Re: A good night's sleep

[Unkykong]

Grumbling to myself, "how was I supposed to know it wasn't a healing potion..." I make a few passes through town to ensure the threat has truly passes. I also take the opportunity to loot the various creature corpses for anything that might be of value.(p.s. I appreciate the improvised teammates especially when I get share teamwork feats).

[Lefty]

You catch sight of one last troglodyte running off into the hills, but besides that the only evil you find is dead. The troglodyte who cast the portal spell has a sack of some odd bits and pieces in it, but you cannot tell what they are. Maybe a more seasoned spellcaster might recognize them. Other than that little is found on the dead bodies but bits of ruined food and soiled clothing.

The town square is littered with bodies. some are wounded, a few dead, but most have collapsed with exhaustion right beside their water buckets. Martha wanders over to you after she finishes making her own rounds and grabs the potion from you that Mike had earlier given.

"Huh. this is just a cure light wounds potion. I wonder if he knew that when he yelled at you. Hopefully we'll laugh about this one day." She chuckles as she tosses it back to you and you see the tiny heart inscribed on the cap.

[Unkykong]

I pocket the odd sack. Then reply to Martha, "I knew it wasn't that special, my first run in with the invaders wasn't nearly as taxing as to warrant the use of a potion. Oh well, shall we go find the mayor and see how he faired in the battle?"

[Lefty]

After searching the town and seeing nothing of the mayor or his newly rescued daughter you return to the inn. Inside the place is still and dark, just like you left it. but you hear noises coming from the mayor's office in the back.

With a worried look on her face Martha drops the bow and pulls out two daggers. she inches up to the door and peeks inside. you see in the pale light coming from the room that all the blood drains from her face.

[Unkykong]

I push past Martha not knowing what she sees but hoping I can help with whatever is or has happened inside.

[Lefty]

Blood and gore spatter the walls. Bits and pieces of human flesh mix with horns and scales from a group of troglodyte heads which are neatly lined up on the mayor's desk. A single candle shows them and the room's only occupant.

Sitting in the mayor's chair is his daughter. She has the same blank look she had when you first found her, but she is staring into her lap and speaking softly.

As you inch your way around the desk you see that er hands and arms are covered in blood and gore up to her elbows. She sits cradling her father's head next to her pregnant belly and whispers softly. Whether to the head or the belly you cannot discern. (Roll perception)

[Unkykong]

Straining my ears to hear what happened(15). I am dumbfounded by the display and am not sure how to react. So I do the straightforward thing and ask the girl, "what has happened here."

[Lefty]

The whisper, which was too low for you to hear, stops abruptly. She looks up and turns to you slowly. As her eyes focus on you recognition dawns and a tight smile flits across her face briefly before the dead calm settles back in.

"You." No more, no less. She stares at you a little longer then calmly lets the head roll off her lap and slowly walks into the main room and upstairs.

Martha staggers out after her but then falls heavily into a chair, eyes wide. "What the heck just happened?" She looks up at you intently. "Somethings going on. These things don't coordinate attacks like that. And people don't do..." She trails off and looks up the stairway.

[Unkykong]

At a loss I reply, "me, what did I do, I was just helping. Martha, what do you know of this girl and what has really been happening in these parts. This is beyond anything I was prepared for. I was sent here to help a village that had a problem with troglodytes not some demon possessed girl that kills her own father. Where is that half-Orc, maybe he knows something about this. I'm going to go look for home, you go find mike and we will meet back here to try to figure out what is going on." I depart to go look for the half-Orc.

[Lefty]

"What half-orc?" you hear as you step out the door and nearly bump into Mike. He hurriedly gets out of your way with an apology and runs in to see Martha.

[Unkykong]

"The half-Orc that was in your tavern when I got here, the same one that helped us at the blacksmith shop."

[Lefty]

"You're the first visitor we've had in almost a year, except for new miners coming up."

"Yeah," Mike chimes in. "There was no one else in that shop but us before Martha came in."

[Unkykong]

"Hmm," I ponder this for a moment before letting it slip and joining the two so we can take some steps in figuring out what is going on.

"So from your actions today I take it you aren't the usual sort to be a barkeep and cook, have you guys nipoticed anything else going on that can help us solve this puzzle?"

[Lefty]

"Nothing out of the ordinary. we've been here since the peace came to the lands about 12 years ago and been trying to lead normal lives again. Makin our way through hard work instead of killin."

Mike wiped a bit of blood off his mouth as he said this and instinctively licked it off his hand. He immediately spat it out when he realized it wasn't his.

"Yep, Mike and I were once some nasty mercenaries. Just ended up on the winning side in the last few skirmishes and got to walk away. We never thought we'd see this again. Why I haven't shot anything besides game in over a decade before tonight."

Mike wandered off to the bar and came back with two pints and a smaller cup and set them on the table.

[Unkykong]

"Fair enough, a nothing wrong with an honest wage. Thanks Mike. Do either of you know the girl well enough to talk to her or do we just go off the assumption that she did this while being under the influence of some evil troglodyte sorcery. AND WHY DID SHE BLAME ME!!"

[Unkykong]

Wait.... They come in pints?

[Lefty]

Mike grabs the small cup and sips it slowly. "Only heroes get pints lad."

Martha smiles but keeps the conversation on track. "I don't think she even heard you ask her anything. She was messed up all day today after ya'll got back from the mine." Martha takes a long pull on her ale and startles you and mike with an overly loud belch.

"Martha! We've got guests!" Mike whispers rather loudly with a concerned look on his face.

"What? Never met anyone drinkin beer before? Well, best I figger, we will keep the girl safe and clean her up. You need to get back on down the road and see if you can find someone who has had dealings with these lizards before. Its pretty dern clear none of us know what the heck happened tonight."

[Unkykong]

Grabbing my mug I take a long pull...and a bit more before replying. "Sounds like a plan, do you have any ideas of which direction I should head?"

[Lefty]

This time Mike chips in. "I're heard there's some dwarven settlements up north past the Fangweed. But you'd be hard pressed to get someone to go with you through those wilds. Peace or no animals still act like animals. If I were you I'd head back to Abitha. City that big seems like someone would know something. At least where to look."

Martha nodded in agreement. "Dariyul might surprise you too. You passed through it or at least near it on your way up here. Its just a trading spot, but its got some old retired folk like us who dont want to put up with the political crap that goes down in a city. Just be careful who you find. Or rather who finds you."

[Unkykong]

"Hmm, sounds like a plan ill head back the way I came and stop by Dariyul. See what the know and then decide whether I head back to Abitha or go meet the dwarves. Do you guys think you could put together some provisions for the trip while I go get some rest before my travels?"

[Lefty]

"Yeah we'll have you a pack ready when you wake up." Mike helps Martha up and they walk out the door leaving the inn to you for the night.

In the morning you find much of the mess of battle has been cleared away and the resilient fronteersmen and women are already putting things back together. Mike is nowhere to be seen, but Martha spies you as you walk outside and waves.

"Mike and some of the boys went up to try to seal that mine up. He kinda has a knack for makin stuff explode. There were sure some explosions last night, that's for sure." She winks at you and hands you a bag laden with supplies and a few odds and ends at the bottom. "Now don't be a stranger. Just next time lets not kill anythin when ya come up."

[Lefty]

The end!

1800 XP

(so plus 1015 from last time ur at 2815. lvl2 is 2300 on medium. do math son.)

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