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Seeing Gideon go back into the main house, Szemyan snaps his fingers. "Yeah, I'm with him. Before we bed down, let's go through the main building. There may be some proper food there, and we should make sure there are no more of those eggs." Szemyan follows Gideon into the house.
"I suppose we could lock this Svetlana up, but I see no reason to keep her alive. It's not really Sventala any more. For all we know she could use that slime she spewed to slip out of her bonds." "I would like to know how the worm-things pass from one host to another though. Is it just the eggs? Or is there some other way we need to be on guard for?"
.....was that an Alien reference?! :)
Szemyan stands a short distance away, his sword ready, in case whatever comes out is more than Lemnis can handle. "I saw a play once where the crew of a cargo ship found a shipwreck with a hold full of weird giant eggs. Something came out of one of the eggs and jumped on... well, let's just say it didn't end well. The navigator had to scuttle his own ship to survive." "So, uh... be careful."
"From what the thing said, it sounded like it was in the brain, not the neck. It may have come out the neck as it was an easier way out of the skull." Szemyan looks up at Mama Cas. "If you can honestly say you know how to remove one of those things, then go ahead. But experimenting could get us all killed."
"And we have to make sure she doesn't explode either," Szemyan says, frowning. "She's going to be worse than the other one. Maybe we should just kill her now."
Szemyan, who has already seen Gideon change more than once, nods. "So it's not just a disguise self spell? Or alter self? I can see how that ability would be useful..." "But what do you really look like?"
Szemyan stands for a moment, dumbfounded. He looks at the remains of Isen, and then at Karlak. "That was... quick thinking. I didn't think that would work." Szemyan shakes his head and chuckles. "I'm almost disappointed not to find out what would have happened if he had popped. But obviously it would have been bad, if the thing thought it would kill us." "Do you think that was the voice of the worm?"
Really? It's a go-to for most magic users I make, what with summons and all needing to share a common language to be commanded and so many demons on the list. But it's not like magi summon much... I hadn't planned to go the summoning route. Magi don't get summon monster spells. If I was going to summon things, I would think about it more. Most demons (at least in bestiary 1) can speak either common or draconic. I usually take Draconic if I know lots of languages because it covers a lot of ground.
BTW anyone else speak Abyssal? Some of you either don't have languages listed, or I can't find them in my lazy quick once-over of each sheet. Realized that I didn't pick bonus languages for my character's INT score. I think it's a little unlikely that he would have learned Abyssal though.
Szemyan blinks, looking at Isen's throat in confusion. "Could it be... a breath weapon? Get down!"
Szemyan tries to find some cover to duck behind, but he waits too long, and is caught out in the open.
Szemyan continues to watch Isen closely, waiting to see what will happen.
"Either he's choking on something or he's about to spew some more of that slimy glue. One way or another don't stand in front of his mouth." Szemyan thinks for a moment. "Maybe he's about to cough up that worm?"
"What about the... thing.. in Oleg's room. What is that?"
Szemyan sits down on the bench, and takes out his whetstone and begins sharpening his rapier. "You had better give him what he wants," Szemyan says, nodding towards Karlak. "He is not squeamish at all, and he can be quite creative. I imagine Oleg had a whole host of tools around here, and you would be amazed how a perfectly ordinary item can be used to deliver pain."
Out of earshot of Isen, Szemyan whispers to the others, "Oleg seems all right. Actually, maybe I'm imagining it, but he actually seems better than before. I don't like leaving him in the same room as that... thing... though."
"I still don't understand what this thing is, but somehow I think we should burn the bodies. There is also that... thing... in Oleg's room. We should destroy it." "Let's make sure Oleg is looked after too. Maybe he can tell us what happened if he recovers. Let's not put him in his old room though." Szemyan goes off to look in on Oleg, and prepares to bring him back to the bunkhouse.
"Did we want prisoners? I'd like to know what in the Nine Hells is going on, but I don't think I want her to open her mouth again."
Szemyan pulls out a chakram and flings it clumsily at "Svetlana."
Szemyan squirms, trying to get out of the sticky slime. "Get this stuff off of me!"
"Ack! What the devil is this stuff?"
Szemyan rushes forwards and puts his hands together. "Blješteće svjetlo!" A burst of colors comes out of his hands and washes over Svetlana and Isen.
When Szemyan sees the tentacles, his face blanches even paler than usual. "What in Tarterus is that thing?!"
"Ah, hell. That doesn't sound good." Szemyan puts Oleg down and runs towards the front of the house.
Inside: Szemyan's eyes go wide. He looks at Gideon, then at Oleg, and then back at Gideon.
"No wonder. The resemblance is perfect! It's an illusion, yes?" I have heard of the disguise self spell, but I didn't think it would be so... convincing. He looks at Gideon with a worried look. "But if you stay in Oleg's place, aren't you worried that whatever happened to him will now happen to you? And how long do you plan to keep up the charade? Won't the illusion wear off after a while?"
Inside the house: Szemyan whispers, "Are we taking him to the bunkhouse? There are blankets there. Should have brought one I guess."
He gets ready to lift Oleg. Then he thinks for a moment. "Wait... they're going to notice Oleg is gone. Why do we care about the blanket?"
Szemyan shrugs and follows behind Gideon.
"I can't say I've practiced being sneaky, but I am light on my feet."
"Well, we could bust in the door and rip off her mask, as long as we have a really really good apology prepared in advance, in case we are wrong." Szemyan thinks to himself. "But what if there is some pretext to enter the house otherwise? Like, if we thought the house was on fire? Is there any way to make smoke without setting the whole house ablaze?"
"A cocoon? Like for a giant spider maybe?" Szemyan shakes his head. "Why would you leave something like that in your house?" "Still, even so, what do we do about it? Kick in the door and accuse her of being a bandit? Or... a how about a vampire?"
Szemyan watches the strange creatures for a time. Wonder what those are? Some kind of animal? Hard to tell in the moonlight...
Then he turns away and continues his patrol, periodically turning back to where he saw the creatures, to make sure they aren't coming any closer. When the next person comes on duty, he mentions them. "Something strange over that way. A long ways off though; not worth waking everyone up for. Some kind of leaping animal with really long hind legs. Weird proportions."
Szemyan gets up on the wall-walk, and looks out over the surrounding landscape. He quickly becomes bored, and paces along the wall-walk around the outside of the compound, occasionally stopping in the towers.
"All right then. I'll be up on the wall if you need me." Szemyan leaves the bunkhouse and as the sun sets he climbs the ladder to the wall-walk.
"Well, I don't see how it is our business. We are only here for the one night and then we will move on. Do you think it has anything to do with our mission? "
Szemyan looks over the bunkhouse. "Yes, this will suffice. Thank you. I'll have a look at your wares a bit later on, thanks." Once Svetlana and Isen are gone, Szemyan turns to the others. "Do you suppose we should mount some sort of watch? There is a wall here for a reason, no doubt. We would have a good vantage point from one of the towers."
"The Kid" actually kind of works for Szemyan. "Szemy the Kid" ... if he was a gunslinger. :)
Szemyan shrugs. "The road has been long. I suppose spending the night would be in order. After all, it may be a while before we sleep in a bed again."
Szemyan frowns for a moment, when seeing the mask, but then smiles. Is the mask a precaution against this disease? "A pleasure, Svetlana. I am Szemyan." Szemyan gives a short bow. "We were recently chartered by the Swordlords to explore the Greenbelt, and it was recommended to us that we stop in and confer with Oleg, who would be a good source of information about what is happening in these parts. Perhaps you might help us in his stead?"
Szemyan looks around the compound. "It's a bit crude, isn't it? I could use a bath myself, but I'm not confident we will get one here."
Szemyan shrugs. "It may be hard to find a healer out here. Still, best not to get too close to a sick man. Hopefully this 'mistress' is not affected."
Szemyan looks at Gideon. "Oleg? Surely this is some varlet. Oleg would be the man in charge, would he not?" He turns to the man, and hands him a gold piece. "Here you go, my good man. Once you've notified the 'mistress,' see to the animals, will you?"
"Restov is not far from the frontier... I am sure there are a few outfitters here in town that can help us before we get underway. I already have a horse but I suppose I could get a few things before we set out." "This Oleg may be a good start. If he lives out there he may be able to tell us what is going on."
"Slime is common enough..." "I'm no expert either, but it is possible that the object we are looking for was merely coated in some kind of slime. Possibly a preservative, or lubricant, or natural by-product." "... What? Someone has to guide you" she said with a smile. Szemyan stands up, surprised. "You know where this thing is?"
Szemyan shrugs. The Baron Zolstoy is beneath his notice? Or is this just an act? My father always tells me I have to 'take things more seriously.' Perhaps this gravitas is to that end? "My father's over-protectiveness doesn't amuse me, I assure you. He thinks to 'keep me out of trouble' with his meddling. Did he ask you to include me in this expedition? Or to not include me?" Szemyan waves his hand dismissively. "Never mind. I'd rather not know. But if you truly ignored him you are doing me a favor." "So... let me be sure I understand. At some point in the past prior to two years ago, something from beyond this world that is slimy and about six inches wide arrived in that ball, and is now possibly somewhere in the greenbelt, assuming that the empty ball was not moved before your people found it. If we find this... thing from beyond, and recognize it for what it is, do we... what? Bring it back to you?"
Szemyan thinks to himself for a moment, and frowns.
"It sounds like you want us to investigate an area because... because nothing is happening there." "That sounds like one of my father's ideas. He didn't put you up to this, did he? I keep telling him I don't need his coddling." Szemyan sighs. "Yes, deny it if you must. I'll do your little errand for you. I was getting bored of Restov anyway."
"What?" said the pale man, looking as if he just woke up from a dream. He looks around, confused for a moment. "Oh, sorry. Hello." He scratches his head. "Is this the right place?"
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