Roil Rising (IC)

[Fable Wright]

Raucous shouts and jeers, mirthful laughs, sly sales pitches, guarded congresses. The savory smell of roasted baloth, tinged with the spices of the Wilderness it inhabited, mixed with the sweet smell of the fruits served with it. The tough wood underfoot, trod over by hundreds, thousands of feet, warped and scratched, yet cared for daily, greets your tired feet with surprising spring to it. And before you, the grand sight of the Adventurer's Guild.

Right next to the entrance, across from the hall up to the various rooms for rent, lies the message board, filled with colorful posters, often made of exotic materials, from baloth hide to still-flapping skyfish tails, trying to grab the attention of the guild's members, either advertising jobs or groups seeking new meat for an expedition. Further out, the hearthfire crackles merrily against the wall, as a juicy-looking rotisserie of baloth leg is turned over the fire. A short distance away from the wall lies a vast sea of tables, most filled by various adventurers, some known groups, others conglomerations of sellswords and taskmages, all feasting, planning, plotting, and gambling over the tabletops, all of them clustered with plates, dice, cups, and gear that it makes the surfaces look diminutive, nevermind the fact that the tables are no less than 8ft from edge to edge. In the back of the hall are various athletic competitions, be it wrestling exhibitions on the grass mats, to games of darts, games of cards, or drunken fistfights, each match with its own dedicated bookies hawking bets while small crowds gather. The air is noisy and full of life. Somehow, this place already feels like home.

The two men, sweaty and exhausted, having finally relinquished their rounds in the ring, began to make their way back to the sea of tables, trying to find an unoccupied table to order some food, the money they won from bets burning a hole in their pockets. They make on odd pair; both are heavily tattooed, though one is large, even by Minotaur standards, and seemingly made of rock, while the other, while normally short anyways, looks goblin-sized next to the behemoth, though his image is recovered slightly by his extra set of arms. Finding one, they both sit down with a sigh of relief, ordering a small feast between the two of them. Their winnings purses now significantly lighter, they wait for their meal to arrive.

Meanwhile, a young catfolk was surveying the whole scene of the guild with amusement, having just come down from her catnap upstairs. As she begins to walk towards the room, one of the posters catches her eye as it makes a break for freedom through the room, the skyfish sails framing the poster seeming to take a life of its own, dragging small, bright red streamers behind the bright green baloth-hide parchment, and the young catfolk is filled by the urge to chase after it, which she promptly acts upon, tailing it across the room as it soars over the tables. Weaving between the waiters, waitresses, and patrons of the guild deftly, she follows the winding trail through the room, until, as the poster finally begins to fall, she trips on something (she's not sure what) and falls on another patron of the restaurant: a tall, dark, cloaked figure that was wandering by, the they both crash onto the table that the poster was landing on, right as the food began to arrive.

The two tattooed men sitting there were not amused.

After a few rapid apologies and a few reparations, the four find themselves sitting around the table, a small feast before them, and a job poster promising future wealth before them. Fate certainly had smiled on the four of them this day...

[BelGareth]

Khareth edge slightly as his much larger opponent moved closer, Kavaoak was a good opponent, he knew exactly how to use is larger bulk to his advantage.

But so did Khareth.

With a smile on his face he lunged at him, grabbing his shoulder with two arms while the others locked onto one of his bulging arms, there strength was close, but in the end, Kavaoak always overpowered him and he knew he couldn't keep this up.

With a flurry of movements and counter movements, arm bar hold, to a reverse choke, to a full nelson, Khareth flows around the big mans body like a rippling breeze, his skill obvious to all.

With his two extra arms pulling back His much larger ones, he applied pressure on the big mans carotid artery in his neck, hoping to end the match swiftly with a blood choke hold. He could see the big man sway, and he thought it was mere moments until the big man dropped.

And then he reversed it on him, his huge arms overpowering his, he reached up and slammed Khareth onto the floor sending the air out of his lungs with a sharp pain, unable to move from the momentary weakness, Kavaoak dropped his huge frame on top of him, almost smothering him for the 5 seconds needed to win.

All Khareth could see was darkness, until the huge Goliath stood up, hand ready to pull his opponent up. Smiling like a little child, Khareth takes the proffered hand and jumps up, his head swimming slightly.

"I hate it when you do that!" he says, as he slaps the huge mountain of a man on the back. Khareth had always been smaller than most, being several inches than some of the young men in his tribe, he found it usually helped him in the ring. The case was true with Kavaoak, and most times he would take the man down, but he was no novice and managed to surprise Khareth with his strength more than once. "Well, I have to let you win sometimes, right! give you a glimmer of hope for the next match!" he says as they walk to the table, his mouth already watering from the food they were about to imbibe.

He sat and let the coin bag he won drop to the table, his bets were not as large as they usually were, he was favored heavily in the ring and so he had to resort on how long he would be in the ring, reducing the chances and increasing the wages won. He looked over and saw Kavaoaks, "Well, looks like you'll be buying then?" he says with a smile.

As Kavaoak orders he stretches all four of his arms, his main arms coming to rest on the table as his lower 'extra' arms coming to his sides and resting on his legs, the clawed hands flexing as they did.

He smiles to the waitress, who in turn smirks at the haphazard attempt to woo her, for she had seen much better. Sighing he turned to Kavaoak, "Well my friend, I wander how long we can keep this up. You hear about the Tourna....." and then he was cut off by a catfolk and another man crashing into their table, they slammed into the top of the table, both looked at himself and Kava with wide eyes and then a huge poster with red streamers landed on the both of them covering them up.

Khareth stood sharply, stance ready to fight, his claws retracted and ready.

And then he started to laugh.

What sport was this! He had never seen such a debacle, and the poster covering them up made it all the more funnier, he couldn't help but keep his mirth covered and he burst out laughing.


I took some liberties, feel free to tell me to not to. I didn't think you would mind, cause I made Kavaoak win :smallbiggrin:

[nyyarg]

"Ah, now I understand. You let me win so I would have to buy this feast!" Kavaoak says, his deep voice breaking off into laughter. "That is only 3 times I have beaten you. Maybe you will win less when I have you pay for meals after victory!" He pulls his hand back to slap Khareth on the back and freezes as he catches some odd movement in the room.

He watches the surreal scene of a large cat, or catfolk he realizes a moment later, chasing a flying poster. His eyes widen in surprise and amusement as the catfolk trips. She lands on her feet, of course, but not before running into a cloaked figure. His amusement ends as they knock the just arrived barbecued baloth ribs off the table. In place of his delicious baloth ribs the much abused poster land in front of him.

He bites back his annoyance and addresses the two newcomers half sprawled, half sitting at the table. "I would like a new order of barbecued baloth ribs." he says calmly.

[Fan67]

It has been a month since the last raid to the wilderness.
Every evening at the guild was dedicated to finding new group, but the time was spent in vain.
The days were even worse: the guild was almost desolated, and after the month people got enough of his music at the market and the process was completely unsatisfying.
Idleness became rather nauseating...
Deep in thought, Colin walked among the tables and the slam from the catfolk was completely unexpected. He crushed onto the table, the sauce from the ribs sprayed over his vestment.

When the goliath asked for the meal replacement, Colin answered impassionately:
"The catfolk pays for your meal, and the damage to my garment can be repaid by telling me what sort of information from this poster made you ran for it so blindly?" - the last part was addressed to the felinе woman.

[RCgothic]

I don't see what trips me, but my perfectly-timed pounce doesn't quite go the way I had planned. A high-speed collision later and I find myself in perfect three-point contact with the center of a table; the poster grasped firmly in my remaining hand; a sheepish expression on my face. The dinners of the two diners the table belonged to had not been so lucky, nor the garment of the man I'd bumped into! My sheepish smile quickly becomes one of utter mortification! I clutch the poster to my chest as though I could hide behind it as I start issuing heartfelt apologies.

"Oh my! I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean to... there was something in my way! Not you! I tripped - I'm not normally so clumsy" - nevermind that I'd just executed a perfect landing in spite of a mid-air collision - "Of course I'll replace your meals - and your garment if it cannot be cleaned. The poster was fluttering, and it... I... um." Suddenly I'm not sure I want to admit I was chasing the poster for no reason than to catch it. I don't actually know what was written on it. I slowly release my tight grip on the paper, and spread it out so that the four can read it.

[Fable Wright]

The flyer is gaudy like many of the others on the wall, but is surprisingly nondistinct compared to many of the others. The parchment is a dull baloth-green, framed on all 4 sides by a small frame of sky-blue skyfish sails, with blood-red streamers with contact information on them for anyone interested. The writing is in dark beetle ink, written in plain, unadorned type. It's the kind of poster that's generically gaudy, but not interesting enough to draw any attention. The message is rather nondescript, too:


Adventurers Needed

Townspeople are disappearing by the day,
monster sightings increasingly common in
the nearby Wilderness. Monsters roughly
humanoid in shape, inherent magical highly
probable. Appear to be able to blend with
human society for short times. Bounty of
100 gold per monster head. For those
interested, take contact slips below.



Still, the bounty is not bad, all things considered, and judging by the lack of stubs at the bottom of the poster, there's no other competition for the job. It's solid work and likely gets some respect from the townspeople and some cred from the guild, even if it isn't the highest profile work. It would seem too good to be true, except for the low profile of the poster and the modest bounty given the probable magic potential...

[nyyarg]

Kavaoak idly chews on a chunk of somewhat overcooked meat as he stares at the poster. He glances up at the others and looks back to the poster with a troubled expression on his face.

He clears his throat and casually asks "What does it say?" He pauses a moment and adds, "I cannot read it upside down."

He grabs a large mug and begins drinking its contents, hoping that the poster is, in fact, upside down from his perspective.

[Fan67]

Colin read the message and looked up at the others, awaiting reaction.
He didn't rushed to make up for Kavaoak's lack of literacy, instead letting catfolk to do it.

While others were catching up he read the poster again.
If this is it - I wont ****ing believe... - he thought for himself.

[BelGareth]

Khareth smirks as Kavaoak says he can't read it upside down.

"You can't read it right side up either!" he laughs out loud "And neither can I! and who cares, read on!"

He listens to the catfolk read it.

"Well, looks like I have what I was looking for to get me out of this losing streak" he says between mouthfuls of Baloth ribs, the ones that just appeared and a smirk. "Gods knows I hate losing all the time!"

[RCgothic]

I read out the poster for the benefit of Khareth and Kavaoak. It sounds... intriguing?

Anyway, time for introductions! I carefully step down from the table, using one of the benches as a step. "So, um... I'm Minou. I guess I'd make a pretty good scout - if you guys are interested that is."

[Fan67]

Illiterate people, bored and friendly... May be little courtesy will help...

"I am not as good at ramming people as our new beautiful catfolk aquaintance, but I am very proficient adventurer with more than a decade of experience. I may lack the stature of a goliath and... usefulness of extra limbs, however people around here find the fact that I take no share in gold very convenient."- Colin really tried to sound cheerful, but instead his dispassionate voice sounded rather gloomy and little pathetic.

[nyyarg]

Kavaoak laughs and turns to Khareth. "I am learning to read, Khareth. I recognize several of the symbols now... although I think I knew more of them before you choked me out yesterday"

Kavaoak listens closely as Minou reads the poster. It doesn't seem that different from the many other offers he had heard in his relatively brief time here, but the interest that the others are showing makes him curious. I have yet to find what I am looking for in this town. Perhaps I should seek elsewhere and make some allies on the way. He puts down the loaf of bread he was eating and introduces himself to the others.

"I am called Kavaoak Skyseeker Vathakimana of the Kimathva tribe. I am a hunter possessing a handful of useful mystical talents. As delicious as this food is," he says, holding up a baloth rib, "I hunger for some adventure. That, and now is a good time to leave, as I am on a winning streak...of one win!"

He reaches out and rips off one of the contact slips on the bottom of the poster. He looks at it closely for a few moments and absently rubs his bald head with his left hand. "So, what do the contact slips say?"

[BelGareth]

Khareth smiles and grabs a 'contact slip'.

"Well then my new friends! I think Destiny has bought us here, the great man armed God may growl, but we must still come if hearkened!" he bellows, getting louder and more excited as he went.

"Come, let us enjoy this Baloth meat and we shall depart when we are all fat and happy!" he turns and calls the waitress "Wench, more Ribs!"


I'm good with a fast forward if everyone else is.

[Fable Wright]

Time passes. The night came and went, and as Khareth predicted, there was feasting, laughter, and games. Minou held the title of being undefeated at darts for most of the night, until a few lucky tosses by Colin broke her streak. Colin, in turn, found out that doing so may not have been the best idea, having been blindsighted by a number of Minou's pranks in the morning. Khareth managed to beat out a Minotaur in an arm-wrestling contest, even without using his other arms, and Kavaoak managed to finish off his 12 pounds of ribs in under an hour-- fast enough to break the current record, scoring him a place on the wall of fame in the bar and his money back on the ribs. After a long and merry night, the adventurers finally retired, content and looking forward to their new adventure.

When they found the town that hired them, though, their optimism began to fade. As they tread across the soggy peat trail that led to the town, their waterlogged boots nearly ruined and pruny feet sore after a day of marching, they started to smell the place before they could see it. Amidst the damn scent of the trail, there was the bitter scent of burning hair and meat in the air, growing stronger as they approached their destination. The scent slowly became stronger and more pungent, until finally it reached a peak as they rounded the last hill to the town. What they see did not impress them. In the large valley between the gently sloping hills lies a small town of low-roofed buildings made of some shiny black materials apparently shoved into the ground, decorated with red-brown runes chained around the upper walls of them. In the middle of the town is a large fire, with a brown-ish bug being roasted on a spit in the middle, apparently the source of the smell. As you get closer, you notice that the people of the town seem rather... slow. They walk with a slightly dizzy gait, plodding along whatever tasks occupied them with a dull and almost glassy look in their eyes. As you approach the largest of the huts, presumably the mayor's, and the place where you'd be briefed, you realize that the houses themselves were filled with the damp moss of the road as well. Off to the left, you see an entire building of sick people, lying on mats of chitin, being tended to by an obviously overworked healer, the smell of their vomit almost as strong as the putrid smell from the cooking insect. As you pull aside the insect-wing door to the large building, you see a slightly pale man sitting at a table inside, eating what appears to be some sort of porrige. As you come closer, you realize that it's actually what appears to be cooked maggots. When the man sees you, he stands up, clumsily nearly knocking over the bowl, and turns to face you. He seems to be in his early fourties, with dark hair and eyes, and aside from his complexion, appears to be in rather good health for his age. You're the adventurers we sent for, aren't you? Emeria be praised! The hunters said that no one would come, but you did! He looks dizzy, and collapses back in to his chair. Apologies. I'm... not feeling well. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm the mayor of this town, Draymon Keldr. Please, make yourselves at home. I think I have some more grub, and I can arrange for your accomodations at the inn if you need a place to stay. He gets up again, slightly unsteadily, and makes his way towards a dugout corner of the room, apparently intent on getting you something to eat.

[RCgothic]

Minou

During the trek I spent some time ranging ahead of the group, sometimes sweeping back behind. It's not that I'm worried about ambushes or followers, but if I'm going to be the group's scout I figure I had better get some practice in! Besides, the group walks more slowly than I'm used to, and the extra prowling helps keep me focussed. At other times I skip alongside the others, chatting animatedly about this plant or that butterfly that I saw!

My bare feet become thoroughly muddy, but even the gloomy weather can't dampen my spirits. The site of our employment does, however! Drab, damp, dirty dross! Even the seedier parts of Dol'Arren weren't as miserable than this, and I quickly decide I'd rather camp outside this town than stay at it's inn! I wrinkle my nose in disgust at the roasting big, and take exquisite care to avoid touching anything if at all possible.

[nyyarg]

What i would give for clean mountain air and some elk stew! Kavaoak thinks to himself as he enters dilapidated village. He tries to remind himself why he is here, which only serves to remind him that he doesn't have a particularly good reason for being here, aside from following his gut. Unfortunately his gut currently wants food and the local cuisine is somewhat less than appetizing. He makes an effort to identify the large bug being cooked to see if it is one that is good to eat, but he is not hopeful. Healthy food typically smells good.

"I suspect they didn't tell us everything they should have about this job." he says quietly to his companions as they make their way to the mayor's residence.

"Thank you Draymon, but we can make our own arrangements for food and lodging. Our interest is in the monsters which you reported troubling this place. Give us what information you have and we can get to work exterminating them." He pauses for a moment, looking at the bowl of maggots, and then continues, "Also I saw many sick villagers as I walked in...can you explain what is going on?


Are the bugs the villagers eating suitable for consumption? Knowledge (Nature) [roll0]
Based on what Kavaoak saw on the way in, is there better food available in the surrounding wilderness? Survival [roll1]

[Fan67]

Colin was mostly silent during the trip, but tried to answer politely if somebody spoke to him. He wielded large wooden shield, morningstar was at hand, the sword sheathed and the longbow over the shoulder. The equipment encumbered him a little, but he tried not to slow down the party.

When the mayor left, Colin spoke to his companions in low voice:
"If this town is haunted by monsters and disease, there is certainly no shortage in abandoned structures. Considering the negotiations with the mayor lead to our employment, I say we take one of the escheated house, instead of the few rooms in the inn. We won't be split, smaller structure is easier to defend and will make it harder for the locals to perceive our movements."


Let's start being paranoid:
[roll0] - Sense Motive to see if the villagers are under enchantment (sense enchantment).
[roll1] - Let's see if this roasted bug is from the underworld or not.
[roll2] - Bardic Knowledge about the village...

Edit: I suck :smalltongue:

[RCgothic]

Minou

Raised hackles, narrowed eyes, flattened ears. I do NOT like the suggestion that we spend any more time in the town than absolutely necessary. It's like the place has a sickness. A sickness for bugs. And I don't want to get any of that on me.

"I'm not staying in the wretched town!" I quietly hiss at Kavaoak. "Even if that means I have to sleep in a tree and catch rabbits with my bare paws! Let's just find out where to start this quest so we can get out of here."

[Fable Wright]

@Kavaoak:
You can recognize that the bugs are fit for consumption; they're actually on the healthy side, if a bit bland. The acrid smell probably comes from how they're cooking it--the insides of the shell are what's good to eat, but with large bugs like that, to get a good rotisserie, you need to turn it over a fire. The shell of the bug is a convenient case for the innards, though produces an acrid smell when burnt.

On your way here, you saw a few sparse bushes, but there's nowhere near enough roots and berries nearby to sustain the the town. You heard elsewhere that further into the woods, there's a swamp where there might be giant wurms that are good for eating, but killing one would be a challenge for even the best adventurers. Bugs are probably the most abundant, nutritional food around here.

Doesn't change the fact that they're eating insects, though.

@Colin:
You can't tell if any enchantments are here, and you don't think that the bug is from the underworld, but you haven't heard anything about the village you're in.

The mayor comes back, carrying a large chitin plate with a jello-like translucent, greasy, pale yellow piece of... meat? about the size of your head, and he sets it on the table before you. He points to some wooden stools off to the corner, and motions for you to dig in. Have some leg roast. I was saving it for later, but I can get something else. Nothing but the best for our village's saviors! He beams, and then returns to his bowl of grubs.

As for your questions... well, there's not a lot to say that there wasn't on the poster. We'd admit someone who we'd seen go out into the swamp back into the town, and within the hour they and another villager would disappear, probably back out into the swamp. He pauses for a moment to chew a mouthful of the maggot-like meal. We tried keeping people within sight of the town, but we quickly ran out of grubs nearby, and rats don't last long and are less nutritious. I suspect that they're also the source of this filth fever outbreak. He says, nodding his head in the general direction of the 'hospital.' Now, we've always had some ill people after the hunters traded with us, but that always cleared up with a few days of solid rest. Recently, though, I think someone ate an undercooked rat, and filth fever caught on. Combined with the poor health people had with the weekly hunter visits, it spread like wildfire. We're doing everything we can, and the hunters are offering a few helpful herbs on credit, but there's nothing to do but wait it out.

[nyyarg]

"Perhaps you misheard, but we are not in need of food and have brought ample provisions for our..." Kavaoak trails off as he looks at the large chunk of insect meat, a slight surprised expression slowly creeping over his face. "Is that giant striped scarab leg roast? Perhaps I spoke hastily...I am a bit hungry." He grabs a chunk of the yellow meat and, still standing, casually bites into it. He continues, speaking with his mouth full "You have mentioned hunters a few times, who are they?" He swallows and holds up the piece of greasy meat "This is not bad, but you should try it with goji berry sauce, that is how my tribe prepares mountain scarab." He pauses and takes another bite, chewing thoughtfully. After a few moments he speaks again. "These monsters, have any been killed? Or even seen not in the guise of a villager? How will we know them?"

When he gets a chance to do so privately, he addresses his companions "I do not care if we stay in this village or not, but I would insist that we stay upwind of the stench. As for our task, I see three options. We can simply venture into the swamp and see what we find. We can wait here for a hapless villager to return from the swamp. Or one of us could be disguised as a villager and used as bait. " Kavaoak looks straight at Colin as he mentions the last possibility, clearly thinking him the best candidate for the role of bait. "Any other suggestions?"

What time of day is it?/How long till nightfall?

[Fable Wright]

@Everyone:
It's early afternoon, around 3 o'clock. It's probably another 4 or 5 hours to sunset.

At Kavaoak's question about the meat, he takes on a quizzical look. No, but it is swamp scarab. I haven't heard of striped scarabs anywhere but the mountains, but I can see why the taste would be similar. Unfortunately, though, we don't have many berry plants over here. We may ask the envoy to get some when he next comes back.

The mayor then hears out Kavaoak, then frowns and shakes his head. We haven't been able to collect any corpses or even see any, but one of the guards, Barry, managed to get a hit on one with a glaive before. He said that the blow felt rubbery but like it struck metal at the same time. Given the fact that they haven't stayed an hour here yet, and this knowledge, we assume that we could recognize the kills by their bodies. We haven't seen them in their true forms yet, which is one of the reasons we couldn't identify the monsters on the flier.

You may roll sense motive at this point, if anyone here has it.

[Fan67]

Colin:

When Minou told she doesn't want to stay here, Colin said:"I think if there were rabbits or another animals suitable for consumtion in nearby wilderness, we would have noticed. All evidence we got shows that vermin prevail in local nourishment. And maggots should be much more nutritious... especialy that I have not seen any malignant or poisonous ones."

While mayor was away, Colin answered to Kavaoak's proposition:
"We need to get more information about these creatures we are looking for. We do not know how do they choose victims, what do they need them for. May be they take only young, may be they take only fat, may be they take only diseased and thus helping to stop the local epidemic...
Also if they consume their prey, they might find me a bit chewy and Minou would make much more satisfying meal."


To the mayor:
"How did Barry recognized his target was one of the monsters? What make it look different? After the blow that creature just withdrew? It seems strange, that powerful monster didn't killed Barry outright...
Do you know if victims the monsters kidnaped were infected or not? Do they have any similiar traits? Gender, age, constitution or something else?"

[roll0] - Sense Motive vs Mayor
Edit: oh, god! :smallfurious:

[nyyarg]

Speaking to the mayor, Kavaoak says, "Perhaps I distracted you with talk of scarabs, but I believe you were going to tell us about the hunters. If they hunt the wilds of this area they may have knowledge useful to our task."

Turning to Colin when he gets a chance, Kavaoak says "Have you tried scarab before? The texture is odd but the flavor is not bad, better than trail rations by any rate." He pauses, offering a chunk of the meat to Colin while he listens. He responds, "Yes, I suppose you are right, Colin. I have hunted a great many wild beasts, but never has my quarry been truly intelligent. I suspect the principles remain the same, but we would be well served by knowing more. Still if one of us is to pose as a villager, I think you would be the only one able to pull it off."

Sense Motive roll vs Mayor: [roll0]
When we got to the village we noticed reddish brown runes on the buildings. Do they have seem to have mystical significance? Knowledge (arcana) [roll1] (a normal person might try to read the runes...sadly not an option for Kavaoak)

[Fan67]

"No, thank you, I may try it tomorrow, when I see you are not affected. I do not remember tasting anything similiar recently, and my system has little tolerance to exotic food."

"When the right time comes, I certainly can disguise myself as a villager, if this is required..."


[roll0] Knowledge Religion on red-brown runes on buildings
[roll1] Knowledge Arcane on them as well

[Fable Wright]

@Everyone who rolled sense motive:
Nothing seems suspicious in the least.

@Kavaoak:
The runes aren't used for spellwork, but they seem to have some form of signifigance, from the meticulous way they were drawn on. Maybe a local custom? Think Pennsylvania Dutch Hex http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_signSigns.

@Colin:
The runes don't seem familiar or like they carry heavy religious connotations, though you know of a few pagan (that is, believe in animistic deities rather than one of the big three deities most civilizations worship) traditions that use similar designs.

Addressing Colin's question first, Draymon waves a dismissive gesture. You'd have to ask Barry for the specifics, but from what he told us, it just seemed 'suspicious' to him. He saw a villager running toward the edge of town, one he saw coming in not an hour ago, with another one in tow. Given that it's the modus operandi of the creatures, it's natural he would try to apprehend one. The villager wouldn't stop when addressed, and kept running through past Barry's glaive. He got a glancing hit off of it then, he said, before it dragged the villager off into the swamp. He then thinks for a moment. Come to think of it, all of the villagers that disappeared were family or almost family to people who gather food from the swamp. It's not much to go on, but that's all the information I have.

Reluctantly, he turns to Kavaoak. The hunters are rather secretive folk. They live out in the swamp, come by every few months for trading; rather unimportant stuff for us in exchange for the livelihood of the town. The mayor gestures at the walls and buildings. They hunt the giant insects in the deep swamp, and trade them to us. Their shells are our only export, and their meat is the closest thing we have to a delicacy. Apparently, there are a few tribes of traders out there looking for each others' blood, but only one deals with us. Some villagers say that the other tribes are responsible for the attacks and a few other disappearances. I doubt it, personally; the hunters really seem to care about keeping us alive. It's unlikely, though. He rubs the back of his neck. I'd advise against looking for them. They live in the deep swamp, and it's not safe there. And, uh, I'm not entirely sure you'd come back. The mayor looks nervous. The hunters really don't take too kindly to other people coming to them. The few people who tried came back to the town on death's door.

[BelGareth]

Khareth travels with them, sometimes he runs after Minou, but he could never keep up and he trailed back to the main group, he would climb trees as they went, swinging from some, and then jumping down to walk with them.

Once the village came into view, he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"This village smells of Pufta ****!" he announces, as they walk through, he shuts up, knowing at least that he shouldn't say something like that to the person who hired them.

Once the meat is laid before them he goes to grab it, but is beaten by Kavaoak. He takes a tear out of it after him, "Oh god, its been a weeks since I've had a good Scarab leg!"

He watches as he chews on the lean meat, not making any effort to cover the juices flowing freely down his front.

"Why not go looking for these tribes, I bet they know somethink!"

[RCgothic]

Minou

Still disgruntled at the lack of both rabbits and trees, I wrinkle my nose at the insect meat. It'll be a while longer before hunger drives me to touch that!

"I don't think we need to make ourselves bait for the monsters just yet! Perhaps we could start with a simple look around where the incidents happened?"

[Fan67]

Colin

"If that Barry is the only one who witnessed and survived, I say we go and interrogate him as soon as possible. May be he can give more clue about the monsters' nature..."

[nyyarg]

"My preference would be to head straight into the swamp and begin the hunt, but I can see the wisdom in speaking to this Barry first. Still, I do not hold much hope that he will have any useful knowledge. "

He turns to the mayor and nods his head slightly. "Thank you for the information and the snack. " He then turns to leave the mayors house.

[BelGareth]

Khareth huffs "Fine then! lets go ask questions, I'm sure that'll be way more entertaining than a brawl with some unknown monster in the woods!" he says and storms out of the mayors office.

[RCgothic]

Minou

I'm already moving as Khareth begins to leave, dodging round him in the doorway so as to lead the way. I am the party's scout after all!