Right then, where's this priest. And also food. We can now surely agree that we want food, now that we see what it's like to not have any? Tomorbataar's tone is of a nurse explaining something to a child.
"Well, iffin our information be correct, and our guesses be right, then we will probably be findin' priest, fight, and food all at ter same place, possibly in that order. Forward!"
Grash votes to go find, then fight the lizardfolk priest, and then eat him.
Entytcer is pleased to see her new friend still in "camp" the morning after rest.
"Ah sleep. Yes we could use some food, I suppose we should not eat our new friend though when I'm this hungry most anything and anyone looks delicious".
She sighs and scans the area.
"Lead on," Beachhead says to the lizard man, "and no funny business unless it results in a moral lesson that teaches one to cherish their friendships." The ninja head darts his eyes at Ziphora, looks back at the lizard man, and then cocks his head at Ziphora.
"It is still several hours away..." the lizardfolk says, warily.
Well, hurry up and take us there before we get hungry and decide to eat you!
"Urm guys... No eating.. Maybe? I'm sure I can find some moss ..."Ziphora tries to look for edible plants before her brothers start eating lizard.
Ziphora notices a low shape off in the distance, that might be a small hill of some sort. There might be more of something to eat there than in the murky water.
"Hey there's a hill over there, and there might be yams in that hill."
Ziphora votes to check the hill.
"Or mayhap some delicious beastie lives there. Or we may be able ter see one from there. It be not far, so I say we give it a look."
Grash agrees with hill investigatin'
"What if it's the lone visible body part of a giant submerged swamp creature? That would provide plenty of meat, so I also want to check it out."
Oh dear, what if it's the monster we're hunting? It might be able to kill us...
"It's like I don't even know you, anymore."
"You're worrying too much. It's just a hill! I bet there are yams growing on it!" Ziphora scoffs.
But look how big it is, Tomorbataar replies to Beachhead, maybe we should show deference to authority in this case?
As you wade closer to the hill... it continues to look like a hill. A few willow trees grow in the center of the hill, while several mangrove-like trees grow in the water at its edge.
You don't see any yams, though. At least, not from here.
"... But but but... we're going the wrong way! Still, food is always a good reason to side track".
As they approach the hill Entycer sniffs with disdain, "I don't smell anything good just yet".
Grash similarly looks around for anything edible. Or anything moving that might be edible.
"Lets go closer. When we get closer we should be able to see more."
Vote to move forward.
Tomorbataar also looks around for food.
I don't think there's anything that smells good in the whole swamp.
Beachhead gives a few experimental sniffs.
"My nose still smells good, I think."
There's plenty of stuff growing on this hill, but even as you get closer you don't see anything that looks particularly tasty.
...it turns out, however, that what you thought was a low mound of plants is actually a giant shambling mound. Too bad you only notice this after it attacks Grash.
It smashes him squarely on the top of his head with a surprisingly substantial... bunch of mushy vegetation. In spite of the squishy sound it makes when hitting him, it packs enough force to injure him rather badly.
Tomorbataar pushes his head forward, until he's right up next to the mound. He weaves around it quite well, attempting to flank with beachhead, and then darts forward, smashing the mound repeatedly.
Grash shakes his head for a moment, before snarling out in anger. "Plants nay be going to get tae best of me! Though this do be cause fer some song!"
With that, Grash summons up a drum, and starts up an angry beat.
"I WAS RIGHT!" Beachhead shouts, before cringing at his own volume and disappearing.
Tomorbataar's first two strikes squish into the plant matter, but don't really seem to strike anything important. His third, however, seems to crack some actually structural branches.
The mound responds by trying to squish Tomorbataar.
It slams Tomorbataar between its two vaguely arm-shaped appendages, leaving his head ringing.
This leaves it vulnerable to Beachhead, however, who quickly notices that there's a big, thick bundle of vines under some leaves and bites a couple of chunks out of it.
Ziphora charges everyone with an electric blast.
Ow. Tomorbataar recoils slightly, looking hurt. He quickly circles around, then lashes out, exacting swift vengeance upon the creature that wronged him.
Beachhead darts in and out of shambling mound's... um, mound? Shambles?
"GRRRMphlmblrmf!"
Grash attempts to beat the shambling mound on its mound with his drum, repeatedly.
Tomorbataar smashes the mound of mobile vegetation repeatedly, feeling branches snap under his assault, but the thing keeps moving. Grash is rather less effective, though he thinks he strikes one good blow.
The thing still has enough stamina to try bashing Tomorbataar again, though.
Tomorbataar goes limp as it smashes his skull between its... 'arms'. But then Beachhead darts in and nips the last little bit of vegetation holding it together, and it collapses into a heap.
Tomorbataar falls to the ground, the world going dark. That terrible thing was a lot tougher than it looked.
"Tom? Tom!" Ziphora cries out for Tom desperately. "I'm no healer, I can't help you! Someone, please, help!"
"He might be tired, is all. I don't think he slept well in that tree, last night."
Beachhead investigates the mound's remains.
Tomorbataar's head quickly shrivels away to just a stump, which looks to be regrowing slowly.
"He might be tired, is all.
Tomorbataar's head quickly shrivels away to just a stump, which looks to be regrowing slowly.
"Or not."
"Victory!"
Grash puts down his drum and takes a cursory bite out of the shambling mound to determine if it is edible.
"Noooo, Tom...NOOOOOOOOO!" Ziphora howls with grief as Tom's head shrivels into a stump..."You'll come back, right? " Ziphora speaks to the stump hopefully.
Beachhead doesn't see anything interesting in the remains. Grash determines that the mound... tastes like soggy salad. It's probably edible. Beyond that... well, that depends on how much you like soggy salad.
"Ziphora, here's your vegetables! If you eat it, we will all benefit. If you eat it, we won't have to!"
Ziphora bites savagely into the shambling mound. ”That’s for Tom. You won’t be hurting anymore hydraheads now you’re in my stomach you sorry excuse for a lump of greens!”
After some time, Tomorbataar comes shooting out of the slowly elongating stump. That was unpleasant, but at least it's dead now. He looks for it, it is dead, right?
Where's that lizardfolk?
Tomorbataar looks around.
"Hey Tom! You're back! Don't shrivel up again like that, you geddit?"
"A good battle, that. It struck hard, but we defeated it, and then ate it. As things should be!"
""Hey Tom! You're back! Don't shrivel up again like that"
Beachhead snickers.