A Sleepy Little Village [IC Team 2]

[Spyder_Cel]

Caellis chuckles at Gerbo, "Not gonna eat the thing, just gonna figure out what makes it tick"

[lorddrake]

My bet is that any cleric or druid can see if it is poison and get rid of the poison before we eat. It is like gourmet couisine. I hear some elves eat a specific poisonous fish just for the kicks..."

[inexorabletruth]

Gerbo's face screws up in disgust. "Blech, poisonous fish... no thanks," he mumbles quietly. He shakes his head, dismissively, content to not understand the ways of elves and holds his ground defensively next to the Wizard.

He takes a glance back toward the cave, just in case something should pop out from there as well. The thought of mutant monster rabbits swarming all over him has got him a bit skittish.

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Spot: (1d20)[20]

[Flash in't Pan]

DM

Caellis' arrow flies straight and true smashing into the base of the rabbits neck and emerging out the other side barely slowing down. From the gaping hole comes a flood of sticky red blood. The creature drops straight to the ground with its fur matted with its blood, with one more final twitch of its legs it has a brief spasm and lies still on the floor.

In the space of the creature hitting the floor and it dieing every other creatuer in the vicinity appears to have disappeared. All of the other rabbits appear to have either vanished down into their dens or into clumps of tall grass, not a single one can be seen.

A deathly silence descends on the plateau, having a look around even the sheep appear to have backed off away from the group. The birds have stopped chirping and even the buzz of insects can no longer be heard.

The wind on the other hand starts to pick up, whipping around the group and the rabbit more and more, the blood pooled under the rabbit starts to swirl within the blood and appears to start picking it up from the ground and forming it into a very rough small humanoid shape.

Gerbo;

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Nothing extra, nothing appears to have changed either.

[unfairtosome]

"So that rumor I just remembered, guys. Um, yeah, it was about evil forces infesting livestock and other creature... and I'm pretty sure it was referring to this. Coupled with what Neph said he saw, well..." Aderyn gulps and looks at his quarterstaff with little confidence. "Be ready. I have my doubts that this creature is going to be bought off with berries."

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(1d20+3)[14] Bardic Knowledge about homunculi

[tonberryking]

Giving Aderyn a withering look before motioning Gerbo over, Smoke jabs a finger over towards the sheep. "Nice of you to warn us beforehand, buddy. Hey, try to get one of those sheep over here; I'm gonna inspect it right quick. The rest of you be ready to kill it if it starts acting dangerous."

[unfairtosome]

Aderyn looks guiltily at his feet. "Well, I wasn't sure exactly. I just knew it was livestock or something. Didn't remember giant bunnies. Sorry Smoky.

"Let's deal with this blood homunculus creature before you go chasing sheep, though. Gotta another arrow ready, Caellis?" He grins. "Looks like we're really going to have to work for our dinner tonight."

[Spyder_Cel]

Before Aderyn even gets halfway through his sentence, Caellis has another arrow knocked and ready to fly. He seems to be a bit startled at the new development. "I think I may have broken the bunny." He carefully watches as the new being forms and waits impatiently for it to make a move.

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Readied action: Attack

[inexorabletruth]

A bit startled and confused by the whole thing, Gerbo is quite prepared to take orders from anyone, even a surly Druid.

"Uh... ok. I'll do what I can." He puts away his hooked hammer, so he doesn't scare away the sheep, marches steadily up to them calling the whole way, "Heeeeere sheep. Come here sheepy-sheep." He makes some kissy noises and claps his hands on his thighs... as if calling a dog.

Handle Animal:

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DC 10 if it knows "Come" (I do not have enough ranks in order to Push Animal, so auto-fail if it doesn't know "Come")
(1d20+4)[24]

[Flash in't Pan]

DM

Gerbo walks towards the sheep and starts to usher them towards himself. They look at him in a slightly dopey manner but suddenly all of them within ear shot do indeed start trotting towards them. Casting a glance behind him they see the blood creature slowly starting to grow in height and stay with Gerbo between themselves and the creature.

Gerbo;

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Spot check now your up close please

For the rest of the party the creature grows in height as the wind whips around it more and more. It stops growing at about 7 foot tall and a heavily muscled creature, in fact it looks just like a well muscled naked man, just made out of blood. It takes a faltering step towards the group but pulls up short and looks confused. The creature just stands there shaking out its arms and legs and flexing its shoulders.

In common; "Why, what? Where, how is this? Who did this?"

It then looks up to the sky and opens its mouth in an ear piercing scream. It then stares back at the group, ***** its head to one side and leaves a grin plastered over it.

It opens its mouth again, and sounds of the grave escape from its mouth and wail towards the group.

In abyssal;

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Why have you brought me here? Do you desire death, or will one of you play host to me now?

Adreyn;

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You may be surprised, but your bardic knowledge turns nothing up in this instance.

[unfairtosome]

"It... it's not attacking us? I mean," Aderyn deepens his voice in an attempt to project that he totally saw that coming, "It's not attacking us."

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Sense motive (1d20+6)[13] to determine its demeanor/true intentions

Intuitive Communication (1d20+6)[10] to determine if I can get the gist of what it said in the language I didn't recognize

"I've got nothin'," he whispers out of the corner of his mouth. "Do we run now or do you want me to try talking to it?"

[lorddrake]

"It's a long shot, but... How worse can it get?"
Says Nephtalineus to himself

"Hello, buddy, we're friends... friiiiiends..."

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Charm Person.

[tonberryking]

Smoke is less than pleased by the turn of events.

"If it's not attacking us, what in all the hells does that thing want??" she yelps, before noticing the sheep. Dismounting but keeping her shield up, the druid makes a quick inspection of the dull looking sheep.

"I need to see the sheep; see if all the fauna and plants are contaminated like that rabbit, unless the blood blister has something to say about what he is..."

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(1d20+6)[12] Handle animal and (1d20+5)[21] kn. nature to see if she can tell from looking if that more than just an unlucky rabbit is holding bloody surprises.

[inexorabletruth]

Gerbo hoists his hooked hammer, unconfident that his weapon will do much damage to something made entirely of blood.

"Oh... wow," Gerbo says shakily, trying to look tough, "He looks... happy. Do you think he's happy that we set him free?" Gerbo offers hopefully, but not convinced of his own words.

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Spot Check: (1d20)[19]
Sense Motive: (1d20)[2]
Readied Action: Withdraw if the blood thing attacks

[Spyder_Cel]

Looking at the thing he doesn't even consider lowering his bow. But he still waits for the monster to make a move. When it starts talking he gets concerned, I don't like this level of intelligence coming from something like that. Not one bit.

Letting the others do the talking, he remains still. The bow pointed right at the creature. He attempts to get a read on it.

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Tries to read it's intentions, and whether or not he knows what the new form is (if it may be an aberration).
Sense Motive: (1d20+2)[3]
Knowledge Dungeoneering: (1d20+3)[7]
edit: I really hope this doesn't keep happening on skill checks! So Caellis what? believes this creature (or quite possibly a tomato) wants to give him candy and the biggest hug it can manage? Like that character from Veggy Tails! Are we about to fight Bob?

[Flash in't Pan]

DM

The strange standoff continues. The creature doesn't advance towards the group but it also elicts no more infomation for the group to understand or hear.

Nephtalineus casts his arms out towards the creature and utters some arcane words, gesticulates and waves at the creature, but there is absolutley no effect other than having the wizard look ever so slightly more tired than he did before he cast the spell.

Gerbo spots an eagle floating on a thermal high above the group and the wierd creature of blood, that suddenly dives towards the group. It strikes the dead rabbit on the floor and as it starts to take off into the air again with the creature's body flopping uselessly in its talons.

Then almost quicker than the eye can follow the creature launches itself, not at the group but at the eagle, and seemingly the eagle absorbs the creature, has a twitch or two then carries on lifting back into the air with the prey in its hands.

As the creature reaches for the skies it turns back to the group and issues again in a harsh screech something unintelligble.

Abyssal;

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I'll be back for you guys later! Don't worry, we've not yet seen the end of each other.

The sheep shrink back from the eagle/creature as it takes wing but still appear to be nothing other than very fine wooled sheep.

[lorddrake]

"See?" says Nephtalineus "I made some magic and the thing went away. I'm an arcane force of so much power!"

[tonberryking]

Smoke just gapes at the wizard until her mount shifts under her. "I... you... that... *urgh* We've stumbled on something pretty dire here. Anyone catch what the abomination said?"

[lorddrake]

"I'm almost sure that he said I'm an awesome wizard and he was fleeing with terror from my arcane might..."

[Spyder_Cel]

Caellis laughs as he re-quivers his arrow. "I doubt very much your arcane might had anything to do with it. It didn't appear to affect him at all. It appears to be a parasitic creature of some sort that requires a host. My only question is whether it called to the eagle or if it was just bad luck."

Starting to walk towards the pillars once more he calls out to the others. "No point standing around here. We're all alive and unharmed, might as well continue on right?"

[inexorabletruth]

Gerbo is quite okay with the idea of leaving the scene. Natural enemies are one thing. Blood monsters are a little out of his league.

"To the cave then?" Gerbo trots off after Caellis.

[unfairtosome]

"I wasn't a fan at first, but now getting under cover seems like a good idea to me."

Aderyn dashes for the cave's entrance.

[Flash in't Pan]

DM

Headed for the cave the party starts to climb. There is no more isgns of the eagle, the sheep following the party or even of the 'rabbits'.

As the tree's start to become more sparse, the ground opens out into a slightly rocky area and the first real climb comes into view. Its not so much a steep rockface or even a cliff, more just an extremley steep slope littered iwth shale and other loose rock.

By the time the party arrives at the bottom of this slope, they have lost sight of the cave and the pillars due to its location and the angle from their current location to said cave. Not only that but the sun is starting to sink low into the sky and it can't be more than an hour or so till nightfall now.

It doesn't appear that the cave could be reached by today, and dependant upon pace or accidents tomorrow it might even be another day after that.

[unfairtosome]

Without the eagle/blood creature in view, Aderyn's stomach is making its presence known again. "Uh, guys. I'm hungry. Are we there yet? Can we go back for a sheep? I have to pee."

[inexorabletruth]

Back to his normal bouncy state, memories of the blood thing obviously washed away from his mind. "I could eat," Gerbo agrees, rubbing at his stomach. "And Erfanna could use a rest... but I didn't bring a lot of rations. Perhaps we should do some hunting while there is still some light."

[Spyder_Cel]

Shaking his head at Aderyn, he systematically responds to him, "Noted, no, doubt it, and find a bush... Hunting is a good idea. How about a few of us go hunting and the rest stay here and make camp? Sound good?" He pulls out his bow and waits patiently for feedback.

[unfairtosome]

Aderyn nods eagerly at Caellis and reaches out to take the bow from him. "Sure, you start setting out some pots and pans and Nephy 'n I'll go find us dinner with your bow!"

He manages to hold a straight face for mere seconds, before bursting out into laughter at the look on the elf's face.

"Fine, have it your way!" he pretends to grumble, and begins stomping around, looking around for a sheltered and comfortable place to make camp.

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(1d20+2)[5] Spot
(1d20+2)[17] Search
(1d20+2)[5] Survival
(1d20+3)[23] Knowledge: Geography
(1d20+6)[26] Knowledge: Nature

[Spyder_Cel]

Pulling his bow away from Aderyn's reach he glares at him with confusion and a hint of anger in his eyes. Then when Aderyn starts laughing, Caellis settles himself to the point of irritation as he walks off to get some food. Humans...

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For hunting, +2 from Favored Enemy (animal)
Survival: (1d20+8)[25]

[inexorabletruth]

"I can help make camp!" Gerbo pipes in and scurries off to find some firewood. "I'll get some firewood."

Survival Check: (1d20)[14]

[tonberryking]

"It may seem destructive, but try to bring back a surplus of game; we'll need it if we have to come back down in a hurry," Smoke advises the mighty hunters without much of her usual snark. Left to her own devices, she sets up camp by having her now-saddle-less dog help dig a fire pit and bring a general sense of order to their surroundings.

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(1d20+8)[10] survival to organize the camp grounds as well as see if she can scrounge up anything that could be gathered,

(1d20+5)[21] Kn. Nature check on the weather,

(1d20+1)[7] And as a total shot in the dark, a spellcraft check to try to wrack her brains for any idea of what the hell Bloody was back there.