Following the two monsters I find myself entering a small cavern with a cloth covering the entrance, small glass jars with shining flame creatures illuminating a lackluster room. Looking around I notice two beds, one made of soft sand with furs covering it while the other resembles a nest made from various branches, bones and unidentifiable things. Watching Gulag and Yo wander about the cave I hesitate as I see the stonekin pull a large mace made from an almost glistening black stone from nowhere before he sets it upon a table and begins working on it.
"No worries friend, we mean you no harm and figured you may be interested in some peace. Yo here is a new addition to our little haven as well and makes people nervous so they tend to leave us alone." Gulag says without looking up as he runs a white stone over one of the mace spikes gently, a schlik reverbing through the room as he tends to his weapon.
"Grah gre Urgh Schla Chi Shi! Sha biksch shien cra And she looked so defeated! Finally got what she deserved that one!" Growls yo as his language begins translating halfway through his response.
"If your talking about Alice then yea, I can't trust someone who tries to enslave me right off the bat and the way I figure reversal is fair game." I say wearily as I notice Gulag's shoulders relax slightly before he looks up and smiles.
"So what's the plan with her then? Her responding like that usually means a skill was used and not one many would be willing to show publicly unless they have something stronger. Remember that friend, some skills though powerful should only be used privately or else assumptions could be made." Gulag says, his voice grinding out like a boulder slowly being turned to sand.
"Understood. Would it maybe be ok if I asked some questions since I just woke up before that meeting?" I ask as both monsters nod towards me as I smile.
"So why did we come here instead of staying at that village? What other area's have strong creatures to take down? Are there any places we could find people to recruit for our own settlement? What's the grootslang and where is it?" I rattle off excitedly as Yo lets out a chortle before Gulag sets his whetstone down and relaxes.
"Easy there friend, not so fast we have time. As I heard it after your gnoll friend tamed the snail they found you unconscious with some fairly severe injuries. They couldn't find anything else worth salvaging in the village and needed a safe rest area so Zadin and Keeg led your people here. As for other area's yes there are, it seems the leader of this nasty business likes to take over an area personally before leaving some form of commander to maintain control for him. Most these creatures are fairly powerful and have some sort of following they can use as a force to enslave the inhabitants that survive and force them into working towards the masters end goal. We have yet to determine what that is yet though and the commanders are a burly lot, most of them giving us a hard time. Recruits could be easy if your willing to invade one of the camps and free the people but could be tricky since a good portion of the swamp folk need specialized conditions to survive. As for the grootslang don't even worry about it, your a good ways lower than us in strength and even we wouldn't dare challenge that thing, plus rumor is the master attempted taking it out and both came out worse for wear. Now my question for you friend, would you be willing to be tested as a warrior and if you succeed you'll be granted higher privilege's within the community here as well as more influence?" Gulag answers and then asks as Yo chortles in excitement while I read the prompt in front of me.
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{Quest Received! Proving Your Worth- Mountain Crusher Gulag has offered you the chance to prove yourself to this community! By completing his challenge you can gain influence and respect with the members of the enclave hosting you! You can also possibly gain a new shiny skill and statue in your inner realm!(Hint Hint) Rewards if completed- Increased reputation with the free peoples of the swamplands, improved relations with Mountain Crusher Gulag and Yo the Glutton, A decent set of tools and weapons for your group, Access to more faction quests for this community}
Reading the rewards I instantly accept as I realize this is like a reputation grinding quest for factions as well as a possible chance at combat based on Toma's not so subtle guidance. Checking over my gear In nod as both Yo and Gulag get up and motion for me to follow them out as we make our way through the draped cloth and continue on to the entrance of the massive cavern the town rests in.
"So the challenge is simple, we know of a commander that's not exactly powerful but crafty. He's several miles into the swamp and he's taken control of a cralk village. The cralk are a fairly peaceful species but dangerous as well due to the pincers and the shells so we think that if we can take this guy out and free them we could bring them back and start building a fighting force. But the council has rejected our calls to action multiple times stating its to dangerous to attempt since most of us aren't exactly stealthy. Hence you my new friend, your small and quick which means we can get you in and out no problem. Any questions?" Gulag says quietly as I start to regret accepting so quickly thinking about the blight that almost killed us not so long ago.
"What exactly will I be up against? Does this thing have minions of its own as well as these cralk things or does it summon things like the blight did?" I ask as Yo nods happily before lifting a large log out of our way.
"Creature is a meazel, nasty things. All hate filled and self loathing they pretty much are sneaky, thing, humanoid creatures that look starving and have bad attitudes. Takes something truly scary to force one into submission and make it loyal but this ones old and has a thing for elementals. Summons them then binds them to himself for protection, also does the same to various beasts as well. Easiest way to deal with him is to sneak up on him which will be hard but doable with so many bodies around him." Yo explains with a smile on his furry face, the savage set of fangs filling his maw sending a chill down my back.
"Not to worry friend, even if your caught Yo and myself will be nearby, as long as you can keep his attention long enough for us to close the gap we can crush him between the three of us and come out victorious! Then we can march back to the cavern to much fanfare and glory for our amazing abilities!" Gulag says proudly before motioning for us to slow down as we approach a large clearing.
Looking out from the treeline I can see a large area filled with small ponds and grimy sediment like sand. In these ponds are toiled several types of creatures ranging from bulbous and large toad creatures, to large humanoid lobsters, to small groups of random creatures or single species that seem to be caught and just put to work scavanging fish and weeds that are dragged to the shore and sorted by small pudgy looking children.
"The larger shelled creatures are the cralk, there are some bullywug here too which is odd since this invasion is up their alley. The smaller shelled creatures that resemble crabs are yurians, they're mostly peaceful. Also seems they've got an algoid working out there as well as the nixies. Try to avoid those girls, they look like children but they're powerful sprites and I wouldn't doubt they have grigs nearby to help them. The meazel will be further into this place, probably in one of the ruins towards the center of the ponds or one of the floating houses. Remember to be stealthy, we know he has water and earth elementals from previous scouting as well as a few catoblepas that we saw, and smelled, the last time we came to scout. Good hunting friend and remember we'll be nearby if needed." Gulag says as he gently taps my shoulder before he and Yo backtrack into the foliage and leave me to plan my assasination attempt.