The skeletons have sunk into the mire. The party scrambles onto the nearby hummock and pick their leeches off while plotting their next move.
The skeletons have sunk into the mire. The party scrambles onto the nearby hummock and pick their leeches off while plotting their next move.
Vilya flips the last leech from her arm and splashes into the mire, heading for the nearby forested hillock. Now that they are close, the party can see several menhirs poking out of the thick growth with worn carvings on them.
The sun is beginning to dip towards the horizon. It is already heavily filtered by the looming storm clouds. Gusts of wind start to freshen, ruffling the still, muddy swamp.
Slightly shaken by all the undead, Egan is content to let the compulsive girl lead the way. He will keep a sharp lookout where she it going however, and continues to proceed using his quarterstaff to probe ahead of him.
I will stay on the side of the party nearest the deep water, keeping my attention out there.
San looks at Vilya, shakes his head, draws his greatsword, and heads into the muck after her. He keeps close to Iz, staying just behind him.
"Well done Hank!" Ten Foot exclaims and taps his chest proudly, grinning at the others, "I appreciate your work even if the others don't," he whispers under his breath before following them onward.
"Well done Hank!" Ten Foot exclaims and taps his chest proudly, grinning at the others, "I appreciate your work even if the others don't," he whispers under his breath before following them onward.
Seven Eagle looks at himsel, covered in muck and grime, "My poor boots" he sulks, eager to get on dry ground once more he picks his pace up
The intrepid group slogs through the mud and muck, heading to the hillock. They are just touching more solid footing on its periphery when Egan notices a boiling off to the corner, as if something was coming up through the bog's depths. As he prepares to warn the others, a geyser of bog and mud fountains up from the place. It coalesces into a mound of vaguely humanoid shape, with two arms and a head. Two red spots bloom into being where the eyes on the lumpy head would be. The being advances, sliding effortlessly through the muck at our heroes.
Initiatives:
Mud Monster 17
Joleesa: 15
Izkrael: 11
Egan: 10
Vilya: 10
Sanvoros: 9
Seven Eagle: 9
Ten: 8
Tobias: 8
The animate pile of bog mire attacks Vilya, sending a looping pseudopod of boggy mud towards her.
The boggy blow hits true, smacking the slight scout with force.
Izkrael will move up along the mud creature's side, and swing at it.
(Moving to f34)
1d20+7=18, 2d6+3=13
San spends a swift action and activates Arcane Strike, then swings with his greatsword against the monstrosity.
Tobias fires a bolt at the mud creature, grazing it slightly.
Tobias:
Egan takes a few steps back (20' away) and looses an arrow at the monstrosity.
Ten Foot hoists his axe and 5 foot steps into h32 before swinging his axe mightily towards the Mud Monster.
Attack and possible damage against the Mud Munsta! (1d20+5=11, 1d12+4=12)
Ten Foot slips in the mud as he takes his swing.
The animate pile of bog mire attacks Vilya, sending a looping pseudopod of boggy mud towards her.
The boggy blow hits true, smacking the slight scout with force.
"OW! DAMMIT! This is RIDICULOUS!"
Pulling her drenched, bruised, and muddy form from the muck, she moves slightly to her left in order to flank the mire elemental, while simultaneously lashing out with both machete and kukri.
Initiatives
Mud Monster 17 [attacking]
Joleesa: 15 [pending]
Izkrael: 11 [swing&hit]
Egan: 10 [plink plink]
Vilya: 10 [slicy stabby]
Sanvoros: 9 [smackity smackity]
Seven Eagle: 9 [pending]
Ten: 8 [flubb a dub]
Tobias: 8 [close but no ceegar]
The animate mud creature splats Vilya good, spraying her with gooey slime and fist-sized rocks. A good gallon of fetid swamp seems to be travelling down her throat.
Vilya and the rest of her party retaliate in no mean fashion, slicing, plinking and stabbing the boggy mudpie in multiple areas. The creature literally explodes from all the damage, sinking back into the mire.
Just as the others start to help Vilya, a crack of lightning sounds from overhead. A few raindrops cause rings on the bog's surface.
As the group gets to the hillock they see a narrow stone tunnel concealed in some heavy growth a few meters up from the shoreline. The rain is thickening rapidly, and Egan can hear the distant hiss of the approaching rainline in the jungle trees.
"Well, who wants to go first?" San says as he casts light on his blade. He'll also cast the spell on anyone else who wants it cast.
Ten Foot, looks round and grunts, "Me then!" and heads in, stopping inside the darkness to allow his darkvision to kick in.
"Right behind you, big guy." San will try and keep enough back to not ruin Ten's darkvision, then plunge into the tunnel.
Ten descends into the ancient tunnel the rain outside thickens, thin runnels of water starting to run past Ten's large feet down the worn stairway. The tunnel slopes at a 45 degree angle, the stairs almost worn smooth by age and water. As Ten gets to the end he sees a large cavernous room filled with scummy green water that seems to have pooled here for ages. At the far end of the room, a stairway leads upwards into the shadows
Egan is not as comfortable in the underground environment, but knows his keen senses might be useful, so he will take up the rear. Especially since his ranged weapons are his best. He really doesn't like closed in places anyway, and anyone observing him before entering will see him take a deep breath to steady himself before entering.
Egan is not as comfortable in the underground environment, but knows his keen senses might be useful, so he will take up the rear. Especially since his ranged weapons are his best. He really doesn't like closed in places anyway, and anyone observing him before entering will see him take a deep breath to steady himself before entering.
Vilya grins wickedly at Egan, before pushing past the ranger and entering the ruin behind Sanvoros.
"My turn."
P15:
P20:
P25:
P30:
Tobias remains in the middle of the group.
Perception: 1d20+1=14
Perception (1d20+17=23) 25 if sight or sound based.
Following Vilya, Izkrael is to busy watching his footing to notice much.
1d20+5=9 (+2 if sight- or sound-based; +2 if favored enemy/undead)
Sniffing, Ten Foot comments "that isn't me before you ask!"
How deep does the water look to Ten Foot? He will test with his axe and look at the riser on the steps to try and get an idea.
While the group forms up behind him, he casts Magic Weapon and Bulls Strength,
...How deep does the water look to Ten Foot? He will test with his axe and look at the riser on the steps to try and get an idea...
The water looks to be fairly deep. The ancient steps are submerged and the water goes up past where Ten can test with his axe handle
Joleesa brings up the rear, Lumien perched on her shoulder and leading "Wheezy" down the stairs. He doesn't seem happy to be underground down here and as a consequence she is too busy dealing with him to notice much else about the room other than the water.
The storm outside the tunnel worsens, the lightning firing in staccato bursts. Waler begins to flow more freely down the tunnel, washing the muck off the party's shoes. Despite the inflow of water, the level in the submerged room seems to be holding steady.
"Well, Ten, looks like we get wet if go forward or back out. Might as well go forward. But be ready; I can see a few unnatural currents or swirls in the water. And they don't seem to be coming from the water dripping down from the ceiling." San turns back to the others. "Everyone hear? Looks like there's ... something in the water ahead. Be prepared for anything."
"Well, we just fought pure elemental mud, so expect the water itself to punch you in the face."
Tobias follows , crossbow at the ready.
Egan, fighting Jolessa for the rear guard position, draws his bow, nocks an arrow, and prepares to cover those moving forward.
Once they actually move to the water, Izkrael will take the left flank.
He also resheaths his curve blade across his back, and draws his longsword, figuring the deep water would make his largest blade a bit too unwieldy.
"Oh great!" Ten Foot grumbles, [b]"Well if we are going in der, den I am going to be bigger."[b]
He intones a third prayer to his deity and grows into huge proportions, as he grows he is forced to step into the water to avoid being squeezed in the corridor.
Ten Foot grips his axe tightly as he slowly wades forward, trying to breath steadily against the cold water and in case he is suddenly dragged under water.
Vilya stays back from the water. If there's something down there, it's going to get to Ten Foot first.
Initiate Inspire courage
Tem swells in size and begins to descend into the warm, fetid water. It seems to be about two meters deep when he gets to the mucky bottom.
A violent swirl of water erupts by him as he gets a bit further in