Missing Caravan

[Selina Parcellus]

While the Frogman watches and listens to Selina carefully, it slowly dribbles handfuls of brownish water onto his skin as casually as one might be sipping a cup of tea.  When she too is flubbing up her attempt at some kind of diplomacy, the creature suddenly holds up his other webbed-fingered hand for her to stop speaking.

"Uses meek noyse bu mez noot kno haf wat uses sayes," he says in frustration.  The frogman slouches then sudden points at himself and says, "Mez, Agloval!" Then points to Selina and Betimi, saying,  "Uses?"

Selina rolls her eyes at the troglodyte ((it is a troglodyte, right?)) lecturing her on making noise.  Really.  She elects not to respond and simply gives him the cold shoulder of one insulted by her inferiors.

The odors, while overpowering, remind Betimi of the sweaty-death-urine-blood smells of the slave pens where she was raised. At least how they smelled when they were full of life and other beings, before the overlords ordered a cleansing.

"I am called Betimi, my friend. My friend here is Selina. My friends like clouds and stars overhead, do you know a way to the surface?"

Then she abruptly remembers something that the creature just said. "Diseased? Oh..."

Abruptly the pock marks and sores vanish, leaving behind her completely smooth alabaster skin, and perfect, though completely alien form, with the large black, pupilless eyes.

She looks askance at Selina.

"If the sign of my bond makes light-dwellers uncomfortable, why did no one mention anything before this?"

Suppress Sign (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, when you make a good pact, you can choose not to exhibit the physical sign that normally accompanies a pact with a vestige. You can suppress or reveal the sign at will as a swift action. With a poor pact, you gain the powers of the vestige, but you cannot suppress its sign. You show it for the duration of the pact and are infl uenced by it as normal.

"You did not say you were capable of simply willing it away, or of willing the appearance away, so we'd no idea that we could have said such.  Besides, it is quite impolite in our circles to to speak to someone in such a manner.  Particularly so if they are a traveling companion and ally."

The frogman repeats both of your names under his breath, to himself and after a few tries he manages to produce a reasonably sounding imitation.  "Beetimi and Seleena"  He then points at himself again, repeating, "Mez, Agloval..." And then with an open webbed hand he motions towards the others in the group, repeating, "Uses?"

Once everyone is introduced, Agloval stands up and with a stooped posture he moves closer to shine a light on Unreth.  Agloval jumps back and points, "Daz Weever?  DAZ WEEVER!?"  He pauses a moment and then suddenly kicks some wet poo at Unreth which splatters across his body with a sickening squish.  When the Spider doesn't move Agloval whispers with surprise and awe, "Uses scrogged a Weever?  Isat a Weever?"  He winces his eyes at Unreth like he's trying to remember something then adds, "Weevers havs nos ooperboddy like hooman.  Sos nots Weever...  Whasit?"

"It is what we just destroyed before entering this portal.  We've no real idea what exactly it is.  It could use magic and manipulated a tribe of kobolds into near-complete destruction.  These three are members of said tribe.  That reminds me..."  She once again turns her back on the foul creature and addresses Powwaw, Eek, and Meek directly.  "I know that Unreth did incomparable damage to your families.  Know that we are ready to assist you in any way we are able, as you assisted us."

[Gilley]

Gilley waves to the frog-creature and introduces himself while everyone is going around doing that. Otherwise, he hangs back, watching Piper with curiosity.

[GM Marvel]

[OoC: Troglodytes generally look like short lizardmen with a spinal crest.  This guy looks more like a frog.  A Bullywug would be much closer in appearance to this guy except this guy's face is slightly more human-like.  Bullywugs are not well known so I included a picture in the attachments.  As you can see, they are very similar.  You can also catch Bullywugs  >> Here <<.  They appear at the 56 second mark.

"It is what we just destroyed before entering this portal.  We've no real idea what exactly it is.  It could use magic and manipulated a tribe of kobolds into near-complete destruction.  These three are members of said tribe.  That reminds me..."  She once again turns her back on the foul creature and addresses Powwaw, Eek, and Meek directly.  "I know that Unreth did incomparable damage to your families.  Know that we are ready to assist you in any way we are able, as you assisted us."

While you turn your back on him, he slowly moves closer and flashes his light at the corpse of Unreth.  With a clear look of disgust on its face, it examines the body with growing curiosity.

The tiny dragon peers up at Priest and says, "Thank you Selina."  He then looks over at where they came through the portal and continues, "But it appears assisting us in repairs is going to be harder than you might think because the portal is gone."

The Frogman begin's to talk again when the little dragon interrupts him.  Piper scurries over to Agloval and before he can protest too much, Piper touches him.

"Wha... What are you doing," the Frogman says while trying to shoo Piper away?  [DC17 Spellcraft to know Piper cast Tongues.]  Agloval clears his throat a couple of times and says, "Me... me me me meeeeee!  That's marvelous!  My voice sounds totally different!"  Piper explains that he cast a spell on him so he could speak the common language.  Agloval replies, "Incredible.  You are very lucky to have a Communicaturger traveling with you.  Hmmm... Well what I was trying to say before I was so happily interrupted is, I know someone who would pay handsomely for this Spider-man's corpse.  He's an accomplished scientist who loves to study new creatures.  He prefers them to be alive because dead ones stink up his lab.  It's not cost effective if you have to constantly rub Preserving Unguent on a corpse every day.  Would you like to meet him?"

[Betimi]

Betimi shrugs, 

"We benefit more by selling it than we would by using him as food. I think he would spoil faster than we could eat him. Also, he is a bit large to boil, and that is the best way to prepare cave crabs and spiders.. I say we sell the remains. They aren't even a good raft. Someone can probably harvest enough chitin for armour."

[Selina Parcellus]

[OoC: Troglodytes generally look like short lizardmen with a spinal crest.  This guy looks more like a frog.  A Bullywug would be much closer in appearance to this guy except this guy's face is slightly more human-like.  Bullywugs are not well known so I included a picture in the attachments.  As you can see, they are very similar.  You can also catch Bullywugs  >> Here <<.  They appear at the 56 second mark.

"It is what we just destroyed before entering this portal.  We've no real idea what exactly it is.  It could use magic and manipulated a tribe of kobolds into near-complete destruction.  These three are members of said tribe.  That reminds me..."  She once again turns her back on the foul creature and addresses Powwaw, Eek, and Meek directly.  "I know that Unreth did incomparable damage to your families.  Know that we are ready to assist you in any way we are able, as you assisted us."

While you turn your back on him, he slowly moves closer and flashes his light at the corpse of Unreth.  With a clear look of disgust on its face, it examines the body with growing curiosity.

The tiny dragon peers up at Priest and says, "Thank you Selina."  He then looks over at where they came through the portal and continues, "But it appears assisting us in repairs is going to be harder than you might think because the portal is gone."

The Frogman begin's to talk again when the little dragon interrupts him.  Piper scurries over to Agloval and before he can protest too much, Piper touches him.

"Wha... What are you doing," the Frogman says while trying to shoo Piper away?  [DC17 Spellcraft to know Piper cast Tongues.]  Agloval clears his throat a couple of times and says, "Me... me me me meeeeee!  That's marvelous!  My voice sounds totally different!"  Piper explains that he cast a spell on him so he could speak the common language.  Agloval replies, "Incredible.  You are very lucky to have a Communicaturger traveling with you.  Hmmm... Well what I was trying to say before I was so happily interrupted is, I know someone who would pay handsomely for this Spider-man's corpse.  He's an accomplished scientist who loves to study new creatures.  He prefers them to be alive because dead ones stink up his lab.  It's not cost effective if you have to constantly rub Preserving Unguent on a corpse every day.  Would you like to meet him?"

((Troglodytes...Bullywugs.  All the same to Selina: Grotesque. ))

Selina blinks and stares at the wall where the portal had just been.  She extends her morningstar and gives it a tentative jab with one of the spikes while Powwaw casts a spell on the ugly, ill-spoken creature.  She is noticeably distracted.

Spellcraft: [1d20+2] = 9+2 = 11

Oh well.  Anything that makes the creature speak properly must be a good spell.  "So long as this scientist's research does not involve raising it from the dead or creating other versions of it, I've no problems selling it to him.  But I will not have another of these...abominations alive while I can do anything to stop it."

Betimi shrugs, 

"We benefit more by selling it than we would by using him as food. I think he would spoil faster than we could eat him. Also, he is a bit large to boil, and that is the best way to prepare cave crabs and spiders.. I say we sell the remains. They aren't even a good raft. Someone can probably harvest enough chitin for armour."

Selina does a shock-take at Betimi's interest in eating Unreth.  Abominable!  What in the world...?  On second thought, I'd rather not know.

[GM Marvel]

Selina blinks and stares at the wall where the portal had just been.  She extends her morningstar and gives it a tentative jab with one of the spikes while Powwaw casts a spell on the ugly, ill-spoken creature.  She is noticeably distracted.

[OoC: You do know, that from his point of view, you all were the ill-spoken creatures.   ]

"So long as this scientist's research does not involve raising it from the dead or creating other versions of it, I've no problems selling it to him.  But I will not have another of these...abominations alive while I can do anything to stop it."

"His work is much too technical for me," Agloval replies.  "But I have never seen anything dead shambling around his laboratories; nor what I think you're referring to as Clones.  When he has spoken to me, I will admit it was all a little above my head, but he said he was looking for new ways to harness Crisis Energy which is basically the energy of changing from one state to another.  This creature looks like a it was stuck while changing from his human state to a spider's, or maybe into a Weaver itself.  That must have required enormous energy to accomplish!  Yes, I do believe you could get a literal bath tub full off pennies for this creature!!"

[Forge]

Forge remains silent but alert next to the corpse spider-man as his commander and others talk.

[GM Marvel]

Agloval's frog-like eyes slowly shift back and forth waiting for some indication that after his reassurances the group was still interested in selling the Corpse of Unreth.  When he sets his eyes upon Forge, Agloval doesn't seem affected in any way by his appearance.   He just states, "Oh... you have a Sheen too.  What does it do?  Clean up the mess when you're finished a fight?"

[Nacesh]

The sorcerous spearman, who's been quiet so far (in a feeble attempt to keep the foul taste of stench out of his mouth) speaks up,
"He contributes to our success as a warrior and and not as a janitor," he says, accentuating the pronoun in an informative manner, by no means in an attempt to be lecturing or unpolite. "Nacesh is the name, by the way."

[Betimi]

"I think we are all in agreement to sell the corpse of this foul creature. Perhaps for something more portable than a bathtub of pennies, whatever anyone would want that for."