Thank you, much appreciated...I'm more of a mage than a swordsman actually. if anyone else wants it they can use it. Scipio smiles and accepts the apology, Problem with growing up noble, you don't get many choices for friends
Not spying any mushrooms, Livlena lets out an annoyed "Hmph!" before adding, "Do you suppose our little ex-friend lied to us about the mushrooms before he sounded the alarm?"
Since entering the monastery, you've occasionally heard skittering noises suggesting rats in the rafters. What you hear from the floor above you suggests something much larger than a rat. This skitterer is large enough to make floorboards creak. Something darkens the trap door at the top of the stairs.
Hennie is reaching the absolute end of her patience with the mushroom thing.
"The little creep was totally lying to us."
When she hears the creaking go to the top of the stairs, she stops searching and points her spear in that direction, getting ready.
"And I think we're about to find out why."
A pair of hairy multisegmented legs seek footing on the stairs. A furry face consisting of not much more than a long pair of fangs and four big round black eyes follows the legs.
The bad news is the spider is very, very big. Unfortunately, he's not too big to fit through the trap door and fall into your midst. There is no good news.
initiative
Ew Gross, giant bug! Scipio backs up drawing his sword
Initiative Order:
Odd'n,
Livlena,
Trom,
Scipio,
Hendrina,
Spider
Gimble
His bullet hits and he whoops, "Everyone fall back. I've got this. ... Does that look big enough to ride?"
Despite Odd'n's suggestion that he's got matters well in hand, Liv steps forward and takes a swipe at the great arachnid with her trusty bardiche.
"Dammit!" she yells when she misses by a country mile. Glaring at her unwieldy weapon, she growls at it: "You're not trusty at all!"
for
A bolt from Trom's crossbow sinks deep into the flesh near one of the creature's four eyes.
Hennie moves up beside Liv, levels her spear, and jabs at the spider.
"Horrible isn't it?" she asks, almost cheerily.
As Hendrina's spear finds a soft spot, the spider gnashes at the spear trying to break it's shaft but then slides through the trap door and down the spear, falling with a thud on the floor below.
The spider is about the size of Gimble.
It certainly wasn't big enough to drag the landsquids here. Perhaps something else brought it here as a gift for the spider or as a lure for you.
The immediate danger is past.
There are no mushrooms in the tower.
"Good stabbing, sister," Liv remarks to Hennie. "And that was a fine shot!" she adds to Trom.
Looking around, Liv suggests moving out to better survey the courtyard and perhaps the other corner chamber of the keep, reasoning aloud that the kobolds are more likely to remain in the relative safety of the inner keep.
"Thanks Sis!" Hennie replies brightly. She follows her sister, looking around everywhere for some hint of mushroom growth.
"Let's look around, see what other shenanigans those little lizard people got up to."
Gimble does as suggested, cautiously moving into the next area and looking for threats or traps.
perception
stealth
Good work on the spider Scipio follows along If you see anything Gimble, let us know
"Let's look around, see what other shenanigans those little lizard people got up to."
Gimble does as suggested, cautiously moving into the next area and looking for threats or traps.
1d20+7 perception
1d20+11 stealth
Gimble does as Liv suggests and takes a better survey of the courtyard. The skeleton leaning against the base of the well has an old rotting backpack lying beside him, buried in the grass. This skeleton clearly belonged to an explorer as they have with them a fine set of lock picks and not so fine pry bars , 50 feet of silk rope, and 42 gp in assorted coins, as well as a small blue vial containing liquid.
In one of the old horse's stalls, you find two mushrooms that fit the description you were given.
Gimble pockets the tools and coin, bringing back the rope and vial.
"Hey, we replaced the rope we used back at the bridge, and I found this vial thingy. Any of you magic types know what it does?"
He rejoins the group and hands over the stuff.
"Oh yeah, and I found two of those mushrooms we were looking for. In the old horse stalls, they're growing in the...muck... I didn't remember if there was a special way to pick them, so I left it as I found it."
I'll take a look Scipio goes to give the Vial a look see for what it does
" Excellent Gimble! I'll go get them and we can be on our way! Will you show me where they are?"
Hennie goes to collect the mushrooms. "I hope two is enough."
"Of course, they're right over here."
Gimble brings Hendrina over to the area and points out the fungii.
"So...mission accomplished? We head back to town, or keep looking for that old crone witch lady for more info?"
As Hendrina handles the pages of the book Odd'n tore, she sees they refer to the 'Devil's Footprint. It takes her but a moment, but she recalls something the other day in Laurel's grandmother's notes about blackscour growing in the devil's footprints and she's off. Armed with this new name for the fungus, she soon has information about blackscour, that had been hiding in plain sight under a different name.
Blackscour sufferers can usually shake off the disease after drinking an infusion made of elderwood moss, pickled rat's tail (a root), and ironbloom mushrooms.
Her search of the nature texts show that elderwood moss only grows on trees that grew during the reign of the fey queen Topal, which would mean they'd have to be at least 400 years old. Ironbloom mushrooms are frequently grown by dwarves, particularly around places where metal is worked.
She is still puzzled by a note that reads devil's footprints in Darkmoon V. Tawateras 4644; Nasojerica 4655
"Wow! Would you really be able to do that? These woods are dangerous" asks Laurel.
"It's a good day's journey to those old ruins, but that's only if you head straight across the woods. You'd probably have to camp north of the woods and return the next day ..."
"The other herbs -- the 'rat's tail' and 'eldermoss' -- I'd need help getting those too. I think the old with Ulizmila would have the 'rat's tail.' It's a common ingredient in the kind of things she would brew up, but it would take me a week to pickle some. She hasn't been seen in town in years, but she has a hut up near the monastery, and there's an ancient darkwood tree near there too, which might have some eldermoss."
Laurel is talking all excitedly and then she realizes how much she is asking of you.
"Look, if I drew you a map and you get these things, you'll save lives and ... well, you'll save my livelihood. People are counting on me and I will be able to sell the medicine. I'll give you 30 gold sails each if you can get those medicines."
Cure Light wounds potion, very useful He swishes the liquid in the vial around, uncaps it and sniffs. yeah, has the right smell
"Two mushrooms can't be enough, can it? Let's check some more of the rooms, shall we? I'll escort Gimble as he checks for traps; everyone else keep your eyes peeled for traitorous kobolds!"
That sounds like a good plan, but it's about this time that you hear a horse neighing urgently from within the monastery, most likely from Scipio's beloved horse who waits in the desecrated temple to Torag where you slept last night.
"We're going to need at least twice as many as this, I'd guess about 4 more mushrooms at least" Hennie decides after looking them over and weighing them in her hands.
"Scipio, maybe you should let you horse out?"
Scipio runs off immediately to check his horse, worried and fire in his eyes i'll be back!
As Scipio re-enters the building he sees the doors to the room are wide open and a nasty little kobold is the reason why. Gurtlekep is dancing away from the open doors Two wolves menace the horse, cautiously keeping their distance but, one on either side, taking turns at darting forward and fading back, jaws snapping.
Odd'n and Trom are right on Scipio's heels. "I thought we locked that door!" shouts Odd'n. "Mirror girls! C'mon!"
Scipio rushes over and snaps his fingers, a mass of ethereal feathers falls, causing a lulling sleepy feeling over the area
Livlena hustles after the others as best she can, thought her heavier armor slows her some.
The wolves barely have time to sit back on their haunches before sleep pulls them to the floor completely.
Problem solved... He walks in and calms Frost down, petting her Shh... it's okay girl
"Awful little scoundrel. We should have killed him!" grumbles Trom.
"Good job!" Livlena huffs as she jogs up at the rear of the party. Looking forlornly at the sleeping wolves, she readies her bardiche to end the creatures' lives.
"I take no joy in this. And even though we're in their habitat, these wolves seem driven by something that wants us stopped. We can't spare the beasts or they'll come after us again."
Just as Livlena accomplishes the coup de grace, a shadow darkens the doorway. Another wolf, a bigger one, stands there. The kobold stands behind him shouting in draconic, "Very clever plan, oh so clever, here they are as promi... ulp," the kobold cuts himself off as he realizes his plan has gotten his large lupine friend's consorts killed.
The wolf growls deeply and says in awkward common, "You. Are. Dead."
"Oh! A werewolf," shouts Odd'n. "He's mine! I've always wanted to be a werewolf!"
The worg looks as if he'd like to explain the difference to the big man, but then mentally rolls for initiative instead.
Gimble raises his crossbow and aims at the fleeing kobold, then lowers it while shaking his head.
"No sense wasting a bolt on that shot. We'll run into him again."
Approaching the now slain wolves, he draws a very sharp blade and rolls his sleeves up.
"If noone else wants to, I will skin and dress these critters. No point letting the meat waste, and the pelts will be nice, either sold in town or made into a fancy cloak."
"Oh, a talking wolf! How fancy."
initiative
[ooc="Odd'n's Damage MH;OH;Bite]1d3+5; 1d3+3; 1d2+2[/ooc]
[ooc="Trom's Initiative:"]1d20+7[/ooc]
[ooc="Odd'n's Initiative:"]1d20+4[/ooc]