Family Of Experiments [IC]

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Okay! I'll go second."

The squid-halfling curls up next to a goat as it lies down for a nap.

[JNAProductions]

Muk looks at you all, and asks "Do I need to take a turn? I usually let Gerald and Gwen keep listen for bad guys."

Spoiler: OOC

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Everyone, make a Perception check for your shift or use Passive Perception. Your choice.

If you get Muk to take a shift, I'll roll for him.

[Xihirli]

Spoiler: Confidence Looks like this

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(1d20+2)[3] Perception
And I trust Muk. His goats have great ears I'm sure.

[JNAProductions]

As most of you go to sleep, Beth stays up, keeping a close eye on everything. Or, well, trying to. She gets distracted by some rather interesting patterns on the ceiling, spending nearly two hours trying to discern their meaning.

Spoiler: Intelligence DC 20

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You're almost certain that they're the effects of time and have absolutely no meaning whatsoever, just rivulets and whatnot due to degradation.

But, about then, one of the goats (Gerald, maybe?) starts bleating. There's a rat in the corner of the room, staring at you all, with a sinister glint in its too-smart eyes.

[Xihirli]

Beth stares right back at it, then aimed her purple-irised eye at it, punching the rat from a distance.

Spoiler: Bludgeoning Eye Ray

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(1d20+5)[7]; (1d12)[4]

"Let that be a lesson to you, rat!"

[JNAProductions]

The rat scurries away, nimbly avoiding the blast and not sticking around for a second one!

[Xihirli]

Beth nodded at the victory of a job well done, then shook Cutty awake and went to sleep.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Zz-whah?"

Cutty stretches her rubbery arms and legs and crawls away from the soft goat to keep watch. She quickly finds herself wondering how she's going to keep track of time down here without the moon or stars to watch.

[JNAProductions]

The remaining watches pass without event. Time is kept imprecisely, but close enough to work.

Come morning, Muk yawns and stretches. "Morning, friends!" he says. "Anything happen while we were asleep?"

[Xihirli]

"Not sure. Did any of my dreams come to life and run off into the night?" Beth asked the others who'd had a watch.

[Izzarra]

"Nothing to fight." Sulks and kicks a pebble.

After he gets over it he begins to put something together to break the fast.

[Xihirli]

"Only my wimpy dreams came to life," Beth answered to Muk. She sat down and started ritually casting Unseen Servant while Bambi prepared breakfast.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Yep! Nothing came after us, just as planned," says Cutty. "I doubt much is going to be growing down here, either... I think we have some rations?"

[JNAProductions]

Muk nods. "Okay, goo-" he says, then stops.

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d20-1)[14]

"You will leave now," Muk says, his voice suddenly sounding more articulate and precise. "This is not your demesne, it is ours. We will relinquish this vessel to you when you leave... Or there will be altercations."

[Izzarra]

"Al-thur-ca-sions??? What be that?"

[JNAProductions]

"..." Muk is quiet for a moment, before placing his head in his hand. "I thought we were dealing with one moron. Turns out it's infectious."

[Xihirli]

"You dare call Bambi a moron? Bambi is brilliant, though of course my mind is without rival." Beth abandoned her spell to float upwards.

"We have no desire to harm Muk, one of the smartest, kindest, and bravest souls I've ever met. But we did not come here for no reason at all. Tell us, what are you after? Perhaps we can come to some agreement instead of fighting..." One of Beth's eyes twisted to look at Bambi.
"Which is what "altercation" means, by the way."

[JNAProductions]

"This is our home-you are trespassers, and attempted to harm us! You have no rights to be here!" Muk says, angrily.

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d20-1)[1]

[Xihirli]

"What, are you the Perytons? We haven't attacked a single thing in here!" Beth said confidently and without personal reflection.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Um, excuse me, sorry," Cutty cuts in, raising her squiggly hands to get the attention of whatever's possessing Muk. "We really didn't realize this demesne was still inhabited; it looks like an abandoned ruin from the outside. Er, no offense! We can leave as soon as you release our giant friend!"

If Beth tries to contradict any of this, Cutty, 'accidentally,' flops a tentacle over her mouth.

"But, before we go, we were looking for another person who might have been by here recently, an evil human wizard. We figured he might have tried using this place as a hideout. Have you seen anyone like that recently?"

[Xihirli]

Beth floated a little bit higher. "I'm alright with leaving this place, but Muk was excited that what he was looking for might be in here." Excitedly, as that is her default, Beth turned toward Muk.
"Would leaving be alright with you?"

[Izzarra]

"I will al-thur-cate your face with my head."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Cutty makes a noise like a sudsy cauldron being jostled around and looks up at Beth, exasperated. "But... you were the one who... and Muk is still..."

Cutty quiets down and lets the spirit respond. It's hard to tell in the dark, but her mantle is bright red.

[JNAProductions]

Spoiler: Save

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(1d20-1)[15]

Muk's face slackens for a moment, then he stands upright. "What was that? What happened?" he asks, sounding very concerned and afraid. "I... I... I..." he starts, tears visible in his eyes.

[Xihirli]

"Muk, we have to leave. I don't think any Lauhst is here, and for some reason the denizens think we're hostile." Beth shrugged, tapping her shoulders against her own head.
"Go figure. Whatever's in here, it's not worth turning against one another."

[JNAProductions]

Muk nods, shakily, and gets Gerald and Gwen up. The two goats have been looking at Muk, concern in their eyes, and nuzzle up against him.

[Xihirli]

"Bambi, I know you wanted a fight, but these things can make us fight each other. We'd best let them alone." Beth started floating back out the way they'd come in.

[Izzarra]

"Fine" Mopes out of the place dragging his sword.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Let's just keep moving to the port," says Cutty. She's disappointed that the spirit never answered her question, but dares not mention that in front of Beth. "Whoever lives here doesn't have anything for us, so maybe they'll have the thing you're looking for there!"

[JNAProductions]

Muk seems shaken by the situation-he's nervous and agitated. But, you make it out of the ruins without any further incident.

It's closing in on afternoon by the time you get the goats out. Will you simply travel north once more?