Alianne gets out her shield, just in case.
Varian will try talking to the toads, but he doesn't really expect a response. "We don't want to fight... go back to the water and no one has to die." If they continue to come forward, he'll fire (readied action)
Ptolem rolls his eyes.
"They're FROGS, you don't negotiate with them."
Ptolem five foot steps in and strikes, entering Snapping Turtle Stance in anticipation of an attack from within his range.
One of the frogs is put down right away by Ptolem, the others continue their advance, while another takes a small wound from Varian's shot.
Another moves up and attempts to attack Ptolem.
Two move in towards Neils.
Another to Nil.
And the final to Varian.
Nil tumbles backward evading the strike and seeing the amphibian creature upon him but noting the plight of Neils. With a keen eye, flame erupts along the arrow of his bow before being shot out, aimed at the frog that grappled his companion.
" Do not fear. I will release you. "
Moving up behind the outnumbered Neils, Somonti jabs at the toad who has yet to grapple him, trying to distract the beast.
"Leave him alone!"
"Haa!"
Alianne runs towards the fighting, and swings her flanged mace at the head of the toad attacking Varian, making sure to keep her shield up.
,
Ptolem's polearm flicks out and stabs the troublesome toad.
Varian steps back from the toad that attacked him and shoots it.
... well shoots AT it... but misses.
"HA HA" shouts Neils as he the first toad misses. "You'll have to do bette-" but he is silenced mid-sentence as a second toad pounces him from behind.
"Mmm! Mph!" is all he can manage as he struggles against the creature. He manages to free a hand at the last second. Without hesitation he calls to his soul, causing a blade of crackling lighting to appear. Unfortunately he only manages to swing it in panic in such close quarters.
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Ptolem ignores the toad in front of him and aids his minion.
"Honestly, you didn't even pull out your weapon..."
"Everyone, attack on my mark!" he yells.
The frog wounded by Ptolem attempts to bite him once more.
The others continue their attacks against their targets as well.
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Round 2
Now freed, Neils turns to the remaining toads with his glowing sword.
The remaining frog attacking Neils is dispatched by his psionic implement, leaving only three.
Nil shifts his form ever so slightly and evades the one upon him, turning and firing a shot into it's face.
" Ptolem makes up in bravado with effectiveness as always. "
Nil dispatches another leaving only the frogs attacking Varian and Ptolem respectively.
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Varian steps back again and shoots the toad attacking him.
Ptolem twirls his ranseur above his head and slams it down, butt first on the toad's head.
With Ptolem's attack only the frog attacking Varian remains.
Seeing the speed at which her companions have dealt with the threat, and that only one remains, Somonti moves over to it
"Mr Toad, go home to your family, there is nothing for you here... "
She jabs her spear at the toad, trying to wound it and drive it off
Somonti finishes the last of the frogs off with a well placed spear shot, leaving the group alone once again.
Varian breathes a sigh of relief and thanks Somonti profusely. "Thank you so much... that toad was certainly a tough one, at least for me. And I was so nervous, all my shots were going awry."
He tries to recover arrows from missed shots.
Nil pats Varian on the shoulder at this fact, part pity; part concern.
" Yes, I couldn't help but notice. I was not aware you harbored a fear of amphibian creatures. Perhaps in the future you might fare better with a blade? "
Nil inspected the corpses for anything of use while inspection of wounds likely started.
Somonti bends a knee and inspects the toad for any sign of illness/corruption...
"A blade, eh? hadn't really considered getting into hand to hand combat... all I have is this dagger... Perhaps I should invest in a blade, or we might find one I can use while we are here."
"Don't be so hard on the guy, Nil. He's along for his knowledge, not for the strength of his arm."
Alianne nods, and hooks her mace on the ring on her belt - she'll clean the toad gunk and blood off of it later. For now, she draws her iron wand again, and sets about healing the bite wound that Niels suffered.
"How does that feel, Niels? If it starts to swell and go infected, you should make sure to see a real healer later - an apothecary, or something."
Nil blinks a few times.
" It was much less a beratement and much more an observation. As one specialized in ranged combat myself I understand there are certain distractions that make such difficult at close range. I was offering an alternative. "
"Fine actually, maybe even a little better than before." he blinks a few times while looking at the rest of the group "Wait- am I really the only one who got hit?"
" I tend to make it my job not to. So the answer to that currently is 'Yes' "
Alianne gives the elf an incredulous glance, but decides not to comment.
"All creatures have a subconscious desire not to spill blue blood, it being a natural rarity and all."
"Maybe someone should take a look inside what remains of the temples, while Somonti finishes her..." Alianne pauses unsure of what it is that the other woman is up to with the dead frog. Poking at its insides? She wasn't going to say that out loud.
"Well. Nil, didn't you say I should let you go first? Would you?"
Nil looked to Alianne fondly and shook his head, " While I did not mention myself as a candidate for exploration firstly, being I tend to stay near the rear, I shall do so if that is your wish. The two that usually falls under are Neils and Ptolem. "
"Worry not my friend, I will take the lead. Onward to...oh, I seem to have forgotten. The temple, was it?"
Varian chuckles and nods... "TO the temple then..."
Nil seemed to be in the process of switching to a very ornate and heavy looking Earthbreaker as he said that. " Oh, I see. I suppose I shall return to my previous position. " His armor wavered for but a moment before keeping its same form.
The interior of the leftmost temple is much the same internally as externally, many runes and glyphs and crude morbid depictions litter the walls in red and brown.
In the center of the Temple is a now ruined statue of what must have at one time been Aroden.
At the base of the statue you notice a very straight and deliberate application of blood that appears to be obscuring something.
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"Well that looks odd... best take a closer look at it." And so he moves up to it and looks at it more closely...
Nil readies an action as Varian approaches to strike at any hostile that might once more drop upon them.
Approaching closer Varian can spot stray marks the blood didn't fully cover that appear similar to the ones found on the scroll cases from before.
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"Indeed. Can anyone cast Create Water?"
"These seem to be the same kind of marks as the ones on the scroll cases we found before."
At Ptolem's suggestion, she sets about cleaning away the deliberately applied smear of blood, using water from her waterskin, and a rag from one of her pockets. She fully intends to throw away when she's done.
If she runs out of water, she'll refill her waterskin with magic.
"They wanted to hide this."
" Are they magical? There is little way to find out. Perhaps these are where the scrolls must be used? "
After Alianne clears away the blood the words in celestial stand out in silver script,
"For Virtue."
Somonti believes that these frogs were indeed created somehow by a corrupting influence for sure. Whether that source is the lake itself or some other factor she cannot say.
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