Dwalar tosses a javelin far into the bushes as Nella quickly gives triage to the fallen Tabaxi. Ensnared but alive, Nella is simply not strong enough to pull him free. However, she raises her ceremonial scimtar to the sky and with a lightning crash, the blade comes down hard, freeing the suffocating kitten. He coughs and hacks grasping at his throat, raspily uttering "...thank you! Thank you..." and on seeing the blights pushes himself along the mud with his feet, scooting behind Dwalar for protection.
Spike barrels through the fading mists of Nella's spell and crashes into the creature, destroying it instantly.
Meanwhile, the combined effort of Shal, Davin, and Bhoors make short work of the remaining foe. No longer moving, the fallen blights simply look like little bushes...were they really alive? Maybe that ant venom was causing some kind of hallucination...
Nella turns to the Tabaxi.
Are you well? What happened here?
She turns and looks at Spike.
The elf woman may yet live. We must search for her.
She tends to the Tabaxi.
He looks a bit beaten and bruised, but without the danger of choking out he can pull through "I...I'm Ashen Rock. I...we...were sent as a rescue party to save a couple citizens abducted by pterafolk. They were crazy...like rabid animals almost...trying to sacrifice us to these plant creatures. We noticed they gathered around this path, but most of the ptera's were already withered and dead, I think its the death curse...they've never been this brazen before, attacking the city like that! Something must have drawn them there..." he struggles to his feet "Are you continuing along this path? If so take this, in thanks, it will help protect against some of the dangerous poisons inherent to jungle."
Hacking at the vines in search of the elven woman unfortunately turns up nothing but her corpse.
Nella touches both of her earrings, bows, and gratefully receives the gift.
Thank you, Ashen. We will rescue your people and lift this curse if we are able.
Moving forward at Nella's call to search for the elf, Shaldinari begins looking through the remains near where the woman was last seen.
With a stony look upon her face, Nella folds the elven woman's arms over her chest. She then begins journeying down the path without a word.
Shal, she seems to have died most gruesomely...a thick, gnarly vine like ropes used in sailing forced its way down her throat. ...And of course the death curse guarantees she will never return.
Spike is sullen and silent. He blames himself for not acting quickly enough to save the elven woman. He follows Nella determined to make sure this fate does not befall anyone else.
Boots swallows uncharacteristically quiet.
The group continues down the path, with some relief from the machete hacking. The humidity and drizzle has long since become old.
Spike nearly steps right into a patch of bloodsucking Matabo vines, but luckily Nella is alert enough to spot it and guide the party through unscathed.
The path turns east again, sloping upward before reaching a hilly clearing covered in thick grass. Three small froglike humanoids with bright green and red skins gather around a small, decorated stone block in the center of a small pool of water.
They shout excitedly, and beckon the party over, pointing to something laying on top of the stone...
Boots swallows uncharacteristically quiet.
Davin keeps the group covered from the back with his bow. Sweat drips from his brow and collects at his neck, underarms, and shoulders, soaking through his gambeson.
"Well, at least it a dry heat!", he mutters under his breath.
Three small froglike humanoids with bright green and red skins gather around a small, decorated stone block in the center of a small pool of water.
They shout excitedly, and beckon the party over, pointing to something laying on top of the stone...
Nella looks silently at the froglike creatures, attempting to determine whether or not their intent is deceit or harm.
Spike walks silently toward the altar, hoping to see incense or maybe a goat, but suspecting things are about to go very badly.
Shaldinari follows Spike and Dwalar up to the frogmen. Her eyes casually try to search the clearing for any sign of ambush or other potential hostile creatures as she moves forward. Unfortunately, the small altar and it's guardians keep drawing her attention.
"Greetings and kind blessings upon you."
Nella, you're certain there is something very suspicious about this. It almost seems like they are exacting a ritual of some kind.
Dwalar/Spike/Shal, as you come close they get even more excited, and you can see the object on the stone block a bit more clearly: a black metallic half moon with a leather inset, seemingly broken from some larger work. In fact, the ridges seem to match those on the snake head fragment found in the smuggler's cave exactly.
Still at the back, standing with Nella, Davin keeps the frog-like creatures covered with his bow.
Nella announces in a firm, calm voice to her allies.
Beware. Something is amiss here. There may be some power on that altar.
Bhoors follows suspiciously "Sparkly thing in the water. Is this how fish feel when they see bait/"
At Nella's warning Bhoors remains casual but intently begins to look for signs of ambush or craziness.
[dice=Nature Have I heard of "Frog People"]1d20+1[/dice]
Bhoors calls to the frog people in Chult, [spoiler=Chult talk]"Hi, Luck's blessing to you."[/b]
Bhoors, the way they have laid out sacred objects and drawn figures here is more akin to a religious ritual than an arcane one. The people themselves may be the legendary 'Grung'. Their caste system which associates with their skin color has been the topic of a few children's songs. They click their tongues in some bizarre kind of language as you approach, seemingly to each other.
Dwalar/Shal/Spike, a strange feeling of peace comes over you momentarily, but you sense a betrayal hidden in the peace (like a snake hidden in a beautiful meadow), and resist. This seems to anger the Grung, who yip and scream aggressively pulling out greasy little knives...
Round 1::
Davin, Bhoors, Spike, Dwalar, Bjorn, Nella <--UP
Enemies
Shal
Spike runs forward leaps over the altar, grabbing the black crescent and lunches a furious attack on the red frog.
Spike, while your first strike certainly smarts the Red leader, the Grung's body seems to be covered with a thin layer of mucus. Strange substances work their way through your exposed fists into your bloodstream like water poured on soil...black tendrils quickly making their way towards the major artery in your wrist...
[ooc]Well, now I know why you were asking about gloves...[/b]
Spike, the poison catches you off guard, working its way into your system...
Bjorn's javelin toss is a martial wonder, running through the soft skin of the frogman nearly clean, striking no doubt useful organs underneath. The Grung falls instantly, floating face down in the water.
Nella's eyes smolder in fury at the attempted treachery. She rushes forward and slings a bullet at one of the frogs.
But her righteous anger throws off her aim. She then ducks behind Dwalar to ready another attack.
Dwalar's swing is a glancing blow, but nonetheless slashes the frog apart. It bleeds profusely into the water, yet stands.
Round 1:
Spike, Dwalar, Bjorn, Nella, Davin, Bhoors <--UP
Enemies
Shal
Davin quickly looses an arrow at the weird frog-like creatures then another at the other beast.
Attack(Green):
Damage:
Attack(Red):
Damage:
Davin's arrows bite deep into both targets, sending them into croaks of pain. Their faces grimace in a strange frog expression of anger.
Round 1:
Spike, Dwalar, Bjorn, Nella, Davin, Bhoors <--UP
Enemies
Shal
Bhoors moves in closer. He begins to sing a heroic song of battle encouraging the fists of his goblin friend.
He gets to the heroic rise to the song, "And that's when he served them giant frogs legs.
The joke must've been lost in translation as the Red Grung pulls the energies of nature around him in a cocoon. His skin gains the appearance of a palm tree trunk.
The green one mumbles some kind of sacrificial chant before bringing his dagger down on Dwalar...
DC 12 con save negates
...the blade chinks through Dwalar's armor, surprising even the Grung. Dwalar immediately realizes there was some kind of rotten, fruity paste coating the blade.
Round 1:
Spike, Dwalar, Bjorn, Nella, Davin, Bhoors
Enemies
Shal <--UP
Bhoors drops another stone in his sling and hurls a rock at the green skinned frogman hoping to end the creature and freeing up Dwalar to help Spike