| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
”Oh hey, that isn’t Moose! I think it’s a different type of friend,” Mukluk points over to the tombstone where he definitely possibly maybe saw something.
Diplomacy
”Hey, we’re not going to hurt you. We’re Desna friends,” Mukluk offers to the thing he saw, surprising in its gentleness and tenderness. ”Me and Moose have always been kind to the Desnans, and they have been kind to us. Heck we even share our fires and stews with our friends. We’re just passing through and don’t mean to bother you if you don’t want to talk.”
"I am Durgan Far-Walker, servant of Abadar. As my companion said, we mean you no harm.
We were admiring the efforts that you have put into tending to this cemetery and shrine."
Kisaiya sits down and leans forward with her back hunched. Whatever Mukluk has seen, it must be small, and one of the most reliable methods she can think of for showing she’s nonthreatening is making yourself smaller.
”Hey. We don’t mean any harm. We’re just trying to figure out what’s going on here.”
You hear a high pitched voice call out from the graveyard, ”Why are you here?”
You see no one at the moment.
Mukluk rubs the back of his neck and starts to explain.
"Well, last time I was passing through here, my best mule, Moose, found a really good patch of frollicking ivy, I think it was over yonder that way," Mukluk points to where he thinks the good patch was. "You probably know it well, but that's not the important thing. The important thing is that Moose is a good mule who enjoys a good frollick..."
Mukluk continues the story, rambling until stopped.
"...and so me and Moose started selling more and more of the Stew of Three Sisters, which is pretty good. It's made of corn and squash and beans, it's powerful good, you see? And we're trading up and down the coast of Varisia..."
Mukluk continues the story, rambling until stopped.
"...and Moose was pretty annoyed that went for a second hunt in the swamp, but I fed him a bunch of nuts and that seemed to pacify him a bit and so I only got bit a few times. Still a good mule, you see? And then we went back to Sandpoint..."
Mukluk continues the story, rambling until stopped.
She takes the offered jerky and takes a bite. She casually evaluates the texture and taste. She leans forward in the direction of the voice. ”What my friend is trying to say is that we are here because we think some relatives of someone we know lived here before it got destroyed, and we wanted to find out about them. I can give you something to eat if it will make you feel better. What kind of food do you like?”
Mukluk prattles on, but his deep voice is soothing, and he goes unchecked for some time without interruption. Eventually Kisaiya says something more to the point and the spell is broken.
”So, you’re archaeologists?” A tiny head pokes over a gravestone some distance away - only an inch or so across. Likely the creature who left the footprints you found. ”I don’t see any tools!” she pouts - keeping her distance.
Mukluk is about to tick off the reasons that Moose might be the best mule ever, but then holds off on those important facts until the nice fae can answer Rory’s questions.
Durgan attempts to identify the tiny head.
He knows nothing about what sort of being this is.
It is true that I don't have proper tools for excavation. Which we might need! Foolish of me to be unprepared.
"Ameiko? What's an Ameiko?" inquires the creature. She flies up into the air (image) before settling on the tombstone she was hiding behind.
"I can't heal curses. And the creatures in the castle are no friends to the visitors here." She says matter-of-factly.
Lyrakien are divine musicians and messengers, mainly in the employ of deities of travel and natural wonders. They love to explore and visit beautiful places, especially locations with excellent views of rainbows, moonlight, and the stars. Whimsical and joyous, they love contests of song, dance, and knowledge, and keep journeys happy by distracting their companions from weary feet and stale food. Mortals who please them with excellent tales and new songs may be rewarded with elaborate maps, forgotten shortcuts, or rambling directions to hidden locations that hold lost magic.
- - -
"Ameiko isn't the mule. That's Moose, I was trying to talk about Moose here. And we're just passing through to the Castle. Don't suppose you want to tell me what's in there, do you?" Mukluk asks.
Durgan assumes this creature is a fey of some sort, and he looks wary. He seems slightly uncomfortable, even. The priest keeps quiet, and keeps his hands folded in front of him.
"Ameiko isn't the mule. That's Moose, I was trying to talk about Moose here. And we're just passing through to the Castle. Don't suppose you want to tell me what's in there, do you?" Mukluk asks.
She flits around, looking for a mule, but doesn’t find one. ”I don’t go into the castle. But these unwholesome flying creatures do come out hunting. They look like a humanoid crow with oily black feathers, glittering eyes, and sharp beaks.” She goes on to describe them well enough for a knowledge check.
Dire corbies are subterranean predators that resemble humanoid crows with muscular arms and fearsome claws. Though they make their cliff-side homes on the walls of underground chasms, where they climb and leap with death-defying agility, they are most frequently encountered in the tunnels where they wait to ambush prey, leaping down from the ceiling to rend and tear.
Dire corbies are intelligent, but have little use for society outside of the rough, squabbling pecking order of their rookeries, where their social order is little better than that of the mundane birds they resemble. Along with the near-suicidal savagery with which they launch themselves into combat, dire corbies are known for their terrifying screeches, songs of doom capable of unsettling even experienced explorers.
In addition to being savage predators, dire corbies are also notorious cannibals when it comes to their young, and a mother dire corby must carefully defend her eggs lest a flock of males from the same rookery descend on her nest and devour the unborn children in a flurry of yolk and blood. This ultimately counterproductive tendency only further supports the impression most races have of dire corbies as dangerously unbalanced beings, and may explain why the creatures remain relatively rare.
- - -
Watching as the adorable little fey flies out and reveals herself, Rory makes sure that Storm (who's trying to smell the little Desnan) doesn't get too close, as he replies. "Ameiko is our friend and fellow traveler. Her ancestors help build this place, and now it's made her sick." He looks at the others, "Or at least we think that's what's done it."
”The castle made her sick? Oh, how awful!” she commiserates. ”So what are you going to do?”
Know (Nature)
"Oh yeah, them be corbies, the dire kind, not the kind that are kind, you see?" Mukluk says, thinking about what the not-fae has told them. "They are nasty things, black feathers, hunters with big old beaks. But Moose isn't afraid of them and neither am I. But they are nasty buggers, for sure." He will answer other questions if people have them.
He nods to the not-fae.
"Well, we mean to go in there to help our not-mule friend, Ameiko. Is there anything else you can tell us about who or what is in there? Or goes in and out of there?"
Leap (Ex) A dire corby can perform a special kind of pounce attack by jumping into combat. When a dire corby charges, it can make a DC 20 Acrobatics check to jump into the air and land next to its enemies. If it succeeds at this Acrobatics check, it can make a full attack (two claw attacks, plus a rend attack if both claws hit) against foes in reach. If it fails, it can still make its one attack as normal for a charge.
- - -
"Well, we mean to go in there to help our not-mule friend, Ameiko. Is there anything else you can tell us about who or what is in there? Or goes in and out of there?"
"Oh, I don't go near the castle. Big ugly thing. I stay here in the graveyard where it's pretty, isn't it nice?"
She doesn't see much of anything coming and going other than the corbies. Sometimes things will wander through town and enter the castle, but they don't come out - so she doesn't know if they're residents or food. However, she really doesn't leave the cemetery or surrounding wood. So an army could roam by and she might miss it.
She has seen some other things flying over the castle, but at this distance they all look like blurs - though some things aren’t all black like the corbies. Still, they’re all about the same size, so it’s hard to know what she saw. However, she does offer to provide Desna’s guidance to you in the coming battles. In practical terms, she’ll act as a conduit for up to six yes/no questions (link).
Then she flies up into the air, ”You must be very brave to go to the castle. If you need healing, I’m happy to help.” She lands on a different tombstone and cleans some leaves from atop it. ”From here of course.” she adds obviously. ”Oh! You don’t know my name! I’m Spivey.”
Seeing a few of you with minor scratches, she channels energy healing your remaining injuries.
Mukluk looks over to the castle, then looks back to Spivey.
"Nice to meet you, Spivey. I'm Mukluk, and if you see a very good mule around, that's Moose. He's a friend, but he should be back with our caravan watching over Ameiko, so you tell him to get back and do that, okay?" Mukluk explains things to Spivey.
Mukluk waits for the answer to Rory's question and then will follow up with his own.
"You've been quite kind to us, Spivey. Is there anything we can do to repay you?" he asks.
Kisaiya bows her head. ”My name is Kisaiya Shiraishi. A pleasure to meet you.” She debates questions in her head she could pose about this place. ”Have you seen any traps about the castle? Any undead?”
Realizing the water may be one of those fey tricks you hear about, he adds, "Nothing's going to happen to him, right?"
”It’s holy water. Very fresh. In fact, if you want to take some, help yourself. It replenishes often.”
There are still two ‘flasks’ worth of holy water in the bowl. Further, you can pour regular water in, and get three more flasks worth out if you choose.His question, sparking another question he'd wondered, causes him to look back towards the mauled ship, gesturing that general direction. "So do you know where the northerners from that boat went?”
”Northerners?” She didn’t see anyone, but did hear some thrashing about two weeks ago or so. Unless they come into her graveyard she doesn’t usually pay much attention to the noises.
"You've been quite kind to us, Spivey. Is there anything we can do to repay you?" he asks.
She gestures to the forest and the graveyard as she flies up into the air, ”I have all I need right here!” she laughs contentedly.
”Have you seen any traps about the castle? Any undead?”
She shrugs, having no first hand knowledge of the castle or its immediate environs. ”None here, that’s for sure.” she adds severely. "I could ask." she reminds the group of her offer to commune with Desna.
Kisaiya grimaces slightly, realizing she did not articulate herself well. ”Sorry, that’s what I meant. Those were questions I wanted to know if you could ask Her. I should have been clearer. Not really used to just being able to…ask things like that.”
Mukluk snaps his fingers.
”Oh! We should ask if Ameiko’s sickness is related to the castle!? Or if we can find Ameiko’s cure within the castle! That would be helpful, wouldn’t it?” Mukluk looks to his friends for confirmation, knowing Moose would agree already.
Durgan waits patiently while Mukluk engages with Desna's fey (or so it seems) servant.
He is wary of fey, and averse to telling Desnans how they should commune with their deity. Mukluk seems to have good ideas here, so Durgan listens for the reply.
Spivey shrugs when there are no further questions. She ritually bathes with water from the holy water bowl (using up a pint - leaving one left, though you can refill for three more) and prays to Desna for guidance.
Are there any traps about the castle? … No
Are there any undead in the castle? … Yes
Is Ameiko’s sickness related to the castle? … The answer is a hesitant Yes
Is Ameiko’s cure within the castle? … Yes
She comes out of her trance, ”Oooh, undead! You should take some holy water.” she grins.
”Oooh, undead! You should take some holy water.”
Mukluk grins back. "Why thank you! Don't mind if I do," Mukluk scrounges for some empty potion bottles or wineskins to take 2 (or 3?) holy water flask equivalents.
"Seems like this might come in handy. Thank you, and may the Great Dreamer know of your generosity. I'll certainly tell Moose, that's for sure," Mukluk will claim (and offer around) the holy water and then be ready to move on.
"I thank you, Spivey, for your generosity and wise counsel."
Durgan sounds even more stiff and formal than usual. As if he is thinking about his words very carefully before speaking to a fairy (which is what he thinks her to be).
"I will proceed to the castle with any who will join me."
Durgan leads the way to the castle, only drawing his axe once he is out of view of Spivey, thinking that she might take offense to his bearing a cold iron weapon.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
He might have just insulted her people... can never be sure how the Fey will react. Is Spivey going to take it as challenge to prove she is like other Fey and not abnormal?
Durgan cringes inwardly, expecting Rory to turn into a marmot or something.
If nothing happens immediately, that only increases his sense of dread.
Could be a long game.
Nodding as Mukluk scrounges for bottles, he offers his waterskin, "I've got some regular water if we need to 'make' more holy water." Chiming in with Durgan, "Yeah, thanks Spivey, you're the most helpful fey I've ever met. Most Faries just want to joke and play games."
"Yes, but I'm no fey. Worshipping Desna is serious stuff!" she giggles a little however, belying her statement.
Having witnessed the power of Desna, the party feels somewhat refreshed and renewed. Healed yes, but something more...
The party closes with the castle. You pass more dilapidated and crumbling structures. You see, on the northwestern shore, the rotting carcass of a sea drake, half submerged in the water. Flies and other insects buzz angrily over the corpse as they feed and lay their eggs.
You head along the westerly path however, turning north to the castle. You make your way through the trees until the castle is in sight. Pierced by arrow slits anyone who may be inside will get a ready view of you as you close. You can see, even from a distance, the gates are iron bars, and somewhat rusted.
How do you want to approach the fortress?
Mukluk waits to see how he might guide the party into the Castle. He waits patiently.
Mukluk readies to follow Rory and does so when it seems safe. He will Rory space to do his thing, but also look for ways to safely move up.
Durgan remains a ways back, waiting for Rory to return from his scouting mission.
Storm charges ahead gladly, with Rory hanging on as they close with the gates. The gates are comprised of iron bars, so Rory can see within the gatehouse once he gets close - though it’s dark in there.
This stone structure has a floor of packed dirt and numerous wooden support beams for the stone ceiling above. Two rusted iron gates allow access through the gatehouse, while to the north, a pair of wooden ladders climb to the roof above (‘C’ on the map).
He also sees two dire corbies within. One sleeping in a makeshift nest, and the other playing solitaire at a table. These hideous creatures look like muscular humanoids with ravenlike heads and covered with black feathers. They do not wear armor or wield weapons, for their thick muscles, talons, and sharp beaks are armor and weapons enough.
They do not immediately notice him, but may do so at any moment.
Dire corbies are subterranean predators that resemble humanoid crows with muscular arms and fearsome claws. Though they make their cliff-side homes on the walls of underground chasms, where they climb and leap with death-defying agility, they are most frequently encountered in the tunnels where they wait to ambush prey, leaping down from the ceiling to rend and tear.
Dire corbies are intelligent, but have little use for society outside of the rough, squabbling pecking order of their rookeries, where their social order is little better than that of the mundane birds they resemble. Along with the near-suicidal savagery with which they launch themselves into combat, dire corbies are known for their terrifying screeches, songs of doom capable of unsettling even experienced explorers.
- - -
New map up! You’re near the bottom in the middle.
Mukluk lumbers up to join Rory at the gates. He nods and understand the situation, and knows the gate must be opened.
Rory tries the door, and though it is unlocked, it doesn't budge either. However, the corbies don't look up as Mukluk joins him at the gate.
While Rory tries the door, Kisaiya pulls out a crowbar. ”Let me try.”
She pops the door open like a pickle jar.
But about twice as loudly.
Kisaiya pops the door wide open with a crash! The dire corbies look up, and screech!
The dire corbies launch themselves into action. The nester must get up first and so a double move closes to the gate, but the other flies in and attacks!
vs DC 20
It 'pounces' on Kisaiya from the air!
Though it does poorly.
Durgan casts Guidance on Kisaiya and moves next to Rory.
Round 1
Mukluk moves to attack the corby.
to hit;
piercing damage
[ dice=Trepanator]1d20+1[/dice] to hit;
[ dice=]1d6[/dice] cold iron piercing damage
[ dice=MuleBite]1d20+2[/dice] touch to hit;
[ dice=Divine]1d4[/dice] damage
[ dice=MuleKicks]1d20+2[/dice] touch to hit;
[ dice=Force]1d4[/dice] damage
AC: 12/12/10 + 1 w/shield
Fort/Ref/Will: +2/+3/+7
HP: 17/17
Focus: 0/3
Hero Points: 0/3
Speed: 20'
Luck? 0/1 used
Mule bites: 0/7 used
Kisaiya, shocked by how quickly the corby landed in her face, slashes out with Saya more as a reflex than anything.
HP: 31/31
AC: 21/12/19
Saves: F5/R3/W5
Hero Points: 2
Smite Evil Used: 0/1
Lay on Hands Used: 0/3
Second Chance
Spells/Effects Active: Shield Gauntlet Style, Guidance
[ dice]1d20+7[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+3[/dice] damage.
Mukluk falters a bit, smashing his trepanator into the wall of the keep. Rory takes a bit out of red before backing up to give some space. Kisaiya falters a bit, slashing at air as the corby dodges her blow. Durgan gives Kisaiya a little guidance and slides over.
Red presses Kisaiya, as does blue!
Kisaiya, though flurried with feathers and claw, is only hit once for a scratch.