Hide & Seek - 21/10/2021 - A Kavel Perspective

Lunch at The Hung Rabbit

I had arranged to meet Levuka for lunch at The Hung Rabbit.

Levuka had commissioned a brigandine for herself from Lara Layland, whose workshop was outside of Daring Height’s city walls through the Swamp Gate.

The brigandine itself didn’t fascinate me, but the leather component of the brigandine did - T.Rex leather!

It turns out, when Alan Shearer - my tyrannosaurus comrade - told me he once used to be small and weak, he was in fact not referring to his infancy as a smaller T-Rex. Levuka was there when Alan was transformed into a T.Rex, and she took the dinosaur hide from a dead T.Rex who was near Alan at the time of his permanent polymorphing.

When I arrived at the Hung Rabbit, I could not see Levuka. But I did see my blue dragonborn comrade, who I’ve teamed up with on many adventures - Detective Derthaad of the City Watch. He was sitting at a table, having lunch with a new adventurer to me. I was introduced to Detective Masayoshi, an aasimar. Like Derthaad, he was very magical, but more holy magic than sorcerer. The camaraderie between the two City Watch men was banterous and nice to see.

Comrade Derthaad was familiar with my lamia report from a few weeks ago. It was good to know his investigative eyes were considering what to do with that information. Personally, I think the lamia needs to be removed from the ruins, and existence itself.

A familiar aarakocra entered the tavern. It was comrade Tayz, who helped save my life in the Angelbark Forest, where I first met Alan Shearer. He came over to say hello. As did Levuka, who arrived just then, and looked like she wanted assistance.

“Guys. Could you give me a hand here?”, Levuka began to explain her dilemma, as comrade Kelne elbowed my thigh, to make me aware of her halfing presence - she too was here in the Rabbit.

Levuka explained that she had gone to pick up her brigandine armour to come show me at the Rabbit, but Lara Layland’s shop was boarded up and closed. Lara was nowhere to be seen. Levuka was wondering if among us there was a competent locksmith to pick entry into the shop. Maybe even breaking our way in was necessary, as Levuka was worried about Lara.

As she finished explaining, a group of individuals covered in soot entered the Rabbit. These were local business owners and trades people. They had just helped put out a fire at Lara’s workshop. They told us they heard an explosion, and then ran towards the shop to help put out the fire that started. When they got there they could see from a distance Lara carrying something, running away from her property. The shop’s structure remained intact, but the doors were burnt out, the walls blackened.

“Levuka, it would no longer be breaking or entering if we went into the shop now”, I helpfully pointed out.


Assessment of the Leatherworking Shop

Tayz launched himself into the sky to get a bird's eye view of the situation. When the rest of us got there, the detectives got to work and determined that the explosion originated in the back of the shop, where the crafting area was. Tayz walked around, touching the detectives on the shoulder and saying words of encouragement like, “You’ve got this. I offer you my guidance” Encouraging words, but maybe Tayz should just leave them to it. I didn’t see how touching people on the shoulder and saying, “you can do it. I will guide you”, really helps?

Levuka could see many different hides and formed leather around the shop, in various states of finish. But, no T-Rex hides. She had a spell that could focus on an object and guide her to it, so she cast this with intent to be guided to a ring Lara wore. It’s at moments like these that I sometimes wonder if it’s possible that these more utilitarian spells are better than the damage causing ones. So practical.

Levuka indicated the direction, south-east, which we had to follow to catch up to Levuka. She used her druid magic to transform into a cat, so Tayz could easily carry her in the air. Those two took to the skies while the rest of us followed on foot.


The Bogs

We ventured south east of Daring Heights into the surrounding forestry and bogs. After a while, Tayz and Levuka came down from the sky, and both Levuka and Kelne casted the Locate Object spell to check we were still on track. We were, and the detectives confirmed that we still had tracks going in the same direction. Derthaad produced a small cube from his gear, which turned into a hawk and acted like a familiar to him. As always, it seems among every group of adventurers, at least one adventurer will have a familiar. I’m starting to think I should have one too!

Through the hawk's eyes, Derthaad remarked that there were singe marks on the same trail. I remarked that Derthaad seemed taller than when I last met him, which wasn’t that long ago. He seems to be 7ft now. I thought at best he was 6ft 10”. Are his heels a couple inches taller?

We pushed forward for an hour, and then Derthaad, through the ears of his familiar, heard a female voice, “where are they?! Shit! I need to find them!”. The hawk’s eyes, which Derthaad could see through, confirmed the voice came from a middle-aged human woman with long braided hair, tanned skin who was carrying a large amount of T-Rex hide. We had caught up to Lara.


Lara Layland

When we caught up to Lara, she was unhurt and apologised to Levuka. In her hurry, she left Levuka a note, but the fire at the workshop most likely ate it up.

Lara had an intriguing method for how she was making both Levuka’s brigandine, but also a wealthy woman’s leather dress. Both required T-Rex leather and were to be given a magical quality. To do this, Lara was using flame skulls, and large bats in the leather making process. Apparently, having the flame skulls breathe fire onto large bats, and onto the T-Rex hide would imbue the formed leather with the desired magical qualities. Only problem was one of the three flame skulls, Spoopy, was a prick. The other two, Creepy and Eerie would follow directions well enough, but the leader of the three, Spoopy decided to cause an explosion in the workshop. The bats fled, the flame skulls pursued them, and Lara, carrying the T-Rex hides, ran after them all.

Lara promised us the first installment that the wealthy woman paid her for the dress she was working on, if we could; find the flame skulls and the bats, and get the flame skulls to breathe fire onto the bats, onto the T-Rex hide and get the leather formed. We agreed to do this.

As we carried on in pursuit of our prey, Lara returned back to her workshop.

Lara mentioned that the flame skulls could rejuvenate an hour after being killed.
She wanted Creepy and Eerie back, but the violent troublemaker Spoopy needed to die. To do so, when killed, holy water or the spell Dispel Magic would give them a permanent coup de grace. Fortunately, we had three clerics in our six person group. We had holy water and then some.

Our new employer also gifted us with a greater healing potion. The team that day was made up of; three clerics, a druid, sorcerer and barbarian. And our sorcerer had some restorative magic, too. This basically meant we were; Team Healers and Kavel. My magically gifted friends decided I should take possession of the potion. I guess I fit into Team Healers now.


Chasing Our Pay

Catching up to Lara was easy. Finding the bats and the flame skulls was going to be much harder!

We got to work. Masayoshi was able to confirm the number of flame skulls by noticing the pattern of singe marks had three distinct patterns. Derthaad was able to keep us on the right path with his hawk, as Tayz assisted in the sky looking for things out of place here. Levuka spotted bat droppings running parallel to the singe mark trail, and kept an eye on whether the two trails diverged. I made myself useful how only I could. I moved large debris off of my companion’s path to make travel easier. After all, both our pursuit creatures could fly, they did not need to worry about objects on the ground blocking the way, unlike most of us.

A couple of hours went by. We had done well. Tayz in the sky noticed the tracks had stopped in a meadow not too far away.


Suspicious Looking Meadow

It was twilight now. In the meadow. There were no further tracks to follow. We were in very boggy terrain with patches of solid ground. It would be difficult to move in this terrain, and there was a smoky mist emanating from the ground. It seemed like we were entering a trap.

Tayz flew up a little and relayed that he could see four bats in the meadow. Derthaad cast the Sleep spell and put one of four to sleep. As he did this, from the opposite side of the meadow we could hear the sound of cackling.


Corralling Bats Whilst Under Fire

We had a more complicated task than simply killing all the hostiles. Levuka sprung into action summoning eight little pixies, who could cast the Sleep spell like comrade Derthaad. Now only one of the four bats remained awake. Levuka moved towards her pixie squad that was now surrounding the bats. Tayz flew over that way too, and began tying up one of the sleeping bats.

I could not see the flame skulls, but I could hear their mocking laugh. I charged blindly, but furiously through the bog, into the part of the meadow where I suspected them to be. Masayoshi with a spiritual weapon standing by, stood alert as I tried to flush out our hidden opposition.

Spooky, the ringleader appeared before me and shot two fiery rays at me. A fairly damaging attack for anyone else. But for someone as conditioned as me; a small singe.

My comrades - unfortunately not as conditioned as I - were hit by Creepy’s fireball attack. Derthaad managed to escape the point of explosion, but Kelne was clearly quite burnt.

The last of the flame skulls, Eerie, also shot a fireball at us, straight at Levuka, who was now as burnt as Kelne.

Kelne, in response to the incurred fire damage, and inspired by our dinosaur comrade, Alan, polymorphed into a T-Rex and shattered Creepy’s green flame skull into many pieces. For now, Creepy was dead. At that moment, Spoopy reeled back and shoke it’s skull head, as its green flame flickered - Derthaad had successfully hit Spoopy with his Mind Spike spell.

The others had successfully put all the bats to sleep and had them tied up. Levuka’s pixies were free to switch their attention from the bats, to the flame skulls; Spoopy and Eerie. Levuka had them turn the flame skulls into snails, using the polymorph spell. I was used to seeing this spell transform a comrade into a large, strong animal - like T-Rex-Kelne. But, clearly turning the opposition into weak things was a worthy use of the spell.


Extreme Leather Making

Team Healers shared their abilities and before long; we were all back in tiptop shape.

With both bats and flame skulls subdued, we could now figure out how to get the flame skulls to scorch the bats and T-Rex hide at the same time. Lara said Spoopy was particularly uncooperative as well as a prick. So, when transformed back from a snail, it was unlikely the flame skulls would agree to do the work. I had an idea. Not a very sophisticated one. But an idea that required great strength and conditioning, and that’s what I’m here for.

“Levuka! Give me the T-Rex hides!” I shouted, and told them my plan. If the flame skulls would only breathe their fire at us, and not the bats, then I would make myself a target for their flames, adorned with T-Rex hide, and with the bats tied onto the hide.
As far as I could tell, there were not many as physically impervious to attacks like me - when I am focused on an opponent. I was certain I could withstand a volley of fearsome fire spells from the flame skulls, but things could go very wrong, if I lost focus - which is why it was fantastic to be supported by Team Healers!

My three clerics, druid and sorcerer allies bolstered me with their healing and enhancement magic. I felt stronger than I had ever felt before.

Breathing fast, I got my body ready for the onslaught of fire I was about to receive. “Okay! Let’s do this!”, I said.

Two of my cleric comrades cast a spell called Command on the snail/ flame skulls. If successful, the flame creatures would be compelled to attack with their fire - under our command. At that moment, it occurred to me that it was superfluous for me to be covered in hide and bats, if we had a magical way of forcing the skulls to do it.

“Wait!”, I thought... “Oh what the hell! Let’s just do it. I’m curious now”

Battle raging, and enhanced by Masayoshi’s divine magic and Derthaad’s sorcery, the plan was now in action.

Kelne was still a T-Rex and standing by.

Levuka dropped the polymorph spell on both snail-turned flame skulls.

One command spell failed. One success, as Eerie shot a fireball straight out at me. Full impact! Kelne as a T-Rex was caught up in the fireball radius and took damage. I did too at the centre of the impact, but to be honest, I was merely a little singed. More importantly, the bats were burnt up and imprinted onto all the T-Rex hides, which we could now call leather.

Kelne’s riposte bite attempt to Eerie, was unsuccessful. But, Spoopy was not so lucky, as Kelne shattered Spoopy between her teeth with the force of her powerful T-Rex jaw. Tayz cast Dispel Magic, and that was one flame skull that would not rejuvenate from that death. Two beads fell to the ground where Spoopy’s eye sockets might have been. Derthaad identified these as Fireball beads. Eerie spoke up in surrender, “jeez guys. Don’t you know how to take a joke?”. It appears flame skulls can speak common.


Journeying Back to Town

On the journey back to Lara’s, Eerie was well behaved. As were the remains of Creepy after an hour had passed and its rejuvenation kicked in. Separated from Spoopy now, the two flame skulls were cooperative. Hopefully they will remain so, in Lara’s employ. Otherwise, they represent a fire safety hazard that I wouldn’t be happy with, if I was a neighbouring establishment to Lara’s workshop.


Back At Lara’s Workshop

It was late, so after returning the finished leather - and flame skulls - to Lara, we stayed at The Hung Rabbit for a meal and some drinks, and some sleep. At some point the next day, Lara had finished both the fiery dress and Levuka’s brigandine. They were both impressive.

Levuka gave us the 300gp first installment for the dress commission as agreed. 50gp each, but Levuka was so thrilled by her brigandine, she insisted on sharing her 50gp amongst her comrades.

I hope the brigandine serves Levuka well. It looks amazing, and more formidable than any other brigandine I’ve seen. T-Rex leather combined with magic has done well.

   ...

On my way back to the Three Headed Dragon, I had a thought…

“It is a disconcerting yet also intriguing thought to imagine how resistant to damage a brigandine made of my own hide would be. I was already, mostly impervious to fireballs. Imagine how ineffective fireballs would be against my hide infused with magic. To think! My comrade has invested her pay in what is truthfully a wonderful armour, but if she and all adventurers merely trained the way I do, they could save their money to spend elsewhere. I really must put more effort into improving Kavel’s Corner for Strength and Conditioning.

Back to Morgana’s woodcarving workshop for me then. There is a gym in desperate need of some heavy clubs!”