Cieran fires her now loaded crossbow at the remaining frog, but her weapon jams, only to fire as soon as she lifts it to try and discover the problem. She wrangles with the string a bit before reloading it, to be ready to fire again.
Holgur redirects his aim, and fires true at the ever-nearing frog, hiting it wet a wet thunk into its thick mottled hide. Meanwhile, Frytz does his best to scurry up the nearby piling, just making it to the top while pulling his sling out. He manages to drop a bullet into it with a speed often only known by his kind, before he spins and releases it into the muck with a *splorp*.
The frog moves no further, at first the idea that it is scared is an option, until its tongue dart out of its mouth at the little bug standing on the piling. The big pink thing hits the little halfling, but luckily is not able to get a good purchase, possibly due to all the pond scum covering the little man. Dissatisfied, it moves a little closer.
Round 3:
Belor - Killed Frog 2
Kelly - Misses with crossbow, drops it and draws pike.
Ciera - Misses Frog 1 and reloads crossbow
Holgur - Shot Frog 1
Frytz - Climbed piling, missed Frog 1
Frog 1 - 6 damage, hit Frytz, failed grab, moved to D7
Belor steadies his crossbow and launches a bolt toward the last frog.
Belor wasn't steady enough as the bolt flies into the piling next to the remaining frog.
"Let's see how this works!" Exclaims Kelly as he tries out his pike. Not exactly sure of the process, he thrusts the weapon as he mumbles a command word, and the pike grows in the length. Unfortunately it grew faster than Kelly anticipated and the aim is shaky at best.
The Pike then retracts as quickly as it lengthened. "Oi, that'll take a bit o’ getting used to."
Cieran tries again to fire his crossbow, hoping to recover from his previous error, and cover down on killing the thing in the absence of Kelly and Belor hitting it. He sets his sights proper, and skims a shot just off the skin between the things eyes, leaving just a mark of blood.
"I hate frogs!" is the extent of Holgur's wit as he fires another arrow at the frog.
Attack
Damage
Ch'kkk't kp'kp k'tik. k'chik'tik kok kok keek?
,
The combination barrage of Cieran, Holgur, and Frytz is enough to finally put the second frog down. The first one has already sunk beneath the surface of the very thick water, and this one seems to be following suit.
"Click click, chip to you to friend. Well then it seems the wild life here isn't the friendliest if a creature as passive as a frog can cause us that sort of trouble. I'd hate to see the damage a creature that is hostile could do.
"Anyone have any ideas of how to cross this gap safely, or even better a way to bypass it, we may need to come back this way with injured, it would be best to not have to make them climb, jump, or crawl their way back."
"If we could chop one of the posts down then we could use it as a raft of sorts. Anybody have an ax?"
By da godts! Kan you believe dat? Dat frog almozt hadt me. Vow! I mean, like two more inches and I vould know vhat da insidtes of a frog looks like, ya.
If you vant to make a raft, den I vould zuggest vee use trees from da forest. Schwimming through dat vas like schwimming in molasses, ya. Perhaps it vould be best to try undt valk aroundt dis mire, ya.
"The problem is how to cut down anything, tree or otherwise."
"What of the huts we passed earlier?"
"I agree with Kelly, the huts may be our best option since we have no way to bring down a tree."
In da interest of savink time, i sukgest vee try da pilinks again, ya.
"Aye. The frogs were probably the most fearsome creatures in this part of the water; most likely they kept other predators away. With them dead we should have less to worry about while we cross."
"Naturally, somethin' else will come along to eat their bodies and take their place. Hopefully, whatever that is ain't crocodiles." And with that, Holgur lowers himself into the water and wades out as far as he can. When he can no longer touch the bottom with his feet he begins to swim.
Swim check
I think it is easy enough, ya.
Frytz regains his ready stance, and proceeds to return to hopping from post to post across the flow. Only this time he isn't interrupted by the staring eyes of hungry frogs.
"Too bad the frogs sank to the bottom" Holgur opines between strokes. "The would have made good eating."
Kelly shrugs, with little else to do, he set off hopping from post to post.
Belor follows up after Kelly, hopping along the posts.
After the threat of the frogs is passed, everyone is careful when hopping across the posts, and make decent time in crossing the boggy river. The other side is nothing more than the continuing path through the underbrush that drapes across the old trail. The jungle is heavy with humidity, and the biting insects pervasive, as you constantly swat and wave them away. After about forty-five minutes along the path, the air changes.
A terrible stench fills the swamp here, a fetid odor of cheap perfume and rotting flesh. A huge tree stands in the middle of a clearing in the swamp, draped with some sort of huge tent. Lurid, painted faces cover both the tree trunk and tent, and both are decorated with rotting humanoid body parts and carpets of squirming insects.
The sight and smell of the tent bring Holgur to a sudden stop. He looks back at the others and presses a finger to his lips in a "shh" gesture before turning back to the scene to look for obvious signs of danger.
Perception
By Besmara's bearded clam, what sick bastard lives in there? Probably a bosom buddy of Scourge and Plugg.
Belor follows up behind Holgur and takes time to look around for any obvious dangers.
Within the canopy of the tree and tent together, both Belor and Holgur see three humanoid forms trying to stay hidden in the confines, no fine details can be discerned. The three are dressed in what look like ragged versions of what may have once been colorful dresses. The two men can just make out the sound of a throaty slavering.
Holgur waits for several moments to see if any other figures are present near the tent or in the foliage. After a long moment he looks to Belor and nods to convey that he sees the figures. Once he is convinced that there are no others about he turn to his fellows and holds up three fingers then jerks his thumb in the direction of the tent. He silently mouths the words "hiding in trees". Then he looks to Belor again and gestures to keep a watch on the figures.
Holgur turns halfway toward his crew members but still looks over at the possible ambush scene. Never take your eyes off of enemies While still keeping his gaze on the hidden figures, he reaches back and draws a circle in the dirt. He adds an "x" for each figure to roughly map out their positions.
Belor nods and keeps his eyes on the figures ahead of them.
As Frytz moves forward Holgur keeps his eye on the newcomer, as much to measure the man's skill as to be aware of his location. He is a quite one the ranger thinks to himself as Frytz maneuvers through the brush. Once the halfling seems to have found a place to hide, Holgur decides to get closer to the potential enemies as well. Damn this armor he says to himself as it catches on leaves and branches.
Stealth
As the group begins to move into the brush around the tree and tent home, the three beings begin to move toward them. It's too late to try and surprise them, considering they were hiding already due to hearing the oncoming group. As you and they begin to get closer, the signs that there is something not quite right about them becomes more apparent.
Ciera
Frytz
Holgur
Kelly
Enemy
Roll-off Kelly
Roll-off Enemy
The rotting women, in their once bright rags all move forward out from under their canopied home, but not quite all the way. It looks like they are waiting for something.
Round 1:
Kelly -
Ciera -
Holgur -
Frytz -
Belor -
Enemies - move and 'wait'
Untrained Religion check
If they are waiting for reinforcements, we can at least whittle down their numbers.
In a rushed movement, Holgur sends an arrow at the nearest figure but the foliage spoils is aim and it is lost in the brush.
Attack
Damage
"Undead fiends, lets start things off with a bang!" exclaims Kelly as he snaggs and throws one of the phials from his bandoleer, hurling it toward the center most of abonimations.
"Effin' walking dead! Let's just leave them here and vacate, unless they would chase us!" Somewhere in his heart, Holgur knows that the dead would pursue them and that they must face them here.
Shtay avay from me you leprous Miststück, or I vill be forcedt to shplit your shkull.
Kelly is just able to lob one of his explosive vials right onto the centermost enemy. It shatters and the flames burst all over her. The awful screech that follows displays the effectivness of his firewater.
Cieran, loads the crossbow, and fires it at the burnt undead woman, but the shriek makes it hard to focus and he fires it way too soon into the ground.
It seems to have the same effect on Holgur as he too is way off in his shot.
Thus far only Frytz is able to fire true, smacking a small sling bullet into the head of the leftmost woman.
Round 1:
Belor -
Enemy 1 - 3 damage, move and 'wait'
Enemy 2 - 8 damage, move and 'wait'
Enemy 3 - move and 'wait'
Kelly - Hits enemy 2 with a bomb
Ciera - Misses
Holgur - Misses
Frytz - Hits enemy 1 with a sling bullet
@#%& me! I can shoot better than that even with a banshee wailing in my ears! Holgur silently remonstrates himself as he draws another arrow.
Belor covers his ears as he moves toward one of the women, once he comes to a stop he returns the favor by casting a spell audible to only her.
"How do ye like yer own medicine?"
Belor steps up and delivers a high-pitched noise that is only audible to the middle undead, but unfortunately he can only do so much damage to something without the working physiology of eardrums.
The three whores wait no longer, having expected the group to have advanced, and instead move in to put a stop to them. The one hit by Frytz's sling comes after Cieran, but snaps her teeth too far away to even be a threat. The middle one comes at Belor, biting him on the shoulder. The one furthest east comes up around the group to bite Holgur and gets a solid mouthful of his upper arm. The two of them can see the filth covering the women and their foul mouths, as vermin scurry amongst their rags.
Round 2:
Kelly - Hits enemy 2 with a bomb
Ciera - Misses
Holgur - Misses
Frytz - Hits enemy 1 with a sling bullet
Belor - Moved and cast spell on Enemy 2
Enemy 1 - 3 damage, move and missed Cieran
Enemy 2 - 11 damage, move and hit Belor
Enemy 3 - move and hit Holgur
"Arrrgh!" Is all that Holgur can expel from his mouth as he tears his arm free of the monster's jaws, mixture of fear and horror is evident in his voice.
Fort Save (4E)
Fort Save
Kelly is off put by the grotesque form and behavior of the wenches. As they advance and assault his friends his instincts kick in as he hefts his pike and thrusts at the creature biting the arm of Holgur.
Unfortunatley he is so disturbed by the actions, that he fumbles around with his pike is nearly looses his grip as his thrust goes far wide of its mark.
Holgur fights off the paralysis, but the injury is still wholly bothersome. Kelly tries, but fails to pierce the creature with his boarding pike. As the creature gets close, Cieran drops his crossbow, and flicks both daggers out of their spring-loaded sheaths. The young man stabs with both blades, driving them both into the rotting body of the whore.
Round 2:
Holgur - Misses
Frytz - Hits enemy 1 with a sling bullet
Belor - Moved and cast spell on Enemy 2
Enemy 1 - 9 damage, move and missed Cieran
Enemy 2 - 11 damage, move and hit Belor
Enemy 3 - move and hit Holgur
Kelly - misses
Ciera - drops crossbow, hits enemy 1 with both daggers
After pulling his arm free from the mouth of the rotting corpse, Holgur stumbles back a few steps, dropping his bow in the process. His arm burns with searing pain unlike any he has known before. Despite the agony, the pirate draws his flail and swings at his mouldering enemy. But the burning wound throws off his aim.
Attack
Damage
Drop sling(free) 5'-step up to C1, total defense (standard) - effective ac = 23
I'm varningk you hag. Schtep back or I vill be forcedt to hurt you.
Holgur's swing just misses by a bit, as Frytz steps up beside Cieran to present himself as a hard target. Chittering again in his wierd tongue.
As Frytz moves up to become a target, the whore claws at him with both hands, as she tries to bite Cieran. She finds all of her targets to be hard to hit.
After seeing Belor stop moving after her bite, she eases over to help the one that keeps missing, moving up to bite Cieran, and taking a solid chunk of flesh off the young man's shoulder.
The last one closes the gap between herself and Kelly, clawing twice at the man, while trying to take another bite out of Holgur. Splitting its attention did not help it to be any more effective however.
Round 3:
Kelly - misses
Ciera - drops crossbow, hits enemy 1 with both daggers
Holgur - Misses
Frytz - Moves up defensively
Belor - Paralyzed
Enemy 1 - 9 damage, missed Frytz and Cieran
Enemy 2 - 11 damage, move and bit Cieran
Enemy 3 - move and missed Holgur and Kelly
The ghoul's ineffective attack leaves it off balance and open for a counter and Holgur is quick to press the advantage. With a deft step to his right, the big man swings his flail in a tight arc over the ghoul's shoulder and crashes it into her neck.
Attack
Damage
move: draw morningstar
standard:
ch'tkk pa'k'k ee ee!