He paused, wincing from the wound in his stomach, then gives a painful nod to the group. "Names Harry Halfpint, best halfling bard in this little corner of the sword coast. Or at least I was..." His words drifted off to silence as he noticed his fur covered hands.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, he adds. "Many thanks for saving me and the town just now. I know this looks terrible, but I have no idea what just happened, you've got to believe me! One minute I'm performing a show and making eyes to a gorgeous woman, the next I'm a horrible caricature from a fairy tale! I'm not even sure what I am!

Quote from rustleinthewoods >>

Then he looks over at Jared and the piper. "Did he come to?" (( and he wander & looks to see, did the transformation halt at half man, half rat? ))

 Harry Halfpint's transformation has completed, but the final result is a strange hybrid between rat and halfling. His face looks like that of a rat, and his skin has completely transformed into a coat of grey fur where you can see under his now slightly baggy clothes. However, he remains about his original height and build.

"We know it's not your fault. With any luck, there'll be someone in town who can fix you." Rowan gives Harry a small smile, somewhere between hopeful and apologetic. "The pipes you had were cursed. Do you remember who gave them to you?"

To Jormund, she answers, "He was a dwarf, pretty old. I don't remember much else, sorry. I only saw him for a minute or two."

 

To Vedui the dwarf says, "It is true that none of us chooses our rearing but only how we grow when we've gone from it. Your bringing-up has a done us a favor in knowing more of our enemy and that they may know too much of us. I name them renders of the great Mail and foe of good-folk. What kind of caution do you think we need?"

 

 

Vedui shakes his head   "I am not sure all that is going on.  I do not think that this is only the work of my old order.  The magic used here (the Lycanthropy) it is not something they would know of.  Perhaps the red wizards?  Sometimes they would work with them.  But I do not think this man came from my chapter in Thay, so I'm not sure.  Also, the triangle symbol on many of these men, and the triangle around his brand.  That is something I don't know of. "

"As far as my former order, they prefer close combat....they wish to see the light die in their enemy's eyes when they strike them down.  They are skilled in moving quietly and ambush...and some may be skilled in tracking."

Jared

"Sorry, this happened to you," Jared says to Harry. "Big Folk don't always act kindly to our kind, and I am not going to say you will get through this, cause I don't know. Best I can say is we can try to help you out and maybe get someone to remove this curse from you." Jared will sympathetically to the fellow halfling.
"Do you have any Gods you follow?" he asks Harry. "I just had a thought that if you were a devote' to one of them, a priest of that god might take pity on you and remove this curse. If you can pay them enough I mean. Unless you promise to do a service like" Jared pauses for a moment to think then speak up. "Maybe promise to play at services for a year or something like that."

While he is talking to Harry, Jared keeps a keen ear out for the other conversations around him, making mental notes of what is said and done. 

Jared will also give Jormund a concerned look, knowing that Jormund was his contact and now they are involved with something far more sinister than catching a criminal. 

Jormund whispers to Jared's left ear...

... and then speaks up, "I agree this rat disease is much more important than catching that dwarf charlatan, for now... Might have to scrimp a bit in the meantime... starting tomorrow.  Shall we at least make our way out of this death and dying toward a reasonable breakfast? Perhaps a lunch for dessert?"

"This is like that campaign against the orcs and their goblin slaves with all the rats... we were cut off from the cook's wagon for nearly three days. The Mail held, nothing but hard tack... cold tack... tack mush... tack mush with tack sprinkles... oh, and the stench of rats in every passage in and out of the place... tack with au de Vermin... tack with cave dripping sauce..."

He starts to mumble a bit, "Some fellas even tried the rat... but I'll keep to the tack until food is available. You top-landers have those tasty, clucky birds... uhm, chicken... roast chicken..."

His stomach rumbles cavernously as his imagination begins to roam. He tosses the trussed, gagged, mad rat-man over his shoulder and starts to head back toward town...

Quote from Naveyman >>

Quote from HomebrewMindFlayer >>

Quote from Naveyman >>

However, Quinry was kind enough to offer one of the swarms a tasty morsel. Only problem is, the rats got confused as to the menu, and attack him again! Attack: 17 Damage: 4. If hit, roll a DC 10 con save. 

 save: 8

quinry reals back from the blow, feeling weak.

"my arm... I think its infected. does any one know how to heal?"

he desperately attempts to bind up the wound, having no real idea what to do. 

should I roll medicine?

 Sure, Jormund and Quinry give me medicine checks.

 medicine check: 5

((sorry I missed so much there!!))

"could you tell us more about what happened? how did you just loose control? where did the rats come from?"

Quote from rustleinthewoods >>

Jormund whispers to Jared's left ear...

"Can you send message to our contacts that Fish is on the move back to Waterdeep? Should I?"

 

... and then speaks up, "I agree this rat disease is much more important than catching that dwarf charlatan, for now... Might have to scrimp a bit in the meantime... starting tomorrow.  Shall we at least make our way out of this death and dying toward a reasonable breakfast? Perhaps a lunch for dessert?"

"This is like that campaign against the orcs and their goblin slaves with all the rats... we were cut off from the cook's wagon for nearly three days. The Mail held, nothing but hard tack... cold tack... tack mush... tack mush with tack sprinkles... oh, and the stench of rats in every passage in and out of the place... tack with au de Vermin... tack with cave dripping sauce..."

He starts to mumble a bit, "Some fellas even tried the rat... but I'll keep to the tack until food is available. You top-landers have those tasty, clucky birds... uhm, chicken... roast chicken..."

His stomach rumbles cavernously as his imagination begins to roam. He tosses the trussed, gagged, mad rat-man over his shoulder and starts to head back toward town...

 Jared

"I'll try once we get back to town," Jared whispers in a low voice to Jormund. "I'm not sure we shouldn't just let the locals deal with this mess on the surface and we dig up a bit before we send word though." 

Jared turns to the rest of the party. "Food and Ale are always aplenty at the Boar & Tankard. I should know, I'm the Chef." Jared says with a smile. "Let's go there and talk over these events while we eat a bit. I'll rustle up something that you'll like."
With that Jared starts to make his way back to town, sticking close to Jormund.

Vedui

Will keep slightly ahead of the party being cautious as they return to town...

Perception for travel  14

Quote from HomebrewMindFlayer >>

((sorry I missed so much there!!))

"could you tell us more about what happened? how did you just loose control? where did the rats come from?"

 Harry replies

" I...I'm not really sure how it happened. All I know is that noticed somebody had left the pipes in stage between acts, and I took it to be from that girl in the crowd, so I wanted to impress her!

So, I picked up the pipes and as soon as I started playing... I don't know. Have you ever had a tune stuck in your head that was going to drive you crazy unless you got it out? It was like that, but a hundred times worse. First it was just in my head, then the music seemed to start to seep into my soul, my body, my skin! I barely noticed the rats until they were all around me. They were all humming with the same song! Now It looks like the song is gone, but I'm left with it's mark forever." He sighs, displaying his hands sadly.

Quote from Burgen_Badluk >>

Vedui

Will keep slightly ahead of the party being cautious as they return to town...

Perception for travel  18

 

 If the party begins to travel back to town, I assume your taking both Harry and Doloran?  Anything else you'd like to do before setting back out for town? It is mid morning.

Rowan will follow the others back to town, once again leading her horse next to her. She sends Enya away for the moment and use prestidigitation to clean up her clothes as much as possible. Once she's done that, she'll pull out Doloran's book and try to make sense of its contents.

Arcana: 13

((I assume we're taking both Harry and Doloran, yes.))

Vedui

Vedui will suggest that they they at least take the corpse of the Albino man back to the mortuary assuming they can strap it to the back of a horse...and will leave the other up to the 

(i assume that we searched all the bodies already...)

quinry will look around, making sure no more rats catch them by surprise.

perception check: 13

Jared

If Jared spies Rowan casting her spell and cleaning herself instantly he will make a low whistle and say to her.
"Now that is a handle little trick," he says smiling. "Could you teach me that?" he asks.

Afterwards, Jared will walk back with the group. whistling a bit as they go, a bit too proud of himself with his merger efforts on the day's events. 
"You are on your way my boy," he says in a whisper to himself.

Once the party gets back to town Jared will try and guide them to the Boar & Tankard. "Best food around." he will say to them. 
"Even have a cheese wheel." he will say and give Harry a wink.
If he is able to convince the party to go to the Boar & Tankard, Jared will call out to Boris as he enters. "Didn't get the Pomegranate but I got something better, customers." 

"Oh, uh, I could try? It might take a while though..." Rowan thinks for a minute about the best way to explain this to a total beginner, almost starting a sentence and then stopping herself several times. "I'll show you my notes when we get to the tavern," she eventually decides. For now, she settles on casting the spell again and lifting the dirt and blood from Jared's clothes.

Jared

Jared looks around at his clothing in wonder. "Oh, now that earned you a special treat love. One of my famous desserts," he says with a laugh. 

So the group heads back into town you don't come across any more threats on the way.

You carry the body of the albino, and the still unconscious Doloran on the back of your horses, while Harry slumps behind one of the riders on the third horse.

As you approach town, you begin to hear the sound of a gathered crowd, and as you approach, you begin to hear cheers of welcome and gratitude. It seems as if word had gotten round about the rat parade and the heros who led it! 

Some of the enthusiasm died down as you approach and people notice the rat men and dead bodies on the horses, but you receive plenty of offers of drinks at the tavern, and heart felt thanks from the throng of people. 

What do you guys do back in town? Some of you are wounded, some are hungry and everyone is the talk of the town!

Bryn asks the crowd, “Where is the nearest healer? Some of our group needs a healers touch.” He then looks at the group, “I don’t know about you but I could use a good pint and some food, once those of us that are hurt are taken care of, I say we go to the tavern Jared mentioned.”