existed during the cosmos?. Her eyes go wide at her last thought, she is caught up in the "what ifs and speculation".
She than takes a deep breath, and looks for their gracious host, Hey, Mr. Farmer man, can I ask you something? I know it may sound strange, but was your farm built over the top of something? What I mean is, before your house and farm were here, was there something else; an old burial site, ancient tomb or other weird or bizarre structure?
Kira's eyes and nose becken her towards the farm house. Delayed by the tall dirtman. She puts on a polite if distracted face, "oh yes. No harm. He will remain outside by my stuff. He prefers a chase anyway. Uhhu. Yeppers. ". She sidles slightly to the side and subtly closer to the scent of food.
As Katja speaks and draws his attention, Kira stealthily moves out of his line of sight before fast walking out of plausible earshot, which by sheer chance is coincidentally in same direction a farmhouse.
Dharkantia would listen to them and watch what they were doing and smiles. Always inquisitive and looking for answers. Dharkantia herself looked around patrolling slightly looking for anything that seemed out of place around the barns or the house before returning.
"Dinner sounds amazing and I think it would all do us well. Do you have enough? We have food of our own we can help cook so we don't take to much of your supplies."
Frank addresses the farmer.
"I agree with Dharkantia, let's go eat. I also hope that we can talk about history, especially of this place..."
Frank also thinks back to his own history lessons to see if he remembers anything about the location.
Hanz had taken a few large steps towards the crops but stops at the word dinner. He had intended to look at the crops to see if they might be red or had little horns. He was still stuck on devil crops. He turns and says, "I like dinner," matter of factually. Everything else good wait until after.
Brother Davco finishes stowing his gear in the barn and follows the others to dinner.
"Dinner sounds like a fine idea. In the morning we can get an early start on finding the source of the magic that is permeating the land."