Dimorak leads you out into the dense jungle surrounding the wall city.  He immediately becomes more wary, eye darting here and there expecting attack.  After a few minutes of this, you come to a clearing.  The Kradok searches around the perimeter then comes back to you in the center where he had told you to stay.  "I do not know where they are.  This could be difficult.  Will you be okay here for a few minutes while I search for signs of my hunting partners?"

"yeah I should be alright." Cecil replies. Cecil takes a quick scan about to see if he can notice anything unusual.

[Private to Game Master: ok Cecil will take a quick look around the clearing as well with dimorak still there, then when the kradok leaves, just to be on the safe side and avoid an ambush cecil will hide for a bit. he'll also try another sense motive check just to make sure this guy isn't trying to just dump Cecil in the woods to die.

15:25, Today: Cecil Bellic rolled 15 using 1d20. sense motive.
15:25, Today: Cecil Bellic rolled 18 using 1d20+7. stealth.
15:25, Today: Cecil Bellic rolled 18 using 1d20+4. spot.
15:24, Today: Cecil Bellic rolled 8 using 1d20. search.

]

As Dimorak departs the clearing, you find a tree to hid behind.  It is not long before you hear trees cracking as something large moves through them.  You can also hear the whuffling as if something is sniffing for food.  There is no sound or sign of Dimorak.  Make of that what you will.

Cecil attempts to stay hidden and looks around for anything that might do as a weapon, even a large stout stick.

[Private to Game Master: 08:16, Today: Cecil Bellic rolled 5 using 1d20+4. looking for a "weapon". ]

The creature ambles out of the woods [GM: Its about the size of a rhinoceros] shoving aside trees.  It's snout is enormous, each nostril as big around as your thigh.  Small horns, probably used for rooting out tubers and the like, surround those nostrils.  Short, stubby claws surround the hooves of the four footed creature.  Short brown hair is scattered sparsely across a dark, moss colored skin.  It has a long, thick tail which ends in more of the same spiky protrusions.  A ridge of black spikes along its backbone.  From the looks of its teeth it is likely omnivorous.

You find a likely wooden club, but there is little chance it would get through the creature's thick skin.  It is becoming more and more evident that you were recruited as bait.

Cecil tries to keep hidden. They may have recruited him as bait, but that didn't mean he was going to make this easy for everyone and get eaten. the creature was out in the open. they should have been attacking it. If they had been honest he might have been able to lead the creature into a better position to be trapped, but as things stood he wasn't going to risk his neck for them. Right now it was time to play the waiting game. No point in making a move before he had to.

The creature rummages around the clearing, digging up a few tubers and mushrooms, then ambles off again through the trees.

Several minutes later, Dimorak shows up.  He looks around the clearing, obviously baffled and more than a little frustrated.

GM: Sorry, this week was end of the nine weeks and I got busy with school work.

"A little warning would have been nice. Did you really expect me to stand by and let myself get eaten just so you could have a shot at that beast? If you had told me your plan than maybe we could have worked something out. I could have lead it to a trap or something. But since you just wanted a sacrifice you can find someone else." Cecil comments as he steps out of his hiding place. He will then head back to the town. He couldn't trust these guys anymore. there was no way he could work with them now.

"Woho!  The runtling has some sauce."  The Kradok chuckles and it is not a jovial one.  He pulls out a longsword that looks plain, but well made.  "You cost me a bag of gold, runtling.  Mayhap I should take it out of your hide!"

GM: By his tone and his mannerisms you know he is on the verge of lunging at you, which gives you the initiative should you choose to engage.

"You think a human's hide is worth that much? Try it then, but know it'll mean your end." Cecil didn't like Dimorak and was tempted to take a swing at him, but he didn't want to kill him. So far Cecil had only killed for two reasons survival protection. He wasn't going to add anger to that list. So he increased the distance between the two of them took up a defensive posture and waited for Dimorak to choose whether he wanted to live or die.

[Private to Game Master: Ok so cecil will switch stances to stance of clarity, giving him a +2 to ac vs dimorak and a -2 to ac vs everything else. he will move his speed away and will ready to use sapphire nigthmare blade on dimorak if he attacks.

if dimorak attacks:
wall of blades counter: If the attack result meets or beats the attack on cecil he deflects the attack: 18
concentration check vs dimorak ac: 22
if successful he is flat-footed against cecil's melee attack and takes an extra 1d6 damage.
attack vs dimorak (flat-footed?) ac: 25
damage: 16
sapphire nightmare blade damage: 6
total damage: 22

22:30, Today: Cecil Bellic rolled 18 using 1d20+9. wall of blades counter if needed.
22:27, Today: Cecil Bellic rolled 6 using 1d6. sapphire nightmare blade damage.
22:26, Today: Cecil Bellic rolled 16 using 1d6+10. damage.
22:26, Today: Cecil Bellic rolled 25 using 1d20+7. two handed power attack -2.
22:25, Today: Cecil Bellic rolled 22 using 1d20+12. concentration check

]

Overconfident and completely underestimating a human, as many of the elder races are wont to do, especially one that is barely armed and virtually unarmored, Dimorak attacks.  His frustration is evident, but it turns to surprise when not only is his swing easily blocked by nothing more than a stick, but the returning blow is devastating.  He doubles over as several ribs are cracked and possible more.

"Hai, boy, you have some...(hack)...skill in you.  I...(cough)...underestimated you."  He begins to back away obviously disengaging.

"Is that it? You're finished? I thought you wanted to take your gold out of my hide?" Cecil steps forward, he keeps his stick down though. "So it looks like I have two choices here. Be nice and let you live or be smart and finish you. Which should I choose? It's tough. Maybe I should flip a coin. What do you say heads or tails?"

The Kradok glares and hunkers down as if to defend, but he slowly tries to keep backing away.  He also chooses not to respond.

"RUN! AND DON'T COME NEAR ME AGAIN!" After the Kradok has run away far enough to no longer be a threat Cecil heads back to town.

The town of Qorlander Bay seems a bit more daunting, a bit more unwelcoming after the episode with Dimorak.  The looks from the other kinds are surprisingly human, the furrowed eyebrows to show anger or disdain, the pursed lips, the narrowed eyes.  They all mean the same thing: "unwelcome."  There are a few that have different looks, but these are even worse in a sense.  They have a look of pity.

It's starting to look bleak to Cecil. It did not look like there was any work for a human out here. He couldn't exactly leave here with out any real equipment or supplies though. It was beginning to look like he had two options, both meant admitting defeat in a way. Either head back to the morning star and join up with them again or take up that other guys offer. He liked the morning star and the people on it, but working with them would not get him closer to his goal. Which meant he had to swallow his pride and ask for help from the only person to actually offer it... it was time to seek out Xanthius and his dad.

After a day of disappointment, its seems that Halai was beginning to favor you.  As you make your way back toward the docks, pondering each decision, you see Xanthius loading up a couple of bags with what looks like junk onto his back.

Cecil approaches the other human "Need some help carrying those?" he asks. all the while thinking So much for making it on my own. hopefully he's still feeling generous.

Xanthius looks up with a surprised but pleased look on his face.  "Sure.  Grab a bag."  He has switched immediately to the human tongue and, likely lacking others besides his family to speak with in it, prattles on cheerily.

He leads you out of the main gate to the west and down what looks to be a main road for a mile or more before turning north along a well beaten trail through the trees.  "We need to be careful now.  There are some critters between here and my home that like to eat metal."  He looks at your tree branch and nods approvingly.  "It's good that you aren't using a metal weapon.  Always good to carry a variety out here in Xamador.  We'll have to get you some better armor and equipment though when we get home."

Cecil picks up what he can carry without overburdening himself and follows the other human. "Thanks, but don't put yourself out to much for me. I'll earn my keep..." then Xanthius's comment about eating metal registars. "They eat what? how could anything do that? They must have skin and teeth made of hard stone."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:34, Wed 07 Nov 2012.

"It's actually related to the powder exuded by their feelers and their saliva.  It breaks the metal down and turns into something else, something they can siphon up through a tube in their mouth."  He looks around, focusing largely on the tree canopy.  "They aren't particularly deadly to us as they don't eat flesh, and they aren't all that strong, but for us humans, they can shove us around a little bit if they get moving fast enough.  Also, they can sense different qualities of metal so it won't help to throw rusty scrap metal out in bulk to save a well made sword or suit of armor.  They always go after the best."

"couldyou concel or camoflague the good metal? Like put it under a layer of rust or coat it with something that throws off their senses and makes them think it's worse quality?" Cecil replies as they walk.

"I hadn't thought about the potential for a chemical mask.  There are certainly magical ones that can be cast."  He tilts his head in thought.  "I'll have to keep that in mind."
This message was last updated by the GM at 16:33, Fri 01 Mar 2013.

"Do you know if they have any particular weaknesses? Specific methods of attack? Habits and behavior patterns?"

Xanthius thinks for a moment.  "Well, their exoskeleton is pretty tough and obviously metallic weapons are useless.  However, blunt weapons will crack it pretty good and non-metallic weapons tend to survive well enough.  They are just bugs and mostly after your gear.  I've never seen one actively attack a person attempting to kill them.  They mainly just eat the armor right off your body then scurry away.  There aren't any of the larger ones near Qorlander Bay, only the young adults.  You could likely handle one on your own as you are.  The bigger ones were hunted off a long time ago.  The smaller ones encroach from further out."