[IC] Chapter 2-4: You Hear Them Whispering in the Crowns of the Trees

[Portho Nihilbuck]

FYI: I just checked and Toot can only befriend Magical Beast with a 1 or 2 Intelligence.  Chimera's are smarter so he can't use Wild Empathy on them.   ]

[OoC You are assuming that chimera cannot be advanced, and I shudder to think what a chimera that is advanced, with some sort of fey template, could do. I as a DM advance monster stats all tHetime, Even by RAW a chimera can be advanced to 27 HD (Huge) which is CR 13]

Toot will continue to use his skills to examine the tracks for whatever knowledge he can learn.  He will mention that Portho should enlighten them with his Bardic Knowledge. 

"Me think we should speak with the local animals.  They undoubtedly know what happened here.  Me especially good at speaking with rats and their kin.  If that too difficult, me can memorize Speak with Plants tomorrow to try to get information from them too."

Toot will go about getting some rations out to try to lure out some rats so he can speak with one.  He is the same size of a rat so they shouldn't be too scared of him, if they are at all.  Toot will be of course using his Wild Empathy.

"Good idea, if you can lure them close enough and calm them I can try and speak with them without us even having to use magic, as long as they are an animal that may make it's home in the forest, not exclusively the hills. Very few animals would, as a species, live exclusively in hills."

[Bardic Knowledge [1d20+12] = 13+12 = 25 to determine any lore he can glean from the details the trackers give and from examining the circles/tracks himself]

[Toot]

[OoC: Actually I did mention the possibility of it being an Advanced Chimera...   ]

Toot looks at Portho and says, "Why Gnomes thing they center of universe.  Me already stated that me is good at speaking with rats.  But me completely understand if Gnome feel his extra special speak with animals would some how impress the highly impressionable rats in sharing more information.  Cuz we all know how rats appreciate someone who think they better than everyone else cuz they can speak to more creatures than just rats."

[DM Surranó]

If Toot is willing to draw further from the party, including Big Frightening Bear behind, he manages to lure some rats to himself with food. Apparently these tiny creatures are much harder to frighten than large game. (OOC - or the DM just rolled favourably )

The idea of a chimera causing trouble around here occurs to Portho based on what little he's overheard of those creatures so far; but based on what Toot and Giant share about the tracks such a chimera would be at least twice the size of a usual one.

[Portho Nihilbuck]

[OoC: Actually I did mention the possibility of it being an Advanced Chimera...   ]

Toot looks at Portho and says, "Why Gnomes thing they center of universe.  Me already stated that me is good at speaking with rats.  But me completely understand if Gnome feel his extra special speak with animals would some how impress the highly impressionable rats in sharing more information.  Cuz we all know how rats appreciate someone who think they better than everyone else cuz they can speak to more creatures than just rats."

"Excuse me for thinking a druid might have noticed there were more animals about than just rats.'

"Oo Like two old men we are LOL... finding time to bicker while hunting a dragon heheC"

[Toot]

[OoC: Actually I did mention the possibility of it being an Advanced Chimera...   ]

Toot looks at Portho and says, "Why Gnomes thing they center of universe.  Me already stated that me is good at speaking with rats.  But me completely understand if Gnome feel his extra special speak with animals would some how impress the highly impressionable rats in sharing more information.  Cuz we all know how rats appreciate someone who think they better than everyone else cuz they can speak to more creatures than just rats."

"Excuse me for thinking a druid might have noticed there were more animals about than just rats.'

"Oo Like two old men we are LOL... finding time to bicker while hunting a dragon heheC"

"There are more animals out here but why would Toot look for those animals first when Toot has special relationship with rats!  But if fox or rabbit shows up, no worry, Toot will summon Portho post-haste to handle the problem."

If Toot is willing to draw further from the party, including Big Frightening Bear behind, he manages to lure some rats to himself with food. Apparently these tiny creatures are much harder to frighten than large game. (OOC - or the DM just rolled favourably )

The idea of a chimera causing trouble around here occurs to Portho based on what little he's overheard of those creatures so far; but based on what Toot and Giant share about the tracks such a chimera would be at least twice the size of a usual one.

[OoC: Toot will step carefully away from the others but he will be sure to have his fully loaded repeating crossbow ready.  Rats are tiny and Toot feels comfortable dealing with them but it's the other creatures that might be lurking in the area that he's concerned with jumping out at him.]

When Toot finds a rat he will determine how friendly the rat is with him.  Toot will take the time to get the rat to be at least friendly but helpful would be even better.  Toot will then say in rat, "Me have more food that me will share.  First me want to introduce friend..."  Toot motions toward Portho.  "He think you most clever and cunning.  Certainly more clever and cunning than HE could ever hope to be in a million-trillion years.  In fact he have better chance being struck by lightning then come up with an original thought but he would like to chat with you anyways."  Toot tosses the rat a piece of ration then continues.  "We spotted these burn marks on grass.  Do you know what made marks?  If not, maybe you know what creature looks like that made marks?"

[Lugar]

knowledge arcana: [1d20+11] = 15+11 = 26

Merrinna does a cursory examination of the burns.  There were too many ways of acid appearing to easily narrow it down.  "Black dragon seems unlikely.  This is not their typical lair.  Generally they prefer swamps.  Green dragons like forests, but they spew gas, not acid.  It is pointless to play a guessing game we cannot possibly know the answer to without looking, so let us go look.  It is the only way to be sure."  She was small, even for an elf, and highly intellectual, but she was also a warrior and knew the value of scouting.  "When we get close, perhaps Silent Giant can get in quietly without alerting the creature by himself."

Lugar trails in the back in case someone or something follows them.

He listens as everyone debates what left these tracks, what caused the burn marks, killed the animal, and the bickering of the two little guys.

"Hmmm, you are probably right Merri.  Can you send your wind puff friend to scout where the tracks lead to while Toot and Portho talk to the animals?  He can probably get a nice view of the tracks from high in the sky." He says softly in a gravely dwarven voice.

[Merrinna Starsong]

Merri looked back over her shoulder to see her familiar floating there waiting to be commanded. She was embarrassed for not thinking of it herself but doesn't let it show. "That is a promising idea." She mentally instructs the elemental to go up and over the tracks. Her eyes close as she concentrates on the familiar and tries to shut out the bickering little folk.

[Shanna Rendin]

Shanna makes her way over to where Toot and Portho are conversing with the rats.  She smiles marginally.  "It is a shame you did not invite me into this conversation...or my little friend here."  She shrugs as 'Whiskers' crawls out of her robe and perches on her shoulder, accepting a piece of cheese from one of her rations.  The rat squeaks at the scene, seeing other rats with which to converse.

Not to worry, my friend.  I'm certain they are all perfectly nice rats and will accept you all the same.

[Toot]

When Whiskers crawls out of the Wizard's robe, Toot's eyes grow huge.  Even though she was disgustingly pretty, Shanna was truly and surprisingly becoming one of Toot's favorite people.  If he could only get her to part with some of her special paper she'd be (almost) perfect.  She was still one of the big folk and not a Jermlaine.  

"Y... you not say you rat friend," Toot whispers quietly enough so he doesn't scare the rat he was talking to.  "Me asked what skills you had and you not mention your companion!"  That was almost unforgivable - almost.  BUT Toot was so happy to see a "familiar" face [see what I did there?   ] He peed himself, just a dribble.  "What rat name?  Rat certainly welcome to make friends as long as other rat not be territorial."

[OoC: Rats apparently are territorial.  See quote below.  A familiar is more intelligent so it could probably resist its natural instincts but the wild rat would likely be aggressive if Whiskers got too close.]

This applies to both groups of males and females. However, rats are territorial animals, meaning that they usually act aggressively or scared of strange rats. Rats will fluff up their hair, hiss, squeal, and move their tails around when defending their territory.

[DM Surranó]

The rat Toot befriended tells that the predator is like a lizard, green like trees and huge like trees. He has musty odor and kills prey by farting on them from what looks like a head. He can fly like bats and only lands to snatch the prey.

After some more tracking Giant can tell that the tracks come out of nowhere and disappear into nowhere in a hundred feet to and fro, just as if the predator came from the air and left through the air (either jumping or taking off).