Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nthal" data-source="post: 7952350" data-attributes="member: 6971069">The Other Swamp thing - 03/29/2020 The Society of Sensation is about using your senses to understand the multi-verse.  Of course, it is also about memory, so you can take that understanding to another level. But sometimes it feels like once you have learned the secret or the lesson, the multi-verse decides to beat you over the head with it, again and again. Which makes you wonder; did you miss something or was it just spite.  Or worse yet – both.My eyes were fixed on the lizardfolk.  My heart was pounding, while my eyes darted to the murky muddy waters around us.  Daneath stood there, his sword stretched in front of him.  Isea had an arrow notched to his bow, but he was turning looking around.  Beepu was looking at the lizardfolk, but his eyes were far and away from the scene on the ground.  Drik and Drok had scattered to the bushed, each holding a crossbow and both pointing straight at the scaled figure, still dripping from its sudden emergence from the marsh.“Sssssssssss,” came from between bared teeth of the hulking lizardfolk.  Its arms twitched, remaining outstretched.  But the spear it carried was still pointing to the air, and not at us.  It stood where it emerged, standing in shallow water just below its knees.  Its head looked at each of us, unblinking.We stood there in the mire just…staring at each other.  As if the lizardfolk was as uncertain about us as we were about it.  The tension in the air was finally broken by Daneath’s practicality.“Beepu,” he whispered.  “Do you see any others?”The gnome’s brow was knitted together in concentration.  “I see alligators, but I do not see any more lizardfolk.”“Iesa, I don’t understand,” I said.  “Why is everyone on edge?”“There should be more of them.  They only hunt human in packs.” He said quickly.“We not hunt sssoftsskins,” the lizardfolk hissed loudly.  “Tale to ssscare sssoftsskin children.”Gos, is Foggle right?  Is he the only one?--Best that I can see.  The waters around are shallow and while there are lizard logs around, the water isn’t deep.Alligators.--Whatever“Then if you aren’t here to hunt us, why are you here?” I yelled back.“To…asssk…for help,” it responded hesitantly, still unmoving.“Help?” Daneath yelled back.  “Then what’s with the bared teeth and spread arms?”The lizardfolk cocked its head to it side.  “Ssself heard that sssoftsskins trussst othersss with sssmilesss and hugsss.  Am missstaken?”There was a cold silence between us.  I looked at Iesa and then at Beepu next to me, and their faces must have held the same amazement as my own.“heheheheheheh,” Drik and Drok started to roll on the marshy ground in uncontained laughter.  Soon it spread to us, and I could do nothing more than giggle at the poor earnest lizardfolk’s expense.  It stood there, but it had lowered its arms to a relaxed posture, as its head looked at us in what I was pretty sure was puzzlement.  Finally, Daneath, sheathed his sword and we approached the Lizardfolk.“We do trust people with smiles and hugs,” Daneath said wiping tears from his eyes.  “But its not expected from…your kind.”“So…sssself did joke?” it asked, still puzzled.“No,” I said thinking quickly.  “But it was a funny situation.  And that’s good enough.”The lizardman thought a moment, and then lowered its spear and strode out of the water and onto the marshy earth before speaking again.“Sssself need help with fearsssome thing.  It ssslew many of ssself’s tribe,” the lizardfolk said slowly.  His voice was unemotional and even.  That his tribe folk’s members were slaughtered was a fact, and not something to be remorseful or concerned about.“Well, we might be able to help there.  Would you be able to help us in return?” Daneath asked, eyeing the lizardfolk.It thought a moment and then nodded, “Help how?”“There is a hobgoblin encampment on the other side of this marsh.  We need help defeating its warlord.”The lizardfolk nodded,  “Sssself knows place.  Old fort of sssstone on island.”“An island?” Iesa said surprised.  “How are we going—”“—One problem at a time,” I said.  “There were goblins that were heading to that encampment.   They might have warned the chief we are coming.”“No.  Thing ate them two moons ago,” it said simply.“Ate?” Drik and Drok spoke looking at each other in discomfort.“One less problem it would appear,” Beepu nodded approvingly, while the goblins narrowed their eyes at the gnome suspiciously.“True…” I began to have doubts on the bargain we were making.“So, what do we call you?” Daneath asked our new companion.“Folk not given namesss like Sssoftssskins.  We take namesss from what we do.  You can call ssself, Darassstrix.”“Darastrix?” Beepu’s ears perked up.  “I am not familiar with your language, but is that not the word for ‘dragon’?”Darastrix nodded “Not…what word?  Literal.  Tale of name for Folk only.”“So, where is this thing?” Daneath said with impatience on his voice.“Deeper in—” and Darastrix stopped talking, his head suddenly jerking to the side, nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air, and his eyes growing wider.“No…it here,” and he clutched his spear in both of his clawed hands, whirling and facing to the west.Goss? What do you see?--I’m not.  Crap its big!We were standing on a path of earth, bordered on one side by the swampwater, where Darastrix emerged from, and our other side was a pond.  Ahead of us, we could now hear crashing in the brush and weeds, moving closer, and louder fast.  Then it suddenly burst forth from the foliage running straight at all of us.It was huge, easily towering over Daneath, but it ran hunched.  It was Its hide was a mottled gray green, with lank and limp dark hair on its head.  The skin of its face and head was lean, highlighting its skull, and deep-set sockets, while a thin pointed nose jutted from its wart covered face.  Its whole body looked emaciated, and covered in boils and scars, but it revealed a powerful lean physique with knotted muscles.  It wore no clothes, save a leather loincloth.  But what concerned me most was its clawed hands…all four of them.But as fast as it was, Daneath was faster still, interposing himself between the monster and the rest of us.  Raising his shield, he stepped forward a couple of steps and then braced for the impact, which the monster obliged.  The sound of wet meat and bone colliding with the metal barrier, and the grunt of Daneath trying to stay upright.  The four arms clawed at the warrior’s shield., while it bellowed a raspy grating roar.Daneath slashed and thrust into the midsection of his hulking foe.  The creatures blood sprayed the warrior, but as I watched, the wounds started to close before my eyes.   Darastrix turned quickly, swinging the haft of his spear, successfully cutting the monster with its broad metal tip.  But the wound on its thigh didn’t even bleed, and the wound disappeared as quickly as Daneath’s.“Crap, it’s a troll!” Iesa shouted, mirroring my own thoughts.  He retreated to a safe distance and shot with his bow, lodging an arrow deep into its breast.  He then moved even farther back to give himself maneuvering room and drew another arrow.I followed him as fast as I could and turned and pulling on dark strands, I start to shred at its life force, a skeletal hand gripping it around the neck.  The troll was busy pulling Iesa’s arrow out, with a spurt of blood.  But the wound didn’t close this time, as my magic held back its healing abilities.Beepu also ran, but he decided to run around the pond in the opposite direction.  He turned, and threw a bolt of fire, striking a glancing blow off the troll, with the resulting smell of burnt hair and flesh.  The goblins followed Beepu as well, firing their crossbows wildly, and not even striking the troll at all.  But they were faster than Beepu and quickly moved past him.The troll, with two arms pounded Daneath.  The first blow almost knocking him down to his knees, but his second right hand struck nothing but air.  Daneath took advantage of the opening, shouting a triumphant battle cry, striking deep into the exposed flank of the troll.  He quickly twisted his blade and ripped it back out.  More blood and ichor sprayed the warrior, and the troll bellowed in pain.  It looked at the warrior with grudging respect and started to run.But not away; instead it set its sights at the next closest foe that had struck it with fire; the slow moving Beepu.  Daneath quickly tried to swing and stop his foe from moving but was staggered by the troll’s strike and his blade whistled in the air, cleanly missing.The troll quickly covered the distance to Beepu and with two left hand fists, struck the gnome.  I could hear the air leave his lungs and heard the crack of bone as a fist punched Beepu in the chest.  The other hand from the upper arm, came down on Beepu’s shoulder, knocking the gnome to the ground, his face contorting in pain.  He tried to throw more fire at the troll, but his blast flew high into the air, missing.Drik and Drok, who were not far from the injured gnome, dropped their crossbows and ran towards the troll each trying to cut a different leg.  But the swords didn’t even blemish the hide, and seemed to cause no harm.  They however, ran past and ran back behind Daneath, turning around and readying their blades for another run.Iesa then took a shot at the troll with careful aim.  The arrow would have found its mark, but the troll casually knocked the arrow away with a large hand, unconcerned.  I once again pulled at a strand, but I couldn’t thread it around the troll, despite my best efforts.  I watched in dismay as the deep puncture wound that Iesa had created with his shot, was now closing.   The troll had a vicious, angry smile on its face as it lifted all four of its hands up, ready to crush the gnome in the mud.“SSSSSSsssssssssssssss” was the sound that Darastrix made as it charged into the troll.  The lizard folk was only slightly taller than Daneath, but it swung its spear with a savagery, unlike its calm demeanor before during our parley.  Its face was a frozen mask, as it thrust at the troll, trying to land a blow.  Finally he spun and with the butt of its spear, managed to smash it into the left eye socket of the troll, causing it to bellow in pain.In anger it focused its attention on Darastrix.  Both lower arms struck at him, keeping the lizardfolk off balance.  Then the upper limbs grabbed the lizardfolk, its claws sinking deep into Darastrix’s scaly hide.  Blood flowed from multiple wounds, as the troll held its prey in place.  With a growl, the troll opened its maw and bent over to bite the helpless Darastrix, lifting him high into the air.  The troll savagely shook his head to and fro, and then hurled the limp figure straight at Daneath.  It roared in triumph, flexing its four arms in anticipation of crushing the almost forgotten gnome.  It turned to the spot where Beepu lay and then paused.There in the ground was a gnome shaped divot, but the gnome was no where to be found.  The troll was looking around, confused and angry when Daneath collided with it, his shield smashing into the troll’s knee, while he swung overhead, slicing into the troll’s thigh.  Drik and Drok then ran through, each cutting deeply into each calf of the troll, and the pair splitting off into different directions after their strike.Before the troll could react, another arrow struck it below the clavicle, penetrating so deep, that the arrowhead protruded from the back of the troll.  For the first time, the troll started to look uncertain, its head pivoting around looking for escape.I flexed again and gripped the troll’s life once again, stripping it away painfully.  The wounds that were trying to close, now suddenly reopened and bled profusely.But it wasn’t done yet.  And it raised its arms and started clawing at Daneath with all four of them.  Daneath was able to deflect a pair of the blows, and responded with a thrust, a slice, and a pommel smash to its knee, causing it to howl in pain once again.  It now looked desperate to run away from foes that clearly knew how to hurt it.  It barely took a step to run back the way it came, when a bolt of fire slammed into its back.  The blast was so hard, that a hole opened in front of Daneath, covering him with the grayish pink entrails of the troll.  It then collapsed into a heap in front of the warrior with a whimpering sound, unmoving.A bloodied Beepu, walked up from the reeds where he was hiding, and he started blasting the troll over and over with fire; his face contorted in anger.“I was not put here for your pounding amusement,” he screamed at it, as he cast two more firebolts at the fallen figure, the reeking smell of burnt troll now was omnipresent around the pond.I however was running, to Darastrix’s fallen form.  I slid onto my knees next to him and touched nervously the scaled skin of the lizardfolk.  Darastrix’s skin was thick and cold; I couldn’t tell If he breathed at all.  I swallowed my fear for a moment and brushed my hair away and placed my ear to his chest, hoping for a sign.  I closed my eyes and listened.The skin against my ear was smooth and cool, as I moved my head around listening.  But as I lay there, I heard nothing.  I moved my hand toward Darastrix’s maw.  I placed it in front of his nostrils and open jaw, trying to feel…something.  Anything.It was too late.  I closed my eyes, cursing myself; angry that I couldn’t have done anything.  I was about to move and check on the others when I felt…no heard something.THUMP.I waited a moment and moved my hand closer to his nostrils.  I realized that I could feel the faintest movement of air.  It wasn’t warm or cold, and it could have been mistaken from the breeze on open air.  But it was instead the faintest hint of exhalation.THUMP.Another beat.  Far slower than a human, elf or gnome.   I wasted no more time and pulled on a large white strand.  I whispered to Kelemvor under my breath, and  poured power into the fallen lizardfolk.THUMP.The beat was no quicker, and I was wondering if I was just imagining it.   I strained to listen, uncertain.“Not food.  Not dead,” he said suddenly, giving me, a start and I fell backwards.  I started scooting backwards away from the now conscious Darastrix, who calmly sat up, and turned its head to regard me.“Did not think Ssssoftssskins ate dead,” he said looking at me with what I thought was curiosity.“Wha…no.  I was seeing…er listening to see if you were alive…. if I could heal you!” I stammered confused by the implications of what he said.“You…healed ssself.  Not eat?”“Eat?  No!” I said horrified, my heart beating faster.  In my mind I had a sudden flash of memory.  A memory of a large wart covered boar like face laughing and biting down onto smooth skin.  Sharpened teeth cutting muscle and touching bone, while a loud scream echoed in the background.My scream.I recoiled from Darastrix, my heart pounding.  He looked at me with a detached look, analyzing the puzzling behavior of the softskin female in front of him.“What the?  What did you do to her?” Iesa ran up, hand on his rapier, preparing to draw it.  Darastrix, didn’t move and looked at the rogue and gave a shrug.“Do nothing.  Ssshe healed.  Ssshe…find something fearsssome,” He said looking back at me.“Myr what did---”“Nothing…he…did…nothing,” I said raising my hand at Iesa.  “It wasn’t him…it was…was a memory.”Darastrix shrugged and got to his feet.  He turned to see the fallen smoking form of the troll in the mud and nodded approvingly before speaking.  “Creature is now food.  But not good food.  Chewy.  Hard to digesssst.  Wassste.”Daneath and the others came up to us now.  Daneath looked at me with concern, as did Beepu.  The goblins looked at me and then each other, shrugging.“Myr what has—” Beepu started in a lecturing tone.“Nothing,” I said between clenched teeth.  “I…now is not the time to talk about it.”“I apologize.” Beepu said wincing, holding his chest.  “I think the troll broke a rib or four of mine.  Can we rest somewhere?”Darastrix nodded.  “Hunting camp near.  Hidden from prey.  Ssssafe.”“Good enough for me,” Daneath said sheathing his sword, and offering me a hand to pull me back up on my feet.  “Let’s go.”[HR][/HR]It wasn’t far, and it was good timing, as the sun was sinking low in the west by the time we got there.  By then I was exhausted, both from the walk and the number of strands I had pulled.  I had expended all the light strands I could to heal Beepu and Daneath, both of which took had taken a severe pounding from the troll.  I was beyond drained and needed to rest.Darastrix, led us off the mud, and into the water for a bit.  Coming to a bank of reeds, he circled it until he came to an unremarkable section of cattails.  He then lifted them away from the bank, revealing a concealed path of earth, leading within.  With a quick head gesture, he motioned us inside.Where he led us was essentially an island, surrounded by a tall wall of thick foliage.  There was a raised rock, below which was room for a fire.  Around the edges, were lean-tos of grass and reeds, enough for perhaps twelve people in all.  Darastrix, quickly moved to a scaled hide of a crocodile, and moved it aside to uncover several cords of dry wood.  He carefully pulled some wood out and placed it beneath the stone and pulled out some flint and quickly lit a fire.We all took off our packs, and I was only somewhat paying attention to the discussion around me.“I did not think lizardfolk knew how to make fire, much less actually use it,” Beepu remarked, watching the lizardfolk work.“Folk civilized.  Just not your civilized,” Darastrix responded.  “Some things in fen not safe to eat unless cooked.”“Oh.  That makes sense.  That include softskins?” Beepu asked, arching his eyebrow as we watched.“Ssssoftssskins dangerous to hunt and not worth it,” Darastrix responded, as he built up the fire.“Dangerous?” Iesa asked a bit puzzled.“Firssst group easssy to hunt.  Weak.” Darastrix replied in an even tone.  “But other nearby group ressspond by killing folk.  Folk wassste energy fighting othersss.   That and sssoftssskin not good food.   Like…what word?   Candy; bad for you.”“I am not a sweet!” Beepu exclaimed offended.“Like not isss,” Darastrix responded.   “Other game better for Folk.   Going to get fisssh.  Sssstay,” and the large lizardfolk, left the reeds leaving us to ourselves.“Well he’s kind of nice, in that detached factual way.  Kind of like Beepu with less words,” Iesa said, sitting down in front of the stone being heated by the fire.“Very funny.  Lizardfolk are very different depending on the swamp.  There is a tribe near Daggerford that trade for example.   But on the far south of the moors closer the Serpent Hills they are far more violent to ‘softskins’” Beepu held his fingers up as he said the word.  “Probably because of the naga and yuan-ti there,”“Can we trust him?” Daneath asked.“Probably,” Beepu said.  “They have a low value in deceit.  Waste of time I bet he would say.”“So how did he break Myrai?” Iesa said looking at me.I swallowed.  “He…didn’t.  I just remembered something…best left forgotten,” I sighed and looked at them.  All of them looked at me with different expressions; The goblins confused, Iesa concerned, Daneath disapproving, and Beepu unconcerned.   “Look I’m…just tired.  I need to rest.  Wake me for last watch.”“Sure Myr,” Daneath, “We can talk about plans in the morning.”I made my way to a lean-to and lay out my bedroll and stripped off the chain shirt I wore.  It wasn’t long before sleep took me to the realms of nightmares.[HR][/HR]I don’t remember what day it was.  The third or fourth?  Did it matter?  The stifling warmth of the room never changed, the fires from the braziers with that overtone of brimstone in the air, never dimmed.  Time was meaningless in this place of pain.  I slept when I could, in between moments; some long. Some short.  But never enough.I was awoken by the chains that held me in the air; where once I lay in a hammock of links, the chains moved along my skin and carried me in the room to a iron frame that was set out in the middle.  The chains lay me on the framework, and then writhed and wrapped around my limbs holding me face up on the frame.I didn’t resist.  What would be the point?  There was no escape from this place.  From the deal I signed in my own blood.  A bad deal, a broken deal. But a valid one from any Baatezu’s perspective.  As I lay there, I turned my head slightly, to the see the familiar corpse on the ground; presevered with magic not to spoil and rot.  There for me to see, to remind me why I was here.  Why I endured.  And how I couldn’t save him from himself, Markell’s lifeless corpse.I was always tired now.  Pain was one thing, but the healing was exhausting.  Part of the deal after all; no permanent scars or damage to the body.  Tear me up, put me back together, and start the cycle again.  Each time was different.  Each time bringing me to a new low.Somewhere out of my vision, I could hear the click of a spoon on a porcelain teacup, followed by the sound of stirring and humming.  My jailor favored tea, something acrid based on the smell, and I didn’t know how he took it.   I could hear the clinking of chain links and then the delicate sipping sound from the cup, as my jailor waited to greet the next client.I presently heard boots…no hooves on the stone, striding to the chamber with a slow deliberate gait.  My head was positioned away from the doorway that let into my personal oubliette, so I couldn’t see who was approaching.“Tanr belscan oo?  Bi ghootoo tagan yatdan khuleek byani!” an unfamiliar gravelly voice said, full of malice, bile and self-amusement.  I didn’t know the words, but I knew the language: Abyssal.  A tanar’ri most likely.My jailor replied, “Tanr belsca.  Khogjildini oo.” And I felt the chains tighten around my outstretched limbs as I lay there.  I waited in terror, the hooves approached, and finally I could see my soon to be tormentor.  My heart skipped a beat as I first smelled and then saw it.  It was a fetid rotten smell mixed with a powerful musk.  The figure was massive; more than twice my height, if I were only standing.  Its body was a bloated humanoid shape, covered with a patchy dingy brown pelt, with a hairless underbelly and chest a dark pink in color.  The head was of a giant boar, with large tusks and sharp canine teeth as it grinned at me cruelly.  Just over its shoulders were a pair of small feathered wings, in desperate need of preening.I lay there, my breathing labored and quickening.   As the tanar’ri regarded me with a wicked smile, it salivated looking at me, helpless to escape.  As I watched, a swirl of light emanated from the fiend, a sickly blend of reds, oranges, purples and blues.  I was afraid before, but now terror truly set in. I struggled against the chains that held me, desperate to run from the contract I signed.  It smiled and in my head I could hear it say.“So, what seasoning goes well with leg of aasimar?”My eyes felt like they were going to pop from my sockets, and I screamed again, like I had the time before this, and the time before that…I sat up, and I had the sensation of a hand across my face, stifling me.  I was about to panic when I saw the stars far away, and could smell the fire burning nearby, brimstone free.  I relaxed, letting my arms go limp.  Glancing to my left I saw it was Darastrix looking at me, his face expressionless.  I blinked and raised my hand and nodded, and he uncovered his hand from my face.“Dreamsss not agree with you,” the lizardfolk said simply.I shook my head.  “No.  They haven’t…” and I struggled to remember a time where I had happy dreams.  I quickly gave up and continued, “…in a long time.  Sorry.”“Risk low.  Concerned.  Dream have to do with self?” Darastrix asked with that same emotionless tone.“Well…does your kind eat things…still alive?” I asked, looking at Darastrix.The lizardfolk blinked and shook its head.  “Food is dead, not alive.  Only…corruption of Sess’inek does this.”“Sess’inek…a Tanar’ri…a demon lord.” I said quietly.Darastrix nodded.  “One hasss knowledge, if one knowsss itsss name. That one corruptsss the onessss of Ssssemuanya.  Not civilized.”I guffawed.  “I guess not.  I dreamt a demon did just that though.”The lizardfolk cocked his head to regard me.   “That not pleasssurable.  Explainsss noissse.”I nodded, “It wasn’t,” I said not wanting to explain that it wasn’t a dream, but a memory.  I didn’t know if Darastrix could have a nightmare, but I saw no reason to explain it.“Let me get my armor on, and I’ll, start my watch.”Darastrix nodded and moved away.  I sat there a second, and then I pulled my chain shirt over my head and started to buckle it back on.--That was…vivid.You were peeking?--You were pretty much screaming in my head.  Sorry about that.--Did that…really?Yes.  I don’t really want to…--I don’t want to know either.And I as I sat there in the early morning listening to the reeds move in the breeze, the only thing that I could think about was this:It was far from the worst thing I couldn’t forget.Session Notes:As if the DM didn’t have enough NPCs to manage.  However, I never did understand why exactly Beepu moved in the opposite direction of everyone else.  It begged for trouble, which he received.  The goblins were a divine intervention of sorts from my perspective, but on the other hand, they didn’t exactly stop to defend the gnome either.And yes, more trauma from the past...there is a lot of that.But let’s not let a mistake ruin a good story.</blockquote>

Verification