"Yes, but the rules state that you'd have to be within 30 feet of the target, and you're currently not."
vincent will look at the quicksand and for a moment, just a moment really, he'll think about trying to cross it before reminding himself that dying by drydrowing wont help anyone.
Tyrannical tadpole turds!!! Aghon screams as he watches his friend being harmed outside the range of his healing magic. Eat crossbow bolts you friggen frogs!!!
Also, I forgot to add the +1 damage from Jarvis' Inspire Courage to my last attack, so, could we maybe add it to this one and make the damage from this attack 5?[/ooc]
Jordan desperately stabs his blade into his attacker's chest, causing quite a bit of damage; a moment later, Aghon's crossbow bolt thuds into its side, and the giant amphibian falls to the ground in its death throes, realeasing Jordan in the process .
Jarvis winds up and sends a bolt out at the other frog, his voice still crooning.
vincent will cast thunderstaff on Jarvis's crossbow again
Jarvis keeps his inspirational shanty active, but his electricity-laced crossbow bolt misfires badly. Not worried or flustered, Vincent calmly re-zaps the halfling's crossbow for the next shot.
The remaining frog must be hungry or just dumb: It doesn't notice Culder pulling himself out of the quicksand, standing again on the piling, and preparing for more jumping, frog-murder in his eyes. The amphibian again snaps at Jordan but bites its own tongue.
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Jarvis takes aim and sends another bolt.
Jordan draws his sword and swings at the remaining frog.
Aghon again fires his crossbow to try and kill the remaining frog.
just stacking thunderstaff again on Jarvis
Jarvis puts a charged bolt into the last frog's side, wounding it pretty badly. When Aghon puts a second bolt into the thing's head, he drops the beast and ends the fight. Culder stops raging and looks around, not certain what the plan is from here...whether he should hop back a ways to retrieve his oar that still floats atop the slimy bog or join Jordan on the other side. He hollers for the others to make their opinions known and then grumbles gruffly at Jordan, asking the cook's mate if he knows how to cook frogs' legs.
Hanspur's tiny hairs! I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but, you know, I'm a pretty passable carpenter. I can probably fashion a decent raft out of some of that timber we saw back in the abandoned villlage. Aghon hollers across to Jordan and Culder. You two mind waiting while Jarvis, Vincent, and I go gather materials?
To Culder's comment, Jordan dryly responds "Not sure I'd want to eat anything that looks that much like Plugg."
Cleaning his sword, Jordan looks up at Aghon's comment. "Doesn't seem like a problem. Worst ye can do is make a so-so bridge. If it comes to that, Culder and me can probably make it back to you lot, but I'd rather not take a bath in that stuff again if it can be avoided."
Beyond the mire, the faint path meanders through more wetlands for another 3/4-mile before you spy something unusual ahead: A huge tree stands in the middle of a clearing in the swamp, draped with some sort of huge tent. The cloying scent of decaying flesh reaches you even at a distance of 75 feet, and you see small clouds of flies alighting on objects near the tent's posts. The path passes through the ghastly clearing but you could likely skirt it without wading through more quicksand.
"Hold up a minute," Jordan says. "Something seems a bit off about this setup." Pulling out a healing potion, the cook's mate takes a swig before diving into the brush.
Jordan takes the initiative and creeps forward, trying to get a peek into the tent. What he sees is disturbing.
Three female figures are inside the shadowy tent, sitting or squatting in the center facing one another. Dressed in the tattered remains of silken finery stained with dirt and blood, the trio don't talk or even move a muscle. It's almost as if their Power Switches are turned to Off.
The off-putting feeling of the tent and its occupants is a bit unnerving for Jordan. Turning, he returns through the bushes to his comrades to report what he's found.
Once back to his companions, Jordan will explain what he saw. "Dunno that I like the look of that place, but I'm sure as shooting not going any closer by myself," he explains. "Three women, just sitting there, covered in blood and rags, not moving a muscle. Definitely eerie."
After sharing this information, Jordan looks around at everyone and asks, "Well, how lucky do we feel today?"
Do they look like they are undead?
"Couldn't say, I wasn't close enough to tell. That, and I already got myself into a mess once today. Figured it would be better to make sure if anything rotten goes down, we'd have strength in numbers. At any rate, those gals ain't moving. Could be they're just dead."
"Come to think of it, I'm not sure we can just walk on past this," Jordan says, chewing on his lip. "That storm that shook us here hit this island, and wouldn't have left that tent or those corpses upright. At least, it wouldn't have left them upright if they were actually corpses."
Jordan kicks at a dirt clod, then asks "Do we attack, or approach and see if they mean us harm?"
Yeah, I kind of figured that same thing, which is why I asked in the first place. Speaking from a purely religious perspective, there is no "good" kind of undead. Whatever spirit or magic animates a corpse, usually does it for evil purposes. Just sayin'. Culder, Vincent, Jarvis, what do you guys think? Sneak past, or hit it head on? Aghon says as he cranks and loads his crossbow.
Sneaking past is a bad plan. I'd not much like leaving them unchecked at our backs. Like Aghon said, no good undead. Period. We should end these things. Jarvis says, setting a bolt in his crossbow once more.
When Aghon asks, 'Sneak past, or hit it head on?', Culder taps the end of his oar into the palm of his other hand with a grunt and a smirk. You have his answer.
"How about I sneak around. That way, when Culder hits them like the bull he is, I can catch them off to the side."
Sounds good to me. Aghon says, checking his holy symbol, trident, shield and morningstar. Let's go... Wait! Actually. Can you describe exactly what these "corpses" looked like? I might be able to help us prepare for how to fight them. I learned quite a bit about various undead back at the temple.
Since you didn't see the creature's firsthand, I'm going to be kinda vague. From Jordan's description, you'd guess they're either ghouls or some sort of flesh-eating zombies.
** spoiler omitted **
Hmmmm, without getting a good look at them, just based on your description Jordan, I'd say, some kind of zombie, though zombies don't usually just sit around... Could be a ghoul too. If it is ghouls, we aren't going to want to get close enough for them to bite, because their bite is deadly. Also, ghouls will have a natural resistance to my channeled energy, so it will be a bit less effective on them. Aghon says, relating those things that were taught him at the temple in order to make sure his friends are prepared for what might be coming at them.
"Seems we've a fight on our hands," Jordan says. "If we're lucky we'll be able to take them from a distance, or seperate them so that Culder can bludgeon them t'death...or undeath, whichever."
"I'll go and get myself hidden a ways off. If they take notice and start heading towards you before you get about 10 yards off, then I'll start firing. If you make it that far and we don't see any movement from them, I'll send a shot in to see if that stirs them."
With that, Jordan dives back into the brush.
"technicly I belive we would simply be freeing thier souls from an eternity of torment since and undead is still considered dead by most scholars, its similar to when a street preformer uses a puppet, the puppet isn't really alive it just appears to be beacuse a performer is pulling strings. though it gets a little more complex as undead ..." at this point Vincent begins to go off on a tangent about magical fields and how some areas have strong connections to different plains, often resulting in puppets that can act on their own accord but most people agree that despite these circumstances they are still considered dead and you can't really kill them, just put them to rest.
I agree, let's end these creatures.
Aghon moves into position opposite Jarvis flanking Culder, to provide healing, or melee support if it's what's needed. Let's send these undead b!tches back to whatever plane their souls escaped from! He hollers encouragingly to his allies.
Now that you're closer and can see the creatures firsthand, you recognize them to be ghouls.
The three female ghouls react (albeit slowly) to Aghon's battle cry. They turn their heads toward the cleric, revealing bloodstained mouths and chins.
.
.
.
Seeing that his companions have the "ladie's" attention, Jordan moves himself closer to get a slightly better shot. Drawing back on his bowstring, he lets an arrow fly at the...thing...closest to him.
Jarvis starts up his song, tales about punching zombies in the face this time.
Jordan's target becomes aware of his presence only once he's fired his arrow, turning her head toward the cook's mate just in time to take an arrow in the head, through an eye, and then through the back of her skull. She drops, dead again. Jarvis's voice raises your spirits as the battle continues!
Aghon moves into range of his divine magic striking the ghoulishly ugly women, and calls down the burning power of Hanspur to smite their unliving bodies. "Hanspur burn these wretched once-women from the earth, that it might be tainted by the stain of their corruption no more!"
Aghon's positive energy burst causes the two remaining ghouls to shriek in momentary pain. They're damaged, but not that badly.
Vincent will just try a jolt cantrip on whore#2
Vincent's cantrip zaps one of the ghoul-whores, enraging her. The undead burst from the cover of the tent at a startling speed, charging Aghon and Vincent*. Each connects with a jagged claw, bloodying the pirate heroes
Culder's a bit slow in reacting, but when he does, he ambles up to the ghoul assaulting Aghon and brains it with his oar, caving in its skull and dropping it. His grim eyes turn toward the last ghoul standing.
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