Zethyris. Let us look for Isham at least. If he has wandere doff we can't leave him for the fey.
"Please, stay calm. We are allies. I don't see any moss either. Be patient, and trust our guide for now. After all, we are not in a rush."
By the Lucky Drunk, have the fae got to all of them? In response to an additional affront, Zethyris's agitation grows.
"You don't see... here! Right here!" Zethyris strides back towards the tree he is indicating. "It's a V-shaped patch, more bluish in colour. Obviously the fae are concealing it to mask the incompetence of our guide and keep us wandering!"Zethyris reaches out and taps the location with his finger...
Zethyris points to a blank spot of bark on the tree, "See, right here." he looks to where he's pointing. "Huh, where did it... What just happened." he grabs his head as a dull ache forms. Everyone begins to spread out looking for Isham without the aid of footprints. Moving back along the trail looking for any sign, any hint of where Isham could have gone. You are almost ready to give up when Anastasiya trips over something unseen in the mist. Falling to her knees in a small puddle, looking back at what she tripped over she can she the form of Isham buried under thorned vines and sinking into the mud.
Jediah starts cutting away the vines from Isham's form in order to free him.
... "See, right here!" Feeling his hand touch nothing but smooth bark, he pauses and looks to where he's pointing. "Huh, where did it... What just happened?" he grabs his head as a dull ache forms.
The anger leaves his face in a rush, replaced by confusion and contrition. He slumps to the ground at the base of the tree. "The Lucky Drunk as my witness, I don't know what came over me. I could have sworn... blasted fae. Nasty blasted little mind-melting buggers... Zethyris takes a swig of beer from his waterskin and mumbles under his breath for a few seconds, then remembers himself. Glancing up quickly, he sees Jediah standing over him. "I'm sorry, Jediah, Rutilux. I was not in full control of my emotions, but I should never have snapped at you like that."
Zethyris stands up, and approaches Ungrill. "I owe you an apology most of all. You did not deserve that rant. I hope I may be able to regain your respect, and that you may come to forgive me with time."
"Zethyris. Let us look for Isham. If he has wandered off we can't leave him for the fey."
Eager for something to do, Zethyris nods and aids in the search as best he can. As shouts announce the discovery of Isham, Zethryis races over to help. Taking in the situation, he tries to rouse Isham from his stupor. Failing that, he will attempt to keep Isham's face out of the mud as well as he can, until everyone has arrived and they try to pull Isham out.
However, still shaken from recent events, he only seems to get in the way.
"No spreading out! Stick together. Stay within sight of each other."
When she stumbles over Isham, she screams "I found Isham. Over here, quick!"
As Jediah begins cutting away at the thorny vines, Dagmar tries to lift Isham's head out of the mud or at least tilt his head to the side so he's no longer face down. She'll then try to clear the mud off his face and check to see if he is still breathing. "Isham! Can you hear me?"
No problem Zethyris, we were all ensared by the magic.
The anger leaves his face in a rush, replaced by confusion and contrition. He slumps to the ground at the base of the tree. "The Lucky Drunk as my witness, I don't know what came over me. I could have sworn... blasted fae. Nasty blasted little mind-melting buggers... Zethyris takes a swig of beer from his waterskin and mumbles under his breath for a few seconds, then remembers himself. Glancing up quickly, he sees Jediah standing over him. "I'm sorry, Jediah, Rutilux. I was not in full control of my emotions, but I should never have snapped at you like that."
"It is well now, Zethyris," Rutilux nods along with Jediah. "Like Jediah says, we were ALL ensnared to one degree or another. I could have sworn I heard my horse in need. Clearly, these fay play games that have the potential to be most deadly for us all." He frowns a bit, and glances at the trees,"Not the kindest hosts to visitors it seems."
Isham, in the darkness that has consumed his mind, begins feeling the a gentle caress across his face and lips slowly pulling him out of his fugue state. As he opens his eyes he is blinded by bright sunlight and feel his face cupped in delicate hands. A the light begins to fade to normal he sees he is being held by two angels with radiant halos, their faces only inches away from his own. This must be heaven. Isham moves forward to accept the invitation but at the last moment his eyes fully clear and its Dagmar's and Anastasiya's eyes that he's looking into only a hairs breath away...
"My thanks ladies, that was" <splutter> <retch>
"most undignified.." he chortles, trailing off into a gurgling choke.
"Welcome back, Isham."
Once the worries for Isham have faded, Anastasiya realizes that she is completely covered in mud, too.
She wipes the mud from her face as good as she can.
"You don't have a spell prepared that could clean my clothes, do you?", she asks Dagmar.
Eww, I knew I should have learned Prestidigitations instead of Mage Hand.
Dagmar manages a strained laugh at Isham's complaint. "Better to be a bit undignified than dead. You had us rather worried."
At Anastasiya's comment, Dagmar looks down at her own, similarly mud covered clothing. "Unfortunately I do not know any spells to clean clothing."
With everyone accounted for again Ungrill picks up where he left off and begins leading you again. The ground is starting to gradually slope down and to your left and you find yourselves spending more and more time sloshing through cold, greenish water looking for shallow areas that are safe to walk through rather than deep clingy mud. The fog is also beginning to thin. By midday the forest has undergone a transformation from a dream like forest into a nightmarish swamp with lichen and mould hanging from the trees and the smell of rot lingering on everything.
Ungrill stops at an overlook, high above a stagnant pond littered with rotten logs and what appear to be bones. Along the edges of the pond can be seen the glittering of many shiny objects too far away or too small to identify from where you are. Breathing a bit heavy, Ungrill takes off his pack and starts pulling out unlit torches and passing them around. "I lost my son here eight years ago. Young and eager to prove his worth he begged me to take him into the forest so that he could slay one of the beasts within and earn glory. Glory enough to impress a girl. When my boy came of age I gave him my axe, the axe that Savol's family gave to me. Our families custom required me to stay away and wait for him to return so I waited for two days and tracked him here. I could not find my boy or the beast that killed him, all that remained was his broken helmet. Now I have a chance to get my revenge on that monster thanks to you. Come on there's a small cave at the other edge of the pond just below the surface that must be its nest."
With that Ungrill slides down the embankment into the water ten feet below.
Dagmar watches as Ungrill slides down the muddy embankment, shaking her head at his lack of caution. Worried about falling wrong and breaking something on the way down, Dagmar takes her rope out of her pack and ties one end of it to a tree trunk before using it to assist her way down to the water.
Jediah nods at the use of rope and makes sure it is secure before heading down.
Rutilux listens to the old guide's story, and goes grim in the face. Not that grim is hard in this nightmarish landscape. He sees the use of the rope, "I hope you don't mind me using it as well, Dagmar? This armor was not meant for Marsh."
Zethyris nods at Dagmar's practicality. "A capital idea, Dagmar. Be sure the knot is strong." He declines to take a torch, trusting that the light from the rest of the group will be enough for his elven eyesight.
Zethyris nimbly descends the muddy slope, then stands at the bottom, hand on his rapier, as his fellows do the same.
'This is what I had feared. I heartily wish I had a better alternative.'
Isham takes up a torch, and follows behind the others.
Anastasiya takes one of the torches with a doubtful look.
Am I supposed to club the monster to death with this?
Then she carefully climbs down Dagmar's rope.
"Do you know anything about this monster?"
she asks absently, while looking to where the monster's lair is supposed to be.
Rat jumps from Anastasiya's shoulder into the water to swim beside her.
Julian uses his acrobatic skill to make his way down.
As you all slosh through the waters stirring up mud and other slime treading carefully so as not to trip or fall in any depressions. From the colour changes in the water you can tell that the water is much deeper near the middle of the pond and that you may have to swim to get to the cave. You each slowly move forward following after Ungrill.
The water erupts as five serpentine forms catapult out from beneath the murky water striking out at the closest. Rutilux can't get his shield up in time and suffers a vicious bite on his shoulder. Ungrill manages to barely keep his head on his own shoulders as the second serpents teeth tear across his upper body, shredding his old leather to pieces. . The other three heads miss Zethyris, Isham and Jediah (although Jediah evades just barely). Rearing up before you are five serpentine heads thrashing and flailing about. Those five long necks all seem to connect to the same place, a dark shape just below the surface of the water.
Jediah attacks with his glaive
"Whoa!"
Zethyris rolls backwards as the creature erupts from the water, instantly regretting his decision as murky water soaks his clothing.
"What is that thing?" he calls out as he wades over to help Jediah, ducking and weaving to avoid the serpent-like heads of the monster. He draws his rapier and aims a slash at the head Jediah is engaging.
"Looks likely to drag folk under. I'll be ready to go diving if needed. Can someone see that Ungrill doesn't die on us?" and with that, Isham unlimbers his boarding pike, moves closer to the beast, and attacks to the body of the creature.
Dagmar sloshes over to Ungrill to try to heal him while keeping an eye on the nearest head.
Caught off guard, Rutilux grunts as one head takes a bite out of him before he can get his shield up. He counter strikes with a flail at the head that struck him, the only thing in reach
"Good plan, Isham!" Rutilux announces even as he lashes out, "The thing lives in water. Perhaps it dries out easy, fire maybe? I've never seen this sort of thing before."
Julian quickly draws his bow and fires.
ranged works as normal
"Whoa!"
Zethyris rolls backwards as the creature erupts from the water, instantly regretting his decision as murky water soaks his clothing.
"What is that thing?" he calls out.
Zethyris hovers his hand over his rapier, but thinks better of it and backpedals, drawing his bow instead. He looses an arrow at the dark spot in the water.
Reacting quickly to the enormous threat looking before him Jediah wades in with his flavor swinging for the beasts body but the ripplng waters throw off his aim. Meanwhile Zethyris steps back, drawings bow and letting an arrow fly true striking the beast where the many necks seem to converge . Seeing Ungrill take such a vicious bite Dagmar moves in behind him and draws on her healing energy to help him. Rutilux moves in to crush the beast with his flail, dodging another bite before he swings . Seeing his friends drawing the beasts blood Isham sloshes forward swinging his boarding pike but can't seem to pierce the beasts hide. In retaliation, the beast's jaws lash out at Rutilux, Dagmar, Jediah, Ungrill and Isham. Its jaws latching onto Rutilux , Dagmar and Jediah . Keeping his distance Julian fires his trusty bow and pierces the beast's flesh . Snarling Ungrill rushes forward swinging his axe viciously in hopes of severing one of the heads but it pulls back before he connects. Anastasiya fires off a ray of entanglement but misses.
Arg! Back off! This thing is too strong!
"Ungrill - lead forward. I'll keep it at bay as best I can."
Zethyris, seeing the gnashing teeth of the beast wound his friends, runs forward into the fray to help distract the creature. Ducking and weaving as best he can, he approaches the fiend and makes a thrust at it.
Anastasiya follows Ungrill towards the cave.
She circles the monster and tries to stay outside of its range.
She fires another ray of enfeeblement at the monster as she passes it.
Julian stays back and fires again.
Jediah moves with the rest of the group, slashing at the creature as it attacks.
Dagmar takes a step away from the head and tries to heal some of the damage done to her.
Rutilux avoids one set of jaws, only to get caught in another set's bite. One or two more of those, and I shall be dead. So be it. Better to die in good cause than die lost in the soul. "Beast, you will fall before the steel and spells of those who serve the Kodiakborn!"
The challenge issues, his flail lashes out again.
Fearing the worst Jediah almost flinchs but draws upon his ferocious heritage to stay in the fight, swinging mightily but without effect. Zethyris moves forward nimbly evading razor sharp teeth to bring his rapier to bear but can't get through the beast's hide. Dagmar pulls back and uses her own energy to heal herself. Rutilux bellows his own challenge to the beast followed quickly by a vicious swing that unfortunately only finds air. Isham donut he's to push the beast, this time his pike strikes true . The beast lashes out connecting with Isham and Ungrill . Julian fires his bow again hitting and drawing blood. Ungrill swings again this time severing one of the heads at the neck. "Quick burn the stump!". Anastasiya's ray hits draining it of some of its vitality.
[
Julian "tsks" at the chaos of the melee and fires again.
Jediah slashes once again, making sure to keep it away from Dagmar and Anastasyia
Realizing that Ungrill will stay and fight the monster, Anastasiya curses under her breath as she turns around.
I hope this is the monster we are supposed to defeat. Because if this is just some random thing that lives here, I won't have any spells left for the actual monster.
She fires a magic missile at the creature.
"All right then, looks like Ungrill is not going to do this the easy way."
and have a backup PC for when that attitude kills the one you are using
Rutilux whips his flail around hoping to get a better body shot in on it this time.
"My hands are a bit full with flail and shield, Ungrill, to use a torch. Your pardon, but what in the nine heals IS this thing?"