"The boat doesn't move. Either you swim, or you find out what got us stuck this time." Raag replies.
"Something got boat stuck?" Scrabbler asked. He obviously had no idea how boats worked.
Menrozzar scrubs his fingers across his face. "Daseem, could you use the wand to heal me before we investigate this?"
Menrozzar clearly wasn't doing well - he appeared to be swaying on his feet and moving slowly.
Menrozzar begins removing his armor. "Scrabbler could climb down and see if you can tell what we're stuck on. If not, I'll go for a swim to see if I can figure it out."
Bupkis says to the others, "Maybe if talk to druid spirits, we don't need kill will-o-wisp. But where we go to find?"
"Okies," Scrabbler said, then went over the side to take a look.
Scrabbler finds that there is an anchor attached to the hull of the ship.
Daseem watches the goblins crawl around and nods approvingly when the anchor is found. He thought about fighting the will-o-wisp, which sounded exciting, and was disappointed that Bupkis seemed to want to talk to a boring bunch of druids instead.
Scrabbler climbed back up. "Big metal thing! Looks like fishy hook."
The little goblin says, "Big person pulls anchor out? Bupkis not strong."
With some effort a rope is tied to that thing and the stronger ones of the group try to pull it up, but it doesn't even move an inch. Something is not normal about that thing.
Disembarking service isn't available, but at least it is guaranteed, that Raag stays here for the foreseeable future.
North of the stone marker on the riverbank, Ghostlight Marsh is comprised of slow-moving streams, pools of stagnant water, and scattered hummocks of mud and waterlogged reeds. The water is more than waist deep - for humans - all others will be up to their ears in difficulties.
Bupkis finds a rope; after securing one end to the boat, he uses his powers to try to float the other end over to shore and tie it to something.
There is no tree in reach, but the stone might do. Against all odds the rope and Bupkis ability to move it reach far enough and he manages to secure it.
Bupkis tries to use his silk rope to make a harness to suspend himself from the hemp rope, and then pull himself to shore.
Buphis plan works like a charm. Only closer to the shore the distance between him, suspended from the rope and the water isn't enough.
Bupkis gets out of the harness and, with the aid of the rope, swims to shore.
Menrozzar looks over the Marsh, and frowns. "Ivan, Scrabbler, Bupkis, we need a way for the you to navigate the Marsh - you'll be over your heads in water otherwise. Ivan, do you think we could build a raft for you and the others to float on?"
Scrabbler looked around, mostly up.
Bah! I'll be fine, though, if ye got the know how an' time ta' want to make one, it'll mean less cleanin' for everyone once we get back.
Daseem watches the proceedings with a detached sense of horror. He was far from a strong swimmer, and the idea of drowning rather than dying in glorious combat filled him with an unshakable ennui.
When Menrozzar suggested building a raft, Daseem nodded vigorously.
Bupkis looks around for material to build a goblin-sized raft. he figures the bigger folk can also use it as a flotation device.
Bupkis works for quite a while, but as most of his companions don't like getting wet feet, they wait him out. At the end there is a make shift construction typical for a goblin. It looks like a heap of trash, held together by the gods know what, but it's sturdy enough to carry six goblins, that would only stand in water up to their knees.
Bupkis uses his makeshift raft and the rope tied to the stone to ferry all of his companions mostly dry over to the river bank, where the stone is. Only Scrabbler shows off by walking the rope.
From there it is possible to walk on the dry most of the time. Just now and then where the muddy islands are seperated there is water to cross. But not enough to make it worth to take the raft along. As there is only one way that doesn't lead directly into the shrubs the group takes that one. According to Silvermane's description, North was the way to go and here the path leads there.
But it is not long before the first obstacle is seen. Or to be more precise - raises out of the water in a sudden burst of water and many heads on long necks.
The huge hydra attacks all of the puny humanoids.
Bupkis cries, "Lizard has many heads! So much biting!" One of the heads tries to rip his flesh, although his defensive ward stops it this time.
Waist deep in water, he can't easily step back out of the creature's reach. Trusting his ability to dodge the monster's jaws, he uses his telekinetic powers to shoot a crossbow bolt at the beast.
Ivan gets into hammering distance, provoking if needed, and brings the hamma down.
Daseem was bored. Watching the goblins cobble together an unlikely looking and probably very dangerous raft had been amusing. That was before he realised he would have to go on it. Daseem wasn't good in water and the prospect of an ignominious death by drowning filled him with horror. So when the monster arrived he was suitably excited, "Ooh! Gorum be praised!" Our Lord in Iron had provided once more, and now it was Daseem's job not to let the side down.
Excitedly he approached, trying to duck and jump out of the way when one of the heads inevitably snapped at him. Good idea in theory but armour and sucking mud made that near impossible.
With a whoop Daseem brought six feet of shining steel crashing down upon the nearest head in a vicious overhead arc!
Menrozzar enters his bloodrage, and moves to strike at the Hydra with his lucerne hammer.
All but Menrozzar have a hard time to get to the beast, which bites around with it's many heads. Everyone gets a blow in, and on Menrozzar's hit, the beast falls back into the water.
"Yay! You killed the beast!" suddenly is heard behind the adventuring group in the shrubs.
Bupkis turns around and looks to see who was watching them fight the hydra.
As the monster collapsed Scrabbler quickly snuffed out the fuse on the bomb he'd been lighting. He sighed. It seemed like he was never going to be able to use the happy little boom balls.
When the voice called out, he tried to hide but on the raft there was nowhere to go, so he just waved awkwardly.
Menrozzar ends his bloodrage, but whirls about at the sound of the voice. "Who's there? Come out where we can see you."
"I'm here!" the small woman - probably a halfling - calls out and waves.
"Uh, ohhh..." she voices as her excitement fades, while she looks past you.
Behind you the hydra raises out of the water again to dish out more bites.
"Go, yxou can do it! Kill it again!" the woman cheers you on.
"What?! More biting?", Bupkis cries. This time he shoots a sling bullet at the beast.
Despite the muddy river bed and his armor, Daseem tried to duck and weave as he rushed back towards the nearest head.
With another cry and a grunt of effort he swung the sword in a arc slicing up, hoping to damage one of the heads! He found the unexpected words of the halfling caused his soul to leap, and he gave the slice his all.
The hydra bites at Bupkis as he slings the bullet at it. But it misses the agile goblin and drops into the water again, deadly wounded.
Daseem only manages to slice into the fading beast.
Bupkis takes out another sling bullet, and looks to see where the beast has gone, ready to shoot it, should it reappear.
It takes a while, but after almost a minute the beast rises again from the waters. Bupkis is prepared, but he misses this time. But the hydra misses too.
Menrozzar, having taken a few seconds to catch his breath, roars in rage and attacks the hydra again.
What the bloody stone is this!? Burn it! Lets see if it gets back up from that! Scrabbler, stuff one O' those bombs inta it!
Ivan shuffles around, looking to see if the creature rises again.