Sceap Missing Sheep

The Pastoral gnome, Lorcan, sat quietly in the back part of Freelancers Tavern, nursing his tea while the conversation swirled around him, as it had for the last two primes, since his arrival from Gemhallow.  He saw the easy camaraderie and waited, as he had been, speaking when spoken to, contemplating his circumstances.  Mia, the fine human lady who seemed to enjoy brawling more than finery, and Ondar, the tattooed quinametzin, sat at the other end of the long table, talking about their flying bears.

A human woman entered from the stairwell, whom he hadn't seen before.  She was oddly dressed, with a pointy black hat and trousers.  The hat had a skull in the band; she seemed older, from her silvery hair.  Lorcan studied her curiously.

Another human in a blue cloak stood up, and said awkwardly, "Well!  You look new here!  We should find out what there is to do!" he waved at Lorcan.  "You too!"  Lorcan startled and the human waved at the stairs.  "Up you go!" Mia and Ondar looked at each other, amused, and followed them up.

"Too much muttering about the cemetery," Block, the human, said.  There had been other muttering, too; a halfling named Cade who had hired attackers on the Freelancers and whom they'd captured had escaped, and the Skyguard captain, Bryseis, had been drinking with Arnari in the front of the tavern and chatting about it.

They got to Arnari's office and paused, then Mia walked past them and sat in the cushioned chair.  Ondar moved to stand to the side, and the woman with the pointy hat, Nix, sat in a wooden chair.  Lorcan, curious, just sat in an appropriate-sized chair.  Block cheerfully sat next to him, and realized too late that the chair was too small.  The half-elf leader of the Freelancers watched, her eyes catching it all.

"I have four missions that would be fitting," she announced, "but the more experienced Freelancers should look out for the others.

• Hunting hippogryphs eggs for House Aldous.  You would be provided 100gp/egg, or one trained gelding hippogryphs for 10 eggs.
• Checking out the Pirates Dream river for more pollution.  Most recently, Freelancers found bears with wings [here, she looked at Ondar and Mia], also froggoths and some eagle-wing-thing.

Lorcan couldn't help himself.  "What is this pollution?!"  Arnari explained, "There was a wizard who was polluting from magical experiments.  He stopped, but the effluent infused the river, and its environs."

Lorcan said, "That's very interesting!"  Nix added, "Interesting to me as well!"  Arnari said, "The pay is 100gp plus an uncommon potion."  Then she continued listing missions.

• Also, a small sheep herding town along the road towards Haven from Three Rivers… some sheep have been disappearing.

Block interjected, "I do like sheep!"  Everyone gave him an odd look.

• The fourth mission, investigate where the skeletons have come from.

A rather confused discussion broke out.

Mia <to Ondar>: what do you think, mutton dinner or new drink?
Ondar: Ondar is always interested in new drink.  But Ondar made a fool of himself last time.
Mia:  didn't drink the fire breathing
Ondar:  Ondar learned.
Lorcan:  have we confirmed the wizard is still no longer polluting?
Mia:  do not think so.
Nix <to Ondar>: as a connoisseur of potions and brews, I make drinks myself.
<everyone looked at Nix and noticed she had 3 waterskins strapped on.>
Mia:  what does the sheep pay?
Arnari:  150gp/person

They could not decide between pollution and sheep, but the higher-paying mission won the day, because of the flying-bear training.  Arnari told them that while she'd gotten the mission from Mayor Ethan of Three Rivers, the person to talk to in Sceap was Malsam.  They headed out of Arnari's office, talking about flying bear training, and how Tomtom, the deputy leader of the Freelancers, loved the flying bears.

Lorcan hesitated as they stopped at the quartermaster so Block could buy rope.  He should buy rations, but did not have the coin to cover this length of travel.  Mia told him not to worry about it, she would spot him the rations.  And then they were off, heading west across Duquesne to Three Rivers and beyond.

Lorcan and Nix had not seen Duquesne outside of Cliffshadow, and they looked around with interest as they walked the long miles towards Three Rivers.  They camped the first night, along the peaceful fields, and the second night they spent at The Sleepy Dog Inn, in Cliffgate, for 8sp/person.  Then they were off at dawn, travelling the long road to Three Rivers.

The road was peaceful and the Freelancers made good time, despite Lorcan's short legs; they passed (or were passed by) carts and caravans in both directions, but encountered no trouble.  They arrived in Three Rivers during twilight of the third day, and enjoyed the taproom and an actual bed for 8sp/person.  From there they almost doubled back, heading southeast towards Haven, and the Freelancers rolled into Sceap in the late afternoon.

Sceap was pretty small, with three streets, surrounded by barns and pastures, with lots and lots of sheep.  Curiously, all the sheep were in pastures to the northeast.  The pastures to the southwest were empty.  There was no inn, but Malsam ran his house  like a bed&breakfast where he rented out rooms and had a space for a tavern of sorts where the villagers would gather.  There was a sign over the door of a bed with sheep, and people called it "Counting Sheep."  The Freelancers got rooms there, and were served up a meal of mutton stew.

Block really did like sheep; after he'd eaten, he went to the pasture where they were, with Mia in tow, and cast speak with animals, so he could learn what there was to learn.  Mia couldn't understand the conversation, but was looking for the shepherd.

Sheep: hey!  Hey!  This grass is good!
Sheep:  move out of my way!
Block:  hey!
<all the sheep looked at Block.>
Sheep:  hey!
Block:  what's going on?
Sheep:  we're eating it's almost darktime
Block:  I heard some went missing
Sheep:  not my friend!
Sheep on the edges of herd:  my friend disappeared
Block:  what happened?  Where?
<the sheep describe a pasture in terms that only make sense to a sheep.>

The shepherd, a human woman named Tansa, was watching Block with a weird look on her face.

Mia:  he likes talking to people who understand him.  Ignore him; I have questions.
Tansa:  you here to help?
Mia:  yeah.  Where'd they go missing?  Anywhere in particular?  Give me the dish, girl
Tansa:  no bodies were found… <described a location a day's travel southwest>
Mia:  have they noticed this there, or when…?
Tansa:  no, only once back and realize one missing

The other Freelancers, done with their initial look around the village, joined them, but were more interested in Block.

Ondar:  can you become a wild sheep?
Block:  for 2 hours.
Mia:  whoa!  ...don't get taken
Ondar:  that's a good idea
Lorcan:  yes
Nix:  I think so
Tansa: cannot tell what in particular is the ones taken.  They're not biggest, or anything.  Maybe brazen?  ...or stupidest.
Mia:  always the ones wandering off on their own.

Twilight was approaching, and Nix started looking around for any town "characters".  When she realized what Nix was doing, Mia joined her.  They notice the town drunk, and find out her name is Perilla, and she does odd jobs.  She didn't look that odd, but she did stand out.  They found out when she'd not drunk, she's the best spinner.

Nix wandered over to Perilla.  "Tough times lately, eh?"  Perilla looked at her blearily; she was drunk.  "Yeah, I have to do work to afford this beer," she said belligerently.  Then her tone changed.  "Hey can you buy me a drink?"

"Sure," Nix said, and they went back to Counting Sheep, where Ondar, Lorcan, and Block were already.  

Nix bought a round of beers from Malsam and sat down across from Perilla.  Then, still holding Perilla's beer, she asked, "So, you've heard about this mystery lately?"

Perilla's tone changed.  "It's people working to keep the beer from me," she started, and went on at length on the topic.  Lorcan was astounded at her reaction.  Everyone else had seen it before, she's drunk, everyone always tries to keep her from drinking, etc etc.

Ondar meanwhile was inspecting his beer.  He sniffed it, then tried it.  It was new to him, but not what he was looking for.

Nix slid the beer across to Perilla, but before letting it go, she looked around at other locals and raised her eyebrows.  Lorcan saw them all roll their eyes.  Nix let go of the beer and Perilla drank it happily, then launch into a variant conspiracy.  Behind her, Malsam also rolled his eyes.

Lorcan:  has anyone tried to track the sheep?
Malsam:  not with any success.
Tansa:  don't also want to go missing!
Lorcan:  how many sheeps?
Malsam:  about 20.
Lorcan:  you don't know, exactly? 
<Lorcan frowned slightly and steepled his fingers, trying to remember how tracking was done in Bandolier.>
Malsam:  hard to tell.  Sometimes they go missing, and there's a ravine; sometimes there's not.
Block:  I have brought chalk, to mark the sheep.

Nix bought another round for everyone, but then it was time to retire for the night.

The next morning dawned a bit overcast, with mist.  Block told his fellow Freelancers it would clear up by noon, but by late afternoon & evening, would get a little cloudy.

They were going to head to the place in question but Block wanted to take a sheep.  They headed over to where Tansa was already tending the sheep, and Lorcan, startled, said, "Wait, are they going there?"

They asked Tansa, who told them, "Not taking sheep there anymore."  When Block explained they wanted a sheep, she assented, saying, "Please bring it back; no-one's been there for a few days."

They headed out, Ondar looking for tracks.  Block cast animal friendship on the sheep, who cuddled up to him.  Lorcan was amused in spite of himself, and told Block he could understand the sheep.  Block wanted to know the sheep's name.

Lorcan asked the sheep, and it flicked its ears and stuck out its tongue, because sheep.  Lorcan told Block simply, "Just 'sheep'."

It took most of the day to get to the place Tansa has described, but there were pastures with low hills.  Ondar was checking for tracks, with Block granting him guidance.  Along the southwest edge of the pasture, hidden behind a couple hills, Ondar saw some small, sunken trenches.

All the Freelancers looked.  Nix, Mia, and Lorcan were a bit puzzled, and Ondar and Block thought it looked like a sunken tunnel from an enormous gopher.  Mia looked at the size of the tunnel, and mused, "wonder if these ones will also have wings."  Some of the tunnels had a slight curve.

Ondar started following one.  He couldn't follow it very far; each trench only ran for about 20' near the surface.  Mia pulled out a javelin, and started poking at one.  It seemed mostly loose dirt, with grass still on top, but the javelin poked into it easily.

Lorcan told the sheep, "Don't go there," and pointed.

A discussion ensued.  Block wanted to shape a sheep and walk ahead.  Lorcan thought the tunnels were no longer dangerous.  Mia suggested looking for where they converged, and then camping.

Lorcan asked the sheep, "When did friend disappear, darktime or lighttime?"  Sheep answered, "Friends in darktime, when spread out for good grazing in lighttime, friends disappear."

Lorcan pondered this answer, and sheep said, "We always stick together in darktime because there're always scary noises."  Lorcan told the others.

Mia said, "I'm going to try making some noise."  She walked about 50' southwest, and started to stomp on the ground near, but not on top of, one of the trenches.  The others watched.

Suddenly, a horse-sized creature that resembled a cross between a preying mantis and an ant burst out of the ground next to Mia.  Its mandibles closed around her waist, slashing through her clothes.

"Oh!" Lorcan exclaimed, "It's an ankheg!"  Mia shot back, "It's frickin' rude!"

Lorcan moved closer to Block and the sheep so he could help Block out.  He told the sheep, "This is why I told you not to go there."

• Nix dashed towards Mia.
• Block sent a guiding bolt at the ankheg, which crit.  He moved closer to the creature.
  • The sheep followed him.  "Why go towards that?" Lorcan asked it.
• Ondar became Large, growing suddenly to 15' tall.  He moved 30' closer to Mia and the ankheg, taking up his longbow.  His arrow pierced the thorax, killing it.
• Mia, freed from the creature's mandibles, stomped on its head, exclaiming "and take THAT!"  She burst into a rage, the air shimmering around her.
• Perhaps stomping wasn't the best idea, for another ankheg emerged from the ground and grabbed Large Ondar around one of his thighs, slashing his leg and hanging on.
• A third ankheg emerged from the ground next to Mia, but perhaps obstructed by the body of the one she was stomping, failed to bite her.

Lorcan moved next to the sheep, picking up a rock, since he was not about to throw his long daggar.  He threw the rock at the ankheg at the ankheg latched onto Large Ondar's leg, and managed to hit a weak point.

• Nix moved to the ankheg next to Mia and tried to strike with her daggar, but critically missed.
• Block shifted so he was equidistant from the two ankhegs, sheep staying close to him.  He cast another guiding bolt, which flew harmlessly over the head of the ankheg hanging on to Large Ondar.
• Large Ondar dropped his longbow away from the ankheg holding onto his leg, and grabbed his shield and vicious scimitar, slashing the ankheg badly.
• Mia drew her sword, and slashed at the ankheg near her, the sword skittering off its chitin.  Glancing at Nix, she then stepped away, drawing the ankheg's attention as the creature tried to snap at her.  She then closed with it again.
• The ankheg tightened his pincers on Large Ondar's leg, ouch.
  • Large Ondar invoked his stone rune, incapacitating the ankheg, which then let go of his leg.
• The ankheg on Mia tried again to bite her, and missed for the third time.

Lorcan backed up to where the sheep was again, and threw another rock, almost hitting Large Ondar.  He made a face.  <narrator voice:  Shari rolled a 2 on the die.>

• Nix tried again with her daggar and again missed.  <narrator voice:  Brian also rolled a 2 on the die.>
• Block moved up to Nix, then shaped into a giant badger.  The sheep, unhappy with this development, ran away.
• Large Ondar whacked the stoned ankheg with his vicious scimitar, separating its thorax from its abdomen.  Green blood leaked out of both parts of the dead creature.  Flush with a surge of adrenaline, he moved to stand over the body of the first ankheg he'd killed, and slashed at the remaining ankheg.   The vicious scimitar cut through the chitin.
• Mia crit the ankheg with her longsword, and the air around her shimmered with various humanoid forms.
• The ankheg tried to bite Mia, but she deflected the mandibles with her shield.

Lorcan moved next to the giant badger, and threw another rock, but critically missed.  The giant badger was just too in the way for the Pastoral gnome to get a good shot.

• Nix's daggar struck this time, piercing the ankheg's chitin and drawing blood.
• The giant badger burrowed under the ankheg, then came up under it, biting the ankheg in the thorax and killing it.  It clawed itself back up from the underground, through the remains of the giant dead insect.

Block, as a giant badger, was covered in green bug blood.  The sheep came back to him, having concluded he'd just been shorn and dip'd.

Mia started cutting off one of the ankhegs' heads.  She asked Lorcan, "Is there a hive or nest of these nearby?"

Lorcan, watching her, replied, "There's probably a hive near-ish.  Such magnificent creatures should be moved, where they will not hurt others."

Mia paused and said, "We can bury them, if you want," and Lorcan shook his head.  "I meant, the hive," he clarified.

While they were talking, Nix walked up and produced some salve, which healed Mia of the worst of her wounds.

Lorcan checked the corpses, and realized the ankhegs have considerable acid glands, but was sad that he lacked the kits he was used to having on Pembroke.  When Block realized what he was doing, he transformed back to a human, and pulled out his own supplies, and the two of them harvested a vial of ant acid each.

Then the Freelancers removed themselves from that place and hiked an hour northeast, until the Daystar set.  They camped there overnight; with the sheep tied up and a watch set.  The night was uneventful, and they headed back to Sceap the next day.

As they approached the village, the Freelancers passed by a couple flocks of sheep, the shepherds waving at them cheerily.  Tansa jogged over, and saw the sheep.  "Glad to see the sheep's okay," she said, "What happened?"

Mia hauled the ankheg head out of a sack.  "Ta daaaaa!" she exclaimed, and Tansa recoiled in horror.

Mia announced cheerfully, "We think there might be a hive; we'll be talking to Freelancers about taking care of it."  It was clear she meant, wiping it out, and Lorcan gave her a sidelong look.

Mia caught Lorcan's look and said "Waaaaaat?!  We don't want these to be in danger!"  Lorcan said nothing.

Tansa, unsure of this exchange and uncomfortable with the ankheg head, said, "Wow, uh, thanks I guess… I'll take my sheep.  Later," and she departed, sheep in tow.

The Freelancers went into town and checked in with Malsam at Counting Sheep.  He was also horrified, but asked shrewdly, "Is this the only one?"  Ondar replied, "Um, no."  Mia elaborated, "There were three of them and the tend to come in hives and –"

Malsam held up his hand, stopping her.  He went into the back, and came back with 750gp, which he distributed to the Freelancers, admonishing them to pay 10% of it to Arnari, because he'd heard of the consequences of not doing so.  Then he wrote up a request for them to deliver to her, "...make sure the hive is not a thread to Sceap."

That done, he announced, "Drinks on the house tonight!"  Word went out, and Perilla was happy.

As everyone gathered, Lorcan told Malsam, "Make sure you stay away from that pasture," and described the location and ground signs of the ankheg to him.  Malsam nodded, then had the stablehands put the ankheg head on a stake in the middle of the village.

Once the shepherds were gathered (an easy thing to do with free beer), Malsam showed them the head.  "THIS is why you are not going to take your sheeps to the south west," he told them all.  Horrified, they agreed.

Flush with cash, Lorcan bought an herbalism kit in Three Rivers, and returned the vial back to Block for the ant acid.  But, other than that, they travelled back to Cliffshadow without incident and delivered the mission request (and 10% Freelancers cut) to Arnari as promised.

• Block → lvl3!
• Nix → lvl 1 draconic bloodline sorcerer!
• Lorcan → lvl 1 rogue!