While the wizards excitedly begin pouring over the goblin shaman’s spellbook, Guan Hao and Gong set off in search of the formerly charmed ankheg (or, as one ankheg looks much like any other, the first ankheg they can find)
Little more than a mile outside of Pyrringham square, the ground suddenly begins to quake under the hunters’ feet. Though they search about to pinpoint the source of the disturbance, both Guan Hao and Gong are caught off guard as two ankhegs burst forth, each latching onto one of the men with their jaws.
Though Gong struggles to no avail as the creature’s acid begins to burn his skin, Guan Hao wrenches himself free with an heroic display of strength. With two precise cuts, the glaive-wielding warrior decapitates his assailant. At the same time, Gong, due to his disadvantaged angle of attack, is only able to land a single blow. However, the blow cracks the ankheg’s chitinous carapace, causing it to drop Gong and make a dive for the safety of its subterranean burrow.
After several moments of tremors, the ground slowly stills – the creature has run away and the hunting party can return to report success and claim their prize.
Guan Hao reports the results to the relevant authority - including the continued threat of at least one ankheg still loose. And where there's one ankheg...
[OOC: Is there any difference between the 40 GP potion and the 60 GP potion, or is it just two different merchants offering the same product for two different prices?]
[OOC: Is there any difference between the 40 GP potion and the 60 GP potion, or is it just two different merchants offering the same product for two different prices?]
Balasar could make a check fo discern a difference.
[OOG: the mechanic I'm using for finding items allows for a variation of prices, quality, and authenticity. Someone in the party may have already purchased a bogus potion at a discounted price...]
Balasar will examine all three potions; the first two in an attempt to discern a difference, and the third in an attempt to ensure it is what the seller claims it is.
Skoth mourns the loss of his ankheg friend but realizes that his fate was largely inevitable. Skoth wanders the town looking for a sword smith who may have a curved scimitar blade amongst his wares.
Balasar will examine all three potions; the first two in an attempt to discern a difference, and the third in an attempt to ensure it is what the seller claims it is.
Balasar will make one medicine check per potion.
Medicine 1: 4
Medicine 2: 5
Medicine 3: 19
As near as Balasar can determine, the first two potions are the same. Maybe one is... redder? As for the the third potion, it seems to be what it's seller claims.
Skoth mourns the loss of his ankheg friend but realizes that his fate was largely inevitable. Skoth wanders the town looking for a sword smith who may have a curved scimitar blade amongst his wares.
Investigation: 9
Skoth does not waste much time investigating but simply stops at the first merchant selling weapons of any sort. While it is not a particularly common weapon in this part of the world, Skoth's luck is good - the merchant has one simple but elegant scimitar on offer for 25 gp.
The hour for dinner having arrived, the party is welcomed into Bruna’s home, a multi-building farmstead west of Pyrringham’s town square. Entering the main house, the party finds themselves in a large room with a fireplace set in the wall to their left, cupboards and counters across the way, a steep flight of stairs leading to an upper loft area to the right, and, in the middle, a large table set for eight people over a worn but soft carpet. As they greet Bruna, the party is introduced to her husband, Declan, a former merchant turned farmer. After being seated around the table, two people who look to be farmhands serve everyone from open dishes wafting steam and delectable smells. The food served, though simple, is fresh, delicious, and abundant.
As dinner progresses, Declan regales the heroes with many amusing anecdotes from his previous career as successful merchant and insists on hearing of the group’s exploits in the city of Adaern. While friendly and outgoing, no one in the party misses the fact that, as the meal progresses, Declan appears tense while Bruna looks worried and somewhat distracted. As dinner draws to an end and the two farmhands are told to retire for the evening, Bruna stands to address the party. “Thank you all for joining us at dinner. While it may be of more common fare that what one finds in Adaern, we can at least provide it fresh from the fields…” She turns to watch as the farmhands close the front door behind them. At this, her worried look intensifies, “or, at least, we can for now – I fear such will not be the case for much longer unless you aid us once more.”
She casts her eyes around her seated guests. “I believe now know why the ankhegs have been swarming our fields. To understand, you must first know something about how and why our farms have been so prosperous.”
Reclaiming her seat at the table, Bruna takes a deep breath and begins, “Many years ago, when my husband and I first settled here,” her hand sweeps about, indicating the house and surrounding lands beyond its walls, “we discovered a very old shrine dedicated to Chauntea, the Grain Goddess. As farming is a difficult and often frustrating endeavor at the best of times, Declan and I decided to invest a measure of our time and funds into restoring the shrine – we felt that being in the good graces of the Grain Goddess might entice her to bless us with some small aid. What we did not realize was just how strongly our actions would call her attention, nor, until very recently, why. Within a matter of weeks, her divine favor had transformed our future; boggy fields drained, becoming fertile land that took almost no effort to sow; crops grew quickly and far more abundantly than Declan or I could ever have dared to hope; even our livestock were effected, bearing many healthy offspring with no losses in birth. There was so much to harvest in our first season, we had to hire five new workers just to keep it from going to waste. We were truly blessed, and our farmhands spread word to their families, many of whom left their farmsteads to settle near ours. Within a year, our little set of fields had close to twenty new neighbors, each of whom experienced similar success. Before long, the collection of farms had grown into a village all around us. Because of our restoration of the old shrine and daily prayers there, our neighbors insisted it was our good will and actions which brought Chauntea’s blessings to our fields – combine that with Declan’s business acumen and connections with traveling merchants helping to bring in steady trade, and everyone insisted that we be the ones to manage the village.”
Pausing for breath, Bruna took a sip of her wine before continuing. Her voice, which had grown excited in the telling of her tale, now took on a note of trepidation. “That was our life until a few weeks ago. Just before our troubles with the ankhegs, there were outbreaks of fungi, which damaged many crops throughout the village. Some of the outlying farms, while trying to work perfectly good land, discovered the soil to now be shallow covering for rocky ground; it was as though an underground mountain had sprung into being overnight! I redoubled my prayers at Chauntea’s shrine, but something seemed different there, too. Where once the shrine was warm and welcoming – like a beautiful garden on a warm summer’s afternoon – it now simply felt like a stone building; empty and devoid of any comfort. I had intended to seek out a priestess of the Grain Goddess and ask for guidance, but that was when the ankhegs began swarming and my priorities shifted to the safety of my fellow villagers.”
In the brief silence that followed, Elaric spoke, “A moment ago, when speaking of restoring the shrine, you said you did not know why Chauntea took such a strong interest in the action until very recently. I would imagine that the ‘why’ has something to do with both the current troubles and this meeting, yes?”
Bruna looked at the elf for a long moment before responding. “I believe so, yes. I have recently learned that that the shrine was actually the top of a long-buried temple, not only dedicated to Chauntea, but which held a direct connection to her divine garden on the plane of Elysium. I think it was this connection which allowed such drastic and bountiful changes to come to our lands. I also think it is this connection which has been interrupted in some way.”
Turing to Wendell with a pained expression, she adds, “I’m sorry to drudge up painful memories, brother, but the night our parents were killed plays a role in this.” Unlocking her gaze from Wendell, she took in the whole party once more. “I don’t know whether Wendell has ever told any of you the story of our parents’ death, but you need some details to understand why all of our current troubles are happening. When we were children, my father, Deiter, used to dig up odd items in our fields; old swords, large carved stones, even an old spellbook which he damn near plowed over, in fact. We all figured that our fields had once been the site of a wizard’s tower. Some time after discovering the spellbook, and several failed attempts to sell it to passing merchants, we managed to decipher one of the spells and Wendell actually managed to cast it. My parents saw the potential advantages of Wendell becoming a wizard and invested in an education for him. As his talents progressed, his magic made life on the farm much easier and more prosperous for all of us. Looking back, my siblings and I always thought it was that prosperity which drew a group of bandits to raid our home and kill our parents…”
Bruna has to stop and rapidly blink away the tears standing in her eyes. “But now it seems there was something more. I’ve learned that the wizard’s tower didn’t just stand in our fields but was actually buried under them. And it is likely not the only thing buried. Those bandits who raided our home stayed there for several days, digging up the fields. I always assumed it was just callous destruction which drove them, but I now wonder if they were, in fact, digging with a purpose in mind. I don’t know if anything was found all those years ago, but there is a new group of people, mercenaries, judging by the descriptions of them, who have recently set up a dig of some sort just outside of town and right near the ruins of my old home. I think they are looking for whatever it was those raiders sought that horrible night. I also think they may have found something, something which both stirred up the ankhegs and blocked the connection between our shrine and Chauntea’s realm.”
With evident frustration, Wendell suddenly bursts out, “Bruna… how have you come by all of this information, and so quickly? We’ve only been here two days, but already we seem to have a week’s worth of knowledge at our disposal.”
Bruna opens her mouth to reply, but a low, smooth, feminine voice cuts her off. “You have me to thank for that.”
Startled, the entire group turns to see a woman emerging from the shadows cast by the firelight. Dressed in dark leather armor, with nearly a dozen knives and daggers sheathed about her person, and a spatter of fresh blood decorating her left cheek, the newcomer smiles about coldly until her gaze settles on Wendell, at which point a flicker of warmth lights her expression. “Hello, little brother.”
Guan Hao:
Perception 18
Perception 15
Dex SAVE 20
Str SAVE 14
Con SAVE 25
Attack roll 24 ; bonus attack: 20
Attack roll 11
Damage roll 7 ; bonus attack: 8
Str SAVE 16
Attack roll 19 ; bonus attack: 11
Attack roll 21
Damage roll 9 ; bonus attack: 8
Damage roll for critical hit: 16
Perception 10
Perception 8
Dex SAVE 8
Str SAVE 7
Con SAVE 17
Attack (+1 quarterstaff) 7
Bonus Attack (Unarmed Strike) 7
Attack (+1 quarterstaff) 15
Bonus Attack (Unarmed Strike) 9
Damage (+1 Quarterstaff) 10
Damage (Unarmed Strike) 7
Str SAVE 13
Attack (+1 quarterstaff) 13
Bonus Attack (Unarmed Strike) 19
Attack (+1 quarterstaff) 21
Bonus Attack (Unarmed Strike) 12
Damage (+1 Quarterstaff) 7
Damage (Unarmed Strike) 5
While the wizards excitedly begin pouring over the goblin shaman’s spellbook, Guan Hao and Gong set off in search of the formerly charmed ankheg (or, as one ankheg looks much like any other, the first ankheg they can find)
Little more than a mile outside of Pyrringham square, the ground suddenly begins to quake under the hunters’ feet. Though they search about to pinpoint the source of the disturbance, both Guan Hao and Gong are caught off guard as two ankhegs burst forth, each latching onto one of the men with their jaws.
Though Gong struggles to no avail as the creature’s acid begins to burn his skin, Guan Hao wrenches himself free with an heroic display of strength. With two precise cuts, the glaive-wielding warrior decapitates his assailant. At the same time, Gong, due to his disadvantaged angle of attack, is only able to land a single blow. However, the blow cracks the ankheg’s chitinous carapace, causing it to drop Gong and make a dive for the safety of its subterranean burrow.
After several moments of tremors, the ground slowly stills – the creature has run away and the hunting party can return to report success and claim their prize.
Guan Hao reports the results to the relevant authority - including the continued threat of at least one ankheg still loose. And where there's one ankheg...
If he has any extra time before dinner, Guan Hao loiters among the merchants, and tries to find out how they came to recover their goods.
Investigation: 6
Guan Hao's investigation skills will, without a doubt, be improved by eating dinner. Until then, he learns only that the merchants "got it all back!"
OOC: What would be the XP and other rewards for killing one ankheg and driving off another?
After selling his gemstone, Balasar attempts to track down a merchant with potions of healing for sale.
Investigation: 11
Perception: 15
Guan Hao and Gong each get 50 XP.
However, the party is now eligible to get the bounty plus bonus (for not going over 14 kills) once they meet with Bruna....
Balasar finds:
Healing potion (common) - 40 gp
Healing potion (common) - 60 gp
Greater healing potion (uncommon) - 400 gp
[OOC: Is there any difference between the 40 GP potion and the 60 GP potion, or is it just two different merchants offering the same product for two different prices?]
Balasar could make a check fo discern a difference.
[OOG: the mechanic I'm using for finding items allows for a variation of prices, quality, and authenticity. Someone in the party may have already purchased a bogus potion at a discounted price...]
Balasar will examine all three potions; the first two in an attempt to discern a difference, and the third in an attempt to ensure it is what the seller claims it is.
Balasar will make one medicine check per potion.
Medicine 1: 2
Medicine 2: 15
Medicine 3: 7
Skoth mourns the loss of his ankheg friend but realizes that his fate was largely inevitable. Skoth wanders the town looking for a sword smith who may have a curved scimitar blade amongst his wares.
Investigation: 18
As near as Balasar can determine, the first two potions are the same. Maybe one is... redder? As for the the third potion, it seems to be what it's seller claims.
Skoth does not waste much time investigating but simply stops at the first merchant selling weapons of any sort. While it is not a particularly common weapon in this part of the world, Skoth's luck is good - the merchant has one simple but elegant scimitar on offer for 25 gp.
Balasar will purchase the 40 GP potion, return to the rest of the party, and has no further actions he wishes to take.
Skoth will purchase the scimitar and then will proceed to prepare for the evening.
The hour for dinner having arrived, the party is welcomed into Bruna’s home, a multi-building farmstead west of Pyrringham’s town square. Entering the main house, the party finds themselves in a large room with a fireplace set in the wall to their left, cupboards and counters across the way, a steep flight of stairs leading to an upper loft area to the right, and, in the middle, a large table set for eight people over a worn but soft carpet. As they greet Bruna, the party is introduced to her husband, Declan, a former merchant turned farmer. After being seated around the table, two people who look to be farmhands serve everyone from open dishes wafting steam and delectable smells. The food served, though simple, is fresh, delicious, and abundant.
As dinner progresses, Declan regales the heroes with many amusing anecdotes from his previous career as successful merchant and insists on hearing of the group’s exploits in the city of Adaern. While friendly and outgoing, no one in the party misses the fact that, as the meal progresses, Declan appears tense while Bruna looks worried and somewhat distracted. As dinner draws to an end and the two farmhands are told to retire for the evening, Bruna stands to address the party. “Thank you all for joining us at dinner. While it may be of more common fare that what one finds in Adaern, we can at least provide it fresh from the fields…” She turns to watch as the farmhands close the front door behind them. At this, her worried look intensifies, “or, at least, we can for now – I fear such will not be the case for much longer unless you aid us once more.”
She casts her eyes around her seated guests. “I believe now know why the ankhegs have been swarming our fields. To understand, you must first know something about how and why our farms have been so prosperous.”
Reclaiming her seat at the table, Bruna takes a deep breath and begins, “Many years ago, when my husband and I first settled here,” her hand sweeps about, indicating the house and surrounding lands beyond its walls, “we discovered a very old shrine dedicated to Chauntea, the Grain Goddess. As farming is a difficult and often frustrating endeavor at the best of times, Declan and I decided to invest a measure of our time and funds into restoring the shrine – we felt that being in the good graces of the Grain Goddess might entice her to bless us with some small aid. What we did not realize was just how strongly our actions would call her attention, nor, until very recently, why. Within a matter of weeks, her divine favor had transformed our future; boggy fields drained, becoming fertile land that took almost no effort to sow; crops grew quickly and far more abundantly than Declan or I could ever have dared to hope; even our livestock were effected, bearing many healthy offspring with no losses in birth. There was so much to harvest in our first season, we had to hire five new workers just to keep it from going to waste. We were truly blessed, and our farmhands spread word to their families, many of whom left their farmsteads to settle near ours. Within a year, our little set of fields had close to twenty new neighbors, each of whom experienced similar success. Before long, the collection of farms had grown into a village all around us. Because of our restoration of the old shrine and daily prayers there, our neighbors insisted it was our good will and actions which brought Chauntea’s blessings to our fields – combine that with Declan’s business acumen and connections with traveling merchants helping to bring in steady trade, and everyone insisted that we be the ones to manage the village.”
Pausing for breath, Bruna took a sip of her wine before continuing. Her voice, which had grown excited in the telling of her tale, now took on a note of trepidation. “That was our life until a few weeks ago. Just before our troubles with the ankhegs, there were outbreaks of fungi, which damaged many crops throughout the village. Some of the outlying farms, while trying to work perfectly good land, discovered the soil to now be shallow covering for rocky ground; it was as though an underground mountain had sprung into being overnight! I redoubled my prayers at Chauntea’s shrine, but something seemed different there, too. Where once the shrine was warm and welcoming – like a beautiful garden on a warm summer’s afternoon – it now simply felt like a stone building; empty and devoid of any comfort. I had intended to seek out a priestess of the Grain Goddess and ask for guidance, but that was when the ankhegs began swarming and my priorities shifted to the safety of my fellow villagers.”
In the brief silence that followed, Elaric spoke, “A moment ago, when speaking of restoring the shrine, you said you did not know why Chauntea took such a strong interest in the action until very recently. I would imagine that the ‘why’ has something to do with both the current troubles and this meeting, yes?”
Bruna looked at the elf for a long moment before responding. “I believe so, yes. I have recently learned that that the shrine was actually the top of a long-buried temple, not only dedicated to Chauntea, but which held a direct connection to her divine garden on the plane of Elysium. I think it was this connection which allowed such drastic and bountiful changes to come to our lands. I also think it is this connection which has been interrupted in some way.”
Turing to Wendell with a pained expression, she adds, “I’m sorry to drudge up painful memories, brother, but the night our parents were killed plays a role in this.” Unlocking her gaze from Wendell, she took in the whole party once more. “I don’t know whether Wendell has ever told any of you the story of our parents’ death, but you need some details to understand why all of our current troubles are happening. When we were children, my father, Deiter, used to dig up odd items in our fields; old swords, large carved stones, even an old spellbook which he damn near plowed over, in fact. We all figured that our fields had once been the site of a wizard’s tower. Some time after discovering the spellbook, and several failed attempts to sell it to passing merchants, we managed to decipher one of the spells and Wendell actually managed to cast it. My parents saw the potential advantages of Wendell becoming a wizard and invested in an education for him. As his talents progressed, his magic made life on the farm much easier and more prosperous for all of us. Looking back, my siblings and I always thought it was that prosperity which drew a group of bandits to raid our home and kill our parents…”
Bruna has to stop and rapidly blink away the tears standing in her eyes. “But now it seems there was something more. I’ve learned that the wizard’s tower didn’t just stand in our fields but was actually buried under them. And it is likely not the only thing buried. Those bandits who raided our home stayed there for several days, digging up the fields. I always assumed it was just callous destruction which drove them, but I now wonder if they were, in fact, digging with a purpose in mind. I don’t know if anything was found all those years ago, but there is a new group of people, mercenaries, judging by the descriptions of them, who have recently set up a dig of some sort just outside of town and right near the ruins of my old home. I think they are looking for whatever it was those raiders sought that horrible night. I also think they may have found something, something which both stirred up the ankhegs and blocked the connection between our shrine and Chauntea’s realm.”
With evident frustration, Wendell suddenly bursts out, “Bruna… how have you come by all of this information, and so quickly? We’ve only been here two days, but already we seem to have a week’s worth of knowledge at our disposal.”
Bruna opens her mouth to reply, but a low, smooth, feminine voice cuts her off. “You have me to thank for that.”
Startled, the entire group turns to see a woman emerging from the shadows cast by the firelight. Dressed in dark leather armor, with nearly a dozen knives and daggers sheathed about her person, and a spatter of fresh blood decorating her left cheek, the newcomer smiles about coldly until her gaze settles on Wendell, at which point a flicker of warmth lights her expression. “Hello, little brother.”