Delivery in the Dark
Log Info
- Title: Delivery in the Dark
- GM: Aftershock
- Place: Somewhere in Alexandros
Nasir Vali is the very image of a proper gentleman manservant. He is holding a long box that looks nothing so much like a box for holding roses in his arms very carefully. Though this box is made of wood and polished to a high shine rather than paper or some other material. "I would like it if you could deliver this box to a location which I've laid out for you in a forest nearby. It's a lovely little spot though it has not been much used of late and there are some rumors from those local to the area that something unpleasant has taken up residence. I was unable to get an accurate description of what."
Ulthan bows his head as he accepts the parcel. Being more of a courier than adventurer, he's already got the padding for the case ready and wraps it in soft blanket, before securing it into his rucksack.
Cuemoni remembers this man. The turquoise-scaled sith-makar rumbles a little in thought as she looks at the parcel, letting Ulthan accept it (as he is, after all, a courier, and makari hands are not always the correct choice for handling packages of a delicate nature). "This one is curious," she says. "What are the rumors that have been said? This one knows you have not heard an accurate description, however..."
She gives a toothy grin that should be friendly, but that doesn't necessarily translate. (In truth, she's still getting used to the concept of grinning.) "There are truths occasionally in rumors. There are also... This one believes they are called 'tall tails'? This one does not know why they are called such. Maybe in admiration of the People's tails."
Reithak, the egalrin from last time, is in a noticeably less chipper mood than last time. The inquisitor tilted their hat down slightly and chuffs loudly.
"Happy to help again, but a bit more information and trust would be welcome this time, mister Vali. On account of putting a request you didn't expect us to fill last time, which led to one of my allies nearly dying. So if you could tell us what's in that box you're having us deliver, maybe why we're delivering it, that'd be mighty appreciated."
"Yeah, easiest way to be creative is to take something existing and stretch it in a new way. Sometimes hard to tell what the beginning was, though." She nods to the sith-makar.
Ulthan checks the straps and clasps of his rucksack to make sure it is secure, but not hindering his reach of his weapons, as the talk sure seems to veer into direction where he'll need more than just his quick legs to get this parcel through.
Nasir tilts his head at Reithak. "If my instructions were unclear I apologize. I'm not much used to asking adventurers to do things." He looks a trace embarrassed. "The box contains the flowers that I requested that you gathered last time. I wish them taken to a location where they can be gathered by someone who travels in that location often, but as I said something has taken up residence there that seems unpleasant. I know only that there have been great bellows and screams from that location such that those that live in the area are beginning to say that it is haunted."
"Bellows and screams," Cuemoni says with a disapproving tone, another rumble rising from within her chest. Her tail shakes a little at the end. "Ay. This one does not like the sound of that. There could be killings. There could be a haunting. It could be both. Either way... This one would need to be at the scene of the happening to know more."
She chuckles a little--as much as a sith-makar can chuckle. "It is hard to know what a problem is until this one has seen it in person. It could be a rabbit burrow. They like to make the calls of screaming at night when they are hunted. This one is ready to move on if others do not have questions?"
Ulthan shrugs, voicing his readines, since there's some distance to travel, and the day is not getting nay younger.
"Not unclear so much as vague. Sorry, don't worry about it too much." The large egalrin shrugs. "I know it's hard to believe with how much trouble us adventuring folks get into, but we don't actually like getting into trouble. At least, most of us. And easiest way to do that is to know what we're getting into. Don't want to be transporting unknown boxes into the forest and delivering things we shouldn't be delivering."
"They're called tall tales because you makari folk are tall and have really long tails." Reithak laughs, some of her normal chipperness returning. "And your speakers have such wild stories from a place like Am'shere it's hard to believe they aren't embellished. Really though, it's because they're tales that have had their truth stretched, like me taking your thought on what it might be and running with it, you know?"
Ulthan rumbles something about how every hunt party faced packs of dire bears in the mountains of his Dran homeland when it was time for the campfire and tongues to wag.
GAME: Reithak rolls sense motive: (7)+10: 17 GAME: Ulthan rolls Sense motive: (5)+5: 10 GAME: Cuemoni rolls Perception: (18)+9: 27 GAME: Reithak rolls perception: (7)+19: 26 GAME: Ulthan rolls perception: (4)+8: 12
As you leave the manor you spot - it's not difficult since he's laying in the walkway - a big black cat. He seems quite at home there in your way, and after a moment of hesitation Reithak spends some time petting the feline before you all make your way around it and outside. Somehow, it feels like you lost a good solid fifteen minutes with that slight detour, but entirely worth it for feline.
Eventually you make your way into the woods where you are meant to make your delivery. It's not long either before you hear grunting and groaning from between the trees, and one and all of you spot the source kicking up ground and head-butting one of the trees.
A minotaur.
Great.
GAME: Cuemoni rolls Knowledge/Local: (10)+1: 11 GAME: Reithak rolls knowledge/Dungeoneering +2: (3)+6+2: 11 GAME: Ulthan rolls knowledge/local: (11)+5: 16
"Ah!" The sound of discovery is a little excited noise from Cuemoni's mouth, the shaman keeping her voice low since there is a whole lot of minotaur not terribly far from their location. "No haunting. Just bull. Great big bull... Man."
She rumbles thoughtfully before eyeing Ulthan. "This one is versed with fire magic. It is better for this one to stay afar, and this one has also seen the Fire-singing Dragon Warrior fight from afar." She means Reithak with that last one, pointing to the egalrin woman with a claw. "Will you be able to take it head-on, Warrior Ulthan?"
Ulthan hmms as he ponders. "I think I heard from my aunt's husband that those things are capable of speaking Jotun..."
Ulthan says, “Oh well, they don't sound like they'd be up for much conversation.”
Reithak was happy to pay attention to a lazy cat in their path, paying little mind to the time in the process before they continued on their way. "Wish I could just be lazy like that and enjoy life." The egalrin laughs before they continue on their way to the destination.
The destination where she stops suddenly as Cuemoni notices something off ahead. "That's a big, cow, man... thing." They add helpfully. "Jotun? Maybe we can talk? Sounds a bit hopeful."
The inquisitor grabs their necklace and offers a short prayer, filling her allies with divine strength. "I can be back here, or I can sneak up behind it. Whatever works best for us."
GAME: Reithak casts Bless. Caster Level: 5 DC: 13 GAME: Ulthan casts Enlarge Person. Caster Level: 4 DC: 13
Ulthan slaps his face, not really liking to face something that big without evening the odds. He taps into what he has been discovering about himself, and soon inflates like a party float from the Gnome village, doubling in size. Good thing his gear also enlarges, so the rucksack doesn't get crushed on his now massive back.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+9: (20)+9: 29 GAME: Cuemoni rolls Reflex: (3)+3: 6 GAME: Cuemoni rolls Reflex: (13)+3: 16 GAME: Reithak rolls reflex: (17)+5: 22
The minotaur's ear twitches and then it roars as it spots the group of you through the trees. With hardly a thought it rushes forward, colliding with a tree in the way so hard that the tree snaps in half, and crashes toward the ground. Cuemoni and Reithak are forced to jump out of the way of the tree, with Cuemoni nearly taking a branch to the head as she jumps clear.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+9: (15)+9: 24 GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d6+6: (7)+6: 13 GAME: Reithak rolls 1d20+3+4+1+1+2+1: (11)+3+4+1+1+2+1: 23 GAME: Reithak rolls 1d6+4: (3)+4: 7
The egalrin isn't given much time to curse or react, as the minotaur decides to charge into the tree in front of them, Reithak narrowly leaping out of the way of the falling lumber and foliage. "Guess it's not happy with us. Alright!" They cough, hopping over the fallen tree and trying to get in range, narrowly avoiding getting pancaked by the beast. Still, that was a fair bit of blood, repaid in kind with a quick thrust of their rapier into the foe.
GAME: Ulthan RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 8 temporary HP GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2: (3)+9: 12
Ulthan lets out an ululating warcry as he strides towards the Minotaur, his form appearing to become even larger than the already inflated shape... And at the same time, less diffuse, like his shape had become smeared with the surroundings. Reaching the beast, he takes a strong swing... and whiffs into a treetrunk with his huge flail.
GAME: Cuemoni refreshes special ability pools. GAME: Cuemoni spends ONE use of FIRE BOLT. GAME: Cuemoni rolls ranged+1: (8)+4+1: 13 GAME: Cuemoni rolls ranged+1: (6)+4+1: 11 GAME: Cuemoni rolls 1d6+1: (4)+1: 5
"Ay!" It's a sound of complaint and unhappiness that leaves Cuemoni as the minotaur crashes the tree down nearly on top of her, and she's quick on her clawed and scaled feet. Her remarks about tall tales (and tall tails) will have to wait for later. She eyes the minotaur, golden eyes flaring like her nostrils.
"This one will give you something to be angry about." She murmurs an incantation to the spirit of fire, and she lobs a bolt of fire in the minotaur's direction. It almost misses, but at the last moment, the minotaur moves just an inch, and the fire connects. The smell of freshly singed minotaur sings through the air.
Cuemoni's nostrils flare again. "Ay. That is disgusting." She runs back a few feet away, not wanting to be the minotaur's next target.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+9: (7)+9: 16 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+4: (15)+4: 19 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d100: (68): 68 GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d6+6: (10)+6: 16
The minotaur roars in fury as it is surrounded and attacked. It doesn't seem particularly happy about your assault, and it returns its frustration with attacks levied against Reithack and Ulthan. Even with his special abilities making him harder to hit, Ulthan is still struck by the minotaur's axe, though Reithak manages to narrowly avoid the same.
GAME: Reithak rolls 1d20+3+4+1+1+2+1+2: (11)+3+4+1+1+2+1+2: 25 GAME: Reithak rolls 1d6+4: (1)+4: 5
"Alright, I've got your number now." Reithak grumbles, dodging out of the way to avoid adding to the list of giant axe wounds. The egalrin's weapon glows a dull gray suddenly as she thrusts it into the minotaurs side, in an unfortunately superficial area. The inquisitor stops, and blinks. "Not a giant! I repeat, not a giant!" She warns, finding the weapon not nearly as effective as expected.
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2+2: (1)+9+2: 12 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2+2: (19)+9+2: 30 (THREAT) GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2+2: (10)+9+2: 21 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage2: aliased to 2d8+8: (3)+8: 11 GAME: Ulthan rolls 2d8: (9): 9
As the minotaur swung around and landed a nasty hit on Ulthan's breastplate, the huge Dranei pays it back with a solid, massive thwack from his own weapon, catching the minotaur right in middle of its chest.
GAME: Cuemoni rolls ranged+1+1: (6)+4+1+1: 12 GAME: Cuemoni rolls 1d6+1: (6)+1: 7
Ulthan's impressive cut is followed by by Cuemoni, seizing the opportunity as she darts out of the treeline she'd found slight shelter in. Nostrils flare again. Both blood and the scent of charred minotaur. It's not a good day to possess the makari sense of scent.
That won't stop her from doing what needs to be done. Once again, she entreats the spirit. "Finish this work," she beseeches at the end of her incantation, fire gathering in a clawed hand before she throws it out at the minotaur. It catches on the severely wounded minotaur, and the creature falls.
Cuemoni watches the body burn for a moment before her golden eyes snap to Ulthan. "Warriors! Good fight. We must proceed. This one..."
Then it occurs to her. Her tail twitches in confusion. "Are we supposed to leave the box at this spot?" It suddenly occurs to her that maybe there is a magic working that was intended with this gift. She rumbles. "At least it is not at a crossroads," she mutters.
Ulthan pants as he feels his rage leaving himself, and with it, his form becomes less indistinct again. But he still remains giant-sized in front of his comrades. "That was... intense fight."
Thankfully the instructions are clear and all that you need do is place the box inside a ring of stones near the pool under the tree. When you do so, the box fades out of view like... well like magic. You don't really want to find out what might happen if you go inside the ring of stones... Not really.
Thankfully the job doesn't call for that, and you leave the clearing whole.