Sunny moves back to the rest of the group for this round.
Pai takes aim and launches her single dagger at the one closest to Sunny at the start of the round.
"Take that ya slimy pile o' warts!
The knives flung by the crew fly out into the water and strike the surface, mostly far from the frogs. Pai's dagger gets the closest, but the water itself defeats the attack, the knife slowed enough to skid harmlessly off the frog's skin underneath the muck. Aoro's unerring bolts, however, strike one of the frogs in the head, which gives a loud croak of pain.
Sunny swims through the muck, making a little headway, but still distant from shore. The injured frog dives beneath the muck while the other lashes out with its tongue, but the water that makes them hard to strike seems to be benefitting Sunny as well.
_______________________
Combat Scale: 5ft per square
Torque will move next to Tarch so he can help Sunny get back onto shore.
"♫ ♪ Jus' keep swimin' ♪ ♫ Jus' keep swimin' ♫ ♪ Jus' keep swimin' ♪ ♫"
Aoro moves next to Torque and readies a spell for when the frog gets into range.
Tarchinis mutters a curse at the loss of a perfectly good dagger, draws his cutlass, and presents his profile to the oncoming frog, sword held low and vertical to cover as much as possible.
Torque holds steady, readying and attack if a frog leaps out.
Gene will move closer to the edge and ready an action to attack any frog that attacks.
Pai holds her action waiting for the frogs to get closer.
Sunny
Tark
Torque
Pai
Aoro
Frogs
Most of the group readies for the frogs to grow closer, as Sunny swims for her life, getting closer to the shore easily enough, despite the difficulty the bog presents in that aspect. Tark adopts a defensive posture, while Torque moves up to help Sunny onto land, and Gene aims his firearm at one of the frogs.
The visible frog swims closer, prompting Aoro to cast a spell, releasing a thin bolt of sizzling acid at the amphibian. It strikes and the frog croaks loudly as the acid eats away at its flesh.
__________________________________
Combat Scale: 5ft per square
Aoro recast his spell.
Torque will stand ready to assist Sunny to get out.
Sunny will keep swimming, trying to get close enough to land to be able to be helped out.
Pai climbs back down the tree, and moves 3 squares right and one square down.
Sunny finally makes it to shore while Aoro's second bolt of acid strikes the scum-ridden, soupy waters and fails to do anything other than kill a bit of plant life.
The remaining frog disappears beneath the surface. Neither appears in the next few seconds.
Little Ro appears back on Aoro's shoulder.
"Well looky that, the only one not to follow orders and ask the Captain nearly got eaten. Wonder how that happened."
Aoro flicks Ro off his shoulder into the water. Where he half drowns getting back to the few inches of land near by. Giving Aoro a look of evil behind his back while miming choking motions, as Aoro glances at him he is shaking the water out of his feathers, as Aoro turns back he resumes his choking motions.
"Well we weren't able to finish them off but hopefully they will stay away or avoid us. Shall we move on?"
He picks up Ro and shakes him to the little birds anger, to remove any left over water before placing him back on his shoulder.
Torque is ready to head out.
Sunny stands, thanking Torque for his assistance.
"Aye, talkin' about headin' off all be well an' good. But how are we ta do it?" She asks, doing little more for herself than checking the scabbard and sword which is across her back to make sure they are still there. As she looks back up into the trees she takes out te sword and cleans off the worst of the muck that's made its way inside. She herself seems happy to stand with the muck still lathering her body.
"I mean, I almost made somat whut folks could swing across with." She looks to see if said rope is actually hanging from said branches.
"Course, that still leaves them toads fer us ta deal with later, like." She frowns a little thinking of the critters int eh muddy waters.
Tarchinis raises an eyeborw in a slight amused expression listening to the byplay between the captain and Sunny.
"As I recall, Pai and I laid some planks and brnaches across those pilings. I imagine we could fine something - large branches, if nothing else, that we could use again."
Gene speaks up quietly at first. "We could travel slowly and be ready if they attack us."
Sunny, give it another try to get across. Maybe see if you can find the planks that were here beforehand.
Suny nods, though she does not immediately bounce to Torque's idea. Instead looking thoughtfully at the trees and branches over head.
At this second attempt she takes a dagger with her to 'clean' the branches over head of their slippery moss and such.
Sunny scrambles up a nearby tree again and begins to cross the branches again, slowly crawling up the mossy branches, cutting away the thin layers of wet moss growing on them in places. She manages to tie off the rope, creating an impromptu "jungle swing" before managing to fully cross the expanse. She tosses the end of the rope back to the party.
Torque folds up his armored coat so he has greater flexibility.
Tarchinis sheathes his cutlass, grabs the rope when Aoro tosses it back, and swings:
Landing next to Sunny, Torque, and Aoro, he turns and sends it back to Gene and Pai.
Gene looks at the rope then at pai. "Ladys first" he states before handing her the rope.
Hell then send over any gear left behind before he himself travels across.
Pai spits on her hands and grabs the rope from Gene
"T'ain't bein referrin to me. T'ain't no lady."
Sunny skips about, looking off into the forest/jungle/plant growth in the direction the group seems to be headed into as she waits for every one to come across.
Torque gets his armored coat back on and continues on.
The group continues to travel south, following along the path. The most notable thing about it is the lack of wildlife, with the exception of the occasional bird and the numerous buzzing insects. The air seems to be constantly filled with them. The path reaches a small stream (small enough that with a running start, everyone can easily jump it) that runs through the swamp, thick with scum and the occasional rotted log that sticks up from the water like a broken spear. While traveling along the stream, a sudden blot of bright colors appear amidst the trees on the other side of the stream. It appears to be cloth of some sort, possibly strung up, but it's difficult to tell between the trees.
"Here. I'll climb up an' have a look-see." Sunny offers, lowering her traveling chest and looking for the best tree to climb in regards to her endeavor.
Torque waits for Sunny to finish her recon.
Little Ro takes off to get an overhead view. While Aoro waits keeping alert for anything else coming out of the jungle.
While Sunny takes her position in the tree and looks out at the strange sight in the trees, nothing from the swamp comes to harass you. The bugs here are even thicker, but there is no sign of wildlife at all.
Sunny scampers back down and drops to the forest floor.
"There be a tent! An' somat movin'! An' it looked kind'a human. But I din't get a rilly good look, 'cause a tha' tent bein' in'a way!" She gushes excitedly. Then turning to Pai and Tarch.
"Be there any others makin' it from yer boat? Did ye see any other boats about? Are there any other places about on'a island?"
"Let us not forget the ghouls. Stay alert."
Little Ro is back on Aoro's shoulder hopping around trying to keep an eye on everything and everyone.
Sunny pulls out a net form her traveling gear, holding it up briefly.
"Do we wan'a try an' catch who ever t'is? Or do we wan'a talk ta' 'em? Or maybe both...but not in doin' it all at once. Or maybe not doin' it in that order?" She awaits others thoughts.