"Oh, hello!" Douena calls cheerfully, directing her attention to the pygmy that banged its spear. "Are you the captain? I'm Douena. Desna sent me. Do you know Desna?" She looks for any sign of recognition, or even that they understand Common. "She lives in the sky?" She points upward. "Anyway, she sent me a dream when I was sleeping last night," she folds her hands and lays her head on them, "about your ship." She points emphatically. "So I was wondering if I could come on board," she makes walking motions with two fingers in the direction of the ship, "and see why she wanted me to come here. Would that be all right?"
Same plan as before. Stay about 10' behind Makoa and ready to cast Acid Splash at the first attacker in range.
Acid Splash: to hit R Touch
Acid Splash: damage
Urza prepares himself and Douena calls out to the pygmies on the ship. They peer at her, but don't shift positions with their spears.
The pygmy at the sound end of the ship appears to be their leader. He carries a longspear (as opposed to the regular spears the others carry). He holds it up and motions to the pygmy closest to him and then motions to the fungus rope.
The pygmy motioned to (hereafter referred to as #5) lowers his spear, moves to the fungal bridge Douena's at the end of and starts moving across.
The other three pygmies move closer to the bridge Douena is on and once again prepare to throw their spears .
Next Up: Aakif, Lorenz, Makoa, Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Vegepygmy #5, Other Vegepygmies (subject to readied actions).
Whispering loud enough to be understood by Douena, but not far beyond her, "If a second one comes across - pull back!"
Other than that he is content to wait til more action is afoot.
Lorenz, surprised that the creatures weren't exactly racing across to confront them, frowns thoughtfully.
"Isn't it strange that Douena 'dreams' about this place in such detail? Then when we come here, she approaches the creatures as though they're friends? They have all those spears but they're not attacking her. I don't know, it seems kind of weird."
He shakes his head and begins to move forward.
"... Yet. Not attacking her yet." Still, Aakif holds his second shot, training his aim on the pygmy set to cross the fungal rope.
Mahjik and Aakif prepare themselves and continue to wait, while Lorenz moves up a little closer.
Next Up: Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Vegepygmy #5, Other Vegepygmies, Mahjik, Aakif, Lorenz.
In case I wasn't clear before, I will move with Makoa to stay 5 - 10 feet behind him and supply ranged support for him.
Douena smiles encouragingly at the pygmy crossing the bridge, slightly bouncing on her toes with barely contained excitement.
Pygmy #5 continues across the fungus rope. Another pygmy (who will be referred to as #4) starts across the next fungus rope to the north). The other pygmies continue to hold their spears ready to throw.
As round 3.
As round 3.
As round 3.
As round 3.
As round 3.
#5 continues to climb, while #4 moves up to Douena .
#5 reaches the shore beside #4. Both pygmies point their spears at Douena threateningly and motion to the fungus rope as if suggesting she start across.
Next Up: Aakif, Lorenz, Makoa, Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Vegepygmies #4 and #5, Other Vegepygmies.
Mahjik whistles softly under his breath as he limbers through the mushrooms. "Douena! It is time to withdraw!"
Douena glances back at Mahjik, a little bit of fear in her eyes. "But they're doing what I asked; I asked to come on the boat. If we hurt them now, when they haven't done anything but what I asked them to, that makes us the bad guys!" Looking back at the two pygmies, she forces her face back into a smile. "I'm not very good at climbing sometimes," she confides to the vegepygmies as she carefully steps onto the fungus rope.
"Douena! That is a bad idea!"
"Maybe she's been enchanted by them? Perhaps they're the ones who have been sending her the dreams, to draw us here as a sort of trap?" Lorenz says, looking nervous as he moves nearer.
Mahjik and Lorenz move a little closer, Mahjik calling out to Douena. Urza also calls out to her, but to little avail it seems, as she steps out onto the fungus rope.
Douena moves nimbly and quickly over the fungus, much more quickly than the fungus men did coming over.
The vegepygmy leader continues to watch.
Vegepygmies #4 and #5 move towards the party, holding out their spears threateningly.
The vegepygmies on board the ship remain ready with their spears as well.
Next Up: Aakif, Lorenz, Makoa, Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Vegepymies (subject to readied actions).
Mahjik rushes as far as he can; he'll follow Douena onto the ship if they let him.
As Mahjik reaches the two vegepygmies, they stab at him with their spears.
Both attacks miss.
Next Up: Aakif, Lorenz, Makoa, Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Other Vegepygmies (subject to readied actions), Vegepygmies #4 and #5.
"Wise man would not do this", Mahjik appears to step left, but turns his body all the way to slip right by the funguys.
If Mahjik gets far enough he'll follow Douena on the mushroom ropes.
As Mahjik tries to slip around the fungus men, the jab at him again with their spears.
The two spears pierce his legs as he moves, but luckily, they are only minor wounds. Mahjik then slips past them, getting close to the fungal rope Douena is crossing on.
Next Up: Lorenz, Makoa, Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Other Vegepygmies, Vegepygmies #4 and #5, Mahjik.
Lorenz lifts his bow, draws back, and releases.
Lorenz fires his bow and hits the vegepygmy right in the chest. Alas, it seems to have little effect.
Up Next: Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader (#1), Vegepymies #2 and #3, Aakif, Vegepygmies #4 and #5, Mahjik, Lorenz.
Makoa growls as Douena and Mahjik cross the bridge, but stops when he sees that Douena is let by unharmed. He puts his axe and shield away waits.
Makoa growls as Douena and Mahjik cross the bridge, but stops when he sees that Douena is let by unharmed. He puts his axe and shield away waits.
Douena has been focussing on keeping her feet on the narrow fungus bridge, but the ruckus back on shore finally draws her attention. "No! No! No!" she cries in dismay. With a worried glance over her shoulder at the ship, she turns and heads back down the bridge as quickly as possible. "Don't attack! Mahjik, make them stop!"
Douena easily makes it back to shore. On board the ship, the pygmy leader bangs his spear against the deck angrily.
The other two pygmies on board the ship (#2 and #3) climb on to the fungal ropes and attempt to mimic Douena's method of crossing.
They scurry part way across, one on the southern bridge and one on the middle bridge.
Next Up: Vegepygmies #4 and #5, Mahjik, Lorenz, Makoa, Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Vegepygmies #2 and #3.
Aakif moves up a little closer and prepares to fire again if the vegepygmies attack again, which is what they do almost immediately. #4 moves up to Mahjik and stabs at him with the spear. Aakif lets loose his arrow.
Once again, luck is not with Aakif as the arrow goes far aside.
Makoa also reacts with his readied action and moves forward towards the bridge and the battle .
Mahjik easily dodges the vegepygmy's attack.
#5 moves up to Douena and attacks her.
The spearhead scrapes across her hand, but it's only a minor cut.
Next Up: Lorenz, Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Vegepygmies #2 and #3, Aakif, Makoa, Vegepygmies #4 and #5.
Lorenz looks with exasperation toward Douena. "Your friends attacked Mahjik first!"
He takes a step forward, trying to stay out of Makoa's way and eyeing the cliff's edge with a wary eye. Then he shoots again, aiming for the mold-man standing in front of Douena.
Mahjik attacks the vegepygmy right next to him; the creature's body crushes under his rapid punches.
"Little one! Would you say the time for friendly banter is over for now?"
Lorenz looks with exasperation toward Douena. "Your friends attacked Mahjik first!"
Douena looks at the small smear of blood on her hand a bit woggle-eyed; this is the first time she's actually been attacked since they've been on the island. "Only because he tried to get past them without asking permission! If they showed up at our camp, you wouldn't just let them stroll right in, would you?"
Mahjik takes down the pygmy in front of him (#4) with one blow, then moves beside Douena.
He takes a step forward, trying to stay out of Makoa's way and eyeing the cliff's edge with a wary eye.
Lorenz fires another arrow, but it goes astray and vanishes in the water.
Urza follows Makoa forward .
Douena withdraws away from the fight.
The leader then moves to the fungus rope and begins crossing .
#2 and #3 continue moving across the fungus.
Next Up: Makoa, Vegepygmy #5, Mahjik, Lorenz, Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Vegepygmies #2 and #3.
Aakif shifts his aim to the pygmies attempting to balance on the fungus ropes and lets loose another arrow. This time, his aim is true, and a feathered shaft sprouts from the creature's chest with a whispered thunk.
Aakif's arrow lands solidly in the vegepygmy's chest. The creature wobbles slightly from the momentum, but keeps its balance. The arrow does not otherwise seem to perturb it.
Next Up: Vegepygmy #5, Mahjik, Lorenz, Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Vegepygmies #2 and #3, Aakif.
Mahjik dances passed the remaining funguy towards Douena. He shouts to all vegepygmys: "We are sorry! We mean you no harm! Your comrade is only unconscious; if you can understand us - we can help him up! There is no need to fight!"
Rushing forward to keep the distance between him and the others from getting any wider.
Rushing forward to keep the distance between him and the others from getting any wider.
Vegepygmy #5 stabs at Mahjik with its spear.
However, Mahjik once again is easily able to dodge the attack. Mahjik then withdraws back to where Douena is.
Next Up: Urza, Douena, Vegepygmy Leader, Vegepygmies #2 and #3, Aakif, Makoa, Vegepygmy #5, Mahjik.
"This whole thing is getting ridiculous," Lorenz mutters to himself. He moves forward, pulling out his flail as he does so.
"They ambushed us earlier. They don't want to talk to us, they want to kill us!" he exclaimed with exasperation.
Continue to follow Makoa.
Lorenz and Urza move up closer .
Next Up: Vegepygmy Leader, Vegepygmies #2 and #3, Aakif, Vegepygmy #5, Mahjik, Lorenz, Urza.
Sensing that her cause is in desperate need of a Grand Gesture, Douena moves back toward the southernmost fungus bridge, raising her holy symbol above her head dramatically. "O Great and Powerful Desna," she intones loudly, one eye on the pygmy leader to gauge his reaction, "display your mercy and restore life to the fallen, that our two tribes may war no more!!!"
The song of Desna reverberates from Douena, spreading across much of the battlefield. The pygmy at Makoa's feet regains consciousness and looks up with an expression of both surprise and fear.
The vegepygmy leader continues crossing the bridge.
#2 continues across the southern bridge, making it almost to the end , while #3 gets up right beside Mahjik, threatening with its spear, but not attacking yet.
Mahjik holds up his hands non-threateningly, smile in tow. Against all evidence of the prior rounds he soothes, "See? No weapons?"
Lorenz, exasperated by the insanity that seems to have plagued Douena, returns his bow to its place on his back and puts his hand on the pommel of his rapier. "She really is trying to kill us all," he mutters.
Douena offers the vegepygmy chief a brilliant smile. "See? He's fine. Don't bite him, Makoa. It was all just a mistake." She shoots Lorenz a glare. "I said I'd get them off the ship, didn't I?" She waits for the chieftan to finish crossing the bridge.
The pygmies still on the fungus continue crossing and reach the shore. The chieftain arrives on the shore and sticks the shaft of his spear into the mud, keeping hold on it at an angle. He surveys the group, then begins making hand signals at the other fungus men. They form up beside him. The one lying at Makoa's feet gets up slowly, leaving his spear lying in the mud, and joins the others.
The chieftain then points at the ship and motions to Douena, then points at the ship again. He then motions to the others in the party and points at the ship each time.
"See?" Douena says primly. "Now we're all invited." Keeping her eye on the chieftan to make sure she's interpreting his gestures correctly, she begins to cross the fungus bridge again.
Mahjik is all beaming smiles as he surveys the funguys and what intentions he can guess at, and cautiously follows Douena.