"Perhaps I should have left you home for this one, hey boy?" Marc whispers quietly to Taletheus as they struggle on through the swamp. At the river he hacks of a long stick from one of the trees nearby and tests the depth of the water.
Haelynn pauses to look upstream and then down, wondering at how this log bridge could present itself as an ideal place to ambush anyone crossing it. "This log bridge would make a good place to ambush travellers," Haelynn says to Yumi, before intoning sagely "Yet who can see into the future?" She follows her sister, uneasily at first, though she manages to gain her balance and walk on the improvised bridge with more confidence.
"Yet who can see into the future?"
Yumiko mutters, "Whatever will be, will be. (Until us can cast augury). Que sera puede ser visto."
"Perhaps I should have left you home for this one, hey boy?" Marc whispers quietly to Taletheus as they struggle on through the swamp. At the river he hacks of a long stick from one of the trees nearby and tests the depth of the water.
[dice=Swim (Taletheus)]1d20 + 4
[dice=Ride]1d20 + 4
Grendel looks about, taking note of something he sees on the river bank, looks about again, shrugs, then skips across the log. Xargin and Yumiko follow, easily traversing the log, while Haelynn has an unsteady moment where she almost falls, before recovering and reaching the other side. Marc meanwhile finds a fallen branch to test the depth of the river. Mounting Taletheus, he guides the horse out onto the muddy bank. There is a moment when it looks like the warhorse might get stuck in the thick mud, but he pulls through and wades out into the water, Marc on his back.
Only Tannithil and Jasminder are left on the northern bank. Jasminder steps out onto the log, makes it about halfway across, before a rotten piece of trunk gives way beneath her feet and she tumbles, splashes into the river.
Tannithil kneels at the river edge. He notes the tracks in the mud, confident their quarry couldn't be far.
He calls to the group as he studies the sodden ground "I see tracks - humanoid..."
The sound of sodden wood splintering causes him to trail off as he snap his head up to see Jasminder plunge into the water.
Checking briefly to see his gear is secure to his body, Tannithil quickly stands and enters the water before beginning to swim freestyle stroke with haste to where Jasminder entered the water and lend what help he can.
NB: This roll does include the Penalty for Armor as well.
Jasminder and Tannithil are able to swim safely across the river.
Everyone is now across on the southern bank, somewhat wet and muddy in the case of Jasminder and Tannithil.
The trail continues, winding between trees and pools, up hillocks and through mud, now heading generally south west.
Yumiko begins a biting remark about Jasminder's balance, "Ha, tha giantsome maladroit..." before stumbling over an exposed tree branch.
Xargin politely offers to assist Jasminder and Tannithil with cleaning up.
"If you should wish, we can assist with the removal of mud and grime as we continue. Our magic may be small, but it has its uses."
Xargin casts prestidigitation, and devotes a small measure of his concentration to cleaning and drying their clothes and gear as the party continues walking
Haelynn turns at the sound of the splash, and she moves to the edge of the murky water. She waits to see how the situation unfolds.
Seeing his two companions stagger out of the water, Grendel turns back to the trail, trying to pick up where it continues.
Yes, you can Take 10 to swim Taletheus across, you don’t need to make a ride check.
Marc dismounts and offers a hand to aid Jasminder and Tannithil from the water. Once they are out he turns to Tannithil, lowering his voice so as not to be heard beyond the group. "You said something about tracks? Are they recent? Are they moving in the same direction as us, or heading the opposite way?"
Covered head to toe in grime and mud, Tannithil attempts futily to clean his attire.
Though familiar with magic, Tannithil is less then comfortable with its practice. His upper lip raised in a sneer and body tense, he nods to Xargin indicate he is ready.
Despite his misgivings, Tannithil looks down to see the improved condition of his attire, one eyebrow raised in surprise. He nods to Xargin, the hint of a smile across his lips before resuming his stride.
"What are tha lookin' at tha gapy-gob? Ain't tha ever fall over a branch afore?". No? Well, how about a root? Perilous lackawit. Probably have a goodwise laugh at us later on.
Yumiko stalks around the footprints muttering to herself trying to work what type of creature could have made them.
The continuation of the path beyond the log bridge is not entirely clear, but Grendel soon spots an arrow carved into a tree trunk, then a piece of noted string with a broken shell tied to it hanging from a nearby branch and is able to discern the proper path.
Meanwhile, Yumiko examines the prints discovered near the river bank. They are quite outside her experience. She certainly hasn’t seen anything that looks like it would leave such prints on her previous brief forays into the marsh, near read about such a creature in the old books of esoteric lore in Koya’s study.
Xargin wanders over and takes a look at the prints with Yumiko.
As with Yumiko, Xargin doesn't recognise the prints; though vaguely humanoid, they do not appear like any humanoid local to the region.
"We should move on - the prints don't seem to travel in the same direction as our path. But be ready. On the bright side Jasminder and Tannithil's mud bath may make them blend in to the surrounds a little better." Grendel winks in the pairs direction.
He stands ready to move when the others are.
"We should move on - the prints don't seem to travel in the same direction as our path. But be ready."
"So we may well be walking directly into the path of these creatures," Haelynn whispers to Yumi, anxiously, "if there are any of them left who did not travel this way."
"Even the angry badger thinks twice before charging the bear!"
"You said something about tracks? Are they recent? Are they moving in the same direction as us, or heading the opposite way?"
"I was unable to conclusively deduce the direction the tracks were heading - the rising water and distraction of our ally falling into the water interrupted my chance to study them effectively."
Tannithil ponders for a moment, recalling what he had seen before adding;
"I would conclude them to be heading in the same direction as we, but this is purely my hope..." he trails off, a glazed look upon his eyes.
"We should move on - the prints don't seem to travel in the same direction as our path. But be ready. On the bright side Jasminder and Tannithil's mud bath may make them blend in to the surrounds a little better."
Tannithil snaps from his reveries, wrinkling his face in response to the halfing's comments, unsure of wether this were an insult or not.
Grendel winks in the pairs direction.
Rapidly concluding the Halfing's comments were an attempt at humour, he relaxes and states;
"I support whatever course of actions leads us to these beasts, the sooner the better."
Moving on from the log bridge and the mysterious prints, the group continues following the trail as it winds its way further into Brinestump Marsh. The landscape is much as before – wet, muddy and vegetation clogged – although the smell of brine grows stronger and the distant surge of water grows louder as the path leads you – through many twists and turns – in a generally south-westerly direction.
After another ten minutes or so, you arrive at what must be another branch of the Soggy River – at any rate, another sluggishly flowing but reasonably deep and wide waterway bisects the trail. Two large boulders – they look like they must have been deliberately rolled into place at some point in the past – provide stepping stones of a sort across the river.
Grendel pulls up suddenly just short of the river. Speaking softly he warns the others;"Beware the water - something lurks beneath. There, by the rocks." He points to a spot in the water near the stepping stones where a long, worm like creature can just be seen.
"Does anyone know what that is?
He replaces his rapier and takes out a sling and stone.
Xargin stops at Grendel's caution and peers at the creature he has pointed out, wracking his brain to see if he can identify it.
Now that Grendel has pointed it out, Xargin can make out the thing moving lazily in the murky water. Although it appears to be the size of a big snake or eel, Xargin thinks it may in fact be an oversized leech.
"Tis a giant leech! Do not get too close!"
Marc only notices the creature when Grendel points it out. He drops his sword and shield and readies his Lucerne Hammer. When hearing Xargin's description of what it is, he cautiously moves forward to attack.
Yumiko screws up her nose in disgust at the creature's appearance. She crouches in the underbrush somewhere where she can get a clear shot of the critter and waits to see if the rest of the party attacks.
"Errgh! Keep thy distancewise. That thing be lookinglike 'tis a nasty kisser."
For when things get heated:
(ranged touch)
Haelynn is clearly shocked, and repulsed, by the creature. She stands in front of her sister and slightly to the side to avoid her gunshots. Her longspear readied to skewer giant leech.
Grendel pulls up suddenly just short of the river. Speaking softly he warns the others;"Beware the water - something lurks beneath. There, by the rocks." He points to a spot in the water near the stepping stones where a long, worm like creature can just be seen.
"Does anyone know what that is?
Tannithil stops his walk abruptly at the halfling's words. His body tenses and his eyes narrow as he attempts to spot the object of Grendel's attentions;
Unable to clearly identify the target for himself, Tannithil's top lip peels back in a sneer at hearing his companions reveal they believe the creature to be a giant leech.
He knocks an arrow into his bow and stands poised, aimed upon the leech as it makes it's way across the water surface. He nods to Grendel to indicate he's ready to fire.
Tannithil is standing at N7 on the map, poised and ready to fire.
For when combat occurs;
Grendel lets fly with a sling stone at the leach
...