Yesterday we returned to the whimsical world of Pugmire. Here's last time!
Our intrepid Pioneers survey the wreckage of the cat-village (I mean, it's not completely wrecked, but there's definitely going to be some rebuilding happening), and ponder what just happened. Obviously the mysterious flying figure was responsible, but who was it? They decide to investigate.
Dire Newfoundland stays behind to help the villagers with initial cleanup (his player was out), and the others follow the clever nose of Gelert Sausagedog as he tracks the Stone-Bones' footprints. The group finds a valley where the earth has been upturned, as though massive creatures hauled themselves out of the dirt. Petunia Pibble sniffs around and notes magic - which makes sense, considering. Peppa Papillon mentions that this is necromancy...and didn't they just piss off a necromancer in Port Matthew?
Sausagedog looks around the area for tracks, and finds them leads from a tree where a horse was obviously hitched. So the progression of events seems clear - the necromancer overtook them on the road (that was the rider that zoomed by them as they traveled through Cyrmic), hitched the horse here, raised the Stone-Bones, flew overhead and watched the battle, then flew back and rode on. They could be anywhere by now, but the dogs are fairly certain they'll see the mysterious figure again.
They return to the village, and learn that the Henkelion, their carriage, still hasn't returned. They track it west into the plains, and find tracks leading off the road, down a slope, and into a big expanse of quicksand! The Henkelion is still visible, but the horses are up to their necks and clearly exhausted. Hootie von Mau, their driver, is standing on top of the carriage yelling for help. He informs them that Risky Marge von Cymric, their guide, is inside the carriage, but unharmed.
Petunia casts Manipulate Gravity and allows both of them to fly back to solid ground, but it won't work on the horses or the carriage. Sausagedog produces rope and Petunia flies him back, and he ties the rope around a horse and soothes the frightened beast. The other dogs, anchored by the mighty thews of Boomer Pitbull, heave the horse out of quicksand.
They begin to repeat the process for the other horse, and they notice two giant ants, about the size of them, standing nearby and wiggling their antennae. And then they turn and leave. The dogs glance about nervously - as an ancient text of Man once asked, "When was the last time you saw just one ant?"
Sausagedog flies back to hitch the other horse, and the dogs yank, but Boomer loses his grip on the rope and Peppa, closest to the edge, falls into the quicksand! Risky Marge (who, not being terribly strong, had been hanging back) joins the effort, and together the group of them manage to pull out Peppa and then the horse.
They debate leaving, quickly, but Risky Marge points out that all their stuff (minus their weapons) is in the carriage, and if it sinks entirely they'll never get it out. Petunia summons her reserves of magic to cast Manipulate Gravity on Boomer, so he can fly over and pull their stuff out. But while he's doing so...the ants return!
A small horde of drones and a couple of larger warrior ants march on the characters, trying to bite them and immobilize them in their mighty jaws! Boomer flies back to the battlefield, landing in the midst of them and smushing one with his maul! The other leap to the fight, as ants swarm and bite and sting! Sausagedog lashes out with his hand ax, dipping behind ants and dodging their feelers! Petunia throws a Chaos Spray at them, blinding a couple, but doesn't have the magical power to cast anything more powerful (she does manage to throw a couple of them off with a Sonic Boom, though).
Peppa conjures a Spiritual Weapon to beat on the ants and Blesses the others, and Risky Marge and Hootie attack with their weapons, but are not the seasoned warriors that the Pioneers are. In the end, Petunia and Peppa are felled and nearly dragged off, but Boomer, raging, manages to kill the ants holding them, and within moments all of the ants are goop.
The characters lead the horses (whom they managed to protect during the fight, which was decent of them) back to the village, where Dire probably expresses regret that he wasn't them to smush some ants. They all get some rest, and one of the village elders talks to them about the ants. Giant ants aren't unknown in these parts, but there hasn't been a nest this close in many years. The villagers would be willing to pull the carriage out of the quicksand - with a team of oxen it won't be hard - but perhaps the Pioneers could clear out the nest of giant ants for them?
The dogs agree, and bed down for the night. Next time - the Pioneers become exterminators!
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