Whoever did this to poor Bardolph, Chark says quietly, appears to be among us. I don't like to think that way about the Wayward Wanderers, but that's where things seem to be pointing.
Charlie returns. "Looks l..l..like they came from the tent. P..probably during the show." He looks around for anything they may have missed. Sitting down he pulls out the map. "Look here. They also visited this Mill and Orchard." He taps the map with his finger.
"Let's waste no time and follow the tracks. To the tent, right?"
”Is there some meaning behind this Owlbear claw though...”
Haldan remembers seeing Thunder hang the dream catcher one day just after the gnome joined the circus.
The party follows the tracks to the Main Tent, but quickly looses any trail as the sheer number of tracks makes tracking impossible.
Charlies eyes shift towards the Kenbali Tent. Let's check there, b..b.before we head into town."
Tent it is, Chark says, pointing the way and falling into step behind Dendillion.
The party makes their way to the Kenbali tent, hoping to get something to help them solve this mystery. Dendillion is busy humming, and misses the sounds, but the rest of the party snaps him out of his daydream as a noise from the rocks grabs their attention.
The rustling of leaves can be heard as hundreds of redeyed rats scurry about the foliage. The rats surround a halfling woman wearing a headdress in the shape of a rat’s head, its open mouth framing her face.
“Isn’t this a pretty sight,” she cackles, twisting her grip on a gnarled staff. “I had hoped to murder more of you while the whole town was watching. That would have frightened them away from here for good! But a bigger slaughter might be even better; the foolish farmers and poisoners of Abberton will discover your rat-chewed corpses. No one will know how it happened, but everyone will whisper that nature is taking its revenge. And it is, through me! I’ll wager most of the town will be gone in a week, and the rest will fall easily. Then, perhaps, the land can heal from the cancer known as Abberton.”
(T, LLV)
(T)
(E)
(T)
(T)
Round 1:
Dendillion: Go
Charlie: Go
Haldan: Go
Chark: Go
Halfling and rats: TBD
Tiny: TBD
(Scout)
(Search)
(Avoid Notice)
(Detect Magic)
(Search)
"What are you g..g..going on about?" Charlie seems confused how they had anything to do with a Cancer on the land or Abberton. He sets his sights on the woman before sending Goliath in at the rats.
... ◆⃟ Hunt Prey (Halfling)
... ◆⃟ Command Goliath
... ◆⃟ Goliath Move
... ◆⃟ Goliath Attack
... ◆⃟ Charlie Move
Goliath pounces on the mass of rats as begins swiping across them with his paw.
HP 12/19
AC 18 (20 w/ shield)
Wooden Shield [AC Bonus +2] [Hardness 3] [HP/BT 12(6)]
Hero Points 1/3
Goliath
HP 13/16
AC 15
"Well, that just won't do. I think we'll have to stop that. Shall we?" Dendillion asks the group, knowing their answer.
Lute in hand, the bard plays through a series of power chords. The music fills his allies, inspiring them. He adds a flourish, letting the sound ring out.
Dendillion then spies a loose rock on the ground and switches his tune. The notes are in a Dorian scale, something the group has now heard a couple times. With those sounds comes the rapid flight of the stone towards the mad halfling woman!
Dendillion's skill bolsters the party even as his magic drives a stone right between the halfling's eyes!
Goliath's massive paw swipes through dozens of rats. Many luckily pass between its claws, but a few do not. The halfling woman snarls at the insult. Charlie himself prepares to cut the head from this army.
Round 1:
Dendillion: Bard
Charlie: Hit
Haldan: Go
Chark: Go
Halfling and rats: TBD
Tiny: TBD
Swarm: 3
Nemmia: 10
Chark moves forward with a nod. We shall indeed, Den, she says, moving forward. The innocent people of Abberton are not a cancer.
A gouts of red-yellow flame rush forward from her hands, catching the dire rat, the swarm, and the halfling all in its cone.
Seeing a prime opportunity, Chark washes fire over the "army." Unfortunately her thumbs aren't perfectly aligned, and the flame is weak because of it.
Round 1:
Dendillion: Bard
Charlie: Hit
Haldan: Go
Chark: Fire
Halfling and rats: TBD
Tiny: TBD
Rat: 1
Swarm: 5
Nemmia: 11
Magic Missile on the halfling.
Haldan's spell weaves its way into the halfling's chest as the bolts of energy strike. She takes the hit well, and seems to still have plenty of fight left.
She gestures with her staff, "Go my pretties and feast on the meat of your enemies!"
The giant rat immediately goes after Chark's kneecaps,
for
MISS
MISS
The swarm rolls forward, crawling right over Charlie and Goliath, biting!
Round 1:
Dendillion: Bard
Charlie: Hit REF
Haldan: MM
Chark: Fire FORT
Halfling and rats: ATK
Tiny: Go
Rat: 1
Swarm: 5
Nemmia: 22
Tiny recoils from the swarm of rats, barely landing back in his tiger-like pose before rushing the rat-hooded halfling woman and clawing at her twice.
Haldan gives himself some magical Guidance and then produces a flaming card from his sleeve to launch at the halfling.
”Not sure what your game is lady of rats but, give up now and we’ll make sure that leniency is given to you.”
”Leniency, schmeniency. Rat-lady is going down.”
Convinced that the halfling woman is the source of all their problems, Dendillion plays a few notes on his lute that are new to his audience.
He begins by humming an E, and follows this with three chrods: B major, C# minor, and A major. With each chord there appears a magical, floating dart that issues from the lute's soundhole. Finally, the bard plays a E major that removes the restraints and sends the darts towards the mad woman.
Tiny's stance work isn't his usual, and his tiger claw attacks are off target.
Dendillion's missiles leave the halfling woman severely wounded! Haldan hurls flame at her. Confident that she MUST be dead after that onslaught of magic, the party is shocked to see her alive, albeit barely. She seems intent on going on to the end!
Round 2:
Dendillion: MM
Charlie: Go
Haldan: FIRE
Chark: Go
Halfling and rats: TBD
Tiny: TBD
Rat: 1
Swarm: 5
Nemmia: 43
The rats nibble on Charlie and Goliath as the bear fights on. Charlie yells pushing on Goliath's rump. "Push through!" He points to the halfling woman and Goliath stomps towards her. Goliath mauls the woman as Charlie steps in beside the larger rate and snaps his whip at the halfling.
... ◆⃟ Command Goliath
... ◆⃟ Goliath Step
... ◆⃟ Support Goliath
... ◆⃟ Charlie Step
... ◆⃟ Charlie Attack
HP 6/19
AC 18 (20 w/ shield)
Wooden Shield [AC Bonus +2] [Hardness 3] [HP/BT 12(6)]
Hero Points 0/3
Goliath
HP 9/16
AC 15
Goliath and Charlie avoid the worst of the bites, and can focus on the fight instead of what awful disease the rats carry. Unfortunately that focus affects his aim and the halfling stays on her feet.
Round 2:
Dendillion: MM
Charlie: Miss
Haldan: FIRE
Chark: Go + FORT
Halfling and rats: TBD
Tiny: TBD
Rat: 1
Swarm: 5
Nemmia: 43
Chark feels the bite burn, and not in the pleasant way that Sarenrae's light can burn. Gritting here teeth, she desperately tries to give as good as she's gotten, at least before she passes out.
A blazing band of orange-white fire arcs through the air, slamming into the halfling woman .
Bedraggled and bloodied, Chark then withdraws behind a nearby wagon.
This time the halfling woman immolates. There's naught but chared remains after Chark's magic!
Chark doesn't feel anything immediately, but she's worried about what that bite will do later. Meanwhile the rat doesn't let up and goes after Tiny:
MISS
for
MISS
The swarm rolls forth, crawling over Dendillion, Haldan, and his familiar.
Round 2:
Dendillion: MM
Charlie: Miss
Haldan: FIRE
Chark: Kill
Halfling and rats: ATK
Tiny: Go
Rat: 1
Swarm: 5
"Yeoch!" cries out Tiny "It bit me!"
Tiny regians his composure as he nearly leaps into position and send a flurry of his best tiger claws at the rat.
Tiny then draws out his clan dagger.
Tiny tries not to think about the bite while striking. His powerful attacks would likely kill the rat if he could just connect, but he struggles to do so.
Round 3:
Dendillion: Go
Charlie: Go
Haldan: Go
Chark: Go
Halfling and rats: TBD
Tiny: TBD
Rat: 1
Swarm: 5
Chark: 1d4 ⇒ 1
]
Haldan launches another card shaped fire bolt but his aim seems to be off.
Haldan's second act isn't as show stopping as his first!
Round 3:
Dendillion: Go
Charlie: Go
Haldan: Miss
Chark: Go
Halfling and rats: TBD
Tiny: TBD
Rat: 1
Swarm: 5
Chark: 1d4 ⇒ 1
Chark sees Tiny get chomped and hurries over to try and give some succor.
A flash of bright whitish flame erupts from her hand and washes over the dwarven acrobat, the warmth from the flame licking over every wound and the flesh knitting back together.
Action 1: Stride
Action 2-3: Telekinetic Projectile
"Ow! Ow!" Dendillion quickly scrambles away from the rats.
With the musical notes from his earlier composition still hanging in the air, Dendillion plays the notes necessary to once again lift a stone and fling it with force at the large rat.
Dendillion's stone streaks towards the rat like it was hurled from a sling and strikes it on the head, breaking its neck and killing it!
Chark gives Tiny a boost as the swarm continues to mow over the party!
Round 3:
Dendillion: Kill
Charlie: Go
Haldan: Miss
Chark: Heal
Halfling and rats: TBD
Tiny: TBD
Swarm: 5
Chark: 1d4 ⇒ 1
Goliath spins back around and quickly begins to maul the swarm of rats. His large paw flinging dozens through the air. Charlie looks for an opportunity and snaps his whip into the largest mass.
... ◆⃟ Command Goliath
... ◆⃟ Goliath Move
... ◆⃟ Goliath Support
... ◆⃟ Hunt Prey (Swarm)
... ◆⃟ Charlie Attack
HP 6/19
AC 18 (20 w/ shield)
Wooden Shield [AC Bonus +2] [Hardness 3] [HP/BT 12(6)]
Hero Points 0/3
Goliath
HP 9/16
AC 15
Charlie struggles to make a precise hit on the writhing mass of rats. Still, the whip cracks and Goliath tears into them. Many rats lay dead afterwards.
The rats run and skitter towards Charlie, in a complete frenzy!
Round 3:
Dendillion: Kill
Charlie: Hit
Haldan: Miss
Chark: Heal
Rat swarm: TBD
Tiny: Go
Dendillion: Go
Charlie: Go
Haldan: Go
Chark: Go
Rat Swarm: TBD
Tiny: TBD
Swarm: 10
Chark: 1d4 ⇒ 1
Dend: 1d4 ⇒ 4
Tiny rolls into position opposite the bear as he tries to keep the rats away from himself as the chaos of battle rages around him.
Seeing the rats flee from Goliaths' claws Tiny tries a flurry of sweeping backhanded blows with his bracers, hoping to disperse the swarm.
After that Tiny vaults through the front of the cart, trying to prevent the swarm from getting a good return attack.
Action 1: Inspire Courage
Action 2-3: Telekinetic Projectile
With the last notes of his inspirational music fading, Dendillion strums the power chords on his lute again to renew the inspirational song.
He then switches to another tune, playing the notes in the Dorian scale to once more fling a stone. This time at the swarm!
Tiny's sweeping motion slams into dozens of rats. There are more dead than alive now, so finally the remaining rats disperse. The party stands victorious, though covered in angry wounds. Once the rush of battle subsides, the question on everyone's mind is who was that halfling woman?
"Who was that woman? Why did she want to fight us? I say we ask around, first with the troupe, and then with the mayor of Abberton. But first," Dendillion holds up his lute, then begins plucking strings as if exploring the sounds they make. "I need to compose a song in honour of this wild melee we just had."
After working on the music for about 10 minutes, he has a rough title for the work in progress: The Rat Lady's Fury
"S..s..she screamed something about n..nature taking its revenge and poisoners of Abberton." Charlie tries to shed a little light on the situation. "W..w..was Thunder just in the wrong p..place at the wrong time?"
I don't know, Charlie, Chark says, her frown betraying her consternation. We have so many more questions than answers still.
If the halfling woman is still alive, Chark will cast stabilize. If not, she will search the body for any clues.
Chark looks her over. She's dead as a a door nail. He finds some items of interest though:
Unfortunately Chark finds nothing to indicate her story.
Dendillion hears some rustling in the rocks. He looks up and sees nothing. One of the rocks however, looks exactly like a cow. Too realistic to be anything other than a carved statue. He's surprised as no one has pointed it out before.
(T, LLV)
(T)
(E)
(T)
(T)
"How odd. There's a carved statue of a cow, just there," he points for the others to see. "How did nobody notice it before? What's it all about, I wonder?"
Curious, he makes his way towards the statue. But not at a pace that others couldn't follow easily.
Dendillion's curiosity gets the better of him. He moves into the rocky area, past the cow-like rock. He puts his hand on another rock to help hop over a small boulder. He does a double take because that rock looks just like an.... armored dwarf? Before the implication can sink in, a good awful squawk grabs his attention.
The source is a gaunt and sickly rooster with bat wings and a serpentine tail!
(Scout)
(Search)
(Avoid Notice)
(Detect Magic)
(Search)
Dendillion quickly figures out that the squawk wasn't directed at him directly, and that the creature doesn't seem to see him specifically.
Round 1:
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Go
Haldan: Go
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Tiny: TBD
Action 1: Inspire Courage w/Lingering Composition
Action 2-3: Telekinetic Projectile
"That... is not good!"
With his lute still in hand, Dendillion strums a series of power chords to inspire his friends. He ends it with a flourish, letting the notes ring out.
Seeing all of the rocks nearby, he selects one that he hopes isn't part of someone and, with a series of notes in the Dorian scale, sends it hurtling at the flying rooster!
Dendillion's performance works, but it's not his best. His projectile catches the creature unawares and the rock knocks it around a bit. It'll take a lot more than that to fell this thing though!
Round 1:
Dendillion: Hit
Chark: Go
Haldan: Go
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Tiny: TBD
Cockatrice: 7
Round 1:
Dendillion: Hit
Haldan: Go
Chark: Go
Tiny: Go
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Cockatrice: 7
Unsure of what the strange creature is but getting used to running towards creatures instead of away Tiny moves across the rocks before pouncing on the creature like a tiger.
Tiny's quick movements pay off. Twice he strikes the beast! The angry beast is on death's door!
Round 1:
Dendillion: Hit
Haldan: Go
Chark: Go
Tiny: Hits
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Cockatrice: 23
”Hermann, stay here, I’ll be right back.”
Haldan moves over and launches a flaming card at this new enemy.