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Fifi agrees to wait until dark, at which point she pulls out a little helmet she has in her backpack.
"Fifi's Stealth Mode Activated"-she whispers while trying to act cool, the tears in her cheeks dried by now.
The helmet is rough around the edges, and not very well-polished, but it seems to have twin metal wings that have been bolted into the sides, which she keeps polished to make them look the best. As she stomps around nervously, worried about the man, it's clear she is not very stealthy, since her armor clanks around with every step.
It is already pretty dark out, the heavily cloud cover doing its best to dampen any lingering light in the evening sky, so you head out quickly.
The lack of light does well to conceal your movements, but it also makes it very difficult for everyone but Fifi and Londo, and his ever-present spirit companion, to see much of anything. The young paladin, and old warrior end up leading the way down a muddy escarpment that quickly turns into a tangle of shrubs and swamp weeds. At the base of the hill, the dirt path becomes even muddier as it winds back through the shadowy mire beyond, but it does allow you to thread your way through the Phalanx soldier's line without raising any obvious alarms. It is slow going, and not easy... all of you covered in layers of muck from the occasional miss-step along the way. Eventually though, they are able to get everyone through and join up with the main trail, which proves far less prone to accidents. You go for about a quarter of an hour before you figure you are far enough out of Railford that lights of your own should no longer be an issue.
Unfortunately, the vineyards-turned-swamps are no less gloomy to look at at night than during the day. As if to accentuate the point, it starts to rain again... though not the heavy downpour you had earlier in the day, instead a constant steady drizzle. Still enough to make sure any of you that had started to dry out, stay completely damp as you continue on.
Shortly after, Masym points out a moss-covered post on the side of the trail, and pulls aside the growth to reveal a cracked plank crudely cut into an arrow shape concealed underneath. It points off the path to the east. Faded writing on the plank, barely legible, reads: Barrel-Caves 2.5 miles.
You can only guess there was an actual discernible path there once, though only the trained eye of Masym seems able to pick it out once you leave the main road. As far as you can tell, you're slogging through a muck almost a foot and a half deep in a totally random direction. But he assures you you're on the right path, occasionally pointing out markers or terrain indicators that no one else can quite make out.
But the reality of it is, you're basically wading through what amounts to a shallow bog, almost a foot and a half deep. It is slow and uncomfortable going. Even worse for Midge of course, the soupy mire comes almost up to her chest, and she starts to lag behind, forcing everyone to slow slightly to not get separated.
You've gone maybe a mile, though it feels like five times that, everyone feeling a little drained and exhausted, when you hear a quiet exclamation from the little halfling in the back. You glance back to see her staring at her hand, at what at first glance just looks like more mud, but you soon realize is actually a leach!
A quick survey of everyone soon reveals that you are all covered in them, mostly below the mud line, on your lower legs. Even as you discover them, one or two drop off into the mud with a plop, apparently sated.
Fifi finds six of them, by far the most of everyone, something about her planar blood apparently a big draw. Midge finds three more, beyond the one sucking on her hand, but given more of her was in the muck, it is not surprising. Marcus and Masym both locate three, though the former's are in rather hard to reach locations. Londo finds only two, while Kioshi has managed to avoid most of them, with only one visible under close inspection. Even Zarisha has managed to get one of the little vermin latched onto her... though what the thing is feasting on is hard to say, though its color seems to have faded from black to a dull gray.
Though whether to wait until you're out of the mire or not to do so, is a different question.
Letting them feed until they fall off on their own is probably not the best idea.
You might need to stop and check regularly, going forward, to make sure no more stay attached for long. Easy enough to do, but will slow your progress even more than the mud already is.
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Apparently Masym's previous experiences enable him to shrug off the blood drain without any lasting effects but he knew the others would not be so lucky...
"Damnation! Hold up everyone! We gots to remove these leeches afore we go any further...jes not sure how to do it without causing infections!"He considers the matter before he snaps his fingers, "Salt! That should remove the little buggers," glancing at Fifi, "Though flame will do in a pinch! Also we will need to check for more leeches as we move, so that will slow us down."
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Midge does her best to slog through the deep swamp water, straining against the mud and grunting with effort.
"Ewww! There's so many! You do not want to know where I just found some, guys..."
"They're more gross than anything. Even the most basic healing magic should counteract the effects of the blood loss." Midge points out. "Not that I want to just leave them there... Blech!"
Having neither salt nor fire -- no fire that would hurt less than the leeches that is -- Midge tries to yank off the leeches.
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Marcus shudders as he gingerly prods at one of the leeches. "The thoroughfares in this hamlet are in dire need of improvement.... this is... disgusting."
Listening to Midge's expert opinion, Marcus withdraws his wand of Cure Light Wounds. "Anyone who is feeling ill should patch up. We should not march into a skirmish with ghouls unless we are in tip top shape... myessss.. Londo, would you do the honors?"
He then produces some flint and steel from his pathfinder's kit. "Unless anyone has salt handy or knows where to find some... This will have to do. Unless you'd rather me pour some alchemist's fire on you... but I have that reserved for Masym... per his request of course."
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Londo produces a torch and lights it, applying the flame to he and Zarishas leeches before calmly offering to tap everyone with their wands.
I agree Marcus. A battle fought with sore feet is often a battle lost as they used to say in my merc company.
Zarisha howls in agony overplaying the direness of the scenario
Youre all going to die. Ashes to Ashes, Muck to Muck. We are all leech food in the end anyway. Dead in a testament to mans greed and lack of respect for the truth
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When encountering the muck, Fifi recoils and does her best to stay away from getting too deep into the swamp. She jumps from rock to rock, but not long passes before she needs to get down to her hips in muck.
As she makes her way through the swamp, she constantly makes faces that emphasize her disgust and general unfamiliarity with the circumstances. More than once, the group may hear a "Ewww!" from the uncomfortable girl.
As the party discovers the leeches, Fifi gasps in horror, as you notice she seems pale and pretty weak. She tries her best to lift up her legs on a nearby rock, pulling up her skirt in embarrassment, trying her best to not reveal anything too risque to the group.
"I-I don't feel so good"-she says while revealing 3 leeches in each leg, which seem to have latched onto her exposed flesh between her groin and stockings.
The ifrit girl seems way too embarassed to even ask Londo to burn the leeches off of her, given their compromising location. She does however ask with flustered cheeks "M-Mister Londo, could you use the wand on me? I think these leeches like my blood the most."
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Once Londo's used the wand on everyone who requested it, Midge shuffles back and forth with a squelching sound.
"Come on, Fifi. Yank them off and let's go. We'll get more the longer we dawdle."
If Fifi proves too squeamish to remove her own leeches, Midge reaches out and yanks them off, apparently unconcerned with personal space.
"There! Good as new."
She starts to bounce herself forward through the deep water.
"I'll just get a head start here... I know I'm the slow one."
"Urrrrgh! Grrrr..." Midge grunts and groans with effort just to get a few feet. Despite how difficult it seems to be, she doesn't complain.
It doesn't take long to realize just how pervasive the leach problem is, the little parasites managing to get under clothing, inside boot tops, and anywhere else that the muddy water gave them access to flesh. Fifi wearing a skirt was just icing on a blood-scented cake. It takes almost half an hour to find a small patch of higher ground, and strip everyone down enough to thoroughly examine for more and then to remove them. Eventually though, you are on the move once more, though the path doesn't get any drier, and knowing that the leaches are down there, eats at your thoughts with every step.
You've gone maybe another quarter of a mile, and are starting to think the mire is getting shallower, when the ground drops away and it suddenly is not a simple matter of wading through it. The next portion is the deepest its been yet, what must have once been a shallow dip in the landscape now a small pond, perhaps thirty feet across, with the flooding. The water is dark and murky, with a patchy film of sickly-colored, rubbery fungus floating on the surface. Right on the edge, where the water gets deeper, three moss-covered planks hang cockeyed from a rotten wooden post.
They are more signs, though no one's been upkeeping them in years.
The top sign reads: Railford 1-3/4 miles
The middle sign reads: Barrel-Aging Caves 3/4 mile
And the bottom plank says simply: Beware of Screamers
You doubt that signs of Becher and his men going to the Caves would still be noticeable, especially after the recent weather... but it is possible Jessup might have made the trail on the way back that morning.
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Marcus motions for Londo to use his wand on anyone with anything more than superficial wounds.
"Hold onto that Master Greenbottle. It will be of better use in your hands than mine. And keep torch on hand. If we're lucky we can ward some of them off before they begin to bite."
Marcus shudders. "I shall continue to tell myself that at least they aren't oozes."
"Ah, Barrel-Aging Caves in 3/4 mile. And beware of screamers? Hrmmmmm...."
It is not common to find them in this sort of environment.
If like the subterranean varieties, they are mostly harmless, though the noises they make can attract the attention of more harmful things. It is for just that reason they are often used as warning systems but subterranean races.
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Fifi indeed proves to squeamish to remove the leeches on her own. More than the pain, she doesn't seem to be used to touching the slimy little bastards.
As Marcus reads the sign, Fifi interjects "Uh-I don't think it's such a good idea to just waltz in. Maybe we should knock over a tree trunk and use that as a canoe? I don't know, maybe those screamer thingies are right there on the pond"-she says while fidgeting nervously, imagining getting leeches all the way up to her bosom.
Fifi looks nearby for a suitable tree trunk.
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"Nothing in sight, damn."-Fifi says while cleaning as best she can her face.
"Maybe we can attract those screamers with this."-she says while pulling out a ration. She unwraps it and makes a cut on her hand, not enough for it to spurt out, but enough to dab the ration in her blood a few times before the wound stops bleeding.
With the blood-stained ration in hand, she throws it as best she can into the center of the pond.
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Kioshi thinks for a moment.
"Well guys, Screamer might be referring to bog screamers... a local name for a water-borne variety of creature more commonly known as a shrieker. Shriekers are a relatively common form of fungi found in underground and dungeon environments, that has a tendency to emit a loud high-pitched 'scream' when disturbed. It is not common to find them in this sort of environment."
"But it is important to note that they are mostly harmless, though the noises they make can attract the attention of more harmful things. It is for just that reason they are often used as warning systems but subterranean races."
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Masym ponders the murky water for a moment before looking up at the others with a grim expression. "Someone (or something) has been through here recently. Could have been Jessup, but no way to tell. If any of the Phalanx soldiers be waiting for us those screams will let 'em know we're comin'!"
Eying the bog closely, he turns to face Midge with a set look on his face. "No way yer gonna swim in that. You will need ta get carried by someone."
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Londo tries his best to remain stoic and professional around Fifi during his treatment of her wounds but...he peaks
And then feels guilt and stays away from her for a bit.
The barrel-aging caves eh? I guess if we can maneuver in such a way that the mushrooms don't give us away that we can get the drop on them. You can talk to plants fifi?
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"Thanks guys." Midge says when she get healed.
As the water suddenly gets deeper, she lets out a shriek of surprise. She disappears underwater then pops back up and swims back to the group a few feet. Back in the 'shallow' water she crinkles her nose. "Yup, that's deep."
At Masym's suggestion Midge admits, "Yeah, I'm not the best swimmer." She climbs onto Masym's back for a piggy-back ride. "Your idea. No take-back-sies," she jokes as she wraps her arms around his neck, careful not to choke him.
From her new perch she looks around, curious if she can spot any of the 'screamers'
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"I, sadly, cannot talk to plants. Can you imagine what I would do if I could? I'd talk to every flower I could, and ask them for their secret - how one such as I can achieve such beauty!"-she says with a smile looking up at the sky.
"Well, if we're dealing with mushrooms, I guess they're stuck to the bottom of the pond. If that's the case, we'll need to swim accross, without touching the ground."-the Ifrit girl says with a shudder."I'm not a very good swimmer myself either, since we had no pools back home in the City of Brass. Only lava pools. And I can't swim in those!"
Pretty much anything that could float has long since floated away. All that's left is far too thoroughly waterlogged to support much of anything on the surface.
Of course, Midge has her own thoughts on that, and takes Masym's suggestion as an offer, clambering up on the stoic man's shoulders without hesitation.
It is hard to tell exactly what Masym thinks of this new arrangement.
Despite having read somewhere of the Taldan variation of the shrieker known as a bog screamer, Kioshi is not entirely certain what they look like... the only noticeable thing from where you are being the rubbery fungal growths lining the side of the deeper section. Though you can make out the break in them, that Masym pointed out indicating the passage of someone through the area.
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Londo trudges through the chest high water with as much dignity as he can manage.
Zarisha meanwhile begins reciting all of the hard disturbing facts about the realities of drowning.
And as you know once your lungs are filled with water your body will momentarily feel a pleasurable sensation. Of course maybe not with this swamp water...
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"Hang on Midge..." Masym warns as he slowly moves into the brackish swamp water, using his powerful legs to keep both his and Midge's faces above water. Deciding not to risk things further he follows along the same trail he saw earlier.
This...could be worse... Masym reflects silently as he carries Midge across the water. Guess I owed her one anyway...
You carefully work your way into the deeper section of murky water, Kioshi taking the lead, and the bottom does drop away, though never enough to completely submerge the taller folks... though only Londo continues to stand, the rest slowly stroking their way through the water, aiming for the far side.
The folks in the front are just past half way across, when the strange sickly-colored fungus floating along the edges there start to quiver, as if disturbed, then almost immediately small fissures open up along the top of them, and a loud shrieking noise bursts forth.
It is almost deafening. So loud, you can't even hear each other anymore, much less anything else!
Still, it is just noise, and you press on, eager to reach the far side before something more dangerous is alerted.
Unfortunately, that something was far closer than you realized, and almost everyone spots it almost immediately, except for Londo who seems distracted by the constant recitations of his spectral companion, that he can still conveniently hear, even above the fungal screaching!
Something starts to rise slowly up out of the water, at first looking like little more than another of the strange bog screamers, until you notice it has a number of long purple tendrils growing out from its cap, like grasping fingers!
You do remember that getting touched by the purplish tendrils is very very bad. If these are like their subterranean cousins, they feed on rotting and decaying organic matter... but do not wait passively for it to come by. Their touch contains a virulent compound that causes living matter to putrefy and rot with sickening swiftness.
- Round 1 --------
Midge
Marcus
Kioshi (-1)
Fifi
Zarisha
Masym (-3)
Fungus Amongus
Londo
Everyone but Londo can go (Zarisha can react if she doesn't need instructions fist)
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"Thanks," Midge tells Masym as he carries her across the pond.
A short while later she flinches as the mushrooms start screaming.
As the battle begins and she spots the tendrils of the monster mushroom, Midge raises a hand to point it out to Masym and promptly falls right off his back, landing in the water with a splash.
Fortunately she stays afloat.
Midge mutters a few strange words as she moves her hands around grandly. Her right hand draws a half-moon in the air and the other hand cuts through it from top to bottom.
There's a sudden shimmer in the air before her, and then nothing.
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"Be careful, Midge! I don't want you to fa---", Masym tries to warn his diminutive rider, unsuccessfully as it turns out. Not wishing her to get struck by the violet fungi tentacles he swiftly reaches over and plucks her out of the water and back onto his shoulders.
"Dammit! back up! Stay away from those tentacles!"
Concentration to Cast While Swimming
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"Oh come ON! Now this is just getting ridiculous! Clearly this region is in need of better care... now if my father was responsible for these lands the swamp would be patrolled weekly and offending creatures such as THIS would be reported to the Duke for prompt EXTERMINATION!"
Marcus, clearly trained in more leisurely swimming styles, propels himself forward with a clumsy breaststroke. However as he reaches his target, he halts, kicking his feet back and letting his momentum carry him forward underwater as he draws his blade.
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Fifi struggles to find a way to deal with the creature, knowing her scimitar will do nothing in the water. With Londo and Zarisha taking the right, Fifi decides its best to protect Kioshi and tries to swim between him and the fungi.
Fighting her way through her heavy armor, she tries again.
But to no avail.
"Dammit! Kioshi, be careful those things don't get to you!"
As the bog screamers start their strange wail, and the unknown creature starts to surface, most of the pathfinders are quick to action!
Unfortunately, there is only so much action they can take, chest deep in swampy water...
Midge almost immediately loses her grip on Masym's shoulder, though manages to keep her head above the water. Surprisingly, she is able to just incant the arcane words, and make the requisite gestures, to get off a quick protective spell, before taking any more mouthfuls of the brackish stuff. Masym immediately turns and grabs her again, moving her back where she can get a hold of him once more, though it takes all his attention to do so, as the new threat looms. Kioshi too throws up a quick defensive spell, though does not have to make nearly as great an effort to do so. This one creating a number of illusory duplicates of himself... four of him now in the water where there was one only moments before.
Marcus, being Marcus, says something that you can not quite hear over the screaching fungus (though you're sure it was complaining about something), as he moves forward with a few quick strokes, putting himself between the surfacing threat and the others. He draws his dueling sword as he ducks below the surface... quickly realizing his weapon does not move nearly as well as he's used to underwater.
Zarisha too moves forward, her ectoplasmic form seemingly affected by the water like everyone else, though she seems little concerned by it. Without further direction, she immediately attacks the nearest bog screamer. A low mournful wail erupts from her mouth as she starts to beat it with her ghostly weapon. Despite its appearance, the sword clearly has no edge in its ectoplasmic form and strikes the cap of the bog screamer above the water more like a long stick. Immediately, where it connects, the screamer seems to almost deflate for a moment, instantly releasing a large cloud of noxious vapors, that instantly surround it, and engulf the phantom as well, before dispersing.
Fifi, buoyed by her initial success, continues trying to swim forward in her heavy armor, but her lack of skill finally catches up, and with a startled yelp, she goes under. You see her thrashing her arms and kicking her legs, trying to get back to the surface, though it only seems to make things worse, as she quickly loses track of which way is up, or what way she is facing under the muddy water, and completely disappears beneath the surface.
Her mind starts to rebel, as panic slowly starts to eek its way into her thoughts at the unfamiliar experience. So, when her foots suddenly hits something solid, giving her a point to orient herself, she immediately pushes off of it... not for a moment ruminating on the fact that whatever her foot hit was not mud, or organic, but in fact seemed almost metallic and definitely out of place there. Then, she is momentarily disoriented again, and a little confused, when her head breaks the surface almost immediately, before she has even finished fully extending her legs, her feet still in contact with the bottom... the water clearly not quite as deep as she'd assumed.
Her harrowing ordeal was luckily not the focus of her companions attention, if they noticed at all... that was reserved for the new creature that rises up directly beside Marcus, both of them just below the surface. Even in the murky water he can see one of the tendrils sliding through the water like a weed, at the moment, more like a tentative feeler than a concerted effort... though even as he avoids it, he can see more such tendrils coming into view.
- Round 1 --------
Londo
- Round 2 --------
Midge
Marcus
Kioshi (-1)
Fifi
Zarisha
Masym (-3)
orange fungus, blue fungus, green fungus, yellow fungus (-7), violet fungus
Party is up!
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Masym, unable to direct his companions due to the shrieking, clamps one hand upon Midge's leg so she does not slip off him again and draws his spear here, knowing it would be most effective in the waterlogged area. Seeing the violet fungus is the most deadly foe here he focuses his attention upon it.
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SPLASH!
Midge falls right back in the water.
But manages to stay afloat.
Midge shouts something at Masym, but can't be heard over the shriekers.
Kicking to keep her head above water, Midge tries to cast another spell. She mutters in a strange language and moves her arms through the water, her right hand draws a circle and the left stabs forward...
...causing a glob of acid to fly through the air at the strange plant!
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The noxious fumes cause Zarisha to begin convulsingand reacting poorly. They cannot actually harm her but....the semi-real nature of her condition forces her to react as if they do.
Londo felt a pang of sympathy and moved up to join her and moves his great big axe against the violet fungus.
He wants to speak, to give commands.
Old Soldier habits.
Instead....He merely struck the fungus. He called upon a reserve of strength, knowing it would leave him fatigued in a moment.
As Zarisha wails and thrashes about from whatever gasses the bog screamer emitted, Londo pushes his way forward, bringing his great axe up and down into the water where he thinks the more aggressive fungus lurks... but attacking something beneath the roiling murky water proves more difficult than he'd hoped, his axe merely sinking beneath the surface making no contact at all.
Kioshi begins the long incantation of another spell, his arms sending ripples across the water as he waves them in complex patters. Midge continues to cast as well, barely managing to keep her grip on Masym as she does so, only the man's firm grip on her foot keeping her from floating away once more. She finishes her spell, hurling a small glob of acid at the more aggressive fungus... but even though she takes the time to aim it carefully, the press of bodies in the way, and moving about, make hitting difficult enough, before trying to shoot through the water's surface comes into play as well, distorting locations enough that her missile fizzles harmlessly in the mire. As she tries, Masym pulls out a spear, realizing it better suited for attacking the underwater enemy than his sword would be.
Fifi, her feet firmly planted on the muddy bottom, slogs her way forward as best she can, not getting far, but far enough to put herself between the wizard and the remaining fungi... none of which appear to have moved, or done anything but make the loud screaming sounds. She arrives just in time to see Marcus suddenly roar to the surface, rising up from below with his blade held in both hands over his head. Face to face with the grasping creature beneath the surface, he has a very good idea of where it is, and brings his blade down in a single rage-fueled mighty blow. Despite the impediments, his aim is true, and he sinks his blade deeply into the spongy creature below, cutting off a large section that sloughs off into the murky mire.
The purplish tendrils, only tentatively grasping a moment before, suddenly start to throb a deep sickly color, and begin to lash about with renewed aggressiveness, all of them towards the source of the blow! One just misses his sword hand, as he pulls back his weapon, and a second slides along the edge of the metal sword, missing him entirely and apparently not able to harm the blade at all. But a third wraps around his right leg, beneath the water... and where it touches, his clothing and the skin and flesh below instantly start to rot away, as burning excruciating pain starts to radiate upwards from where it touches.
Before he can pull away from that one, a fourth tendril slithers around the side, contacting his left hip. It too almost instantly begins burning through the thick layers of clothing and armor there, to eat away the flesh and cartilage beneath that pain melding with the first!
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- Round 2 --------
- Round 3 --------
Party is up again!