Part 3: Investigating the New Mire

[Balgin Stondraeg]

As the evening draws on Marilke pays it little heed other than to observe the encoraching shadows as she watches her soup simmer on the stove. The constant babble of children, the lack of interjections from her husband, and the shortage of carrots all serve to shorten her temper. Angrily she hacks at the cabbage, idly imagining it to be those noisey terrors but in her heart of hearts she knows she could never really harm them.

There are dirty footsteps on the floor she hasn't had time to clean up yet. Her Osric never wipes his feet when he comes in from the fields. In the flickering candle light she scowls. Yet more work to keep her busy late. It would have been alright if the buffoon hadn't stayed out late drinking so she couldn't start the meal and the kids are getting shirty.

There is a knock at the door. It is repeated. Angrily she crosses the kitchen and opens it. There are men outside, strangers. They're not from 'round here but that doesn't matter. What does is that she's got a cabbage to finish cutting up and dump in the pot. One of them asks for her eldest boy. With a sigh she asks "what's he done now?

"Gurn," she yells, "Gurn, get out here now you little toe rag or I'll have your guts for garters!" As the lad peeks around the door she grabs him by the scruff of his neck and drags him reluctantly forwards. "Oh you'd better have agood excuse this time you young raggamuffin. I don't know what you've done to upset these fine folk but we're going to get it sorted out right this instant. Do you here?"

[Woojitsu]

Shen, who had been scanning the night sky from the rear of the party, quickly steps forward. "Oh, it's nothing like that, ma'am. Your boy has been telling tales of strange creatures, and being the sort who are interested in such things, we decided to come hear it from his own lips and find how much truth there is to it. Not that I'm calling your boy a liar, mind you, but these things tend to grow in the retelling. So, if you have no objection, we would very much like..." Shen abruplty ceases speaking, cocks his head to one side, then turns to the others. "How long do you think we need with him?"

[Balgin Stondraeg]

"Oh he's been telling tales has he? Now look what you've gone and done my boy, just keep fibbing and no good'll come of it. What did I always tell you? No good'll come of it." She gives him a bit of a shake.

"Oh but muuuuuum" moans the boy.

"Shut up and answer the gentlemen," she replies.

[PaulH]

"It's OK. ma'am. We're not here to upset the lad. If you like, I have a technique that will help him calm down, and remember things more clearly...."

Garrick looks to the woman, waiting for her consent. If she agrees he will distract the lad with some hypnosis mumbo jumbo "now, just look into my eyes. You're feeling very restful...." etc, then cast Charm Person on him.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Unfortunately Marilke isn't "havin' none of your fancy new teekneeks from out o' town". The boy doesn't seem reluctant to talk so much as he seems to wilt in the shadow of his mother's temper.

[PaulH]

"That's OK M'Lady - just a simple relaxation technique - you wouldn't want the stories to spread if there's no truth in them? What would your neighbours think...."?

Garrick lets that question sink in, watching her response

[Balgin Stondraeg]

"I don't quite think you heard me," she declares, hands on hips, "we don't need none of your fancy city tricks. Now you listen here my boy, you talk to the man good an' propper and tell him what it is you've done and then you can help get your sisters an' your brother ready for dinner."

And with that she returns to her cooking. Shaking her off with an "aw mam," the boy stands stiff and exited and tells his tale of how he was "jus' playin'" when he was atatcked by "bright blue giants wiv axes that threw sparks when they struck the ground an' chased him all the way 'ome!"

When asked for more details about these giants, "these ten giants," he corrects, so, these ten giants, he declares how they "wuz all bigger'n him" but yet not too big to fit through his front door. And they had magic axes that sparked and had flames on them, and iron armour so thick... and they had funny ears, kind of like Shenaistos'. After a couple of minutes it becomes clear that there weren't actualy ten giants, more like three or four. And they were about Thorgrim's size, maybe smaller, with blue faces and pointed ears (and badly made pig iron axes). He'd seen themn hunting near the edge of the new mire and ran off before they'd seen him.

But they did have blue faces. He's insistent on that. Blue faces with pointy ears and pointy teeth. But definitely blue.

[Rod the Worm]

Hasta rests her chin on her hand, thinking.  Blue skin doesn't ring any bells for her, though she supposes it could be war paint.  Either way, they sound considerably less fearsome than the original giants.  Some breed of goblin perhaps?

She looks around at the others, and if no questions seem forthcoming she nods to Gurn.  "Thanks lad.  Now, you'd best go help with the dinner before your Mam runs out of patience with us."

"So," she says, checking her spell components.  "The edge of the new mire it is.  Shall we be on our way?"

[Balgin Stondraeg]

"So," she says, checking her spell components.  "The edge of the new mire it is.  Shall we be on our way?"

Given how it's late evening, I'd suggest getting a full night's rest in and setting off the next day.

[PaulH]

Garrick ponders the boy's description of the monsters for a moment, trying to remamber if he's heard of anything like it. [Knowledge Haranshire, if these creatures known locally, or Knowledge Arcana if they're not.]

"I agree, lets find a place to rest up - we can set off in the morning".

[Rod the Worm]

v

Given how it's late evening, I'd suggest getting a full night's rest in and setting off the next day.

Oops, should have checked that!

Might Hasta have time to scribe a scroll of Colour Spray at this place?  It should only take half an hour (if I remember correctly - It's my first real time playing a wizard).

[PaulH]

v

Given how it's late evening, I'd suggest getting a full night's rest in and setting off the next day.

Oops, should have checked that!

Might Hasta have time to scribe a scroll of Colour Spray at this place?  It should only take half an hour (if I remember correctly - It's my first real time playing a wizard).

Hi

Thought it took longer?
DMG Pg 283 says that creating magic items (even scrolls) take 1/day per 1000gp (or part 1000gp). Min 1 day.

Why Colour Spray? Garrick casts that spontaneously. If you're going to spend that sort of time, not sure of the rules, but probably better spent getting Garrick to add his array of spells to your spellbook. (Likely to be 8 hrs work/spell, Spellcraft DC 15 + spell level).

Cheers
Paul H
Edit: Just spoken to Balgin, he reckons not too long toscribe scroll, but I'll need to be Wizard to transfer my spells to you. (Spellcraft to add Beguiler spells to my spellbook, then further spellcraft to transfer my spellbook to yours).
Thinking of Wizard at 3rd lvl for Ultimate Magus.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Basicaly you can only craft 1 magic item per day, but making a magic item takes an ammount of days based on the item's monetary value. And based on that, most scrolls take less than a day to complete. I'm willing to allow you to majke multiple scrolls within the same day if the values all fit into one. At your level you could probably make at least 3 or 4. So If we say you spend 5 or six hours during the night making one, and possibnly developing short sightedness :P, then you'll just need some extra rest during the netx day, or the following night, to make up for it.

That reminds me, I probably need to deduct some cost of living expenses from everyone. So they might get reminded of a tab they've run up in a bit.

[Woojitsu]

"I agree, lets find a place to rest up - we can set off in the morning".

Isn't this hut just outside town? It shouldn't take that long to get back to the inn.

Shen suggests, "Tomorrow's first order of business might be to find Orla if we can. Surely she would know more of the changes to the area than any other friendly sort."

[PaulH]

"Agreed - but if we're off to the inn, I'm not eating any of their pies"!