Family Of Experiments [IC]

[Xihirli]

Beth bobbed up and down in assent.
”Do not worry, friend giant. I am the most brilliant mind of our time. They are safe with us. I am Beth, the Antiluminescant Mage. This is Bambi, the New Destroyer. And here is Cutty. It’s short for Cuttlefish. What is your name, my new friend?"

[JNAProductions]

"I'm Muk," he says, and holds out his hand. "I like new friends."

[Xihirli]

Beth shook the giant's pinky giddily.
"Yes! Yes! Friendship is wonderful!" She cackled evilly and landed back on top of Bambi.
"Now to march on to the coast with the power of love and friendship!

[JNAProductions]

Muk seems confused by your response, but happy enough. As you start walking, though, he asks "Do you little guys want to ride Gerald and Gwen? Might be easier."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Muk!" Cutty chimes in as she's introduced, smiling with her little mouth and big W-shaped eyes. A long tentacle reaches up and wraps around giant's hand to shake it. "Are you sure the goats won't mind?"

It's pretty clear that they'll do anything Bambi wants at this point, so she swings onto Gwen's back and rides her the rest of the way to the ruins.

[Xihirli]

Beth gratefully landed on Gerald’s back, like a goblin beholder is wont to do.

[JNAProductions]

"You're the boss, boss, so no," he says.

The goats, while a little nonplussed at their new riders, certainly don't seem strained by your weight.

Spoiler: OOC

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Onwards to nightfall?

[Xihirli]

Spoiler: OOC

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To nightfall!

I'm sorry, I thought you were proposing a toast.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"So, Muk, have you always lived by this road?" Cutty asks idly. The idea of giants just living out here alongside the humans is intriguing.

[JNAProductions]

"No. My dad told me to go find... Um... Something," he says. "I forgot what. It was a while ago. I don't really miss him, but I miss my mom."

[Xihirli]

"We are looking for our father! Along the way we're stopping in some ruins to search for items of power. Perhaps what you are searching for is in those very ruins."

[JNAProductions]

"Yeah..." Muk says, then perks up. "Yeah! Then I can go home and be with my family again!"

[Xihirli]

"Wonderful! Family is very important," the evil goblin-beholder espoused.
"Do you have any recollection of what it is you need? Perhaps I can help. If you describe it I may be able to conjure a replica." To demonstrate her ability, Beth caused a frying pan to appear in her left hand. She then threw it on the ground to see it immediately puff out of existence. Then she summoned a fork, gauntlet, amulet, and piece of string, all of which she destroyed immediately afterward.

[JNAProductions]

"He said... Um..." Muk says, the gears in his head turning. "Get... Um... Get Lauhst? Something with an L."

[Xihirli]

All four of Beth's eyes blinked. Then she frowned with her large mouth.
"I'm not sure if those words are cognates between Giant and Common or if he just spoke Common then..." she started.
"But it sounds like he told you to get lost. He... he sent you away. You were rejected. It's... it's okay. We all know what that's like."

[JNAProductions]

Muk shakes his head. "No, he was very clear. He told me to find it, so I'm gonna find it. Why would he send me away for no reason?"

[Xihirli]

Beth blinked, then turned back to the road.
Even though most of my body mass is eye and I'm a conglomeration of two monsters, I just don't have the heart.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"I know how you feel!" Cutty interjects. "My dad used to yell at me and send me to my tank all the time, especially when I broke something accidentally. I'm sure your family will be happy to see you when you return!"

[JNAProductions]

"Thanks," Muk says, and reaches over to pat Cutty on the back. His strong hand knocks you a little askance, and he says "Oh! Sorry. Not used to small guys like you."

[Izzarra]

Bambi thinks long and hard about what you might need to get that begins with an L
"Could it be lamb that you need to get, I would like some lamb."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Oof!"

Cutty's small body nearly tumbles off of Gwen, but her quick tentacles wrap around the goat's body to keep her strapped on.

"I'm sure we can find something," she says to Bambi. "We'll let you know if we see any wild animals to eat."

Spoiler

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Okay, now I'm tapped out enough to skip to nighttime.

[JNAProductions]

You continue your travels for hours. Muk is happy to be with his new friends, though the more you talk to him, the more you know he's a rather slow individual. Still, he's a good fellow, and you feel you can trust him to have your back.

Night falls, and you break for rest. The ruins are not more than two hours away, distantly visible on the rolling fields, but you know it'd be unwise to approach them without rest.

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d100)[14]

High good, low bad.

Around when you finish setting up camp, you see three large birds swooping in from above. They circle a little bit, and looking closely, you can see they have the heads of stags, complete with antlers.

Spoiler: Nature or Arcana DC 13

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They're Perytons, cursed birds that were, in the ancient past, once people. Their bodies resist non-magical weapons, and they like to tear the hearts out of their victims.

Quite dangerous. Quite likely to try to murder you all.

[Xihirli]

"Zounds! That thing is bad news. Quick, everyone! Hide in my inconspicuous pool of darkness!" Beth cast Darkness centered on her wand. Shadow encircled her and a circle with a radius of fifteen feet, shrouding all around her in shadow that could not be seen through.

[JNAProductions]

The goats shimmy towards Muk as the darkness spills out, and you can tell Muk is nervous. He reaches out for someone's hand to hold.

[Izzarra]

Bambi pulls out a javelin in one hand and a greatsword in the other and gets ready for a fight.

Spoiler: OOC

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Not going to dual wield, will throw or drop javelin depending on what happens.

[Xihirli]

Beth was confused that no one had grabbed the giant's hand yet before realizing she was the only one who could see through her Inconspicuous™ Pool of Shadow (not to be confused with her Conspicuous™ Pool of Shadow). She grabbed ahold of Muk's pinky with her left hand.
"There is no need to worry! So long as everyone is absolutely silent..." Beth trailed off there, hearing her own words.

[JNAProductions]

Muk mumbles something in a fearful tone-nothing coherent, just being afraid.

You sit in the darkness for a few minutes, not knowing if the Perytons are still circling.

Spoiler: OOC

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Three of your ten minutes have passed.

If you choose to stay for the whole duration, let me know. If something else, let me know that too! :P

(1d15)[8]

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Cutty dutifully hunkers down in the inky dome and scratches her goat behind the ears to keep it calm. Within thirty seconds, she starts to suspect that this plan isn't really going anywhere. By minute three, that suspicion has become a certainty.

"Beth, is it okay if I go out and see if they're gone?"

Leaving one tentacle on the goat, Cutty pushes herself out of the darkness to look around, ready to pull herself back in an instant if the elkbirds are waiting for her.

[Xihirli]

"Absolutely not. I’ll see if they come - consarn it!”

((OOC: It’s fine, go ahead.))

[JNAProductions]

Cutty pokes a head out, and sees the birds, still circling, eyeing the darkness closely. Seeing a target, they begin to swoop, aiming for Cutty!

Spoiler: OOC

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Roll initiative.

(1d20+1)[9]
(1d20+1)[7]
(1d20+1)[7]