The Defenders of Highgate, Chapter 2

[WarBrute]

Sarrok Balderk

"I don't know. Are predcessors were well trained. Its seems odd that this" he indicates the hunk meat Ulfgard is tearing apart "Could have killed all of them. More likley this lizard was mearly a hoarder of arcane and divine trinkets"

[raspberrybadger]

Ziran Blueboots

Ziran adds "A few rats, or orcs, coming back from a raid where they got the comm, might have been dispatched. Both kinds are vulnerable to stunning magic, though my spells might be a little more potent. Plus, if this thing had attacked without warning, instead of us getting a chance to surround it and start the fight? Well, I might have been able to stun it to give us a chance to react, or some of our warriors might have been able to hold it off for long enough to get it surrounded, but I can see it winning an ambush against a good number of orcs or rats."

To Oliana: "Please do look at the pile of magical things - you doubtless have more formal training, and remember more of it too, in how to recognize things like these from the subtleties of the auras."

[Velvet Elvis]

Kruhljak Wynde

There was little for him to do, at the moment, save listen attentively to the various thoughts and remarks made by his comrades. The last seemed to contain something worthy of added comment.

"Whatever's remains these may be, they had a Highgate comm which means either these remains are earlier Defenders or, quite likely, a subset of a group that was responsible for their disappearance. That comm didn't just appear out of nowhere to be found here. Before we leave, we should take some time to examine these objects--the mundane ones--to see if we can properly identify the source. Especially the armor, bones and such near where the comm was located. If we can identify them as rat-like, orcish or human, it will provide a useful clue to help focus our agenda."

[lawful_evil]

Carter

After listening to Ziran and Oliana he asks them, "It seems strange that the beast would just happen to gather everything magical from its victims to sleep on. Maybe one of you should just that detect magical stuff ability and walk around here in a bit of a search. Likewise, there may be magical items which survived the harseness of this beast's stomach. I'll remove it so you can examine the contents."

Carter moves back over to the beast sword in hand and begins to pop out the eyes for Oliana. One removed and laying on the grass, Carter opens the beast up again and remove the stomach. Dragging it by the intestine a bit away from everyone else, Carter opens it up so those with magical abilities can take a look. Once open Carter holds his breathe taking a quick look before moving well away.

Walking over to Sarrok and his doggie, Carter decides to ask, while discretely examining the dog, "If these are our predecessors perhaps we should gather what bones remain and bury them. It would seem to be the right thing to do for their souls."

Looking back to Deladus, Carter says, "Aye, that is a fair bit of magical stuff. However, without knowing what any of it does, I'm not sure how useful it'd be. A magical sword can obviously be used even without full knowledge of the extent of its power. That said, you'd have to be crazy to drink some kind of magic potion without knowing what it does."

Ignoring the magical stuff for the moment, Carter examines the rest of the stuff to see if there is anything of use or of value(armor, weapons, cash, rope, bags, etc). Carter takes note of any obviously human remains at the same time.

[dauphinous]

Aside from a few messily eaten small animals, the remains are all bones. There are a few partially crushed skulls of some kind of humanoids, but exactly what kind is not clear.

Once the creature is dragged out of the way, which takes a few of you straining with effort, some additional debris is located, though, like the rest, it is all smashed and shredded.

Including the parts under the creature, you can find chunks of chainmail, shreds of at least two different sources of leather, and some pieces of studded leather. There are some broken arrows and crushed bolts, parts of a composite longbow snapped in several places, and a axe of some kind, probably a battleaxe.

Amidst the smashed and torn things, there are also four intact masterwork arrows with some kind of odd wrapping on the tip, another small wood flask, five 50 foot lengths of silk rope, one 20 foot length of some kind of extra supple rope none of you have ever seen before, and a pouch of glass marbles.

As soon as Carter rips open the creature's stomach, the air is filled with a putrid reek. Gold, silver, and platinum coins spill out with something shiny, clear fluid, and a few small meaty parts of something. The shiny thing is made of mithral and looks like a chain shirt with several holes in it. Unlike the rest of the damaged gear, this shirt looks like it could actually be repaired.

Elisathalan drops to his hands and knees and loses his breakfast noisily into the shrub next to him.

{Con checks DC 13 for everyone who takes a look at the contents to keep from throwing up at the stench}

[Holocron Coder]

Deladus

Unprepared for the sudden wave of stench, Deladus turns to the side as well and loses some of the evening's meal. After a moment, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and glances over at the material that spilled out of the creature. "Correct me if I'm wrong... but money doesn't usually grow inside beasts."

Spoiler

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Con - (1d20+5)[8]

[oliana0]

Oliana

"Ooooh." Oliana reels slightly from smell, and gags a couple of times, but manages not to lose her lunch on to the magic items.

"It eats metal? What on earth is this thing?" Pondering a bit, "I wonder if we can bottle that stench. It'd make a mean weapon."

"Oh, and looking at these items, I can get a vague understanding of this jade rock, which has a faint aura and appears to be of the evocation school; the feather has some sort of illusion magic associated with it; the weaker wand is from the conjuration family, and this metal vial is some sort of transmutation.

"Evocation creates things, mostly energy, out of nothing; illusion makes things appear what they are not; conjuration moves, heals or creates things, like solid objects or creatures; and transmutation changes things, like making them taller, stronger, weaker, more pretty, etc."

{OOC: Con check: 13}

[anIceFan]

Nalik


Nalik is pulled from his reverie to attend to matters at hand. Everyone seems to be curious as to how they proceed.

Hertz and Sarrok will need some time to recover from their wounds. We will take some time to examine this area and rest, and then we will proceed on orders. We find the comm device, and then we search out signs of the orcs.

He then listens in as Ziran has already started to examine items in the area for magic. He is pleasantly stunned when the gnome gets to the end of the list and announces that he has found the object of their search.

Most excellent Ziran! Wile we are in this location, you and Oliana can put your heads together and determine as much as you can the use of these items. Lets separate them into 3 groups, Those we know what they do, those that we know generally what they do, and those that we have no idea. For starters, I will try and use the comm. Device to contact Highgate command.

Sarrok and Hertz, I want you to take it easy. Kruhljack, you and Deladus keep watch, we are still in hostile territory. Carter and Elis, examine this area to see what else you can find.

Nalik takes the comm Device from Ziran. Holding it in his hand. He looks at it ans says sheepishly.

Bunnyslippers

[dauphinous]

Elis wipes off his mouth, nodding, and starts surveying the surrounding area.

The amulet glows slightly as the command word leaves Nalik's lips. It is silent for a few moments, then a quiet male voice can be heard by anyone within five feet of the amulet. "Identify yourself."

[anIceFan]

Nalik

This is Corporal Nalik Stormbrow, of the Defenders. Reporting that we have recovered the comm device.

[dauphinous]

There is a pause. "Is there anything else to report?"

[raspberrybadger]

Ziran Blueboots

Ziran retches a little at the stench, but gets on with the business of packing up the mundane items like the rope, and calming the various mounts.

[anIceFan]

Nalik

Nothing at this time. We will be shifting our attention to the orcs shortly. I wanted command to be aware that we are back in communication.

[Velvet Elvis]

Kruhljak Wynde

Kruhljak moves Cinnamon away from the beast, those acting to slaughter it and the rest, taking up a position a dozen feet or so upslope, surveying the area from his slightly advantageous position.

Nalik's instruction was superfluous by then.

[dauphinous]

"Message received and understood. Is there any indication regarding the whereabouts of your predecessors?"

[Holocron Coder]

Deladus

Deladus actively watches the surroundings, suddenly hoping the thing didn't have a mate... or a parent.

At the commander's query, Deladus raised an eyebrow and kicked a random piece of chain mail.

[anIceFan]

Nalik

We can not be certain. We have exterminated some kind of lizard at it's lair. There appears to be evidence of a fight here, with scraps of armor. Two of our members have identified a piece of that armor to resemble that worn by one of our predecessors by the name of Allianne. We are currently located 3 hourse march to the north of our base, at the foot of the mountains.

[dauphinous]

"Allianne." A pause. "And you strongly suspect the rest of the team is dead. Understood." Another pause, then the voice carries an undertone of annoyance. "Did you locate any sign of a suit of blue dragonhide armor?"

[anIceFan]

Nalik

Nalik mutters,
Blue Dragonhide armor?

louder to the group
Has anyone seen any blue armor, dragonhide?

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Does this comm have a mute button?

[WarBrute]

Sarrok Balderk

When the beast is open Sarrok imeadiate turn and his face stiffens. The suddenly he bends over and heaves.

" Yes sir.. "take it easy" yes I think i going to go and wash up by the river" he walks in line to the river and washes as much blood off himself as possible. Ulfgard follows closely behind him.

con check

[Annalia]

Hertz

As the stench reaches him, Hertz makes a sour face but doesn't throw up. He just had his own stomach opened, and wasn't about to be affected by the beast's. As Nalik orders him to take it easy, he frowns somewhat but nods. "Yes, sir..."

He takes Kylin's old horse reins and bring the mare away from the opened lizard. Leaning on a tree, he starts petting her slowly. You still need a name. "How about Ampere?" he says to her in a low voice. "That'll do fine." The name finally decided, he smiles and sits next to her.

((Con check: 1d20+1=15.))

[lawful_evil]

Carter

Ah, excellent, new orders... Carter takes up position with Elisathalan searching the area in a circular spiral type pattern.

Search (1d20+2=15)

ah.. rock.. ooh.. grass.. hmm.. sticks... interesting...

[oliana0]

Oliana

Oliana will take her time and collect all the pieces of armor and weapondry and other sundries together and try to determine how many people had been killed by the creature.

[anIceFan]

Nalik

When no one reports seeing any blue dragonhide armor, Nalik responds back to the comm.

No Sir, no blue Dragonhide armor. Am I to assume we should take special care to seek some oot?

[dauphinous]

"No. Is there anything else, Corporal?"

Oliana's informal headcount is suggestive of seven different people having been killed here, along with some sort of large animal and several small animals. Of the bipeds, four are human, elf, or half-elf, two are probably dwarven, and one is either a child or a halfling.

As he washes up at the river, Sarrok notices a small hollow partially covered by a pricky shrub. The sunlight glinting off of something metallic catches his eye, and he can see a Defender's armband in a neat little pile along with some shiny rocks, a piece of a broken silvered dagger, a few colored chips of glass, and a couple of copper pieces.

[WarBrute]

Sarrok Balderk

"Nalik sir I think i found something" he reaches down and holds up the armband high as evidence of his discovery. "Its odd... for it to be it such a neat pile"

[anIceFan]

Nalik

That is all sir.

assuming that conversation is done,

walks over to Sarrok
What have we here. Could this be some sort of marker? Does anyone have experience marking trails? does this look familiar to anyone?

[dauphinous]

As soon as Nalik indicates the conversation is done, the amulet ceases to glow and it goes silent.

Both Sarrok and Nalik hear an indignant shout inside their heads as the armband is removed and displayed. There is nothing out loud for anyone else to hear, and no apparent source of the voice in their heads.

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That's mine! Stop touching it!

Elisathalan finds another of the armbands caught on a branch of a shrub just a little downwind of the creature, flapping in a light breeze. He gently removes it and brings it over to Nalik.

[Holocron Coder]

Deladus

Noticing several of the crew moving closer to the river to look at something, Deladus does as well, in the interests of keeping watch over them. He glances up and down the extent of the river, trusting Kruhljak to watch the forest where they had fought the creature.

[WarBrute]

Sarrok Balderk

Hello!? Whos there" His voice wis hoarse but loud. He looks up and down the river before he slowly placed the armband down on the pile.