One Step Beyond

Game Master Lemmy Z

"Why would you want to go to the Boiling Swamp? That place is infested with death. We can smell it from a mile away... If you're looking for lost treasures, you've got another thing coming. All you'll find there is muddy water, decay, leeches and angry spirits... or whatever it is that kills everyone. It must have gotten worse too. Lately, even the ironfin are running away from it."

"We need to find a flower which can be used to make a cure for a disease."

"Here we are! Welcome to Águona!" says Strom with glee. "You can probably find uncle at the "central plaza"... It should be easy to find, this is a small village, even for small folk."

"Thank you for all your help, Strom."

"Don't mention it... Have a great... Uh... Flower-picking!" says Strom. "And remember! If you see a white ironfin, bring it to me! You won't regret it!"

You quickly find the town's "central plaza". There, a middle-aged giant donning a long dark green robe and grey light armor talks to a couple giants who seem to be unloading their boats.

To your surprise, next to the group you see a thriae, a human and a lizardfolk. The first two of them look like merchants, while the lizardfolk is clearly a warrior. The thriae is discussing something with the giant in dark green robe, the other two non-giants are busy searching the wares of a river giant vendor.

Jaazkara finishes speaking with the river giant merchant, pleased with her transaction, and turns. She notices a group of non-giants disembarking a small fishing boat to the docks and begins approaching them. "Ah! Warmbloods! Perhaps they are in need of one to accompany them. I will at least ask. Perhaps they have news of beyond the swamps.."
She holds a scaly hand palm outward, and calls to them.

oohhh,uuuhh, impressive... - Says Eitylen when the group arrives at the town.

Oh, a Lizard that talks and walk in two feet. If this were the Strom father's old jokes the lizardguy will ask to join our group

"Ah, the one in the robe is likely Strom's uncle." Cyrus glances at the Lizardfolk hailing them.

"I think that Lizardfolk has some kind of business with us."

Jaazkara meets the eyes of the elf, and then the human. She nods mostly to herself and begins walking towards them. When she reaches them, she begins to speak in only slightly accented words.
"Greetings, I am called Jaazkara. I seek to travel, and see dee world. You have come from beyond dee bogs and marshes...?"

"Yes, we are, though we plan to head deeper into the marsh now. Perhaps a bad time to join up...it will be neither new territory for you, nor very safe."

Frederick went bald again! :O

The thriae is having a heated discussion with the middle-aged giant, but eventually resigns and leaves with an angry look in her face. The middle-aged man sighs...

As she leaves, she shouts something to the human in her native language. He replies calmly with a short sentence and goes on examining the wares of the river giant vendor.

The middle-aged giant raises an eyebrow when he sees your group...

"Huh... More small folk?!" he says with a less-than-friendly tone. "Is there a caravan in town or something?!"

Jaazkara thinks upon the words, and then shrugs impassively before addressing the orc.
"Perhaps. Though, I would be glad to join you just dee same. If your task proves dangerous, my skills could prove useful. If I am no help to you, then I will leave you be after your...purpose here is fulfilled. But if I am able to aid you, I would like to accompany you away from this place. Is this agreeable to you?"

"We'd welcome any help, so long as you know the risks. We hear it's very dangerous in the Boiling Swamp."

Somebody else talk to the giant while this is going on?

His comment was mostly rhetoric, though. You can assume he said it after your conversation takes place and you approach him, if you want.

The lizardwoman bows low and says,
"My thanks. We will have time for introductions as we travel, I suspect. Please, allow me to distract you no longer."

"Our apologies sir, we did not mean to disturb you." Cyrus says bowing to the elder giant.

"We came because your nephew mentioned that you occasionally venture into the Boiling Swamp and may know of it's dangers. We have a task there that we must complete with utmost haste and would be very grateful if you were to share your wisdom."

Diplomancy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13

G+@@*$mit

"Bah! All you need to know about the Boiling Swamp is that you shouldn't go there!" replies the giant, unmoved by Brother Cyrus' words. "Every time an outsider goes there, they end up missing, dead or undead... And then we are the ones who have to deal with the walking corpses. If you value your life and your friends', you'll stay out of that place."

"So we've been told. But speaking frankly, and no offense isintended...they are our lives to risk, and we've made up our minds. Will you help us or not?"

Diplomacy Aid: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (15) - 2 = 13

"You are not part of my clan. I cannot forbid you from going wherever you want. The Boiling Swamp is not my property." says the giant. His voice shows annoyance, but not hostility or malice. "Don't expect any of my kin to take you there, though. I'll not have them risk their lives for the foolishness of outsiders."

The shaman is not hostile to you (just grumpy), but remains unconvinced. You can try giving him a good reason to help you, like promising some sort of reward or pointing out some way your expedition could benefit his clan. If it's something he believes you can accomplish, you may change his mind.

"Please Wise One, clearly the swamp maintains spiritual importance to your people. We intend to destroy the beast that lurks within. With it's passing, would not your own journeys be safer?"

"I would not dare ask for material assistance. My desire for coming here is to hear of your experiences in the swamp. Anything at all could be integral to our survival and the beast's downfall."

That's... a poor choice of words.

The shaman looks positively angry now.

"Kill it?! KILL IT?! You come all the way here just to kill something you don't even understand! Is this what you small folk call justice?!" he shouts. "That place bleeds death! That 'beast', as you call it, is one of the few things that keeps it at bay!"

"30 years going into the Boiling Swap and I'm still here! If outsiders are stupid enough to intrude into his territory without any knowledge of what lies ahead and then are killed by something defending its lair, it's their own damn fault!"

"Well we have asked you, and others, several times to explain what this creature is, and you have all refused. Any continued ignorance on our part is YOUR fault, not ours for lack of trying."

Hey, now... So far everyone explained as well as they could! Not the thriae's fault they die too easily to conduct proper research!

Well... I suppose it could be considered their insofar as they could have leveled up a bit more before going there.

"Oh... Is that so?" the giant replies with a dubious tone. "And who did you ask? I don't know more than 3 or 4 people who even care enough to learn anything concrete about the Boiling Swamp. Myself included! Either way, ignorance is no excuse to travel all the way here just to kill something you don't know! What is it? Do you have a free space on your wall and need more trophies to fill it?"

"We're here for a flower, to cure our diseased patron. We had merely assumed we needed to kill the creature that lived there, since it had slain those who came before us."

Phone restarted and I lost a huge post @_@

Cyrus doesn't seem particularly disturbed by the giant's outburst.

"See guys! I knew it was a good idea to come here first. Our goal isnt the beast but a rose found only in the swamp. The Thriae told us the beast would be a likely obstacle in our mission so I thought a clash with our luck would be inevitable. If we dont return soon, I fear for our friend being held as collateral."

Frederick's words seem to pick the giant's interest...

"A flower?! In the sw-" he says, before suddenly going quiet for a minute. "Ah... I see... The Moon Rose... Now I understand why you're so eager to visit that place..."

The shaman scratches his beard

"You really have no idea where you are going, do you? That flower doesn't grow just about anywhere in the swamp. You're going deeper than you think... Who dragged you into this?"

"Our employer is a very sick noble. He sent troops ahead of us but we believe they have likely been wiped out."

Sorry, I somehow missed Scavion's post (not the latest one, but the one before that). My phone's battery is running low, though... So I'll post when I get home.

For once people aren't waiting on me!

Yes, but for how long? *dramatic thunder & lightning*

"Oh, you're not mistaken, young human... The 'beast' doesn't attack during the day... Usually... But I don't think you can find that flower in less than 12h. It grows in the very center of the swamp, deep inside an flooded cave... Or beyond it, I'm not really sure, I never dared go inside it, but that's where the few who managed to bring it back came from..."

The shaman sits on a nearby crate before speaking again.

"Either way, ti's only part of the dangers of that place... Undead are pretty common, though most of them end up sliced by the beast's bright green sickle or burned by its flaming spit. If you can avoid it or run, you should... The very air around it is poisonous. It drains your strength just by being around you."

He seems to be searching his memories for more information.

"I think... It's also capable of aging you. Though it doesn't seem to be part of his poisonous aura, but a separate magick..."

Finally, he sighs, somewhat disheartened by what he says next.

"But... That's not all... Not anymore. There are new powers in the swamp. And whatever they are, they don't have anything good in mind."

Frederick rubs his temples.

"When you told me Ayren's jobs were always more complex than they appeared, I didn't expect them to be this much of a pain."

"Who the hell is Ayren?" says the shaman, not realizing he wasn't the one being addressed.

"Huh? Oh, the guy who hired us to find the Moon Rose. Though, we had to do all the legwork to find out that's what he even NEEDED since he just had a vague impression of what the job he was hired for (and hired us in turn for) was even about. He's kind of an idiot."

"Most people are." the giant replies, nonchalantly. "And yet... You're the ones doing all the hard work for him... Heh... Whatever he's paying you, you should ask for more."

"I plan to. If he hadn't gotten kidnapped by a tree I'd probably be using him as a shield right now. Maybe then he'd be useful."

"If it makes you feel any better, it's probably not as bad as it would be during the moonshine... Spirits tend to get restless during those days..."

He stretches his arms and stands up (with some difficulty).

"Well... I'm going to the Swamp tomorrow by daybreak. If you insist on your foolishness, you're welcome to accompany me."

With that said, he leaves... Walking slowly while leaning on his wooden staff.

"Thank you, that sounds great!" Frederick calls after him.

You have about 12 hours before daybreak. This is a tiny village, but you can still find anything worth up to 500gp around. You might want to buy consumables.

You're going to a swamp, besides the usual monstrous encounters, insects, poison, diseases, difficult terrain, muddy waters and poor lighting can be a serious problem.

In case you forgot, this is the list of what the thriae gave you:

You can split it however you like. At first I assumed the Wayfinder was with Frederick because he was the one making Survival checks to find your way. But in the long run, it might be better to leave it to a party member who doesn't have Darkvision.

For the wands, we can assume each one is being carried by whoever uses it first.

I'll post again in a few hours.

No shopping, then? Ok.

As soon as light appears on the horizon, you wake up and meet Strom's uncle. He leads your group to a very large raft. Once everyone is aboard, he stomps his feet twice... But nothing happens. He sighs and does it again, this time with considerably more force. At first, it seems his efforts are in vain, but a few seconds later the whole raft shakes without warning... And starts moving on its own. Or so it seems at first.

Brother Cyrus can't detect any magic coming from the boat, but during his examination he realizes things are not as they seem... He soon notices the thick ropes tied to the raft and follows them with his eyes... That's when he first notices the pair of rather large crocodiles dragging the raft along the swamp waters.

The shaman seems to enjoy the surprised look at the outsiders' faces.

2 hours later, the water becomes so dark and muddy that you can barely see anything beyond a few inches under its surface. The vegetation grows thicker than ever before, suffocating the sunlight. The air is filled with the scent of rust and decay, but there is little to no sound around, only the buzzing of countless insects and he occasional splash of something moving underwater...

You reach an upland moor, where the shaman leaves the boat, followed by his crocodiles.

"This is where we go different ways. I have rituals to perform and spirits to consult." he points to a path leading to an even darker area of the swamp "If you want to go after the Moon Rose, go that way. All you have to do is follow the shadows and you'll be there. The stronger the smell of death and rust, the closer you are."

He unties the crocodiles from the raft and throws a couple oars at you. "There. You can have the raft. I have other means to return. You should hit another moor in a about half a mile... You can walk without much difficulty... I don't know what is inside the cave, though." he ponders for a second and then adds: "I can't wait for you. If you aren't back by nightfall, I advise you to hide. The 'beast', as you call it, has proven its mettle against many experienced warriors and hunters."

He turns away and moves onward to a shrine

"Keep your eyes open... And may the spirits guide you."

I'll take the book and one of the Dungeoneering kits.

"Thank you for all your help. We'll try to heed your advice and get shelter before nightfall."

Oh... And since you never sold it, you also have a wand of Magic Missile (CL 7; 5 charges left). That's 20d4+20 of force damage. :)

Can we unload it all at once? ;)

Yes, but not on NPCs. ^^

Jaazkara looks around, cautiously interested by her first excursion into the depths of the swamp. She checks her gear and prepares to leave.

"Well, no sense wasting time. We should try to get as far as we can before nightfall."

"Indeed." Cyrus says and picks up one of the oars.

So we travel by raft to this other moor and walk from there? If I'm understanding the elder correctly?

You got it right.

Your party slowly rows away from the moor and towards the darker areas of the Boiling Swamp. The smalls of decay and rust gets ever stronger, as does the mist... Though it isn't thick enough to block your sight.

You're soon surrounded by swarms of insects... They are annoying, but present no real threat. There are a few patches of light here and there, but other than that, the sunlight is almost completely blocked by the trees' canopy.

Despite the stagnant and muddy water, you occasionally notice some movement around the raft. Most of the splashing sounds are short and low enough that you can safely assume it's nothing more than fish... But occasionally, they do sound like something bigger.

Eventually your hear the faint sound of childish laughter... Looking around, Frederick and Jaazkara notice the presence of floating bulbs of ghostly green light... A couple of them even hover somewhat close to your raft, but steer away before coming withing reach.

Frederick recognizes them as Will-o'-Wisps. Clever little monsters known to feed on fear and death. The half-orc isn't surprised by their presence in a swamp, but the fact that they would be so active this early in the morning is unexpected, even with the poor lighting of the swamp. He never heard a tale of these creatures showing up while the Sun is out. Something is wrong...

And it soon becomes clear what.

About 60 ft ahead of your raft, on shallower waters, at the edge of your line of sight, two large grey-skinned creatures with bright yellow eyes and black-colored veins covered and vicious jaws dripping with greasy black pus slowly devour two other barely living creatures of their kind. All four of them display large festering wounds, but the fallen ones have no black veins. The dying creatures must be what piqued the interest of the Will-o'-Wips.

They are swamp trolls... Feared for their strength, ferocity and regenerative abilities.

One of them stares at you while taking a bite of its fallen kin, but doesn't take any action other than chew the piece of flesh in its mouth. It's possible to stay away from them, but there is no guarantee they won't follow you once their feast is over.

BTW, everything here is in conditions of Dim-Light. If you don't have low-light vision, you can only see clearly up to 30 ft (or up to the range of Darkvision, if you have it). Between 31 and 60 ft, creatures gain partial concealment. Beyond 61 ft, it's complete darkness. Double these distances if you have low-light vision.

When the grisly feast is within view, Jaazkara silently and slowly gets the attention of the others to see how they plan to proceed. She then awaits their responses while glancing between them and the disfigured trolls. This entails an unhurried motioning with a scaled hand towards the creatures and back to the raft, followed by a pantomime of brandishing a weapon

"Trolls can be bargained with. Those fallen trolls show no signs of the corruption that plagues the standing ones. Perhaps if we aid them they will return the favor?" Brother Cyrus whispers quietly, altruistic as ever.

So... What you guys want to do?

"I've never heard of a friendly troll. Let's just leave them. They will heal, eventually."

Generally, if two players agree on a course of action, I'll assume the rest of the party agrees as well, so as to make the game flow faster... This time, however, we have two conflicting suggestions and a neutral one... So I'm not sure how to proceed. :P

Jaakara sees the indecision among the others, and decides at once to move into action. Spurred by the sustained stare of the corrupted monster and its mouth full of torn, still-living flesh, she moves. She readies herself and lights one of her torches, handing it off to the priestly human and whispers the word "Distraction," then slips over the edge of the raft into the dark waters, and dives below to begin swimming in a wide arc to come around from the other side of the trolls and their not-yet dead meal.

I take a 10 on my Swim for a 28