Over the next few days you recover from the fun of the festival, and both the harbor and life in Dragonshore slowly go back to normal. Planning for your trip up the coast to Thunderdale, you meet up with Oxious and one another on the edge of town. Each of you has a horse to make the trip go faster, but it is still quite the journey. Your plan is to visit to vacate the area for the new Fang of potential hazards. And also... just to get out for a bit.
As they begin their journey, Oxious hands Atriox a list of ingredients and items he needs for the new Fang location. He eyes Oredion, curious at the magical aura of the dwarf, but doesn't say anything in particular.
Atriox enjoys the calm ride. It's nice to get out of town for awhile with two good freinds
He looks over at Ore punches him in the arm making sure not to put to much power behind his swing. He would hate to see the dwarf fall of his horse......
"Thanks for joining us today Ore. This should be a interesting trip at the very least. Give us a break from our normal everyday stuff."
Oredion swings back with much more force then Atriox, not caring if he knocks the dragonborn off or not. He let's out a loud booming laugh as he speaks.
"Yes this is much needed scale brain. A little break from everything sounds nice after everything the past few weeks."
Oxious snorts. "You sure trouble doesn't just follow you two?" He sounds irritated and cocky like usual, but there is a hint at teasing behind the words. His lips can't help but twitch in a faint smile.
Atriox smirks and shoots back
"Wait a minute. I must be going crazy or deaf because it SOUNDED like Oxious just made a joke. Which is it Ore am I going crazy or deaf?"
"I feel like saying all of above. Crazy and deaf both fit your highness quite well."
Oredion let's out another hearty laugh, then straightens himself on the horse.
"Now lads were are we going and what are we doing? I may or may not have forgotten after taking one to many drinks."
The tiefling rolls his eyes, ignoring Atriox. "Your scale brain friend has agreed to be my business partner, and has helped finance a new location in Thunderdale. The land has been purchased but we need to clear it of any.... troublesome problems before building can start."
He waves his hand as he talks. "I've also given him a list of items that will be necessary for it to be successful. Magic components to help make permanency spells. That sort of thing." Turning to Atriox he nods his head, "Speaking of which, we'll need to find double if you intend to eventually build another Velvet Fang in your homeland. Probably more if you want it bigger... or if you have more ideas for it, I'm open to suggestions."
Atriox snorts with amusement
"That's where having an army of loyal helpers comes in handy Oxy. As for one in Skyhold I've already been planning one. The Golden Fang. Headed by our very own talented and very capable Dahlia. I have this idea for a sea fairing one as well. Kind of a party boat type of thing. But that will come later."
Atriox looks over at Ore
"What about you eh ? I've promised business to all my freinds who are coming with me should they wish it. Of course it'd be your responsibility but I'd gladly help. A tavern, maybe a joint smithy with Axemage ? Twice the capable talent twice the greatness of the forge ?"
"Hmm... I'm not one for businesses, but I would like to help Axemage and his son at their shop occasionally. If I truly wanted anything it be a simple lodge deep in a wooded mountain range with Etny, but I have business that I need to attend to before thinking of the future."
Oredion tightens his hands on the rains trying to not flash any anger. The more time he spends with Etny the calmer he feels, but he knows in the back of his head something bad will always come his way. Oredion gives a smile to both of them, then continues looking forward.
Oxious raises an eyebrow. "Interesting. Regardless, Axemage will be a valuable ally for you at this Skyhold, that I'm sure of."
He gestures to the note he gave you of the basic ingredients. "Don't scoff. Yes I need these. Magic is a fickle thing."
Atriox, you open the paper and glance through the list:
Holly Berries
Feathers Plucked from a Sleeping Bird
Diamond
Lodestones
Jade Dust
Silver and Iron Ore
Atriox looks over the list with a slight snort
"Is that all ? Well Oxious if you wanted a diamond from me all you had to do was propose to me. I had no idea."
With a chuckle at himself Atriox tucks the list away mentally remembering to send some people after a few of the ingredients
Oxious looks a cross between aghast and disgusted. "Ugh... I'm not even going to grace that with a response."
Turning to Oredion, the tiefling tries to change the topic. "Saw you at the battle. You did good. You seem to have an interesting.... power."
Oredion eyes start to burst into a small green flame and he flinches at the vague memory of the battle playing threw his mind.
"Yes... not something I'm overly proud of to say the least. At... at least it was handy for a bit. I took many an allies life that day.."
Oxious rides in silence, the hoof beats of the horses soft against the loamy soil.
"It is... difficult," he says with some delicacy, "experiencing something such as that. But you were not yourself. Yet." He shifts in his saddle. He definitely saw the transformation of the bear, but his vagueness seems purposeful. "It is hard to control, but it can be done. You'll get there. Or you can rid yourself of it, but that is... difficult."
Oredion tightens his grip on the reigns. Thoughts coming bursting threw his mind of the carnage he did. It did not matter if it was foe or allie, they all died alike. He also remembers the power coursing threw him and how he had his own hand steering the way towards the end.
"I do not wish to get rid... I want to control it... no myself. The power it gave me was... frightening, but it felt right? I wish to keep it and learn to harness it to better help my allies, but how? I do not wish to continue killing everything if it happens again, witch I know it will. I can fill something surging from within me clawing to get out..."
Oredions eyes start to turn into a blue flame as he thinks of his own words and actions.
A few minutes pass as they ride in silence.
Oredion looks up with a determined face and the flames leave his eyes. He has finally calmed his emotions, even if just a bit. He looks to Oxious with a forced smile.
"I guess it's just another thing to figure out on this growing adventure of life."
Oredion chuckles as he turns his face back ahead.
Atriox listens to all this carefully
"An admirable goal ore. Taming your inner beast. Not is of our place to tell you how to live but I'd appreciate it if you focus your rage.exclusively at the enemies next time there's a battle."
Atriox chuckles a little but
" is this a funeral parade or an adventure? We're riding like a couple of old grandmas. Let's go! "
Atriox kicks his horse into action and rides quickly down the road
Oxious snorts and says something under his breath, but spurs his horse along as well. You all ride for some time, much of the morning spent traveling the western roads with the sun at your backs. It's pleasant and warm, a refreshing sea breeze to keep you energized. It's not until mid-afternoon that you rest your horses under a large, shady tree.
The tiefling stretches his legs, looking around. You see him go up to some of the trees, picking at the bark and plucking off healthy pieces. Several have moss growing on the side of the sea, and he takes some of it off with a knife.
Atriox looks over at Oxious
"What are you doing you ol Billy Goat ? Making a poison to kill myself and Ore in our sleep ?"
Oxious stares him in the eye with a straight face. He brings his knife up to his face.
"Yes."
He eats some of the moss off of the blade, chewing it thoughtfully.
Atriox snorts and rolls his eyes
"Always the charmer Oxious. It's amazing how you even got into the business of pleasure and pleasing."
He looks at the knife and makes a questioning toss with his arm
"What you eating there ?"
Oxious looks amused by your comments. He says rather dryly, "I'm eating moss."
He walks toward you, a smirk plastered on his face from his teasing. "It's more specifically known as crestmoss or quenching creeper..."
He holds a strip out to you for you to investigate. "For most people it's extremely refreshing. Like a cool water that you can chew. It's best fresh, and lasts a while."
* * *
The trip continues rather smoothly, and after a few days of travel you find yourselves on the outskirts of a new town.
Thunderdale.
You arrive during the early morning. A chill hangs in the air from a mist sweeping in off the coast. It's surprisingly cool for summertime. Oxious leads the way toward the purchased land, not at all minding the weather.
Most people are tucked away in their houses, only a few out and about moving between shops. It seems oddly quiet for a port city... You notice signs down by the coast indicating not to go swimming or sailing this time of year due to attacks and drownings.
"The land we bought is near the coast, so the locals are...nervous this time of year to even go near it to start work. But it thrives every other time of year. I brought some material to create a circle of protection around it, however it won't work on creatures already inside...."
Oxious smirks. "Muscle is always good to have with you. Remember that. I'll start when you're done. Make sure to be thorough, won't you?"
You arrive at a rough marked area, half swamp and half land. It's definitely cheap real estate, but with a tiny bit of imagination you can see the tiefling's vision. You just need to look past the mud holes, dead weeds and the sink of fish.
The horses refuse to go closer than a hundred feet from its furthest edge. It's hard to blame them.
Oredion looks around a little confusedly. He turns to Oxious and Atriox.
"So what's the goal here fellas? We do a clear out of any bad guests residing on this land. Then you come in and.. fix this place?"
Oredion gets off his horse trying not to look blundering as he does so. Once hes on the ground he looks back up to Atriox with a grin.
"So where do we start. I have a feeling this is gonna be a hell of a time."
Oredion chuckles as he turns to check out the area a bit more.
Atriox looks at Oxious and says "yes Oredion"
Atriox dismounts and hits the ground with his glaive drawn and looking drastically different no longer trying to conceal his vampiric nature
"That is exactly the plan."
Atriox uses his heightened sense and awareness to look for any sign of trespassers or any other rable
The horses become aggregated and paw at the ground nervously with their hoofs. Out on the churning waves of the sea, shapes of fish and other creatures move beneath the surface of the water.
You sense something.... pulsating through the deeper reeds and dead trees. Something alive. And the smell of death plagues your nose with a horrid sensation. There is no fresh blood here, only decay.
The only other noises you hear is a resonating croaking, like a chorus of frogs.
Oxious waves at you and leads the horses out and away to a nearby stable, looking curiously at the woods nearby. He ducks inside.
Atriox carefully moves forward into the area while looking around and listening. He nods torwards ore to carefully follow
(14 survival, 15 perception)
You slog through the muddy water, your nose twitching. There are little orbs floating through the water here and there, greenish spheres bobbing with swirling specks inside. Near one corner of the grove of trees you see a pair of bloated corpses full of these spheres--eggs--laid by some strange beasts. They wriggle slightly as if vying to hatch. The sight and stench is horrid, and the croaking grows louder.
(Survival 2+7 to follow Atriox, 9+6 Investigation for the orbs.)
You look closer at the orbs, watching the small tadpoles inside swim about with giant eyes and sharp teeth. They've been maturing in the corpses, growing and over spilling back into the water.
Oredion coming to the realization there might be things lurking in the water slowly starts to go back on land. He speaks to Atriox in a soft tone.
"Might wanna back up lad. These murky waters might be home to some sharptoothed fishies. I'm not keen on going into water your knees height. They might bite your leg, but I'm better the worse end."
Oredion chuckles dryly as he backs out of the water to find a better path on land.
Atriox stands his ground but says back to Ore
"Aye that might be a good idea for you. And be ready. I have a plan to draw whatever layed these out into the open."
Oredion gives Atriox a nod and proceeds to make his way around on land. He waits for Atrioxs signal.
(8+6 Nature to make it around carefully.)
You find good footing all the way around, your boots squelching wet. Poking through the reeds, you get to a spot that gives you a fair vantage point of the area. Nothing will be sneaking up on you.
Atriox nods back and then readys himself. After a moment he looks at the eggs, concentrates, and then baths them in fire
They roil and shake as they're enveloped, hissing and exploding with the intense heat. The water boils and the bodies char, the air turning putrid and gamey.
Hopping. Croaking. Two dozen at least. Surging inhumanely through the spectral mist, in a gross, malignant ceraband of fantastic nightmare. Some of them have tiaras of a nameless, whitish gold metal. Some step from the swampy water strangely robed, humpbacked. A few have helms perched on the flat, shapeless things that answered for their heads. Their forms vaguely suggest anthropoids, while their heads are like fish... with predigious, bulging eyes that never close.
They stare. Some confused. Some angry. Some in awe. They surge toward you both.
Atriox looks at the monsters for a moment grasping just who this enemy is
After a moment Atriox roars and charges with his glaive at the nearest creature
The glaive skewers the fishy monster, its eyes wide in shock. In an instant it dies. Others surge forward to pile atop of the dragonborn, struggling to hold him down with their sticky, slimy, webbed claws.
A glimmer of light begins to form over the water, swirling and materializing. It looks like the ghost of a glaive flickering with fire.
Oredion confused if that's the signal. Starts to quickly head around from his vantage point. He trys to carefully get around behind them while Atriox has their attention.
Most of them have piled on top of Atriox, forcing him down into the stagnant salt water and trying to drown him. They thrash and flail with ropes and nets, their gaping mouths making a hideous noise. They haven't taken much notice of you.
As Atriox struggles under the weight of all these gross slimey beings he decides he needs to do something. As a ditch effort he opens his maw and starts taking bites
The monsters flail and squirm away out of your reach, but not fast enough with all the bodies pressing in. You bite down, your mouth full of salt water and the taste of blood. It makes your eyes glow bright red, but the flavor is terrible--it is terribly sour, almost bitter. But..... it's effective. You've bitten down on the jugular of one creature, its globular eye staring at you as the light leaves it.
The second you bite squeals and croaks as it dies, the ripping and tearing of your maw eviscerating it. They're only at best half your size, smaller in stature than Ore. The others pile on heavier, struggling to keep you contained.
The ghostly shadow of a flaming glaive continues to glow and bob over the water, the front of the blade opening up to a row of razor sharp teeth and fangs. The sides of it, as if studded with jewels, blink like a dozen red eyes.
Oredion comes from behind the creatures swinging his axe as fast as he can with one hand while his other brandishes his shield. He slams his spiked shield into the backs of the creatures as they turn in surprise and pain they are met by a swift death as oredions axe cleaves over his shield slicing the creatures head clean off. He pushes his way threw the back of them getting as close to Atriox as he can before his eyes blaze green and he lets his axe fly into the pile of creatures weighing the dragonborn down. Oredion continues to run forward bashing with his shield to get to Atriox.
Four corpses lay dead and several others begin to die, as new fish beasts surge in from the sea. Some head forward to help, others sit back and watch in awe. The head of the decapitated one bobs along and passed the flaming glaive, which colors now flicker between a brilliant orange and a neon green. It becomes more serpentine in shape as it grows bigger. Out of the back of the strange apparition grows white spines and the ridge of what looks to be an axe head, like the sail on the back of an ancient dinosaur.
Atriox keeps biting into them and as Ore frees uo some room he uses his claws to slash at others
Several expire from the vicious axe throw, their chests and throats cloven open. Those bit and shredded by Atriox's claws gurgle for breath as their blood spills out, staining the water red. The sour, bitter smell makes you want to gag--but you're able to stand up, tossing aside their ropes and nets with ease. A few more rush at you and Ore with spears drawn, their webbed feet swimming nimbly through the murky death of the water.
The apparition continues to grow, benignly soaking up the blood from the water and turning a rusty red color. Front arms with long, dagger-like claws form, and a strange weave of metal descends and forms a beard along the "face" of the glaive. Atop it a single strand grows out, long and glowing like some ethereal halo.
It begins to float away, skimming the top of the water with its claws as it heads to the sea. Those beasts that await it stare with open fishy mouths, bobbing and excited in the water. They begin to disappear from the carnage of the bay.
Those with spears tackle against you, their reeds and stones snapping against your armor. One catches you, Atriox, in the side of your armor leaving a hearty bruise. It doesn't break the metal but a second spear slices against your arm.
Ore, three rush at you and bounce off your shield. Another leaps on your back, struggling to put a net over your face to strangle you. Joey rushes out to nip and bite.
Oredion takes his shield in both hands and starts to push threw the enemy's to be side by side with Atriox. He picks up his axe and takes a ready stance.
"So what's the plan chief. We just gonna hack and slash threw all these beasts? Didn't you have a plan?"
Oredion nods to Atriox signaling hes ready to follow whatever he does next.
Atriox grunts in response
"You picked one hell of a time to follow orders ore you know that ??? No no plan except stay away from whatever is in the water over there."
As Atriox swings and bites through the monster's he eyes the creature in the water with growing concern
"Fine, fine. Just to let you know your signals suck. No thanks for the bloody dwarf saving your scaly butt. Could just told me when I start to drown run in and save me.."
Oredion chuckles as he starts to back up on land once more keeping an eye on the monster in the water as well.
Atriox despite the situation can't help but laugh as he mauls another creature with his claws and then proceeds to back up with Ore
"I suppose you're right. That was a horrid signal should of just said charge or something."
The beasts begin to scramble over one another, their maws open and gurgling with sharp piranha-like teeth. Those still alive and wounded attempt to flee back to the sea with their strange creation. As you both climb out of the deeper water, those eggs that were still viable begin to rupture with a flood of younglings.
Oredions sighs a little relieved at the beasts backing up. He looks to Atriox with a wry smile.
"You look like you took a beating bucko. You know if we would have brought a mage a thunderbolt would have cleared these... fish up."
Oredion laughs as he pretends to be electrified and flop like a fish.
The ground rumbles as you step back, the earth shifting and moving beneath your feet. Mud slips away and burbles up as more hidden eggs expel from the mossy swamp, and something... bigger.
Oredion, you try to move away from the loosening mud but it begins to suck you down into it like a sink hole. Something is vacating that spot and it's none to small, and the pull from the muck sticks you fast. Atriox, you barely move out of the way, your clawed feet making a squelching sound as you manage to free them from the mud.
A huge frog with a gaping mouth and beady eyes scrambles its way out, some kind of hibernating guardian over the eggs. Or perhaps not... it begins to gulp up young with vigor, a resonating croak emitting from its chest. Two more wriggle their way out from the bank, the sounds almost deafening. One turns and sees Ore stuck, its mouth opening slightly in hunger.
Atriox watches in amusement as the frog eats up the new borns and then notices it looking at Ore as he is stuck in the mud. Atriox feels a rare moment of silliness come upon him
He runs up behind the frog while its distracted and attempts to jump up as high as he can on it
Oredion watches Atriox jump on the frog. He realizes while its distracted he needs to free himself quickly. He slings his shield on his back followed by his axe. He begins to use both hands to get himself unstuck and try for land. (Stranger 14+5)
Atriox, you easily leap atop the frog without any issue, the mud and amphibian slime slick but no match for your digging claws. The frog, about to bite down on the top half of Oredion sticking out of the mud, rears back in surprise and tries to leap up to knock you off.
With a sucking sound you pluck yourself from the mud, free now to move around. A THWACK hits you square in the back and you try to turn. There's a sticky tongue stuck to your back from the third frog, as it tries to draw you toward it into its mouth ten feet away.
Atriox, you manage to hold on, digging your claws in further and rodeoing the monster frog. (Feel free to describe what you'd like to do with it XD)
Atriox knows that the more energy this thing has the harder to calm down and break it will be.
He hangs on for a good amount of time allowing the creature to waste all of it's stamina. Once he feels it beginning to slow to down he concentrates on his ring of animal influence as it glows.
He trys to let the animal know he means it no harm
Oredion acts quickly by digging his feet into the damp ground and twisting his body making the frogs tongue get cut by the spikes on his shield. Hes glad he decided to put his shield back on his back before he freed himself. Oredion grips his axe with both hands as he withdraws his axe from his back as well. He swings his body forwards cleaving his axe threw the frogs tongue and swiftly turning around to face it. His eyes burst with flame as he starts to charge the frog. He watches his step as he races to the frog as quickly as he can while watching out not to get stuck again.
(Atletics 7+8, Nature 6+6 to get to the frog.)
@Atriox Arkhosia The frog grows exhausted, slowing down its attempts to throw you. Between its hunger and the effort it expended, it has little fight in it left. You see one of the beady eyes focus on you, the strange pupil dilating slightly and reflecting the light from your ring.
@Collin J. L. Robinson The frog flails back, its floppy limbs lurching. Blood covers its mouth from the severed tongue. You nimbly jump over the murky swampland, sinking slightly but covering the distance without too much effort. It opens its mouth, hoping to swallow you whole. (18 against AC to try to nom you XD)
Oredion seeing the beasts goal to eat him decides to humor it. As he runs up at full sprint he swings his axe as he jumps into the giant frogs mouth.
Atriox continues to use the ring to calm and influence the animal. He trys to mentally tell it he is its freind. Or whatever that equates to in frog language. He tells it to trust him. At the same time Atriox loosens his grip so it won't be as painful to the animal
@Atriox Arkhosia The frog relaxes completely as your claws relinquish their sharp hold. Its eyes look placid now.
Oredions axe gets caught on the roof of the frogs mouth as he jumps into its depths. He swings his axe with his shoulders arched causing his axe to tear threw the frogs head from the sheer force. He twists his axe sideways cutting it down the side revealing the swamp. He feels his boots squelch on the frogs organs as he steps out the side of it with the new "door" he created.
Atriox finds places where he can naturally hold on to the frog. After he's as comfortable as he's getting he mutters
"Where going to have ta fix this right here."
Atriox sees that Ore has dealt with his situation and steers his new freind over closer to Ore
The frog dies immediately, half carved as if for a massive meal. As you step out the limbs continue to twitch slightly, making for quite a gruesome display.
Once over to Ore Atriox shouts down
"Well it looks like you Handled that easy enough. I guess we know whats for super eh ?"
Oredion smiles as he wipes the blood off of himself.
"Laddy I know what that things eaten and I tell you I'm not touching it."
Oredion laughs as he finishes wiping himself off.
Atriox lets out a thunderous laugh and pats his frog nicely
"This here is Iwiek Bastard or Fat Bastard in common. He's our new freind because..........well why not."
"Well I guess that'll work for now, but if I get hungry I know where I'm going."
Oredion laughs as he walks over and gives the giant frog a rough pat. He looks up to Atriox.
"How many more beasts you reckon are left?"
Atriox looks out over what was they're little battlefield
"I think that last frog will take care of the rest for now. The rest are going back into the ocean along with.......whatever that thing was. It sits uneasy with me but it's gone for now."
"Well let's get to it, unless you want another frog to carry stuff?"
Oredion turns to eye the retreating creatures.
"What happens if we have Oxious set up his spell now? Will the retreating creatures be locked out or stuck in here until we finish them off?"
Atriox shrugs
"Truthfully i don't know but I imagine this spell will take time to cast. Oxiouss magic is not innate and requires certain things."
"Wow, you guys did.... well at least you were thorough."
The snide, slightly confused voice of Oxious comes up behind you. Back from the forest nearby, he's wearing a strange crown of leaves and twigs. He stares at Atriox. "What the hell are you sitting on?" He looks at Ore. "And what you're standing.... in?"
The other frog croaks happily, bathing in the water nearby after its very thorough meal of kuo toa young.
"Well ya see I was given an amazing signal as we smoothly dispatched the fishies."
Oredion chuckles as he waits for Atriox to pitch in.
Atriox snickers and says
"Hang on ill be right back. It looks happy" the last bit is almost a whisper
Atriox moves his frog torwards the one bathing calmly
After a short time and a show for Oxious Atriox comes walking back as the two now tamed frogs enjoy a bath together. His clothes are wet again and along the way he picks his glaive up
"I'm sorry Oxy were you saying something?"
The tiefling raises an eyebrow. "Not at all. Though I see you're getting into animal husbandry. Interesting for a person of your class."
He sniffs, disgusted a bit with the mud and muck. He's definitely not one for getting himself or his attire dirty. "Come, I have another job for you to assist with. One that hopefully won't be so messy."
Atriox grunts
"Needy needy Oxious. As for my hobby.......i like animals what can I say ? And this is much easier than fighting and killing them. Now you have a guard frog. Much more humane."
He stares at the two frogs, muddy bubbles burbling around them as they foam in happiness. It makes Oxious look a little green. "Yes............Fantastic."
At that he turns and starts to walk back toward the forest, signaling both of you to follow.
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