Garborn isn't a man for grand plans or strategies, while not stupid, his personality is mostly made up of homespun wisdom and a gregarious personality.
As such, he quickly realizes his go to strategy isn't the most suitable at the moment, and he falls back on another simple plan.
Namely quickly take a step back to give room for Marisol and to cast another spell.
"Oh sky father, grant Garborn a measure of your wrath!"
Clouds begin to coalesce on the cave ceiling. Angry, swirling clouds crackling with electricity.
The sandy floor to the south of the lizardfolk guards' position suddenly gives way, blocking off retreat in that direction.
Marisol grunts and strikes at the palisade, trying to damage it, because that will in the long run probably be easier than trying to climb over it while getting stabbed.
Marisol manages to find a weak spot in the palisade, hacking through the old, dry wood like she was chopping down brush. The lizardfolk guard behind the half-height wall looks surprised- as much as surprise can register on a crocodilian face.
Badly wounded, Vladimir challenges the large lizardman and strikes at him again, this time from a defensive posture.
(fighting defensively, +3 AC - 3+ ranks of acrobatics)
(challenge)
Using the skills he learned on the floors of the dueling school, Vlad expertly evades the big lizardman's defenses and slips his blade into a soft spot in the guard's tough hide. The tribal champion roars again and swings his huge chopper at Vlad's head, while the other one slides around to Vlad's right and pokes his spear at the master duelist.
Focused on the bigger threat, Vlad contemptuously slaps away the big guard's falchion but gets caught by a spear under his arm from the one on his flank.
Garborn grins, holds out a fist and snaps his fingers, making sure the index finger is aimed at the big lizardman at the end.
And as he does, a strike of lighting arches down from the roof.
Nico steps back to pull out shavings of licorice root, and then casts a spell to quicken his allies.
Garborn's lightning streaks down from the ceiling to snap through the champion's falchion, burning the lizardman's hands and arms and making the big warrior jerk and shake as it fights through the pain. "Ssjarlith... w-will... k-k-kill you," it snarls.
Marisol is too busy chopping with haste to put any magic on her blade today.
Vladimir snears, spitting up a bit of blood as he continues to slash at the large lizardman while maintaining his defensive posture.
(haste, fight defensively)
(challenge)
(haste, fight defensively)
(challenge)
Marisol speedily cuts into the lizardman flanking Vladimir, but with the huge warrior focused on him the swordsman can't find a chink in the big lizardfolk's defenses.
On the other hand, the lead lizardman guard can't batter through Vlad's expert defense either.
Marisol's opponent stabs at her but she dodges out of the way, while a javelin flies past her shoulder that she barely even notices.
Garborn, though, definitely notices when another javelin arcs out from behind the melee to stab him solidly.
This time, Marisol manages to bark out the arcane syllable that covers her blade in icy frost.
Garborn, while not the sharpest, still posses a large amount of common sense, and he quickly realizes that while taking out the largest threat is a good idea, allowing the chaff to run free as they will isn't idea as they could whittle the party down that way.
So he decides to use his newfound speed to do some whittling of his own.
So he draws and swings his great-club at the enemy in front, then at the very zenith of the arc, he lets go with one hand and snaps his fingers, sending another bolt of lightning into the large lizardman.
Nico gestures with his hand and utters a short spell. A bolt of force shoots from hits fingertips towards the big lizardfolk.
Vladimir continues to slash at the large lizardman while maintaining his defensive posture. - beginning to doubt himself, despite his own ego.
(haste, fight defensively)
(challenge)
(haste, fight defensively)
(challenge)
Marisol cuts down her opponent with magical speed and precision while Nico and Garborn hit the lead warrior with magic. It roars in pain and confusion- how is there lightning inside the tribe's own cave?- as it continues to focus on Vlad and his dancing, whipping blade.
The lizardfolk champion glances quickly over his shoulder at his companions and shouts something in their own language, which everyone in the group understands. "Warn the others!" The big lizardman suddenly surges forward, trying to knock Vladimir out of the way.
The huge lizardman shoulders the swordsman out of the way and the smaller lizardfolk slither out from behind him, rushing Garborn and Marisol.
The stout dwarf and the quick dhampir both stop their surprise opponents dead, though.
I'm the map I'm the map I'm the map
(haste, fighting defensively)
(challenge)
Garborn, once again using his speed to multi task, first sends another bolt of lightning into the big guy, then he strikes at the lizardman in front of him.
Nico steps back, finding himself alarmingly close to the skirmish. He gestures with his right hand, and sends another force missile into the big guy.
Marisol pivots slightly on one heel to bring her cutlass to bear against the next lizardfolk guard, between her and Vlad.
Garborn strikes the lead lizardman again with his unnaturally occurring lightning. The big lizardfolk roars and shakes his head, looking groggy as smoke pours off the charred spots on his chest and steam rises from his overheated shoulders.
The druid's opponent manages to fend off Garborn's club but Marisol's unfortunate partner finds her cutlass coming from every side, impossible to parry or dodge.
Nico throws a magical dart at the lizardfolk champion and the big lizardman falls with a groan and lands sprawled on his back with a thud that could have come from a small tree.
His opponent down, Vlad turns to strike at the guard between him and Marisol but misses.
Both the lizardfolk, looking on the verge of panic, glance at their fallen leader and desperately try to push past Garborn and Marisol again.
Garborn blocks his slighter enemy but Marisol can't keep her lizardfolk from slithering past. "Go! Warn the nest!" yells one to the other as it makes for the water.
(haste, fighting defensively)
Garborn swings wildly as the Lizardman retreats, then he makes it the newest target for a lightning bolt.
And finally, he strikes at the annoying pest that keeps PUSHING at him.
Nico steps back, and sends a force missile into the fleeing lizardfolk.
The team cuts down the runner with ease and then finishes off the last lone guard. Soon the soft-skins are standing alone in the cave once more.
"Even with victory, sound travel well in caverns, not be able to hide for long.
Take time now to heal wounds if can."
Vlad nods in agreement, wincing a bit from his wounds.
Heading east, a narrow passageway – the archway strangely reminiscent of a gigantic snake’s gaping maw provides access to a chamber of churning water. An exit – a similarly inundated passageway of calmer water – leads southwards.
Still stinging, Vladimir casts another healing spell as heads along the eastern passageway.
"Hopefully the next fight will not be so detrimental to me."
"Heh, lord is optimist, good! Need that spirit when next fight come."
"I'll be right beside you, my dear," says Marisol.
She advances and pivots to peer to the south with her unnatural darkvision.
The group wades into the pool, soon finding themselves chest-deep in a strong current moving east into the next chamber. To the north and south of the channel, more skull fetishes staked into the ground on both sides of the rushing water.
As Vlad approaches the snake-like maw leading to the next chamber he realizes he and the group will have to swim- the bottom of the pool is too deep to touch anymore- and the current is going to make it difficult.
"Out of water! Big danger lurks below!"
Garborn begins to follow his own advice, but he makes sure to do it slowly, as to not alert the big predator.
"Careful, do like Garborn, not panic, not draw attention."
Vladimir nods and likewise, slowly and carefully steps out of and away from the water.
Marisol likewise backs up as directed.
Nico slowly backs up as well.
"Garborn wonder, saw no other way through...
Might not be possible to avoid, but CAN perhaps draw enemy out?
If fighting on land, we fight full strength at least."
"I, uh, don't have any summoning spells. But if we can get it out, I can use a spell that might stun it for a bit. Several seconds at least."
"Anyone got a fish?" Marisol wisecracks.
"Garborn have two ideas, one idea, we use corpse of lizardman to lure to shore and attack.
Second plan, feed enemy with ALL corpses until sleepy, then sneak by."
"Grim, but all right," says Marisol. "I'd rather not swim past while it's sleepy only to discover that it's a bit peckish again later when we come out the other side."