Akoril doesn't waste any time, conjuring up debris around his arrow as he fires.
Akoril holds his focus, already preparing for the next round.
Akoril's shot misses for once. Everyone else prepares for a tough fight.
The creature bleats in pain as the lock from its cage smacks it on the head!
It gallops and leaps over your heads — ramming Soomdevi with its horns on the way down!
and
As Soomdevi takes electricity damage, a discharge of static electricity arcs off him and shocks Akoril.
Then it lashes its tail at Soomdevi!
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Goat-Croc
➤ Wisps
➤ Akoril
➤ Chimwemwe
➤ Alrinkiri
➤ Soomdevi
"Soomdevi!" Chimwemwe curses and moves to circle the beast with his shield raised. "Get away from it!"
He cracks his whip at the storm goat.
Recovering from the initial shock of the creature's descent, Alrinkiri feels Wisps' soothing magic wash over them, bringing a sense of calm as their wounds knit back together . They bound around the hut, sliding into a position opposite Akoril, and slash at the creature!
Akoril's fur stands up as he gets shocked.
With the point blank range Akoil protected himself with a magical shield before following up with a point blank arow with the usual debris.
Akoril's shot gets thrown off by the shock. Chimwemwe barely manages to hit, thanks to the flank and Alrinkiri does a decent amount of damage, but less than they hoped
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Goat-Croc
➤ Wisps
Akoril
Chimwemwe
Alrinkiri
➤ Soomdevi
"It will be okay! Soomdevi, I've got your back!"
She uses her mask to improve her healing, to no avail.
Soomdevi’s attacks fly wide.
The GOAT turns to Alrinkiri, and gouges them with its horns!
aaaaaaaaaaaa
The GOAT leaps forty feet straight into the air!
On the way it lashes its tail at Chim —
— but misses. The goat drops horns-first like a thunder strike, ramming its horns into the earth, knocking branches out of the nearby trees and shaking your bones.
The GOAT totters on its feet a bit, a little woozy in the aftermath if its psychotic attack.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Goat-Croc
➤ Wisps
➤ Akoril
➤ Chimwemwe
➤ Alrinkiri
➤ Soomdevi
⠀⠀➤ Blinks
Akoril reels and shakes tries to clear the sound from his ears as he reaches out to touch the goat with some flames.
"We've got to spread out!"
The blast rattles Chimwemwe's bones. He shakes his head to clear his senses. Blood begins to dribble from his nose. He faintly hears Curling-Wisps-of-Smoke's warning over the ringing in his ears. "No," he laments as he interprets the situation. Too many friends in danger.
He stumbles over to Alrinkir and traces out a figure in the air with his whip before pressing his knuckles against the automaton's body and discharging the energy.
The pale light returns to Alrinkiri's eyes as Chimwemwe's healing energy reinvigorates them. They scramble to their feat and lash out at the creature, as much to drive it away from them as to kill it.
Unable to connect, they cast a defensive ward to protect themselves.
The GOAT digs it hooves into the earth and launches itself over Chim, battering him with its horns!
and
With both parties badly hurt, the GOAT shakes its crocodile tail angrily at you as it bounds off towwards the other side of the zoo.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Goat-Croc
➤ Wisps
➤ Akoril
➤ Chimwemwe
➤ Alrinkiri
➤ Soomdevi
⠀⠀➤ Blinks
Chimwemwe hisses in pain and stumbles as the beast's horn gores him in the shoulder while his armor absorbs the electrical arcs. He hobbles over to Soomdevi and drops his whip so that he can poke the kayal in three pressure points to accelerate the vital flow, bringing him back to consciousness. "I'm not certain we can capture that one," he says and raises his shield in case the goat-beast is not actually fleeing.
You let the GOAT go. It knocks over a tree, which falls against the wall of Oba's zoo. It runs along the trunk and leaps out over into the city. Its cries echo across the city; you hear something crash.
AAAAAAAAAAAA…
Those of you still standing can help your companions recover. Surely, Oba will not be pleased by this turn of events… but at least you aren't the ones who let it out.
This cage is also unlocked, like all the rest. There's a sign on the door. When you approach it lets out a harmless static jolt. It says
"Mpeshi: 1"
"Mpeshi," Chimwemwe murmurs as he scans the sign. He moves among his companions, applying pressure to vital points on each of them to accelerate the healing process. "Should tend our wounds some in case there are yet more creatures loose that, hmm, that may want to eat us."
before You likely spend a good while healing up and moving on.
While you heal up you find a pile of damp, moldy grass cuttings piled near the cage.
"This is very low-quality forage, and it's gotten moldy. It's something a high-altitude mountain goat might eat."
”I don’t trust Oba’s understanding of these creatures,” Chimwemwe says, ”but hopefully that means it’s not carnivorous.”
Fully healed, you move on to the last area of the zoo.
There are two more cages near the top center of the zoo. A sign on a stake between these two cages reads, “Griffons: 3.” Neither cage looks spacious enough to comfortably hold two griffons at once.
The doors to the cages are still wide open, and black feathers are littered about in the trampled mud. A provisions shed just east of the cages is shut tight. It’s clear that Oba hasn’t touched this area since she lost her prized animals.
Nearby is a shed is full of grooming tools, spoiled meat, and a sealed box full of dead spiders.
There's an oddly-shaped pick on the ground.
Soomdevi believes this is a thieves tool shaped for a lizard-demon!
Lizard demons have long claws that make standard tools difficult to use; the odd curve of the pick suggests it was made for such a creature.
"It seems to me that someone other than Oba intentionally released these creatures," Chimwemwe says. "I can't tell if it was for mischief or to save these mistreated creatures."
Akoril responds "That's in interesting theory... I could see some fey tired of the animal treatment 'helping' by unlocking all the cages. How puzzling."
Ah. Soomdevi," Chimwemwe says gently. "It didn't have hands. And where would it have gotten a pick?"
Alrinkiri shrugs. "I'm worried about that creature getting out. It seems like it could do a lot of damage wandering around the city."
"The sentinel Tempest-Sun Mages should capture it quickly. It is not subtle," he says. "Not that they noticed the griffons flying through the city."
Chimwemwe searches through the dead spiders. Who keeps a box full of dead spiders except to scare away arachnophobes?
There's a measuring cup next to the box of spiders. It has a spider or two stuck to the bottom.
Perhaps she was feeding spiders to the griffons.
Wisps seems quite distressed over the box of dead spiders.
"I agree, Alrinkiri. We must ensure that it can't hurt anyone, but I think we may need to find out more about it first."
Oba comes up to the zoo gate and shouts across the way at you. She doesn't seem interested in going in the zoo, not till its safe.
I thought I heard thunder, but the sky is clear. It has been hours. Have you students completed your work yet?
"As much as can be," Chimwemwe answers. He looks to Curling-Wisps-of-Smoke to continue explaining.
Akoril nods and tries not to get called on.
You explain to Oba what you found regarding with escaped animals, and their recapture.
So the thunder was my most expensive, rare animal escaping? Hrmph!
She raises he hands to the sky. Calamity follows he!
At least you tried. Yes, it has cost me time and expense, but at least you tried. She frowns. Well, I should thank you for your work. Did you at least find out why the animals got out of thei cages?
"Someone let them out," Chimwemwe answers. "Do you have any disgruntled employees?" Or employees appalled by the treatment these creatures receive? he thinks but does not say.
"Were you feeding the griffons spiders? Or meat? Do they eat spiders?" he asks, puzzled.
LET them out? She pauses. I treat my employees well! As if to prove the point, she shoves payment into your hands: a moderate cheetah elixir. Do you see? I pay you, even thought you lost my most valuable creature. I know of no one who would do this to me. No one! She is genuinely confused and distressed.
---
When asked about the spiders, Oba waves her hand. Perhaps I overdid it with the spider snacks. They are cheap snacks, and the griffons acquired a taste for spiders over time.
Wisps quietly fumes over the spiders.
"Thank you for rewarding us for our efforts. That is generous. It is clear that you did not set the creatures free," Chimwemwe says. "Maybe someone who wanted to cause you financial hardship."
"Maybe someone who wanted to cause you financial hardship."
Ha. I could have told you this, without needing any fancy Magaambyan schooling! I wish I knew why an honest upstanding merchant such as myself is being victimized.
"is clear that you did not set the creatures free,"
I am glad you understand how I do things now.
She brings up the spiders before you can. Yes, I am sure you saw. Perhaps I overdid it with the Griffons' spider snacks, but they are cheap and the griffons learned to like them over time. Perhaps this had some smart in how the griffons chose their prey when freed. Perhaps not. Who's to say? And if so, how could I have known such things!? Impossible!
I am sure that now you see that I am a victim here as well. Make sure to let everyone know how I do business!
On the way out Oba pulls Soomdevi aside. She looks at Blinks.
What an exotic hound! I’ve never seen the like. If you sell that creature to me, I will give you a very good price.
——
Its late afternoon, and outside you find no trail for the Mpeshi. So, you rush back to Jaintanimo’s; possibly sharing your thoughts on the way.
The Learned One is in his office, editing a short story.
Ah! My young protégés. Have you anything interesting to report?
Akoril a bit shyly responds "A bargain on spider snacks lead to the griffons developing a taste... exactly who let them out I think we're not sure of yet, but seems like a disgruntled employee. Maybe others in my cohort can report more."
"The most that I can say is that someone unlocked the cage doors on several of Oba's dangerous creatures, and it seems very unlikely that it was Oba since the locks were picked and she is very distressed about their escape," Chimwemwe adds. "I'm not sure when they were released, but the griffons were fed spiders regularly, so Oba says, as a snack. So the griffons might have, hmm, saw the anadi as food." He frowns but keeps his eyes raised as he further adds, "A mpeshi escaped into the city today. We were not able to capture it. I should read up on them."
|
Blinks growls at Oba, which makes Soomdevi laugh.
"I think that's your answer. Plus, he'd starve to death earthing all this cheap food all the time."
Back in Jaintanimo's office, Soomdevi, known to write poetry, asks about the short story.
"I tried the spiders. You'd have to eat A LOT of them before you'd start craving anadi. One wasn't enough for me anyway. I did find this lockpick though, which the mpeshi may have used to escape."
He shows the strange lockpick to Jaintanimo.