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Message: <blockquote data-quote="megamania" data-source="post: 6085473" data-attributes="member: 9255">THE HIDDENSEGMENT 0062/9/13“DIRTY JOB” EYRE 5, 999 MORNINGHalf of the house has been burned down.  The Tharashk firefighters seem to be getting batter at their jobs.  A half-orc other than Tusk interviews the PCs learning what he can of the fire.  He has a lot of interest of the involvement of goblins.  He generally ignores the PCs questions they ask of him and the investigation.They return to their room.  RAF is still there watching the water through the window.  He is not happy he missed a fight but it didn’t seem like anything to go to see.  It was just a fire.  The group rest and sleep in a bit.They decide to seek out goblins.  At least one of them will have answers for them.As they walk through the dock area they notice the Tharashk orcs and humans are out asking questions and in some cases strong arming snitches and anyone they feel they can intimidate into revealing important information.  There are no goblins to be seen on the docks.  They have all gone into hiding already.They try old town but find there are no goblins there either.  They ask merchants and tavern people about the goblins (or the lack thereof) and are told it is general knowledge that the House is seeking any and all goblins for information.  After a few hours of searching they return to the burnt and ruined home.  Several half-orcs are guarding the smoking remains.Rose is the first to ask them questions.  The others also ask questions but all questions are answered as such-  “No know.  We guard.  Crime scene.  None allowed here.  Leave.  Leave Now.”Looking around the area they realize the goblins used a small boat to travel UNDER the docks.  It’s why no one ever sees them.They walk around more to talk to the local merchants.  When asked about where the goblins are most of them either won’t answer or have no idea.  Finally one of them answers beyond old town- in the marsh.They look for the first path leading out of the town into the swamp.  RAF believes this to be a waste of time.  He says this while watching how deeply his warforged body sinks into the mud on the trail.   Truth does his best to lift his robes high to avoid getting mud and water on it.  Truth and Maul lead the way.  Tom also seeks tracks and finds little of use.Maul falls back to travel with Tom leaving Truth in the lead.  The path is narrow and weaving.  Thick swampy brush with water at the base covers the edges of the path.  The brush grows from a few feet high to as much as eight feet tall with an occasional short tree visible.Not seeing it as he walks by, Truth is attacked by a large snake that was within the brush.  It is quickly killed by Rose with an arrow.  Truth is concerned if the snake tore his robe when biting at him.  Maul stops to check out a strangely stretched vine going from the brush into a puddle of muddy water.   Looking at it, they also see a single goblinoid foot print.   The vine is part of a trap designed for a small rodent or animal. Now becoming noon time, they consider a break when Truth once more attracts the attention of predator.  He is struck by thorns that come flying out from a pocket of watery weeds and tall grass.   A thorny toad is hiding there and protecting itself.  It doesn’t have long to live as Cy and RAF move up with their large swords.They find more signs of a goblin using the brush to avoid leaving tracks.  Encouraged by this, they move further down the path.  Soon they come onto a narrow moving water way.  The water is brown so they cannot tell how deep it is.  Several flimsy branches form a bridge at the edge of the brush.   Looking at it, they guess it couldn’t hold up anything over thirty pounds.Truth walks up to the edge and tries to figure out how deep the water is.  RAF, annoyed by the entire idea of being out here in the mud gives him a gentle nudge and he stumbles in.  The water is only a few inches deep but his weight drives his legs deeply into the silt.  He finds he cannot pull his legs out of the mud.  Worse- by trying, he has sunk even further.Rose jumps over the six foot wide waterway.  She slides a little on the mud on the other side but stays on her feet.  Maul jumps over easily.  Tom nearly falls in as he jumps over.  Cy decides to try the little bridge just in case they misjudged its strength.  He instantly falls in.  His foot is stuck in the mud.  He struggles to get free and instead loses his boot.   As he is reaching into the water trying to feel for his boot the others throw Truth a rope and try to pull him free.   They drag him to the edge further soiling his robe.  RAF enjoys the whole scene he has created.Rose and Tom both stop as they hear something. Someone is whistling a happy little tune and is coming closer.  Rose, the only one here that understands Goblin, recognizes it as such.  Maul rushes up and stops a goblin at the path’s bend.Rose is quick to arrive there as well.  In goblin, the small trapper exclaims fear that they have destroyed his bridge (which Cy basically did).  It takes a few moments to calm down the goblin.  It takes an extra few more moments for Rose to translate common and goblin to each party.  This goblin is checking his traps.  He has 16 children at home to feed.  He becomes defensive and holds his spear up at first Maul then Rose.  She takes exception to this and tries to grab and pull the spear away.  The tricky goblin instead nearly trips her up with the spear.  Maul then grabs and pulls the poor goblin down.When asked what he has seen in the waterway here he only replies in a panic “The Frog people!”   When asked about humans he knows nothing and tries to get free of Maul striking at him.   For his effort, maul shakes him and his teeth accidently tear into the poor father of sixteen goblins.   Bleeding badly, the large wolf spits out the goblin that whimpers in the mud for a moment or two before dying.They decide RAF is correct.  This is pointless and decide to return.  Truth trips as he goes to jump over the stream and falls face first into the muck.   Having fallen flat, it is easy to slide him (and his robe) through the silt and water to the other side.  His beautiful red fancy robe is now a mess.Maul hesitates shortly and Tom looks at what has made his animal companion hesitate.  It’s the trap they had seen earlier.  It has gone off and holds something within its loop-  or more specifically part of something.  Looking closer, Truth figures the corpse to be the remains of a muskrat or such.   Something has killed it and eaten much of the body.  Tom allows the others to come forward to look placing him in the rear of the group and slightly alone.   It is this moment that four nasty looking big rats attack.   RAF assumes they are Dire Rats due to their size and the boney protrusions on its back and sides but Tom knows otherwise.   There are large boils and welts on the creature and the teeth are incorrectly sized for it.   Also- their bites burns like acid. (Horrid Dire Rats)Everyone rushes up and as they can attack the creatures including Maul who is also bitten and burned by the vile creatures.   By sword and arrow the four creatures are killed.“The sooner we return to Yrlag- the better.” Says RAF looking at his muddy legs.“Sigh…. Agreed.” Confirms Truth looking at his robe.</blockquote>

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