Dingus is playing with his rod again at the back, Jim head down looking for tracks, and Kaul and Dibbets at their usual banter as they enter the jungle. No one looks up to see a disconcerting shift in a few of the lichen patches on the high tree trunks or the black melons that hurl down into their midst.
Keelhaul Kaul-
Madman Jim-
Dingus-
foe-
One melon hits dead center on Kaul while the other splatters to the right. The florid pulp smells rancid, but it is far worse. The acrid juice that hits flesh immediately starts itching with a maddening intensity.
An instant later injury is heaped upon insult as a trio of arrows whiz into the crew. One scratches the hairy halfling then sinks point first into the ground next to a less accurate shot. Kaul however, suffers another direct hit that skewers his thigh!
Fort:
Grunting in pain he takes a step to the side, calling upon an armor of air to gird his form.
Jim is unmoved by the itching melon juice, and looks around for cover from the airborne assault.
:
Covered in foul melon pulp, the thug's scarred hide burns with an unquenchable itch and he knows naught which way to turn...
Kaul's hook paw stratching is only paused by a pained bellow as the arrow buries itself into his meaty thigh!
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Dingus jumps a bit in surprise, then calms himself, and girds himself in translucent scales. (Mage Armor)
Caught off guard, the crew goes on the defensive; Jim takes cover behind a trunk while Dibbets and Dingus summon magical wards. Kaul is overcome by the pernicious pulp. His scraping and scratching does little to ease the itch and even the shooting pain of an arrow through the leg cannot turn his attention from the terrible itching.
Another trio of arrows rain down from the long-armed indistinct shapes in the treetops. Kaul's wild jerking makes him a difficult target though and one shot misses entirely while his armor mainly deflects the other two shots.
Jim stows his new rapier and starts climbing, trying to keep the tree trunk between him and the apparent sources of the arrows.
Round 2
Growling in frustrated pain and irritation Kaul seeks some respite from the maddening itch..].
Assuming Dingus can spot one of the ambushers, he sends a Vapor Viper towards the treetops to wrangle with one of the creatures.
Vapor Viper
Amid his furious scratching, it dawns on Kaul that he's been hit by a rash pod. The fruit is normally orange colored and merely makes the mouth tingly, sometimes unpleasantly so. This one seems to have been modified for full on flesh irritant. He thinks washing it off would stop the itching, but there is no water in the immediate vicinity though he can still hear the waterfall back down the trail and it is likely the trail crosses the river again up ahead somewhere.
Putting two and two together to make six, Dibbs gives his scarred lummox of a companion a proper washdown with mildly salty water.
Kaul's unconscious whine and frenzied scratching draw Dibbets' attention and the halfling drops a deluge of refreshing brine on his mate. The cleansing salt bath helps Kaul rub away the remnants of the irritating goop.
Jim jumps up and begins hauling himself up the hanging vines into the tree. He reaches the spreading branches where he can see three of the weird apemen. One is struck by a trio of hissing missiles. The creature gives a bull-like bellow. Surprised at the quick ascent of the sailor, two of the big green monkeys turn their bows on Jim, but the shots are clumsy and bounce off the vegetation. The injured one fires back at Dingus wounding the sorcerer.
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Jim leaps nimbly from branch to branch, drawing his new sword as he closes. His blade strikes home, filling the jungle air with the sound of sizzling flesh and smoking fur, and the Taldan grins. "I like this sword!"
"Hey! Cut it out! That hurts". The sinuous Sorcerer looks for some partial cover from the arrows, then peeks out and lashes forth another Vapor Viper at the ugly one whom he's sure targeted him last time.
VV
Bereft of the infernal itch, Kaul grins briefly at Dibbs, then scowls at the hoots and bellows from above.
The sodden thug scales to the canopy in search of Jim and the source of his torment;
Don' let it be feckin' monkeys... Anything but them...
:
Jim's buzzing sword discharges in the ape giving it a grievous wound. Kaul clambers up into the trees, but not nearly as fast as Jim. Perhaps it's with a bit of hesitancy given the monkeys in his closet. He makes it halfway to the treetop tussle. Dingus blasts his ape a second time which just enrages it further.
The ape Jim wounded drops its bow and launches itself at him with fang and claw. He latches on ripping and rending the swordsman. The others keep firing their bows. An arrow hits a tree near Dingus and Kaul is hit by the other as he climbs. . The thug notes with relief, now that he can see them more clearly, that there are no tails. They're only apes.
"That's enough of that, hey?" But the animalistic assault has taken the Taldan by surprise, and his usual precision deserts him.
Trying a different tactic, Dingus moves a bit closer... still sticking to cover if possible, and greases the branch under the monkey-men's feet. if he can get close enough.
If not, then he'll continue his VV bombardment
VV
"Look sharp Jimmer. I'll greasing their axle".
Round 4
Kaul bellows a challenge at one of the fruit flingers and throws one of his own barbs at an ape;
:
:
Jim easily cuts down the wounded ape with a snicker-zap. The motley ape plummets to the ground dead. He is joined by his companion who lets out a shriek of surprise as the branch is greased beneath his feet. The big leathery simian lands with a thud and lies there moaning.
Kaul hangs from his hook to grab a javelin off his back and toss it at the remaining ape. It is an awkward position however, and the light spear gets caught in the leaves and vines.
The last creature gives a barking call and retreats through the thick jungle disappearing before Dibbets can properly load his boomstick for a shot. The disgusted halfling moves to finish off the disabled foe.
Doing the monkey's work in ending the monkey, Dibbets adds with a scowl "Fecker's likely off tae either grab mates or lick wounds... either way we're better off gettin back tae work eh?"
Jim nods. "Say, they carrying anything besides those bows?"
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Unfortunately, the primitive things don't have anything other than their bows and necklaces made out of what look to be humanoid teeth. They aren't even wearing clothes.
The path becomes sparse under the riotous growth and it slows the crew considerably. At least the hilltop is somewhat narrow and cliffs stop you if you get too far off trail. In fact, you think you've run off path and into a cliff again when you realize that there is a rope bridge leading across this gorge. The bridge sways about 100 feet across to a pair of rock pylons with a rushing river some 60 feet below.
At the other end, five of the ape-men wait. One wails and points when the crew appear at the opposite end.
Dibbets-
Keelhaul Kaul-
Madman Jim-
Dingus-
foe-
Dingus prepares his "Forked Tongue" spell but holds it before casting. He plans on checking both the Monkey men, and his party's intentions before releasing the spell.
Dibbets scowls and takes aim with his boomstick. They're out of range of his spells, but a bullet is another matter though it would still be a far shot.
The stand off resolves quickly as two of the ape men fire their bows over the gap while the other two wait for your approach. The arrows arch high before randomly striking Dingus and Kaul.
Dingus uses his held action to bolt at least one of the bowmen before they loose the arrows. (If he can line up two with a bolt he'll do so).
Forked Lightning tongue.
With his move action he'll take cover from further arrow investigations.
"Ouch! Kill them!"
No sooner has the arrow left its bow toward the sorcerer than lightning blazes across the canyon and shocks the ape to within an inch of his life.
Jim unlimbers his longbow and sends an arrow winging towards one of the ape men. "Trade you?"
The shocked ape-man proves an easy target and Jim's arrow catches him in the chest. Without a sound, he tumbles off the cliff into the rapids below.
Kaul grins at the impending prospect of carnage and moves across the bridge toward monkey men. Some 30ft. in he pauses, fetching his last javelin and letting fly with venom;
:
:
Kaul moves onto the rope bridge and hurls a javein toward the blotchy figures at the opposite end. It is a long shot, but the javelin just manages to reach the far end and plunges into a hairless thigh.
The creature bellows and pulling the light spear from his thigh starts hacking at one of the thick ropes supporting the bridge to limited effect. Another joins it gnawing at the rope with big sharp teeth. The remaining green apeman shoots an arrow at Kaul striking the pirate.
Looking down at the twin arrows lodged in his bulk draws a wicked smile from the thug;
"Hur... Aye Lopper... It's time..."
Kaul answers the creatures bellow with one of his own as he draws his fell War Axe.
Shifting forward the brute charges toward the assembled ape saboteurs
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Jim grins. "Be right with you, mate!" He drops his bow and hustles for the other side.
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With the lads making their way across and doubting that his blunderbuss would have the range or reliability to blow big enough holes in the monkey mass to stop them even with the intervening bigguns blocking his way, Dibbs turns it and slings it o'er shoulder. Making for the bridge he calls to Dingus "Send some o' yer wee stingy buggers through... save tha crackle in case we hits onna big ol' monkey eh?"
Hustling a stump legged gait o'er the bridge he cackles "Comin mateys, cut an thrust eh?"
If there is a clear shot more lightning. If not then Vapor Vipers.
Forked Tongue
Vapor Viper
"Incoming. Clear me a path".
Kaul's bulky form blocks a direct line to the apes working on the rope, but the archer is open and Dingus sends another bolt into him leaving the creature burnt and quaking. He moves to follow Dibbets, who has lowered his boomstick and started stumping after Kaul. Jim nimbly leaps up onto the non-frayed line to bypass his companions and hopping down skims across the bridge so lightly that it doesn't even shake though he runs with speed up to Kaul.
Just as Jim reaches his companion, Pointer, leaps up onto a stone pylon and launches another melon at the pair which breaks apart splattering them with pulp. The archer's bow drops from numb fingers and the last two blotchy apes attack the rope with renewed frenzy. The chewing and ripping finally pay off and one of the heavy support ropes quivers and snaps, dropping away and leaving only one side of the bridge attached.