"We could always send Ja to scout, he can fly up high so he isn't in much danger..."
Your call, but let me know, I'd like to keep this moving. Or I could just ambush you again :)
"Let's stick together, I don't want to be alone with those beasts."
Nodding, Ash looks to each of his companions. "Alright, we keep moving, agreed?" Meant as f a statement ore than a question, the young man draws his bow, nocks an arrow, and takes the lead.
"Hey, Raj," he whispers, "Keep an eye out, okay, buddy?"
Ja perception
Crisk perception
The party heads off again into the tall grass, moving carefully, and paying close attention to their surroundings. About 1/2 hour later, Crisk senses Ja's alarm, but only barely registers it before hearing the "whoop whoop" of a thrown object. The whole party reflexively looks up, as a single torch comes flying overhead. Words of power are spoken in the grass, and the torch bursts into a blinding shower of sparks!!!!
If you failed the save, you are blinded for rounds :(
Feel free to make Spellcraft checks if you like.
to see if I know what happened with the sparks.
"Ahh, who turned out the lights!"
1d20+11 to see if I know what happened with the sparks.
Dram ducks and tries to peer around.
Ash tries to find a target:
Dram sees several medium creatures moving in fast from both sides of the trail. they may be Naga, but their upper bodies and heads are covered in loose strips of fabric, bark, and leaves, making them difficult to see. What is not difficult to discern is the wicked barbed points on the spears they carry over their shoulders, ready to fling!!!
A Booming voice comes from around a bend in the trail.
"Intruders!!! Why are you here?!?! Tell us true or your blood will coat the earth where you stand!!"
"We are searching for a group of bandits we heard about in the area. We apologize for tresspassing."
"Who is there? What is going on? I can't see anything."
As Dram looks around, he realizes the party is surrounded by 10-12 armed Nagas. Ash, at the head of the party, sees 3 more advancing down the path, 2 spear men and a tall, black haired Naga whose hands dance with arcane fire.
The tall one speaks "There are no bandits in THESE marshes pink skin, just monkey demons. Again, tell me why you are here? These lands are sacred to us, and outsiders may not travel them lightly. Your accent marks you as a Southerner, why are you so far from home?"
As she rotates trying to place the direction to which the approaching creatures are at, "We are just passing through to Lugh. We chose this route after talking to the Naga, Rana. Can you help us through this place?"
The tall Naga looks puzzled. "Rana I know, and the village you approach is Lugh little one. Are you all part of the mercenary band that landed in Yaghilla yesterday?"
"Yes we are, we are trying to bring relief to the area."
"Then I shall bring you to the headman, Mahuman. He will have many questions for you. I ask that you keep your weapons sheathed as long as you are in the village, you have my word no harm will come to you from our people. My name is Jashdeep, and you are now under my protection, as long as you are who you say you are."
With that, the tall Naga turns and leads you down the trails. Several times he takes side trails and switchbacks that seem to go the opposite way, only to explain how he has just side stepped more quicksand, or a nest of vipers. After a brief walk, you come to the edge of a large clearing, in which are several dozen reed walled and thatched huts on stilted platforms. Chickens and naga younglings scratch and squawk in the dirt and dust, and some elderly Naga lay out in the sun, warming their bones. Very few adults are evident as Jashdeep leads you to the largest hut. Also missing is the obvious damage that Yaghilla had sustained from the raiders. No burnt thatch, no one recuperating from injury.
"This is Mahuman's dwelling. He is out inspecting the mines, but should return shortly. Please, rest and lay down your burden, I will have food and drink brought to you."
"Thank you for your hospitality." Dram starts to make himself comfortable.
"Thank you, you have been most kind." Crisk goes to sit next to his brother.
A wooden platter of roasted guinea pigs, chicken steamed in banana leaves, coconut rice, and a cucumber salsa spiked with rice vinegar is laid before you all. Jashdeep curls his long tail under, and settles down with the group. "Tell me, did you encounter the monkey demons along your route? They have been more aggressive of late, but aren't terribly dangerous."
"We did, and I am afraid to say there are a few less along the route now."
"This food looks delicious Jashdeep! I have so many questions, I love meeting new people. So you know about the attacks on Yaghilla? It seems your village was spared. What do you know of the force that did the attacks? What does your village mine?", then she takes a portion of chicken and and mutters beneath her breath, "chicken, good."
Jashdeep looks at Dram "Well, they appear to have learned another valuable lesson then- Leave the southlanders alone. They are annoying neighbors, but seem to keep the other marsh monsters out of our area, so we are appreciative, though not friendly."
He then shifts his gaze to Vykral. "We have been anything but spared little one, but the raiders do not come to burn and pillage as in Yaghilla, they come to raid the mines. Only at night, most often under cover of clouds or the new moon. They try to slip upstream quietly, and other than the stones seem to want to ignore us. We have of late been given orders by Pacha Bosh to defend the mines more aggressively, which has led to our first fatality. They seem to steal both the amethysts and the ob..."
"That's enough!!!!" A harsh voice cuts across the convivial setting. Startled, Jashdeep rears to his full height, then sinks slowly into a subservient half-bow. The source of the voice, a Naga in late middle age, with flecks of grey touching his hair and scales, emerges from the jungle behind the hut. He wears numerous necklaces of bones and rough cut amethyst set in sea shells and gold. Several other Naga trail him, armed with bronze headed spears and ponchos reinforced with bones and stone flakes. "Jashdeep!! WHo are these outsiders?! And why are they in the village?! Who gave you authority to offer them hospitality?! Explain yourself!!!"
Jashdeep tries to explain the story of the parties arrival, but is obviously nervous, cowed by the elder Naga's authority. He glances at the party, as though asking for assistance.
"We are part of a mercanary band who has been sent to look for the raiders. Jashdeep was just telling us that they have been a problem for you all as well. We would like to rid you of them if you wish. We ask nothing in return, since we are already being paid to do it. Any information you can offer will help us all."
diplomacy
Ash remains unusually quiet throughout the initial confrontation with the naga, the trip to their village, and their brief time as guests. It's not lost on him that these naga are a good bit different in how they converse & interact, and don't appear nearly as submissive as the others they met in Yaghilla.
When the older naga appears with his entourage and chastises Jashdeep, Ash stands up, holding Raj, and ignoring the weapons which he has discarded nearby. "It's true," he says with a bow, "as my friend says, we are part of a mercenary force. We are an forward scout team, and we can help you, and hope you can help us as well."
The elder Naga's eye sweep over the party, rife with contempt. "Mercenaries? Half raider yourselves, if the stories we hear are true. How many of you are there? Has Pacha Bosh given you leave to enter these lands?"
He approaches to within an arms breadth of Jashdeep and begins speaking in Naga, a language filled with hisses and low grinding noises. (If you speak Naga, make a Perception check to follow along).
After a minute or two of mostly one-way conversation, The elder Naga Mahuman turns his attention back to the party. "Jashdeep has offered you hospitality, and I have no right to rescind that, but your safety remains tethered to your peaceable intentions. You are NOT raiders, you do not share their smell, and so you may stay. Again I ask, how many in your company? Who leads it? Where is the rest of your band? And what assistance can you be to us, who have faced these raiders, and know them to be demons, not mortals?"
@ DM Ender
@ Crisk
@ Vykral
@ Dram
At this point, Hoke, the Quartermaster, speaks up. "We're from Aldur's Company, a fine and a true Company, no raiders we. 200 souls set sail, and 190 we landed yesterday in Yaghilla. We're here to arrange quarters and supplies for the bulk of the company as it marches through tomorrow, and for a detachment that will shelter here for as long as we are around."
** spoiler omitted **
Mahuman nods to Hoke, and then speaks "Well then, if you are to face these raiders, it would be best if you knew something about them. Come with me."
He slithers towards the only solid wood building in the village Image linky, a many peaked temple.
"Inside lies Sugit,a warrior of the tribe. He was found this morning, as you will see him, with no wounds, but icy cold to the touch. What kind of demon does this? They come only at night, when the moon is new, and mists follow them where ever they go."
He guides you across the outer porch/walkway and into the gloomy recesses of the temple. A heavy, cloying miasma of incense weighs down the stuffy building, as the floor boards creak under foot. Numerous carved and gilded wooden pillars hold up the high ceiling, which arches gently overhead. A tall gilded statue of a naga, arm outstretched and holding and oil lamp, dominates the far wall, and the lamp provides the only illumination in the room. Amethysts dot the statue, in the eyes, and as ornaments. On a raised bier, covered in red silk, lies the body of a young male Naga, tall and strong, and seemingly unharmed.
"Well I know when I am out of my league, Crisk you want to check out the body?"
"Odd, so he is dead but you can't figure out how?"
"Sadly, our chief sage recently passed without having fully trained his acolytes. Any insight you can offer would be most helpful. Other warriors have fallen to sword or spear, but he is the first to be left whole like this."
Vykral
"Mahuman is it permissable to touch your dead so that I may examine him better?"
Nature to see if I know of anything that may have killed without wounds.
Heal check to see if I notice anything unnatural on the anatomy that would be a point of death.
Spellcraft to see if I sense any spell residue
@ Crysk
"Mahuman I am by no means an expert but I do have some experiences that lead me to believe this is the work of revenants... Undead that walk the earth. I can see some ares where the body was struck by a blunt object so brutally that it caused immediate death."
Ash ponders the cold body, new moons and mists while he absent-mindedly pets Raj. "Could it have been some sort of spell?" he asks no one in particular.
"I didn't detect any spell residue around the body, and I'm not aware of any spells that could do such damage. Something hit him so hard and fast it killed him instantly."
(que Axl Rose)[/ooc]
Rofl....
Mahuman reacts with shock to this news. "Revenants? No, these creatures are intelligent, and use weapons and magic. They are not the mindless zombies that arise when the burial rites are not followed. Why would the unquiet dead want our amethysts? And what will your Captain do about them?"
"My suggestion to my superior will be to wipe out the creatures. That is assuming you want an army in your lands"
"Odd, so he is dead but you can't figure out how?"
"Ahh, his hand just ... just moved." she said with a start.
Crisk backs away as Vykral exclaims.
Sugit's body begins to writhe, his tail thrashing about as he rises from the slab. He opens his eyes, but they are the pale grey orbs of the dead. NO breath passes his lips, nor does color return to his flesh, but rather the palid grey of the grave clings to his form. His eyes pass over the group, lingering briefly on Mahuman, as if recognizing the face form his previous life. But then a change comes over him, his features hardening into feral angles, as he sets his sights on the nearest warm blooded creature. Vykral feels his gaze, and recognizes it as the hunger of the undead for living flesh....