Caught off-guard by Sir Constantine's question, Vadim paled a little and cleared his throat, thrusting his typically fidgety left hand inside his coat pocket.  Awkwardly, his other hand sought something concealed within an inner pocket.

"I have light, yes."  An ancient, battered Wayfinder was produced for inspection.  Along with the usual ring for hanging on a cord or hook, this device was stitched to a broad leather band, buckled at one end and notched at the other.  At some point in its life the buckle had been replaced with a bent coffin-nail, but retained its functionality.  Vadim rapped the glass once, twice, and the needle inside lazily began to drift toward North.

"I have Gravemaster's Compass.  It can light the way."  He put the device away and picked up one of the vials very delicately, the draught indicated as able to increase a man's size.

"It is a long time since I have used such things.  You are expecting much trouble in Morast?  From beasts or townsfolk?"  Vadim put the vial back, nodding, then seemed to change his mind.  "I will take this, maybe.  It is good to be prepared."

"Still, I do not think I will be much use to you on this trip.  We only go to ask questions;  there are no bodies buried and all these things happened months ago.  So, nothing to see."  The seat creaked as he shifted his bulk into a more comfortable position, producing a well-worn deck of waxed paper cards.  "Anyone here plays Dead Queen?"

Happy to play cards with any takers but otherwise content to watch the countryside pass and listen to conversation, Vadim whiled away the first portion of trip.  As the surrounding terrain became more swamp-like, however, Vadim sat up and grew tense.

"I did not like this talk of great lizards," he explained, watching the water until they disembarked and, furtively, thereafter.  When he realised that the village was built over the swamp itself, Vadim's large hand tapped Sir Constantine's elbow.

"Maybe I take the swimming magic also."

---

OOC: Vadim will take the potions of Enlarge Person and Touch of the Sea, deferring to anyone else who claims them.

"I'll take one of the light ones.  And sanctuary.  If something decides to bite, I'd rather it not be me," Shade says, taking one of each with a nod of gratitude.  "Nice of you t'get these.  Thanks."

While in the carriage, she takes up Vadim on his offer to play Dead Queen.  "Been a while since I played for no coin," she says with a half-smile.

As they look over the town of Morast, the nine deaths make a great deal more sense.  If the Beast had been using the water or swamp as cover, there was no place to hide, not if they wanted to keep plying their trade and eating.  It wasn't like the folks were going to up and leave so easily, not when they wrested their living from the swamp in conditions some soft-handed folk would find repugnant.

She gazed at the villagers, and glanced back at the others.  There was no way to make a subtle entrance, and their time was short.  All that remained was to give a good impression.  Shade looked over the people, trying to find the headman or headwoman to address as to not upset the pecking order in the village.

"Good fishing to you all!  These folk and I are from the city, gathering evidence about the Beast so the trial goes how it's supposed to," she says, spreading her hands in a gesture of openness and waiting for the others to get official.

The swampers of Morast were an odd bunch, it was easy to see why the cityfolk's suspicions could paint them in a less than flattering light. They were a gangly lot, with a lot of knobbly elbows and long fingers, and their faces favored wide set eyes and wide mouths that gave them the slightest amphibian look. Shade knew this to be nothing more sinister than a strong family resemblance, more than half of the villagers were siblings, cousins, in-laws, or other relatives of either the Cohn or Fisher families, but they did present a rather queer crowd.

A group of six strange adventurers arriving by carriage was odd enough to draw quizzical looks from people working outdoors or resting on porches, but not enough to cause general stir. Shade's pronouncement was, however. Even in the small communities surrounding Lepidstadt the trial of the Beast was the most captivating story in years.

Curiosity was strong enough to overcome that famous Ustalavian insularity and distrust of strangers, and a small crowd of towns folk circled around to get a view of the big-city investigators. One of the goodwives sent a small boy dressed in suspenders, waders, and nothing else running off to find the village elder.

'Elder' proved to be something of a mis-characterization as Corder Lazne strode through the crowd. He had more black than grey in his hair, a stoutly built man on the close side of middle-aged, with broad shoulders and the weathered skin of an outdoorsman. He always seemed to have a wad of swamp-weed tucked between lip and gum which he rolled slowly while thinking and often punctuated his sentences by spitting out a stream of foul smelling weed-juice onto the ground.

"What're yew furriners doin' here?" He said, his tone suspicious and unfriendly, and spat.

"Ahm not scheduled ta' speak my piece until the hearin' tomorrer."

SCG takes a cue from the man himself
“True that!  what we wanted was to see everywhere something happened or at least as near as possible A guide I can pay him to show us the places.”

SCG reaches for his pouch

Whether the croaking and other sounds of life amongst the weeds and reeds and dangling shrouds of moss came from frogs or birds or insects, Vadim could not guess.  By the look of the villagers they were more inclined to cause outsiders to disappear than any of their own folk, but those lost travellers would be so gone as to never be linked to this community.

"It is true." Vadim angled the iron city seal so that Lazne could see. "Judge sent us to check facts, make sure you are not gone too long tomorrow with complications."

"We know you are busy," Vadim gestured at some nearby boats, laden with some kind of wicker pots that might have been designed for catching crabs or fish or whatever it was that was worth eating in these murky waters.  "So we do our work, we pay for time, we go, and you go back to your work."

His piece said he gives Lazne a nod, one working man to another, and steps back to scan the treeline and watch the ripples.

---

20:31, Today: Vadim Karamazov rolled 14 using 1d20-2.  Aid Another - Diplomacy.
Not sure if Constantine's move is a Diplomacy check exactly, but I'm assuming someone more adept than Vadim is going to try to get things off on the right foot.  If so... have a +2!

"Not much left ter see any more. We chased the cursed Beast last year and thought it dead all this time, til we heard about it turning up in the city." Lazne said in unfriendly tones. He clearly hadn't warmed to our heroes, despite their involvement with the case.

"Like I told 'em at the deposishun, that damn thing must 've been lurking in the swamp and snatchin' villagers when he saw one of us off alone or vulnerable. When he snatched old Aran Fisher it was the last straw, and all the men in the village set a trap. We chased it into the swamp and saw it attacked by a caiman, big one too. We all thought it was dead."

“It sure would help us if you can at least walk us through where the trap was set and describe where the chase went through and ended up?  Not to mention the Fisher home and the boat that was found.”

SCG smiles at the man and shrugs easily
“A fair price for your time.”
Today: Sir Constantine Godalming rolled 24 using 1d20+8.  Diplomacy
This message was last edited by the player at 19:36, Thu 21 Nov 2019.

Shade was privately impressed that the knight had offered coin so readily; at least he seemed to understand the realities of those living on the smaller margins, where even a few hours' work lost could mean empty bellies or worse.  And Vadim too, had her admiration for the same.  But all of them were outsiders, city folk, and they didn't belong in this world of swamp and water and mud.

"Elder Lazne, we're also making sure we know how the Beast survived.  If he's tough enough to have survived the blood caimen, we want to make sure whatever fate he has in store will be enough for him," Shade says.

Never one for being in close proximity to others for any length of time, Darcon had suffered through the carriage ride in hooded silence, and was relieved when they finally arrived at the ramshackle village.

The relief quickly dispersed however, when he saw the sorry, gangly and 'fishy' lot that made up the villagers. Still, he pursed his mouth and remained behind the others, letting them do the talking for now while he observed. The mage did not think they would get any easy answers from here though, or any real answers at all. Sir Constantine seemed to have the right of it though, those were the places they needed to visit.

"So you did see the beast when you chased it correct, even if you never saw its corpse? And did you see it any time before the time you chased it into the swamp, say around the time of the first murders?" Darcon finally spoke, staring at Lazne from underneath his hood.

"Were any remains of the missing villagers ever found?" the mage added, as that had been something that had been bothering him since he read the report on the Morast murders.

Constantine's confidence and easy manner seemed to put Lazne at ease and his hunched, defensive posture relaxed somewhat.

“It sure would help us if you can at least walk us through where the trap was set and describe where the chase went through and ended up?  Not to mention the Fisher home and the boat that was found.” He asked.

"Elder Lazne, we're also making sure we know how the Beast survived.  If he's tough enough to have survived the blood caimen, we want to make sure whatever fate he has in store will be enough for him," Shade added.

She seemed to have struck the correct cord and Elder Lazne nodded in avid agreement.

"Aye. It wuddn't do to have the beast survive again, now matter how miraculously.

Poor Bertille's home and Duncan's boat have been repaired and set to rights for nearly a year now, not much to see there any longer. Ah kin tell you about the night we chased the Beast away for good though.

When Dowd disappeared we didn't think too much of it, young men do run off sometimes, but as the weeks passed it wuz more and more obvious that something was snatching villagers. And everyone knows that the only creature capable of that sort of thing is the Beast. Everyone was scared, and when old Aran went off into the swamps on his own to look for his grandkids it was the last straw. We holed up in the village, everyone hiding, and everyone looking out every which-a-way for the Beast.

That very night it came a-shamblin' and a-creepin' into the village. We leapt out all at once, torches wavin' and bill-hooks at the ready. Someone fetched it a good one with a fishing spear and the cur turned and ran into the swamp. We took to the boats and chased it all the way to the Boneyard. Well, the thought of it desecrating our burial place was enough to put a fire under us but before we could surround the island a massive caiman, biggest I ever seen, splashed out of the water and took hold of the Beast. Dragged it under and started the death roll.

We backed oars and got out 'a there just as fast as we could, and with the Beast's blood tainting the place we ain't been back there to this day."

Elder Lazne spat a wad of swamp-juice for emphasis.

"So you did see the beast when you chased it correct, even if you never saw its corpse? And did you see it any time before the time you chased it into the swamp, say around the time of the first murders? Were any remains of the missing villagers ever found?" Darcon asked.

Elder Lazne shook his head sadly.

"No, we never did find any 'o them missin' folks. Beast musta' eaten 'em whole. Nobody saw the creature before that night, but we knew that only the Beast of Lepidstadt could be wicked and cruel enough to kidnap so many villagers. It was black as pitch but the glimpses that we caught by torch light will haunt me til my dying day. It was at least seven feet tall, all patchwork and grotesque, hairy and blubbery and scaley by turns." Lazne shuddered.

SCG takes it all in...quietly he wonders about the whole encounter as described those details will be important for the trial itself...
Did what he saw look like the sketch? Would a fishing spear wound still be visible?  Does he bleed? If so is it red?

Finally he says simply
“Obviously we need to go to that boneyard.  We can take flowers for the graves if you would like to also take the opportunity to honor your ancestors.”
This message was last edited by the player at 20:14, Fri 22 Nov 2019.

Jonah looks the man over, and smiles a beaming smile, “What a charming tale, sir. As a singer of songs, and a teller of tales, I can tell you that your harrowing exploits make a tremendous story. In fact, I am planning on writing a ballad about the Beast and his capture. I believe that your tale will find it’s way into that song, and your bravery will live on for ages, like a true hero.”

He pauses, smiling at the man and his travelling companions, hoping he isn’t laying it on too thick.

“When researching parts of the song, the name Eller or Ellen or something like that came from our accounts from the Beast himself. You wouldn’t know of anyone who has that name around here. We want to hear all tales of bravery and courage against this foul creature. To make the song more authentic, you know.”

With this, Jonah pulls his instrument from behind his back, and plucks a few strings. “Now, I just need something that rhymes with Morast.”

OOC: Just in case Diplomacy is needed for an intrusive question: 17:04, Today: Jonah Raische rolled 18 using 1d20+11.  Diplomacy Roll.

Queitly enough so that the words wouldn't carry to the nearby womenfolk and children, Vadim cursed not quite under his breath.

"Nine dead by attack and unburied, and the graveyard unclean," he muttered, shaking his head. "I should have brought tools." His left hand made a habitual warding movement, a quick spiral, and Vadim shot Garland a meaningful look.

"How many new moons since you last tended to your dead?"  The rolled-up woodcut prints of the Beast in his pocket quite forgotten in the moment, Vadim shuffled in again and spoke to Lazne in low tones.  "Which gods does your village follow?  You thank those gods that none of your dead have come back looking for you. I am not here to tell you your business when you have had loss and dark times, but your burial ground must be set to rights before the thirteenth moon."

"For you we can do this, if you wish," he scratched his chin and shrugged his lop-sided shrug. "But, your traditions, your dead, your choice."

"Either way," Vadim addressed the others, nodding agreement with Sir Constantine, "We should go quickly. I do not wish to be among unquiet graves near dark."  Then he faltered, realising that he had trampled in on Jonah's exchange with the head man.

"Also, yes, this one is very good with his telling of stories.  'Ella', was it, the name?"

Shade nodded earnestly at Elder Lazne's story, but was very curious about a few relevant pieces of information.  The Beast was bigger than three men, and had snatched nine people, some of the able-bodied adults who worked for a living, without leaving much evidence, but a good stab from a spear could make it run?  It meant the Beast could be easily harmed by ordinary weapons, so it was unlikely that the blood caimen's attack had failed to harm it.  Yet it had escaped and survived.  The Elder's description sounded like the Beast, but smaller.  Was the Beast not eating the people it had taken, but doing something else?

The fact that the people of Morast hadn't gone back to their graveyard in a year was troubling. Yes, there had been a huge blood caimen in those waters, but surely curiosity hadn't prevented anyone from at least going to take a distant peek?

While Jonah and Sir Constantine and Vadim voiced their questions and opinions, Shade moved up next to the priest and mage to speak quietly about her suspicions.  "He says the Beast was seven feet tall.  The one we talked to was at least ten if he was a day.  Never found the bodies, or the caimen, but the Beast we saw was stitched together from all sorts of different parts. What if he wasn't eatin' 'em, but using them for spares?"

Nodding slowly as he stroked his chin Darcon replied to Shade in a low voice, "Yes, the description does appear to match the creature we saw bound in town. Still...we should not discount the possibility of two such creatures, or the fact that these townsfolk are not being completely honest."

The fact that none of the victims' bodies had been found was a big red flag to the mage, but of what he could not yet be sure. At this point the best lead he could think of, aside from visiting the spot in the swamp where the caiman had fought with the beast, was to visit the house of Aran. One attack had taken place within the house, making Darcon wonder why the beast had taken an interest in that particular house over others.

"How many of the abducted were directed relatives of Aran, aside from his own wife?" he asked Lazne curiously.

---

Sense Motive: 09

This message was last edited by the player at 18:51, Mon 25 Nov 2019.

Elder Lazne nodded dubiously and scratched at the stubble on his chin.

"I can have some of the lads take you out to the boneyard if ye'd like. The honored dead buried there got our Lady Pharasma's rites when they died, but if ye'd say a prayer over them I'm sure we'd all appreciate it. Nobody's taken sick or died since the murders last year, thank the gods, but Old Merrilile said that she don't want to be buried in a spot tainted by the beast's blood, so I expect we'll be finding a new boneyard. Hopefully not for a long time yet." He said, with a respectful bow of his shaggy head.

"Ellen...Ellen, Hrm. Ain't no Ellen's in the village. Or any Ella neither."

Darcon asked about Aran's family and Elder Lazne shook his head.

"Bertille wasn't Aran's wife. Aran's been alone since his wife died near on ten years ago. We all hoped that he'd take up with Goody Bowlder now that Old Gus died, but they never did. Bertille was Aran's daughter-in-law, married to his son Wicklow. She was second cousins with Millie Cohn, who lost two sons to the beast, Hui and Turstom. Now, Millie's sister was married to Dowd..." He gave a lengthy family account of the victims. At first it seemed as if the murderer had been targeting one family, but as Lazne continued it became clear that you could pick any nine people from Morast and they would have some ties to the others, by blood or by marriage. The young men and women of the village typically met their spouses at festivals and gatherings at any of the nearby villages. Most folks in the area were some degree of relation.

He did lead them to Bertille's house, the only one to be attacked within the village. Her home had been repaired and cleaned in the year since the attack and offered no significant clues. It was at the very edge of the village closest to the boneyard, built out over the water on stout pilings and connected via boardwalk to the main island.

When our heroes expressed an interest in investigating the boneyard Elder Lazne called up four or five stout lads from the crowd. He seemed to pick with some care. The adventurers had offered coin, and the village elder picked out sons from families that could use the custom the most.

The fishermen of Morast plied the boggy waterways and shallow waters of the Dipplemere swamp in small fishing coracles, each big enough for three people, and piloted by a village youth with a long narrow oar to pole and scull.

"Anythin' else?" Elder Lazne asked as a trio of fresh faced youths punted their family's boats around the shore of the village's main island.

---

Darcon, you don't get a strong hunch about the situation.

Each boat can fit two of you plus a boatman, or you can pilot it yourself.

“If it would be possible when we return, if the men who participated in the trap could be here to tell us all the different things they recall.”
He passes five silvers over to the elder

SCG eyes a skiff
“Vadim and I in the first boat, he can pull me out of the water if a camin strikes and the two of us can secure the island so the remainder may dock safely.”
This message was last edited by the player at 01:58, Tue 26 Nov 2019.

Darcon gingerly stepped into one of the boats, and took a seat uncomfortably. He had little to no experience with traveling by water, and hoped they did not get attacked by any caimans, or any water dwelling creature for that matter.

Seeing as how the house visit had been disappointing and offering no clues, the mage saw this as their best opportunity to get something out of the trip here. "Well, lets get on with this," he said, gesturing to a boatman and any of his companions who wanted to join him in the boat.

"That is a good idea Sir Constantine, you take the lead and we shall follow. Beware of falling overboard though, your armor will prove to be an impediment in the waters," Darcon said to the paladin with some concern.

Garland shrugs at Darcon shaking his head side to side slowly. "Constantine and I both know the trials of swimming in armor. Proffessor Feramin's cell was a difficult challenge even with the summoned squid trying to gnaw on us. At the very least we should keep a good lookout, I will go on the second raft and have my crossbow ready as the rest of you cross."

SCG considers the problem he decides his armored kilt will not be too much nor the masterwork dark wood cloth armored coat.  He uses his chainbelt to secure his heavy steel shield to the boat with enough slack to hold it and to bind it to the boat in case it capsizes...

“Thank you for your wise council. We have learned well to properly prepare rather than rush headlong. Had I known boats would be involved I might have bought a special type of hand axe .”
This message was last edited by the player at 15:47, Thu 28 Nov 2019.

Shade gets on the second skiff with Garland, eyeing him with a raised eyebrow as he talks about a squid.  "Sommat summoned a squid to try to eat you?  That one must have been half-mad," she says, as Nook jumps up on her shoulder to stay clear of the water.  A little bit of puddling on the city streets was to be expected, but this vast expanse of wet was not to be tolerated in the least.  She kept her hands free for spellcasting, wary of anything that might be lurking around a graveyard so long avoided...
This message was last edited by the player at 07:15, Sat 30 Nov 2019.

Elder Lazne picked out three of the lads poling their boats along, all lanky and springy and about fourteen, well versed in the ways of the swamp and eager for a chance at a little spending money.

Marten jumped out to hold his small boat steady as Constantine and Darcon clamored aboard. After him Teg did the same, gawping just a little at Shade and holding out a hand to help her take he seat next to Garland. Dimka was a year or two older than the other boys and made room for Jonah and Vadim, eyeing the latter dubiously and positioning himself at the far side of the little skiff as he began to paddle away.

The journey through the swamp was slow and close, heavy air thick with moisture muting the various creaks and calls in the near distance from gods knew what kind of creature. Scraggly branches hung out and draped vines over the water like a curtain, limiting visibility to a few feet. The rare clear pools that showed the gnarled root system of the swamp trees below the water were interspersed between thick layers of green scum and huge lily pads. With the gently rocking motion of the boats and the close canopy of trees overhead the voyage felt like travelling through the belly of some great beast.

The village lads seemed perfectly at home in this damp and oppressive atmosphere, cheerily whistling or bantering back and forth as they cut surely and swiftly through the water. They navigated around small muddy islands and between the thick boles of twisted trees, taking our heroes some two miles from the village towards the center of the swamp.

All in all the plantlife was a palette of dark greens and browns with splashes of bright green creepers, the blue specks of poisonous frogs and the iridescent scales of hanging serpents that slithered quickly out of sight at the sounds of approaching humans. Here and there was even a splash of garish red in blooms and dripping sap, and the half submerged surface of a log drifting idly through the water towards the boats...

It was Vadim who was able to shout a warning as there was a great, furious splash of water and a flash of enormous jaws. The scummy surface of the swamp erupted just off the bow of the center coracle and the massive snout of an impossibly huge monstrosity broke the water. Young Teg shrieked and dove into the muck and the rolling, thrashing beast easily overturned the tiny craft spilling Shade and Garland into the water.

It was a blood caiman, one more enormous than even the mansized creatures famous for haunting the Dipplemere swamp, with a tremendous crest of crimson scales running from snout to tail and a ravenous gleam in its beady little eyes.

---

---

You are ambushed by an enormous blood caiman! Vadim's perception beats its stealth, so it doesn't get a surprise round on you. It doesn't get to capsize the boat and chomp on someone in the opening round.

The caiman bursts out of the water and capsizes the boat that Shade and Garland are traveling on. Garland fails a swim check but passes his reflex save to take a breath before being submerged, you are floundering but not drowning. Shade passes her save and is treading water.

Despite the thrashing creature the water is relatively calm, it's a DC10 swim check to right yourself or move a quarter of your speed, like normal. The water is murky and offers zero visibility. The two lads poling the boats are frozen in terror, it's a move action and a DC15 Diplomacy or Intimidate check to get them to move the boat 10ft.

---

BC - Blood Caiman, AC 21, touch 7, Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +3

CON - Constantine
DAR - Darcon
GAR - Garland, floundering
JON - Jonah
SHA - Shade
VAD - Vadim

TRE - Swamp trees

SCG sees the creature at a distance and fires an arrow at it out of the boat.

He misses the mark, but hopes to draw the beast in....

"Get us over there!"

Shade has never swum that much, other than in a bath or occasionally in a flood (a hazard of occasionally living in the sewers) but not dying was marvelous motivation.  With her nearly being face-to-snout with the creature, she curses and gives it a vicious glare, her eyes going briefly black and red.  She wants to weaken it against her magic, and from the flinch the blood caiman gave, she'd managed to rattle it!  Then she quickly pushes herself backwards through the water to get away from its enormous jaws.

"I weakened it against spells, get it!" she shouts.

OOC: 07:38, Today: Shade of Lonwood rolled 15 using 1d20.  Swim check.  Will move straight back to H5.
07:36, Today: Shade of Lonwood rolled 8 using 1d20+3.  Will save for Blood Caiman.  Blood caiman fails its save against Shade's evil eye hex, and now takes a -2 on all its saves for 6 rounds.

Constantine's arrow plunked into the muck uselessly but his rousing words had an instant effect on young Marten. He seized the long oar in shaky hands and stooped to a long pull, punting forwards towards the thrashing creature churning the water into froth.

The situating facing Shade was far, far more dire. Nook yowled and screeched, a tiny lump of sodden fur that clawed its way thorough the water to her and latched on with painful pricks. The blood caiman, brute and beast that it was, had no special defenses against her hexing magics. Indeed, it seemed hardly to notice as it powered through the water with a flick of its tail as she futilely tried to pull away from it.

Crushing jaws snapped shut on one of her legs and a cloud of blood was churned into the muck and the scum as the beast thrashed about, tossing her like a rag as it tried to tear off the limb.

---

---

Constantine misses with an arrow but shakes Marten out of his terrified state, he begins poling towards the fight. You can command him from this point without making further checks unless you ask him to do something dangerous.

Shade's hex goes off on the blood caiman and she swims away. Nook is sharing your square and holding onto you, you can assume that he's (she's?) safe from drowning unless you send him out on a solo mission, in which case he'll need to make swim checks like normal.

The blood caiman follows Shade and bites her for 10 damage. It also succeeds on its grab attempt, Shade you are grappled. Its movement provokes from Garland.

Garland, you have an attack of opportunity.

Darcon, Garland, Jonah, and Vadim, since you were skipped you get an additional standard action this round.

---

BC - Blood Caiman, AC 19, touch 7, Fort +8, Ref +2, Will +1, evil eye hex 1/6, Grappled

CON - Constantine
DAR - Darcon
GAR - Garland, floundering
JON - Jonah
SHA - Shade, 10 damage, grappled
VAD - Vadim

TRE - Swamp trees
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:20, Wed 04 Dec 2019.