Mukluk gives a quick cheer as he rushes in after Treygan's blow, coming in after the creature falls to jab his pick directly into the forehead of the fallen.
damage
Mukluk places his boot on the creature's face and uses it as leverage to wench out his pick, twisting and turning to get it out.
"Sometimes they get back up...even from blows like that, Treygan. It was a nice one."
Mukluk checks the creature for valuables, then is happy to kick it to the side.
The creature's face caves in and it's skull splinters into hundreds of tiny pieces as Mukluk's trusty pick comes down. It doesn't seem to be living through that anytime soon.
Perception
Jean sheathes his dagger but keeps his rapier out at the ready.
"Everyone check around, but stay close. There may be more of them...
Jean starts randomly stabbing nearby bushes.
"Its ok Jean, I think that's the only one for now. You might be right about this and the goblins Treygan, but I don't have the skill to compare these footprints with the ones we saw back there."
Perception
"You guys think this is one of them skellies the goblins were talking about? If so, are we done?" Mukluk scratches his beard.
"Probably not. Let's move on."
Mukluk is ready to press on.
Treygan gives the tracks a look over, not really able to discern anything. "I'm not sure either. Good idea, Mukluk. Let's keep moving."
Gyorgy -
Jean -
Corvus -
Mukluk -
Treygan -
Mysterious Stranger -
Skeletons -
Moving about your way after finding nothing out of the ordinary with the mysterious creature , you continue on your way albeit with slightly more caution.
As you near the location the goblins told you about the ground is no longer soft despite you still being in the swampland. You hear the panicked whinny of a horse and the sounds of fighting ahead. As you near the sound of combat whether stealthily nor otherwise, you see a man mounted atop a grand horse, fending off several skeletons. Several bone piles lie scattered about him already. it looks as if he's in some trouble.
Round 1, Init 9
Mukluk surveys the battle.
"See, what do you know? Sometimes they *do* get back up," Mukluk confirms.
Mukluk looks at his pick then at the things attacking the man.
Know (religion) - the attackers
Mukluk will share what he knows of the attackers.
Mukluk will move 20' and readies to trephinate anything that comes close.
to hit;
damage.
Round 1, Init 18
"Desna, grant our weapons your favor to strike these abominations and our feet the speed to avoid their blows. Let us send them back to the death they deserved before a foul necromancer or black magic brought them back to trouble the world again." György moves forward to close within longspear reach of a skeleton while being sure to leave charging lanes open for the others.
Moving within range Gyorgy is better able to make out the quantity of skeletons and the mysterious stranger himself, a strangely out-of-place knight in plate armor mounted atop a gallant charger of a horse. The man slashes around at the crowd of skeletons with a longsword in his left hand and a lance in his right. Despite wielding two weapons he only appears to be using one at a time.
The knight's armor and tabard are of the Taldan style. You vaguely recognize him as one of the few knights you've seen in Sandpoint, making his living as a hired hand for the caravans that come-and-go from the township, but you've never dealt with him personally.
Picking a target near the edge of the crowd, he thrusts the lance in his other hand forward, pinning a skeleton to a nearby tree, its claws scratching at the haft in a foolish attempt to get free. The remaining skeletons ignore the lot of you as you approach focusing on this knight, surrounded him and his horse, hemming them in and preventing them from moving away. Despite the swamp's terrible lighting, you can make out blood on the horses flanks as it rears and lashes out at one of the skeletons with it's hooves. "Why don't you stay dead!" The knight shouts, raking his sword through ribcages with less than effective force. Mukluk thinks this man might have better luck if he tried utilizing the brutal mace cased over the right saddlebag, but figure he probably hasn't had the chance to pull it yet.
-
-
-
-
"Ok, guys...where's their skin? Wait ya'll were serious about dead walking piles of bones? Erm, uhm....huh?"
With Mukluk mentioning to bash and smash them, Jean walks forward pulling out the "Beating Stick" and moving into a flank position with the horseman.
As ever, Corvus is in two minds. 'Skeletons? Magic or melee? Rapier or mace? Skeletons? Do they react like usual creatures? Oh, what to do!'
HP 10/12
AC 16 T10 FF16 CMD 14
F/R/W 4/0/2
Smite Evil 0/1
Effects
Sermonic Performance
"So there are skeletons in this swamp." Treygan pulls out his sword as he moves forward to help the stranger. "Looks like you could use a hand." He brings his large blade down, overconfidence from the earlier encounter causing him to mistep and miss the fleshless abomination.
Corvus' instincts override her conscious brain and she draws her rapier and wades in to attack the skeletons, swinging wildly and without focus.
As Gyorgy launches into a riveting sermon, Jean steps forward and menaces a nearby skeleton, nodding to the horseman that he is among friends. Taking this sign to heart, the knight lashes out with his longsword, doling out enough damage to lay waste to the skeleton that Jean and himself had been threatening. Meanwhile, Mukluk rushes towards combat as Treygan, clearly the faster of the two rushes past him, taking the spot Mukluk had intended for himself. Treygan manages to swing at one of the skeletons, but in his zeal to do so, he overswings, slicing just behind his intended target who moves only slightly and attacks at the horseman. The other two skeletons remain intently focused on their mounted target and continue to attack him. Corvus, determined to not be the only one not in the fight, rushes towards the fray after her allies, arriving adjacent to one of the skeletons but missing the quick thrust done from her rapier.
Gyorgy and Jean (18)
Mysterious Stranger (9)
Mukluk, Treygan, Skeletons (7)
Corvus (3)
Treygan - The token closest to the skeletons with the icy background
Jean - Next to Treygan with the buckler and Morningstar. Sorry, there aren't any pirate or elf-type tokens left
Corvus - A bit easier to figure out. The female token with the sword and shield
Mukluk - The dwarf at the back
Gyorgy - The mini closest to the screen near Mukluk
Round 2, Init 9
"You'll want to use your blunt weapons, gentlem...uh.." Mukluk looks at Corvus and switches his words. "...Uh...gentlepeople. Swords and arrows won't hurt them as much as a good club or stout rock."
Mukluk grouses about the pick in his hand, wishing it was a stout rock.
Mukluk steps up to the right/top skeleton and tries to aid Jean's next attack while keeping his guard up.
aid another (flank, defensively) vs. DC 10.
Ah yeah.
Jean will 5 ft shift over to maintain flanking against a Skeleton
Attack with the "Beating Stick"
Damage
As Jean smashes into the skeletons skull a glazed look comes across his eyes as a manic grin spread across his face.
"Ah Captain, this is for all that you did to torment me..." SMASH "This is for what you did in the dark of night...." SMASH "This is for the keel hauling..." SMASH "This is for the whippings...." SMASH "This is for the good of all NON....." SMASH SMASH SMASH SMASH SMASH SMASH "HUMANS!"
"Let the rocks and sticks that we strike them with hit with the force of Desna's meteors striking those that would trouble the peaceful peoples of the world." György shifts over so there are no allies providing cover to the skeleton and strikes at it with his longspear. He attempts to aim the spear at the creatures backbone thinking If this doesn't work, maybe I reverse it and try to use my spear like a club.
"Let the rocks and sticks that we strike them with hit with the force of Desna's meteors striking those that would trouble the peaceful peoples of the world." György shifts over so there are no allies providing cover to the skeleton and strikes at it with his longspear. He attempts to aim the spear at the creatures backbone thinking If this doesn't work, maybe I reverse it and try to use my spear like a club.
Shifting just a step up to bring his longspear in range of a skeleton, Gyorgy delivers a riveting speech on Desna's blessings whilst piercing a crack between the skeleton's structure. The spear slips through but manages to knock a few bones free as well, weakening the undead monster.
Following a similar tactic, Jean takes a step forward and in what appears to be a for of semi-controlled anger unleashes pent up aggression against another of the skeletons. With his club, this tactic is a bit more effective than Gyorgy's. The skeleton shatters into thousands of white fragments and the reanimated undead falls yet again lifeless to the swamp floor.
Taking advantage of the distraction his newfound allies are posing, the mounted warrior swings himself up and over his horse's flanks, coming down aside the two remaining skeletons. As he does one of the skeletons takes a swing at him attempting to attack while the rider's guard is down. Missing him, the rider brings the full weight of his shield down upon Gyorgy's target, demolishing the skeletal creature to dust thanks to Gyorgy's help.
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-
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HP 10/12
AC 16 T10 FF16 CMD 14
F/R/W 4/0/2
Smite Evil 0/1
Effects
Sermonic Performance
Taking queue from Mukluk, Treygan shifts the large blade to one hand, draws out his warhammer, and steps up to the remaining skeleton, bringing it down on it.
Round 3, Init 9
Mukluk stops grousing about not having a good rock and moves into flank with the remaining skelly.
to hit;
piercing damage.
"That's how we do it."
"Ha, Desna's grace is greater by far than Urgathoa's undead throngs. Let us continue to smite them and cast the evil from these poor pawns of evil." György moves over to support Treygan while leaving a path clear for Mukluk and others to come against the final skeleton.
Taking a step forward and arcing his warhammer in such a fashion as to being it square against the skeleton, the impact breaks the undead apart, sending parts of it up and away. With the final skeleton defeated, the swamp once again comes to a peaceful quiet as the lone horseman works to get his horse under control before turning to address the each of you.
"Whoa, Sovereign!" Shouts the Knight as he holds on to the bridle while patting his flank. The horse is nervous and stamps about for a moment before settling down again.
"Good boy Sovereign!" He reassures the horse again before letting go.
Turning to you, he sheathes his sword and removes his helm to reveal a sandy haired man with strong features. His muscular build easily carried his Half-Plate armor. The colors of his tabard and caparison were blue and gold, strangely colorful for this part of Golarion. Oddly, his shield had a canvas cover over it with the simple Order of the Sword symbol painted prominently thereupon. He smiles as he bows courteously in your direction.
"Good afternoon gentlemen (and ladies), I am grateful for your assistance here; there were a bit more of them than I had anticipated, and this area is not well suited to cavalry. I am Sir Gavin D'Monteforte, and pleased to make your acquaintance."
Corvus glances around. 'Ladies? I wonder who else he has pegged as female in the group? Surely not the bearded ones?'
Corvus nods in response to the bow and casts her eyes around the area. "Was there a particular reason you thought to bring a horse into a swamp?" Her tone is light and friendly.
"Was there a particular reason you thought to bring a horse into a swamp?"
"Yeah, what kind of piddlespotter brings a horse into a swamp? How is the old nag? Mind if I take a look? He might be taking on a leeching," Mukluk asks while circling carefully behind the horse, trying to confirm that it's a male.
Profession (Driver) - How well tended does the horse look?
"What are you doing out here? Are you lost?"
"I also have to admit, it seems rather strange to find a knight out here. My name is Treygan Gorski, from Sandpoint." Treygan extends a hand in greeting towards the newcomer.
"Was there a particular reason you thought to bring a horse into a swamp?"
"Well, the trails marked on the map looked good enough for riding. And they were! At first. Mostly."
"Yeah, what kind of piddlespotter brings a horse into a swamp? How is the old nag? Mind if I take a look? He might be taking on a leeching,"
The knights face darkens. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the term 'piddlespotter'. Perhaps you'd like to explain it to me in more detail." He said, his voice steady and his grip tightening on his sword. It's clear he feels insulted.
The horse seems to have taken a dislike to Mukluk's impromptu exam though, and turns to face him. He nickers and tosses his head in warning.
"What are you doing out here? Are you lost?"
"No, sir nameless Dwarf, I am not lost." Sir Gavin replied stiffly. "I am on a quest to slay a marauding beast known as 'Soggy'. What are you doing here sir nameless Dwarf? Aside from insulting strangers?"
He turns to keep a wary eye on the rest of you, seeming to trust his horse to watch Mukluk.
"I also have to admit, it seems rather strange to find a knight out here. My name is Treygan Gorski, from Sandpoint."
Sir Gavin smiles and takes his hand.
"Of course! I have heard that Sir Treygan is a knight of sterling reputation from the farm folk hereabouts.""As for what I am doing here, as I said, I am questing for a marauding beast known as 'Soggy'. It has been preying on livestock in the farmlands to the east and farmsteaders have put together a reward for the slaying of the beast, and appealed to me as I was passing by on my way north. I accepted and I backtracked the rumors of it's passage to the edge of the swamp.
"In a clearing southwest of here, I found a sagging one-story shack. The farmfolk were superstitious, as it was supposed to belong to a Swamp Witch, and they fled. I proceeded to go inside and encountered a group of dire rats and a ratling. I beat them handily of course.
"Exploring about the place I discovered what must have been a laboratory. There were cages everywhere, and I think she must have been conducting some manner of experiments on animals there. I think that 'Soggy' must have been one of her experiments."
He shook his head.
"I found a human sized skeleton that I could only assume was hers, she must have been dead for quite a while. Her skeleton... it was disfigured by some hideous transformation. Her skull was half melted and weirdly elongated. One arm looked like a bird talon and long spurs of bone protruded both into and out of the ribs."
He grimaced.
"Uhg; that must have been a horrible death."
"Anyway, when I searched through the lab I found some papers that had some magical writing on them, a detailed map of the Brinestump Marsh, and this well made dagger. I was using the map to investigate several marked areas that could be 'Soggy's hideout.
"One of the places marked is here, and here I ran into those skeletons."
"My apologies - I must appear somewhat rude. I'm Corvus, a barmaid by trade, and a resident of Sandpoint."
She extends a hand to shake Sir Gavin's.
Sir Gavin smiles at Corvus and takes her hand as well.
"I am honored to meet you miss Corvus."
He hesitated, thinking.
"Say, do you work with that Miss Ameiko?"
Jean will step and stand next to Mukluk, hanging his club from its thong on his belt but keeping his hand on the hilt of his rapier, looking at the "knight" warily.
Sense Motive
"Well 'friend Knight', my name is Jean LaFavre and my dwarven companion you are finding so offensive is called Mukluk."
Jean looks over at Mukluk, nods and returns his focus to the knight.
"Piddlespotter is an ancient but respectful dwarven term for the individual who keeps the Sky Citadel streets clean from animal defecation; without the Piddlespotters their homes could be rife with disease and horrible smells."
Bluff
"Now enough of the language lessons. You mentioned a reward for this 'Soggy'? Is it worth splitting among ALL of us?"
Sir Gavin smiles at Corvus and takes her hand as well.
"I am honored to meet you miss Corvus."
He hesitated, thinking.
"Say, do you work with that Miss Ameiko?"
"Of course, I've known her for years and now I work and live at her inn. Barmaid most of the time and dancer part of the time."
Mukluk snorts, finding the horse in good care.
"Your horse if fine," Mukluk says, petting the beast on nose or rump (whichever is offered). "Like they said, name's Mukluk. And it did seem like you needed help, them skeletons were about to work on your horse a bit. Can't have that."
Mukluk offers a not-too-subtle wink at Jean, a knowing smirk across his face.
Mukluk stumps around, already bored with the 'knight' and examines the skeletons.
'Sir' this and 'sir' that. I don't need no sirs, no siree.
Mukluk looks up.
"Wait! Did you say you had a map? I love maps. Let's take a look. Maybe I can point out where you done got lost," Mukluk says excitedly, wiping off the mud from the skeleton bones against his leathers.
The more firm earth of the trodden path of the swamp makes it easier to note the scratches and scrapes of bony footprints leading from the south. Following the tracks leads you to a cave whose entrance is nearly hidden by hanging ivy. You're able to better notice it due to some of the ivy having been torn away, likely by the skeletons foray deeper into the swamp. As you move along the trail you noticed several rusty swords of exotic design.
The map Sir Gavin relinquishes is detailed indeed. It seems that the old witch he spoke of had an extensive knowledge of the swamp and kept several notes scrawled on the back of the map - notations indicating points of interest within the swamp. Some of the notations have additional notes scribbled out next to them indicating what the location likely contains.
A*: New Fish Trail (Leads north to that filthy village, Shardpot)
B: Old Fish Trail
C*: Lost Coast Trail (Overgrown and hard to find with your failing eyes)
D*: Trail Home (Keep cleared of brush)
E: Bridges
F*: ??? (Some lair it looks like. Beast gone. Nothing but dead folk. Use some for experiments later possibly?)
G: The Half-man
H: Gutwad and his goblins
I: Shipwreck "Kaijitsu Star"
J*: Home (Honestly, old woman, if you can't remember this... No reason to even mark it. You're gonna be the only one seeing this anyhow..)
K: Shipwreck "Kaijitsu Blossom"
L: Caves
You know already of several places marked by the map and can confirm their existence so the map looks to be authentic, if not a bit dated. After your long journey through the swamp, you now find yourselves close to the spot marked 'K'.
The rusty sword is a wakizashi from the distant land of Tian Xia.
"Also, will 'Soggys' head suffice or did they want its ears?"
Perception
Mukluk rubs his hands together, anxious to get them on the map.
"I love me them maps. Lemme see! Lemme see!"
Know (Geography)
Mukluk handles the short sword from his examinations of the skeleton.
"Yep, that's a sword, alright. Uh huh."
Corvus takes in the scratches and scrapes leading to the cave entrance and points out the torn ivy to the others.
Perception
"Hey look, I'm guessing that must be the cave that these things come out of."
Jean draws his rapier, holding it in his left while holding the "Beating Stick" in his right...
"Shall we go in or are we waiting for an invitation?"
"I'll go take a peak inside."
Jean will creep forward and try to pull back the ivy and peer inside to see what he can see.
Stealth
Perception
"Invitation, I think. I'll wait here for a bit."
Mukluk nearly stops Jean from going in alone, but relents, allowing the elf to do what he needs to do.
He stands outside the entry, pick in hand, ready to help.
While he waits, he sizes up the new Sir and his fancy warhorse, so far from the mules and packhorses he's used to tending.
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"Piddlespotter is..."
"Oh. Of course. What was I thinking."
Sir Gavin now regards both Jean and Mukluk as scum of the earth and does nothing to conceal it.
Reaching out to his lance, he pulls it free; also unpinning the skeleton.
"Whoops, you missed one."
"You mentioned a reward for this 'Soggy'? Is it worth splitting among ALL of us?"
Sir Gavin frowned. "I don't know, you would have to apply to the Combine. Does this mean that you have already encountered the creature?" He replied, looking pained at the loss.
"Your horse if fine,"
"Yes, I know." Sir Gavin replied flatly. "But I certainly appreciate your opinion. The dwarven people are renowned for their expertise in horses."
"And it did seem like you needed help, them skeletons were about to work on your horse a bit. Can't have that."
"Yes, yes, I APPRECIATE your help, but Sovereign and I would have had them in time." He seems irritated at the truth of that.
"Also, will 'Soggys' head suffice or did they want its ears?"
"I had hoped to present the head. Typically civilians are more willing to pay in such cases."
Outside the cave, Sir Gavin reconsiders weapon optimization and pulls the flanged mace out.
As an afterthought, Sir Gavin said; "By the way, can anyone here read magical writings? I found a number of papers in the witches lair that I cannot make heads or tails of."
Mukluk seems largely immune to the scorn of the newcomer, having dealt with numerous prickly types in his years of caravaning (and he's used to it as a dwarf). Busting the chops of the newbies was just a way of making friends.
Mukluk folds up the map neatly and hands it back to Sir Gavin.
"Here's your map back, thanks. I marked where you made the wrong turn. It's right next to the Center For Knights Who Can't Read Maps Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too."
"By the way, can anyone here read magical writings? I found a number of papers in the witches lair that I cannot make heads or tails of."
Mukluk scratches his beard.
"I suppose I could take a look. Ain't no fluff off my beard," Mukluk stretches his hand out for the document. If given...
Mukluk twiddles his fingers and speaks some words of power with not much confidence...and is pleasantly surprised when something happens.
"Lemme see here..." Mukluk takes some time to pore over the documents.
Take 20 Spellcraft = 28
"Uh huh...hmm...what does that mean? Oh right..." Mukluk mumbles as he works hard.
Sir Gavin deliberately erases any such markings on the map that Mukluk made.
When Mukluk reaches out for the papers, Gavin looks around for someone (anybody!) else to give them first; but if not reluctantly holds them out.
1) 2 Scrolls of CLW
2) 2 Scrolls of False Life
3) 1 Scroll of Water Walk
Mukluk squints again at the paperwork. "Uh huh...hmm...what does that mean? Oh right..."
Finally, Mukluk reaches his assessment of the scrolls.
"These are scrolls. Simple, magic scrolls. Why didn't you say that, 'Ser'? Nothing too fancy pants about them. These two here will allow certain members of our group to heal wounds. They are nice enough. Maybe Treygan or Gyorgy there," Mukluk points out the two scrolls of CLW and hands them back.
"These two here, give a false and longer last life for a short period. I might be able to figure them out to cast them. They are interesting," Mukluk hands back the scrolls of False Life.
"This last one is powerful magic. It takes one of high faith to cast it...not something I'll be able to do. But someone here might. I dunno. Allows one to walk on water, if you can believe it." Mukluk, too, hands back the last scroll to Sir Gavin...as he has completed what was asked.
Mukluk gives a smile to the Gavin and pulls out his heavy pick, ready to storm the cave if Jean cries out in need.
"As to your question about the creature, we did encounter something we believe to be it. We dealt with it at the time but did not take any mementos from it. Of course that doesn't mean that there's no purpose out in this swamp. We ourselves have our own quest. The local goblin tribes have been acting up. We've come to deal with them and after encountering them at their lair found they are having troubles with the walking dead. I would wager there's something more going on that we have yet to discover, but we are hoping they agree to stop their actions against Sandpoint if we deal with this undead threat. I doubt they will uphold their end of the bargain, but even a chance to make peace is something to hope for. And of course, eliminating the undead. So what do you say?"