Thrawn's Jade Regent (Inactive)

Game Master Thrawn007

Continuing your debates and conversations as you move away from the location of the spider's trap, the trail twists and bends, dodging around trees, pools, and mounds. The trail obviously sees little use these days, and you lose it several time in the fog and overgrowth, having to backtrack, and even ending up in waist deep muck once after mistaking some roots for trail markers.

The occasional splashes to your right, let you know the main waterway is that way, the only thing keeping you from getting even more lost. Several times you have a feeling you are being watched, even spotting a couple glimpses of what looks to be red glowing eyes cutting through the fog in the distance. You are certain you are being stalked, but you are never able to get close enough to find out what.

Now, all wet, muck covered, and mosquito bitten, Ayame is the first to come to the realization that a splash comes from ahead and to the left, instead of to the right marking that you were staying along the waterway. Have you gotten turned around? Is there other water significant enough for the splash?

Raiyume almost finds the answer the hard way as the Tien woman take a step forward, finding nothing but water in front of her, and barely noticing in time to pull back and not fall in. Even the fog didn't limit vision, the murky waters surely would keep her from seeing the bottom to know how deep the water goes. What everyone is able to conclude rather quickly is that the water extends to the edge of their vision both to their left and right, blocking their path.

"Did we go the wrong way?" Ayame questioned as she looked around. "Also does... anyone else feel like something has been watching us?" She asked as she made sure she was closer to Sarhashil and Ji-hwan.

Ji-hwan frowned, glancing around him and chewing on his lip, ignoring the Half-Orc as he did. He made sure that he kept beside Ayame, keeping his promise to Ameiko being his main wish.

" I've got a bad feeling about this..." Raiyume turns to look at the locals, raising an eyebrow. "Perhaps there's a way around this mess? I'd rather not swim if I didn't have to."

Tell me Gnome. If you were raised only knowing Orcs as monsters who need to be put down, would you have attacked me? If you grew up in a world where humans, gnomes, elves and dwarves attacked your family and culture time and time again for being different would you want to spare them. Davlamin said with venom in his voice.

The large half orc moved foreward, not looking at who he was addressing. A look of hate was directed at the water. Had Ayame's parents been killed by orcs instead of goblins would I be alive? Even though I am different? Would any of you had let me enter the city?

He gently moved Raiyume out of his way, standing at the edge of the water. His hands moved to his sword slowly. Its easy to judge things you don't know. After all, you are one of the good races. You are pure of evil, ain't ya?!

Davlamin brought his greatsword down, slashing across the water with a roar, hoping to draw out what made the splash. Be careful now Gnome. Good and evil aren't so easy when you think you are above those you face. It will be a shame to see your beauty replaced by the ugliness of evil when you fall. Take care not too become the monster you think Goblins are.

With his last word he brought his sword up, ready to strike anything that came out of the water. He didn't bother to give a glance to who he was talking too.

The gnome just shakes his head. He'll never understand. Or maybe he will, but hopefully not in as tragic a way as mine.
Gozzamer's body language seem to communicate that he's will to let this topic go, besides it kinda looks like we're lost.
"I'm afraid I don't have any spells to help us see through this mess".
The gnomes looks up and sighs, "If one of us could fly, that would help get our barrings back. Maybe we should double-back?"

Sarhashil tilts his head and looks around. "I could test....depth?" he said looking at the swamp.

"Actually my mother fell to her death off our balcony... and my father was murdered by my brother..." Ayame muttered as she looked to Dav nervously, as if she did something wrong. "I don't like goblins because they attack our home, and harmed a lot of people." She said as she toed the dirt. "There might be nice goblins, but the ones that go around murdering innocent people... aren't nice."

"No Sarhashil-san. We'll just back track and go around." Ayame told him softly.

"Well, maybe not fly, but I can climb pretty good." Raiyume starts to scan the area, looking for a tree that looks sturdy and tall enough, that hopefully isn't too far out into the water.

While you discuss options to cross, you hear some chants in a strange high pitched, but still frightening tone. You can make out multiple voices in the chant, although you aren't sure how many. Everyone is able to fairly quickly figure out the voices are coming from off to the left, which seems to be downstream from where you are.

The chant seems to be joined by a thumping in rhythm. It sounds a lot like drums, but Ji-hwan and Raiyume quickly realize that it's marching over some kind of wooden structure. They also realize the voices are getting quieter, not louder.

Ji-hwan holds up his hand to stop conversation, waiting for a second to make sure of what he was hearing, before nodding. He turned to the group again and frowned. "They are leaving. Walking on something wooden? A bridge perhaps!"

He turned then to the Half-Orc. "I apologize. Of course a man who has your racial background would feel like that. And you are right, I sometimes let hate blind me. But I know you to be a good man, I know that you are not like the darker members of your tribe. I know that there are some good Goblins but I also know that there are some who eat babies, kill and eat puppies and burn down our houses,"

"We shall see what we shall see when we see it. Regardless, our quarry disperses like smoke. Shall we follow?" Raiyume grimaces when she notices that the voices came from across the water. "Perhaps these bridges were built out of convenience, rather than necessity? I doubt that they are continuous, and probably only go from one land mass to the next nearest."

"It would still be a better path then threw the water." Ayame said to Raiyume before letting out a small sigh and looking to the rest of the group. "Okay, how about this! We put aside any talk about how we're going to deal with the goblins till we find the goblin camp?" She asked as she gave a shrug. "Because the whole point is moot if we never find it!"

We have heard Goblins but not the camp. We could always ask but they are in a hunting fever by the sounds of it. Unless we have a trophy to offer I recommend avoiding that group.

Raiyume points at the spider and the dead earless goblin. "That kinda looks like a trophy."

The goblin and spider corpses are a ways back, although you aren't sure how far or exactly what direction. You think it's been about 2 hours since the spider fight, although you haven't seen the sun to verify. (Unless you are carrying the corpses with you.

The goblin voices eventually fade out as they gain distance between you and them. Some kind of lights light up in the direction the voices disappeared, but it's too diffused by the fog to know the cause of it.

"why don't we head downstream, and see if There's someplace we can actually cross? I don't personally feel like going for a dip."

"I like that idea", agrees Gozzamer.

Following the river to the left, for a couple hundred feet, you find your way back to where the trail intersects the river. A patchwork bridge of roughly split logs heads out over the water. It's a mix of very old structure from what was probably an actual bridge but is now mostly rotted wood, with newer cut planks and logs haphazardly added to patch holes, and from the look of it, not even consistently attached to the rest of the structure. The bridge extends beyond your sight into the fog (making it over 30' long), and parts of it seem to sway and ebb with the current of the waterway.

Closer examination makes it apparent that slippery moss has taken over a lot of the bridge, making footing less than ideal. Between the moss, the shoddy construction, and the bridge moving, crossing is likely to be a very slow task.

The lights seem to come from somewhere on or beyond the bridge, still too far off in the fog to know any details. Other than creeks of the bridge's movement and occasional movement of creatures stirring in the water, this area has gotten eerily silent.

Gozzamer scrapped a bit of the moss off the impromptu bridge. First the gnome felt it with his finger tips, then smelled it and ultimately ate it.
In a whispered tone to his traveling companions, Gozzamer spoke "I don't think Kobo can make it across. I dunno. Maybe we'll swim across and meet you on the other side.."

Sarhashil looks at the bridge unhappily. He then looks at the gnome and the wolf. He is displeased right now with how this is looking. He stands there staring for a few moments before he starts walking into the swamp, his arm over the bridge to keep him from being pulled under easily by the ebb and flow.

Mostly he is testing depth. If he feels that it is not gonna go over his shoulder. IE it's like 6 ft or less he will come back and point up at the gnome. If it's over his ability to stay afloat...he will come back and sulk as he knows he is gonna have to crawl across the bridge.

Sarhashil is able to get about 30' feet out before he feels it will be over his head. At that point the bridge still goes as far as he can see, and the water is still getting deeper, indicating he probably isn't half way. (So the waterway is over 60' across)

"Sarhashil-san!" Ayame called. "Maybe we should just use to bridge one at a time?" She asked the ground. "I really believe we should stay out of the water at all costs... I mean this is a swamp... they normally have things in the water."

Sarhashil finds he's picked up a few leaches as he emerges, but was lucky not to encounter anything more deadly during his venture into the water.

Gozzamer runs over to Ayame and makes a 'shushing' gesture with his hands, and points out into the fog.
From where the bridge begins, how far is it to shore?

So far, you know the opposite shore is more than 60 feet out. Still no signs of how much beyond that it is.

"Kobo and me will wait to see if you larger folk, make it across the bridge with little difficulty. Then I think, we'll decide if we can make it or we swim for it."

Dav looks at the bridge and without consulting the rest of the group begins to cross. I'll let you know how far it is. he said simply.

Sarhashil looked down at his body and noticed the leeches trying to get through his scales. He picked them off lazily and put them in the bag that he was carrying the spider legs in. He looked confused at first as something licked him in the bag before he shook his head and pulled Monty out.

He had forgotten about him, he put the little guy on his shoulders for now and fed him a leech. "It's deep...was hoping I could carry smalls across" he sad somberly before he looked at the two ladies and the Monk...waiting apparently for them to start across a log at a time before he would attempt.

Ji-hwan sighed and began to cross the bridge, moving slowly till he was 20ft out, before turning back. "Ayame follow me please. Let's try get across. If I don't get you back to town your sister will hate me for life."

Moving slowly across the bridge, there are many scary moments, but it surprisingly holds up. There are occasional gaps requiring short jumps, and the constant sway is unnerving, but you are able to slowly make progress. The bridge is several hundred feet long in all, making it a long and stressful crossing, but eventually, the opposite shore can be seen through the fog.

The light continues to get brighter as you reach the shore, until through the fog you see several faintly glowing balls of light bobbing gently in the air, the nebulous image of what might be a skull visible somewhere in their depths. They are floating about twenty feet away from the bridges, floating above the shoreline.

Map is updated.

Initiative (bold may post)
ji-hwan
dav
sarhashil
Swamp Lights
ayame
raiyume
gozzamer

Err..hold action till it gets near me...

The Swamp lights seem to charge up, electricity arcing between them. A booming voice comes from the lights. "Go back the way you went from or feel our rant."

They seem to have readied electrical strikes

Initiative (bold may post)
ji-hwan
dav
sarhashil
Swamp Lights
ayame
raiyume
gozzamer

"We seek only to pass." Ayame said, if something hadn't attacked yet, maybe it could be reasoned with? "We wish not to trouble you, only to find the one called Warden." She explained.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Raiyume draws her sword, and moves to the edge of the far bank. She's not sure what those glowy lights are, but wants to at least try to defend herself if they come close to her, and show her resolve that they will not be going back. "Dav, I think there's someone her for you to negotiate with!" Raiyume says with a half smile.

She'll move 4 left, 1 down.

Drawing his dagger, Gozzamer walks next to Raiyume, with Kobo in tow. The gnome smiles up at the tien woman, and whispers "Nice one."
Speaking louder, Gozzamer invites the paladin up the bridge to join them.
"Yes, Dav. Show us the power of your parley!" At that, the sorcerer giggles.

Halt spirits! Dav began, his hands out. We come to talk with the goblins. I believe they passed this way recently. May I ask why you are haunting this location?

diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 +2 for Monsterous Raport if it applies

"Why talk at goblins? They not listen. They even kill their own." The swamp lights hold their position.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Raiyume blinks in surprise. Well...damn. Didn't expect him to actually do that.

Gozzamer is equally surprised, with Kobo tilting his head in a quizzical fashion.

"I give up. If we reach Goblins, I'll tell em a joke. Obviously I have been too quick to judge before!" Ji-hwan readied himself to strike, just in case something attack him or one of his allies in reach, before continuing to listen in wonder.

Davlamin bowed respectfully to the lights. Thank you for responding spirits. I believe everything just be given a chance. If they do not listen I will be devastated, but if I can't give goblins a chance well what kind of Shelynite am I? May I ask who you are good spirits?

Words are the best

"If you are friends to the goblin tribe, then you are my enemy!" The various orbs of light begin visibly charging up more electricity. "Flee, flee back the way you came!

[ooc]I will also take knowledge arcana rolls from anyone who wishes to make one. (DC is over 10, so trained only.)

"We are not friends of the goblins." Ayame stated. "We seek to stop them from harming our home." She added quickly.

Would you like me to roll another diplomacy?
Also, did it go right over your guys head that Ayame started talking to this thing? XD
You're giving Dav a hard time when Ayame was already talking to it!

Unless you have bardic knowledge. Which doesn't care if it's trained only.
Knowledge(Arcana): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

*Fist bump Ayame*

I did not say I was friends, merely that I wish to talk to them in hopes they will stop raiding. Davlamin says, noting the grammar has not improved.

Sarhashil stands there confused. He clenched his fists again as they sound the alarm but immediately unclenches again as they try to talk some more. He visibly shrinks a bit as he lets his shoulders slump and bends his knees to semi crouch as he waits for wether he should attack or not.

I did note Ayame's notes first...then Dav set off the wisp's trigger word to get mad. :)

to be completely fair, when our groups diplomat comes to mind, it's closer to Dav than Ayame, considering ayame hasn't threatened to have us tarred and feathered if we don't talk to the goblins first :D

That is because Ayame knows she cannot force anyone to do anything. She'd rather persuade them to do it.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Take a chance Ayame!
"Um, I beg your pardon but, why not come out and speak with us properly and not rely upon this?" Ayame asked respectfully.

BTW, we are out of initiative since you didn't all charge in and attack. Initiative was basically there to allow each of you to influence whether this would be diplomatic or combat.

The lights begin to fade out. A voice comes from under the bridge. "Not...not friends of Licktoads?" The voice is high, but scratchy, and common is obviously not the creature's first language.