Session 4: The Reed Folk Report

General Summary

The rain begins shortly after they have returned Septum's body to nature. Lyssa looks at the clouds with some concern. “It’s going to be a bad storm Oso, we need to find or make shelter as soon as possible. “   The monk nods and gets to work gathering up long sticks and leafy branches. Supplies are scarce but Lyssa has some twine and sets up a basic lean-to type shelter. They manage to keep some of the wood dry enabling Lyssa to risk lighting a small fire. The rain wind is harsh and the rain is cold. Both the ranger and the monk are soaked through and through by the time the shelter is built.   Oso manages to find some old berries and a few nuts. It isn’t much but Lyssa confirms what Septum told him days ago. The berries are safe to eat if boiled and consumed in a tea or light soup. The scavenged food barely keeps the hunger at bay while the two dry their clothing in the shelter by the warm fire.   Lyssa keeps her eye on the sky with some concern. It is dark now but both of them can see the clouds rolling horizontally above them as the rains pour down. As the wind picks up the trees begin to shake back and forth violently.   Lyssa curses. “Damn the gods! Storms like this are uncommon this time of year. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one this early. It’s rotten luck.”   Oso sips his bitter berry tea and raises an eyebrow. “Rotten luck or perhaps someone knows we are here…” The monk points northward to Starfall Lake to where the lair of the mountain lich is supposed to be.   Lyssa shakes her head. “Unlikely. The lich is powerful but any sort of influence over the elements would likely be localized. If he could affect weather globaly…” The pathfinder trails off lost in thought. Oso is not reassured by what she just said.   The winds continue to increase. Several hours into the night something crashes into the forest nearby. Every now and then lightning flashes and during one of these flashes Lyssa notices that Septum’s body has fallen from the tree and slammed into the ground. The winds are strong and ripped the body from the tree where it was tied down. The shelter holds but they are forced to make repairs twice throughout the night.   By morning their fire is mostly out and the shelter is badly damaged. Rain is still falling and Lyssa spies a large crow. With a single shot from her bow she brings the bird down. It is plucked and cleaned minutes later. The small amount of meat is seared on the still hot coals from the campfire.   The flesh is mostly raw and tastes horribly gamey but any meat is welcome and the two of them eat the small morsels quickly. Oso knows the flesh from the unfortunate animal will help sustain but this is little comfort. The small portion seems to have increased his hunger.   An hour or so after dawn the rains let up. The ground is soaking wet and the river has risen to overflow its banks even further. The two get dressed and are pleased to find that their clothing is mostly dry. The morning air is cool and the campfire has gone out. The dry clothing is welcome. Oso feels nothing as he puts on Septum’s tunic and pants, forcing himself to push thoughts of the dead ranger from his mind. He kept Laird’s cloak and now he was wearing Septum's clothing.   Lyssa looks at him strangely at first but then shakes off a feeling of dread.   As they are tearing down their campsite the pair notice something strange at roughly the exact same moment. There is no sign of Septum’s body.   Lyssa quickly disperses all evidence that they were here. She buries the burned wood and soot from the fire and scatters the branches used to make the lean-to. All the twine is recovered. When she is done all that remains is a spot on the ground where it appears an animal slept.   Oso is impressed.   With all signs of their passing removed they set out to try and locate Septum’s body. The rain and winds make this task difficult but it’s soon clear to Lyssa that something came into the forest at night and dragged the body away in the direction of the river.   “Whatever took his body had no fear of the storm. Septum’s final act may have been to save us when we could not save him. If it was a large predator or vicious beast in search of a meal that took him we should consider ourselves fortunate.”   Oso, never one for much conversation simply nods at this.   The river is several feet higher now with rushing water making it extremely difficult to cross. Lyssa looks angrily at the rushing water.   “It will be a week of travel to the southeast and maybe we will find a place suitable to cross.“ The young woman does not look hopeful as the heavy rains have made everything much more complicated.   The ranger points north to where the river widens. “If we follow this north we will come to Starfall lake in a day or two."   After pausing for a moment to consider their location she continues. "Several days after that we arrive at a village called The Cove by the locals. This puts us within sight of Darkness Falls and the lair of the lich. If we want to risk such a journey I know that the Cove is a fishing village. We may find a boat there in or near the town.“   Oso doesn’t have an opinion. “I trust your instincts Lyssa. You will get us to where we need to go.”   Lyssa swears under her breath, “Not helpful monk.” She proceeds to turn and walk south down the wet grasslands that now form the new riverbank. Oso follows.   Two minutes later the pair stops, staring at the ground. There are what appear to be horse tracks all around them in the mud. The tracks can only be a few hours old.   Lyssa is shocked. “They came from the north. They must have passed us moving south, perhaps in the night or early this morning? I didn’t see them. No one in their right mind would ride in such weather.“   The two follow the tracks south and soon come upon a dead horse partially submerged in the river. The horse appears to be a pack animal or draft farm horse. The bridle rope is primitive and it’s clear that the horse is far too big to be a proper riding animal.   The sun peeks through the clouds momentarily but the day remains overcast. It’s clear that over half the day is gone and Lyssa is surprised by how much time has passed. The dark of the storm must have been deceptive and they both slept far too long.   As they search around the area around the corpse of the horse, two figures rise up out of the swampy waters behind Lyssa. She does not see them but Oso does and he shouts a warning. The monk is filled with dread at the prospect of fighting two more of the undead worm ridden creatures.   The ranger swings around to see a pair of villagers rise up out of the water to attack her with primitive weapons. These are not the feared undead creatures. They are simple commoners from the settlement to the north. Their faces are marked by sort of ritual tattoos and their bodies are mutilated with random bits of metal and wood that pierce through their skin. They appear to be some sort of manic or crazed state.   Lyssa leaps back and draws her dagger and longsword - one weapon for each attacker. Oso is twenty feet away but manages to close the distance remarkably fast. The monk leaps at the mutilated woman with the knife with an open fist intended to end the poor woman’s life in a single blow but the villager dodges aside skillfully.   Their devotion to the mountain lich has made them manic and dangerous.   Lyssa keeps the man with the pitchfork busy as the woman with the knife turns to face Oso. She is actually larger and stronger than the other villager and a significant threat. A quick attack with the knife almost catches Oso in the throat but the monk side steps at the last moment and attempts to counterattack.   The large mutilated woman blocks the monk’s attack with her free hand and throws Oso off balance.   Lyssa fares better. She blocks another attack from the pitchfork with her dagger and buries her longsword into the villagers gut. The farmer arches back and howls in rage spraying blood into the air as he slides off of her sword.   The ranger sees Oso skillfully avoid another attack from the knife. The remaining villager is becoming more manic.   Lyssa shouts at the woman, “Friend stop. Allow us to go on our way. We are not your enemy. We are only defending ourselves. Let us help you!”   The attempted outreach has an immediate effect. The woman turns and attempts to drive the point of her knife into Lyssa’s mouth as she talks.   The ranger simply steps back and blocks the attack with both weapons, knocking the knife aside.   Oso sees his chance and slams the palm of his hand into the woman’s lower back. She is momentarily stunned and drops the knife into the wet grass. She is driven by a chaotic rage and insanity however and recovers quickly. Ignoring Lyssa, the large woman turns again to Oso and attempts to claw his eyes out with her bare hands.   Lyssa clubs the manic woman over the head with the hilt of her sword but the blow does little to stop the ferocity of the villagers attacks.   Knowing it is hopeless Oso sighs sadly and punches directly at and through the woman’s face, crushing her skull in the process. Non lethal combat against these broken people seems pointless and they are beyond saving.   As her body falls into the muddy grass teeth and brains fall from the monk’s closed fist.   Lyssa looks at the carnage before the two of them. Without thinking she grabs the body of the woman Oso just killed and pushes her into the into the river with her booted foot, returning the woman to nature.   Shortly after she does so six more figures rise up out of the river a dozen feet away. They are all holding bone javelins and one of them has a wicked looking broadsword. Each of the figures is covered in green scales and has a head that looks like some sort of giant lizard with sharp teeth. Their hands are clawed and they look incredibly dangerous.   The lizard creatures surround the ranger and the monk but do not close in. They say nothing and make no noise.   Lyssa decides to speak before things devolve into conflict. “We are here to earn the right to address your village. We are not your enemies. I am with the rangers in Darkwood Forest” Lyssa points to the vast forest up the embankment behind her.   The lizard creature with the broadsword seems to issue some sort of commands with a series of low barely audible hisses that must be their language. Suddenly they all move to the body of the woman floating in the river and stab it several times to ensure she is dead.   “The villagers who attacked us are dead. Why are you bothering with the bodies? They are no threat.“ Lyssa doesn’t seem to understand what is happening but she is desperate to ensure that these creatures see her and Oso as allies not enemies.   Several of the lizard folk step closer and appear to be examining their faces. One lowers Oso’s hooded cloak and looks him over. Two others stab the corpse of the other villager several times and then throw him in the river with the other body.   Oso notices light wounds on several of the warriors that have surrounded them. It’s clear that they have been in a fight recently. He says nothing and allows Lyssa to talk. They continue to ignore her and say nothing in return.   It takes the lizard creatures several minutes to scour the area and ensure that all the villagers are dead. Several watch Oso and Lyssa as they do so but they make no hostile actions towards the two.   The lizard with the broadsword makes some sort of hand gesture and the warriors move out back into the water towards the south. Lyssa is incensed at being ignored by them for several minutes and starts shouting.   The leader turns back to her and says in broken but understandable common, “Follow south you die. Go home to forest.”   Seeing this as her last opportunity to convince the lizard folk for an audience, Lyssa points to Oso while she has the leader’s attention. “Champion! He challenges! He demands the right to have his words be heard by your elders! We wish to speak of Lotherym and the village to the north!”   As she shouts this the lizard warriors turn around with their weapons at the ready. Their leader hisses several orders to the other lizard folk and they have what appears to be a tense exchange of words.   Eventually he points his sword at Oso and hisses several angry commands to the lizard folk around him. All of the warriors bow their head in obedience.   The leader turns briefly to Oso. “Champion stay. We return.” He then heads out into the river towards the lake with three of the other lizard warriors. They swim incredibly fast. The other two remain behind to watch the ranger and the monk.   Oso puts his hand on Lyssa’s shoulder. “Well done, I guess we wait.” The monk finds a somewhat dry spot on the ground to sit and meditate.   The two lizard men that remain behind are clearly unhappy or perhaps confused. They point to Oso and hiss to themselves.   It is almost an hour before the leader and the rest of his lizard warriors return. They are dragging something through the water. As they approach the shore it’s clear they have found a swamped rowboat. The craft has likely been underwater since the storm.   As he hands Oso a rope tied to the sunken rowboat, the leader points to a spot across the river where there is a trio of trees on the distant shoreline. “There.”   The single word is all he says as he jumps back into the water and swims across to the other side of the river. All of the lizard warriors follow after him.   It takes the combined strength of both the ranger and the monk to drag the rowboat out of the water and empty it out. The day begins to fade into evening by the time they find themselves in the boat ready to cross.   The current is strong and they are forced to use all of their strength to fight against it. At first it goes well but the lack of sleep and food takes their toll and Lyssa is quickly exhausted. By the time they are halfway across, the current has pushed them a mile or more downstream.   The sun is setting as they strain against the oars. On the horizon to the north Lyssa can see lightning as clouds continually roll southeast over the mountains.   “Pull hard and fast! We will drown if another storm swamps the boat!” Oso says urgently. Lyssa strains against the oars. Her strength is nearly spent. The last half of the crossing is a tremendous struggle and it’s clear they are many miles downstream by the time they reach the far side of the river. With the last of their strength, the two drag the rowboat up onto the grassy plains.   There is another forest off in the distance on this side of the river. The foliage is lighter and not as dense as Darkwood. Lyssa makes a note to explore it sometime.   The sun is nearly set as they move slowly north along the riverbank to get to the trio of trees the lizard warrior leader had indicated was their destination. A light rain starts and they realize that another storm is upon them and they have no shelter.   With no other choice they head back and get the rowboat. They somehow manage to carry and drag it for several hours in the dark along the shoreline until they stumble upon the trio of trees in the dark.   The pair are once again drenched by the rain and shivering from the cold. They manage to wedge the rowboat into the trees over their heads a few feet off the ground to provide shelter.   Lyssa finds a small amount of somewhat dry wood and uses the last of Septum’s oiled tinder to light a small fire. They have no food but strip down and allow their clothing to once again dry out within the makeshift shelter. There is enough deadfall and early fall leaves around the trees to get a decent fire going but the wood is wet and the amount of smoke is great. The ranger and monk are too exhausted to care.   They are both soon asleep huddled up together under damp blankets trying to stay warm by the fire.   By the time they both awake it is late morning. The rains have stopped and the pair is surrounded by at least two dozen lizard folk. The creatures approached them while the two were sleeping but did not wake them.   Lyssa and Oso dress quickly. Their gear is still damp but at least it’s not soaking wet as it was the night before. Lyssa approaches the lizard folk and says one word “Food?” She is famished and she knows she and Oso need food badly.   The lizard warrior nearest to her appears to be a tall female of the species. She points to the two of them and then points north. Three of the other warriors pull the rowboat out of the trees and throw it into the river, causing it to sink immediately.   Lyssa grabs the rest of her gear and mutters ‘I guess they don’t like boats?” to which Oso responds. “Well, they clearly have no need of them.”   Flanked by dozens of warriors the ranger and the monk move slowly north. Their escort does not press them to move fast but after several hours they come upon a fortified area surrounding a vast village that extends into a reed filled area of Starfall Lake.   Parts of the village are flooded due to the high water levels but this seems normal to the lizard folk within it. Some of the huts rise up on posts automatically to stay dry while others seem to be designed to be flooded periodically for some mysterious purpose.   Both Lyssa and Oso are amazed by this place. There must be several thousand of the reed folk here and off in the distance other villages and small communities can be seen including one that appears to float freely on the lake itself. This is more than a village, these people have an entire culture and civilization here at Starfall lake. Warriors drill in the open morning air, training with net and spear in the warm sun while others haul in fish from the lake.   It is clear why Galt and Ranger One wanted the assistance of these people and why he wanted to protect them from the mountain Lich. It is a thriving and noble culture worthy of respect and preservation.   Lyssa hopes that bringing them into this fight will not mean their end.   Many of the Reed Folk are curious about the two of them. Some juveniles run up to examine the two strangers but then recoil in horror for some reason. After they are marched through town Oso and Lyssa are directed into a large reed hut up on a hill in the middle of the fortified complex. In the middle of the hut is what looks to be a fighting pit.   Lyssa and Oso are offered food and water - raw fish with some sort of weed plant from the lake. They eat slowly and take several hours to rest and recover.   The lizard folk leave them alone until late in the day when a large lizard warrior who is clearly the chief enters and sits to one side of the fighting pit on a large grass mat. Flaking him are what appear to be his honored children, chief advisor who is clearly his mate and a shaman. Other warriors also file in to stand next to Lyssa and watch what is about to occur.   One warrior who looks to be the son of the village chief walks down into the pit and stands there waiting. It is the lizard warrior leader that Oso and Lyssa met on patrol. He stands totally naked except for patterns of ritual white war paint on his body and some sort of red dye on his claws.   The tall lean creature leans back and makes a loud gutteral hiss into the air. He points to himself with a clawed hand and says "Az'cotax!" then points to Oso.   The members of the warriors family and the chief hiss their approval, look upward and slam their clawed hands into the ground. It’s clear that something is about to begin. The shaman stands up, points at Oso and slams his totem staff into the ground.   Oso smiles. “My turn.” He strips naked to match his opponent and jumps down into the fighting pit.   The warrior facing him moves immediately to close the distance but Oso is faster. He sprints towards the warrior and attempts to stun him with a blow to the side of the head. The warrior sees the attack coming and simply ducks under it.   Oso is not as lucky when trying to dodge the counterattack. One clawed hand misses the monk by several inches but the other rakes across his chest leaving deep bloody gashes on his skin.   The monk grits his teeth against the pain and dances back out of range. He knows he has the advantage in speed and training but the warrior he is facing has the natural weapons of an animal. It’s also clear that he is skilled in their use.   Circling carefully, Oso suddenly sees an opening and moves in. This time his punch lands on the warrior but the thick hide absorbs the blow and his fist glances off the lizard warriors scales.   The warrior responds to the glancing hit by raking his claws across the monk’s outstretched arm with one hand and reaching for the monk’s throat with the other. Again Oso is able to avoid the claws that were aiming for his chest and throat as he spins aside.   The two dance round each other. Oso is bleeding from multiple wounds. His opponent seems to be patient. The lizard champion is not taking advantage of the monk’s weakened state and has not grown overconfident.   It’s clear that this warrior is a highly intelligent creature.   Oso again has the speed advantage and lands another glancing blow. This latest miss brings with it knew knowledge to the monk. The creature’s skin is tough and smooth - only flat, direct attacks with massive force will be effective.   The moment of clarity comes at a cost however as the lizard warrior once again rips into Oso’s flesh. The wounds and blood loss are starting to slow the monk down now and he is forced to use all of his concentration to rise above the pain.   Lyssa begins to look very worried and Oso notices this.   The lizard warrior sees that his opponent is distracted by the emotional state of his friend and takes advantage. He dives at the monk with both clawed hands extended but Oso was waiting for this and simply side steps. He brings his fist down hard onto the warriors back only to find that the warrior has twisted out of the way.   The two of them continue to circle looking for an opening. Until now the chief and his entourage have been silent but the shaman taps his staff and they all begin to hiss low and approvingly. It’s clear that they believe this is starting to become a potentially worthy fight.   The warrior again moves first and closes in, sweeping its clawed hands at Oso. The monk grabs one of the clawed wrists and allows the other to rake into his side. This was the opening he needed. Oso steps forward into the attack and slams an open palm into the lizard warriors chest.   The warrior is lifted off the ground by the force of the blow and flies into the air several feet. He lands on his feet but the creature’s knees buckle out from under him.   It is clear that the warrior is badly stunned and unable to defend himself for a brief moment.   Oso wastes no time. He is bleeding and he knows that in several minutes he will be unable to fight. He leaps at his opponent and clubs him viciously with a knee attack and follows up with a fist strike to the side of the warrior’s head.   The creature lets out a howl of pain as it rolls away and recovers - clearly hurt by the blow.   The chief and those around him stop and grow silent. The shaman thumps his staff twice - a clear sign of approval. The room is seems to fill with tension as everyone watches the fight in the center of the wring.   Again the two combatants circle each other. The warrior pretends to still be stunned and makes a false attack with its claws. Oso falls for it and moves in for a finishing blow only to see the creature twist its head and land a vicious bite on his shoulder. Teeth rip into Oso’s flesh as he pulls away in pain.   The ground is thick with Oso’s blood. The numberous wounds are weakening him. He knows that the lizard warrior is wearing him down slowly and that he doesn't have much more time.   The monk does his best to dismiss the pain and mentally accepts his fate. He moves in and attacks again but is unable to connect. The lizard warrior pivots and rakes its claws across Oso’s back leaving another set of deep, painful wounds.   Lyssa realizes she has her weapons with her and she wonders if she can intervene. She didn’t bring Oso here just to have him die. That would be a terrible injustice. Her face is set in a grimace. These are the laws of the Reed Folk. They agreed to this fight. She relaxes and decides she can do nothing. Oso’s fate will be determined by the gods.   Unfortunately, it seems like the gods are not on Oso’s side. Once again the creature claws at the monk this time ripping into his hip and leg. It is clear that the lizard warrior has fought unarmed many times before. He is quite skilled.   Oso’s counter attack is feeble and is blocked easily. It does allow Oso a chance to move out of range but the lizard warrior simply presses the attack.   The monk is unprepared to meet the viciousness of the attack and the warrior rakes across Oso’s skin once again. Oso struggles to land a blow in return and the is almost bitten on the arm by his opponent. The warrior is pressing the attack and trying to force Oso down onto the ground.   Oso realizes that the reed folk champion is trying to grapple with him down so that he can rend him apart on the ground with his claws. Desperate to avoid this fate, the monk flips up into the air and pushes the creature back with a double kick.   This staggers the lizard warrior and makes Oso fall backward. The monk is forced to spin around to get back on his feet and nearly loses his balance as waves of pain overtake him.   As the warrior moves in, Oso instinctively does a spinning kick which catches the warrior in the side of the head once again stunning him. The monk’s strength is nearly gone but manages to make one last desperate attack with a double fisted punch directly into the creature's chest.   The lizard warrior is knocked back to the edge of the fighting pit and crashes into the ground. The champion stays where he lands and does not seem able to move.   There is a huge roar from the crowd and several of the warriors jump into the pit leveling their spears at Oso. Lyssa reaches for her weapons but realizes that several of the warriors around her are ready to strike her down. When the chief sees his people ready to fight and take their revenge for the champion’s defeat this he slams his fist into the ground and hisses loudly.   Everyone stands down. The shaman moves into the pit. Oso is barely able to stand as the blood loss has him near fainting. Ignoring Oso the shaman moves to the fallen Reed Folk champion. He hisses something at the chief who nods. Others in the hut seem to be far less tense now.   The shaman looks at Oso examining him carefully. He thumps his staff on the ground twice, points to the naked monk and raises up his hands to the sky with a strange guttural hiss.   The rest of the reed folk in the hut do the same. While Oso sits down on the ground. The monk is ready to fall over at any moment.     The lizard warrior is carried to his family who tends to his wounds. Lyssa is brought down to Oso who is now barely awake. The shaman gives her a bag of yellow paste and shows her how to rub it into Oso’s wounds. She does so and the bleeding stops immediately. It’s clear that the monk will have horrible scars all over his body from the ordeal but he will recover.   For several minutes the tribal shaman examines the reed folk champion carefully. When he is finished, he lances his own chest with a small bone knife causing a small bleeding wound. As the shaman bleeds he seems to summon some kind of arcane magic as he lays his hands upon the fallen warrior. Seconds later the warrior begins to breathe deeper and wakes. A minute later he is able to stand up with assistance. The shaman binds his own wound and begins conversing with the chief.   Lyssa looks at all this and whispers to Oso “Demonic blood magic. We must be careful how much we trust these reed folk.”   The monk is in too much pain to care at the moment.   The tribal champion approaches Oso who is still sitting on the ground trying to meditate and relax despite the pain. He sits opposite the monk crossing his legs in imitation but the action is respectful.   “Az’cotax” he says putting his hand on his chest. The liard warrior nods and points to Oso.   “Oso” the monk replies while returning the nod. There is obvious pain in his voice.       The lizard warrior looks concerned. “Shaman Ix’itath use magic for wounds.”   Oso somehow finds the energy to smile and shakes his head. “No need my friend. The healing paste you have given me has already started helping. I’ll be fine.” Oso stands up on shaky legs to prove he is going to live and recover. Some of his wounds are still bleeding slightly but it does appear that the yellow paste is helping a great deal.   The champion stands up respectfully and bows. Many other lizard folk enter the hut. Some simply want a look at this human who defeated their champion. Others take positions around the edge of the hut as tribal elders enter to sit near the chief.   Other warriors eventually enter carrying several human corpses and proceed to throw them down in the middle of the fighting pit. Lyssa and Oso can see that these humans are dead villagers from The Cove as their bodies are twisted and mulated by their own insanity. It is clear that they were killed by the Reed Folk with bone javelins and spears.   The shaman Ix’itath moves forward and pokes the pile of bodies with his totem staff. “These of Lotherym?”     Lyssa and Oso both nod. The shaman and Az’cotax both say something in the language of the lizard folk and there is chattering about the hut.   Ix’itath turns back to the ranger and the monk and speaks in broken common. “Speak. Earned right.”   Oso and Lyssa proceed to explain why they are here and what their mission is. Az’cotax and the shaman translate slowly. Lyssa does most of the talking but every now and then she must pause as the Lizard folk point to Oso. As champion they seem to only care about what he has to say. The elders insist that he confirm everything she is saying. Most times he simply nods and the reed folk allow the young ranger to continue.   When she is done spinning the tale she concludes by saying:   “Over a hundred seasons ago a great war was fought to gain a truce with this foul lich and he agreed to never plague this land again. It has been discovered that he has failed to honor that truce. For years he and his minions have corrupted the land and noble people in and around Darkwood Forest.   Left unchecked this wave of death and insanity will wash over us all. It will rip all those we love away from us. It will destroy all we have built. The villagers of The Cove who you have been forced to contend with are just a small fraction of the power, evil and corruption this creature can wield. “   At the end of her speech she pulls the soggy, rotten bugbear head from the sack at her waist and throws it into the fighting ring.   “Enemy of the Reed Folk. We found many of your people dead in its lair. It will plague you no longer. This is the strength we bring to this fight. The lich must be stopped for all time. We ask you to save yourselves by adding your great strength to our great strength. “   The entire time they have been speaking the reed folk around them have been silent. The only sound is that of Az’cotax and Ix’itath hissing as they translate. Now and then the chief will say something forcing everyone to pause briefly but even he has mostly remained quiet.   As Lyssa concludes, she and Oso sit down to await a response. The pair can tell there is much debate happening in the reed hut as everyone seems to be talking at once. After several minutes Az’cotax comes to sit next to them.   “Shaman and Az’Cotax wish to help. Elders fear for village. Chief undecided. Warriors want to fight. “ Az’cotax is now translating for the ranger and the monk as a great debate buzzes around them. The lizard warrior champion seems annoyed that his people cannot reach consensus but says nothing of it.   After about half an hour the conversation dies down. It is late in the day and torches are lit around the village burning what smells like fish oil. “They decide in morning.” Az’cotax shrugs and walks off.   Lyssa and Oso are lead away by the shaman Ix’itath to another reed hut in a raised, dry part of the village. Inside is comfortable and warm despite the light drizzle outside. Within the hut are rough cloth outer garments along with needle and course thread to adjust them. There are bits of what look like cooked fish nearby as well as berries, nuts and some sort of fruit. Off to the side are several loaves of a hard, fresh bread that smells of nuts and tree sap. It is strange but very edible.   The shaman blinks and hisses. “Stay. Rest. “   He binds Oso’s wounds and applies more of that strange yellowish muddy paste. Looking satisfied that the monk will heal the shaman stands up and turns to leave. As he steps through the door to the hut he turns back and says “Night hunting - much fun” and rushes to join the warriors gathering outside.   Lyssa and Oso eat and rest. Lyssa isn’t sure they are safe but Oso insists that they are. These are a noble people from an orderly society.   Several hours later the pair are awakened to the sound of a loud horn and cheering. They rush out of the hut and see several of the lizard warriors come out of the lake with a massive creature. It is a huge fish perhaps 40 feet long. They clean the creature right there on the shoreline and dozens of small juvenile lizard folk dance around joyfully eating scraps or stealing fins, teeth or fish eyes to use as toys.   The ranger and the monk return to their hut and rest for several more hours until dawn. The fish oil lanterns keep the hut very warm and comfortable and sleep is welcome.   An hour after dawn Az’cotax appears at the hut door and motions for them to follow him. They return to the central reed hut that contained the fighting pit. The chief, elders and over 20 warriors are gathered there. It is clear that the elders and the chief debated throughout the night while the rest of the village continued on as they always have.   It is the chief who speaks but the shaman Ix’itath translates. “The lizard people prepare. They will attack human village. Many warriors swim lake. Kill humans that serve lotherym.”   When he is done speaking the assembled warriors bang their spears on their shields and run out of the hut. Az’cotax leans over to Oso and says “They go not to fetch warriors from other villages. Thousands will come. Chief has called.”   Lyssa and Oso have succeeded in their mission. The Reed Folk are going to war.

Missions/Quests Completed

Lyssa and Oso make it to the Reed Folk village where Oso duels the Lizard champion. He manages to just barely win and convince the Reed Folk to rally against the Mountain Lich.