The Wilderness

"I've mostly been using the gauntlets for ranged attacks, but the thorned whip can drag him towards us and the shocking grasp can keep him distratcted in close range." Sheemish thinks alloud to the others. "I've made a few adjustements to my armor as well that might absorb some of a spell he casts. If it comes down to ranged attacks though, would lightning or . . . acid damage be preferable to use on a mage?" Sheemish doesn't look at anyone in particular during this last question.

As the group discusses combat theory, Dieter notices some prominent boot tracks. They're deep enough that they must have come from a large man, which Minsc is. Some small, nibbled sunflower seed casings dropped nearby are certainly from Boo.

They're on the right track.

As they continue westward, they keep the mountain range on their left and skirt around it, heading towards the coast. Such a trip might have taken a day or two on foot, but with the help of Tulco and the other horses (and Stella taking equine form on occasion), the group makes good time, following the periodic signs of Minsc's passage.

It's been several hours when they come across the aftermath of a battle.

There are two gnoll corpses. The rugged, hairy hyena-folk have overly long limbs and bestial features. Dirty hide armor covers spotted tufts of fur. Standing straight, each gnoll might have been some 7 feet tall in life. Now, they lie in their blood, toothy mouths hanging open.

A close examination of their wounds show broad slashing marks that Dieter recognizes as coming from a greatsword swung with considerable strength of arm. One of the gnolls, cleaved nearly in half from a tremendous blow, lies near a blood-spattered tree that's missing a chunk of wood from its trunk.

There are signs of other injury in the area as well; a couple of gnoll arrows snapped in two, their heads and shafts bloodied. Whoever was struck by them must have taken some time to remove them and leave them in a small pile by a fallen log.

Carcabob says:

Stella gasps and puts a hand to her mouth, seeing Sheemish's scale- and acid-ridden arm.

"They abducted you and tried to... turn you into a half dragon?" she guessed, abhorred.

His story made sense. She would have never guessed the guantlets were there to *hide* something.

She listens and nods along, eye stars a searching cyan as she looks up into the artificer's eyes.

She chuckles at his question, eye-stars turning yellow. "No, but Mama threatened turning me into a mouse once." She cocks her head and frowns. "Though I bet I could turn into one now if I tried..."

She shakes her head, refocusing. Eye-stars returning to cyan.

"I'm...so sorry I forgot about your past when I summoned that familiar...I wasn't thinking. Why do you wear the gauntlets?" she asks. "Keeping acid off things aside. What would others not understand?"

"Its not as much turning one into a dragon, its more an after affect of being in their presence. Like getting burned by fire rather than becoming it." Sheemish shudders briefly. "Though this particular . . . [i]burn/i] has been spreading lately."

"As for hiding it," Sheemish shrugs, "You saw the effect it had when I showed it to our dwarf captive back in town, when he wouldn't speak to anyone else, as well as the side glance I got from Aiwe just speaking draconic. Or even now when she referred to scales being a good fit for me . . ." Sheemish clenches his left hand for a moment once more. "Many fear and distrust dragons, myself included." He says flatly. "Maybe I'm hiding it from myself as much as from others. One less reminder of ones past, or possible future for that matter." His voice trails off, but his hand stays clenched. "In any case, I think its safe for all staying hidden, though you can tell the others if you think it wise."

The gnolls bodies are disturbing, but not too horiffic for Sheemish. With a whistle he sends stitch off into the air and the duo look around for any other indications of struggle or path their old hamster loving friend may have taken.

While the group looks around for more clues, Stitch rounds a rocky crag - and immediately zips back to Sheemish, gears whirring wildly. A pack of gnolls lurks just ahead, coming this way. The warning comes none too soon, for a moment later the first hyenish figure comes into view, with several others close behind. Their black eyes focus on the party, and a dreadful chorus of gleeful yips and bloodthirsty snarls fills the air as weapons are raised.

The gnolls attack!

Round 1 Player Phase!

Sheemish unhooks a canister from his belt and tosses it at the rushing gnolls. A well aimed gauntlet shot ignites the canister in flight, erupting it into a spray of sizzling grease covering any creature who can’t get out of the way.

Gnolls need to pass a dex 14 save or take 6 acid damage and be covered with acid until they scrape it off