You see a group of three huddled human figures. Each man on the sides are holding up the guy in the middle who is covered over with a cloak. They seem to be struggling bringing him forward as one leans against a tree for added support. They look pretty normal enough. One is dragging behind him a backpack that seems to be overflowing with stuff.
"Sweet! Thank you so much!" A low pitched voice answers. From afar you see them wave at you before putting their hand down and reforming the huddled mass. You hear some low grunting and murmurs.
"Come on! Get up, we're almost there." "I'm trying! He's just so heavy!"
The trio fumble forth. From out of the ramshackle woods comes this group of harrowed adventurers. The are coming from the the direction of Drakkenheim. Its still a long ways out, probably miles and about a day no doubt by walking. "We lost our horse halfway through."Confesses the one who first hollered at you earlier. His breathe is shaky and he takes a deep inhale. He rolls his neck and stretches. "Mind if we crash here for a bit? I'm Ludwig, by the way. Of the von Graff noble house." He reaches out to shake your hand, but his other arm is still upholstering his friend whose head seems to have leaned on his shoulder. Ludwig gently pushes him off. The dazed man looks up drearily with his eyes cloudy and slowly blinks but doesn't respond. Your horses nearby shuffle a little farther from your campsite and quietly eat the grass there.
"Sorry. Rik, Rikard, our buddy here." The other man chimes in and positions the dazed one's hand up in a little wave. The dazed one gives off a little huff, but otherwise lets himself be piloted. "He's just been so out of it lately. He okay though! Just... must've gotten pneumonia or something back there. I'm Endra... of no noble house."He adds in, helping to straighten up the other guy's back up. He looks up at the sky. "Yikes looks like it's gonna be a thunderstorm again. Let me check the weather again. Hold up." He casts Druidcraft and a small dark cumulus nimbus appears in his free hand and small bolt of lightning jumps out of it. "Whoa! Yep. Another soaker."
"You know you can just tell that it's going to rain by the birds flying low. No need to waste another spell on it."Huffs Ludwig, taking the weight off Endra's shoulders by resting Rikard down on one of the logs of the campsite, this one right beside a tree. Rikard sighs and leans his head on the bark of the dried tree. You can see fro this angle, even with the mismatched hood on his head and the tarp covering his body, that his features are all sunken in. His skin is pale even for a man of his skin tone.
Endra side-eyes his friend, "You can't waste a spell like Druidcraft. It- it doesn't work that way."Ludwig crosses his arms and moves towards the center of the campfire where there's stew waiting. "Look whatever. Nevermind." Ludwig glares and turns his head. "Can I have some coleslaw?" But by now he is already taking it.
"Sure. Ya can haves some 'slaw." Eren responds dryly. For some reason they don't seem in the mood as they are fiddling with some wood they began carving.
"We just got back from Drakkenheim. Suppose you all are going there too yourselves now too, huh?"Endra asks, helping himself to a plate of horse stew and another which he attempts to feed his friend. "You're really better off without it. Not worth it trying to strike rich. Why are you all going?"
Heiboros's eyes are wide, his beak is slightly open. Flying full speed toward the dazed human, he lands in front of him. "How long has he been like this? Was it after staying in the purple smoke? Can you purge contamination? Did he touch any of the purple stones?" The entire time he is examining the human, looking for the signs of eldritch contamination.
Hadrian grabs the mace that still looks usable from the burned cart. As he rummages through the rest of the hodgepodge haul of random, eclectic items, he notices a piece of parchment tucked inside the pockets of a pair of damp clothes. Intrigued, he picks it up, furrowing his brow as he reads it through a couple of times, the odd lines echoing in his mind.
A pale man on a pale throne. Is it the monarch? The von Kessels? Or is it someone entirely different, perhaps not even a specific person at all, but Drakkenheim with its lost glory, the once-proud city now a shadow of its former self, withered and alone.
He tucks the parchment into his front pocket, deciding to think on it later. When they set up camp for the night, the smell of horse stew mingles with the crisp night air. The fire crackles and pops, casting flickering shadows across the campsite. Hadrian settles beside Ka-Cha, reaching into his pocket, he pulls out the parchment, the edges slightly crumpled from being carried around. “This mean anything to you?” He asks Ka-Cha, handing parchment to the Thri-Kreen. He watches curiously as the insectoid warrior’s multifaceted eyes reflect the firelight as he studies the parchment. “Found it on that bandit’s cart,” Hadrian explains. He taps a finger on the parchment, where the various detailed drawings of insects are scattered across the page. “Thought you might know more about the insects drawn here.”
As the three huddled figures come closer to the campsite, Hadrian rises from his spot, his fur coat drapes around his shoulders, casting long shadows in the flickering firelight as he stands up to his height. He takes Ludwig’s hand in a dry, firm handshake, giving it a bit of hard squeeze just enough to make Ludwig let out a little yelp - as a warning. “Hadrian.” He replies similarly with a dry smirk, “of no noble house.”
He eyes the third person they’ve been carrying. The sunken features, pale skin. A flicker of suspicion crosses Hadrian’s eyes, feeling there’s more to the story. He exchanges a glance with Eren, noting their unease as well. “Maybe you can answer our friend’s questions here first.” He makes a suggestion that’s not really a suggestion, as he watches Heiboro examines Rikard, questioning the trio.
The insects are of various kinds. The majority of them are types of bugs that swarm like midges and mayflies. They don't seem to have any obvious symbolism to them. Just a whole lot of bugs.
Endra nearly falls from off the log as the Heiboros comes flying close. Then casts glances over from Hadrian to back to Heiboros. "Um. Yes..." He shoots a quick look over at his partner who seems more focused on piling food on his plate than anything. "That's... um... why he's so tried... I, uh, purged him... real nice and good. Unless any of you want to have a go around. To, um, double check."His mouth twitches a bit as he looks around the campfire if anyone offered. He slowly chews on a sliver of roasted horse. "Yeah. He's just um, feeling the aftereffects."
The druid continues trying to spoon feed Rikard some mushed vegetables. They dribble off out of his mouth and onto his shirt, to which Endra goes to clean up with a handkerchief and cloth.
"He did touch one of those purple crystals- I mean- we all did. We were trying to mine them but then we had to get out. That haze. It was too choking. We couldn't." He notices Heiboros trying to examine the man further as he grips onto him closer and tightens the tarp around him more, which limits your further inspection.
"But I've heard! Once we'll out of the city, he'll be fine. That's what they said at least. And look he's getting better now! Right, Lud. Now look!" His tone gets a twinge more aggressive enough that the noble adventurer looks up. "Oh yeah. Yeah. He was so much paler yesterday. And he wasn't even sitting up earlier. Dude's looking better already."He gives quick thumbs up before going back to paying attention to his food.
"Ugh no. It's real awful there."He resumes,"I couldn't believe it. I don't know why I even bothered. You really got to have the stomach for making it in there. Ugh." He shudders.
"The worst part about the city! It's the rats..." Ludwig pipes up, still wringing his hand after Hadrian squeezed it so tight. "Saw one bite a woman's hand clean off!" Endra looks at him a bit surprised, "Another adventurer." He corrects. "Our friend."
"Yeah, but like, she was only our friend for like a week."The noble one scoffs, "Then she went gallivanting to who knows where off. Bet she found that inn and stayed there nice and cozy."
"With one hand?"
"Yes with one hand. Like a pirate! Argh!" Ludwig does the pointed hand thing. "With the delirium we found and she took. She's probably off making crazy amounts of coin by now."
Ednra sighs. "But, ah, yes... the rats." Endra nods at his own comment., "We were messing with them the other day. He did get bit. We all did." He winces. Then he pulls up his sleeve to reveal multiple bite marks and abnormally large rat scratches. "It's all good, though. I always bring some aloe." His gaze falls solemnly on his dazed friend.
"Might be rabies..." He suggests. As if that was any better.
"Whatever you've heard is a crackpot of lies. The spreading of the contamination slows when you're out of the city, it doesn't heal. The fact that he seems to be getting better is the fact that he's fully turning into a monster. And unless you have the ability to really purge his eldritch contamination, I suggest you seek a priest. It seems that he's pretty contaminated, but if you'll let me examine him, I might be able to help. If you don't, I might have to force your hand."
The depictions of insects are all ones you recognize. The most prominent is the one of the beetle. Looking closer you can see a sketch of the life cycle of the beetle starting from larvae to pupae to adult. This is all encircling a much larger drawing of the very same beetle, specifically of the Passandridae family, a type of parasitic beetle. Its body is thin and elongated. They are ectoparasites (meaning feed on them from the outside) and feed on the immature stages of other beetles.
"I-"Endra gulps and holds in his breath. He doesn't know what to say to that. Even Ludwig looks to be just as stunned. He puts down the plate he hasn't finished eating. The druid breaks the silence by shaking his head, "No. No that can't be. They said-"Though he eyes your purple robe, the colors of the Amethyst Academy. "Look if anything happens I- I could Speak with Animals. I can tame beasts."Talking about his friend as a beast leaves him with no reassurance. Rikard begins drooling, to which Endra now hesitantly cleans up.
"They said this wouldn't happen. He just wanted to see his family." Ludwig gets up and goes over to pat his friend. "Look, man. He might be a bit of a lost cause. If this guy can heal him. Let him help."
"But he said priest! There's no one here who's a priest!"His fists as shaking as he gets up. "They sure as hell won't give us anything. We can't pay them a single coin. What have the gods ever done for us, anyways? Got us into this mess that's what! Were they watching when the sky fell? Were they watching when my- when your family left you penniless? Wrote you out of the will. Huh? Were they laughing?" Ludwig stops right there in his tracks with that.
"Low blow..." Ludwig starts to back off. "He was just trying to help."He puts his hands up then gestures with his head. "Go. Let him see him."
"I- ... okay" Endra looks to Heiboros then at his dazed friend silently and steps aside.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Heiboros shakes his head with the wide eyes of someone exasperated. He opens the tarp surrounding the man, examining. Investigation: 11. Depending on thee level of contamination, he will begin doing the best to slow it until they reach emberwood village. Arcana: 5. Nat 1.
Tendilius is about to pipe u as Heiboros mentions no magic can purge contamination, thinking of purge contamination too before the trio's suspicious behavior clicks and he assume Heiboros is trying to get them to come clean about their false claims of having done so. Besides, he reasons, would've been impossible for them to have the delerium consumed by such a spell if the one-handed woman took their finds.
"Rats?" he says with interest. "When you say giant rats are we talking about your run-of-the-mill 'Oh no my basement is full of killer rats' rats? Or are we talking contaminated rats?" He pulls out his book and pen and chatters excitedly, "What did they look like? Eyes like a spider's? More legs? Oooh! Were their tails ten feet long and thick like a tongue? I've heard longer tongues are a common mutation!" He takes a glance over at the man as Heiboros examines him, eager to see the effects of contamination for himself.
Dabbert, having stepped into the woods for a moment, returns to the camp and stops just outside the ring of firelight as he sees what is unfolding. These three strangers have now joined them, and one of them appears to be in bad shape. He listens intently at the discussion happening, watches as his newfound friends try to help, but grimaces all the same. Finally he steps forward into the light of the fire.
"Where did uh...these folk come from?" He asks, having missed their arrival. "Why are they so close to us? That one..."
He points to the pale fellow...
"...is obviously sick. Even if he doesn't have the contamination, though I trust Heiboros's estimation...that could still be typhoid or cholera or any-damned-thing. You know what kills more soldiers than battle? Sickness coming into camp."
He is stern as he says this, but tries to be gentle with his words regardless. His eyes meet the Aarakocra's, then he scans the rest of the party. Juniper. Ka-Cha. Hadrian. Tendilius. Finally his eyes land on Eren's, and he tries to read her feelings on the matter.
"I think you lot should go." He says without further hesitation, though he looks sullen as he says it, like he's at least not proud to be an a$$hole. "Heiboros, if you want to help them, I won't argue. But the road is a dangerous place, and we've already had one bad experience. Sickness aside, we don't know these people."
His eyes land on Endra's, then Ludwig's.
"For what it is worth, I am sorry. This is just uh...business."
Having said his piece, and looking particularly ashamed of himself, Dabbert mutters to himself and steps away, picking up a heal of bread and moving away from the fire.
Sorry for the late reply, had a busy couple of days. Playing this like Dabbert was scouting the woods around them or something and walked up AFTER our new arrivals showed up.
((yeah VitusW referenced with purge contamination "too" so it meant Tendilius knew it as well.))
@Heiboros
Trying to look under the hood you see that Rikard is in such a bad shape. Not only is his face sunken in and sullen, but a few of his teeth are missing. His tongue is black and pimply. It looks to be just hanging on by just a thread. The fact that he looks fully aware you are examining him only makes Endra squirm. The druid bites his fingernails. The same can't be said for Rikard as it looks to be that he has none left. Just gently touching his right hand makes the last ones from his fingers fall off. There isn't even blood that follows. Just pus.
While attempting to siphon out the contamination, as much as you try, the man looks just as well as he did before. He is totally incapacitated.
The last thing that follows is that tarp. In fact, they have a second tarp specifically covering his left arm. It takes you a long while to open it, even with your talons. It is wrapped on real tight.
Endra holds in his breath. "No, um, not spider-legs. That would be pretty interesting though. Half spider-rat hybrids. The things the forces of nature could come up with! I could write a book. Oh! And no, not tongues either."
"It's always tongues." Eren mutters, continuously carving their stick.
"But yes! Horrid rats! Big, large, people-like ones! They were like yea big-"
"He tried to tame them."
"I tried to tame them-"
"-And they did not listen." Endra shoots a glare. Ludwig shakes his head, "Nope."
When Dabbert arrives to camp, the duo looked surprised. "We think it's rabies." Responds Endra in the stupidest way possible.
Both the noble and the druid scan his face, recognizing the authenticity. "But please we have no where to go! Town is like 12 miles that way! How can we walk it again?"
"We can take a horse?" Suggests Ludwig, who then raises an eyebrow at Eren, whom he guessed was the caravan leader.
Just then, one of the horses begins to sputter and kick with unrest. "Easy now."Eren slowly begins to get up. The warhorse's eyes as wild as they fling their mane in every direction. "No! Dave!" They call out. Yes, that is what they named this one. The horse whinnies and smacks into the other horses who startle awake with fright.
This is just then that you, Heiboros, finish opening up the tarp on Rikard's left arm. What lies there slithers and snakes up your talon. It is a tentacled limb. Suddenly Rikard pulls and pushes you off, coughing and rasping as he hits the floor. In a spasm, he somehow manages to spit up his tongue. The disregarded organ laying there in a spittle of saliva on the muddy ground. His body twitches and squirms and the tentacled limb is just as sporadic.
Suddenly, he stops. His body lays there limp beside the campfire.
"Rik?" Endra asks as he steps forward. "I think he's dead." says Ludwig in a hushed whisper.
The tentacle twinges. It lashes out and grabs Endra in a struggle. The druid's ankle is now being dragged towards the monster. Or... Rik, who is now, in fact, a tentacled dreg. Endra screams as he tries to step on it. But he continues to get dragged to no avail.
Juniper had been quietly tending the fire, content to listen to the conversation around her, as she'd done for many of their nights out on the road. She seemed to be in good spirits as they set up camp. A smile was set in place, and a soft tune was hummed as she went about preparing tents and meals for both traveller and their horses.
The jovial attitude dwindled with the appearance of the strangers, replaced with a wary caution- especially as she caught a better look at their sick companion. Spider-rats? Her brow furrowed with the description, unsure if such a beast actually existed. Nothing came to mind that matched [Nature: 4, Nat 1].
And even if she could believe such a creature existed, why the secretive, less than forward replies? [Insight:19] One arm folded over the other, the wand at her hip just within reach as her focus flicked to each of the strangers with a nervous, distrusting stare.
It diverted with a jerking nod towards Dabbert in agreement, just as Dave bucked and startled. The druid took a worried step back from the contaminated man, sure the horse had sensed something they'd not. She worked to sooth shaken nerves in a hold on her wand, just as the arm-turned-tentacle slithered free to grab at Endra. "Stars above-" She whispered in horror, eyes raked away from the macabre sight to her compatriots between she and it. Scared, to be sure, and unsure what exactly to do, but ready to follow their more experienced leads.
[Initiative 12, just in case] (And sorry for the late reply! Been a super busy few days ;w;)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Juniper Summers in Drakkenheim - Mind and Matter Delphine Bennett in TheDark Below Ilmrae Zolier in Dragon Heist - One Hell of a Summer Loralai Darkleaf in The Storm King's Thunder Eris Tourmaline in An Adventure in the Mountains Circe Somerset in Candlekeep Mysteries
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Full of horse dinner (as an obligate carnivore he picked the meat from the veggies in the stew), Ka-Cha cleaned and sharpened his weapons while the others talked to the newcomers. There was little news of "contamination" that reached Kreen Territory and Heiboros seemed to know what was going on, so the Kreen dispassionately watched and listened.
Ok. Spider-rats are diseased, don't eat them.
And now the guy has grown an attacking tentacle.
Initiative: 4
A chat-kcha is in his hand without thinking.
IF he's able to target ONLY the tentacle he attacks immediately, trying to sever it before it kills Endra
24 to hit damage 9 (kensai shot damage included)
If he cannot target the tentacle, he simply stands ready with his chat-kcha
He decides that unarmed strikes against this guy are a bad idea.
Tendilius jumps back for a moment when the tentacled dreg first makes its appearance before stepping forward. A shame what happened to the people's friends but THIS WAS SO COOL! He'd never seen contamination up front before and by whatever cosmic forces there were it was awesome! No drawing he'd ever seen matched the sheer intensity of the moment. Pulling out his wand he shouts, "Let's get this thing to stop moving. I absolutely must get a better look at it!"
Dab's eyes met Juniper's in that brief instance as he stepped back and away, before things took a turn for the worse. In that instance he felt better about his decision. He hadn't made it far before Endra screamed.
His shield slipped down from his shoulder, his spear came out to his hand as he moved, rushing to close the distance between him and the dreg before it could inflict some harm on the other new comer.
"Back up!" He shouts, mostly to those who have no business being close, and to the other newcomer. "Get back while you can!"
Turn Summary
Surprise round? Move to contact with tentacled dreg Rolling Initiative:10
The Aarakocra screeches as the tentacle wraps around his talons. Disengaging, he flies 15 feet into the air and converts two sorcery points to a second level spell slot.
More disgusted than shocked by the sight of Rikard’s transformed left arm as Heiboros undoes the tarp, Hadrian scrunches up his nose as takes in at the grotesque, slithering tentacles that writhe and snake from the limb. So that’s what the contamination does. He’d heard stories, seen the distant horrors, but he’d never witnessed one up close before.
But the scene rapidly descends into chaos as the tentacle twitches and lashes out, wrapping itself around Endra’s ankle with a vice-like grip. The druid’s terrified scream pierces the night air, and reacting instinctively, Hadrian draws his sword, closing in the distance in a heartbeat, swings the blade aiming to sever the tentacle that is dragging Endra.
Gonna post Tendilius' actions for the first round.
Acting quickly, Tendilius raises his wand with an incantation and sends forth a magic bolt at the tentacled dreg. The magical beam is thing and narrow, coiling around itself like a flame with a tiny dragon head at the tip as it arcs towards the dreg. After unleashing his arcane energy he steps back, getting distance between him and the aberration.
Heiboros has 120 foot darkvision because of eyes of the dark, what does he see?
[A paper drops out of a flash of light and drifts to the ground at your feet] -(extended sig)-
((Yep that's me! Hehehe ))
@Heiboros
You see a group of three huddled human figures. Each man on the sides are holding up the guy in the middle who is covered over with a cloak. They seem to be struggling bringing him forward as one leans against a tree for added support. They look pretty normal enough. One is dragging behind him a backpack that seems to be overflowing with stuff.
"Sweet! Thank you so much!" A low pitched voice answers. From afar you see them wave at you before putting their hand down and reforming the huddled mass. You hear some low grunting and murmurs.
"Come on! Get up, we're almost there." "I'm trying! He's just so heavy!"
The trio fumble forth. From out of the ramshackle woods comes this group of harrowed adventurers. The are coming from the the direction of Drakkenheim. Its still a long ways out, probably miles and about a day no doubt by walking. "We lost our horse halfway through." Confesses the one who first hollered at you earlier. His breathe is shaky and he takes a deep inhale. He rolls his neck and stretches. "Mind if we crash here for a bit? I'm Ludwig, by the way. Of the von Graff noble house." He reaches out to shake your hand, but his other arm is still upholstering his friend whose head seems to have leaned on his shoulder. Ludwig gently pushes him off. The dazed man looks up drearily with his eyes cloudy and slowly blinks but doesn't respond. Your horses nearby shuffle a little farther from your campsite and quietly eat the grass there.
"Sorry. Rik, Rikard, our buddy here." The other man chimes in and positions the dazed one's hand up in a little wave. The dazed one gives off a little huff, but otherwise lets himself be piloted. "He's just been so out of it lately. He okay though! Just... must've gotten pneumonia or something back there. I'm Endra... of no noble house." He adds in, helping to straighten up the other guy's back up. He looks up at the sky. "Yikes looks like it's gonna be a thunderstorm again. Let me check the weather again. Hold up." He casts Druidcraft and a small dark cumulus nimbus appears in his free hand and small bolt of lightning jumps out of it. "Whoa! Yep. Another soaker."
"You know you can just tell that it's going to rain by the birds flying low. No need to waste another spell on it." Huffs Ludwig, taking the weight off Endra's shoulders by resting Rikard down on one of the logs of the campsite, this one right beside a tree. Rikard sighs and leans his head on the bark of the dried tree. You can see fro this angle, even with the mismatched hood on his head and the tarp covering his body, that his features are all sunken in. His skin is pale even for a man of his skin tone.
Endra side-eyes his friend, "You can't waste a spell like Druidcraft. It- it doesn't work that way." Ludwig crosses his arms and moves towards the center of the campfire where there's stew waiting. "Look whatever. Nevermind." Ludwig glares and turns his head. "Can I have some coleslaw?" But by now he is already taking it.
"Sure. Ya can haves some 'slaw." Eren responds dryly. For some reason they don't seem in the mood as they are fiddling with some wood they began carving.
"We just got back from Drakkenheim. Suppose you all are going there too yourselves now too, huh?" Endra asks, helping himself to a plate of horse stew and another which he attempts to feed his friend. "You're really better off without it. Not worth it trying to strike rich. Why are you all going?"
Ludwig von Graff, a human noble.
Endra Jansen, a human scout and druid.
Rikard Vos, a human veteran.
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
Heiboros's eyes are wide, his beak is slightly open. Flying full speed toward the dazed human, he lands in front of him. "How long has he been like this? Was it after staying in the purple smoke? Can you purge contamination? Did he touch any of the purple stones?" The entire time he is examining the human, looking for the signs of eldritch contamination.
[A paper drops out of a flash of light and drifts to the ground at your feet] -(extended sig)-
Hadrian grabs the mace that still looks usable from the burned cart. As he rummages through the rest of the hodgepodge haul of random, eclectic items, he notices a piece of parchment tucked inside the pockets of a pair of damp clothes. Intrigued, he picks it up, furrowing his brow as he reads it through a couple of times, the odd lines echoing in his mind.
A pale man on a pale throne. Is it the monarch? The von Kessels? Or is it someone entirely different, perhaps not even a specific person at all, but Drakkenheim with its lost glory, the once-proud city now a shadow of its former self, withered and alone.
He tucks the parchment into his front pocket, deciding to think on it later. When they set up camp for the night, the smell of horse stew mingles with the crisp night air. The fire crackles and pops, casting flickering shadows across the campsite. Hadrian settles beside Ka-Cha, reaching into his pocket, he pulls out the parchment, the edges slightly crumpled from being carried around. “This mean anything to you?” He asks Ka-Cha, handing parchment to the Thri-Kreen. He watches curiously as the insectoid warrior’s multifaceted eyes reflect the firelight as he studies the parchment. “Found it on that bandit’s cart,” Hadrian explains. He taps a finger on the parchment, where the various detailed drawings of insects are scattered across the page. “Thought you might know more about the insects drawn here.”
As the three huddled figures come closer to the campsite, Hadrian rises from his spot, his fur coat drapes around his shoulders, casting long shadows in the flickering firelight as he stands up to his height. He takes Ludwig’s hand in a dry, firm handshake, giving it a bit of hard squeeze just enough to make Ludwig let out a little yelp - as a warning. “Hadrian.” He replies similarly with a dry smirk, “of no noble house.”
He eyes the third person they’ve been carrying. The sunken features, pale skin. A flicker of suspicion crosses Hadrian’s eyes, feeling there’s more to the story. He exchanges a glance with Eren, noting their unease as well. “Maybe you can answer our friend’s questions here first.” He makes a suggestion that’s not really a suggestion, as he watches Heiboro examines Rikard, questioning the trio.
The insects are of various kinds. The majority of them are types of bugs that swarm like midges and mayflies. They don't seem to have any obvious symbolism to them. Just a whole lot of bugs.
Endra nearly falls from off the log as the Heiboros comes flying close. Then casts glances over from Hadrian to back to Heiboros. "Um. Yes..." He shoots a quick look over at his partner who seems more focused on piling food on his plate than anything. "That's... um... why he's so tried... I, uh, purged him... real nice and good. Unless any of you want to have a go around. To, um, double check." His mouth twitches a bit as he looks around the campfire if anyone offered. He slowly chews on a sliver of roasted horse. "Yeah. He's just um, feeling the aftereffects."
The druid continues trying to spoon feed Rikard some mushed vegetables. They dribble off out of his mouth and onto his shirt, to which Endra goes to clean up with a handkerchief and cloth.
"He did touch one of those purple crystals- I mean- we all did. We were trying to mine them but then we had to get out. That haze. It was too choking. We couldn't." He notices Heiboros trying to examine the man further as he grips onto him closer and tightens the tarp around him more, which limits your further inspection.
"But I've heard! Once we'll out of the city, he'll be fine. That's what they said at least. And look he's getting better now! Right, Lud. Now look!" His tone gets a twinge more aggressive enough that the noble adventurer looks up. "Oh yeah. Yeah. He was so much paler yesterday. And he wasn't even sitting up earlier. Dude's looking better already." He gives quick thumbs up before going back to paying attention to his food.
"Ugh no. It's real awful there." He resumes, "I couldn't believe it. I don't know why I even bothered. You really got to have the stomach for making it in there. Ugh." He shudders.
"The worst part about the city! It's the rats..." Ludwig pipes up, still wringing his hand after Hadrian squeezed it so tight. "Saw one bite a woman's hand clean off!" Endra looks at him a bit surprised, "Another adventurer." He corrects. "Our friend."
"Yeah, but like, she was only our friend for like a week." The noble one scoffs, "Then she went gallivanting to who knows where off. Bet she found that inn and stayed there nice and cozy."
"With one hand?"
"Yes with one hand. Like a pirate! Argh!" Ludwig does the pointed hand thing. "With the delirium we found and she took. She's probably off making crazy amounts of coin by now."
Ednra sighs. "But, ah, yes... the rats." Endra nods at his own comment., "We were messing with them the other day. He did get bit. We all did." He winces. Then he pulls up his sleeve to reveal multiple bite marks and abnormally large rat scratches. "It's all good, though. I always bring some aloe." His gaze falls solemnly on his dazed friend.
"Might be rabies..." He suggests. As if that was any better.
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
Ka-Cha looks at the drawings & tries to recognize the insects depicted
Nature (? Correct skill?) 17
"Whatever you've heard is a crackpot of lies. The spreading of the contamination slows when you're out of the city, it doesn't heal. The fact that he seems to be getting better is the fact that he's fully turning into a monster. And unless you have the ability to really purge his eldritch contamination, I suggest you seek a priest. It seems that he's pretty contaminated, but if you'll let me examine him, I might be able to help. If you don't, I might have to force your hand."
[A paper drops out of a flash of light and drifts to the ground at your feet] -(extended sig)-
@Ka-Cha
((yeah correct skill!))
The depictions of insects are all ones you recognize. The most prominent is the one of the beetle. Looking closer you can see a sketch of the life cycle of the beetle starting from larvae to pupae to adult. This is all encircling a much larger drawing of the very same beetle, specifically of the Passandridae family, a type of parasitic beetle. Its body is thin and elongated. They are ectoparasites (meaning feed on them from the outside) and feed on the immature stages of other beetles.
"I-" Endra gulps and holds in his breath. He doesn't know what to say to that. Even Ludwig looks to be just as stunned. He puts down the plate he hasn't finished eating. The druid breaks the silence by shaking his head, "No. No that can't be. They said-" Though he eyes your purple robe, the colors of the Amethyst Academy. "Look if anything happens I- I could Speak with Animals. I can tame beasts." Talking about his friend as a beast leaves him with no reassurance. Rikard begins drooling, to which Endra now hesitantly cleans up.
"They said this wouldn't happen. He just wanted to see his family." Ludwig gets up and goes over to pat his friend. "Look, man. He might be a bit of a lost cause. If this guy can heal him. Let him help."
"But he said priest! There's no one here who's a priest!" His fists as shaking as he gets up. "They sure as hell won't give us anything. We can't pay them a single coin. What have the gods ever done for us, anyways? Got us into this mess that's what! Were they watching when the sky fell? Were they watching when my- when your family left you penniless? Wrote you out of the will. Huh? Were they laughing?" Ludwig stops right there in his tracks with that.
"Low blow..." Ludwig starts to back off. "He was just trying to help." He puts his hands up then gestures with his head. "Go. Let him see him."
"I- ... okay" Endra looks to Heiboros then at his dazed friend silently and steps aside.
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
Heiboros shakes his head with the wide eyes of someone exasperated. He opens the tarp surrounding the man, examining. Investigation: 11. Depending on thee level of contamination, he will begin doing the best to slow it until they reach emberwood village. Arcana: 5. Nat 1.
[A paper drops out of a flash of light and drifts to the ground at your feet] -(extended sig)-
Tendilius is about to pipe u as Heiboros mentions no magic can purge contamination, thinking of purge contamination too before the trio's suspicious behavior clicks and he assume Heiboros is trying to get them to come clean about their false claims of having done so. Besides, he reasons, would've been impossible for them to have the delerium consumed by such a spell if the one-handed woman took their finds.
"Rats?" he says with interest. "When you say giant rats are we talking about your run-of-the-mill 'Oh no my basement is full of killer rats' rats? Or are we talking contaminated rats?" He pulls out his book and pen and chatters excitedly, "What did they look like? Eyes like a spider's? More legs? Oooh! Were their tails ten feet long and thick like a tongue? I've heard longer tongues are a common mutation!" He takes a glance over at the man as Heiboros examines him, eager to see the effects of contamination for himself.
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
OOC: Heiboros quite literally brought up purge contamination
[A paper drops out of a flash of light and drifts to the ground at your feet] -(extended sig)-
Dabbert, having stepped into the woods for a moment, returns to the camp and stops just outside the ring of firelight as he sees what is unfolding. These three strangers have now joined them, and one of them appears to be in bad shape. He listens intently at the discussion happening, watches as his newfound friends try to help, but grimaces all the same. Finally he steps forward into the light of the fire.
"Where did uh...these folk come from?" He asks, having missed their arrival. "Why are they so close to us? That one..."
He points to the pale fellow...
"...is obviously sick. Even if he doesn't have the contamination, though I trust Heiboros's estimation...that could still be typhoid or cholera or any-damned-thing. You know what kills more soldiers than battle? Sickness coming into camp."
He is stern as he says this, but tries to be gentle with his words regardless. His eyes meet the Aarakocra's, then he scans the rest of the party. Juniper. Ka-Cha. Hadrian. Tendilius. Finally his eyes land on Eren's, and he tries to read her feelings on the matter.
"I think you lot should go." He says without further hesitation, though he looks sullen as he says it, like he's at least not proud to be an a$$hole. "Heiboros, if you want to help them, I won't argue. But the road is a dangerous place, and we've already had one bad experience. Sickness aside, we don't know these people."
His eyes land on Endra's, then Ludwig's.
"For what it is worth, I am sorry. This is just uh...business."
Having said his piece, and looking particularly ashamed of himself, Dabbert mutters to himself and steps away, picking up a heal of bread and moving away from the fire.
Sorry for the late reply, had a busy couple of days. Playing this like Dabbert was scouting the woods around them or something and walked up AFTER our new arrivals showed up.
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
((yeah VitusW referenced with purge contamination "too" so it meant Tendilius knew it as well.))
@Heiboros
Trying to look under the hood you see that Rikard is in such a bad shape. Not only is his face sunken in and sullen, but a few of his teeth are missing. His tongue is black and pimply. It looks to be just hanging on by just a thread. The fact that he looks fully aware you are examining him only makes Endra squirm. The druid bites his fingernails. The same can't be said for Rikard as it looks to be that he has none left. Just gently touching his right hand makes the last ones from his fingers fall off. There isn't even blood that follows. Just pus.
While attempting to siphon out the contamination, as much as you try, the man looks just as well as he did before. He is totally incapacitated.
The last thing that follows is that tarp. In fact, they have a second tarp specifically covering his left arm. It takes you a long while to open it, even with your talons. It is wrapped on real tight.
Endra holds in his breath. "No, um, not spider-legs. That would be pretty interesting though. Half spider-rat hybrids. The things the forces of nature could come up with! I could write a book. Oh! And no, not tongues either."
"It's always tongues." Eren mutters, continuously carving their stick.
"But yes! Horrid rats! Big, large, people-like ones! They were like yea big-"
"He tried to tame them."
"I tried to tame them-"
"-And they did not listen." Endra shoots a glare. Ludwig shakes his head, "Nope."
When Dabbert arrives to camp, the duo looked surprised. "We think it's rabies." Responds Endra in the stupidest way possible.
Both the noble and the druid scan his face, recognizing the authenticity. "But please we have no where to go! Town is like 12 miles that way! How can we walk it again?"
"We can take a horse?" Suggests Ludwig, who then raises an eyebrow at Eren, whom he guessed was the caravan leader.
Just then, one of the horses begins to sputter and kick with unrest. "Easy now." Eren slowly begins to get up. The warhorse's eyes as wild as they fling their mane in every direction. "No! Dave!" They call out. Yes, that is what they named this one. The horse whinnies and smacks into the other horses who startle awake with fright.
This is just then that you, Heiboros, finish opening up the tarp on Rikard's left arm. What lies there slithers and snakes up your talon. It is a tentacled limb. Suddenly Rikard pulls and pushes you off, coughing and rasping as he hits the floor. In a spasm, he somehow manages to spit up his tongue. The disregarded organ laying there in a spittle of saliva on the muddy ground. His body twitches and squirms and the tentacled limb is just as sporadic.
Suddenly, he stops. His body lays there limp beside the campfire.
"Rik?" Endra asks as he steps forward. "I think he's dead." says Ludwig in a hushed whisper.
The tentacle twinges. It lashes out and grabs Endra in a struggle. The druid's ankle is now being dragged towards the monster. Or... Rik, who is now, in fact, a tentacled dreg. Endra screams as he tries to step on it. But he continues to get dragged to no avail.
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
Juniper had been quietly tending the fire, content to listen to the conversation around her, as she'd done for many of their nights out on the road. She seemed to be in good spirits as they set up camp. A smile was set in place, and a soft tune was hummed as she went about preparing tents and meals for both traveller and their horses.
The jovial attitude dwindled with the appearance of the strangers, replaced with a wary caution- especially as she caught a better look at their sick companion. Spider-rats? Her brow furrowed with the description, unsure if such a beast actually existed. Nothing came to mind that matched [Nature: 4, Nat 1].
And even if she could believe such a creature existed, why the secretive, less than forward replies? [Insight:19] One arm folded over the other, the wand at her hip just within reach as her focus flicked to each of the strangers with a nervous, distrusting stare.
It diverted with a jerking nod towards Dabbert in agreement, just as Dave bucked and startled. The druid took a worried step back from the contaminated man, sure the horse had sensed something they'd not. She worked to sooth shaken nerves in a hold on her wand, just as the arm-turned-tentacle slithered free to grab at Endra. "Stars above-" She whispered in horror, eyes raked away from the macabre sight to her compatriots between she and it. Scared, to be sure, and unsure what exactly to do, but ready to follow their more experienced leads.
[Initiative 12, just in case]
(And sorry for the late reply! Been a super busy few days ;w;)
Juniper Summers in Drakkenheim - Mind and Matter
Delphine Bennett in The Dark Below
Ilmrae Zolier in Dragon Heist - One Hell of a Summer
Loralai Darkleaf in The Storm King's Thunder
Eris Tourmaline in An Adventure in the Mountains
Circe Somerset in Candlekeep Mysteries
Full of horse dinner (as an obligate carnivore he picked the meat from the veggies in the stew), Ka-Cha cleaned and sharpened his weapons while the others talked to the newcomers. There was little news of "contamination" that reached Kreen Territory and Heiboros seemed to know what was going on, so the Kreen dispassionately watched and listened.
Ok. Spider-rats are diseased, don't eat them.
And now the guy has grown an attacking tentacle.
Initiative: 4
A chat-kcha is in his hand without thinking.
IF he's able to target ONLY the tentacle he attacks immediately, trying to sever it before it kills Endra
24 to hit damage 9 (kensai shot damage included)
If he cannot target the tentacle, he simply stands ready with his chat-kcha
He decides that unarmed strikes against this guy are a bad idea.
Tendilius jumps back for a moment when the tentacled dreg first makes its appearance before stepping forward. A shame what happened to the people's friends but THIS WAS SO COOL! He'd never seen contamination up front before and by whatever cosmic forces there were it was awesome! No drawing he'd ever seen matched the sheer intensity of the moment. Pulling out his wand he shouts, "Let's get this thing to stop moving. I absolutely must get a better look at it!"
Initiative: 14+3 = 17
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
Dab's eyes met Juniper's in that brief instance as he stepped back and away, before things took a turn for the worse. In that instance he felt better about his decision. He hadn't made it far before Endra screamed.
His shield slipped down from his shoulder, his spear came out to his hand as he moved, rushing to close the distance between him and the dreg before it could inflict some harm on the other new comer.
"Back up!" He shouts, mostly to those who have no business being close, and to the other newcomer. "Get back while you can!"
Turn Summary
Surprise round? Move to contact with tentacled dreg
Rolling Initiative: 10
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
The Aarakocra screeches as the tentacle wraps around his talons. Disengaging, he flies 15 feet into the air and converts two sorcery points to a second level spell slot.
[A paper drops out of a flash of light and drifts to the ground at your feet] -(extended sig)-
More disgusted than shocked by the sight of Rikard’s transformed left arm as Heiboros undoes the tarp, Hadrian scrunches up his nose as takes in at the grotesque, slithering tentacles that writhe and snake from the limb. So that’s what the contamination does. He’d heard stories, seen the distant horrors, but he’d never witnessed one up close before.
But the scene rapidly descends into chaos as the tentacle twitches and lashes out, wrapping itself around Endra’s ankle with a vice-like grip. The druid’s terrified scream pierces the night air, and reacting instinctively, Hadrian draws his sword, closing in the distance in a heartbeat, swings the blade aiming to sever the tentacle that is dragging Endra.
Initiative: 11
Greatsword Attack: 22 Damage: 12
Gonna post Tendilius' actions for the first round.
Acting quickly, Tendilius raises his wand with an incantation and sends forth a magic bolt at the tentacled dreg. The magical beam is thing and narrow, coiling around itself like a flame with a tiny dragon head at the tip as it arcs towards the dreg. After unleashing his arcane energy he steps back, getting distance between him and the aberration.
Action: eldritch blast
To-Hit: 7+6 = 13
Damage: 8+4 = 12 force
Movement: 30ft away from the dreg.
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary