A Clash of Earth and Sea (El Jefe Judging) [See Part II]

[Dalamar]

Zack shrugs. Though truth be told, he'd prefer to sleep under a roof for a change.

 

[Patlin]

You are brought to a community of three homes crammed within a wooden palisade.

"It's not much, but it keeps the dangerous creatures at bay when they roam through the area. This is a peacefull land most of the time, but even in the best of times there are exceptions this far from civilization."

Soon, you are introduced to the elders of this little community. Your hosts treat you to a fine dinner, and as darkness shrouds the land and the crackling fire provides a comforting warmth, they ask what business brings you out into the wilderness.

 

[Manzanita]

Ignatious smiles pleasently, being very favorably disposed to anyone who offers him a hot, tasty meal. "You see, gentlemen. We are adventurers, who were gathered at the Red Dragon Inn in Orussus. There we heard word of a group of Merfolk in yonder lake who needed aid, as they were beset by a Merrow. We managed to find the lake, but haven't figured out how to contact the merfolk."

 

[Patlin]

One of your hosts, a grey haired old man who had been introduced to you as Herthford, grunts at the mention of merfolf.

"Haven't seen anyone come out to visit the Merfolk since my father's day. The merfolk rarely come up to the surface, so unless you have some way of telling them you're here I expect you'll have to swim down into the deepest part of the lake in order to contact them. Time was, we'd occasionally get merchants come by who wanted to trade with them, but it was never a regular thing."

 

[Manzanita]

"Herthford, we noticed a lone canoe out there on the water. Does that boat belong to your clan?"

 

[Steve Jung]

Charlarn of Phyrah: Male human cleric 3/ranger 1

"It's not much, but it keeps the dangerous creatures at bay when they roam through the area. This is a peacefull land most of the time, but even in the best of times there are exceptions this far from civilization."

"It's just fine. Thank you for allowing us to share your home. What are some of these exceptions to the safety of the area?"

"Haven't seen anyone come out to visit the Merfolk since my father's day. The merfolk rarely come up to the surface, so unless you have some way of telling them you're here I expect you'll have to swim down into the deepest part of the lake in order to contact them. Time was, we'd occasionally get merchants come by who wanted to trade with them, but it was never a regular thing."

"How do you swim down to where the mermen are? Aren't they in a deep part of the lake? Forgive our questions, but I thought the mermen were expecting us."

 

[Patlin]

"The fishing boat? Yes, that's ours. We haven't used it recently, the lake has gotten too dangerous to make fishing worthwhile. Twisted, evil fish that have grown big enough to bite your arm off."

 

[Steve Jung]

Charlarn of Phyrah: Male human cleric 3/ranger 1

"The fishing boat? Yes, that's ours. We haven't used it recently, the lake has gotten too dangerous to make fishing worthwhile. Twisted, evil fish that have grown big enough to bite your arm off."

"We saw a dark shape in the water while we were walking the shoreline. That answers our question on whether it is a guardian or a monster."

 

[Patlin]

"Lots of dangerous things in these woods, though we don't see them very often, thankfully. There are water ogres that sometimes hunt up on land, and some sort of nasty thing that hunts with them but is even worse -- more violent and almost impossible to kill. The stonebird men rarely fly this far from their mountains, but when one does come, we have to be especially on our toes, since they fly right over the walls. A long time ago we had some trouble with some ghouls, but nothing much since we got the local cemetary consecrated. I remember some trouble with Griffins, too, but they generally leave us alone unless the huntings gone real sour. A griffin would rather eat a deer than one of us, anyway."

"Yeah, the Mermen are pretty deep. Unless you happen to be a really good swimmer, you'll want to use some sort of magic when you visit them. Dad used to cast a spell on the merchants that let them breathe whil under water, and they'd pay him for the service. Wish I'd had some talent in that direction, but I haven't the spark of a mage in me."

 

[Manzanita]

Ignatious O'Reilly

"We have no such spells. Perhaps we're better off simply spending some time on the surface here. Can you tell us anything else about the creature that hunts with the merrow? Or the stonebird men?" He turns to his companions. "Perhaps simply fighting these creatures on the surface will draw the attention of the merfolk. We don't want to fight them underwater anyway."

OOC: Does anything they say of these monsters ring a bell for Iggy? He has knowledge(arcana) +10, planes +9, history +10. I do have a metagame theory about the merrow's companion, but I won't put it in Iggy's mouth.