Yoshi's notes

2/25/2005

17th year of the reign of King Kevin.

Twenty-fourth day of "July". Morning.

Weather is humid/muggy.

Characters

Carric Dendreu - Male Aasimar Druid 2 (with eagle Tan-kurun)

Caelesti - Female Feytouched Rogue 1/Sorceress 1

Lady Lyonessey "Nessey" Lavena Rowana - Female Aasimar Aristocrat 1/Swashbuckler 1

Yoshi - Male Human Monk 3

Log

We decide that early in the morning, we will go back to Bran's settlement. We set watches.

[July 25] We get through the night unmolested.

We argue about whether to return to the settlement to find a druid. Caelesti and Bran encourage us to proceed to rescue his children. "I'm ready! I have my cudgel!"

We finally decide to proceed down the path.

Carric follows the tracks. They veer down to the river, where they become soggy and easier to follow. We are into the marsh.

The sun is rising in the sky. It will be noon soon. Just around noon, we're essentially surrounded by open water. It's time to pray anyway.

Caelesti removes her footwear and walks in the marsh.

After Carric learns his spells and cures himself and Yoshi, Yoshi and he notice some bubbles under the water.

"Caelesti! Get out of the water!" She does.

Initiatives: 22 Carric, 19 Bran, 14 Yoshi, 12 Nessey, 11 Tan-kurun, 5 Caelesti.

Round 1: Carric points out the bubbles he sees and draws his sling. A lizard man with a long spear comes out of the water behind Nessey. Another lizard man with a javelin and net comes out of the water next to Caelesti. Bran draws his cudgel. Yoshi speaks, "We have come to recover the children that were taken." He Readies a strike if attacked. Carric translates into Sylvan. A third lizard man comes out with a club with a stone embedded in the end. A fourth lizard man also wielding a club comes out right next to Nessey. One says, in Draconic, "Humans, you are encroaching in our lands; you must go back". Nessey replies, "Give us the human children and we will leave you alone!". Carric says, "What did they say? What did you say?" Caelesti moves around to get onto land. Bran says, "Get 'em! Get 'em!"

Round 2: Carric says, "These may not be the lizard men who took the children. Ask them about the children." He puts away his sling. "Instead of demanding the children, ask him if he knows who took the children." Lizard man 1 delays. Lizard man 2 says, "Children? We don't have any children. We didn't take any human children. Why are you blaming us?" Carric gestures to the tracks.. Bran takes a 5' step and takes a wallop with his cudgel. Carric yells, "Bran! Stop!" The cudgel misses wildly. Yoshi approaches Bran to tackle/trip him, "Bran, we must speak with them first!"Ê Nessey, "Well, Mr. lizard man, this man's children were stolen he thinks by lizard men and we just want to get the children back!" Carric has been pointing at the tracks. "Well, I'm sure that my tribe did not take your children. But I wonder..." Nessey has persuaded them to be "indifferent." "What's it worth to you?"

Carric pulls out 20 GP. "Give him these." The leader puts them in his pouch. "I'll take you to our Shaman." Carric says, "Why don't you thank him?"

Carric says, "Bran, these lizard men do not appear to be the ones who stole your children. You must not just attack." Nessey explains to the lizard man leader.

The leader now says, "Well, you come with us." We go. "Are you going to swim with us or are we going to try to stay near these islands." We ask him to stay near the islands.

Yoshi apologizes to Bran.

They lead us for about an hour, mostly through fairly shallow dry-ish areas. We approach a settlement of muck and crude mud and reed buildings. The lizard man goes over to the larges of the mud huts and enters. We follow.Ê The shaman is there with his regalia of Supreme Leadership surrounded by two burly lizard men with better weapons.

The escort talks to the shaman. The shaman, S'surak, says something to Carric in Druidic.

"So, there were four of our people who supposedly took these children. Well, I wonder... I wonder... This could be the followers of that abomination. Tell you what. We could possibly have similar interest here. We - my tribe - do not prey upon humans. We do not go and snatch humans. But there is a small group that broke away from this tribe when the Abomination arrived, and who knows what they are doing? They could be subverted from our true ways, our ancient ways."

Nessey says, "Can you tell us more about this abomination?"

"Yes I can. He's like a lizard-folk, but he has tentacles hanging from his face, and we have not dared to confront him... We can lead you there, certainly."

"Does he have any special abilities we should know about?"

"Yes, oh yes. Those who have approached have not come back, and sometimes we have found their bodies later with holes in their empty heads."

"I will send Gromlick - he is my lieutenant - to lead you to where we believe the band that follows the abomination is. He will help you."

Carric asks if he can have a brief conversation. The shaman gestures him forth. Nessey says, as Carric goes forth, "Please ask him to cure us a bit." Carric tells the shaman more about what he knows. "Do you know how long this Abomination has been in this area? When did he show up?"

"About a month ago. He has four followers."

"Let us go forth!" Yoshi says.

Carric says, "Assuming we survive, we will return."

Gromlick, a fighter with a longsword and a heavy shield, leads us out of the village in a different direction from which we came. We're going more-or-less east from this point (the path had been mostly south). After about an hour, he stops and hisses in Draconic, "Right around that grove of trees is where we think the Abomination and followers are."

Yoshi signals to the others and moves forth silently. Yoshi gets to the edge of the copse of trees and sees a sturdier-looking mud building, with a stone foundation. Off to one side is a smaller hut, almost a cage, with what looks like a couple small humans. At the closed door of that cage is a lizard man. A the door to the larger building is another lizard man. Yoshi goes back. He explains what he saw, mollifying Bran.

Caelesti suggests she try to put the guards to sleep and rescue the children. Nesssey wonders if we could block the door. Gromlick reminds us that we are here to help defeat the Abomination.

Caelesti wants to know whether Gromlick particularly wants to bring the other lizard men back alive. "No. Not particularly. We wouldn't trust them anyway."

We strategize about how Caelesti might approach without being detected. We can't think of anything special, so Caelesti moves forwards quietly and trying to remain hidden with Yoshi behind.

Initiatives: 19 Caelesti, 12 Tan-kurun, 11 Yoshi, 8 Bran, 6 Nessey, 5 Carric, 3 Gromlick.

Round 1: Caelesti takes her 5' step and casts her spell. The both fall asleep. Yoshi moves forwards at half-speed.

Round 2: Yoshi calls out, "They're asleep! Come forth!" Caelesti runs forth to where the kids are, drawing her dagger, and starts cutting the ropes, which will take a number of rounds. The door of the hut opens, and a lizard man comes out and stands next to Caelesti. Yoshi moves next to the lizard man and strikes with non-lethal damage. He misses. The abomination is next. He delays. Bran comes forth. Nessey comes forth drawing her rapier. Carric comes forth drawing his scimitar. Another lizard man steps out and strikes Yoshi, hitting for 6 points. The abomination now comes out and attacks with a mind blast against Nessey, Carric, and Bran, who all save. We hear in our heads, "You just think you're safe. I will eat your brain!" Gromlick comes forth.

Round 3: Yoshi says, "Caelesti, stop what you're doing and help!" Caelesti backs up 5 feet and casts sleep on the lizard man in front of her. Yoshi falls asleep. Lizard man 1 takes a 5-foot step and attacks Caelesti, missing. Bran comes forward to try to rescue his children. Nessey walks forth to wake Yoshi. Carric steps forwards and misses the Abomination. Lizard man 2 steps forwards 5 feet and swings at Nessey, hitting for 4 points. The Abomination attacks Carric with four tentacles. One hits for 3 points of damage, which does not succeed in latching on. The second tentacle hits for 2 points, which does not latch on. The third tentacle hits for 2 points, which latches on. The fourth tentacle misses. Gromlick comes forth and attacks, and misses.

Round 4: Caelesti takes a 5' step to flank a lizard man. She attacks, missing. Yoshi stands, and strikes the lizard man next to him with a stunning fist attack. He hits for 4 points of non-lethal damage, and stuns. Nessey moves forth to strike the Abomination, hitting for 4 points of damage. Carric breaks free of the grapple, and steps back 5'. The Abomination turns his sights on Nessey. One of the tentacles strikes her for 4 points, which does not latch. "Your brain will be mine. I can taste it from here. It will be mine. Surrender!" Gromlick strikes, missing.

Round 5: Caelesti attacks, hitting for 11 points. Caelesti's opponent falls. Yoshi hits with a flurry of blows for 8 points of non-lethal damage. His opponent falls. Yoshi takes a 5' step, attacking the Abomination, and hitting for 3 points of non-lethal damage. Nessey attacks the Abomination, hitting for a critical hit, for 7 points of damage. It falls, disabled. Gromlick steps forth and kills him.

Gromlick walks around and kills the rest. Nessey says she'd like to remove the brain of the Abomination to eat it for breakfast!