Musami smashes his heavy hammer downward upon the big frog's head, pulping it's fragile skull and popping it's large eyes outwards, dangling disturbingly on thin stalks of slimy tendons.
Small Frog #3 hops after Filnefillan, chasing the archer as he moves closer to Jocasta. The creature forgoes trying to capture the elf, instead attempting to latch onto the man's leg, hoping to tear off a piece before the bigger frogs steal the choicest bits, failing to pull away more than a tug of his pant leg.
misses
Small Frog #4 lashes out at the large warrior Braggi, acting much as did it's twin facing Braggi. The amphibian cannot even reach the strong man, ducking aside as the creature lunges, causing the beast to flop unceremoniously on it's belly.
misses
Initiative Order:
First Group: Filnefillan, Toruk, Hedgewyk vs Small Frog 1
Second Group: Musami vs Small Frogs 3 & 4
Third Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Jocasta vs Biggest Frog
Jocasta sidesteps out from behind Filnefillan, draws one of her many daggers, and hurls it at the frog nipping at the elf.
Jocasta's dagger stabs into the small frog tugging at Filnefillan's leg, the blade cutting a long tear in it's flank as the blade unceremoniously tumbles and rips across the creature's slimy wet hide. It appears to be quite wounded but not yet out of the fight, favoring it's right side as some of the larger muscles hang torn and limp through the exposed gash.
Still Initiative Order:
Braggi and Cedryk, surprised by the sudden rush of amphibious landings, pull their weapons close and stand defensively against the approaching giant frogs. Total Defense
Braggi finds himself nearly flanked on each side as the biggest frog of the group lashes out at his legs with a long barbed tongue, attempting but only loosely wrapping it around his thick legs. The thing reels it's tongue back, looking ready to close again the next round.
successful
failed
Initiative Order:
First Group: Filnefillan, Toruk, Hedgewyk vs Small Frog 1
Second Group: Musami vs Small Frogs 3 & 4
Third Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Jocasta vs Biggest Frog
Cedryk moves towards the nearest frog to him (little frog 1), and slams his staff into the slimy amphibian.
Attack:
Damage:
"Friend frog, I am not your dinner, but it appears frog legs are on our lunch menu."
Toruk kicks about his foot, dislodging some of the gore and ichor smeared upon it when he killed his foe, then looks back to the group to determine who everyone else fares. Total Defense
Small Frog #1 lashes out once more at Hedgewyk, attempting to snatch him from off Cedryk's shoulder, again misses as the leshy ducks behind his master's head, the druid gaining a stick wet slap from the toad's tongue instead.
misses
Initiative Order:
First Group: Filnefillan, Toruk, Hedgewyk vs Small Frog 1
Second Group: Musami vs Small Frogs 3 & 4
Third Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Jocasta vs Biggest Frog
Musami takes a moment to whip his hammer to and fro, clearing it of any splattered frog bits, encouraging his companions to keep up the fight. Total Defense
Little Frog #3, wounded from Jocasta's dagger and unable to tear a piece off Filnefillan decides enough is enough and it bounds back into the algae coated waters of the moat, disappearing beneath the surface with a plop.
Little Frog #4, still hungry and more afraid of becoming a meal of the biggest frog, hops to it's right as it again attempts to gain a hold on Braggi, but the man's thick thigh prevents the creature from holding him in place.
misses
Initiative Order:
First Group: Filnefillan, Toruk, Hedgewyk vs Small Frog 1
Second Group: Musami vs Small Frog 4
Third Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Jocasta vs Biggest Frog
Jocasta sidesteps again, draws another dagger, and hurls it at the frog to Braggi's left.
Trying to clear some enemies, Braggi swings his sword against the smaller frog in front of him.
Updated Map (No changes)
Feeling the slimy tongue of the small frog slither across his cheek, Cedryk slams the beast with his staff, keeping it away from his leafy friend.
Attack:
Damage:
Jocasta's dagger misses as she calls to her comrades, rallying them to fight on together.
Braggi kicks out at the frog behind him as he slashes out at the one to his front, the move skewing his aim too high.
Cedryk however, repulsed by the slimy tongue waving at him and Hedgewyk smashes hard down on the beastie before him, the blow momentarily crossing the creatures eyes, rupturing it's rubbery skin and pulping a bit of the bone protecting it's bulbous head.
The biggest frog, nonplussed by Braggi's half hearted kick, lashes out with it's own tongue to attempt to keep it's prey away from the smaller frog before him. Unfortunately for him, Braggi's leg kick and balancing dance forced it too to fail to grapple the man, his years of balancing and twisting across narrow decks surprisingly useful here on dry land.
missed
Initiative Order:
First Group: Filnefillan, Toruk, Hedgewyk vs Small Frog 1
Second Group: Musami vs Small Frog 4
Third Group: Braggi, Cedryk, Jocasta vs Biggest Frog
Toruk 5' steps to the nearest frog and crushes it with his mailed fist.
Having little luck with his bow, Fil drops it and draws his longsword . Swinging it awkwardly, he tries to attack the frog next to he and Braggi.
"Begone frogs! He screams, exasperated.
Toruk bounces one fist off glancing the back of the smaller frog tussling with Braggi then firmly smashes his second blow into the creature, his mailed gauntlet rips bits of skin, blood, and viscera back with it as he pulls back viciously as he kills the toadie.
The killing sight distracts Filnefillan enough the archer fails to strike once more with his bow, though this time the rising bile seems enough cause to forgive himself the error.
The small wounded frog facing Cedryk hears the dying croak of his last small brethren, realizing these foes may be beyond his capabilities. Taking one last gamble he lashes out at Hedgewyk, hoping to dine and dash back to the safety of the deep murky moat. The small amphibian fails to grasp his prey though he does plop cleanly into the algae and mud of the dank waters beyond the bridge.
misses
Initiative Order:
First Group: Filnefillan, Toruk, Hedgewyk vs Small Frog 1
Second Group: Musami, Braggi, Cedryk, Jocasta vs Biggest Frog
Musami steps up to the biggest frog, flexes his biceps and swings his hammer in a powerful arc, grunting as the hammer head gains speed.
Musami's arc skims narrowly above the biggest frog, grazing it's slimy coating but failing to do any actual damage. The creature belches a stank, putrid cloud of noxious gas in the dwarf's direction but seems otherwise unphased.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Filnefillan, Toruk, Hedgewyk vs Small Frog 1
Second Group: Musami, Braggi, Cedryk, Jocasta vs Biggest Frog
Braggi quickly steps aside to allow better reach in case he needs to engage another frog. That way he also leaves room for anyone trying to gang up on this big one.
Braggi cuts deep into the biggest frog's left flank, taking with the blow the creature's front leg and part of it's side. It gives off a long high pitched croak as the blow lands, hobbling back a moment under the force of the blow.
Initiative Order:
First Group: Filnefillan, Toruk, Hedgewyk vs Small Frog 1
Second Group: Musami, Braggi, Cedryk, Jocasta vs Biggest Frog
Seeing his foe move away, Cedryk moves back to help the others with their final enemy, watching where Hedgewyk is so as to keep him out of the frog's reach.
Jocasta steps slightly closer to the remaining frog beast and wings yet another dagger, this time throwing it between Fin and Braggi.
As Cedryk steps up Jocasta quickly launches a dagger at the remaining frog, her blade sinking to the hilt in it's open mouth. The blade pierces the back of it's skull and nearly an inch protrudes from behind it's end. In a convulsing slump the creature quivers and jerks a few moments then falls still.
The two remaining smaller frogs have jumped back into the muddy green waters of the marshes and moat surrounding the weathered and fallen moat house. It is unlikely they will pose a problem for you anytime soon.
Two large frogs and two smaller kin lay scattered around before the water-logged and slick drawbridge which crosses into the moat house proper.
Cedryk completes his inspection for tracks, noting that outside the structure only the slips and smears of the frogs appear to have passed this way, and none seem to have been interested in crossing into the open courtyard beyond. At this range he cannot say much about things within, the distance a bit much for him to say with any certainty.
Musami hesitantly crosses the bridge and examines the outside stones of the shielding wall. He can tell the structure is of human construction, old for the race, perhaps within the last 100-200 years. The place has been subjected to both the elements and attack, with scars reminiscent of burning oil and pitch launched against it. The chain hanging from the gate overhead is rusted and broken, likely by a lucky catapult stone.
You stand outside the moat house now, a 10' wide 15' long bridge before you leading to a narrow 5' path which surrounds the outer wall. An open archway allows passage from the bridge into the courtyard enclosed by a 5' to 10' thick wall, on average 20' high.
Peering through the open gateway you can gain some information about the interior.
The inner courtyard appears to be about 50' deep, nearly 60' wide, with a round tower immediately to the left of the entry, approximately 30' in diameter, it's banded wooden doorway closed to the elements though the upper floors appear to have been shattered and have collapsed in upon themselves.
The northeast corner of the courtyard is composed of a nearly 30' wide set of stairs rising 10' to a pair of broken double doors. One door remains hanging at an odd angle on one lower hinge, another ajar and propped against it's frame. Three arrow slits cover the north face of the moat house while the east wall holds four, all at a height of 12' to 15' above the courtyard.
The wide courtyard is paved in cobblestones, overgrown through the years by various scrub grasses and marsh weeds. Rubble from collapsed wall crenellations and the upper floors of the manor still litter the area in many places.
Jocasta recovers and cleans her daggers, then follows cautiously.
"Everyone all right?"
"Keep an eye out for tracks," she says. "I hope we went the right way."
Cedryk moves into the courtyard, Musami flanking off to the east, Jocasta stepping into the open gateway as the druid scans ahead and by the tower.
The young druid holds up his hand like he has seen hunters do before, then pats the air twice, his other arm pointing his staff in a line from the doors atop the stairs, through the courtyard, sweeping over to the tower. Tracks, one person, from the ruins to the tower. Never came out.
Beyond that he sees the rubble and weeds choking small game paths back and forth across the courtyard, but none recent or very large.
Musami gets a better look at the stone wall and a few pieces of rubble near the gateway.
Nodding sagely, crumbling a small chunk of masonry between his hands, Bah, clay brick mortared with ground grasses and mud. The outsides are stucco, twice layered with a mix of limestone and rougher clay.
He drops the pieces as Cedryk mentions the tracks. The place held up pretty well, though I'd be careful, the walls likely seep along the seams within and without. Some spots might be less sturdy than they appear.
One in, none out you say? What of the wagon tracks?
Cedryk and Braggi together jog back out to the end of the lane and again attempt to examine the wagon tracks. It appears to them someone deliberately swept away the tracks and attempted to hide the wagon's progress. If they were forced to guess, they would concur the wagon continued on down the roadway a few feet before diverting off into the marshes along a camouflaged game trail, near to the moat house. The tracks however are too well covered to guess which game trail was followed. They can pick out two or thee likely possibilities.
Cedryk shakes his head at originally missing these tracks.
"Well at least now we know that the wagons might still be here...this seems to be the right place. Now let's go see who made those tracks I saw in the keep!"
Cedryk heads back with Braggi to the others, then asks Hedgewyk to sneak in and see where the footprints lead.
Hedgewyk Perception:
Hedgewyk Stealth:
Hedgewyk survival track:
Hedgewyk cannot open the wooden door into the tower. It may be a combination of being stuck as well as the overall weight. Do you wish to send him instead to see where the footprints originated?
You might lift him up and have him climb to the top and attempt to dig down through the rubble.
Toruk casts a light spell on the tip of his walking stick. After scanning the area for danger, he moves to stuck door and tries to open it.
The door appears quite stuck, swollen a bit from the previous days rains. It appears the door has been forced open recently, scuff marks along the stone threshold and splintering along the jamb.
Cedryk calls Hedgewyk back and the two of them wait until the door is open before acting. Cedryk keeps a wary eye towards the courtyard and building across it.
While the others watch the area Braggi moves up and together with Toruk assisting they give the door a second try.
unsuccessful
success
The pair give a good lift, tuck, and pull at the door, finally jarring it free and pulling the door open. The chamber within is dusty, musty, quiet and dark. While the upper floor has clearly collapsed it does not allow much light to filter down into the area below, only a few small shafts of light crisscross the higher reaches, and those diffuse weakly amongst the assorted clumps, husks, and dusty strands of aged webbing covering the ceiling and part of the southern wall.
Standing back to allow more light into the tower you can see dimly a set of wood and stone slate stairs, cluttered with rubble and debris to rise along the eastern edge of the round structure. Across the room by the western wall a small chest sits, an intact blade laying nearby. Footprints are vaguely visible crossing the dirty floor towards the chest.
Musami examines the floor to look at the foot prints.
Musami will approach, and enter the room cautiously. He will see if he can see where the tracks go from this vantage point.
Musami steps in slowly, following the tracks across the floor and approaches the chest. He stops before he reaches the area, noticing the prints stepped up to the chest, then may have knelt down and attempted to pry the lid open with the blade, noting a few chips in it's edge and scratches around the latch.
Looking closer to see if the person left, the dwarf instead realizes the person never left the area. As the dwarf looks up, realizing what the largest husk hanging overhead contains, a giant black spider drops down from behind the webbing, attempting to snag him in it's grasp.
Initiative Order:
First Group: The Players
Second Group: The Spider
Fil also casts detect magic to ensure the safety of his companions, looking up and down just in case of any sort of magical emanations that could be dangerous. He also scans the area in the event something more dangerous is plotting to ambush us.
In shock Musami draws his earth breaker as the spider appears.
Filnefillan detects nothing un-towards magically in the area, and nothing seems to be happening from the moat house itself.
Musami gives a shout as he finds himself facing a large spider dangling by a long strand of webbing from the ceiling. The creature arches it's abdomen and flings a mass of sticky filaments at him, . While splattering over the agile dwarf, the arachnid fails to score a substantive hit, and the dwarf easily pulls free of it's hold.
Initiative Order:
First Group: The Players
Second Group: The Spider
Musami swings the earth breaker at the spider's abdomen, hoping to crush its carapace.
A bit of wispy webbing cluttered at Musami's eye as he swung his hammer hard towards the spider, mucking about his sight and causing the blow to miss a bit high, severing the thread holding it a few feet off the ground. The creature drops gingerly to the ground and spins about, determining it's next course of action.
Initiative Order:
First Group: The Players
Second Group: The Spider
Hearing the dwarf call out, Cedryk quickly enchants his walking staff with the power of the druids and moves into the building to offer his help. Hedgewyk holds on as they move into position.