Lam says, “Thank you,” and, not knowing what else to say in response to Tesfaye’s words, says, “…I am happy to help.”It’s meant in tone both as a “you’re welcome” and as Lam’s way of asserting that he is not just offering to be on ring duty in order to prove himself to his friends. Still, gratitude can be seen in Lam’s eyes as he takes the writing implements from his Tortle friend.
Lam settles himself into a sleeping position, near Hemlock and near anyone else who wanted to make sure that the business with the ring went ok. He is not sure he will be able to sleep. He is not sure if it’s a good idea to sleep when he could be awoken by a sinister, oily voice at any moment. As someone who never wears accessories of almost any kind, his attention is continually drawn to the way the ring feels on his finger. The unusual feeling combined with the knowledge of what this ring probably did leaves Lam feeling a little like those characters in the story Cyclence had told tonight. Gosh, what a night tonight was. Listening to the stories, and telling his own, had lifted some kind of weight in Lam he hadn’t realized was there. It is an incredible gift, to be able to connect in such ways in a community like that. Lam finds his mind replaying all the different stories, especially the ones from his friends. They would have to leave everyone else tomorrow, including Tesfaye, for probably a very long time. But at least he would stay with Saoirse and Hemlock and Sha wherever they went next.
Lam’s thoughts continue to wander, flowing more freely as he begins to doze off. He begins to toss and turn just a bit as his thoughts travel to the less happy memories from earlier in the day. He must be at least close to fully asleep before Vince’s voice penetrates his mind, but he sure isn’t asleep after that. “Scheiße!” He exclaims a not-so-nice word in Goblin and bolts upright, grabbing the ring and ripping it off his finger. He grabs the writing implements that had been right next to him and begins to write furiously. If anyone tries to talk or ask him anything before he is done writing, he grunts and tunes them out. His penmanship is terrible, and he does not spell every word correctly, but he does have every word written down before he forgets what had just been said. He shows the message to Hemlock and whichever of his friends is near. He says while Hemlock is reading, “This is bad, right?” He looks at the ring on the floor, which he had removed. He tried to intentionally not send anything back to Vince. He is not sure how it works, and is worried that Vince could be reading his mind now. He does not try to pick the ring back up.
Hemlock contemplates the message Lam has written down before nodding.
"The fact that Vince knows about a Crown in the valley is not good. The way he mentioned to follow up on stone refresh at least means he cannot use the stone to read thoughts though. It sounds like a conscious act to report back back, and it is limited like our own sending stone", he muses.
"Was it Vince's voice you heard? If only we could mimic Hermes' voice we could send a reply".
He looks down at the ring, "You were wise to take it off, but I think it is safe. We should check with Tesfaye first before wearing it again though. I have been thinking about whether Vince can track the ring, and I am aware of only one magical way to do that, but you have to be quite close. He certainly couldn't use that method from outside the valley. I am torn between whether to keep it, or throw it in the river", he admits.
"Was it Vince's voice you heard? If only we could mimic Hermes' voice we could send a reply".
- Saffi would have been able to do that - Saoirse sighs sadly - We could keep the ring, but ... to what end? It's unlikely Vince will send more messages once he doesn't get Hermes' reply. And now that he knows about the Crown, he's bound to send more of his people - doppels or not - to the Valley. So I'm afraid that whatever we do, we are going to run into him sooner or later. The way I see it, our only chance is to be quicker than him to reach the places where we think the Crown might be, and be the first to find it. Perhaps he doesn't know about Grave Fort, or Weretown and so forth yet.
She pauses for a moment, then asks:
- Anyway, what's the plan then? Sha's pond fist and then South to investigate what the HMC are doing and then Grave Fort?
"You are right, Saoirse. Often when something is confusing and you are unsure what to do, going with your first instinct is the right option", Hemlock replies to Saoirse. "Let's make sure the ring is far from us".
"As for what to do next, I would very much like to go to the Greatwood and see the Firbolgs there. It sounds like the Captain's people have crossed the river already, so finding out what they are doing, and if he is with them would be on the way, as would pond. Then yes, onwards to the Grave Fort".
Lam nods to confirm that it was Vince’s voice. He picks up the ring, but does not put it back on. “I agree. We should cross river, see Greatwood and what HMC is doing. Then Grave Fort.”He holds up the ring to his friends. “This should go in river.”
Other than your worries about things to come and about VInce, the night is peaceful and uneventful.
Cylence swings by early in the morning to send you off. "Godspeed, my friends. Know that I will also be working to protect the valley, and to destroy the artefact. If you do decide to cross the north bridge, the password for the guards is 'Jeremy was here.' It was set long before I came, and nobody knows what it means. So, naturally, it may be a clue of some importance."
Tesfaye wishes you all well on your journey in the morning, giving long, careful hugs. "I'll keep Fitzwhistle occupied, and I'll keep working on making stuff you all can use. Just take care of yourselves, OK? And let me know if you need backup. You know I'll come if you need me."They also find a moment to talk with Saoirse alone. "It's super cool that you have an interest in alchemy! It's never been my specialty, or my favorite part of artifice, but I did take an introductory course once! Basically, ingrediants in any alchemical solution impart the power that went into their creation. So for example, a fire-forged piece of steel could be mixed into an a solution to create a powerful burst of heat. Wood from a tree burst by lightning would have electrical alchemical potential. I spent some time last night, and made a few things for you - though nothing alchemical yet, you'll have to gather materials for yourself." Tesfaye gives Saoirse 5 arrows with hollow arrowheads that can be filled with solutions, and a mortar and pestle. "Do let me know what sort of things you come up with!"
The walk through the woods back to south bridge is uneventful, the forest still alive and unperturbed by the buiding threats to the valley's people. When you get there though, it is clear that many HMC wagons have crossed the bridge, and that the smokepowder you saw yesterday has been used. You can see from the southern shore of the bridge that a large explosion had been detonated near the middle of the bridge sometime in the last 24 hours.
“Okay great now what are we going to do? We need to get across I believe. I have rope but no grapple. I can mend but this is too much.” Sha-Gravis seems ready to try jumping the gap but, he is unsure of himself.
He touches Lam and Saoirse with vigilant blessing and guidance respectively.
If you actually get up to and begin to walk across the bridge, you see that the HMC has already patched over the damage of the explosion enough for wagons to cross over - crude wooden planks spanning the broken gapp in the ancient, beautiful bridge of high elven stonework. Near the edge of the blast site is a dead body that looks at first glance like a large panther, and beside that another corpse, even harder to identify.
Hemlock says his goodbyes to Cylence and Tesfaye, and even Fitzwhistle if he is around. He enjoys the walk through the woods, feeling at home amongst the trees and looking forward to meeting some of his own kind across the river.
When he approaches the bridge, he gets as close as possible without actually stepping on it. His eyes carefully scan for anyone that might be watching it before he turns his attention to the two bodies.
"Perhaps the guardians? I thought they were river spirits though?", he says to the others.
Saoirsetoo said goodbye to Cylenceand huged Tesfaye, thanking the Tortle for their advices and promising to share with them any alchemic findings she may come up with.
@polaris: instead of adding a mortar and pestle to Saoirse's inventory, I added a set of Alchemist's supplies (which by description contains mortar, pestle and a few other things) just because it seemed easier. But this item does have a costly price. So do let me know if this is not okay with you, and I'll replace it with custom items.
As they walk towards the bridge, she cannot help but share a thought that has been running through her mind. Though she asks this including Lamtoo, she looks specially towards Hemlock and Sha-Gravis:
- Guys, I'm a little worried about the mimics and the harpy egg. How are we going to care for them? The mimics for example: should we hunt critters to keep them fed? If we don't manage to make them eat any other thing and we do this, they will just die right? SAnd what about the egg, Sha? Are we ready to deal with it once it hatches?
Once they reach the bridge, she tries to examine the bodies too:
- Hm, I literally thought they would be, well, people. So I'm as confused as you, Hemlock. Let's check them and ... should we bury them? Or perhaps Sha's divine flames can help. Also, let's throw Hermes' ring away, yes?
Thinking of her conversation with Tesfaye, Saoirsewill also try to look for anything on the carts she might later use to craft anything alchemical. Perhaps a bit of gunpowder?
So, I'm bad at investigating. My preferred choice would be to offer help in investigating the bodies. If that cannot be done I will leave a roll just in case. Got a 4, lol.
Then, to try to find anything alchemically worthy, what should I roll? I'll leave a d20. Got a 15, which could be 15 (if it is an Investigation or Nature roll. Not sure). (EDIT: I think I'll add Sha's d4 because Guidance only lasts for a minute right? Got a 3)
Lam says his goodbye to Cyclence and hugs Tesfaye, as well.
Walking with his friends, Lam is mostly paying attention to their surroundings, making sure nothing catches them by surprise. Occasionally he glances at the additions to their group- the harpy egg in Sha’s arms, and Hemlock’s satchel containing ten juvenile mimics. They reach the bridge, and Lam’s attention goes to everything else- the blast site and the dead bodies.
When Saoirse brings up her concerns regarding the mimics and harpy egg, Lam nods. It is especially concerning if the mimics won’t eat the same kind of meat that he is willing to. At Hemlock’s curiosity and Saoirse’s suggestion, Lam walks over to the bodies and begins to investigate them.
Lam is mainly interested in seeing who these bodies were- anything that points to them being the river guardians, or identifies them in some other way. Also seeing if there is anything on them that paints a clearer picture of what happened here. Investigation is a 5. It’s a 14 if Saoirse can help.
"Nature is full of creatures that hunt to survive", Hemlock replies to concerns about the young mimics. "They are just following their...well...nature. I will try and train them, as other creatures can be trained. We will see what comes of my attempts".
(OOC: The mimics are most likely still in the satchel rather than following him)
Sha hears Saoirse’s concern and holds the egg a bit closer. “Perhaps my goddess will consider this creature as I partake in this evenings lunar event. I’m not ready yet to simply hand her over. I’m sorry Saoirse, I just can’t.” Sha-gravis goes to help check on the bodies and bridge.
As Sha hums it’s as if the soon to be hatchling hums along. He does not store the egg as he travels but carries it close now. He thinks to himself who would love a creature such as this, who would understand. Soon enough she will be free but for now…
Saoirsedoesn't look entirely convinced, but decides to trust her companions and will simply hope that everything turns out right. She'll join her friends investigating the bodies and doing everything else they need to do on the bridge area.
There is still half a barrel of smokepowder on this side of the bridge. The barrel is much to big to carry any long distance, and the smokepowder itself is a little dangerous to carry around - especially for a fire genasi - but you should be able to (carefully) take a small bagful of the stuff and stow it in your pack.
Two monsters were clearly killed in the explosion of the HMC's smokepowder, and as Hemlock looks a little closer, shifting some rubble, it becomse clear that these 'guardians' were very strange indeed. The large panther has two long tentacles stretching from the back of its head, thankfully limp on the ground. Saoirse recognizes immediately from her training as a displacer beast. What had looked like a pile of viscera beside it also becomes clear - the broken body of a spectator Both of these creatures are otherworldly, dangerous, and prideful, though already defeated. The spectator's body, lying on the stone rather than hovering as it normally would, its extra eyes blown off in the blast, twitches. Perhaps there is some life left in it?
It is clear why the HMC eventually decided not to engage them directly in battle. But why they would be guarding the bridge... not clear. The waters underneach the bridge are churning, angry, and Hemlock sees no boulders to cause the whitewater. There is a river spirit as well, and it is upset, but it is not interfering directly with the bridge or what happened on it. The mimics clink metallically in the satchel, though it is not immediately clear whether they are nervous or excited. (Roll animal handling, Hemlock).
Lam takes a moment on the bridge to drop the ring he had been carrying in the river, into the uncharacteristically churning waters. It feels bad to just throw something into nature like that, but he knows this is probably the best way to do it if Vince can track the ring.
Hemlock watches Lam prepare to throw the ring into the river, "Shall we put it onto a stick so it floats? Or leave it sink here and let the angry river spirit guard it?".
"These are strange creatures indeed", he states then looking closer at the bodies. "Do either of you recognise them?".
As the mimics start to chitter, he looks confused, "I am not certain if they smell the fresh blood or sense something dangerous", he confesses, completely stumped. "Perhaps I should let one out and see what it does?".
Saoirsepockets the smokepowder very carefully, and when she examines the bodies closely and recognizes what they are, her first instinct is to stand up very quickly and get away from them up to a safer distance. It takes her a few seconds to process that the displacer beast is dead and that the spectator, even if still alive, can't do much harm seeing that its appendages have been blown off. So she approaches the bodies again, and says:
- What in the Nine Hells? I was confused enough seeing a panther when I was expecting a humanoid guardian, but that - and she points the displacer beast - is not even a normal panther. It is a displacer beast, a very dangerous monstrosity. And that - and she points to what seemed to be a pile of viscera - is an spectator. Have you heard of beholders? Spectators are a lesser type of beholders. Lesser, but still very dangerous. They can bite, and each of their extra eyes can shoot very harmful magic attacks.
The blood hunter proceeds to enummearte the characteristics of the creatures they are seeing, and then adds:
- As you can see, they are very different in nature, but they do have one thing in common: they can be amazingly good at guarding vaults, or any kind of place they are commanded to protect. So, what are they guarding? Is it the bridge? Or is it something else? And who are they guarding it for? - she looks at Hemlock - We've heard about a firbolg community in the vicinity, but they don't sound like the kind of people who would employ monstrosities and aberrations to guard their land, don't you think?
She pauses for a moment:
- The spectator is yet alive. And I think it doesn't pose much threat as it is. Should we try to communicate with it and see if we can learn something about what they were guarding? Spectators are telepaths, but ... I'm not sure if any of us will be able to understand it, given the languages they usually know.
As the mimics start to chitter, he looks confused, "I am not certain if they smell the fresh blood or sense something dangerous", he confesses, completely stumped. "Perhaps I should let one out and see what it does?".
- Mmmm, we could try that, yes. But perhaps after we deal with the spectator first? It's barely alive, we shouldn't wait too much.
-So, what are they guarding? Is it the bridge? Or is it something else? And who are they guarding it for?
(OOC: @polaris: can Saoirse try to figure out if the creatures have been here all along, or if they came from somewhere else? As a way to try to figure out these questions that she's asked. I've rolled at advantage because of the Hunter's Bane: You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track fey aberrations, fiends, or undead, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about such creatures. The advantage would apply for the spectator, not for the displacer beast. Rolled Survival and got a 15and a 21. If it has to be a INT check, then it would be an 11and a 17).
Lam says, “Thank you,” and, not knowing what else to say in response to Tesfaye’s words, says, “…I am happy to help.” It’s meant in tone both as a “you’re welcome” and as Lam’s way of asserting that he is not just offering to be on ring duty in order to prove himself to his friends. Still, gratitude can be seen in Lam’s eyes as he takes the writing implements from his Tortle friend.
Lam settles himself into a sleeping position, near Hemlock and near anyone else who wanted to make sure that the business with the ring went ok. He is not sure he will be able to sleep. He is not sure if it’s a good idea to sleep when he could be awoken by a sinister, oily voice at any moment. As someone who never wears accessories of almost any kind, his attention is continually drawn to the way the ring feels on his finger. The unusual feeling combined with the knowledge of what this ring probably did leaves Lam feeling a little like those characters in the story Cyclence had told tonight. Gosh, what a night tonight was. Listening to the stories, and telling his own, had lifted some kind of weight in Lam he hadn’t realized was there. It is an incredible gift, to be able to connect in such ways in a community like that. Lam finds his mind replaying all the different stories, especially the ones from his friends. They would have to leave everyone else tomorrow, including Tesfaye, for probably a very long time. But at least he would stay with Saoirse and Hemlock and Sha wherever they went next.
Lam’s thoughts continue to wander, flowing more freely as he begins to doze off. He begins to toss and turn just a bit as his thoughts travel to the less happy memories from earlier in the day. He must be at least close to fully asleep before Vince’s voice penetrates his mind, but he sure isn’t asleep after that. “Scheiße!” He exclaims a not-so-nice word in Goblin and bolts upright, grabbing the ring and ripping it off his finger. He grabs the writing implements that had been right next to him and begins to write furiously. If anyone tries to talk or ask him anything before he is done writing, he grunts and tunes them out. His penmanship is terrible, and he does not spell every word correctly, but he does have every word written down before he forgets what had just been said. He shows the message to Hemlock and whichever of his friends is near. He says while Hemlock is reading, “This is bad, right?” He looks at the ring on the floor, which he had removed. He tried to intentionally not send anything back to Vince. He is not sure how it works, and is worried that Vince could be reading his mind now. He does not try to pick the ring back up.
Hemlock contemplates the message Lam has written down before nodding.
"The fact that Vince knows about a Crown in the valley is not good. The way he mentioned to follow up on stone refresh at least means he cannot use the stone to read thoughts though. It sounds like a conscious act to report back back, and it is limited like our own sending stone", he muses.
"Was it Vince's voice you heard? If only we could mimic Hermes' voice we could send a reply".
He looks down at the ring, "You were wise to take it off, but I think it is safe. We should check with Tesfaye first before wearing it again though. I have been thinking about whether Vince can track the ring, and I am aware of only one magical way to do that, but you have to be quite close. He certainly couldn't use that method from outside the valley. I am torn between whether to keep it, or throw it in the river", he admits.
- Saffi would have been able to do that - Saoirse sighs sadly - We could keep the ring, but ... to what end? It's unlikely Vince will send more messages once he doesn't get Hermes' reply. And now that he knows about the Crown, he's bound to send more of his people - doppels or not - to the Valley. So I'm afraid that whatever we do, we are going to run into him sooner or later. The way I see it, our only chance is to be quicker than him to reach the places where we think the Crown might be, and be the first to find it. Perhaps he doesn't know about Grave Fort, or Weretown and so forth yet.
She pauses for a moment, then asks:
- Anyway, what's the plan then? Sha's pond fist and then South to investigate what the HMC are doing and then Grave Fort?
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
"You are right, Saoirse. Often when something is confusing and you are unsure what to do, going with your first instinct is the right option", Hemlock replies to Saoirse. "Let's make sure the ring is far from us".
"As for what to do next, I would very much like to go to the Greatwood and see the Firbolgs there. It sounds like the Captain's people have crossed the river already, so finding out what they are doing, and if he is with them would be on the way, as would pond. Then yes, onwards to the Grave Fort".
Lam nods to confirm that it was Vince’s voice. He picks up the ring, but does not put it back on. “I agree. We should cross river, see Greatwood and what HMC is doing. Then Grave Fort.” He holds up the ring to his friends. “This should go in river.”
Other than your worries about things to come and about VInce, the night is peaceful and uneventful.
Cylence swings by early in the morning to send you off. "Godspeed, my friends. Know that I will also be working to protect the valley, and to destroy the artefact. If you do decide to cross the north bridge, the password for the guards is 'Jeremy was here.' It was set long before I came, and nobody knows what it means. So, naturally, it may be a clue of some importance."
Tesfaye wishes you all well on your journey in the morning, giving long, careful hugs. "I'll keep Fitzwhistle occupied, and I'll keep working on making stuff you all can use. Just take care of yourselves, OK? And let me know if you need backup. You know I'll come if you need me." They also find a moment to talk with Saoirse alone. "It's super cool that you have an interest in alchemy! It's never been my specialty, or my favorite part of artifice, but I did take an introductory course once! Basically, ingrediants in any alchemical solution impart the power that went into their creation. So for example, a fire-forged piece of steel could be mixed into an a solution to create a powerful burst of heat. Wood from a tree burst by lightning would have electrical alchemical potential. I spent some time last night, and made a few things for you - though nothing alchemical yet, you'll have to gather materials for yourself." Tesfaye gives Saoirse 5 arrows with hollow arrowheads that can be filled with solutions, and a mortar and pestle. "Do let me know what sort of things you come up with!"
The walk through the woods back to south bridge is uneventful, the forest still alive and unperturbed by the buiding threats to the valley's people. When you get there though, it is clear that many HMC wagons have crossed the bridge, and that the smokepowder you saw yesterday has been used. You can see from the southern shore of the bridge that a large explosion had been detonated near the middle of the bridge sometime in the last 24 hours.
DM: Heavy is the Head
“Okay great now what are we going to do? We need to get across I believe. I have rope but no grapple. I can mend but this is too much.” Sha-Gravis seems ready to try jumping the gap but, he is unsure of himself.
He touches Lam and Saoirse with vigilant blessing and guidance respectively.
he cradles his harpy egg
If you actually get up to and begin to walk across the bridge, you see that the HMC has already patched over the damage of the explosion enough for wagons to cross over - crude wooden planks spanning the broken gapp in the ancient, beautiful bridge of high elven stonework. Near the edge of the blast site is a dead body that looks at first glance like a large panther, and beside that another corpse, even harder to identify.
DM: Heavy is the Head
Hemlock says his goodbyes to Cylence and Tesfaye, and even Fitzwhistle if he is around. He enjoys the walk through the woods, feeling at home amongst the trees and looking forward to meeting some of his own kind across the river.
When he approaches the bridge, he gets as close as possible without actually stepping on it. His eyes carefully scan for anyone that might be watching it before he turns his attention to the two bodies.
"Perhaps the guardians? I thought they were river spirits though?", he says to the others.
Perception (with guidance): 13+6+3=22
Saoirse too said goodbye to Cylence and huged Tesfaye, thanking the Tortle for their advices and promising to share with them any alchemic findings she may come up with.
@polaris: instead of adding a mortar and pestle to Saoirse's inventory, I added a set of Alchemist's supplies (which by description contains mortar, pestle and a few other things) just because it seemed easier. But this item does have a costly price. So do let me know if this is not okay with you, and I'll replace it with custom items.
As they walk towards the bridge, she cannot help but share a thought that has been running through her mind. Though she asks this including Lam too, she looks specially towards Hemlock and Sha-Gravis:
- Guys, I'm a little worried about the mimics and the harpy egg. How are we going to care for them? The mimics for example: should we hunt critters to keep them fed? If we don't manage to make them eat any other thing and we do this, they will just die right? SAnd what about the egg, Sha? Are we ready to deal with it once it hatches?
Once they reach the bridge, she tries to examine the bodies too:
- Hm, I literally thought they would be, well, people. So I'm as confused as you, Hemlock. Let's check them and ... should we bury them? Or perhaps Sha's divine flames can help. Also, let's throw Hermes' ring away, yes?
Thinking of her conversation with Tesfaye, Saoirse will also try to look for anything on the carts she might later use to craft anything alchemical. Perhaps a bit of gunpowder?
So, I'm bad at investigating. My preferred choice would be to offer help in investigating the bodies. If that cannot be done I will leave a roll just in case. Got a 4, lol.
Then, to try to find anything alchemically worthy, what should I roll? I'll leave a d20. Got a 15, which could be 15 (if it is an Investigation or Nature roll. Not sure). (EDIT: I think I'll add Sha's d4 because Guidance only lasts for a minute right? Got a 3)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Lam says his goodbye to Cyclence and hugs Tesfaye, as well.
Walking with his friends, Lam is mostly paying attention to their surroundings, making sure nothing catches them by surprise. Occasionally he glances at the additions to their group- the harpy egg in Sha’s arms, and Hemlock’s satchel containing ten juvenile mimics. They reach the bridge, and Lam’s attention goes to everything else- the blast site and the dead bodies.
When Saoirse brings up her concerns regarding the mimics and harpy egg, Lam nods. It is especially concerning if the mimics won’t eat the same kind of meat that he is willing to. At Hemlock’s curiosity and Saoirse’s suggestion, Lam walks over to the bodies and begins to investigate them.
Lam is mainly interested in seeing who these bodies were- anything that points to them being the river guardians, or identifies them in some other way. Also seeing if there is anything on them that paints a clearer picture of what happened here. Investigation is a 5. It’s a 14 if Saoirse can help.
Previously
"Nature is full of creatures that hunt to survive", Hemlock replies to concerns about the young mimics. "They are just following their...well...nature. I will try and train them, as other creatures can be trained. We will see what comes of my attempts".
(OOC: The mimics are most likely still in the satchel rather than following him)
Sha hears Saoirse’s concern and holds the egg a bit closer. “Perhaps my goddess will consider this creature as I partake in this evenings lunar event. I’m not ready yet to simply hand her over. I’m sorry Saoirse, I just can’t.” Sha-gravis goes to help check on the bodies and bridge.
As Sha hums it’s as if the soon to be hatchling hums along. He does not store the egg as he travels but carries it close now. He thinks to himself who would love a creature such as this, who would understand. Soon enough she will be free but for now…
Saoirse doesn't look entirely convinced, but decides to trust her companions and will simply hope that everything turns out right. She'll join her friends investigating the bodies and doing everything else they need to do on the bridge area.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
There is still half a barrel of smokepowder on this side of the bridge. The barrel is much to big to carry any long distance, and the smokepowder itself is a little dangerous to carry around - especially for a fire genasi - but you should be able to (carefully) take a small bagful of the stuff and stow it in your pack.
Two monsters were clearly killed in the explosion of the HMC's smokepowder, and as Hemlock looks a little closer, shifting some rubble, it becomse clear that these 'guardians' were very strange indeed. The large panther has two long tentacles stretching from the back of its head, thankfully limp on the ground. Saoirse recognizes immediately from her training as a displacer beast. What had looked like a pile of viscera beside it also becomes clear - the broken body of a spectator Both of these creatures are otherworldly, dangerous, and prideful, though already defeated. The spectator's body, lying on the stone rather than hovering as it normally would, its extra eyes blown off in the blast, twitches. Perhaps there is some life left in it?
It is clear why the HMC eventually decided not to engage them directly in battle. But why they would be guarding the bridge... not clear. The waters underneach the bridge are churning, angry, and Hemlock sees no boulders to cause the whitewater. There is a river spirit as well, and it is upset, but it is not interfering directly with the bridge or what happened on it. The mimics clink metallically in the satchel, though it is not immediately clear whether they are nervous or excited. (Roll animal handling, Hemlock).
DM: Heavy is the Head
Hemlock
Animal Handling:1+6=7
Lam takes a moment on the bridge to drop the ring he had been carrying in the river, into the uncharacteristically churning waters. It feels bad to just throw something into nature like that, but he knows this is probably the best way to do it if Vince can track the ring.
Hemlock watches Lam prepare to throw the ring into the river, "Shall we put it onto a stick so it floats? Or leave it sink here and let the angry river spirit guard it?".
"These are strange creatures indeed", he states then looking closer at the bodies. "Do either of you recognise them?".
As the mimics start to chitter, he looks confused, "I am not certain if they smell the fresh blood or sense something dangerous", he confesses, completely stumped. "Perhaps I should let one out and see what it does?".
Saoirse pockets the smokepowder very carefully, and when she examines the bodies closely and recognizes what they are, her first instinct is to stand up very quickly and get away from them up to a safer distance. It takes her a few seconds to process that the displacer beast is dead and that the spectator, even if still alive, can't do much harm seeing that its appendages have been blown off. So she approaches the bodies again, and says:
- What in the Nine Hells? I was confused enough seeing a panther when I was expecting a humanoid guardian, but that - and she points the displacer beast - is not even a normal panther. It is a displacer beast, a very dangerous monstrosity. And that - and she points to what seemed to be a pile of viscera - is an spectator. Have you heard of beholders? Spectators are a lesser type of beholders. Lesser, but still very dangerous. They can bite, and each of their extra eyes can shoot very harmful magic attacks.
The blood hunter proceeds to enummearte the characteristics of the creatures they are seeing, and then adds:
- As you can see, they are very different in nature, but they do have one thing in common: they can be amazingly good at guarding vaults, or any kind of place they are commanded to protect. So, what are they guarding? Is it the bridge? Or is it something else? And who are they guarding it for? - she looks at Hemlock - We've heard about a firbolg community in the vicinity, but they don't sound like the kind of people who would employ monstrosities and aberrations to guard their land, don't you think?
She pauses for a moment:
- The spectator is yet alive. And I think it doesn't pose much threat as it is. Should we try to communicate with it and see if we can learn something about what they were guarding? Spectators are telepaths, but ... I'm not sure if any of us will be able to understand it, given the languages they usually know.
- Mmmm, we could try that, yes. But perhaps after we deal with the spectator first? It's barely alive, we shouldn't wait too much.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
(OOC: @polaris: can Saoirse try to figure out if the creatures have been here all along, or if they came from somewhere else? As a way to try to figure out these questions that she's asked. I've rolled at advantage because of the Hunter's Bane: You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track
feyaberrations, fiends, or undead, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about such creatures. The advantage would apply for the spectator, not for the displacer beast. Rolled Survival and got a 15 and a 21. If it has to be a INT check, then it would be an 11 and a 17).Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra