Isaac decides to run at the eastern frog. He runs across the wooden remains of the bridge and lands in the water. He swings at it!
ROUND TWO (cont'd)
As an eagle appears with a shriek and dives at the frog on the east side of the river, Alabaster fires at the frogs again. Arhiel weaves a spell around herself, and Isaac leaps lightly out onto the few remaining pilings to slash down at the creature in the water. Edward, drawing his shortbow, takes aim and catches the frog in the eye, killing it.
The other frog lunges forward and its jaws snap shut on Larry's head! The grindylow shrieks as the frog jerks its head back, trying to swallow it, but the grindylow's body goes limp and slithers out of the frog's jaws...Larry starts to sink beneath the water, badly bleeding and clearly unconscious.
Frogs: HP: Red 10, Green 15 | AC/T/FF: 12/11/11 (note that they are in water, giving them a +8 to AC against attacks made from land) | Fort +6 Ref +6 (+10 vs. land attacks) Will -1 | CMD 14 (18 vs. trip)
Red Shaken for [1] rounds.
The eagle flies over to the frog that isn't dead and makes a single attack against it.
Not seeing any reason to cast another spell right now or take any other action yet, Arhiel waits and watches. (delay)
Issac smiles as the frog goes down. Then, he sees Larry fall. "LARRY!" He swims over to the other frog.
He swims forward very gracefully.
ROUND THREE
As Larry sinks, Jesal closes his eyes and focuses, and the grindylow suddenly gasps back to life . With a splash, the grindylow rights itself and surfaces, then lunges back at the frog. Isaac dives into the water and manages to swim through the sucking mud over to Larry, while the eagle careens through the sky and swoops down on the frog, causing it to flail around in pain!
Frogs: HP: Red 3 | AC/T/FF: 12/11/11 (note that they are in water, giving them a +8 to AC against attacks made from land) | Fort +6 Ref +6 (+10 vs. land attacks) Will -1 | CMD 14 (18 vs. trip)
Red Shaken for [1] rounds.
Edwards yells down at the frogs.
Alabaster loads and fires again, this time at the one Larry is attacking.
ROUND THREE (cont'd)
As Edward lets out a piercing shriek and Alabster fires again, the frog panics and begins to flail madly about, trying to escape. Its panic does nothing for it, however, and in fact only results in the mud sucking more violently at the creature's long limbs, pulling it below the surface!
The tactical situation, for what it's worth.
Frogs: HP: Red 3 | AC/T/FF: 12/11/11 (note that they are in water, giving them a +8 to AC against attacks made from land) | Fort +6 Ref +6 (+10 vs. land attacks) Will -1 | CMD 14 (18 vs. trip)
Red Shaken for [2] rounds.
Frog is 5' below surface and has been for 1 round.
Jesal hurls another spear since I don't think he can move far enough to melee.
Isaac swims in place, glares at the frog, and swings his cutlass at it.
Unfortunately, his swing goes wide. The Would-Be Captain scowls and yells out a curse. "By Besmara's salted chest! I can hit one bu' not th' ot'er?!"
Jesal's spear sinks into the murk, and though Isaac swings at the frog, he can't see it under the churning, silty waters. There's a turmoil as the frog apparently struggles off under the water, and then things settle as it disappears down the river.
Out of combat.
With the frog gone, Larry and Isaac are able to, with some difficulty, pull themselves out of the river of quicksand and onto dry land. Your group takes a few minutes to rest and recoup after that struggle, before heading on.
Isaac tries his best to get as much muck off as possible. "Well, tha' be interestin' to say th' leas'." He walks over to the tree with his grappling hook. "So, any o' ye wan' to be swingin' to th' oter sid'?"
Arhiel casts prestidigitation to clean and dry Isaac and his equipment.
Isaac smiles at Arhiel. "Thank ye, Arhiel."
She smiles and gives Isaac a wink... "If you're to be our captain someday, you need to look the part."
"All you need now, is a parrot on your shoulder, eh?"
The group swings carefully over the slowly oozing river to the other side one at a time, with no worse incident than a few obnoxious bug bites. Although Larry at this point is forced to leave his beloved river to keep up, he manages to make his way along the path with his tentacles.
Now that you're in the shade of the swamp's trees, the sun is marginally less hot, although it's still horribly humid and sweltering, and the stink of the swamp gases seems to get worse and worse. You trudge on for another couple of hours before coming to a sharp halt by something you never expected to see here.
A terrible stench fills the swamp here, a fetid odor of cheap perfume and rotting flesh. A huge tree stands in the middle of a clearing in the swamp, draped with some sort of enormous tent. Lurid, painted faces cover both tree trunk and tent, and both are decorated with rotting humanoid body parts and carpets of squirming insects. There are numerous slits in the tent designed to give access to the interior.
Edward doesn't faze too much from the swamp's gasses, but the sight of the tent catches his attention.
"Well, here is something unusual. That perfume, the sort used by brothel girls. I would know, i'm from Riddleport. The smell of such perfume, with the putrid smell, stay on your guard, i don't trust this."
Alabaster nods.
Aye, this ain't fer bein' normal, that's fer sure. Best be ready.
The priest draws his cutlass and makes sure his pistol is loaded, and then waits for the word from Isaac.
Isaac smirks at Edward's comment about needing a parrot. "Aye. A magnificen parrot wit' sliver plumag' on its head. Tha's wha' I be needin'."
Isaac aids those who are not acrobatic across the river. He then removes the hook and rope from the tree and moves on with the group.
As the team approaches the tree and tent, Isaac's nose wrinkles in disgust at the smell. "Ugh. Th' smell... it be horribl'." That's when he sees the decorations of corpses and maggots. Seeing the team turn to him for guidance, Isaac draws his cutlass and says, "Aye, Edward. I be not likin' this either. Ge' spells cas' early and draw yer weapons. Ranged weapons be trained on th' openin's. Say th' word an' I be callin' whoe'er's in ther' ou'
Isaac then says in Aquan to Larry, "Step forth an' ge' ready fer a figh'. Attac' anythin' tha' comes ou' o' tha' ten'."
"I could call on some pretty lights to check if there is indeed someone inside.
It just needs to fly inside, and if we hear something respond, we know there's trouble to prepare for. Game? Or other ideas?"
The young priest mutters a quick prayer to Besmara, and cocks his pistol.
I'm ready. Call 'em out when everyone else be too.
"I could try lighting the tent on fire to draw them out... if that's what you want."
Isaac nods. "Then, greas' won't work. Edward, your idea be soun'. If ther' be somethin' ther', then, Arhiel, ye be lightin' th' tent on fire."
"Alright then, here goes."
Edward snaps his fingers, three bulbs of light appear before him and fly towards a slit in the tent.
In anticipation, Edward keeps his ears focused.
Arhiel gets 30 feet from the tent and casts spark on a torn piece of the tent, hoping it lights on fire... If that isn't enough she'll cast it repeatedly until the tent is thoroughly on fire.... or something comes out of the tent.
Jesal readies a throwing spear and hangs out to see what's coming. He commands Larry forward to ready for approach.
-Posted with Wayfinder
As Edward's lights float through one of the slits in the tent, he hears a rustle and the murmur of soft, hissing voices inside. There is the sound of slow, stealthy footsteps approaching the edge of the tent, and then an unseen hand slowly starts to pull back the edge of the flap...
It's at this moment that Arhiel's spell sets the edge of the tent on fire.
With a shriek of rage, three beings boil out of the tent and charge towards you! They jaws are open to reveal long, sharp teeth, and their bruise-purple skin is stretched tight over their gaunt frames. They all wear the tattered remains of what were once fine clothes.
As the creatures rush toward you, Isaac, Jesal, and Alabaster respond with lightning speed; Arhiel and Edward are still completing the last gestures of their spells.
INITIATIVE
Isaac, Jesal, Alabaster<----
Foes
Larry, Edward, Arhiel
Foes: HP: 13 each. | AC/T/FF: 14/12/12 | Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +5 | CMD: 14 | Channel Resist +2
"Those girls i wouldn't let nibble my ear lobes. :/
"Careful, those whores are ghouls!
Stay away from them, their bite and claws can paralyze you!"
Jesal raises his hand and spear to the sky and calls down a piece of a cloud that gathers charge and blackness as it zips toward the southern dead thing firing small lightning bolts at it.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/a/aggressive-thundercloud:
;
Isaac frowns at the ghouls. He brings up his cutlass to guard off the attacks. "As if I'd be lettin' 'em touch me! Ther's only one woman I le' touch me!"
Alabaster just takes aim and fires.
As Isaac settles into a defensive stance and Alabaster's gun echoes through the swamp, the southernmost ghoul shrieks in pain from the blast of thunder and lightning that roils out of Jesal's finger and slams into him. The blast brings the other ghouls up short, and the northernmost one, with a snarl, circles carefully around the back of the group. Edward turns to face him, dodging a lunging swing from the ghoul's claws, only to yell in pain as the second charges him from behind! He crumples to the ground, rigid.
The injured ghoul, howling with rage, ignores the other two, and charges directly toward the direction the thundercloud came from--colliding with Larry, and almost ripping the grindylow's head off with a savage swing of his claw! Larry crumples, although he seems to be breathing all right...
Initiative
Isaac, Jesal, Alabaster
Foes
Larry, Edward, Arhiel<----
Map (updated with thundercloud!)
Foes: HP: Blue at 4, others 13 each. | AC/T/FF: 14/12/12 (-2 this round for red and blue) | Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +5 | CMD: 14 | Channel Resist +2
Larry: HP: -1, stable
rounds
Arhiel moves back by Jesal and casts grease under the closest (blue) ghoul.
The ghoul that mauled Larry shrieks in panic and topples over, flailing on the ground as Arhiel conjures a slick patch of grease beneath its feet!
Initiative
Jesal, Isaac, Alabaster <---- (in posting order)
Ghouls
Larry (down), Edward, Arhiel
Foes: HP: Blue at 4, others 13 each. | AC/T/FF: 14/12/12 (-2 this round for red and blue, blue is prone) | Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +5 | CMD: 14 | Channel Resist +2
Larry: HP: -1, stable
Isaac scowls at the ghouls. He swings his cutlass at the one next to him.
Unfortunately, he severely misses.
Jesal moves his cloud to another ghoul (red)
He will 5 foot sw and attack the prone ghoul with his spear, 2handed.
-Posted with Wayfinder
As Isaac lunges at the ghoul, his swing going wide, Jesal flicks his finger and the silver-haired captain jumps back as the mobile thundercloud roars into the nearest ghoul. It shrieks in pain and staggers out from the cloud, flailing blindly around itself and failing to connect with anything. Jesal steps up to the prone ghoul and, as it starts to stand, drives his spear through its eye socket with a grunt and a sickening *squelch*.
Seeing that the remaining ghoul is about to descend on Edward, Alabaster steps forward, drawing his cutlass and taking a swing at it. He fails to connect with the ghoul, but he does get its attention; it lunges for him, and though its claws only scrabble at his chain shirt, it manages to sink its teeth into Alabaster's neck, eliciting a scream of pain! The young man manages to shake it off before its venom paralyzes him, fortunately...
Initiative
Jesal, Isaac, Alabaster
Foes
Larry, Edward, Arhiel <---- (in posting order)
Foes: HP: Red 3, Green 13. | AC/T/FF: 14/12/12 | Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +5 | CMD: 14 | Channel Resist +2
Larry: HP: -1, stable
Arhiel moves and fires a jolt of electricity at the ghoul (red).
Arhiel blasts the nearest ghoul with lightning, but it remains on its feet...Edward remains immobile, eyes wide, as Alabaster shakes off the ghoul that bit him and prepares to retaliate.
Initiative
Jesal, Isaac, and Alabaster <-----
Ghouls
Larry (down), Edward, Arhiel
Foes: HP: Red 1, Green 13. | AC/T/FF: 14/12/12 | Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +5 | CMD: 14 | Channel Resist +2
Larry: HP: -1, stable
Jesal directs the cloud to the northern foe before it dissipates.
He then hurls his spear at the severely wounded one.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Isaac grits his teeth and swings at the ghoul in front of him again. "C'mon, ye... Die already!"
This time, he manages to hit, swiftly decapitating the undead woman.