Kriger having no desire to swim - considering the frog would definitely have the upper hand in that - sticks to land and works his way around the water.
Kriger keeps to dry land and seems to fare pretty well thus far, finding good patches to support his weight. All of a sudden, he hears a loud croak from Aroko, a clear sign that the Boggard has swallowed the tadpole or let it come out completely.
From a distance the townsfolk erupt in laughter and croak loudly and derisively at Aroko's bad fortune. Aroko's skin is turning bright gold, probably as a result of the poison coursing through him. You hear Sepoko comment: Gold is a good sign. He's still in the race!" Indeed, the Boggard seems to remain in the race, and manages to regain on Kriger.
Kriger, as you keep running forward through patches of dry land, a flash of movement catches your eyes on your left. Through the long dry grass, you can make a hungry giant frog who blinks at you hungrily.
Oberlin politely clapped for Kriger, while about 5 feet over the small group's head "GO KRIGER!!" wrote itself in a gold fizzing and popping common script before fading and re-writing over and over.
Marcel steps quietly onto the carpet, again taking up a position behind Kalsgrim.
Noticing the over-sized amphibian, Stupid frog. I'd kill it if I had the time. The ranger stays on course, hoping he's not forced to actually have to stop and kill it.
One of us needs to stay on the ground. Oberlin thought, watching the Duke and companions rise into the air on the carpet. We cannot afford for the Boggard to think that we are not trusting them or fleeing.
Malaswyn takes control of the carpet and inclines his head to Sepoko, "A new perspective on the competition, your lordship."
Sepoko smiles and is visibly impressed by the carpet. He invites Aloka to come on the carpet as well.
Kriger moves like an old hand, making his way swiftly through the marsh. The giant frog's long tongue snaps just over his head, but misses the ranger.
Aroko does not seem to fare very well. His skin turns a deep red and he stumbles, then trip as he tries to leap on firm ground, rolling in the mud.
Aloka, watching this, says: "Gogunta is favouring Kriger the Axe!" and Sepoko adds: "It seems so. Red is not a good sign..."
Behind Kriger, the giant frog has noticed Aroko and moves on to engage the Boggard.
Kriger grins wryly at the pathetic attempt of the frog. He then looks back and notices the frog's going to interfere with the race. Fantastically irritated, You gotta be kidding me. I'm not gonna let some stupid, over-sized frog win this race for me.
Kriger immediately turns back and heads for the frog, drawing his axe as he does.
Malaswyn looks to Sepoko and Kalsgrim, ”Kalsgrim has a noble heart. May we assist him in bringing the race back on track?”
Aloka turns to Sepoko and the rest of you, blushing deeply as she says: "It seems as though the poison has taken over your friend. He's going in the wrong direction..."
Sepoko replies: "But his colour has not changed... He is not Boggard though... That might explain it. Yes, he seems lost."
Sepoko then turns to Malaswyn: "What do you mean?"
Malaswyn smiles, ”Kriger wants to win the race himself, not be helped by the frog. Plus, a noble champion will befriend his defeated foes. Kriger will not lose a new friend.”
He shrugs, ”We do not leave intelligent folk to die under the claws of wild animals. Compassion is one of our great virtues.”
Sepoko and Aloka shrug, not entirely convinced, but accepting that Kriger's behaviour may not necessarily be madness.
Sepoko says: "Let's not interfere with the race. Aroko is a great warrior. He should not need our help. Gogunta would never forgive us."
You can tell he gives you a discerning look. He's obviously testing you.
---
Kriger is within a heartbeat of the frog, and with one swift strike sends it back to frog heaven. Aroko rises up from the mud and, realizing what has just happened, gives Kriger an angry look, though he looks clearly high, or worse.
Aroko gets to his feet, but groans and grabs his stomach as he does so, visibly in pain. He nonetheless jumps mightily above Kriger and races back towards the flag, defiant.
Watching the boggard take off towards the flag, Kriger sheathes his axe and resumes the race.
Kriger starts after the Boggard, the tadpole secure in his mouth. The terrain is easy to navigate, as he traces back his steps, but the a thick bramble rises from the shallow marsh water. It seems to spread quite a bit and circling it would take some time. It is also unclear how deep it is. Aroko has jumped over it and disappeared from view, and Kriger does not hear the Boggard complaining.
Seeing how going around would surely cost him, Kriger gives it all he's got and attempts to clear the bramble.
Keeping his ground, Kriger jumps up, right on Aroko's heels, and manages not only to clear the bramble, but land in front of the Boggard.
In the distance, the Boggards croaks encouragements as they watch in the distance the two contestants jump in the air.
In front of Kriger is nothing but water though... Beyond it, a strip of land holds the red flag. Behind Kriger, Aroko shouts a mad croak of defiance.
Kriger stays well abreast of the Boggard and swims almost effortlessly towards the red flag. Aroko seems to have more and more trouble discerning his surroundings and starts to wander off in the wrong direction, seemingly jumping away from some imagined threat, croaking in alarm.
Sepoko is somewhat saddened, then perks up: "I had been hoping for a closer match, but Kriger the Axe is truly a magnificent and complete warrior. This should prove a valuable lesson of humility for Aroko, if he survives..."
Kriger finally reaches the patch of dry land where the red flag sits just a few paces away. The marsh is strangely silent around him, as though it is holding its breath until the ranger picks up the flag in triumph!
As Kriger reaches the flag, he grins and spits out the tadpole. "And THAT, my friends, is how it is DONE! HA-HA!" he yells as he grabs the flag and raises it in triumph.
Does Kriger have any special way of being warned or perceiving an imminent threat? Just want to make sure I'm not missing anything.
Oberlin looks around, waiting to see what the reaction is from the Boggards before applauding Kriger's triumph.
Marcel releases the tension in his body he wasn't even aware he was holding. That Kriger won wasn't really that much a of a surprise, the ranger continued to impress Marcel in the short time he had known him. No, what Marcel was tense about was the reception Kriger's victory would bring. The fact that Sepoko spoke of lessons of humility gave Marcel some hope that things would be alright.
A small smile breaks Marcel's stern visage behind his balaclava. Only his eyes betray his joy at Kriger's victory. Seems like everything was going to be fine...
Kriger reaches out and grabs the flag, raising it up, triumphant.
Silence creeps along the assembled Boggards watching from the shore. They all turn to Aroko. The Boggard champion is sitting in mud, eating small frogs.
The Boggards and Sepoko all burst out laughing together and their croaks of rejoicing rise through the swamp, celebrating the ranger's triumph, though he still technically has to bring back the flag.
It is at this moment that Kriger feels a tingle creep up his spine. He turns just in time to see two very large nostrils on the surface of the water nearby and two big red eyes open on the surface of the swamp. Then all turns to green as a thick and caustic fog rises all around him, blinding him, binding him, and burning him.
From the distance, you see a cloud of green fog rise around Kriger and hide him.
Oberlin's eyes narrow as he watches what appears to be caustic fog roll out across the swampy area. What could that be? It looks similar to my Cloud Kill spell... he thinks furiously.
"Malaswyn, please bring the carpet down and pick me up, I need to be closer for spells to have an effect on whatever is causing the fog." he shouts out to his companions on the carpet.
"Get us over there! Race rules be damned!" Marcel calls out.
"This is beyond the rules. We need to at least approach to see what this is about!?" says Sepoko.
If the carpet gets down, he’ll get his princess to disembark.
Malaswyn swoops down to exchange Sepoko's daughter for his allies, "Quickly now!"
Once Oberlin and Marcel are aboard, he heads straight for Kriger.
Looking around in surprise, "What the...?!" is all he manages before grunting in agony through clenched teeth at the feeling of his fleshed being eaten away. Kriger quickly takes off the way he came, hoping to escape the fog.
"That looks like an Acid Fog! We need to extract Kriger quickly, he will be blind and his movement will be hampered by the cloying effect of the spell. Be alert for the caster." Oberlin says as he steps aboard the carpet, exchanging places with the Boggard princess.
Moving through the thick fog proves harder than expected, but he nevertheless makes some progress and hears the water of the marsh splash under his feet, telling him that he's reached the edge of the tiny piece of dry land where the flag had been. (He's still holding the flag.) The fog still spreads in front of him and tears at his flesh.
At this moment, he hears a deep shuffle behind him and a fearsome roars spilts his ears open as he is struck from behind by a powerful jet of acid drilling towards his back!
Following the jet, you hear a voice whisper behind you: "My Queen Narissa has had enough of you. You'd better pack up and move your ass back to Brevoy."
The rest of you manage to drop and pick up people with some haste, but that took a bit of time. You're on the ground, all on the carpet, with Sepoko, but still 200 feet away.
In the distance, you hear a terrifying roar coming from the greenish fog where Kriger is.
Kriger roars in pain as it feels like he's just been stripped of all his flesh. He works as best he can to get out of the fog, having no desire to find out who that voice belongs to or to deal with another tidal wave of acid. Don't know what or who you are, but if you don't kill me now, I'll be back to kill YOU, you acid breathing piece of <blankety blank blank blank>.
You then another roar from the fog, but this one sounds more familiar and instead of terrifying, it sounds more as if there's an EXTREME amount of pain involved.
Malaswyn calls out, ”Kriger, this way! We are here!” hoping to give him some sense of direction in the cloud.
Then he makes a prayer and a divine light surrounds Malaswyn while golden-feathered wings sprout from his back.
"I might be able to do something about the cloud, but I need some help with targeting where Kriger was, I was on the ground and couldn't see where he was when the cloud arrived. Some landmarks on the edges of the cloud would be most appreciated." Oberlin says, watching the cloud for any sign of Kriger.
If I can get some sort of triangulation I can attempt to dispel an area near or around him...a 20'circle isn't that large though...
"Kriger, if you can jump up so we can see you, perhaps we can grab you!" Oberlin shouts at the cloud.
As you move, you reach the water. Do you wish to swim in it? If so, above water or under?
Marcel reaches back, and a slim wand appears in his hand. He drops into a crouch on his end of the carpet, and waves the wand over himself. In a blink he disappears!
Looking up through squinting eyes as he hears friendly voices, he simply yells, "LOOK FOR ME IN THE WATER!"
The carpet makes good speed above the marsh, passing over water and land. In front of you, still a few heart beats away, is the greenish fog. You know that inside is the small protruding island where the flag was planted, as well as Kriger. Around the island is water. As you're coming from the village, you have variations between muddy, dry, and wet land. The island is the land piece of dry land before the waters of the marsh extend to become a great expanse.
You hear Kriger speak up, but the end of his sentence ends in a wet gurggle.
"Duke, I may be able to remove a small area of the fog around the flag. I don't have the ability to clear the entire field of fog however, and right now the only place that I can target and be sure of having some solid ground is that little island. Do you want me to try this? I don't think that island is a tactically sound place to fight."