Day 2 (Returning to Grime)

[Ska]

Tiberious will throw both of his handaxes until nothing is remaining except a trimmed hedge.

[trp2fan]

Weaponless, Calhagn will pick up a club-sized branch to whack the huge shambling mound.

[AxeMental]

Don't you have any backup blades?

[ermanaric]

Ermanaric will try to strike it with his magic long sword.

[AxeMental]

OOC: I'll act for the group to speed this up.

Zargon, Fletcher, Subdolus and Ermanaric all hit with swords cutting huge chunks from the creature, but it keeps coming. One of Tiberious's axes hits as well but is absorbed by the creature before it can tear itself free. The princess fires off a magic missile to little effect.

Initiative: Monster 5 group 3. The pile of swamp vegitation continues to focus on Zargon (perhaps likeing his taste) this time hitting with both arms inflicting 20 pts of damage! He's also absorbed into the creatures center body mass, no doubt to be consumed...yummy fertilizer.

Counter: The dwarf throws Calhagan his battle axe, while he fires a bolt (which misses). Sogathan casts detect magic and locates the missing weapons (grabbing his own staff first and then the swords).
What do the fighters wish to do (anything different). Also, what about TIberious, do you throw your second axe.

[trp2fan]

Unless Sog stumbled across Cal's non-magic sword while picking up the rest, he'll use the loaner battle axe.

OOC: I don't have Cal's sheet with me, but IIRC, he's not proficient with the axe.

May 19, 2008 15:13:33 GMT -5 AxeMental said:

Don't you have any backup blades?

The fish faces took Cal's magic bastard sword, his bow and his daggers. All he had left was the spare sword in the boat. Now that's down somewhere in the muck.

[Ska]

Tiberious will not throw his remaining magical axe, but will begin to throw his normal daggers at the thing, relying on his monk extra weapons damage to help destroy it.

[AxeMental]

Despite not being prof. in battle axe, you manage to hit with an 18 sinking it deeply in! Tiberious hits with one dagger with some effectiveness, and Ermanaric slices off the bottom half of its veggie arm. Fletchers blade fails to sink in, sliding off its slimey surface. The dwarf fires another bolt hitting. Subdolus swings and hits with both dagger and Skimitar (17,20)!

Initiative: Monster 3 group 3 (simo). The creature switches its focus on Ermanaric....One arm hits for 11 pts. Groups counter: This round both of the monks daggers fail to do damage. Sog hands back the weapons and heals Erm for 6 pts. Ermanaric hits again as does Calhagan. Sub misses, and the dwarf misses as well. The princess throws her dagger at the thing missing. You know your poor friend is likely in grave peril.

Initiative: Monster 3 group 6. This round Tiberious hits once, as does Fletcher and Subdolus. (with his sword). Ermanaric and Cal both hit also (everyone else misses). The beast is badly damaged and starts backing away, but swinging at Ermanaric non-the less. 2 HITS!!! and the fighter is absorbed (but only takes 14 pts damage).

Initiaitve; Monster 1, group 6. Does anyone want to do anything before this thing books?

[subdolus]

Subdolus looks for a tree or rock to anchor a rope to. When he finds one he sends the free end of his rope of climbing to tie off around the creatures waist figuring if it does it will be partly absorbed and then be wrapped around his companions so they can be pulled free either by force or by being held in place when the swamp creature flees.

[AxeMental]

OOC: Subdolus commands his rope to surround the base of a dwarf cypruss and the other end moves about the creatures waist. the shambling mounds strength is amazing, but the magical elf rope holds, and the tree, despite ripping out of the ground a foot holds. Fletcher moves around its flank just incase (his ranger familiarity with swamps allows him to do so effectively).

Fletcher hits doing massive damage, Subs blows both miss. Calhagan hits again with the axe (rolling a 19) and the creature is finally taken down with 2 hits with Tiberious's daggers (hitting dead center and sinking deep in).

The massive 9 foot hulk collapses in a pile of muck forming a large mound in the water. Cal is pulled out OK, but Zargon is dead, his mouth and throat filled with thick muck.

The princess is devistated.

Luckily Cal was able to get a deep breath before being swallowed up and seems OK. His remaining damage is healed by Sog for 17 total.

The ranger looks at the boat and believes the gash can be repaired. BUt it will take a day. There is a bit of high ground near by. Its the only high and dry area around do you wish to go there and set camp? Its roughly 300 feet away. Or you could stay put and take turns sleeping in the portion of the boat above water. Night is another 2.5 hours away.

Also what do you do with Zargons body?

[AxeMental]

OOC: Wow, intense. The dice gods were against you Jeffery, I rolled 2 rounds out of 2-8. Nasty!
Did you guys find a raise dead scroll?

[Semaj The Silent]

Not on my list, no. Sorry. Since my church was somewhat involved in this expedition, perhaps I can get him raised later, but no promises there.

[AxeMental]

(OOC: I'll be NPCing Fletcher till Mistere gets back from his travelling)

Fletcher suggests the entire boat be dragged over to the high area and then brought on shore to be worked on in drier conditions. This takes an hours time, no random encounters occur, but the bugs are starting to get thick as the sun sinks lower. Fletcher hands out more stinky ointment for everyone to apply to keep the bugs off.

Camp is made, and a fire lit (the ranger once again building a blind). He thinks he can work by torch light tonight on the boat. Calhagan and Ermanaric (x-sailors types) also are of great assistance. By 11PM the patch is completed.

During the night (on Tiberious, Fletcher and Sogs watch) 2 large crocodiles head up the embankment, but are quickly scared away with a barrage of arrows and thrown torches (your glad you moved to higher ground).

Also in the night the group hears back and forth screaming, in what (according to Fletcher) sounds like hobgoblin, but no words can be made out. Subdolus and Tiberious along with Fletcher find the source of the noise 200 feet away. 2 boat loads of hobgoblin rowing up stream to some other location. It doesn't seem you've been spotted. You'd love to get their boat, but they are over 300 feet away and you decide its not worth the risk, afterall they may not be alone.

The next morning the group puts the repaired boat back in the drink, stowing Zargon (now wrapped like a mummy) carefully in the stern (the princess guarding the body).

The journey threw the rest of the swamp goes uneventfully save the attack of 2 giant dragon flies. Quick as lightning they get a few bites in (tearing a chunk from the princesses arm), but after one is decapitated by Fletcher, the other leaves.

You thank your lucky stars a ranger happened by, as without him your certain finding the correct channel would have been difficult. At times the ranger takes the smaller river branch over larger deeper ones that he claims aren't correct. 6 hours later and the group breaks the swamp and pop out into a vast countryside of rolling hills and light woods. Silvian elves are spotted a few times on the banks but they run off as you move down river. Fletcher has heard of these elves, non-friendly at times hostile. Perhaps having the half elf on board has helped. In any event he suggests the group not press its luck and has everyone row extra hard. In 3 more hours you break the silvian forest (a light and happy place) and enter into a countryside of gleeming fields of amber grass. The river widens and steep banks 10 feet tall block you in. Glad to be out of the horrible swamp you paddle on! As night falls Fletcher notices sea birds looming up high. The group camps out another night with no random encounters. The next day the group crosses open country weaving back and forth along a stringy river now brown with washed out soil, evidence of the spring melt no doubt. A heavy downpore of rain and hail bring down your spirits until after sundown you can smell the ocean. After hitting some small rapids the ranger easily navigates and another small swampy area, you see the ocean, endless and glistening under a half moon sky with wisps of clouds hiding the moon now and then. You finally feel your nearing the end of your journey.

On land near the rivers exits into the sea are 20 figures collecting wild fruit, game and water (your about 1/10 mile away. They have a long boat pulled ashore and a few fires dot the beach. Further off shore is a sailing ship with its anchor out and its sail up.

What does the group wish to do?

[trp2fan]

Can Calhagn make anything of the ship's sail or the ship itself? How about the longboat?

"If anyone possesses exceptional sight, I'd sure like to hear details about that ship."

[AxeMental]

The ship is turned in toward you, and details are hard to make out, but the vessel has clean lines and is built for speed. The long boat is the standard sort and gives no information other then its local to these waters.

You do notice some light on the ship....lanterns and start hearing a faint music, and clapping. The 20 or so figures on shore seem to be preparing to leave. Subdolus (with the best eyes) thinks they are men. By their walk and attitude, not the nicest. Suddenly you see 2 sacks carried out of the long boat, alluminated by the moon. They are each dropped into a deep hole with a pile of sand around them which is then backfilled. The holes are about 10 feet from the water, but still on the beach.

What does the group wish to do? You hear laughter and then the sailors seem to be heading back to the long boat rather quickly. It seems they fear the night.