Douena frowns a moment, remembering. "In my dream, it started up in the ropes," she says, pointing to the ship's rigging, "and spread across the ship from there. But then, when I went to jump overboard to get away from it, it was already in the water." She shrugs. "I don't really know," she admits.
"It's hard to tell. Strange that the stuff stops here though. I don't like it. It seems really nasty." Lorenz frowns uncertainly. "Since we're here though..."
"It won't be stopped here for long," Douena says grimly. "Remember my dream? And Jask's? It's going to keep growing until it spreads over the whole island, unless we can figure out a way to stop it." She bends down to look at it again. "It looks almost like the kind of thing that should be growing underground, where there isn't any light ... but the caps are missing. You know the little hat-things mushrooms wear that makes them look like fairy stools? Could they be growing upside down?" She flips over entirely and looks at the northern island through her own legs, as if seeing it from that angle might reveal a clue she was missing.
"I realize I was all for this at first, but that stuff looks rather dangerous. Should we be messing with that fungus?"
She flips over entirely and looks at the northern island through her own legs, as if seeing it from that angle might reveal a clue she was missing.
The fungus looks no different upside down. :)
""
"Well the fungus began aboard the ship in Douena's dream. That's probably where we should start. Let's head that way."
"That pillar does look ... unusual," Douena agrees with Mahjik, "but Desna put me on the ship in my dream. I think Lorenz is right: we should start there." Douena, however, seems no more enthused than Urza about actually setting foot on the fungus. She stands back and, with a sweep of her arm, motions Lorenz to go ahead.
Lorenz nods and pulls out his armor, pulling it on and tightening the straps. He straps his shield on as well, though he can't imagine how that will protect him from mold.
"Well, here goes nothing," he says and begins to move foward, drawing his rapier as he does so. Despite himself, he holds his breath as he first steps onto the fungus, not wanting to breathe any of it in.
You trudge through the muddy water to the northern island. Following the west coast, you head north towards the ship. The ground is very muddy and slows you down a fair amount.
You have travelled for about 20 minutes or so, the mud squelching beneath your feet, when four spears suddenly fly out of the fungus at you. Two fly at Makoa and two at Lorenz.
One spear jabs into Lorenz's shoulder while the other lands at his feet. Makoa is also hit by one while the other lands in the mud well short of him.
You see that the spears were thrown by four short, green-skinned humanoids with tendrils of fungus dangling from their arms, midsections, and legs.
Order: Urza, Aakif, Douena, Lorenz, Mahjik, Makoa, Vegepygmies.
Up First:
Titled "Fungus Fight"
Cast Shield and move to stay 10' behind Makoa.
Mahjik trudges closer through the muck, his eyes darting from foe to foe - ready to jump aside in an instant!
Douena calls on Desna's healing power for Lorenz and Makoa , then steps behind the giant fungus stalk for cover from the spear-throwing attackers.
Lorenz recoils as the spear strikes his shoulder. "Ugh! A mold man! How disgusting!"
As Douena's blessed energy ripples through him, he stands firm and strides foward, thrusting his rapier out with steely determination.
Aakif moves forward steadily, sword in hands.
Urza casts his spell and moves back a bit.
Aakif moves forward steadily, sword in hands.
Aakif moves up in front of one of the fungus men, which glares back at him. It does not have another spear, but it does have sharp claws.
Douena channels energy, making the wounded feel much better.
Lorenz then moves up beside Aakif and strikes at the fungus man. His rapier pierces the chest, going right through and poking out the other side before Lorenz pulls it back out. The fungus man topples over.
Mahjik trudges forward.
Up Next: Vegepygmies, Urza, Aakif, Douena, Lorenz, Mahjik.
Makoa nods his thanks to Douena as he grabs the Javelin that hit him and threw it back at the fungi that had hit him.
Mahjik flings the last two stones he's carried along at a funguy .
Makoa tosses the spear back at the fungus man who attacked him, but it lands too soon.
The fungal people move in to attack. One steps over the body of his fallen comrade and swipes a claw at Aakif. Another moves up beside Lorenz and claws at him. The third comes around to the south of them to approach Makoa, but it is unable to swipe at this time.
Aakif takes a slight graze across his hip.
Next Up: Aakif, Douena, Lorenz, Mahjik, Makoa, Vegepygmies.
Urza magically conjures and propels an orb of acid at the vegepygmy attacking Makoa.
Acid Splash: to hit R Touch, shooting into melee
Acid Splash: damage
The vegepygmy dodges Urza's attack and the acid collides the large stalk of fungus beside it, leaving a little sizzling hole.
Next Up: Douena, Lorenz, Mahjik, Makoa, Vegepygmies, Urza.
Even as the pygmy scratches his hip, Aakif brings his blade down in a terrible, glittering arc that ends with a splash of mud as the plant-like humanoid falls into two roughly equal sections. Its companion is battered by unseen fists and claws, causing bruises and sickly-looking scratches to cover its skin.
Next Up: Lorenz, Mahjik, Makoa, Vegepgymies, Urza, Aakif.
Mahjik shifts the weight to his front leg, a sudden gust of wind seem to carry his fists almost naturally as they snake out and deliver rapid punches into the vegepygmy's body.
Lorenz stares at the moldy slime that covers his rapier's blade and shudders. Then the next creature steps close to attack and he recovers, shifting away from the swipe of the claws and returning the attack with another strong thrust.
Growling, Makoa snaps at the little humanoid coverd in fungi, wishing revenge for the spear wound.
Biting deeply, Makoa growls again savagely and rips flesh away. He spits out the moldy meat.
"Vegetarians.. I'll never understand them."
Lorenz stabs at the fungus person in front of him, piercing right through the body again. It falls over.
Mahjik then attacks the remaining fungus person , delivering a heavy punch to the side of the creature's head. Makoa then bites deeply, finishing it off. What remains of it falls to the ground.
Douena steps out from behind the fungus stalk. "Go, Team Us," she cheers before giving a closer look to the fallen vegepygmies. "What are these things, anyway? Are they plants or people?"
"What are these things, anyway? Are they plants or people?"
"Yes."
Lorenz quickly wipes his blade clean but does not return it to his scabbard, warily studying the strange landscape before him with rapier at the ready.
"They are really nasty creatures," he said finally. "But fortunately not too hard to kill!" He beamed with the satisfaction of actually getting to kill something for a change.
"I guess we should continue to the ship. We'll just have to watch for more of these things. They kind of blend in."
"What are these things, anyway? Are they plants or people?""Yes."
"Ah." Douena nods sagely, utterly unenlightened. "Lorenz is right: We should keep going toward the ship."
Lorenz looks somewhat amused and a little surprised. "Wow, Douena, I think that's the second time you've agreed with me in the last hour. Maybe my luck is changing." He said with a broad smile.
"Hm," Douena smiles at him. "Maybe you're just getting smarter."
As you get closer to the ship, you can start to make out more details. It is completely covered in a layer of gray mold. The apparently intact sails are not really sails at all, but thick sheets of pale fungus. There are also several thick ropes of fungus that connect the ship's upper deck to the island almost like rope bridges.
You can see movement on deck, apparently more of these fungus people. They don't seem to have noticed you yet.
Mahjik smiles and whispers to Douena, "You think that the vegetable people used to be real people?"
Slowing as they grew nearer to the ship, Lorenz took cover behind a large fungus-thing and watched carefully, shuddering with revulsion. "I actually have kind of liked Smuggler's Shiv so far but this...this is just wrong. Is that really a ship or did it just...grow like that?"
He shivers again, the expression on his face akin to someone who'd just eaten something gone rotten.
Mahjik smiles and whispers to Douena, "You think that the vegetable people used to be real people?"
Slowing as they grew nearer to the ship, Lorenz took cover behind a large fungus-thing and watched carefully, shuddering with revulsion. "I actually have kind of liked Smuggler's Shiv so far but this...this is just wrong. Is that really a ship or did it just...grow like that?"
He shivers again, the expression on his face akin to someone who'd just eaten something gone rotten.
"I ... don't know," Douena answers, looking at the ship thoughtfully. "In my dream, it was a real ship before the mold started growing. Did the plant people come in the ship, or did they just claim it after it wrecked? Was the ship here first or the fungus? The only answers we're going to get will be on board, I think." She looks to the rest of the party. "Do you think it would be better to fight our way on board, or should we try to get them to come to us?"
"Wise man would seek to fight his battles on his own terms. I think it will be best if they come for us. If there is a great funguy on the ship then we ruin any chance of surprising it - but I doubt we'd have much hope along that line anyway."
"Wise man would seek to fight his battles on his own terms. I think it will be best if they come for us. If there is a great funguy on the ship then we ruin any chance of surprising it - but I doubt we'd have much hope along that line anyway."
"All right," Douena answers brightly. "Everyone get ready." She walks to the southernmost fungus bridge , waves enthusiastically at the vegepygmies, and calls out in a friendly manner, "Hey, plant people! Can we come on your ship?"
"All right," Douena answers brightly. "Everyone get ready." She walks to the southernmost fungus bridge , waves enthusiastically at the vegepygmies, and calls out in a friendly manner, "Hey, plant people! Can we come on your ship?"
The fungus men on the deck rush to the edge and peer out to shore. A couple of them point at Douena. They do not say anything, but one of them bangs its spear against the deck a couple of times. Then they all raise their spears threateningly.
Order: Vegepygmies, Mahjik, Aakif, Lorenz, Makoa, Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader.
The vegepygmies (except the one at the far south) raise their spears and prepare to throw .
Next Up: Aakif, Lorenz, Makoa, Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader.
Mahjik stays put.
Lorenz mutters under his breath. "Is she trying to get us killed?" Then he holds up his shield, grips his rapier and tries to take a little cover behind the fungus plants, assuming a defensive posture.
Aakif looses an arrow at the nearest visible vegepygmy, but the range is long enough and the cover thick enough that his arrow falls wide of its mark.
Mahjik takes up his defensive stance while Aakif looses his arrow. The arrow is lost in the surf, but not before being noticed by the fungus people on board.
Lorenz takes up a defensive stance, using the fungus by him as cover.
Next Up: Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Vegepygmies (subject to readied actions), Mahjik, Aakif, Lorenz.
Makoa straps on his shield and moves forward, drawing one of his axes as he does, getting ready for teh fight.
Next Up: Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Vegepygmies (subject to readied actions), Mahjik, Aakif, Lorenz, Makoa.