Ginead and the Monster Hunters 19/11
Nov 19, 2019 23:33:07 GMT
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Varis/G'Lorth/Sundilar, Tazmuck, and 1 more like this
Post by Markas Virnala on Nov 19, 2019 23:33:07 GMT
"Down with the Sickness"
24th Entry in the journal of Markas Virnala
This week has just been awful. But I did get to see Ginead again!
I'm not sure why but I come down with a really bad sickness. I could barely last one conversation without throwing up but I wasn't about to pass up the chance to catch up with Gin again
Ginead posted a notice asking for some help so a few of us gathered together at the docks to help out. This was a little more like my first trips out of Kantas, everyone was a new face. I had jumped on board willing to help a friend but I think most of the others were just taking up a job
First we had Kalista. She seemed a delicate sort, worried about her appearance a lot but nice enough. She was actually quite nice to me given my situation. A tall-ish tiefling with blue eyes and a wig for some reason.
Madame Augustine.... something. She was quite interesting. Had a very strange accent but otherwise looked like a human. If I hadn't spent so much time with her, I'd have sworn she was a druid of some sort. Both her and Kallista sported a lot of plant themes in their clothing.
Levin was a wood elf. Copper skin, black cloak and a vague smell of Syrup about him (not that I could tell anyway). He is a very adept archer.
And Onno. Onno is the first Tortle I've seen in a long time, since Frieza I think? I think he might be insane. He is extremely capable and a devout follower of Umberlee but he claims to speak to her through his warhammer. Who knows, maybe he does. Baine certainly spent long enough talking to Phil before. But he takes his belief to an extreme you don't often see. Randall made a passing comment about Umberlee and we had to intervene more than once to stop Onno killing him after that. I tried to distract him a few times myself and talk about Umberlee but most of those conversations ended up being Onno shoving his hammer towards my face asking if I could hear his wonderful Umberlee too.
We gathered on the docks and met a strange man who was barely capable of speaking, grunting and gesturing wildly at us when we said we there to help Gin. He ushered us onto a tiny rough looking boat and we sailed off into a dense fog. I still have no idea how he got us there on that tiny boat. The fog eventually dissipated but only as a storm rolled in and started throwing us around in massive waves and lashing rain. I tried to help out but was just getting in the way mostly. I opted for hanging over the side for most of the journey, emptying my stomach.
We reached land, I'm not sure exactly where but Gin was there waiting for us on the beach, a little skinnier than when I last saw him, trading his armour out for looser rags in the hot and humid weather, but still the same Gin. I managed to spend most of that night sharing drinks with him (amid bouts of vomiting still) as we caught up…. But that’s getting ahead a bit.
Gin lead us to a Research camp he has taken to helping called Pattergost (at least that's what they have been calling it), through a rough and rocky land with odd trees to a large shelf of stone where a collection of tents and makeshift accommodations had been erected. It really wasn’t much to look at but he seemed pretty proud of it none the less. He introduced us to the research team, a tired and almost depressed looking bunch all sitting at tables like they were waiting for something. One came forward to speak with us when we entered, a cute Half-Elf woman with glasses and brown hair called Satin. She seemed to be running things here to some degree and was pretty disappointed to learn most of us had never met before (Gin spinning his usual lines and promising more than was actually true). Still, she invited us to eat and go over the needs of the camp in the morning, sending the accumulated researchers into a weak cheer as they, in unison, stood and went to grab some food. Turned out they were waiting for us! We barely sat down to try the food before someone came tearing into the tent screaming "SKUNKS!"
Outside, a herd of Giant skunks had come storming into the camp, chasing everyone into the large tent we were in. They weren't too bad to dispatch, either falling after couple of good hits or running away. There was just a lot of them. Aggy put up a barrier of thorns to protect the people inside while a few of us went out to tackle them. The real issue with them was the god-awful smell. True to skunks, they started spraying us with a foul smelling scent that made it unbearable to fight. I took a face full almost straight away, which really didn’t help my stomach at all… Soon enough we had run them off though, Kalista trying to chase down a figure she had spotted in the trees guiding the skunks but lost track of them. The threat over, I could go back to violently throwing up again.
Back inside the tent, gin gave us a little more background on the place finally. They had come out to do research and eventually people started showing up. In fact, most of the people in the camp were not actually researchers, just people who decided to join them out here, setting up a make shift home here, the place slowly growing to its current size. They had tried to explain they weren't settlers but everyone didn’t seem to take mind of that and do it anyway. Gin, being Gin, felt responsible for them and took them in. In any case, the researchers were here to investigate some ruins but soon after, the skunks had started attacking and they have been having a lot of problems since.
Satin, now much happier seeing how we dispatched the Skunks, joined us and also mentioned the problems with the skunk attacks. She also explained that through the course of their works they have been making use of a rare flower here. Using almost every part to make solvents, medicine, food…. Just about everything useful to them. The only issue being that it grows in a swamp quite far to the north and the last team they sent to get some had died. Only one person made it back, a feeble sort of man called Randall. He was quite badly hurt and was gibbering about teeth but didn’t couldn't really provide much more information about what happened to the others. We agreed to help, by travelling to the North to bring back some of these flowers.
The trip there was difficult. It was a long trek, which was fine on its own, but a lot of us (me especially) spent the majority of the trip feeling ill. I'll spare the details.
It took a few days of constant travel to reach the swamp with only a few events worth noting. First was the monkeys. They came a few nights while we camped trying to steal from our camp but we just chased them off. At one point, we turned a corner round a massive fern-like bush and almost walked into a large lizard that didn’t look to happy to see us. Augustine and Levion recognised it as something called an Ankylosaurus. Was pretty big anyway, looked like it had armoured scales and spikes running down it's back with a massive ball at the end of its tail it was swinging threateningly. That we managed to get past without incident as well.
The last real thing of note was while we were squeezing our way through some thick foliage on a small pass against a cliff side. Augustine was taking the lead as we went single file with me close behind. I saw her stop up ahead and look like she was talking to the wall. Turns out a face had appeared and warning her to leave. When she said no it tried to attack before vanishing into the stone. Apparently she had an odd dream during the night that correlates with it, a spirit maybe not wanting people on the land? I'm not sure.
The land soon became boggy as we entered the edge of the swamp and Randall (by now had upset Onno so was kept on a short leash in case the Tortle tried to kill him again) confirmed this was were he came to with the previous team but there was no sign of them. Large pools dotted the place but further into the swamp we could see a patch of the Eidelbow flower we were after (literally flowers like a bow)
We were all a bit tense though, what with Randall's talk of monsters and teeth, unsure of what to expect or where it might come from. As we approached though, it made itself known.
Sharp teeth in a serpentine head came slowly out of one of the pools of water, sharp eyes darting around the clearing at as it continued up into the air and a long neck, the swampy water cascading off as its gaze finally settles on us.
Without even the slightest Hesitation, we rushed it.
Levion and Augustine managed to get in first while inward still closing the distance to the creature, Levion with his bow, Augustine summoning an immense tree from the very ground that started clubbing its head, crushing it into the ground in a bloody mess. I started to slow, thinking the creature already dead until the neck started writhing on the ground and erupted into two new heads splitting from its neck. Quick as a flash I crushed one head and cut open the next before they could fully form, sending the long neck falling back into the water.
I could feel the life energy in it as I punched into one of the rejuvenating heads and there was definitely more to this thing, sure enough, after a moment of quiet, the other nearby pools erupted as more serpent like heads came up and began lashing out at us, biting deep into a few of us. I just managed to pull myself free of its needle like teeth and begin fighting back as they others all rushed separate heads, Onno cleaving his in two and Kali igniting two more with a massive ball of fire. Randall started to scream, a quick glance realising he was being attacked by a snake from a nearby tree. Thankfully Kali was already on her way over, now turning into a giant spider.
Side stepping another snap of its jaws, I swung out with my sword but it was too quick and swung out the way before letting out a screech as it finally crawled up out of the water, the other heads lying dead on the floor around it. With one last lunge, it sank its teeth into Kali before Levion levelled one last arrow at it, tearing through its body and landed heavily in a tree behind it. Slowly, it fell back, lifeless.
The threat gone, we collected the flowers and picked up Randall from his position on the floor, hyperventilating while Kali doused the tree she had set fire to. Onno, still on his holy mission, was stopped from killing him again. From what Paw had told me, this had to be a Hydra, so I asked Levion gave me some help collecting some of the hide from it, while he was collecting a trophy himself. Flowers in hand, Randall still alive, we started the trek back.
A few days of sickness and hiking and we finally reached research base again, Gin excited to see us and talking about more Skunk attacks while we were gone. He seemed sad to have missed the Hydra battle but was more enthusiastic than ever about "the adventuring team" he had gathered, getting one of the researchers to give him a tattoo, coaxing us into getting one too. It was a fun celebration and I had just about started to feel better, especially when Levion finally gave Gin some of that drugged fudge he had!
We are on the way back to PF now, thankfully calmer waters than on the way here. Can finally see about getting those robes made. Hoop wasn't too impressed with Pattergost but seemed happy to see Gin again. He has such an energetic personality that they just bounce off of each other.
24th Entry in the journal of Markas Virnala
This week has just been awful. But I did get to see Ginead again!
I'm not sure why but I come down with a really bad sickness. I could barely last one conversation without throwing up but I wasn't about to pass up the chance to catch up with Gin again
Ginead posted a notice asking for some help so a few of us gathered together at the docks to help out. This was a little more like my first trips out of Kantas, everyone was a new face. I had jumped on board willing to help a friend but I think most of the others were just taking up a job
First we had Kalista. She seemed a delicate sort, worried about her appearance a lot but nice enough. She was actually quite nice to me given my situation. A tall-ish tiefling with blue eyes and a wig for some reason.
Madame Augustine.... something. She was quite interesting. Had a very strange accent but otherwise looked like a human. If I hadn't spent so much time with her, I'd have sworn she was a druid of some sort. Both her and Kallista sported a lot of plant themes in their clothing.
Levin was a wood elf. Copper skin, black cloak and a vague smell of Syrup about him (not that I could tell anyway). He is a very adept archer.
And Onno. Onno is the first Tortle I've seen in a long time, since Frieza I think? I think he might be insane. He is extremely capable and a devout follower of Umberlee but he claims to speak to her through his warhammer. Who knows, maybe he does. Baine certainly spent long enough talking to Phil before. But he takes his belief to an extreme you don't often see. Randall made a passing comment about Umberlee and we had to intervene more than once to stop Onno killing him after that. I tried to distract him a few times myself and talk about Umberlee but most of those conversations ended up being Onno shoving his hammer towards my face asking if I could hear his wonderful Umberlee too.
We gathered on the docks and met a strange man who was barely capable of speaking, grunting and gesturing wildly at us when we said we there to help Gin. He ushered us onto a tiny rough looking boat and we sailed off into a dense fog. I still have no idea how he got us there on that tiny boat. The fog eventually dissipated but only as a storm rolled in and started throwing us around in massive waves and lashing rain. I tried to help out but was just getting in the way mostly. I opted for hanging over the side for most of the journey, emptying my stomach.
We reached land, I'm not sure exactly where but Gin was there waiting for us on the beach, a little skinnier than when I last saw him, trading his armour out for looser rags in the hot and humid weather, but still the same Gin. I managed to spend most of that night sharing drinks with him (amid bouts of vomiting still) as we caught up…. But that’s getting ahead a bit.
Gin lead us to a Research camp he has taken to helping called Pattergost (at least that's what they have been calling it), through a rough and rocky land with odd trees to a large shelf of stone where a collection of tents and makeshift accommodations had been erected. It really wasn’t much to look at but he seemed pretty proud of it none the less. He introduced us to the research team, a tired and almost depressed looking bunch all sitting at tables like they were waiting for something. One came forward to speak with us when we entered, a cute Half-Elf woman with glasses and brown hair called Satin. She seemed to be running things here to some degree and was pretty disappointed to learn most of us had never met before (Gin spinning his usual lines and promising more than was actually true). Still, she invited us to eat and go over the needs of the camp in the morning, sending the accumulated researchers into a weak cheer as they, in unison, stood and went to grab some food. Turned out they were waiting for us! We barely sat down to try the food before someone came tearing into the tent screaming "SKUNKS!"
Outside, a herd of Giant skunks had come storming into the camp, chasing everyone into the large tent we were in. They weren't too bad to dispatch, either falling after couple of good hits or running away. There was just a lot of them. Aggy put up a barrier of thorns to protect the people inside while a few of us went out to tackle them. The real issue with them was the god-awful smell. True to skunks, they started spraying us with a foul smelling scent that made it unbearable to fight. I took a face full almost straight away, which really didn’t help my stomach at all… Soon enough we had run them off though, Kalista trying to chase down a figure she had spotted in the trees guiding the skunks but lost track of them. The threat over, I could go back to violently throwing up again.
Back inside the tent, gin gave us a little more background on the place finally. They had come out to do research and eventually people started showing up. In fact, most of the people in the camp were not actually researchers, just people who decided to join them out here, setting up a make shift home here, the place slowly growing to its current size. They had tried to explain they weren't settlers but everyone didn’t seem to take mind of that and do it anyway. Gin, being Gin, felt responsible for them and took them in. In any case, the researchers were here to investigate some ruins but soon after, the skunks had started attacking and they have been having a lot of problems since.
Satin, now much happier seeing how we dispatched the Skunks, joined us and also mentioned the problems with the skunk attacks. She also explained that through the course of their works they have been making use of a rare flower here. Using almost every part to make solvents, medicine, food…. Just about everything useful to them. The only issue being that it grows in a swamp quite far to the north and the last team they sent to get some had died. Only one person made it back, a feeble sort of man called Randall. He was quite badly hurt and was gibbering about teeth but didn’t couldn't really provide much more information about what happened to the others. We agreed to help, by travelling to the North to bring back some of these flowers.
The trip there was difficult. It was a long trek, which was fine on its own, but a lot of us (me especially) spent the majority of the trip feeling ill. I'll spare the details.
It took a few days of constant travel to reach the swamp with only a few events worth noting. First was the monkeys. They came a few nights while we camped trying to steal from our camp but we just chased them off. At one point, we turned a corner round a massive fern-like bush and almost walked into a large lizard that didn’t look to happy to see us. Augustine and Levion recognised it as something called an Ankylosaurus. Was pretty big anyway, looked like it had armoured scales and spikes running down it's back with a massive ball at the end of its tail it was swinging threateningly. That we managed to get past without incident as well.
The last real thing of note was while we were squeezing our way through some thick foliage on a small pass against a cliff side. Augustine was taking the lead as we went single file with me close behind. I saw her stop up ahead and look like she was talking to the wall. Turns out a face had appeared and warning her to leave. When she said no it tried to attack before vanishing into the stone. Apparently she had an odd dream during the night that correlates with it, a spirit maybe not wanting people on the land? I'm not sure.
The land soon became boggy as we entered the edge of the swamp and Randall (by now had upset Onno so was kept on a short leash in case the Tortle tried to kill him again) confirmed this was were he came to with the previous team but there was no sign of them. Large pools dotted the place but further into the swamp we could see a patch of the Eidelbow flower we were after (literally flowers like a bow)
We were all a bit tense though, what with Randall's talk of monsters and teeth, unsure of what to expect or where it might come from. As we approached though, it made itself known.
Sharp teeth in a serpentine head came slowly out of one of the pools of water, sharp eyes darting around the clearing at as it continued up into the air and a long neck, the swampy water cascading off as its gaze finally settles on us.
Without even the slightest Hesitation, we rushed it.
Levion and Augustine managed to get in first while inward still closing the distance to the creature, Levion with his bow, Augustine summoning an immense tree from the very ground that started clubbing its head, crushing it into the ground in a bloody mess. I started to slow, thinking the creature already dead until the neck started writhing on the ground and erupted into two new heads splitting from its neck. Quick as a flash I crushed one head and cut open the next before they could fully form, sending the long neck falling back into the water.
I could feel the life energy in it as I punched into one of the rejuvenating heads and there was definitely more to this thing, sure enough, after a moment of quiet, the other nearby pools erupted as more serpent like heads came up and began lashing out at us, biting deep into a few of us. I just managed to pull myself free of its needle like teeth and begin fighting back as they others all rushed separate heads, Onno cleaving his in two and Kali igniting two more with a massive ball of fire. Randall started to scream, a quick glance realising he was being attacked by a snake from a nearby tree. Thankfully Kali was already on her way over, now turning into a giant spider.
Side stepping another snap of its jaws, I swung out with my sword but it was too quick and swung out the way before letting out a screech as it finally crawled up out of the water, the other heads lying dead on the floor around it. With one last lunge, it sank its teeth into Kali before Levion levelled one last arrow at it, tearing through its body and landed heavily in a tree behind it. Slowly, it fell back, lifeless.
The threat gone, we collected the flowers and picked up Randall from his position on the floor, hyperventilating while Kali doused the tree she had set fire to. Onno, still on his holy mission, was stopped from killing him again. From what Paw had told me, this had to be a Hydra, so I asked Levion gave me some help collecting some of the hide from it, while he was collecting a trophy himself. Flowers in hand, Randall still alive, we started the trek back.
A few days of sickness and hiking and we finally reached research base again, Gin excited to see us and talking about more Skunk attacks while we were gone. He seemed sad to have missed the Hydra battle but was more enthusiastic than ever about "the adventuring team" he had gathered, getting one of the researchers to give him a tattoo, coaxing us into getting one too. It was a fun celebration and I had just about started to feel better, especially when Levion finally gave Gin some of that drugged fudge he had!
We are on the way back to PF now, thankfully calmer waters than on the way here. Can finally see about getting those robes made. Hoop wasn't too impressed with Pattergost but seemed happy to see Gin again. He has such an energetic personality that they just bounce off of each other.