"It's also the best place to set an ambush and or trap, as it's the only path available to us right now."
"I agree with Cyna, watch yourselves."
The ground is soft beneath your feet and parts of the path slip into the murky water as you pass. The silence of the swamp is broken by the croaking of frogs and the sounds of insects. The sound of water being disturbed is heard regularly as you make your way through the mire. You spy a sinking fortress in the distance and Sienna stops.
"It didn't look like that when we left...It was still standing!" she exclaims, trying to keep her voice hushed.
Tightening the grip on his weapon at Sienna's comment, Alethiro kept his eyes and ears open for anything....... threatening.
As she draws her scimitar Arista surveys the area, looking for anything that might be considered threatening.
Cyna takes a look at the flora in the area and determines that most of them are species that have never been seen before. Most curious of all is that the trees when you entered the swamp didn't look old at all, but the ones nearby are positively ancient.
Cyna's keen eye alerts her to something strange about the swawmp, she turns to her group and asks.
"I've got a bad feeling about this place. Can any of you sense magic nearby?"
Gregario senses some evil in the swamp, but merely pinpricks in the darkness. Whatever has wrought the change in the swamp isn't necessarily evil.
Drawing Oblivion, Sādhanā scans the area, murmuring an arcane phrase as her eyes glow momentarily.
Sādhanā sees a bright concentration of magic coming from the sunken fortress and notices that it radiates into the area of the swamp you are in, the intensity gradually fading over distance.
"There's strong magic radiating from the fortress, and it's spreading to where we are now, It might be what's affecting the trees."
"Everyone, be on your guard. There is no way of knowing what lurks out here. Maybe we need to take samples of some of these plants? Perhaps one of them could be of some use? We can see what we find on our way to the fortress."
Arista continues to hold her weapon at her side as they progress towards the fortress.
Collecting nearby samples of the strange plants, you forge on ahead through the swamp. The soil becomes harder and the water begins to move away from the path, as if the swamp is drying up. The fortress lies ahead, sitting askew in the murk. You see small stone protrusions in the walls of the fortress. Your route inside is blocked by a sizable pool of water.
Cyna turns to the group and says.
"Something lives in that pool or at least it's been here recently. We could look for another entrance or try and draw it out."
"I don't suppose anyone saved some meat I could use as bait?" The ranger asks while she digs through her gear for materials.
Cyna takes a knife and opens a small wound on her arm dripping fresh blood on the bundle of meat. She then ties the bundle with string and tosses it near the edge of the pond hoping to lure out the creature.
"Let's see if this things hungry. Be ready to cut off it's retreat. Take it down or get it to flee somewhere else if you can."
Sādhanā nods, sword drawn as she lies in wait.
As soon as the bundled meat hits the edge of the pond, a large and very hungry looking crocodile ambles out of the water. It quickly takes the meat in its mouth and yanks at the string Cyna's holding. It growls angrily and another crocodile emerges, presumably its mate.
Terrific. The Elf thought.
When he first spotted the fort, Drago's eyes went wide, then he saw Skaar on the dock, and they filled with tears. The Gnomes kiss on the cheek snapped him back to his senses. Gathering his belongings from below deck, the Sorcerer made his way the big Orc. Grasping his companion's forearm, he smiled and said, "It is good to see you alive my friend, I knew that bastard and his minions could kill you easily." After looking around, Drago asked, "Where are the others?"
Abandoning any sense of decorum, Skaar pulls away from the modest handshakes and lifts Drago in a crushing bearhug within his massive arms. ”Drago! You’re alive! You escaped from wherever that bastard took ya?”
Pausing for a moment, he notices Drago’s beautiful companion. ”And you picked up a nice piece of ass ‘long the way”, the big orc adds with a barking laugh.
Skaar’s revelry is interrupted by the damphir’s repeated question and he lowers him to the ground.
”I dunno. I left for a while myself. I only got back today. When I left this place was still just a hole. They must’a gotten a lot done.”
The crocodiles hiss threateningly and move forward.
Initiative:
Roll-off:
Round 1: Cyna, Arista, Alethiro, Crocs, Sādhanā, Gregario, Sienna
The Elf raised his holy script and spoke, "Pharasma, guide and protect." A shimmering shield momentarily appeared around him as he moved up a couple of steps.
"Here they come!"
The ranger draws her bow and fires two arrows at the creature that swallowed the meat.
Cyna quickly puts down the first crocodile.
Round 1: Cyna, Arista, Alethiro, Croc, Sādhanā, Gregario, Sienna
Arista moves up and readies her scimitar for the crocodile's approach.
While the two men question each other, Nicatha turns her ear to what the spirits of the night whisper about Skaar.
The crocodile moves forward and attacks the tiefling who killed its mate.
;
Round 1: Cyna, Arista, Alethiro, Croc, Sādhanā, Gregario, Sienna