"Soliana," Emi calls after the leaving priestess, "vhile you're at the Cathedral see if they hafe any healing scrolls ve can buy- they should cost about the same as Jerukh's supplies but they'll be ready to go already."
Turning her attention back to the quickly emptying table, she continues to talk with her old alchemist friend, "I vasn't asking about healing potions, Jerukh. Between vhat you can do and a priestess I think ve should be okay; I meant, do you think you hafe enough anti-fenoms and things to help stafe off diseases?"
Jerukh answers Emi with an unsure shrug;
"I have one ward for disease... but no anti-venom - take me too long to make a batch."
His brow furrows momentarily, then he looks hopeful;
"... but I have bodybalm powder which remedies disease and venoms when boiled..."
Have faith. You can combat the swamp blights and snake bites. You know this.
Camping in a swamp is not ideal, but if you have no choice, having some way of keeping the bugs at bay is a must. Dry ground will be rare, so making note of those spots when you find them will make making camp much easier.
The New Fish Trail is the first trail you come to when approaching the swamp. The end of the trail is just past an old house that was bought a few years ago by a Walthus Proudstump. Rumor has it that the conman didn't make out like the bandit he thought he did given the halfling's reclusive nature.
A few hours after the meeting is over, the five people that have been tasked with bringing an end to the Licktoad menace are leaving Sandpoint and heading to Brinestump Marsh. The day is warm and pleasant, with no signs of goblins or fireworks in sight.
Well, except for the scorch marks on the town gate and the faint bloodstains on the road.
The trip, as promised, is not far. After only about fifteen minutes, the goblin hunters crest a hill and can see Brinestump Marsh nestled between the cliffs that hem it in and the sea through the trees and over the grassy hills that surround Sandpoint.
surprise round
1 nonlethal, 1 fire
round one
1 nonlethal, 1 fire
As they begin to make their way down the hillside, a disturbingly catchy song fills the air.
Licktoads is the bestest tribe!
Licktoads here to makes you die!
We sing of biggerest boom,
An' bring you fiery doom!
A trio of fireworks blasts form brightly colored tubes held by three goblins that have jumped from some nearby brush to block the path back to Sandpoint. Two of them sizzle through the air at Jerukh, one missing wildly while the other burns a hole in his sleeve and leaves a stinging blister where it hit. The third sails past Emiliana's ear. Surprise is total as the goblins continue to sing.
Longshanks cry as they see,
The goblins scary 'nuff to make them pee!
Beg for mercy, it won't help!
Goblins here to leave stinging welts!
Another trio of charges come streaking for the party. The one aimed at Soliana flies wide to the side and goes sputtering through the grass. The one aimed at Vigny arcs high over her head. The one aimed at Reiko, though, hits her leg, leaving a blister just above her knee and scorching her clothing.
The goblins dance with glee as two of their attacks hit, but the goblin hunters are fast recovering from the surprise.
"Uh, well, those are fireworks then?"
I wonder if those things keep shooting?
In case they do in fact keep shooting Vigny decides to try to remove herself from in front of the tubes, moving diagonally toward the three goblins so she arrives at one of them on the end of their line.
As she moves, she snatches out her sword and the tankard that was hanging looped over it's handle. When she's within reach of it, she swings at the goblin.
those things are loud, but the don't seem too dangerous... well, I wanted a proper adventure- time to be adventurous...
Emi steels her nerves and then moves toward the goblins with Vigny. When they get close she begins moving in a dance-like manner and then slashes at the goblin before her.
,
Goblins: 12 HP, AC 15, 13, 13
Goblin 1: 5/12 HP
Goblin 2: 12/12 HP
Goblin 3: 12/12 HP
Before they set out from Sandpoint, the Tien woman traded her silks for worn cotton knee-length trousers, an equally worn medium-length shirt, and a strange conical hat woven from some plant. She seemed entirely familiar and equally uncomfortable in the clothes. Over her shoulders were slung were her blade and a bow.
The goblin assault draws a quick response. Reiko sprints toward the nearest fireworks-wielding creature while drawing her katana. Her blade slashes at the monster, attempting to remove it's head.
Jerukh spends some time and coin producing two potions over the course of the morning.
Before they set off he offers the potions to whomever wishes them .
HP: 9/10 | AC:15/T12/FF13
Non-Lethal: 9/10
Buffs: -
Conditions: -
Alchemy (2/day): Cure Light Wounds; Heightened Awareness
Bombs (4/day):
Mutagen (1/STR):
Jerukh growls in pain as the firework leaves its mark. The pain shifts to his ears at the vicious creatures shrill singing fills the air.
The big half orc hands shift to his belt seeking to draw forth alchemical reagnets. He pauses before mixing them within a small flask..
Hold. See how the warriors fare... Ware for other threats...
Jerukh shifts closer to the melee ready to activate and throw his bomb, should more goblins appear or the creatures retreat as a rabble...
Goblins: 12 HP, AC 15/13/13
Goblin 1: 5/12 HP
Goblin 2: 12/12 HP
Goblin 3: 12/12 HP
Soliana steps forward, a plea for peace on her lips, sadly, though, her voice falters at exactly the wrong moment and robs her words of strength. The goblins leer at the paladin as they aim their fireworks at her.
Peaceful words are soft and weak
Even moreso from elfsy meek!
Howl and scream is what we say!
The mighty Licktoads win the day!
The next verse is cut off, however, as Vigny followed by Emiliana and Reiko charge in and attack the goblins. Vigny's thrust barely slices one of the goblins' side, bringing a yelp from him, but Reiko's blade fails to find a seam in the crude armor they wear, and Emiliana's dance-like attack fails to even hit the goblin Vigny had bloodied. Meanwhile, Jerukh pulls out a clay phial, and mixes various alchemical agents. The alchemist, it seems, has a firework of his own to show the goblins.
A surprisingly low growl comes from the goblins as they step back to give themselves some room.
Tricksy elveses speaks of peace,
But Licktoads turn you to grease!
Make the blonde one dead! Dead! DEAD!
And take her pretty head! Head! HEAD!
Their aime shifts form Soliana to Vigny as the sparks flare just a little brighter before three more fireworks come sizzling out of the tubes as they shout the last word of their most recent verse. Vigny skillfully bats the first away with her tankard, and the third plops harmlessly between her and the goblin on the other end of the line.
The goblin in middle, though, proves to have good aim this time and the young warpriestess barely manages to get her eyes shut and her head turned in time to avoid being blinded. The charge breaks apart, sending red-hot ash into her hair and down her neck. The cheek the charge hits is now an angry red as a blister begins to form where the attack had struck. Once again, the goblins caper about at their success.
Reiko pursues her quarry, slashing at the goblin again.
Emi moves gracefully along side Reiko towards the goblin they've been attacking. When it falls to Soli and the swordswoman's slashes she quickly points at the next goblin over and, with a short incantation, fires a ray of frost at it...
,
The shot from the firework tube surprises Vigny with it's sting, but mostly it's an irritation to her. She gives her head a shake to clear any sparks that might be lingering on her, and in that time the goblin she had engaged is sliced to pieces by the others.
With it down, she advances on the next closest goblin, telling it "I have to say, annoying as those fireworks are, they're really terrible weapons you know."
Keeping the tankard in her left hand forward to block any more fiery shots, she aims a sword thrust under it at the goblin's midsection.
As the goblins fire off another volley of fireworks, Jerukh scowls then looks for an opportunity to throw his own bombard...
Need to do something!
He cradles the active explosive in his heavy hand, shifting forward to increase his chance of lobbing it into the midst of the surviving creatures;
Any second...
:
:
Emi pouts for a second when her icy ray blows above the pint sized goblins. Her face hardens with determination and she dashes towards the goblin still smoldering from Jerukh's 'firework'. With a twirl she unfurls her scarf and rakes the goblin with its blades.
She smiles and does a little victory jump before noticing the blood on her scarf. Her demeanor becomes more somber as she reflects, "I nefer really thought about the blood... in the stories they just die, you don't hear about how dirty the vork is..."
The goblins get off their shot, but Jerukh's well placed bomb disorients them enough to let Soliana, Reiko, and Vigny finish them off. The three Desnan candles let loose one last little spark each that fizzles on the ground now covered in goblin blood.
Emi walks over to the flustered paladin and hugs her. "Now ve both know the ugly truth about adfenturing," she says compassionately, "but at least ve aren't finding out alone."
Looking with some discomfort at the goblins, she says timidly, "Jerukh... I don't think I can cut off the ears for the sheriff... You hafe anatomy training, could you please do it for us?"
Vigny wipes her blade clean on the clothes of the goblin she's just slain. Hearing Soliana and Emilialiana, she pipes up.
"If it makes you feel any better look at it this way. They weren't out here looking for real combat, or a fair fight, and they certainly weren't looking for us. They were just waiting to pounce on whoever came along next. It might have been a farmer with a load of turnips heading for town. Could have been a family with a sick kid going to see Hannah. Would have been all the same to them. It was just their bad luck it happened to be us instead. Besides, if I understand what we were asked to do correctly, we're supposed to hang around out here killing goblins until we can't find any more goblins to kill. Now we have a decent start on it."
Vigny ends with a "problem solved" shrug of her shoulders.
Giving the burn on her cheek a rub, Vigny waits to hear whether Jerukh will agree to take the ears. She really hopes so. If he doesn't, it will probably fall to her to do it.
You've talked yourself into a real "put up or shut up" position now. If he won't, you can't refuse to, no matter how nasty it would be.
With a deft wrist flick, Reiko slings the majority of the goblin blood from her sword. Like a butcher, she dispassionately starts removing goblin ears. If the task bothers her, it doesn't show on her face.
Jerukh looks at the slain creatures with a melancholy look. At Emi's request he nods slowly and with a resigned sigh moves toward the corpses to retrieve their ears...
Knew this would fall to me...
When he draws his knife, the half orc is surprised to find Reiko already there, completing the red-handed work.
Huh. Damn. She's quiet... and quick...
He leans down to where the earless goblins lie;
"Very precise. Skilful..."
Jerukh then moves his attention from the dead to the living. The tall alchemist approaches his companions, looking each of them over in a very pragmatic fashion;
"Who is wounded?"
Vigny is relieved when Reiko takes on the task of cutting off the goblin ears. Instead she turns to polishing away the black scorch mark the other projectile left on her tankard.
"They do have a talent for rhyming don't they? Amusing stuff, even if part of it was about collecting my head."
When Jerukh comes to look at her burn, she smiles and shrugs it off. "Thanks Jerukh, but I've had worse from spilling hot food on myself working in taverns. If you have a cooling poultice that would be great. Otherwise I'll just make some clean clay mud to put on it for a while."
"I knew ve'd be killing goblins," Emi answers, "I don't regret it or feel guilty... I just nefer thought about vhat bloody vork it vould be... I vasn't quite prepared for that."
By the time Jerukh has checked the injuries and Reiko has finished removing ears, the young Varisian woman has fully regained her composure. "Vell, shall ve continue on our vay then?"
Vigny is relieved when Reiko takes on the task of cutting off the goblin ears. Instead she turns to polishing away the black scorch mark the other projectile left on her tankard.
"They do have a talent for rhyming don't they? Amusing stuff, even if part of it was about collecting my head."
Reiko wipes her blade clean with a silk cloth after her grisly work then sheathes the blade with finality. She chuckles at Vigny's remark, gathers the ears, and recites:
There once was a priest from Nidal,
Whose tool was exceedingly small.
With clamps and chains he was master…
but between the sheets - a disaster!
As…
Her voice trails off as she considers that her audience may not appreciate the bawdy limerick.
Vigny giggles, then claps. "More! How does it end?"
Jerukh scrutinises Vigny's singed skin with a concerned look, his voice low and matter-of-fact;
"They look pretty superficial. If you can suffer them for now I'll dress them when we make camp..."
When Reiko strikes up her risqué lyric, he rolls his eyes, shaking his head slightly.
And here I thought in this company, without Sandru, I'd no longer hear such tunes!
In a somewhat clipped and embarrassed tone the alchemist tries to change the subject;
"We should... ahem... stick to the task. Hunting the Lick-Toad..."
Jerukh busies himself checking his pack, hoping to avoid the others noting his unease at such subject matter.
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Despite her own curiosity, Emi takes pity on her uncomfortable old friend. "Jerukh is right," she chimes in, "ve should stay focused on our task so ve don't get surprised again."
She smiles and gives Jerukh's shoulder a quick, friendly rub then starts down the path again.
Reiko answers both women's questions in a single pass with a small smile, "It's one of mine... And I haven't found the right ending for it yet."
She offers a brief bow of acknowledgement at the idea of moving on and heads down the trail.
Sandru suddenly shakes his he's head in irritation as he drives the brightly-colored wagon that leads his caravan. His companion on the bench turns to see what's bothering his boss.
"Y'know, ve aren't near Rafenmoor anymore, shouldn't be mosquitoes bothering us this far from that place," he says jokingly.
"No, no mosquitoes. My ears are ringing," Sandru replies before tossing his head again.
"Vell, you are getting old, boss," Sandru's companion remarks, a beatific smile on his face.
"Not so old that I can't whoop your sorry arse, Fane," Sandru retorts with an evil grin. Stefan wisely concedes the match and quickly changes the subject.
A little while later, the five adventurers from Sandpoint find themselves looking over Brinestump Marsh from atop the bluffs that border the swamp from the north, east, and south.Beyond the trees, you can see the glittering blue of the sea, and the smell of salt hangs in the air. The head of the New Fish Trail is easy enough to find on the northern border of the swamp. The Old Fish Trail can be seen cutting through the swamp on the eastern border of Brinestump from where you stand, and the smell of decay is strong, even from here. Despite it being nearly midday, there are still wisps of mist curling from between the trees. The chittering of birds can be heard coming from the tangle of trees.
Near the beginnings of the New Fish Trail, there are signs of a recent camp. There are also signs of skirmish around the edges of the camp and it appears that something large was dragged away from the camp if the marks in the dirt are anything to go by.
Off on the southern border of the swamp, you can see two more trailheads. Both are difficult to spot, but they are clear to you once you noticed them.
Vigny walked the rest of the way to the marsh mostly in silence, with some cooling mud plastered on her cheek and her brow furrowed in thought.
I can see why it's incomplete. "Disaster" isn't easy to rhyme!
As they stand looking out over the marsh, Vigny sidles over the Reiko and leans in to whisper in her ear. "Until you find one of your own, how about this ending?
As he poked about with his runt
His partner complained with a grunt
You're looking for my rose but keep finding my pootaster!
As he trudges along the trail Jerukh scowls as behind him whispers take place...
Most likely about their tap-house poetry. Leave them alone. Best that way.
His brow furrows as he surveys the terrain near The New Fish Trail. He moves toward the beginning of the track, pointing toward its edge, then around the area at several points;
"Camp was there. Fighting took place. Something large dragged off there... a steed or beast of burden perhaps?"
The half orc stands tall examining the scene further, then gestures toward the southernmost edge;
"Two more trails hither. I see them."
"Did anyone notice if that Chelaxian knight had a horse?"
"Maybe it vas the Chelaxian that got dragged off," Emi offers, "vith all that armor he must hafe been heafy?"
Reiko examines the scene of the battle, drawing many of the same conclusions as Jerukh. "So, a night ambush... Would it better to hunt the goblins or check on Proudstump first?"
"If there are no bodies and drag marks of something large, it may be the group was taken captive and the horse, if there was one, killed and taken for food. I doubt goblins would try to manage a live horse."
Vigny follows the drag marks if she can to see what is at the end of them if they don't go too far.
Sadly, you can't recall if the knight had a horse or not, but it soon becomes moot point as you find a dead warhorse a short ways away. It has been decaying for several days, and all of the riding tack has been stripped from it. You also find the tracks of four creatures that are humanoid and roughly human sized and one that is smaller with large, bare feet that also appears to be humanoid heading off into the swamp. Closer inspection of the skirmish site shows that several smaller things were also dragged away, and following those tracks leads to a pile fo rotting goblin corpses that are all missing ears.
Vigny makes her way back to the others and tells them about what she found.
"Looks like the knight's party drug the horse away and continued into the marsh from there." she concludes.
Yeah, maybe we could. There were tracks for all of them, and if they continued into the swamp they're probably in okay shape after the fight. But they are way ahead of us. I think we should made for Proudstump's place. He might have seen them, and we might not have to camp in the open if we get there before dark. I'm betting it's very squishy in there, so I;d rather not sleep on the ground."
Jerukh moves to where the goblin corpses lie piled.
Ah Mamă! Ei au miros urât chiar mai rău atunci când mort!
Loath to linger longer than is necessary, the big alchemist pulls his scarf above his mouth and nose and attempts to discern just how many of the goblins were felled;
:
He then returns to his companions - still grimset and quiet;
"Proudstump's makes most sense.."
"Fery vell, to Proudstump's then," Emi echoes. Looking around at the unfamiliar terrain, she straightens her scarves and says to no one in particular, "after you."