Butōka turns to Chakki in response ”Aahhh yes, then perhaps we shall use the night to get to know each other better and embark in the morning! It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Harochic!! My name is Butōka Nikuyoku-Yorokobi Noganbō, Stalwart Fist of the Monastery of The Seven Forms! No worries Chakki-Chan, I believe there is always a reason the gods bring people together at times such as this.”
Butōka then turns to the rest of those that remain in the tavern ”Now then, what do the rest of you that are coming bring to the table?”
He then specifically addresses Chakki and Kidlat ”I know you, Chakki-Chan, just said that you have spellcasting capabilities. And Kid-San, telling by your armor and the katana at your side, I wouldn’t hesitate to guess that you have some sort of martial background.”
Kidlat turns towards Butōka, "I'm decent with a sword, but I haven't really done too much with it in the way of properly fighting. I do think I should be able to hold my own in the fight, as I've done a lot of practice with it. I'm also good with fighting atop Kabayo," Kidlat glances around the room at the people he doesn't know, "my horse. That should be of much aid to this venture.
Kabayo and I should be ready by morning. Should we meet up back here or somewhere else?"
Hearing Ameiko saying she knew her father, Ela's eyes grew huge.
"You knew my father..? how? and what was he like?"
"I'll do anything to find my dad.. ill join you. I am a cleric of Erastil. You will need Erastil's guidance as well as I may be able to aid anyone who are injured"
She looked around each of them with a little bit of concern but with warm smile
”And there he goes again asking a question and then turning away to another conversation,”Ameiko turns back to Ela’in shaking her head,”I’d love to say thats not the first time he’s done that. In fact I think he does that pretty much every time hes ever tried talking to me.......which is a lot.” Ameiko laughs at her joke and puts her shoulder around Ela’in
”Of course I know your father! You signed your name Hagaathar when you rented a room. I only know one other Hagaathar, although it took him some time to tell me that. He use to be around Sandpoint more often but lately he hasn’t been around that much.
If you’re looking for him, you wont find him in Sandpoint. Quick talk to Sandru’s guard before they finalize plans and leave without you. I’ll still be here when you return.”
And with that Ameiko grabs some dirty dishes from the table and rushes them back to the kitchen, leaving the new party to discuss amongst themselves.
" that is as awesome as story of my father that Ameiko told me about! tell me more about your extraordinary deeds! If I ever see goblins again..I would impale their.. I should stop there "
Chakki relaxes looking at the capable group that has volunteered alongside her.
"Well, I'm going to go get some rest and then meet you all back here in the morning. I suggest you all do likewise soon."
"Hey Amei!"
Chakki shouts into the kitchen.
I'm nominating you for breakfast duty tomorrow! Make it something hearty with lots of calories!"
She then exits the Rusty Dragon without waiting for a response from Ameiko.
"Thank you Ameiko.. it sounds like my father was.. different."
Ela seemed disappointed to hear that her father is no longer in Sand point
"I was hoping that I would be able to find him here..."
"umm, ma'am, Ela tugged on Chakki's sleeve. may I join you and your friends? I might not be that useful in combat but I sure be able to support you."
Chakki responds to Ela'in
"We'll have to talk to Butoka about it, but I don't see any problem with it. Koya is always lecturing me about staying on the God's good side, and I figure that tagging along with a Priestess might just be a good way of doing that."
Turning towards Butoka she asks.
"Hey Butoka! You alright with an Elf priestess joining our group? Can't promise that she won't be preachy. But she's willing and ready to support us in our efforts."
Butoka turns to Chakki and Ela'in and responds with a teethy/tusky smile "A group can always benefit from having a beautiful priestess amongst them! We would love to have you Ela-San!"
Butoka then addresses Kidlat, Chakki, and Ela'in "So! It'll be the four of us then! Let's meet here in the tavern at dawn tomorrow! I look forward to getting to know you all better!"
Butoka then goes to his room rented at the Rusty Dragon and heads to bed.
Kidlat gives a friendly smile to Ela'in () before heading home.
"I will do my best to assist everyone! I will not let you down!"
Having grown up in Sandpoint you’ve heard of Brinestump Marsh. Most people avoid it since the rumor is that a witch resides in the Marsh. She comes to Sandpoint occasionally to buy supplies but people tend to avoid her. The last rumor you remember about Brinestump Marsh is that a halfling by the name of Walthus Proudstump, the self-proclaimed Warden of the Marsh subsides off the land.
You haven’t heard too much specifically about the Licktoad Goblins, generally they don’t get to out of hand but you can only imagine what sort of sick confidence they will gain when they discover how to use fireworks.
You all stumble to your respective homes or rooms for the night. As the sun peeks in the morning you all make your way to the Rusty Dragon to take care of any last minute things before making your way to Brinestump Marsh.
When you arrive at the Rusty Dragon the smell of breakfast hits your nose. Ameiko is already running around the Rusty Dragon finishing up the last touches for your breakfast and taking care of the couple other patrons in the inn.
”Good morning! I’ve got breakfast ready for you! Let me know if something isn’t there that you want” and Ameiko runs back into the kitchen.
As you sit down at the table Sandru busts into the door, ”There’s my heroes! Hope you had a good nights sleep, any last questions before you guys recover my fireworks?”
Kidlat takes a bite of his eggs and toast, chews it, then swallows. "Just to clarify, is it just the four of us going?" he asks before taking a swig of whatever drink is before him.
Butōka responds to Sandru as he downs the last of his breakfast ”Goodmorning Sandru-Kun! One concern I have is where exactly we shall start our search for the missing fireworks?”
"There is a Halfling that claims to be the Warden of Brinestump Marsh. I see him in Sandpoint every now and then. His name is Walthus Proudstump. He's a fairly eccentric fellow, but I can't think of anyone who would be more likely to know where the Goblins took Sandru's cargo.
I think it might be a good idea to start with meeting him before venturing too far into the Marsh.
Oh, another thing I just remembered is that a Witch lives in the Marsh. Probably not anything to worry about. She sometimes comes to town to buy things, but she never really talks to anyone. I dont think she'll bother us if we just leave her alone.
I don't have much else in the way of useful information. It does make me a bit nervous that these Goblins got their hands on a sizeable ammount of gunpowder though."
Chakki finishes the last few bites of her breakfast and takes one last sip of coffee. Then addresses the rest of the party once more.
"I'm ready to embark whenever you guys are."
Kidlat swallows another bite of bread, "What could they do with that much gunpowder?" Kidlat grips his mug by the handle and raises it to his mouth before speaking once more, "I mean, are they intelligent enough to do much with that stuff?" Kidlat takes a swig of his beverage.
Sandru looks at the table with a serious look on his face, ”Yes, just the four of you are, I have things to take care of here and Ameiko needs to stay at the Rusty Dragon. Kidlat, I don’t want to over exaggerate. Goblins can already do a lot of harm and if they had gunpowder they could decimate this town. They don’t need to be smart just point it in the right direction.
Unfortunately Butoka, there aren’t many people that go to Brinestump Marsh,” he gestures to Chakki, ”except the people miss Chakki mentioned. Although I do believe Walther hasn’t been back to Sandpoint since he left to live in the swamp. Listen I ask that you don’t waste anymore time, Butoka. The longer they have those fireworks the greater the chance that Sandpoint could no longer exist. Now excuse me I have some things to take care of, like finding some replacements for the wagons I lost.”.
Sandru gets up and hurriedly walks about of the Rusty Dragon. You finish talking and planning and begin making your way to Brinestump Marsh. The trip is about 3 miles, and thankfully Sandru loaned Chakki, Butoka, and Ela’in three of the caravan’s horses while Kidlat you saddle up and bring Kobaya.
As you make your way south down from Sandpoint you eventually come across the New Fish Trail, a path created by adventurous fishermen who swear that Brinestump Marsh has some of the best fishing spots.
You continue making your way down the path as the path gets denser and you begin to see where Brinestump gets its name. Ahead of you is a bridge that leads across a small river into a noticeably swampy area. You know that once you cross this bridge you’ll be in Brinestump proper.
Kidlat rides Kabayo next to Chakki, and in a quieter volume than normal (so as to not attract a goblin ambush), "So where did you gain your arcane training?" he asks her, as he looks around for goblins.
Before crossing the bridge, Butōka scans the area for any movement or anything that could be dangerous.
Chakki whispers back to Kidlat while cautiously scanning her surroundings for traces of Goblins or Walthus Proudstump's residence.
"I attended Twilight Academy in Magnimar. I would love to tell you more about it when we can relax a little more."
As you continue walking past the bridge you don’t notice any goblin tracks, but as you travel further south into the swamp on the New Fish Trail, you come across another bridge that is partially collapsed.
You notice that bridge looks partially collapsed from weight, the weight of what could a massive snake.
As you inch closer to another bridge traveling further south, a giant anaconda emerges from the shoreline and slithers up next to all of you.
Surprise Round
The snake hisses as it crawls up to Butoka and attempts to bite him
Kabayo rears up on his hind legs, "Yah!" yells Kidlat as he draws and readies his lance (), urging Kabayo to charge the snake (). Kidlat aims his lance at the snake...
(+skill +circumstance bonus)
(+charge)
(this should be multiplied by 2 because of charge with a lance)
Standing before the snake, Kabayo attempts to stomp on it...
Butōka reels back and bats the snake away as it attempts to bite him.
Dodging the attack from the snake, Butōka respond with two strikes with his fists
Chakki readies for battle and casts the spell Mage Armor on herself. Drawing from her Arcane reservoir to increase the caster level of the spell.
An invisible but tangible field of force surrounds the subject of a mage armor spell, providing a +4 armor bonus to AC.
Unlike mundane armor, mage armor entails no armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, or speed reduction. Since mage armor is made of force, incorporeal creatures can’t bypass it the way they do normal armor.
She then loads a bolt into her Light Crossbow.
Kidlat charges on his horse at the snake and hits the snake dead center, although the snake makes a last ditch attempt to attack the horse that just stomped it.
Kabayo rears up on his hind legs, "Yah!" yells Kidlat as he draws and readies his lance (), urging Kabayo to charge the snake (). Kidlat aims his lance at the snake...
[dice=Handle Animal] 1d20 + 4 + 4 = (+skill +circumstance bonus)
[dice=Charge Attack with Lance] 1d20 + 5 + 2 = (+charge)
[dice=Damage if Charge and hit] 1d8 + 4 = (this should be multiplied by 2 because of charge with a lance)
[dice=Regular Attack with Lance] 1d20 + 5 =
[dice=Damage if Regular Attack and hit] 1d8 + 4 =Standing before the snake, Kabayo attempts to stomp on it...
[dice=2 Hooves] 1d20 + 4; 1d20 + 4 =
[dice=Damage if hit] 1d6 + 3; 1d6 +3 =
As the snake coils and strikes at the horse after being stabbed by Kidlat’s lance, Kobaya huffs and stomps it with one his hooves, bludgeoning it in half.
You find yourselves standing in front of another bridge, that while broken is still crossable. Once you reach the other side though you realize how boggy the current area is. The path is there but the water’s make it more difficult to wade through, including riding a horse.
You notice that the path you are on continues south, however you notice that there seems to be evidence on the ground of something that moved towards the east of you.
Butōka notices that something has left a trail veering east off the path”This could be the goblins, I suggest we move off the path and follow this newfound trail.”
Kidlat dismounts Kabayo and places his Lance on the saddle, fastening it there with the rope. "We should probably go on foot from here, we wouldn't want to be bogged down and allow our steeds to announce our presence to the goblins." Kidlat rubs Kabayo's head, "stay here. I'll be back soon."
(+skill +circumstance)
Butōka jumps down off of his horse ”Then I suggest we all leave our horses here,” as he pets his horse and takes out his bo staff to use as a walking stick.
Chakki follows the two Jacked Muscle Men deeper into the swamp making sure that if there is more danger ahead they will be in between her and the threat. She holds her loaded Cross Bow at the ready while scanning her surroundings for danger and dry places to step where she won't lose her footing.
As you continue wading through to the east following Butoka, Kidlat, and Ela’in, you are the first to see something in the swamp. A ten-foot-high mound of branches, logs, and reeds lies amid the trees here, nestled in a narrow, muddy clearing. Flies buzz and swarm around the foul-smelling mound of rotting vegetation.
You’re still far enough away that you can’t tell anything else about it.
The four of you get off your horses and leave the path heading south to head east following the advice of Butoka. Constantly on the lookout for goblins you don’t notice anything out of the ordinary.
As you continue moving east you notice that the swamp is now about knee high and is making it harder and harder for you to walk. It was a good idea to leave the horses, you think.
Chakki gestures towards a mysterious mound of rotting vegetation.
As you continue wading through to the east following Butoka, Kidlat, and Ela’in, you are the first to see something in the swamp. A ten-foot-high mound of branches, logs, and reeds lies amid the trees here, nestled in a narrow, muddy clearing. Flies buzz and swarm around the foul-smelling mound of rotting vegetation.
You’re still far enough away that you can’t tell anything else about it.
She whispers to the rest of the group.
"What is that? Should we investigate?
Butoka notices the mound in the distance after Chakki points it out "I say we investigate, I wouldn't be surprised if this is a goblin's doing, being the foul creatures that they are."
Seeing Chakki point out the mound, Kidlat draws his katana and shield. With his shield out and katana at the ready, Kidlat moves towards the mound of rotting vegetation, carefully looking it over to inspect for signs of goblinoids (or other creatures).
You all slowly make your way to the mound of vegetation, weapons at the ready.
Even from here, you notice that there is a large of pile of animal bones to the south of mound near what appears to be an entrance in to this foul thing.
While an excellent job has been done to make this look natural, you can tell the mound is man-made.
You get closer to the mound and notice what appears to be a hold in its side, some sort of entrance.
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Kidlat looks back towards the group behind him, and guestures towards the entrance, pointing with his chin. "ready?" he mouths silently.
Chakki let's out a deep breath.
"Ready."
She whispers back. Her voice a bit shakier than she would like.
Though she says she is ready to go, she still waits for the armor clad beef cakes that are accompanying her to take the first steps.
Butōka holds his bo staff at the ready ”let us see what awaits us.”
Butōka heads into the mound.
Chakki and Ela’in follow Butoka and Kidlat into the mound.
It’s small, the four of you barely squeeze into the the vegetation encrusted sides. As you enter you can;’t figure it out but something isn’t right. Now that you are inside you can tell that something has created this as a place to live as there appears to be a bed of mud and moss near the far corner of the room.
Alongside the wall, you can see in between the various vegetation what appears to be pieces of fabric and cloths, like from someone’s cloak.
The most disturbing thing though lies near the “bed”, twelve muddy protrusions sit out above the ground and as you get closer, Butoka wipes away the mud from one to see a poorly preserved head. As soon as you see this you realize this is what has been wrong, the entire place smells of of decaying flesh.
Butōka winces back as he wipes away the mud from the severed head ”what kind of twisted maniac did this...”
Kidlat looks at the bed, pondering an idea that just came to him.
"...Is this the wtch's hut?" Kidlat whispers...
As you take the time to examine the heads, you notice that they are mostly bone, but based on the skull you are seeing all of them appear to be humanoid skulls. The two most recent ones appear to be a human heads, one male and one female. Butoka can’t thing of anything specific that would do this, there are many evil creatures in the world that would strip the flesh off a creature and display the skull as a trophy; nothing particular about this strikes out as significant.
Kidlat stops and ponders for a moment staring at the bed. It appears to be singular but with it being simply a small mound of mud and moss but it doesn’t look that much bigger than a single creature about your size.
Butōka gathers himself and gestures toward the door ”perhaps we should not linger here too long.” Butōka then walks toward and leans out the door, to look and listen for anything that may be outside.
Kidlat stands up straight. "Agreed, we shouldn't be here. I don't think this mess is the work of goblins." Kidlat then turns to follow Butoka out.
Chakki also exits, visibly disturbed by the scene she has just witnessed.