You catch two of the roustabouts, Toni and Yacob, at the edge of the bonfire's light. They're carrying wood axes and panting. "Went to chop firewood," Toni pants.
"We tried to follow this game trail we found," Yacob starts to fill in.
"A snake as big as my arm tried to bite me!" Toni concludes.
"Which game trail?"
"That's a pretty big snake then," Clover frowns. "Could you tell what color it was? If it had a pattern or anything on its scales?"
"Over there." Yacob points towards the woods. "We can show you." However, even from this distance, you can tell that the general area is near where you found the concentration of rat tracks heading into and out of the woods.
Toni tries his best to describe the snake. "Um. It was dark brown, no, gray, no brown! And it had fangs! It definitely had fangs!"
Seeing where they are pointing, Rulean says "Got it!" and heads towards the path they point out. He looks back once just before following it, to check that he has the right path and also see who from the circus is joining him.
Hopefully the snakes will be in a talkative mood!
"Ugh...I was really hoping we'd maybe dealt with the last of Nemmia's critters," Clover sighs as she moves to follow after Rulean. "But if they're still riled up then they're a danger to, well, anyone that wanders down that way. And this is the same area that her camp probably is - I wonder if she told them to guard it?"
I'm not a snake charmer. I don't like snakes, in fact. Why does it have to be snakes, and not snails? I could do with snails.
"What is wrong with snakes? I like reptiles."
"When we see them, I can try asking them what the problem is. I don't suppose anyone has a rodent to feed them?"
Approaching carefully and keeping your distance at the limit of the torch's illumination, the astoundingly sharp-eyed circus performers--except for Nabi, who appears to have a speck in her eye--can see a viper coiled under the brush that might very well be the length of a human's arm. However, more concerning to you is the coiled mass of scales that greatly dwarfs the smaller snake hidden in the brush behind the lesser one. Clover catches a glint of light reflecting back at her, and she can tell the giant snake is aware of you.
Both Rulean and Clover recognize the smaller viper as similar to the ones that disrupted the performance, the ones that likely killed Myron. They both know that this species is poison is dangerous but limited in effect against larger creatures, like halflings.
They can only speculate on what a giant version of these snakes might be capable of.
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Leaf-On-Wind will pull his sister up if necessary then get a piece of tent canvas as people are talking about snakes and possibly rats to feed them. It was incredibly convenient, after all, that there was a massive rat carcass and a whole bunch of smaller dead rats that the halfling druid had provided for the party, wasn't it?
With his improvised 'rat bomb' ready he moves to catch up with Rulean "'You said you needed some rats?" he inquires with a bit of a whimsical tone.
Rulean smiles and takes the tarp full of rats.
He starts making hissing sounds, then looks like he is waiting for the snakes to reply.
“Be calm you two. I bear you no I’ll will. Are either of you hungry? I have quite a few rats freshly killed here that I don’t need.”
“Tell me what aggravates you so, perhaps I can help.”
What is wrong with snakes? I like reptiles."
Probably, you know, the lack of arms and legs. Nothing against you.
“Well, sure. There are better reptiles, but never tell a snake that!”
The greater snake raises her neck above the brush, easily reaching the height of a gnome or halfling while still coiled. The scaly head is as broad as a shovel, and as she opens her jaws to hiss and puff and growl in response to the iruxi, you can see hints of fangs that are probably as least as long and big around as an adult human's finger.
You can make out the game trail that the roustabouts mentioned: a thin path between the brush that leads into the woods and appears to have been tread many times in the past.
Rulean tosses a few of the rats to the big snake.
He then hisses at it some more.
"I see the path that the warm ones use. Is there a different path that we could use that wouldn't intrude on your nest?"
Looking to the group, he says "Remind me to tell people not to take this path. It goes right next to her nest." He gestures to the large snake to indicate which her he means.
Looking back over to where the big snake is, he says "Can anyone make out exactly where the nest is?"
"Look at you, Mister Snake Charmer," Clover whispers with a smile as the big snake proves willing to converse, at least for the moment. Still, the smile fades as Rulean explains what the trouble is.
"Hmm...then I can see why she might've been willing to help Nemmia..."
Clover looks around as well, trying to pinpoint where the snake's nest might be, though she maintains a respectable distance lest the snake or any of her babies get anxious.
"The townies might also be stepping too close to the nest as well. We should probably warn them when we talk to them in the morning." Leaf-On-Wind offers thoughtfully.
Does that ability to talk with snakes have a name? "slithering tongue" maybe? Can you speak with all kind of reptiles or only snakes? Are dragons a kind of reptiles?
Rulean chuckles at all of Nabi’s questions. “I would be glad to answer your questions Nabi, but first please let me finish this negotiation.”
Song also looks around. "I'm glad you can talk to them. The sooner we bypass the snakes, the sooner we can get to Nemmia's camp."
None of you notice an obvious nest or den. The smaller of the snake strikes at the dead rat and begins the slow process of swallowing it whole. The greater snake seems to either be too intelligent or too focused on negotiating with Rulean to relax her defensive posture in response to the distraction of food. She hisses and puffs back at the iruxi.
While you could not find the giant snake's den, you realize that given it is night, she is probably not far from her den. Maybe even sitting atop it.
Rulean makes some more hissing noises and then dumps out the rest of the rats.
“We do need to find the nest of the small warm blood rat lover. Do you know where that is?”
He tells the group “We need to warn people to not go into the middle of these woods. She suggested taking lumber from near the water. She has threatened to eat any that come into the middle of her woods.”
Handing the empty tarp back to Leaf-On-Wind, he then says “I guess we get to go around.”
The greater snake hisses and sways in her communication with Rulean. Then she opens her jaws incredibly wide and scoops as many rat corpses as she can get in one sweep into her mouth. The crunching noise the rat bones make as she swallows them is disturbing.
"Ah, we are allowed to pass since we brought food! She does request we leave a different way or bring more food."
With that, Rulean walks carefully along the path.
With the snake's permission to pass, you opt to follow the halfling's trail to her camp. Rulean leads you into the dark woods. Your torchlight causes shadows to dance everywhere, and the sound of movement across the leaf litter and fallen twigs keeps you on edge. The sense of unease grows the closer you creep to the dead zealot's camp.
"I'm glad that worked out," Clover murmurs as the giant snake finally allows them to pass by. "I just hope we don't have to be out here much longer..."
She shivers, glancing about at the dark shadows that abound.
Rulean nods his agreement.
Then he says "Nabi, I've always just called it speak with reptiles. Lizards are reptiles but don't slither, so your suggestion doesn't work. Yes, all the various reptiles I've tried it with so far."
"As for dragons, they have their own language. What I am doing is a way to communicate with animals, and I suspect that even if a dragon could understand it they would not deign to speak with me that way."
Nabi stops Rulean just before he walks into a tripwire at chest level. The wire runs to a precariously balanced widowmaker branch that likely would have fallen on the iruxi--potentially lethally--if he hadn't been stopped. Squinting at the dead limb, the smaller branches look sharpened and coated with some sort of sticky material. However, with the tripwire identified, it is simple enough to avoid the trap entirely.
A few more moments of tense travel through the shadowy woods, and you break into a clearing near the bubbling stream. This small clearing—no more than a widening in the path through the thick woods—contains a small pile of leaves a few feet in diameter with a thin blanket. Next to the leaves rests a small backpack emblazoned with a green patch.
Staring back at you, torchlight reflecting in his eyes, one hand on the backpack and another hand on a rock, and a guilty expression on his face is a blue, demonic-looking creature about as tall as Clover.
"ஜிக் அப்!" he shouts.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Leaf-on-Wind
Clover
Song-of-Air
Secret
Water Demon
Nabi
Rulean
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"Uh..."
Clover blinks, trying to remember if she's ever seen or heard of such a creature as this.
But no dice. Still, she watches the creature closely as she takes a single step to the left of the path.
Maybe someone else knows what it said?
______________
Clover's eyes suddenly bug out as it finally dawns on her what this creature must be.
"By the devil, it's a DEVIL!" she yelps. "An imp from Hell! Anyone have any silver weapons?? What in the world is a devil doing out here in the woods!?"
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"Gah! You're right! It's a devil! As for silver weapons, no... But I can sing to help overcome its resistance!"
Song pulls out her bow and sings to inspire courage.
♫ The Devil went down to Kortos
He was lookin' for circus acts to foil
He was kind of small, only two feet tall
Slipperier than eels coated in oil
When he came across this young troupe
Who'd been fighting evil with all they got
"Yo devil!" said the group, "It's you in the soup!"
And they laughed as they all fought ♫
◈ Recall Knowledge
◈ Interact to Draw Weapon
◈ Inspire Courage (+1 to attack and damage)
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"Huh? Uh, um. Yeah. Yeah, yeah!" the extraplanar being says as you move into position and Song-of-Air begins her jaunty tune. He drops his rock and the pack, which lands with a rather loud thud. "Let's make a deal!"
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Leaf-on-Wind
Clover
Song-of-Air
Secret
Water Demon
Nabi
Rulean
Not quite sure WHAT to make of all of this, Leaf-on-Wind draws his bow and strategically repositions while slowing his breath and trying to get his ki back on track after all the shenanigans tonight.
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"Come closer! *Snicker* Tell me what you want *snort*, and I'll tell you what I want *tee hee*, and we'll make a deal! *snort* Sound good?" Hi impish smile nearly breaks his face in half.
Even an earthworm could probably tell this joker was trying to slip something past you.
Leaf-on-Wind
Clover
Song-of-Air
Secret
Water Demon (currently in dim light radius)
Nabi
Rulean
Rulean gives him the stink eye.
"Sounds too good to be true."
Rulean carefully approaches, watchful for tricks.
And what kind of "deal" would you offer? What kind of services, and to what cost?
I ALREADY don't trust you. I can lie better than you.. I hope.
"Depends on the ask!" The imp-like blue creature snorts and giggles. "Ask for too much, and you won't like the cost. Need revenge on someone? Need your fortune told?" He snickers again. "Come and whisper it in Glub-jub's ear!"
Encounter! Round 2. Bold may act.
Leaf-on-Wind
Clover
Song-of-Air
Secret
Water Demon (currently in bright light radius)
Nabi
Rulean
"What sort of cost would there be for information?"
"Information? Simple sacrifice! Come to the stream and be washed!" the imp says practically ecstatic.
"Riiiight," Clover replies with a roll of her eyes. She takes a single step forward. "Instead of that, why don't you just leave that pack where you dropped it and go on back to Hell instead of us *sending* you back?"
______________
"Here's what I want, my deepest desire. For you to go back to Hell. As for sacrifice... I've heard that slaying one of you sends you back. I'll sacrifice a few arrows!"
She finishes with the jaunty chorus of her song, releasing an arrow on each 'go!'
♫ Fiend in the River, come, friends, come
Time to kick the Devil in his soggy blue bum!
His deals are false as we all know
Circus time to show your bite, "Go, friend, go!♫
◈ Inspire Courage (f)
◈
◈
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"I'm not, uh, not--Eep! Ow!"
Whatever the creature was about to say is cut short by his squeal of pain as Song-of-Air's arrow cuts his arm. Her other arrow lands at his feet.
ncounter! Round 2. Bold may act.
Leaf-on-Wind
Clover
Song-of-Air
Secret
Water Demon (-6 hp; frightened 1) (currently in bright light radius)
Nabi
Rulean
The acrobat lets out a slow breath even as he releases one arrow, then draws another, attempting his level best to not murder the potential source of information.
Leaf-on-Wind lands a blunt arrow on the imp's forehead where it makes a wet-sounding squelch upon impact. "Ow! அவர்கள் பார்ப்பது போல் ஊமை இல்லை!" he shouts in, presumably, infernal.
Another blue, imp-like being emerges from the stream and crawls onto the shore and then flaps into the air to glide toward Rulean where he claws at him, tearing a good sized rent across his exposed scales. "Ha ha!"
The one that you had been speaking with hops and waddles towards Clover where he makes a great show of trying to hold back an enormous sneeze until he shouts, "Ah choo!" and expels a gout of caustic liquid from his mouth that stings and steams where it lands.
Encounter! Round 2/3. Bold may act.
Yellow Water Demon (currently in bright light radius)
Red Water Demon (currently in bright light radius)
Nabi (11/16 hp; wounded 1)
Rulean (9/17 hp) (Basic Reflex DC 16 vs. 4 acid damage)
--3--
Leaf-on-Wind
Clover (13/18 hp) (Basic Reflex DC 16 vs. 4 acid damage)
(Snowball: 11/16 hp)
Song-of-Air (11/14 hp)
Rulean takes the full force of the acid snot and then retreats back to where Song is. He casts a spell on her bow.
"Augh!" Clover yelps as she's also covered in what's apparently acid spit of some sort. "Okay, that's IT! Snowy, get 'em!"
With both creatures now right up in her face, Clover attempts to stab the talky one that started the whole mess...
...and then takes a step back, lest she find herself surrounded.
______________
With a snarl, Snowy obligingly steps forward and snaps at Yellow, who happens to be the closest target...
______________
Nabi moves next to the badger, toward the imp, and tries to hit it with her sword