Durvin hears the commotion and moves back towards the others. As he clears the corner of the small structure inside, he casts a quick spell to try and stop one of the creatures in it's tracks.
The choker shakes its head as if to clear it and locks its evil looking eyes on you.
Reck's battle cry is as good an impetus as any, and Isabella dashes toward the scene of ambush. spotting the elongated limbs of the attackers grasping for her crewmates, Isabella smirks and looses both whips with a snap.
"Well, blow me down. Kindred spirits, eh? Two can roll those bones, laddies."
The assaults continue.
The attacks shift somewhat and Blue's vines assault Isabella, but fail to actually grab hold of her. Noro also gets attacked, but her practiced nimbleness keeps her from harm.
Noro attempts to leap at the dang thing but it is just a little out of reach.
HP 43/48
AC 13
rage used 2/10
Not having had the foresight to bring more than one missile weapon, Reck starts to climb the tree to get at the freakish attackers.
Durvin decides to move closer to the others, and draws his bow as he does so. Once he gets to where he feels he has a clear shot, he fires at the one over both Noro and Isabella.
Reck - It'll take a double move for you to get up and into melee range.
Sarenth/Isabella to act.
coiling into a striking stance, Isabella unleashes the snapping force of both whips straight up into the tree, but curses as one snags on a branch.
With combined attacks from Noro and Isabella, one of the creatures goes down. The other turns its attention to the threat in the branches. Vine like tentacles lash out at Reck and unerringly wrap around the big half-orc's throat.
The tentacles grabbing Reck are lower. Noro rushes over and grabs at the vines grappling Reck.
HP 43/48
AC 13
rage used 3/10
Reck makes no attempt to break the grapple. Despite the encircling vines around his neck, he knows he has plenty of air for the moment.
You're a fool to get this close to me, beast!
Reck's claws savage the creature, tearing entire chunks of camouflaged flesh from it's bones, but still it stubbornly holds on.
Durvin drops his bow, and makes his way to the tree, trying to climb up onto the branch with it to hit it with his new sword.
Durvin springs into the branches, lithely climbing from limb to limb until he is within striking distance.
With two people in the tree now and two very angry females on the ground, the beast decides that discretion is the better path to survival. It disengages from Reck and rapidly ascends the tree. Moments later, several trinkets fall from the upper boughs, bouncing and thudding among the branches before landing on the ground with small thuds.
You all find a potion of water breathing that miraculously survived the fall, a trio of silver shoe buckles worth 5 gp each, a ghoul finger with a gold wedding ring on it worth 50 gp, and a silver hatpin worth 5 gp.
The jungle remains more sparse as you journey toward the caves where you spotted Sandra's stolen tricorne hat. As you crest the last bluff, you spot a massive hole in the ground. It leads down about 50 feet and murky water churns at the bottom. Presumably, this is a daredevil's entrance into the caves below. Numerous roots and crevices make securing a rope easy, but the walls themselves look like climbing them will be tricky. The stone here is weak, and you're not sure which parts, if any, will hold.
Noro looks to see who brought a rope. Once she has rope she promptly secures it and lowers the rope down.
looksh like I'll go firsht she ays as she begins her descent.
When Noro has gone about half way, four massive Mosquitos emerge from the far wall of the cave and swarm her!
Two manage to land on her and attach themselves. They insert their oversized proboscis and begin to drain blood at a frightening rate.
Noro tries to hold onto the rope with one hand and tries to grab one of these bugs and rip it off of her.
The bug squirms in pain as Noro's grip cracks its exoskeleton. It struggles to fly back to the hole. When it arrives a buzzing sound can be heard and four more bugs emerge in an angrily buzzing swarm.
Durvin looks worried, if she had only waited they could have discussed another way in. He draws his bow and tries to hit the other bug stuck to her, "Careful Noro, try not to move too much, I don't want to hit you."
The arrow skips off the hard shell of the bug. It wiggles a bit from the impact and keeps on draining Noro dry. Thankfully, the natural local numbing agent keeps Noro from experiencing overwhelming levels of pain as its nose wiggles around in her veins.
Reck eyes the mosquitoes warily, running through his teachings to see if he remembered anything about them. As Noro is repeatedly attacked, his eyes narrow.
We don't have time for this.
With a roar, Reck launches himself off of terra firma and into the void. As he falls, he summons a spark of arcane energy into his right claws. Reck slams into the wall of the hole roughly in a shower of dirt and debris. With his booted feet scrabbling for purchase, Reck digs his left claws into the wall to stop his fall, and slashes with his right claws at one of the beasts attacking Noro.
Reck smashes into the wall like some kind of flying force of nature. His savage attack kills the big outright, and it falls to the swirling water below.
The other bugs, that Reck now recognizes as Stirges, buzz angrily and two move to join the two that were already present. They pair off and attack!
All four manage to latch onto their prey. Sharp noses pierce Reck and Noro, draining blood as the first did.
AGain with the weakening effect. Noro grabs at another stirge to rip it off of her. and hoefully squish its little brain from it's head.
you no good lousy .... (insert a string of varisian curses here)
Durvin calls out to the group, "I've got you both, go ahead and jump toward the center on three and you will float down. 1.. 2.. 3!"
The new bug is at an awkward angle and her fist glances off its hard shell.
Noro hears the halflings words. You better not drop ush Noro yells back up as she lets go of the rope leaping out as directed.
Reck pushes back from the wall, trusting Durvin's magic. As he starts to fall, he lashes out at bugs around him.
Reck wounds both his bugs as be releases the wall. Noro pushes off the wall, and Durvin jumps the instant before. It takes a second for Durvin to finish the cast. Wind builds in your ears before you suddenly decelerate and float gently into the water.
The bugs panic. They let go and start frantically buzzing in an effort to get back up into the air. The rest don't follow you down. They just hover about 10 feet up and buzz in frustration.
The water is warmer than the ocean water slightly and is very deep. There is a single tunnel to the south leading into the cave system that is your goal.
Noro swims toward the cave looking for some dry ground weakened by the blood loss, but finally the blasted bugs are gone, for now.
The party falls into the water and makes for the cave. It's dark and dank and smelly, but no bugs are attacking you so it's an improvement. Well, maybe a step sideways.
The ocean water is causing rhythmic pulses in the cave's currents. It's not enough to endanger your footing, but it's there. You come to a fork in the cave. Left or right.
Where to?
Reck heads to the right at the fork. "Trick for finding yer way out o' a cave - put yer right 'and on th' wall an' follow it."
Your path curves to the right for a dozen feet or so before opening into a chamber with ribbed walls carve by the ebb and flow of the ocean. Seaweed clings to your thighs as you trudge. Suddenly, six of the tentacled goblins burst from the seaweed
and rush you!
Noro and Reck both take a hit as the squid's little spears poke and prod. (For an embarassing 1 damage each).
I ain't got time for thish, alright ya little fish headsh, I'm gonna squish the ink right out of your asshes Noro pounds on the first on octo-goblin with a kick to the face.
Durvin is concerned when he sees so many of the creatures around them. He of course decides to sing a calming and rousing song, to calm his nerves.
"I thought yeh liddle bastards 'ad enough o' me th' first time!"
Reck lays into the goblins around him with tooth and claw.
Reck devastates his two targets, leaving little more than bloody hunks of sushi behind. Noro also connects, though her foe remains "standing" on its tentacles.
A flurry of spear prods follow and writhing tentacles trip up both Reck and Noro, landing them in 2-3 feet of murky, muddy sea water! Thankfully, none of the attacks manage to land a harmful hit.
Free of enemies, Reck rolls to his feet and moves to engage one of Durvin's foes.