Creepy Rill Creeper

"Seems too late in the day to continue with research, so we should just wait and try later," Ciprian bemoaned the lateness of the day.

"Tomorrow we will be close to the tributary entry, so we will need to be alert.  We will all need to study the shore and waters," asked Skywin.

"We will be ready," Erevel announced seconded by Paullus.

As the Sellen Starling had to move against the flow of the smaller tributary, the sailors broke out the poles and began pushing the ship against the current.  The heroes and Skywin scanned the shores of the river.  About an hour going up the river, one of the sailors was sent to the top of the sail to scan from a higher view.

The terrain along the river was typical of the central Sellen River region: deep waterways with elevated rocky cliffs and wide sandy beaches thick with glacial silt. Patches of kudzu on the shores looked as if they could trip up the unwary, while lotus plants provided shade for aquatic creatures. The water of the river was 5 feet deep adjacent to the shore, 10 feet deep further from shore, and 20 feet deep in the center of the channel.

As the Sellen Starling moved further upriver Skywin noted post at the shore. The posts were three feet tall and embedded equally deep, the top of each was carved with a large hole for passing a rope through.

"Looks as if there was more ancient development in this area," Skywin noted.

Next on the east shore was a rocky crest perched 15 feet above the river.  It seems that it would be a good lookout area or for firing to the western shore.  Now two ruins appeared on the western and eastern shores along with the fallen supports of a bridge that spanned the river at some point.

Suddenly an arrow flew from the western shore and embedded into the gunnels near Gavril.  Gavril then studied the shoreline but did not see anyone standing in the clear.  Ciprian cast Good Hope followed by Urisna casting Prayer.  

Another arrow flew close to Gavril, and Gavril returned fire as a humanoid stood up above rocky ruins. Paullus looked for the person but they had hid back behind the rocks.  Armania cast Greater Invisibility on herself while Erevel moved around the cabin to prepare to repel boarders.  Ciprian cast haste on the party, he could not start a Bardic performance since the enemy was not known.  He then jumped to the rocks on shore and began moving inward.  Gavril and the enemy again exchanged arrows.

The sailor on the mast reported no activity on the eastern bank or any other movement at the western side.  Skywin ordered the other sailors to hold the Starling in the flowing river.  Ursina cast invisibility while Paullus sent Barnabas to scout where the enemy was hiding.  Armania cast fly on herself and began moving over the western shore where she saw another creature behind a rock near Ciprian.  Erevel followed Ciprian to the the rocks and beyond.  

The creature stepped out from behind the rock and attacked Ciprian.  Ciprian returned the attack hitting the now obvious half-orc.

On board the ship a large plant with a thick trunk capped by a crown of wide leaves, whipping vines, mushrooms, and a ravenous purple maw.  It bit Gavril and tried to grapple but failed.  It then attack with a tentacle but missed.  Gavril changed weapons and attacked with Red Destiny. Ursina moved toward the plant creature and Paullus shot arrows at the hideous plant.  Armania cast a lightning bolt at the creature and then Erevel attacked the half-orc.  The sniper moved out from hiding and fired a white arrow at Erevel which did non lethal damage and exploded in a burst of magic which apparently did not affect Erevel.  The battle between Ciprian, Erevel and the half-orc continued.  The tentacled plant again attacked Gavril and Paullus with bite and tentacles but missed in every case but it did heal part of the damage it took.

Gavril and Paullus attacked the watery creature, followed by Ursina moving up and attacking with her mace.  Armania cast magic missiles at the tentacled beast.  Ciprian finished off the half-orc and Erevel moved forward and downed the sniper.  The plant did not heal itself as it again attacked Gavril and Ursina.  Ciprian identified the beast as a Rill Creeper a horrible combination of plant and some animal with its gaping maw.  The beast had swallow whole and was immune to Acid and Paralysis.  

"You need to get away from the beast, the results can be worse," Ciprian yelled at Gavril.

Just then the Creeper grabbed Gavril with its tentacles as Ursina continued attacking it.  Erevel began searching around for any other enemies on the shore but she found nothing.  Ciprian cast grease on Gavril, who took the ooziness and slipped out of the grasp of the beast.  Ursina and Paullus continued attacking and finally the creature slipped beneath the water.

Ursina immediately set to healing Gavril, Ciprian healed himself and Erevel.  Skywin had the sailors move the ship to the western shore and tied up while the bodies of the enemy were searched.  Limited magic was on the half-orc and half-elf, potions and oils.  Ciprian moved up and searched in the ruined tower for any items. He found a camp site with a cached leather satchel with scrolls and wand and various goods and coins.

Skywin told the heroes left on the ship that she was hearing a voice asking for help from the eastern bank.  It sounded weak and in distress, wondering if help had come.  Armania flew to the ship, picked up Ursina and flew to the eastern shore where the ruins of another tower stood.  Rotted wooden planks offered enough protection from the rain for the injured Gnomish river captain Shula Jarral to take refuge beneath them.  

"Please are you here to help, I am aching with some poison or disease and my leg has an arrow in it.  The brigands and that aquatic creature attacked the Cricket.  All of my sailors are dead and the Cricket is at the bottom of the river."  Shula related.

Armania flew down to let Ursina provide some healing for Shula.  Captain Jarral indicated that her waterproofed logbook and lockbox keys were stashed in a hollow log by the shore, along with a flask of harsh applejack.  Eighthson’s cargo should be recoverable in the remaining daylight worth of work and diving,  Jarral offered a cask of her employer’s applejack as payment for their help.

The sailors and heroes spent the rest of the day recovering the casks of Applejack along with Shula's lockbox.  The casks were loaded on the deck of the Starling and Skywin prepared for the evening.  Guards were set looking for more Rill Creepers, or any other attack but the night was uneventful.

The next day the entire crew headed back for Dabril and Ciprian, Armania and Ursina set to research again on the Captain's Tricorne. At the end of the 8 hours of research just as the Starling entered the port at Dabril they learned the following.

Captain Vadrack’s longship is made of dark wood with distinctive red-colored sails.

Ursina recalled that the group saw a red sailed ship soon after they left Thrushmoor but more concerning was that Naerel Twice-Born had told them of a red sailed ship two or three weeks ahead of them, stopping at Riverton.  How did that ship go from behind them to ahead.  Armania said that the previous research had indicated that Captain Vadrack's ship, the Bloodwind, could move between the Dreamlands and other planes.

In Dabril, Ruadra Eighthson was more than pleased to see Shula and the heroes.  He gratefully accepted the Applejack and paid Skywin the reward he had offered.  He also made sure that Shula was paid for the shipment, with some extra to help her find another ship.  The heroes donated their cask of Applejack to Eighthson and the Sellen Starling was again on its way, Skywin did not trust staying for an evening in port.

DM's Notes: The heroes earned 1000 XP for the night's work.