"I agree with Fenna. We can examine these in more detail later. And maybe find those missing pages.
Also, I believe we have already found the genuine Charter. It was moved from here, for some reason, but it seems to be the real thing.
Do we have reason to think there is also a fake one around?"
Vexas also rejoins the others.
Nothing interesting is in the other office. I don't know for certain it existed, but it's still possible one was taken as the final colonists fled this place. Although we have the real one, I think it would eventually be interesting to see what the colonists may have thought was real, and what the deliberate differences were. It would tell us about someone's intentions... Okay, moving along then, let's keep clearing buildings.
Leaving the Government House, the warm sun is half-way to the horizon in a cloudless sky. Looking toward the beach, it is now cluttered with colonists and cargo crates. A horse whinny catches Fenna’s attention as she hopes to glean a fanciful look at Harcourt the handsome horse breeder.
Not too far away, in a westerly direction, you hear screaming and shouting, ”Ahhhhh! Roaches! Swarms of Roaches!” Moments later, two men come running out of the Provisions Building swatting at themselves and lifting their legs and arms as if they were participating in some type of Mwangi cultural dance.
Other than looking a bit rattled, the men seem fine. You remember that the cockroaches do not like sunlight and figure they can wait a bit. You could look in on them but decide to check out the next building first just in case there is something more dangerous than hundreds, if not thousands, of cockroaches.
The next two buildings look identical in design. These two long, rectangular buildings are constructed entirely from planks on a wooden frame, with a pitched thatched roof. Each building has two doorframes on the side of the buildings opposite the palisade, but lacks doors. Four window frames open into either side of the long walls, a few of which have no cover and others only a canvas draped across the inside. A partial view of the interior is possible from the doorways. Inside, the floors are hard-packed earth, and along the walls are wooden bunk beds. Many of the pallet beds are covered with blankets that now gather dust. Those beds have sacks or tied bundles of clothes sitting at their feet.
You currently stand outside these buildings, looking in. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO!
Brannart moves to the easternmost of the buildings and looks around for any signs of trouble or hidden foes.
Then he will move inside, looking in the sacks. He isn't going to take the missing colonists' belongings, but perhaps the missing pages got stashed in one of these sacks, or some other clues.
Fenna follows Brannart inside and helps him with what he's doing.
Brannart sees no dangers and moves in to investigate the easternmost building. The building itself takes the seasoned veteran back to his days of the Crusade, reminding him of the many barracks he slept in when not on patrol.
Fenna aids in going through the possessions, they find mostly clothing and personal keepsakes. There is some coin that would add up to a nice find if combined. Two noteworthy items are a necklace of sorts with an interesting rune on its face and, found hidden in a tear in a mattress is, a cylinder-shaped slender multi-colored strip of metal.
When Brannart gets to the westernmost building, he does spot something before entering. It appears to be a hole of some sort in the earthen floor.
Kowal will follow 4 paces behind Brannart
Kowal will cast detect magic and look over the items
When Kowal looks at the logbook with missing pages he notices something might be amiss, "This doesn't look like its just a logbook. maybe some sort of cipher for a spellbook or otherwise something else." he quickly incants detect magic and takes another look at it.
Back in the Government House
Kowal holds the book in front of him and places a card from his deck on top. Finishing his spell, the Witch feels a faint aura of Universal Magic and notices a glowing Arcane Mark written in common. The magic reads plum tree.
Present Time at the Barracks
Vexas' hand moves towards his sword as he follows the group towards the hole.
No telling what we'll find, given what we've seen so far. Goblinoids and spirits. I wonder if we shouldn't tell the new colonists to hold back longer while we do this...
He peers in...
and can't make out any interesting details from the darkness.
"Let's see if any of these items are magical. If they can help us find the missing colonists, I am fine with making use of them."
Brannart will make note of where the items were found, like next to which bed, so that if we do discover the missing colonists we can return these items to their rightful owners.
He isn't ready to take their coin at this time.
If they are really gone, we can take this to build up the Colony. But I hope we find them alive.
"I think it would be better to take any personal valuables we find and place them in a community trust. The items can be held in the government building and the owners can claim their things when they're back. It would be more secure than just leaving things laying around where they are for some unknown amount of time."
"That sounds good to me. We should keep a record of everything."
Kowal casts his spell over the new items found asking for guidance. This time, his Patron does not answer.
"Do you think that burrowing creature is still there?
Is it big enough to be dangerous?
Can we lure it out? Maybe by throwing stones at the hole or something?"
"I don't know about all burrowing creatures but usually worms and turtles come out when they feel vibrating to hunt. Ready yourselves just in case."
Malakar will ready his Scimitar and begin stomping around the hole.
As soon as it's revealed what it likely is, Vexas draws his own sword. Looking back and forth between it and the depth of the hole, he's not sure what he'd even do just yet.
Can we get a magic light down there and get a sense of the situation?
You stand alert in or around the barracks, weapons ready. You look to the ground. Waiting ...
DC: 23
If Malakar's sense earns him an action/reaction he will ready an attack and say.
"Something approaches!"
Malakar tenses as he feels the underground tremors getting closer. Looking down the hole, it seems as if darkness is closing in as something fills in the space. A sound like fire perpetually crackling reveals six insect-like legs, led by serrated mandibles and a spiked, wedge-shaped head, spurring it forth. An acrid stench assaults the Undine’s senses as the creature’s four foot form bursts out of the ground.
Malakar is ready and slices his scimitar through the creature's carapace. It screeches as a sickly green ichor explodes out of the wound. The ichor sizzles and stings as it splashes over the Druid.
Feeling the creature's wrath, Malakar rolls out of the way as razor-sharp mandibles slice down at him and acidic spittle sprays out.
Brannart steps and and slashes at the giant bug with his sword.
Brannart’s sword, unable to find a weakness, grazes off the creature’s armor-like carapace,
It turns to face the veteran and lashes out with its mandibles and spittle-oozing mouth.
Brannart has seen much worse during his days in the World Wound, but the serrated mandibles and the spray of vile ichor takes him back there for a moment. With his battle instincts kicking in, he anticipates the creature's strike and ducks out of the way.
Eww, eh, not the most inviting creature.
Vexas winces as they catch the first sight of it. He tries to wheel around to the back of it, staying close to the wall and landing opposite Malakar.
He tries to jab at it, but is feeling less than confidence despite the team having it surrounded.
With Vexas providing a distraction, Brannart attacks the giant bug again!
Sho waits for the creature to open its mouth again. Bending low, she shoots her arrow upwards aiming for the creature’s gaping maw. Acidic spittle sizzles against its shaft, but the path of the arrow stays true and blasts through the back of its head. Gore splatters Vexas, and the Halfling feels the acidic sting of the creature’s blood as it falls backward and crashes to the ground.
Moments pass. But before any decisions can be made, the ground erupts, sending earth and rock all over the barracks as another creature emerges near the northwestern wall. For those inside the barracks, movement and sound from the empty door and window frames also catch your attention, as another creature erupts from the ground.
Kowal, standing outside, stares in disbelief as nothing stands between him and the new arrival.
Kowal runs into the area drawing his crossbow and then fires onto blue.
Kowal runs into the area drawing his crossbow and then fires onto blue.
[dice=Attack roll]1d20+4
[dice=Damage]1d8
Brannart runs up to the newest arrival and crashes his blade down upon its skull. Following the the blade strike, Kowal runs inside the barracks and sends a bolt through the creature's left eye. It thrashes for a moment in pain as acidic spittle sprays over Brannart, but then it falls to the ground.
Will attack with the advantage of Vex's flank.
With the next closest threat outside of the barracks, Sho and Malakar move quickly and work as a team to fell the creature. For the moment, there are no visible threats, but the sense of foreboding pervades. The creatures' bodies sizzle and pop as their acidic ichor absorbs into the ground.
Perception DC 18
Brannart hadn't heard the screams.
"Sho, you are faster. Can you head to the beach? I'll try to handle things in here."
Both of the insects inside were dealt with very handily and quickly, so Fenna goes outside to help there. By the time she's through the door, there's nothing to do there either.
Fenna knows what they are, and knows they could very well find more of them.
"I think there's going to be more then just a couple of the small ones. They're insects after all. Given their size, the mother is likely to be far away at all. We may want to move over and give this spot a little distance so we don't have any coming out right under our feet."
Fenna is relatively quick and volunteers to take a look at what that shouting at the beach is about.
Great, I wonder what other creatures have taken up residence here in the meantime. Perhaps we really should have had them hold off longer...
The halfling remarks, keeping his sword trained on the pit. I'm not looking forward to the mother making a show here. Perhaps if that doesn't happen and things calm down we simply fill in the hole quickly...
Initiative Rolls
Kowal will stay in the Barracks