<div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/W0yAQ5J.png)<br/><div align="center"><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td><strong>HP</strong>: 20/20</td><td><strong>Xp</strong>: 0/8</td><td><strong>Load</strong>: 7/10</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Coin</strong>: 9</td><td><strong>Armor</strong>: 1</td><td><strong>Prep</strong>: 0/3</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Str</strong>: 9 (+0)</td><td><strong>Dex</strong>: 16 (+2)</td><td><strong>Con</strong>: 12 (+0)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Int</strong>: 15 (+1)</td><td><strong>Wis</strong>: 13 (+1)</td><td><strong>Cha</strong>: 8 (-1)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 16pt;">Aeryn Verkai (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=316350.msg15272947#msg15272947)</span><br/><strong>Action:</strong>Spout Lore<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Despite the lackluster rewards, Aeryn was fairly satisfied with the mission handed to them. She was admittedly hurting for coin, mostly from her economic mismanagement. But, brothels didn't feed themselves, neither did bars, and damned be if she wouldn't have some fun between dodging spears, swords, arrows, or whatever feral beasts they met on the road. The quest they'd departed on hit close enough to home, her curiosity had the better of her. Clearing dime-a-dozen monsters, if they could even be called such, kept merchants fed, same for her on that part, but exciting it was not. If anything it was a bore, blended with a good dash of meaninglessness. Most of the jobs could be done with a mildly intelligent monkey with a broom.<br/><br/>No, the mission they had departed on, now that was interesting. Curiosity killed the cat, but the job hit close enough to home she could choke down the half-assed pay. Regardless, it came from one of their own, that was good enough. Their little world didn't need the downfall of another nation or region anyway.<br/><br/>The sickly sweet smell made it readily available info that the bog wasn't just a bog. The woods had seemed normal enough thus far, so it was perhaps time they came across something curious. She knew enough to say it wasn't<em>normal</em>, though calling it directly abnormal for a region she hadn't traversed a lot in wasn't something she was willing to conclude with either. Two of her fellow delvers made their approach to inspect it, Aeryn decided to stay a few feet away for the time being as the two made their initial inspections. Someone had to stay back if something were to happen, and it would seem like it was Elise's turn this time.<br/><br/>Well, shit.<br/><br/>So there was more to it than it seemed. There was almost certain there was something down there, instead of rushing in, someone more foolish, or stronger, could do that. Aeryn made the choice to rack her mind for some information about the beast, or at least something similar in nature.<br/><br/>The brief flash was what gave it away. Monsters weren't like humans, they couldn't hide their means the way a human could. Nowhere to hide a dagger to backstab the unaware, no silken words to hide true intents. Intelligence was what differed them from beasts, so the beasts she'd spent large parts of her life hunting, they had to use more obvious means. Like how a wolf could smell blood from a mile away, beasts from the deep were no different, though in different means. Like a wolf would bare its fangs to scare its prey, deep underwater, far too deep for the light to penetrate, monsters instead used light. Those that shone the brightest declared themselves the kings and queens of the food-chain to those lesser monsters that relied on sight to know who to fear. Either blinded by their own luminescence, or simply blind from the start... Their hearing took charge. Aeryn's old master said once to her that the most vile monsters could hear children playing at the shores of neighboring countries, or the measly flaps of fish-spawn less blessed than themselves. It didn't make much of a difference that far below ground, but standing on soft soil, it was undeniably something that could be used against it... If her theory was true that was, the monster was far away from its natural habitat, how it had even gotten to where it was baffled her, not that she hadn't seen stranger things.<br/><br/><strong>"Everyone! I think I know what it is! Stay alert, it is probably blind, but likely has incredibly sharp hearing! Loud enough noises will likely stun it!"</strong>She made a deliberate effort to speak as loudly as she could, practically shouting at her colleagues as she took a few weary steps backward and readied her blade just in case. If her theory proved right, it would likely head for her rather than Krampus. She just had to hope she stepped far enough back to avoid taking Elise's place.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spout Lore</div><div class="spoiler_body"><strong>I've seen my share of both monsters and curses in my travels, what comparative knowledge can help us resolve this situation or help Elise? Perhaps I've even met something like this? I just have to remember...</strong><br/>At 2020-02-17 09:40:10, Aeryn (uid: 41538) rolls: 2d6a1 Result: 12 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=144336)<br/></div></div>