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Ah.
Well, he did seem rather too nice for a man unused to visitors.
"We won't take much of your time," Radjiik moves his foot a couple inches forward, gently getting in the way of the closing door. "Only we don't know where to start looking. The Sheriff told us you knew the Marsh better than anyone. We can get lost without your help."
Upon hearing Zyren attempt to negotiate with Walthus, the cleric steps forward a few steps and adds his voice to Zyren's Please Master Walthus, we'd really appreciate your help with this. The goblins down here are getting more aggressive and harming good folks who don't deserve it.
Akatsu shakes his head and approaches his colleagues, swiftly touching their shoulders as if asking them to back up.
We shall live you to your work, mister Walthus. Sorry for the disturbance. If you could just give us some idea of where to go to track the goblins, we'd appreciate it.
"I mean, if he's busy with swamp dweller stuff, lets go and find the Licktoads ourselves. It'd be nice to get some information, but I'm confident we can do it on our own."
Flori stands at the back of the group, keeping an eye on the swamp rather than getting involved in the discussion that everyone else seems to have in hand.
Walthus' looked down at the Shoanti's foot pressed in the doorway and listened to the various pleas to help them. He sighed, let his hand slide away from the door and turned to move into his home, calling out to them, "If you insist, better come inside to talk rather than linger on the porch. Follow me into the dining room," and the halfling led the way; his general tiredness apparent in his gait and mannerisms.
The party crossed through what appeared to be a longish, ten foot wide main living area, if it could be described as such for there was only a single threadbare, padded armchair and several somewhat damaged pot plants in there. Passing through an open door, the party moved into the dining room, which was similarly sparsely furnished with an old wooden table with a single wooden chair and along the wall there was a simple wood-burning stove with a small pile of wood piled beside it. Walthus articulated with his hands, "Mess everywhere. I don't expect visitors. You will have to stand, I'm afraid." For those paying close attention to the halfling warden, would have noted the small puncture marks on his right hand, still bleeding, and, that Walthus winced from pain as he waved his hand about.
"I'll prepare us something to eat," gingerly lifting a log and placing it inside the stove, hoping/trying to light it. "You shouldn't be tarrying too long in the marshes. Once you have something to eat, you should move along. I think that's best." Walthus' pushed an old skillet atop the stove, not really paying heed to his motions/purpose and muttering to himself.
"You searching for the Licktoads, eh? Their village's to the south east. You can get there via the Old Fish Trail."
Dominic takes in the whole of Walthus' house, Thank you for the hospitality! Anything else you can tell us of the Licktoads?
Once the fire was going nicely inside the stove, Walthus moved to the adjoining pantry and took out some lard and various green, leafy vegetables. Returning, the halfling tossed the lard in the skillet before adding the rest. He turned to the cleric and with an animated face, almost grimacing (possibly from pain), he replied with concern in his voice,
"I've been observing those Licktoads for days now. I believe the tribe's readying for an all-out attack on all humans in this region. Nasty, nasty business! No human's safe!"
Zyren, noticing that the halfling has a wound, says
You're hurt. May I heal that for you?
Walthus tiredly looked at the woman named Zyren as he removed the skillet from the stove.
"I had to run off a giant snake from my land early this morning. It sunk its fangs into my hand and I'm still suffering from its poison. If you've anything to aid with that, I'd be glad for the help?" His deep brown eyes filled with pain and sadness.
I'm sorry, I don't have any antivenom, but I could heal you and cure some of the physical damage that the venom caused, if you would like.
Whilst Zyren gives Walthus some aid, Flori perches on the edge of the dining table, feeling on edge in this unusual situation. She does her best to smile as if everyone is alright, not wanting to worry anyone else unnecessarily.
"So Walthus, what has given you the impression that they're preparing for an all-out attack? Have they been gathering in numbers anywhere in particular?"
Walthus sighed upon hearing there was no antivenom, but gladly accepted the healing offered him for his physical wounds. "I accept your offer of healing, mistress."
After receiving healing with a nod of thanks, Walthus took the skillet and placing a cleaning cloth down on the table, he laid the skillet atop, so his guests could partake of his vegetable treat. He retrieved some crude wooden spoons from the pantry and laid them by the skillet; gesturing for his visitors to eat quickly.
"I observed them near their village - carrying on, raising their weapons and chanting. They looked eager to kill, so there's no time to waste. You must go to fight them - the sooner the better! I have so much work to do, I must stay here," he answered, eager for his visitors to be on their way.
==
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Radjiik follows the group into the house, not really bothered by the dilapidated and messy state of Walthus's living room. He eats the food that is presented to him, slowly and politely at first, then ravenously.
"Thank you for your help," he hesitates a moment, as if looking for the right words, then asks quite bluntly: "Are you afraid of something?"
Is there a leader stirring them up? The more information we have the better! Dominic asks the somewhat erratic halfling.
Zyren, happy that Walthus agreed to be healed, steps back and listens, worried about the goblin threat. She doesn't eat anything from the communal dish.
Akatsu thanks the halfling and absolutely overlooks the clutter of the house - he'd just breathed, focusing on the generosity and the information, and finding perfection on the small things.
"Snakes are bad business, friend. Especially for someone as small as you. I would recommend caution, seeing as how you are all alone out here."
"Not all snakes are bad Dargu some just like to live their lives in peace." Flori offers with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Many thanks for that Walthus. As Dom said, anything else you can tell us would be helpful. We don't want to walk into an ambush."
Sense Motive:
R=7
D=14
Z=1
A=21
D=15
F=21
Perception:
R=7
D=13
Z=7
A=26
D=24
F=17
With the adventurers' questions left hanging in the air, Walthus spun around towards the closest party member, Flori, and promptly transformed before everyone's eyes into a wrinkled, hunch-backed humanoid creature with mottled brown-and-red flesh and a spherical head with no true face—only a crooked slit. His clothes were shed, too, like a second skin. A rolling, pliant mass of muscle and patchy deep crimson, leathery skin slammed into Flori, driving her so hard into the wall that it cracked half a dozen of her ribs, causing grave internal injury/bleeding. The creature's grotesque arms firmly latched onto an unconscious Flori, leaving her grappled, and the hungry creature began to drain the blood from her limp body.
====
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This grotesque creature is a small/undersized Faceless Stalker. Shapechanging aberrations, faceless stalkers are not creatures of the natural world, but a race crafted as a weapon in ancient days before the fall of the Starstone. Also known as ugothol in the Alghollthu language, their purpose was nothing less than the infiltration and destruction of ancient human civilisations. A faceless stalker can change its appearance to mimic any medium humanoid and the body of a faceless stalker is so elastic it can easily move through tight spaces. Faceless stalkers tend to dwell in swamps. Their feeding is one of the most alien parts of their nature. As they have no mouths, they feed on the bodily fluids of their victims by sucking it through proboscis-like feeding tubes. The most disturbing part of this is that they prefer living victims.
Akatsu is almost as surprised as the others; however, his monk reflexes somewhat react to the event, and he's able to act as fast as he can. Not having his weapon in hands - but just that crude spoon - he simply attacks the enemy with it, after assuming his weird Shikigami stance, trying to get him to release Flori.
Akatsu stays in his fighting style, but this time he flurries the enemy with the spoon, not bothering if it's going to break or not.
After the attack, he does a quick sidestep trying to open space for his companions.
Akatsu's strike with the crude wooden spoon found no quarry and slid off the leathery part of the creature.
===
Round 1: PCs
Akatsu continued with his crude spoon attacks. The first hit another tough leathery patch on the creature and slid off without injuring it. However, the second blow found a soft, pulpy section of crimson flesh and injured the creature with its brute force. The monk then took a 5ft step to the side to give his companions room to attack it.
===
Zyren starts singing, bolstering the courage of her fellows, and moves into the other room, hoping to give more room for others to maneuver while still staying close enough to help if needed.
Round 1: Radjiik, Dominic and Dargu (in no particular order), you're up!
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Radjiik springs to his feet as Walthus turns into a dreadful creature, and his chair hits the floor with a loud thud. He draws his rapier with with the confused air of someone who doesn't know exactly what to do, stepping aside reflexively as the monster slams Flori into the wall. Trembling a little, he tries to walk around the monster to get a good angle of attack.
"Some hospitality, eh? Fine then, taste steel!"
Dargu draws his long blade and slashes at the creature who smashed his little sister so nastily.
to hit, Inspired, for damage
"Flori! Stay awake, don't give up!"
Zyren's song filled the small space, bolstering her companions' bravery before she stepped out into the living room to allow the others room to move. As Flori lay limp, fighting to stay alive, Radjiik gracefully sidestepped and attempted to attack the creature with his rapier. The attack went terribly awry and the rapier slipped from the Shoanti's hand and fell to the ground by his feet. Dargu, drawing his blade, slashed at the creature and even though his blade found some quarry, the blade could not cut as deeply as it might have due to the leathery patches across the creature's body impeding its progress. His words reached out to the unconscious Flori imploring her to keep breathing.
===
I suppose that is fine, but I think you might have read inspire COMPETENCE instead.
This is the text of Inspire COURAGE:
"Inspire Courage (Su): A 1st level bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard’s performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +4 at 17th level. Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability. inspire courage can use audible or visual components. The bard must choose which component to use when starting his performance."
... Here it just says that they have to "perceive the bard's performance"
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Dominic, seeing the horrifying transofrmation take place in front of them, promptly drops the bowl of food he was about to eat, and then as the creature attacks and grapples Flori, the color drains from his face.
Flori! No! Dammit, Dargu, lemme through!
The cleric shoulders by his burly cousin, keeping Flori's insensate body between himself and the monster, Desna, heal her, please! He calms for a brief second, before casting a small healing spell upon her.
Flori's eyes fluttered ever-slowly open and she drew a harsh breath upon receiving Desna's blessed healing through Dominic's divine touch and fervent prayer.
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Round 1: Enemy
Retracting its proboscis-like feeding tube, the crimson-fleshed monstrous creature let go of Flori's body, which slumped to the ground by its feet. Some of the blood which it had been draining from her body gushed out from the tube for a moment and rained down on the prone, barely breathing Flori, covering her in her own blood.
An inhuman screech, followed by a guttural, whooshing-like voice filled the small dining room, "I claimed thiss place and you dare ssteal it from me?!" Another inhuman screech followed as it gauged the number of opponents and its condition.
Pressing itself back against the small, partially open window in the wall directly behind it, the creature alarmingly compressed and warped its gruesome, pliant, boneless body and easily maneuvered itself through the small opening to the outside of the house before any of the party could react. Reforming, it then moved away, retreating deeper into the swamp.
==End of Combat==
As the party was coming to terms with the unexpected encounter with the creature, they could make out the sound of sobbing and a faint voice coming from somewhere above them. "Hello? Who's there? You friend or foe?" an unsteady, sorrowful male voice called down.
Do you hear this voice? - says Akatsu, letting go of the crude spoon and drawing his sledge.
Dominic kneels to tend to Flori's wounds, happy to not engage the monster any further, What was that thing? No, No don't move yet Flori. Let's see what else happens first, you take a minute and breathe... Dominic looks up at the others, I did hear that, I'll stay with her, can you check that out? He takes out his crossbow from where it was slung over his shoulder and loads a bolt into it.
Turning back to Flori, I think you've lost a decent amount of blood, we should try to keep you on the ground. Here try and eat something. Dominic picks up the stew, and incants a small blessing to Desna over it, before handing it to the prone Flori.
Dargu drops his blade with a curse, seeing the keen edge do much less damage than he expected.
"Blasted monster hide and tarnation! Have a javelin, you coward!"
Dargu draws a shaft over his shoulder and releases it in a smooth motion at the fleeing creature.
to hit (+1 if inspire still going], for damage (+1?)
Zyren takes a shot at the fleeing creature as well.
(inspire courage, point-blank)
(inspire courage, point-blank)
Akatsu drew his hammer as soon as he heard a voice coming from within the house. Dominic took great care with the very injured Flori and attempted to give her some nourishment to restore some of the vitality she had lost when the creature had fed on her blood. Dargu drew his javelin and attempted to pierce the creature's back as it retreated; however the wind picked up and it missed its mark and fell to the sandy ground not far from the cleared area around the shack.
===
Zyren misses and then stops singing.
"Of course I missed! Never could get the hang of good ranged fighting. Let's not go sprinting into the seamp after a monster like that. Dom, hows Flori? Anyone else get hurt?"
Dargu notes where his javelin fell, then stoops down to retrieve his longsword.
"What in the name of Desna was that thing?"
"Hello? I can hear voices. Is it safe to come down?" the same timid voice could be heard coming from the landing at the top of the stairs.
Yes, it is safe says Zyren.
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As the creature attempts to flee, Radjjik, who finds his hands suddenly free, quickly notches an arrow onto his bow in hopes to hit it before it leaves.
If I can get a shot before it's out of sight:
Then, before he knows it, all is calm again.
His barely used bow returns to its place on his back, and he sheepishly puts his rapier back in its sheath. He glances at Dominic feeding Flori, shivers, and can hardly refrain from retching at the thought of eating the monster's food.
"What in the Nine Hells was that?" he asks, still in a state of shock. In an attempt to pull himself together and be of some assistance, he looks around the kitchen for a clean piece of cloth and some fresh water to wash off the blood from Flori's face and clothes.
Akatsu tries to follow where the voice is coming from; he still keeps his sledge at hands, but moves carefully as to try to help whoever seems to be mildly speaking.
Whatever was here, pretending to be a halfling, seems to have fled now. Please, come out. We're in peace... Just hunting some goblins that are causing trouble to the people of Sandpoint.
Flori, still groggy and light-headed sits up fully and eats and drinks little amounts to boost her strength heeding Dom's advice.
"Thanks Dom, it just came out of nowhere and surprised me. I just wasn't expecting it to do that. What actually happened? Is everyone else Ok? How's Dargu?" She looks around with deep concern, trying to piece together what happened in her head.
Hearing Zyren and Akatsu call out confuses her dazed self and lowering her voice, she asks; "Who are they talking to?"
Nodding at Flori, and offering her a hand upright, That thing, whatever it was, tried to drink your blood I think. Which may be why you are feeling weak. I have no idea who they are talking to; Dargu, Akatsu, and Zyren should have it handled, you rest here with Radjiik and me. If its a problem, I can bring Desna's blessing to you again and give you some strength back.
Dominic hovers near Flori, watching his companion's reactions in the front room cautiously, preparing to heal his cousin further should the need arise. He sets his crossbow on the table, realizing the weapon will not do him much good should a fight break out in the other room, and unhooks his starknife for good measure.
Flori sends a half-smile at Dominic in thanks and wearily leans back against the wall, relieved that others are handling the situation as she rests.
Moving five feet to the place by the window, where he could look out through the small opening and watch the fleeing creature, Radjiik nocked an arrow, and, with practiced ease, released; hoping to finish off the small creature before it could wade into the swamp out of sight. Even with factors/odds stacked against the Shoanti rogue, his arrow successfully found a soft mark between the leathery portions on the creature's back. It screeched from the unexpected jolt of pain before diving headlong into a small body of water and not rising again.
====
Hearing both a female and male voice reassuring him the house was safe, the halfling took a deep breath; wiping away the last of his tears. Holding onto the the worn banister, he started to cautiously move down the old creaky stairs until he reached the last tread.
Peaking his head around and noting the tall, blue-skinned woman and a group of people congregated in his dining room, Walthus placed a friendly smile on his face and spoke, "Welcome. This is my home. I'm Walthus Proudstump and you saved my life, so I thank you." His relieved smile wavered a bit before becoming friendly once again.
"I heard you ask what it is, yes? There has been a tribe of faceless stalkers living in Brinestump for several decades. They've all but died out due to inbreeding and lack of food - only a handful remain hidden in the marsh and unluckily one of them set upon me in my garden yesterday. He's a runt named Volorog. He managed to pin me down and drain most of my blood - I was in pain and weary, yet I manged to break free and hide in my house. If you hadn't come, Volorog would've found me and finished me off."
Rubbing his hand over his dirty, tear-stained face (the halfling is rather unkempt in appearance and it appears that he hasn't bathed in quite some time - gauging by his unclean smell).
"Did I hear someone mention goblins? The Licktoads?" the halfing shuffled into the main living room and slowly sat down on the single ratty chair in the space. Walthus appeared willing to chat, even after his recent ordeal.