"W-well...we found a lot of artifacts h-hidden under a f-floorboard," Marigold explains when they finally head back outside and meet up with Kikinnin again. "Not s-sure where they all c-come from but R-Ryan determined that one of them's actually got m-map notes scratched on it...in the g-giant tongue. The locations are: River, Headless Demon, Home, Gnoll Path, Round Cave, and Vaprak's Voice. D-does any of that m-mean anything to you?"
Even as she asks, Marigold does try to recall if she's ever heard the name 'Vaprak' before...
JJ considers what he knows of the local area as well in terms of the names and the descriptions.
"Sounds like I need to learn some Giant!" he grins.
Neither Marigold or JJ have any idea about the names scratched in the rough map behind the plate.
It could though fit with a place along the Red River.
"W-well...we found a lot of artifacts h-hidden under a f-floorboard. Not s-sure where they all c-come from but R-Ryan determined that one of them's actually got m-map notes scratched on it...in the g-giant tongue. The locations are: River, Headless Demon, Home, Gnoll Path, Round Cave, and Vaprak's Voice. D-does any of that m-mean anything to you?"
Kikinnin shakes his head. "Looks like it was fruitful enough, then. Might have motivated Alek along that map's path, and now we've got the first stepping stone to step to. Once we're on the River, we just have to keep our eyes peeled for the Headless Demon..."
The black beard scrunches one side of his face in displeasure, but he doesn't dispute the train of thought.
"I'm getting the impression that we're not interested in returning to Cauldron, eh? Might as well shop the local trade post for a week's worth of rations. I'm figuring we'll give ourselves a couple of days out and back, seeing as how Alek never meant to stay away much longer than that, himself."
Kikinnin consults with Mikimax as to supplies, and who to talk to, then readies to head down to the River, and buy themselves a boat.
"S-sounds like a p-plan," Marigold agrees. "We m-might be g-gone awhile...b-but hopefully not as long as we were g-gone underground!"
Mikimax confirms Kikinin that a beheaded statue of a demon does indeed stand on the jungle banks of the Red River to the southwest.
The innkeeper kindly supplies food for a week to the group, and you buy a small but stable rowboat to Old Yangrit for 50 gold pieces.
Fortunately the river flows in the same direction as the Watchers, making the trip much faster and easier. The presence of life surrounding the river is overwhelming. The shrieks of monkeys, the chant of birds, fish jumping in the river... The jungle is full of life.
JJ asks around about threats that the group might face in the jungle. "I love the trees and the animals, but I'm really a city boy. I don't know much more about it than I have read.."
While Mikimax is packing up food stores for the group to take with them into the jungle, Marigold tries to recall if she knows anything of use about the topography or general climate along the Red River...
...but doesn't come up with a whole lot that they don't already know.
"Um...j-jungles are p-pretty hot...maybe some w-warm weather clothing would be a g-good idea," she suggests. "Unless there's s-some sort of m-magical means to beat the h-heat..."
"Good thinking Marigold. I've been wondering if my heritage might help with that a little."
Marigold knows the light clothes and magic might come useful to combat the heat of the jungles.
After some miles you spot a badly weathered stone statue of some sort of humanoid creature standing at the edge of the jungle, overlooking a large beach that runs along the northern bank of the Red River. The statue's neck ends in a stump, and its expressive canine head lies in the sand a few feet away. Patches of mold and moss grow on the statue, but the vegetation around it seems to have been cleared away recently. A narrow trail winds off to the northwest and into the jungle just beyond the statue.
The rowboat follows the natural flow of the river, which eventfully passes away of the statue's beach.
________
"Ohhh...there's the d-demon's head..." Marigold whispers as the statue and the small beach come into sight. "B-but look there, it l-looks like s-something's been here r-recently," she points. "We sh-should stop and have a l-look!"
Assuming the group agrees, Marigold does what she can to help guide/steer the boat away from the center of the river and onto the nearby beach.
"Right, lets land here!" says JJ, pointing the boat toward the river bank.
He hopes out first, trying to make sense of any tracks around - whether they are Alek's or someone elses, how long ago they were made, and how recently...
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Time spent before their trip down the river, found Ryan searching through the marketplace for two plain platinum rings, with them purchased he made his way back to the others, not before meeting Marigold on her own shopping trip. "Good idea"
Purchased two platinum rings, 1 hot weather outfit
Finding Kikinnin, he pulls the paladin to the side, offering one of the rings. "More oft than not, our adventures find you in the midst of the battle, far from the more potent healing magics I have. Take this it will provide some protection on it's own however when you shouldst take damage in battle all will not fall on you."
Ryan joins JJ in investigating the tracks left behind
Maxim and Marigold suddenly spot something between the bushes, a tribe of gnolls are pointing towards the beach!
As the group remarks on the statue and the beach they've found, Marigold's eyes suddenly widen as she spots something. Raising her hand she begins gesticulating wildly towards the trees and other foliage.
"ಗ್ನೋಲ್ಸ್! ಪೊದೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ!"
Then she hurriedly grabs one of the oars and attempts to try and bring the little boat closer to the beach.
"Gnolls! In the bushes!"
Juraan tries getting his bow ready...
Seeing the mangy humanoids in the distant undergrowth, Maxim scowls and draws forth his Wand of Mage Armour .
As he does so the gun-mage points in the direction of the creatures, hissing a warning in an attempting to bring the rest of the group's eyes to their potential foes...
"Gnolls. Pack o' the flea-bitten no-goods in the foliage o'er yonder!"
Marigold quickly reacts oaring to the beach while Maxim draws one of his wands.
The hidden humanoids welcome the new arrived group by shotting their arrows at the first row of heroes.
One of the arrows hits Maxim on the left shoulder, while other two burrow into JJ.
Also spotting the gnolls but not as quickly to react, Juraan draws his bow in the midst of the surprise.
The boat flows 10' north following the river current.
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JJ glowers at the arrows marring his nice armor. Not to mention the blood streaming through the two new holes in his nice young and now not so unscarred skin.
He stands, trying to see the attackers, but the thick undergrowth makes it difficult and he almost trips over his cloak as the boat rocks backwards and forward at his risky actions.
The cloak!
With a youthful grin on his face, JJ reaches out to the cloak, and the spiders whose silk went into its construction. He thinks, hard, and then as it by magic, a dense mass load of webs appears all along the bank, centered behind the statue.
Grimacing from the pain in his shoulder Maxim uses the wand to cast Mage Armour , then stows the wand
With a single word of activation, JJ creates a dense mass of web strings in the trees. One of the attackers gets totally stranded while another one gets his aiming considerably more difficult due to the dense stranding around.
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"More oft than not, our adventures find you in the midst of the battle, far from the more potent healing magics I have. Take this it will provide some protection on it's own. However, when you shouldst take damage in battle all will not fall on you."
Kikinnin looks at the ring for a moment. "A ring of protection, eh? Well, much obliged, Ryan. Your work on crafting might give Maxim a run for his coin." The black beard takes the ring, removing a glove, and slipping the platinum over a scaled knuckle. "Perhaps I'll find some way of returning the favor."
...
AC = 25
HP = 84/84
Weapon Equipped = None
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin grumbles, as his current confinement to the boat is keeping him from skulling a gnoll. He leans into an oar, supporting Marigold in getting them to shore, post haste.
"ಕ್ಷಮಿಸಿ, ಮ್ಯಾರಿಗೋಲ್ಡ್ ತಪ್ಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ. ನಿಮ್ಮದನ್ನು ಸರಿಹೊಂದಿಸಲು ನಾನು ಓರ್ನ ಪುಲ್ ಅನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯಲು ತೋರುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ."
"Sorry, miss Marigold. I can't seem to get the pull of the oar to match yours."
"Hey now, Maxim. You and I should probably switch places. Arrows won't have as much luck against my plate as they're having against your love handles."
Ryan looking in the direction Maxim pointed spots a gnoll in red markings. Concentrating on the spot he whispers a prayer and points. Next to the gnoll archer appears a spectral mace.
Spiritual Weapon - 8 rounds, range 180'
Juraan casts a spell at the nearest Gnoll (Red): « ჯადოსნური სარაკეტო » . .
Good spot. My heads all over the place with work at the moment - not processing the basics lol. I'll post reconned actions for Round 1
Grimacing in pain, and at the realising his wand will do little to augment his protection Maxim grumbles stows the item and draws his pistol .
"Har! Ain't sure that's a good idea bror - seein' as your steel bound backside'll make fer a much bigger target!"
Marigold rows again approaching the boat to the beach despite Kikinnin uses his oar in the opposite direction.
The stranded enemy breaks from the web with great effort and steps outside.
Meanwhile, the one in the center of the web, attempts to move out to have uncovered sight to keep shooting, but she gets stranded due to the difficult undergrowth, and she is unable to free herself. She curses in a strange language.
The other ones shot at the newly arrived group, starting against the first row of heroes.
A couple of the arrows hits at the statue, while one lodges at Maxim's chest and the other buries at JJ right arm.
Ryan's Spiritual weapon swings twice at the southernmost creature and strikes one, followed by a burst of magic missiles signed by Juraan.
The boat flows with the current, running aground into the beach sand.
These humanoids are gnolls, hyena like citizens of the jungle. By their accent or facial features, you can tell they are all from the same tribe.
"Hell's Teeth! I ain't stayin' here like a sittin' duck!"
Sick of slowly becoming a pin cushion Maxim shifts forward and disembarks from the boat then finds his boots dragging through the sand.
Once on terra firma, the gun-mage scowls at his wounds then loads his pistol with an alchemical cartridge
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Ryan's spiritual mace continues to harass the southern most gnoll.
While Ryan seeks to heal some of the dame his companions have sustained, moving to the front of the boat he seeks Abadar's grace.
Wincing at the pain from the new hole in his chest, JJ leaps from the boat and charges the closest of the Gnolls.
His swords shimmer in the daylight as he crashes into the undergrowth.
Juraan casts a spell on himself: « ჯადოქრის ჯავშანი » . .
⋯ and then heads out the boat, slowly following JJ (where the Gnolls' numbers are lower)
AC = 25
HP = 84/84
Weapon Equipped = +2 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin gives Marigold a sheepish thanks as he disembarks from the SS Watchers on the Water, taking a couple of strides onto the sandy beach. He barely makes it past Maxim, giving the blond beard a looking over for the couple of arrows sprouting from the stogie smoker's side.
"Tenk på å ligge bak baksiden min, bror. Det er knapt en småstein for deksel, men du kan ta opp noe bak den statuen. Jeg vet hvor jeg er på vei ..."
"Consider lagging behind my backside, bror. There's barely pebbles for cover, but you might take up some behind that statue. I know that's where I'm headed..."
Maxim descend's into the beach and loads his gun.
JJ does the same, and moves really fast, the sand flying up at his pass, but he finds he is not able to advance as fast as he was hopping.
Kikinnin follows up, also finding difficult to advance in the sand with his short legs.
The trapped gnoll is unable to make himself free of the web strands.
The other gnolls fire at the advancing lines of heroes using rapid shots.
Only one of the arrows reaches JJ, opening another wound in his arm!
Juraan is covered by a magic aura of armor just before he heads into the beach.
Ryan's Spiritual weapon strikes twice in the southernmost gnoll, who barely manages to stand. The cleric then jumps into the beach and raises his holy symbol clearing most of the group's wounds.
One of the gnolls shout at you "ወራሪዎች; አሁን ሐውልቱ አሁን ክልላችን ክፍል ነው!"
"You invaders! The statue is now part of our territory!"
JJ continues to close on the gnoll in red, his swords wanting to get some revenge for the suffering the gnoll have inflicted on him.
With the boat now finally beached against the sandy shore, Marigold clambers out and conjures up a mist to give herself and her companions protection from the flying arrows.
"ಕ್ಷಮಿಸಿ, ಆದರೆ ಅದು ನಮಗೆ ಮರಗಳು ಹತ್ತಿರವಾಗಲು ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ!" she calls out, knowing the mist would also thwart any bow shots that the others on the beach might want to take.
"Sorry, but that should help us get closer to the trees!"
________
With the mist in place, Marigold hustles along the beach as best as she able to in the wet, crumbly sand, heading towards where the remembers the statue being.
Juraan moves out of the mist Marigold created and takes a bow shot at one of the gnolls stranded in the web (dark green):
... and sends an arrow off wildly into the jungle.
AC = 25
HP = 84/84
Weapon Equipped = +2 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin sets his eyes on the gnolls north of the statue, indignant that they can continue assaulting him and his, without immediate repercussions. He expects to remedy that as soon as he can.
"Keep it up! Every arrow that bleeds us is gonna be visited upon you ten times ten!!"
As Marigold completes her spell, a mist grows around the beach to cover and protect the group. She then tastes the cold sand of the beach.
Juraan's arrow strikes at the gnoll in the heavy undergrowth.
The gnolls laugh at Kikinnin and shot back at the dwarf!
The arrows glance off the dwarf's shield as he runs towards them axe in hand!
The one in the strands shots back at Juraan.
Juraan is not as lucky and the arrows stab at him deeply.
Severely injured, the one in front of JJ decides its time to run for his life and see a next day, so he turns back and attempts a full retreat!
The one in the web keeps fighting with the strands, with no result.
AC = 25
HP = 84/84
Weapon Equipped = +2 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin completes his run along the beach by arriving at the feet of the Purple dogface, all sweaty and huffing.
"Alright. This is more like it. Toe-to-hairy toe. You gonna run like your litter mate, I wonder?"
JJ chases down the red gnoll, hacking at him with his sword.
"Drop your bow if you want to flee."
Juraan makes a few more difficult feet along the beach and shoots at the same Gnoll (Dark Green)
Thankful that her magic mist seems to have helped keep some of the gnoll's arrows at bay, Marigold breaks from its cover and hustles toward the statue as quickly as she can.
________
Ryan benefits from his travel domain studies, moving quickly across the sand, reaching the edge of the mist he calls on Abadar's graces. "make our strikes be true and the enemy falter"
cast prayer - 40' radius - 8 rounds enemy and ally alike
The phantom mace continues to harrass the red gnoll.
if red still up
if not
The weapon moves to harass the dark green gnoll
As the skirmish unfolds Maxim hustles towards, then beyond, the statue
Ryan's prayer boosts all of the party, then affects also some of the gnolls.
Kkinnin reaches his gnoll while JJ does same with his, but he stumbles with some of the vegetation and misses miserably.
Juraan's second arrow finds once again the gnoll, opening a new wound in his belly.
Marigold and Maxim move forward out of the mist.
The gnolls open fire once more, observing with desperation how all the arrows bounce at Kikinnin's armor or shield.
Likewise, Juraan's magical armor deflects two more of the arrows.
And JJ's gnoll seems to understand him, because he throws the bow at him while he retreats back once more.
The gnoll in the web, weakened by the prayer, is unable to break free and remains in the strands like a fated mosquito!
Juraan just reaches the edge of the jungle shoots at the same Gnoll (Dark Green) again:
Having dealt with one, JJ grabs its bow to keep it out of trouble before hurrying back to join in the rest of the melee
"Call - your - pack - mates - off - if - you - wish - to - live - this - day." Ryan calls out to the gnolls caught in the web, "Already - you - bleed, - and - your - mates - have - begun - to - run." Ryan says slowly and clearly, aware the gnoll may speak common but perhaps not well.
Should the dark green gnoll continue to struggle and attack
the mace stops menacing the gnoll and attacks once again.
With the statue now able to provide some additional cover if she needs it, Marigold pops out from behind it and conjures forth the ghostly whip she summoned during the battle with the fire elementals. It coalesces in front of Orange, attempting to strike!
Grim set as he watches the skirmishes rage, Maxim raises his finger "gun" at one of the gnolls nearby
The gun-mage invokes some arcane magic;
"Magische raket!"
When he finishing the incantation a trio of energy bullets streak toward the same target;
:
Maxim then loads his pistol with an alchemical cartridge