Escort

Researcher: Dīca Dux
 
 
Research: Sentient Medusozoa, "An-Core"

 
Report: I've been working with the subject with re-working on my speech of common. I hadn't the need to use it since pre-hybridization, and the interactions also lets me judge the degree of their sentience.
Post combat has shown remarkable battle awareness and sensitivity toward the status of allies. My observations of various abilities has let me deduce they are a variety of druid.
 
 
Journal: The group I had ended with had decided on taking a few contracts to supplement the gold requirement of the ship they had ordered. The first one they picked up was a contract to defend a 2.5 day caravan to the other major settlement on Cresaro. The main of the group went to sell the excess inventory from the ship and I took my leave to secure some supplies from "The Crystal Tear" to continue my work in the field. A female tabaxi with some alchemical marking on her cuff was working on some thing at the counter. Along the walls was the expected alchemical and apothecary supplies. She pointed me to the octopus mentioned by Zanna. It was an impressive size and on request it let me into the local guild house. Let me in by flooding the area around me, liquifying me and letting me run through, and reform after the floorboards. I was in the main hall with other hybrids and their projects along the sides. On the end of the hall was another hybrid at 2nd or 3rd stage working the counter. I had a pleasant conversation and purchased a travel alchemy kit for myself and arranged a more permanent one for the ship. I then inquired about the Whalewolf that was to be my potential assignment. The counter hybrid had a beaver looking individual lead me down to a holding cave with specimen containments. Their was one for a kraken class (gargantuan) and several for whale class. The kraken class had the remnants of a Spidersnake molt. I'd be curious as to where and how they'd acquire on of them. I was led to the Whalewolf's container. It was much more impressive in person than the holo could convey. My suspicions were put to rest when I noticed the muzzle, as the concussive breath would have been a worry to me. I did notice that the specimen was harnessed. The Hybrid at the counter said that it was a pet up until it killed it's master and ascended to the Alpha status. I then walked over to the holo station to see what other fascinating creatures they had here. Other than a copy of the Whalewolf Alpha there was an entry of a "Were-snail". The extremely rare shark class creature's bite would cause the victim's pores to extrude mucus and would go so far as to fill the lungs and lead to drowning if not treated. After my little satiation of curiosity and meeting the local chapter, I headed back to the group.
Kar'El had sold the extra acquirements from the ship, and made a deal with the Core Island Traders. The same group whose ship we supposedly just traded in. We were to escort a cargo caravan across the island through some dangerous territory due to factional groups. The halfling, Guffy showed up with a curiously dirty attire and dyed beard. He appeared to just want out of the city.
 
The caravan was fairly standard save for one cart being drawn by two automaton servants, likely nobility. One other cart had some halflings cooking all sorts of smells. The ride went fairly normal for the first day until a Gloomstalker showed up at twilight. It immediately attacked Kar'El who was acting as an aerial scout. We managed to kill it fairly effectively even after it's stunning roar. I would have rather knocked it out, but after my pummeling it was hit via a cart mounted rapid ballistae and AN-Core using an exploding projectile spell. I would have liked to figure it's phase ability it used at one point. We still took the body with us to the first camp which was close anyway and With my help we skinned about 70% of it for leather. Kar'El seemed really excited to work with the material. I will have to note any properties that the resulting creations acquire. Later others made mention that they were glad a Frenzy didn't show up, I was also happy that we only had to fight one Gloomstalker rather than 10. That night was uneventful with working with AN-Core on common.
The second day only had one incident with the kobolds that the bar owner mentioned. They were going back and forth across the path toward the ocean in front of us. The caravan head stopped us for about half an hour, and after that time they seemed to stop. We passed by and the halfling card pushed out a hog that fell onto the path. Just after we pass the path line lights up with kobolds going after the hog. Their scales had a curiously red-blue sheen to them they also sported barbs and longer claws and horns than the average variety. Their language sounded like a mix of Draconic and Infernal. Their was also 2 dolphin class (med) bats with kobold riders on a hill in the distance. They seem to be a terribly interesting mix of subtypes with their own genetic drift, I would love to lave a chance to study one sometime. Otherwise we could feel a storm coming soon, but the night repeated the first.
The third day the caravan was hustled to Velrasia and we got 30pp each for our defense. Not 5 minutes later we were at the next caravan for the return trip. These new carts were much more reinforced to even have gun windows on each. We took off without incident until we came to an area nearby the lake that was having trouble with the fey. They didn't bother us going by the first time, but it seemed they wanted the returning goods. Several trees moved into the road and some fey came out with totem items. The caravan master called to prepare ourselves as Snowball gets shot at while trying to talk to one. The caravan master said that these were Wendigoth Raiders and they wanted blood. Which was delivered with us defeating them, but taking our own losses. They proved to fairly evenly matched to us, but AN-Core showed situational awareness to aid me in defeating a few and even calling for others to aid another after they fell across the path. After gathering the useful materials we'd be off again.