Session 2 - In Search of Snakes Report

General Summary

Our heroes checked in with the rest of the circus folk around the campfire, and tried to comfort and reassure the worried carnies that everything was going to be okay. Several of performers expressed concern that perhaps the murderer was still lurking in the camp, and asked the group to look around and make sure that it was safe.   The first stop was the wagon of the recently-deceased Ringmaster, Myron 'Thunder' Stendhal. In it, they found some exotic plants with wildly hallucinogenic pollen - which Muk caught a face-full of as he burst through the door of the wagon. While Muk tried to clear his head, Keela, Tizzy, and Dick worked together on removing the rest of the pollen bulbs safely - and Dick decided to take one and "save it for later; you know, it might be useful... for a thing."   In the wagon, they recovered several documents - including the circus ledger and Myron's journal - along with a few alchemical items and some fancy clothing (including a cape once belonging to a renowned animal trainer, whose dancing bear, Bardolph, still travels with the circus). The journal gave no indication that Myron was expecting any sort of violence, or had any worries beyond the success of the Carnival's first show.   A couple of roustabouts had wandered into the tree line to gather more wood for the fire, and came back in a fright over some snakes that they had seen. Muk fashioned a net to try and capture a viper, as Dick might be able to craft an antidote for their venom, and the band headed to the forest's edge.   Muk successfully netted a small viper, but didn't notice its gigantic cousin until after it had struck at him (missing by sheer dumb luck). After an intense skirmish, the large viper was dead and the smaller one still secured in the net. Elizia came to collect it while the group continued further into the woods. Keela took point, and got smacked in the face by some venom-laced thorns for her trouble. Deeper into the trees, they found a concealed campsite, where two mephits were hiding out. They defeated them, capturing one, and recovered a backpack bearing a symbol of Gozreh.   Upon returning to the clearing, they heard boisterous music coming from the campfire, and found everyone in the camp dancing wildly. Too wildly - the Professor begged them to help everyone, as they could not stop. After slipping (or, in Muk's case, barging) into the middle of circle of dancers, they found a pair of Grigs (Tarissia and Cannono) who had enchanted the crowd into a dance without end. Dick ended up bullying them to stop, while Keela smoothed over their hurt feelings with the offer of some drinks and company around the campfire.   As they spoke with the fae, and found that the pair were big fans of theirs after the recent performance in the big top, they learned that the Mephits were not local - instead, they live in the elemental planes unless summoned or bound to this one. The conversation was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a mischief of rats that swarmed over the clearing. They were accompanied by a halfling woman who referred to the town of Abberton as a cancer, practically confessed to the murder of Myron, and gleefully pronounced that she was Nature's wrath to be visited upon the lot of them - and the town as well.