COMING SOON! Terrible Treasures & Frightful Fables. Trinkets and adventures for your DnD 5e Halloween Sessions!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 4220880" data-attributes="member: 3448">The area around the Rapa encampment had a vile odor.  They had stomped the area completely flat, like ostriches do to make a nest, but as far as we could tell, they deposited their waste right next to where they live.  The Rapa themselves, about fifty in number, looked a great deal like underfed, weaker vrocks.  They have vulture-like feathers, red and black bands on their necks, and light feathering.  They are effectively humanoid, without functional wings, and armed with javelins and very thin whip-swords.  One of them, wearing bangles, hopped out to meet us.  “Yes?” it cried in a strange, bird-like voice“Want to work?” asked Twang.“What kind of work?”“Fight, build, tear-down, kill.” he responded.I offered some silver and sought to clarify.  “Fight, build, defend.”The Rapa grew excited.  “Fight!  Kill!  Shinies!”It squawked to the other Rapa, who immediately began packing up their camp.  We tried to negotiate a firm rate, but the Rapa did not seem to have a concept of numbers, just shiny objects.  My conclusion is that the key is to give them enough when the fighting is finished.  They think in terms of enough and not enough, without a concept of in between.  We also noted both males and females among them, roughly evenly divided, but, unlike the Pachaks, they all carried the same weapons and wore the same baubles.As they finished breaking down their camp, the Rapa leader returned to us and cried, “Kill the enemy!”Twang enthusiastically responded, “Kill the enemy, take their shiny things.”“Yes!” it responded.While I appreciated their enthusiasm and lust for battle-- good characteristics in mercenaries, who so often hold back to collect their pay without truly facing danger-- I also had to wonder about their wildness.  I fear that their resemblance to the vrock may be more than just outward experience.  We confirmed that they do not radiate evil or strong chaos-- they are not demons or the spawn of demons, despite their appearance.  But they may be more naturally inclined to chaos than to order, and unless we can rectify that, they will ultimately prove something of a liability.With our recruiting finished, the Hastur opened another gate.  We gestured our new troops to proceed through.  The Pachak marched through the gate in perfect ranks, with the Choktar last, and then the Rapas cascaded through in a disorganized mob.  We traveled last and reappeared back at the Circle, with all of the troops milling around.We estimated that it would take three days to reach Lord Bastion’s manor.  As soon as they arrived, the Pachak began digging trenches and putting up an earthwork rampart, in a very disciplined and military style.  They may not have accepted Lord Paranswarm’s dominion formally yet, but they are natural followers of His, with Order inherent in their beings.  Twang organized some of the Pachak to dig a proper latrine for the Rapas.While the rest of the Pachak worked on the construction, the Choktar approached the Shadowline and pointed up at it.  “Verdoiney?”Twang nodded.  “Oh, yes.  Verdoiney.”The Choktar bared her teeth and averted her lips.  Twang mimicked the expression.[That night, far away, deep in Shadow, beyond Caldefor, in an ancient hoary keep, a figure looked up from a board across which many playing pieces lay scattered, and a smile crossed its face.  “Lord Drakhl’s phylactery is missing from across the land.”]</blockquote>

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