you see something lurking in the cave on the far bank... it is barely moving, and you cannot immediately tell if it has spotted you
"I think that cave is occupied," Syndlara says, pointing toward a cave on the far bank of the river. "Want me to sneak up for a closer look at whatever that is?"
Truk crouches down and gestures to the party.
"Somethin's in there", he says in a low voice. "Let's go take a look."
Stealth
Gatherine promptly disappeared from sight and waddled over to investigate.
When you get to the edge, you see there is a path on your side, which leads down into where the falling water hits the bay. The high side of the ledge leads to a couple more caves upriver.
On the far side there is just a 15' by 5' ledge for the cave which leads nowhere.... this is where the figure was spotted.
Perception
Gatherine scanned the bluff and water in a critical assessment of her surroundings.She tuned out the sound of rushing water to focus on other sounds.
Truk will joins Gatherine in sneaking towards the cave.
In order to have any cover whatsoever, those near the edge must lay flat.
You do not yet see a reaction from the figure, but you know that moving any closer will make detection extremely likely.
Gatherine lowered herself onto her belly and crawled close to the edge,like a cat sneaking up on unaware prey and about to pounce.
From his prone position Truk gestures for Gatherine (and anyone else that sneaked along) to be ready... 1... 2... 3...
Mugambi does not see the figure but follows the others lead. When getting near he whispers.
Want Mugambi talk to make friends? Or is dat snake-witch?
Syndlara sighs, shakes her head and follows after her rash party members. "Let's see what it is, first," she replies to Mugambi.
Truk and Gatherine drop down on the near side ledge, a lizardfolk warrior in that doorway does a double-take, then reaches for his spiked spear.
The figure on the far side step out and points at you.. as if about to yell above the roar of the rushing water.
Initiative
Oi,I got the drop on you! If you move your arses,I'll blast em off!! The dwarf played off the surprise in her voice by scrambling for Twinbellows,getting the pistol from up under her and aiming it in their direction.
"Price was paid to protect the temple... Leave this place smooth skin tribe, or find death today..."
The lizardfolk warrior brandishes his spear, and jabs the air threateningly.
He appears ready to fight... but seems to be giving you a few seconds to leave.
Truk growls and stands his ground.
"Who paid the price and who's temple is it?"
Gatherine stubbornly refused to back down,puffing out her bosom and taking up Sneezy Dragon in her opposite hand.She took a readied stance,and stuck out her tongue.
Bleh.C'mon and make me,you overgrown gecko.
Ons beter gaan met hulle nou of ons kan hê om dit te doen later met die heks help hulle.
We better deal with them now or we may have to do so later with the witch helping them.
Truk'tosh notices the serpent bracelets on the wrist of the warrior.
"Questions not leaving..." The lizardfolk warrior looks into his cave, and subtly jerks his head... like a request for some back-up.
On the far side of the ravine, the figure you first spotted, and another lizardfolk behind... dive into the water from their ledge.
Truk cocks an eyebrow at the sight of the bracelets.
"I don't think these guys are gunna be up for talkin' Poozer", the big orc says with a growl.
Pulling the staff off of his back, Truk nods.
"That's right. We're not leavin'."
Springing into action, Truk grabs two of the sharped spikes hanging off of his waist and hurls them at the closest lizardman.
"They're worshippin' the damned snake god. Kill 'em!"
Syndlara launches into a series of cartwheels, ending the series just in time to perform an aerial somersault and lunge at the lizardman on the near side of the ravine. Her blade catches him across the shoulder, splashing a ribbon of blood across his green skin.
"Fleek, Gorba, stay!"
Let the others fight for now, we will keep back and enter if they need us.
The lizardfolk warrior doubles over as Truk's spike enters his belly. Syndlara finishes him quickly.
As that warrior falls you see another.. just inside the cave.
He holds a weapon which is like the head of the spiked spear the others have wielded, but it is short, and attached to a coil of rope.
Snakes are legless lizards! If you wanna emulate your diety so much,lemme help you by blasting off some limbs!
The dwarf maid charged forward,veering out of the path of Truk's pitched spikes as they whistled past to pierce scaled flesh. She skidded to a halt at the water's edge and raised her double barreled pistol.
Gatherine fired Twinbellows once into the nearest lizardman's scaly belly.Thunder roared,gunsmoke roiled,and sparks flared in a cloud.
Garborn hears a small nasally voice squawk of alarm behind him when Gatherine fires her shot.
"Gahbone what you doin here... I tot you were dead. It me Piendy I'm a captain now. Yuh new fwends are killin all me new mates."
Its a mephit! a water mephit. you used to know a water mephit, he was someone's familiar on the ship? They named him PND for his post-nasal drip.
"Piendy? i t...thought YOU were dead.
What...you are in c...command of the l...lizardfolk? Then call them off! I...I don't want to fight."
Str 12/Dex 13/Con 13/Int 17/Wis 12/Cha 14
HP 26/27
AC (lamellar armor) [Tot 17] [Touch 12] [FF 15] (armor+4 dex+1 dodge+1 natural+1)
CMB:+4 (+3BaB +1strength)
CMD:15 (+3BaB +1strength +1dexterity +10)
Fortitude save +5 (+4base +1con)
Reflex save +2 (+1base +1dex)
Will save +5 (+4base +1wis)
BaB+3
Initiative+1
Perception +7
Caster level check +11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(armor check pen. not included)
Climb +6 //Intimidate +7 //Knowledge Arcana +10 //Profession(Sailor) +5
Spellcraft +10 //Swim +7 //Sense Motive +4 //Survival +9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Speed 30ft/9mtr
+1 Scimitar [att+5 dam1d6+2 18-20/x2 type S]
Shortbow [att+4 dam1d6 x3 60ft type P] 17 arrows
Prepared Spells :Level 0(cantrips):Daze(will DC13);Acid Splash(1d3 acid);Light;Detect Magic
Level 1:Shocking Grasp x2 (4d6 elect)
Level 2:Web (reflex DC15); Bull's Strength (+4 str)
Arcane Pool(1/2 magus level+int mod)[5]
Carrying 40lbs/light emcumbrance/check penalty -1
used the pearl of power for the day
Since Iolana is not good at sneaking around, she remained behind and is now watching the events.
"A friend of yours......Gahbone? If that is your name, but hearing the spelling difficulties of that thing, i seriously doubt it is."
Mugambi moves to Syndlara's side, shield and cestus ready.
The second lizardfolk to emerge from the nearside cave ducks back in to avoid the worst of Gatherine's shot.
He then tries to club Syndlara with his weapon.
Barely affected by the strong current, the two swimming across the river hurl their grappling hook-like weapons while holding the other end of the attached rope.
They both miss their intended targets, and the spiked projectile drags along the ledge as they reel them back in.
It had not fully registered with Garborn before, when hearing it from Piendy it had just be a subconscious thing, but when Iolana commented on it, THEN it fully hit home.
My...my name? My name!
It was like the opening of an overfull dam, a powerful torrent of memories rushing in and nearly overwhelming the poor starved half mad man.
A tremendous shaking affected his hands, his mouth felt dry and his eyes threatening to overflow.
A massive racking sob wracked through his emaciated frame.
But such attacks had come before, and had left his mind shattered in some ways, but also much stronger than it had been before, you can't break what is already broken.
The shuddering stopped as suddenly as it had come, and a small piece of the man from before was put back in its proper place.
Gatherine squeezed off a second shot from Twinbellows after dancing aside to avoid the tossed hook that she guessed meant to snatch her into the water.
Her pistol gave an ominous,clunk of a click and a fizzle of a misfire.She snapped it open and dumped the spent powder and shot onto the ground,grumbling outloud in frustration.
Grrr! Twinbellows! Reload! Barrel one! Go!she commanded to her bandoleer.
Piendy snorts his sinuses clear, then answers...
"Lady Ieana made me captain... but me mates don't listen to me oders. ...and they got scare-wy snarls.."
Recognizing that the water was moving too fast for him to enter it safely, Truk advances on the single land-bound lizardman and takes a mighty swing with his staff.
"Well...uh...why...why don't y...you join us? If your crew doesn't listen to you, then...then t...they are mutineering!"
Piendy's eyes go wide, and the corners of his mouth creep upward...
"MUTINY!!!"
He shakes with excitement over getting to use the word.
"Th...thats right! C...captain, order t...the bosun to hand out pun...pun...punishment according to the l...laws at sea!"
I KNOW something of madness...I am mad myself...
"Bosun! Flog the crap outta them!"
When he realizes no one is coming to flog them....
"Brrrawr... "
... he flies across the river, breathes a cone of greenish liquid onto the two in the river, and heads for the far cave.
The two lizardfolk in the river scream out in pain, and the water bubbles around them.. the current carries melted lizardskin froth over the falls.
Str 12/Dex 13/Con 13/Int 17/Wis 12/Cha 14
HP 26/27
AC (lamellar armor) [Tot 17] [Touch 12] [FF 15] (armor+4 dex+1 dodge+1 natural+1)
CMB:+4 (+3BaB +1strength)
CMD:15 (+3BaB +1strength +1dexterity +10)
Fortitude save +5 (+4base +1con)
Reflex save +2 (+1base +1dex)
Will save +5 (+4base +1wis)
BaB+3
Initiative+1
Perception +7
Caster level check +11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(armor check pen. not included)
Climb +6 //Intimidate +7 //Knowledge Arcana +10 //Profession(Sailor) +5
Spellcraft +10 //Swim +7 //Sense Motive +4 //Survival +9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Speed 30ft/9mtr
+1 Scimitar [att+5 dam1d6+2 18-20/x2 type S]
Shortbow [att+4 dam1d6 x3 60ft type P] 16 arrows
Prepared Spells :Level 0(cantrips):Daze(will DC13);Acid Splash(1d3 acid);Light;Detect Magic
Level 1:Shocking Grasp x2 (4d6 elect)
Level 2:Web (reflex DC15); Bull's Strength (+4 str)
Arcane Pool(1/2 magus level+int mod)[5]
Carrying 40lbs/light emcumbrance/check penalty -1
used the pearl of power for the day
I like this turning of events between Gahbone and that thing
Iolana thought slightly amused by the dialogue between the new member of the party and the creature, but has something else to do for the moment.
The girl thrusts her blade point down into the ground and leaves the handle, then she draws her bow and shoots an arrow to the nearest target.
Gatherine nearly jumped out of her skin when she noticed the green snotty nosed creature dart past her and vomit acid onto the pair of lizardfolk.She gawked and grimaced at the sight of both getting scalded and seeing their scales slough off and get washed away in the current.
...Yeesh.
She performed another quick clear on the second barrel of Twinbellows and ordered the bandoleer to reload the pistol.She kept a worried eye on the apparent ally.
Oi! Where's this Ieana lady?
Confirm
Gatherine squeezed off one shot and watched one of the writhing lizardman jerk as a gory hole was blasted into its side.She smirked.
The lizardfolk in the river flinches as Iolana's arrow "thips" into the water beside him. Likely bolstered by the miss, and the fact that it is not salt water within which his acid-washed skin is waist-deep... he forges on.
The two of them move up river to accommodate their lost ground while being sprayed with an acid spritz, and prepare to hurl their crude corded weapons again.
The lizardfolk warrior on the ledge avoids Truk's strike, but the whoosh can be heard over the roar of the falls.
Gatherine wings the historically neutral but territorial creature with another painful grazing wound. Piendy either ignores or does not hear her question.
Syndlara ducks under a wild thrust from her opponent, dancing within his guard to slash again at his side.
Mugambi curses under his breath for the hundredth time for not have bought a ranged weapon when in Sargava. Drawing a dagger from his belt he steps forward and throws it at the injured lizard-man Gatherine just shot.
Mugambi's dagger sinks into the lizardfolk warrior's neck while he is occupied with Syndlara, and he drops.
No more foes appear from the nearside cave.