Serpent's Skull: City of Seven Spears [IC]

[lostsole31]

"If you heal Veress, I will be willing to move forward," says Aron to Xhanfaerd.

[silphael]

He nods, then heals the tiger.

Spoiler: OOC

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Casting lesser restoration again.

[lostsole31]

And with that, Veress no longer feels the weakness from the poison anymore.

Harrim, Xhanfaerd, and the tiger are still physically wounded. Two bursts from Harrim will fully heal him, and a third will fuly heal Xhanfaerd. Aron thanks the speaker of the apocalypse, and then uses one casting of her strongest magic to heal Veress fully.

In the meantime, the haste will have ended, and shortly after moving on, Xhanfaerd will return to normal size.

As you get back on the island, and begin exploring inwards some, you realize that some of the ancient, well-worked Azlanti designs have much newer, colored mud paintings of primal scenes hand or finger-painted over the walls.

[BuckGodot]

Book will make note of these differences and examine them a bit closer... Much to the dismay of Fronaldo...

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo examines himself to see if he can determine what the ring effect may be while the history nerds jabber excitedly about mud paintings.

[BuckGodot]

Book gives a sidelong glance at Fronaldo as he “examines himself.”

[lostsole31]

With Book and Xhanfaerd noting the motifs and style, they both agree ..... boggards.

Spoiler: Boggards

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Boggards are bullfrog-like humanoids that inhabit swamps.

[Blackhawk101]

“I assume that these frog people are gentle and kind; welcoming to strangers?”
asks Fronaldo sarcastically.

[lostsole31]

Book and Xhanfaerd are both pretty sure that boggards are usually demon worshipers - various ones, but often favoring a disgusting demon lord known as Gogunta.

[silphael]

"Most demon lords worshipers aren't very welcoming to strangers, no."

[Blackhawk101]

“Excellent.”
Fronaldo moves Boggards from “poison only” to “murder on sight” category in his head. Poisoning being his default category for any new creature he meets.

[lostsole31]

Spoiler: Aron >>> Collective

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"Now, wait a minute. We travel with a goblin. In most places, a goblin is a kill-on-sight creature. Book and Xhanfard have determined boggard, but are there actual demonic motifs, or is someting about the style reminding you of a boggard? I don't think you should be ready to kill just to kill because of a creature's race."

To answer the question now, Book and Xhanfaerd only recognize motifs common to Boggard paint art, but not explicit demonic symbols or exhortations.

[BuckGodot]

Book communicates as much to the group.

[Blackhawk101]

“It’s like she can read my thoughts!”, Fronaldo thinks to himself.
Turning to Book he says: “It’s like she can read my thoughts!”
”Anyway, worshipping demons is bad, right?”

[lostsole31]

"Worshipping demons is bad," Hargrimm says, "because they would stretch out existence just to cause pain if they could. But I think Aronnahar was merely stating that there is a lack of demon motifs, unlike normal boggards, where you would normally have those things. So, why do you keep mentioning demons?"

[Blackhawk101]

“Me? No, I am not saying they worship demons, Book said they did.
I was just sayin that “if” they did worship (you know) demons THEN we should totally kill them. That’s all.”
Reluctantly (in his head so no one can actually see what he is doing) Fronaldo erases the chalk check mark next to “murder on sight” and then checks the column for “only poison” for Boggards.
If you could see into the space inside his head, you may notice that upon an easel, a piece of slate sits with rows of neat printing and carefully check marks. Except for the row labeled “Charau-Ka”. The chalk marks in that row are smeared and someone has messily scratched “KILL THEM ALL” into the slate with a sharp object.

[BuckGodot]

Wrapping up his examinations, Book looks to the others and suggests continuing on.

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo throws back his head and opens his mouth to its widest apperture, exposing rows of tiny sharp teeth and a forked tongue. He groans in exasperation before straightening up.
"YESSSSS!"

[lostsole31]

The party continues ...

A number of buildings face a long promenade leading to an open rotunda to the south. A row of stone pillars covered with dense writing runs down the center of the promenade. Several of these pillars appear to have been recently cleaned. Where this section ends before opening up to where the jungle is reclaiming the edge by the water is a mixtured of jungle and ruins leading to a stone ring. Upon a large mushroom, almost like a throne, is a hideously ugly (to human standards), green-skinned, red bug-eyed frog person in some type of ceremonial dress. There are several human zombies standing around him like a sort of honor guard. As the party comes into view, it is obvious he sees you, but he neither does anything aggressive himself, and even the zombies are surprisingly non chase-and-bitey.

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo waves and smiles at the freakish frog people.

Spoiler: Fronaldo>>>Collective

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“Let me guess…Boggards.”
”Who is going to talk to them, Aron?”

[lostsole31]

Spoiler: Aron >>> Collective

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"I have comprehend languages I can cast, but it only affects myself, and doesn't help me communicate outwardly. I mean, if it turns out it doesn't speak Taldane or Polyglot or something. Anyone have tongues, or something that might help?"

[Blackhawk101]

Spoiler: Fronaldo>>>Collective

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“I have comprehend languages also.”

[lostsole31]

Spoiler: Aron >>> Collective

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"Anyone? Anyone at all have anything that might help in this situation. Don't be shy. Just tepe what you have."

[silphael]

Spoiler: Collective

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I cannot cast anything related to language, but I know quite a lot of those. Maybe they know Aklo or Polyglot ? If we open negotiations, and I recognize something, I'll tell.

[BuckGodot]

Spoiler: Book>>>Collective

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"Sorry. I don't have anything. However, I think it's best we try something rather than standing here staring at each other..."

Book steps forward with hands held out palm up and says in Taldane, "Greetings. We mean no harm. I am Book." and he gestures to himself. Then repeats in Polyglot.

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo covertly moves behind Book and tries to use the larger man to screen him while he quaffs an extract.

Spoiler: crunch

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MA: Move behind Book
SA: use stealth to hide behind Book and drink extract of Comp languages.

[lostsole31]

The frog-man doesn't respond saying something you don't understand (because Fronaldo is mid-quaff). He does gesture the group forward.

Aron points to him, makes a hand motion talking, points to her ear, and then acts like spelllcasting. Points to her ear, and then nods exaggeratedly and smiles. The boggard seemed to understand nods as a measure of allowing it, and so she casts her spell on herself. Aron grabs Fronaldo by the ear and pulls him out from behind Book.

The boggard begins croaking.

Spoiler: Boggard

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"I am Ugimmo. Who are you?"

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo hisses at the unexpected painful tug at his ear and wriggles free. He stays next to Aron, rubbing his ear ruefully.

[BuckGodot]

Book looks to Aron for a translation.

[lostsole31]

Aron will translate through the collective with each thing said by the boggard.

Aron slowly holds up her wayfinder, pointing to the wayfinder on Fronaldo and gesturing generally to the rest of the group. "Pathfinders."

The boggard doesn't seem to know what that means, but through a couple questions and answers it seems that the boggard recognizes you as a collected he refers to as the "circle box people" (referring to a wayfinder as a round compasson on a small box).

Aron looks to Fronaldo, "My voice is too soft. I need you to speak for us."