A Storm and a Half

The storm was like a punch to the jaw, almost blowing the gray off Aquitaine's stone walls.
 
Everyone took part and pitched in to keep things bolted down. It mostly worked and our little Stormborn halfling did the most keeping the lightning off most things. The mess of a storm wandered around a bit, making more of a mess than a drunk on a bender before it wandered out of town. Right as it left, as Ika would have it, an exhausted goblin kid on a more exhausted donkey rolled into town. Miro spotted him and shouted a warning. The lot of us ... scattered out as we were ... went running.
 
I worked with Feathers - Zhang - and Lee Chung to help the kid. The others worked on the donkey and the tarped wagon that it was pulling. The kid was half-awake but ate the jerky I had. Honestly, he looked like his stomach was rubbing a blister on his backbone. A few bites brought him around and set him to a proper panic. That settled down enough that we could get him to the Rusty Dragon Inn.
 
Once at the inn, we got the kid's name. Dacio Bicchieri. His family's caravan, the Bicchieri company, wasn't due yet. It took a moment before he pulled his wits together. It was after that he started asking for help to rescue his da. I listened in while I risked a ladle to the back of the head from Ameko to head into the kitchen to get some chicken soup for the boy.
 
Seems his caravan got attacked while traveling in the Longgrass Plains outside the town of Purgatory Gulch over in the Oatman Canyon region. It was some sort of mimic? Whatever it was rattled the hired guards and the kid got shoved into cover and a protection circle got put up. From what the kid said, it didn't do them much good. His da packed him up and sent him to Aquitaine for help when a storm came in right after the attack started. The kid didn't have good numbers to give, he just saw a 'horde'. It probably means too much was happening at once for the kid to take in. That happens.
 
After hearing the kid's story, I headed off to talk to Shalelu about this and let her know I needed to head out west toward Purgatory Gulch. She suggests the creatures might be angry treants. That's not a good sign. Best case, something got them riled up and that can be settled. If something's corrupted them ... that means taking out their Heart Tree. That's the last thing I ever want to do. I thank Shelalu and head back.
 
Only to find the kid left with Chef, the kobold. Ika give me strength.
 
I tried to talk some sense into the kid. Tried. But he gave me a good point. We would need a wagonmaster to help with swapping out teams and to manage the wagons. At least he agreed to stay out of the way if things go sour. Given Chef gave the kid more soup and was standing over him with a ladle until he ate it, I decided to stay and wait for the others.
 
They eventually got back. Seems they spoke with the Watch Captain and arranged for wagons and such, and supplies. I headed back to the house, collected my gear, collected my owl, and met back with the others. Turns out Dacio gave us directions and was convinced to stay with the local spellmonger. The Master Mage should keep the kid busy.
 
We take a few wagons. A 'hurry up' wagon, a paddy wagon, and Miro's wagon. I took the lead wagon with Feathers. Jessie had the paddy wagon. Miro drove the last with Lee Chung and Chef. Jessie sent Wrong Way to scout. We'd spell them by myself and Rowtag scouting, then Feathers taking a turn.
 
It took us about a week ... the evening of Grolm the 6th by the time we reached the place. When we were day out of the campsite when we considered stopping for the night. Discussed it some. Miro wanted to press on - so did Chef - which isn't a bad idea. However, I pointed out that this could be treants ... or their female counterparts, dryads ... that are angry over something. The other options could be corrupt. The latter is worse. Wrong Way went out to look, came back with a bloody rabbit ear. Bad sign there.
 
The rabbit was one of the local jackrabbit varieties. Something with fangs took after it.
 
Given Nasilia was a new moon, and Grothor was crescent, we pushed on.
 
We found the camp. They camped out on a tiny mesa that had been scoured a bit by a storm. Jessie and I got down and checked for trail sign. Jessie found signs that they may have went south. I found tracks - hoof prints - but odd. Like covered in bags to hide the tracks. Could have been the attackers coming in from ambush. The others decided to haul our gear and the wagons up the mesa. They'll get the gear, while I haul the wagons up.
 
What we found was a mess. Ripped up rusty pump handle. Torn up carts, ripped tents, bones. Nothing looked like it survived. However, it had a concerning lack of wagon tracks. I went looking for scavengers to see if they found bodies. Feather and Jessie went looking for graves and more. Miro went to check for any magic on the junk left behind.
 
I came up with something interesting. Eastern edge had an arc of protective fire with gaps for the caravan wagons. The fire lasted for days and scoured the rocks. No scavengers, but Rowtag was feeling jumpy so that made this a bit hard. He didn't like the idea of heading north. Anyway, so, maybe a firewall with gaps so they could make a run for it?
 
Jessie found where the caravan buried its trade goods to come back for later. No food or perishables. Lee Chung looked for messages, but there wasn't any. Miro says the mesa was the 'eye of a hurricane'. Magical one. Like someone set one up and held in place. While we looked, Chef went to the pit and started a fire with Miro's help.
 
Turns out none of our animal companions liked the idea of heading north. So ... I wanted to check north. Which means Rowtag or any of our animals won't go. So Zheng would have to scout by air. Jessie and I go on land. Miro goes in case there is a nyad and we need to negotiate for water. The first thing we found was a bunch of wild cabbages. Not farmed ... just growing wild. Not real concerning but odd. No farm nearby but the pump handle does suggest someone had a well around here. Maybe for the caravans? Anyway, the well is a wreck by now.
 
I wonder ... did whoever set up the well as the nyad's permission?
 
Feathers found debris. It could have been from the storms, no idea. By then, though, Miro and Chef took off without saying anything. Root and acorn! That halfling and that kobold ... they're gonna be the death of someone if not themselves. Feathers took flight and tracked the pair, the rest of trailed along behind.
 
By the time we get close to catching up, we hear a ... cow? Several cows? Maybe to the north, northwest. We discussed investigating the sound, while others look for water and food ... well ... then we find the cows. Demon possessed cows! Well, that counts as the strangest thing I've seen all week!
 
The cow came at us on two legs brandishing a halberd. Damndest thing I'd ever seen. It was determined to end us but we managed to take it out. That was when those wild cabbages starting moving, rolling like tumbleweeds. That was the moment we learned why we hadn't seen any signs of scavengers. The 'cabbages' are some sort of bloodsucking cabbage plant. Undead? Maybe? Not sure. Ika's bandages, tomatoes grow better with a little raw meat ... so ... why not?
 
I will say ... being attacked by a demonic cow wielding a magic halberd is probably the most excitement I've had all week. And that counts helping the locals deal with a hurricane!
 
Once they were done with the body, they headed for Lee Chung. Miro used a spell to blow them off the other direction. But Jessi and Feathers pointed out ... the field was full of them. Lee Chung was worried that the demonic cow would come back as a vampire. Before we did anything with the dead body, or the - what turned out to be magical - halberd, more cows sounded off in the night.
 
We pulled back to the mesa and lit some fires. Making camp there, Chef cooked some dinner while we kept watch. More mooing in the night made a good reminder of what was out there.
 
The next morning, I went out with Lee Chung to check for the body. The body was mummified, the halberd just a burned and salted patch on the ground. The cabbages were gone ... cause someone herded them. Not good. They've got a keeper. The one herding the cabbages came from the northeast toward the taller plant life toward Arjory Pond. Then herded the cabbages off to the north-northwest. I head back to tell the others, only to find Miro and his flying snake gone. Leaving the wagons and ponies - which I'm not all right with - to go track down Miro and his pet.
 
We did find him but lost the tracks of the demonic cows or whoever was herding the cabbages. That started a discussion over what to do next. Lake? Town? That was a hard decision. I'm not sure why, but somehow it was challenging! I've never heard such debate since the last time I was in the Rusty Dragon Inn when Ameko and Lee Chung got into a debate over what spice worked better in some sort of dumpling soup. Town won the toss. So we went back for the wagons and rode into town. Hopefully, we'll find out a bit more about what is going on around here. The longgrass plans are dangerous but this seems much even for the longgrass. We reached the town the morning of the 7th of Grolm.
 
Once in town, we saw a schoolhouse, a temple or church, a saloon or inn, basically a small town. No building that we could see for a city watch. There was a lot of talk of asking around but I pointed out that to learn about the town, you ask the barkeep or the innkeeper. Everyone talks to them. So we took the wagons over to stable the ponies and store the wagons. A few silvers and agreed to some rules got them stabled. I kept quiet as I'm not always good with folks. Jessie did the talking.
 
He asked the stablekeeper about the Bicchieri caravan. The town - which I figure is Purgatory Gulch - was supposed to be their next stop but they haven't come by yet. So the Bicchieri kid's da and his companions are either dead or captive somewhere.
 
After we got the animals put away, we split up to ask around. Feathers and I headed for the general store. Jessie for the church. Lee Chung for the saloon which would probably be an inn, too. Miro looked for a blacksmith but didn't find one.
 
So, we'll see what we'll see.