Nathan's healing is enough to restore Rechau to full health and he nods thanks to his companion. After cleaning his blade he examines the corpse to see if there is any use for it.
"I ummm..... don't wanna..." The adrenaline rush of combat passing, Greebins comes to grips with his paws being under water, and starts standing on one foot while shaking water off the other, only to quickly alternate. He does this repeatedly, looking miserable.
Rechau, the corpse is of course huge. You have no idea about the meat, but you know people eat alligator and snake, it cant be that much different. The hide clearly could be removed with great difficulty and tanned in a traditional manner, and would naturally be very heavy, but might also be of value in a big city as a curiosity to a noble.
Lotham approaches the deeper water and wades our further and further and indeed some sort of deeper well is here in the bog, perhaps a natural sinkhole. Wading as deep as his upper chest until he is basically swimming, he returns to the group unable to determine the true depth of the water without going under.
Clearly the hydra had some sort of deep aquatic pool to hunt from and drag its prey to for safe consumption.
"Shall I accompany you on the search down there Lotham? If so, I believe we are ready."
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"Of course, brother."
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Several of the group prepare for their aquatic adventure. Setting aside some gear that would be damaged by total submersion they slip into the deeper water and under its murky surface. Despite a small amount of time, the water is still stirred up from the fight and it is hard to see under here.
With darkvision you can see a little bit, but the mud and muck in the water obscures anything too far. You move slowly, feeling your way with feet and hands as you decend deeper into the sinkhole.
It is a bit of a struggle at first, particularly for Nathan who while strong is not a skilled swimmer. Sinking like a rock, which is somewhat along with the goals, the two of them make it down into the sinkhole's depths.
Down there you find a submerged cavern in possibly there being some limestone under all of this marsh. You poke around, finding a large pile of bones, stones, sunken rotted wood and other debris dragged down here in its lair. You work somewhat quickly cognizant of your breath. After a few runs you come up for air and then head back down, perhaps using a safety signal rope. The two of them poke around in the deep muck in the chamber and begin to find items of interest.
Slowly bringing things to the surface takes considerable time, and eventually they bring as much as they can reasonably get. Plucking individual coins from the muck is tedious given the poor light conditions and the need to come up for air repeatedly, so they focus on larger interesting items.
You haul up the following items:
An old rotted waterlogged satchel containing:
Coins 4 pp, 128 gp, 35 sp, 26 cp and 16 Gems
Several nice quality weapons:
Masterwork Composite Shortbow, Masterwork Glaive, Masterwork Longspear
A sealed lacquered box with a wax paper lining. It contains:
2 vials, 5 scrolls and a fancy ivory stick which you take to be a wand
Other items you decided to drag from the muck
Ballista
2 Barrels
10 x Flask of Oil
Large Iron Box, rusted, empty
Pan Flute
Sledge
24 Small Glass Rods
There was much more down there, but it consisted of rotted wood, leather or cloth or were rusted common items of no value or curiosity.
When Nathan exits the deep pool, he shivers to get some of the muck off and then casts a spell and cleans himself up. "That is much better! The creature had a lot of victims. Let's see what we have here." He casts detect magic followed by read magic and takes a look at the items and scrolls.
You identify an Oil of Daylight (CL 5)
a potion of Tongues (CL 5)
Nathan puzzles over the wand but is unable to figure out its properties.
He casts read magic on the scrolls.
(Arcane) Scroll of Bull's Strength (CL 6)
(Arcane) Scroll of Detect Thoughts (CL 6)
(Arcane) Scroll of Protection from Energy (CL 6)
(Arcane) Scroll of Beast Shape I (CL 6)
(Arcane) Scroll of Displacement (CL 6)
"These are all useful items though I wasn't able to identify the wand. Would someone else like to? how shall we distribute the items?"
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"I will take the scroll to imbue me with the strength of a bull."
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Nathan grins at Lotham as he hands him the scroll and says, "That's a bit redundant but you are welcome to it brother. If no one wants any of the others I will hold them. Someone should try to identify the wand as I couldn't and then we can move on."
"I have no skill in identifying magic. Perhaps I should learn. Do we know anything about the other, more mundane looking items? Or are they just junk? I could make some use out of the flute, I suppose, even if it is mundane."
The other items are mundane, they just happen to be mostly intact and the most useful. None of them glow magically.
"I lack that talent as well." Eleanor says referring to identifying the wand. "I think we've found all we're going to find, shall we continue on our way?" She asks.
The group tallies the items, and loads them up. Wet and cold and tired of the mud and blood and swamp the group moves on to get to drier land and pause to clean up there, prestidigitating themselves clean.
The rest of the day is uneventful as the group rehashes the battle with the hydra, and discusses tactics and other details. Constantly wary now that you are in 'monster country' you are aware of the irony given your own heritages.
Greebins tinkers with the flute, torn between really giving it a go, and trying to keep some level of quiet and stealth.
You start putting more miles behind you making your way steadily north toward and tough fight.
"The irony is not lost on me, Nathan."
"Yes, let us away."
Day 7 - Evening
The group puts some distance between them and the marsh as the day heads towards night. Eventually they find a spot that seems suitable for the nightly camp. Setting up their tents and a small fire, they gather around for the nightly tasks and meal. Another day is ahead and with it a change at more peril. The group sets up their watch rotation and rests up and recovers their spent energies.
Day 8 - Morning
The coming of the Dawnflower always holds significance for some of the group and the rising sun is met with fervor and religious duties. After a meal and camp breakdown, the group nods to each other and continues with their trek to deal with the raiding giants and their allies.
The elevation gets higher here and their cooler and windier.
"The dawnflower has brought us another morning. We shall honor her this day."
"Agreed, brother! Let us continue on..."
"Yes let us continue on as before and take care of this problem"
The group hefts their packs and their camp is cleared away.
They push into the wilderness deeper and more remote, wary of enemy scouts or giants themselves.
They travel uneventfully for the rest of the day and most of the following day (Day 9).
Day 9 - late afternoon
After an arduous day where the elevation has steadily climbed, and the air grew thinner the group has been following the base of a mountain, winding their way over rocky, and sometimes treacherous terrain.
After a pause for a break, the group hears a rock tumble from above. Looking up they see several ogres just come out of a cave high above to investigate your own noises. The two groups stare at each other briefly before the ogres shout a challenge and their battle cries reverberate through the valley.
New battle!
You saw several ogres to start with, but based on the noise of their battle cries there are more that you have yet to see....
Eleanor takes a moment to gift Lotham with an invisible suit of magical armor. Before proceeding down the slope.
Greebins nimbly clambers up the slope, spitting a challenge at the ogres. He draws his blades, then deftly tosses one in the air, hisses "देवी की शक्ति," and quickly catches the blade as it comes down.
"Anyone want to give me a boost? I'm not really prepared for a free climb of this cliff." Rechau says hopefully.
"Anyone want to give me a boost? I'm not really prepared for a free climb of this cliff." Rechau says hopefully.
Mraow?!?!
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Round 1
Greebins: 25
Rechau: 22
Eleanor: 21
Ogres 18
Nathan: 15
Lotham: 10
Greebins scampers up the steep hillside and waits at the top ready.
Rechau considers climbing up waits, hoping for assistance.
Eleanor pauses to cast a spell on Lotham and then quickly climbs the slope just clearing the top.
The ogres roar and rumble and hoot and holler as they charge down the sloping hillside, their clubs raised to bash your heads in. You know all too well what ogres can and will do to any victims they capture.
Finally a wicked deformed hideous ogress steps from the cave in the back. "Harharharhehehhehehee.." she cackles in a deep rumbly voice.
Nathan attacks the ogre furthest down (3) by rapidly taking aim and firing off two rapid arrows.
Round 1
Nathan's arrow sinks deeply into the nearest ogre who howls in pain.
Lotham finishes his protective spell.