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After Jerrard has bared his upper body, Babushka carefully applies her ointment to the bruises caused by the attacks of the podmen. She then runs her fingers over the old scars.

"This one here looks like it might keep you from moving freely. Too bad I don't have all my ointments with me, I have one that softens scar tissue and if you use that for a few weeks and do the appropiate exercises, it can give you back a wider range of movement."

Motioning to Jerrard to put his clothes back on, Babushka walks to the tunnel entrance and looks into it with her infravision, then comes back to sit beside the mage.

"I don't know much about history and the world. Please tell me about Palanthas. And if there's something about me you'd like to ask, feel free to do so."

"Palanthus, my home is wonderful, it is slowly rebuilding after the Blue Ladys war, it is beautiful once more." He relaxes, his brain keeps focused on the caverns.

"The Temple of Paladine is an amazing sight, as is the Tower of High Sorcery. You should see it."

[ooc: I assume Jerrard doesn't just say these two sentences, but illustrates a bit]

Babushka tries to listen, but soon realizes she'd risk dozing off if she doesn't move. She gets up. "I'm sorry, Jerrard, I asked you to tell me about your home, but now I get up. I just realized I was going to doze off, I need to move."

Her gaze falls on the dead podmen. "Tomorrow, we should put these elsewhere, they'll smell even worse after a day or two, and I'd like to keep this cavern as base camp because it's the easiest to defend so far." She walks over to a podman and says: "Do you realize we've never examined them? Mind if I do?"

If Jerrard doesn't object, she examines the podmen. Are they naked or clothed? Do they have anything on them? Are these creatures built to reproduce, i.e., are there visible sexual organs?

Babushka examines one of the podman's corpses. The creatures have no mouths, noses, or ears...at least that she could find. Their eyes are huge and segmented, like an insect's. Small fungal growths are found all over their naked bodies, but there are no signs of genitals or other reproductive organs. They carry no possessions. They have three clawed toes and four clawed fingers. Said fingers are quite long and appear rather strong, hence their iron grip.

Babushka returns beside Jerrard and sits down. "Strange beings they are, if they're beings at all. They have only eyes, no ears, not even noses or mouths or other openings, so they can't even breathe! They can see and fight, that much we know. They weren't distracted after we killed the first two. They don't seem to have a will of their own. And they don't seem to be able to reproduce. What a perversion of Nature they are!" She shudders. "Who on earth can think up and create something like this?!"

(occ: well I'm back. Yes he would illustrate the point, possibly with the use of magic)

Jerrard frowns and sits back against a rock after he pulls his clothes back on, "These creatures are formed and grown by magic, that is obvious. They are not acting independently, someone is planning these attacks I fear. We have to figure out how to kill them. Ranged attacks seem the most suitable, so they can't grab us."

He pauses surveying the cavern. "Do you have any skill in erecting traps, trip wires and the like? I think we need to do so in this cave, when we rest, as an early warning."

Baabushka laughs. "Oh, never ask a gnome if they can make anything mechanical! They'll always say "Yes of course" and start working! But if that device functions is another matter entirely!

But I'll be honest with you, because our lives may depend on it: No, I have no experience setting up traps, except for hunting animals. You and I will have to use our wits to think something up.

We should ask Locky when she wakes up, she probably has a bell or something else that's tinkly, though it will be hard to hear over the noise of the waterfall."

"Actually an animal trap would be ideal, these are nothing more than Animals. Catching them would be similar." He looks to the bodies.

"We should throw these off the waterfall." (ooc: Would doing that pollute the water supply?)

(OOC: I don't think it would pollute the water. I'm not sure the stream is strong enough to carry the bodies, anywhere, though. So they would likely just pool at the bottom of the waterfall. Unless you intend to chock them up into tiny bits or something.)

(ooc: was thinking of a sensible way to get rid of the bodies. Might just have a little bbq instead!)

"The problem is, I dont have any wire or snaptrap with me. I was outfitted to peddle my family's goods in fairs and on markets, spending my share of the proceeds in the local inns, and not to roam the woods for food. We'll have to ask Locky, mabe she finds something suitable."

"You mean the second waterfall, the one over the ladder, don't you? I'd rather not put these things into the pool where I bathe. They're so ugly! Burning them would take a lot of time, more fuel than we have and attract a lot of attention. How heavy are they, anyway?"
Babushka walks over to the podmen, takes one by the shoulders and gives a great heave (strength 13).

She lets it glide back and gives a huge yawn. "Anyway, isn't it time to wake up the others?"


(ooc: time to let Jen back into the game, she must be hopping up and down in the sidelines by now!)

"I will wake her and ask, hopefully she is suitably rested." Jerrard closes his book, the words of the spell suitably memorised, hopefully he could sleep long enough to obtain the power.

"As for the Waterfall, yes I meant the larger one, the one Locky opened the door allowing us to pass." Standing he attempts to lift a creature, (str 15).

(ooc: Once this is sorted he'll wake up Locky, yes she is indeed jumping up and down!)

The podmen corpses don't weigh any more or less than a typical man's corpse would. They are all between 5 1'2 and 6' in height and fairly skinny in girth. Moving them shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Babushka yawns once again. "OK, we can do that all together after we've slept. You and I could do it alone, but we would leave our comrades unprotected, if someone comes in from above. Let's wake Locky and Shay, maybe they can design and set up a trap in the tunnel."

After a moment's pause to give Jerrard time to object, Babushka moves over to Locky, gently shaking her upper arm. "Wake up, Locky. It's time for your watch. And Jerrard had an idea which you and Shay may be able to turn into reality. So you won't get bored." She explains the idea.

"It is? Oh good, i was getting rather bored, we don't dream you know, it all goes black.. Black is rather dull" she rambles almost instantly, "I knew this Wizard who was black, and he was rather interesting..."

Realising no one is in the mood she shuts up, "So what's this plan?"