Ienmar joins Baldrek in focused silence, and he marches with hammer in hand and shield raised to his chest.
You find the trail of these frog men. It is getting harder, as the swamp and bog are getting deeper. taking the path they traveled you begin to drop to knee level.
You can easily if you choose can capture frogs and fish here. No real thought footprints are leading you to the Frog Men, more the subtle breaks of plants and more aggravated silt.
Another two hours pass, and it is now close to mid-morning (about 8 AM). Your two dwarven companions look to you guys and ask.
"Stop and eat or continue on?"
"It depends. Who needs to rest?"
"Four 'ours o' marchin won't diminish our combat strength," Ienmar says as he lowers his hood, now that the rain ended. Mud coats his cloak and nearly seeps into his boots, had they not been made by excellent dwarven cobblers. "We 'ave people ta save and frogmen ta kill."
The path is still clear and no real threats have been seen. Another hour turns and you begin to note things moving in the water. and the water is now getting to your waist.
"Rest? Now? What d'you think we are? Halflings? We'd be giving the froggers time to rest and regroup besides, if they're not already cooking our kin. I say we press on."
Baldrek is still not convinced that fighting the frogmen is the best idea, though who is he to question anything? Just a miner, that's who he is.
Distracted as he is, he fails to notice done important signs...
You find the evidence still, and seemingly it looks like you are closing in on the frog men.
Morkam is trying to just keep going... putting one foot in front of the other. I've really got to start working out. I'm so out of shape.
Survival
Then from somewhere he gets a second wind. Maybe thinking about eating some of the frog legs they have gathered. "Say did anyone think that they might be leading us back to their lair... and we might come upon a fully rested camp with us being exhausted and all"?
Perception
Ienmar tells the party of the dead bodies, and tries to investigate.
“I think not, we may not be the only frog-hunters aroudn,” Ienmar says darkly, readying himself as he surged forwards.
Investigation
Morkam feeling a second wind for some reason goes to investigate the corpses.
As you continue on for another hour you all note visible signs of travel, not only fresh but old as you find a raised patch of earth that the denizens of this swamp seem to use.
Ienmar becomes restless. He relays his worries that the kidnapped people might not be recovered.
Krystid hops up on the dry area and starts stomping the muck off of her boots, completely oblivious to everything around her.
Once on the road on the northern side, four Dwarven miners spring from the road, tattered and torn clothes. Mushrooms and other fungi cover the body and have war picks in their hands. They are moving slowly towards you ready to strike and stop you.
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"Oh by Moradin's giant swinging hammer I've always wanted more dwarves to get closer to nature but this is a bit much, even by my standards!
Just remember they're not our brethern anymore. The cordyceps fungus has taken them over.
We need to take them out or the camp behind us will be the last of us left!"
<gasp!> "Brothers! What have they DONE to you?"
Krystid begins singing a battle hymn which will someday inspire courage, but not today.
Ienmar stops at the front of the party, and raises his shield.
"Stop!" he shouts authoritatively. "I do not wish to harm ye! Remember who ye are!"
Initiative
"Well. That's a hell of a thing".
Ienmar moves up, and disarms the first fungus dwarf, not wanting to spill the blood of a possibly-sick victim. If the weapon drops, he steps on it and shield-pushes the dwarf away, repeating the command to stop.
The fungus-covered dwarf stares blankly from cataract's lifeless eyes trying to pull its War pick back awkwardly.
Baldrek's inner rage grows as he witnesses what has happened to the fellow miners.
Krystid thinks, "ZOMBIES!" and fires an arrow at one that isn't yet in melee. If she is closer than her brave wall of shields, she will then step behind them.
The name is Damage...Max Damage.
The arrow hits, but barely seems to get through the armor and flesh of these dwarves.
It stumbles a bit but continues moving forward.
Dwarf 1 and 2 move to attack John, while Dwarf 3 moves to go after Krystid and the last seems drawn to Amber
Out of the four shambling fungus dwarves the one who moved to Krystid seemed to get its Warpick in and stab hard.
Another one seeing Amber strikes home as well. Both are weak and hints of rust can be seen on the Picks.
[dice=intelligence]1d20+4
After learning that the dwarves are controlled by the spore, Ienmar goes all-out, moving to intercept and block the path of the dwarves to his allies, swinging with great might!
Morkham is happy he is not yet targeted by the beasts, so he steps back a few paces and lets fly with his crossbow.
X-bow
Bolt
Baldrek goes to help Johnny Boy, whom he thinks had more enemies than he deserves, sand tries to even the odds. Touching one of the infected miners, he extends some acid over her body which burns and dissolve tissues.
Studying her ambling kinsmen as they engage, Amber sighs in resignation. The empty eyes, the shambling, jerky movements... it all tells the tale.
"Aye, they're gone, lads. Nothing we can do from here but put 'em to rest." With the worst confirmed, she exhales, drawing her axe and aiming for a quick end.
"Be mindful though! There's a single will controlling the lot of them!"
The one with the Arrow in it, Goes down Morkam's Bolt and Ienmars' weapon felling it.
The one on Amber takes another swipe as Baldrek slaps it with a spell. It still stands but seems to wonder about the two assailants.
The ones on Johnny seem to swing and miss, which seemingly makes the Druid miss with his one stout stick. Strange how this exchange seemed futile.
Bonus action to disengage, step back to fire at the one attacking Krystid.
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"Ha!" John shouts in triumph as he deftly parries the fungi-dwarf's cudgels with his trusty shield. "I am as strong as the mighty redwood! I am as hard as the ever-living rock upon which the tide breaks! And my vengeance is as hard and swift as the thundercrack from an angry storm. Like this!" he says, striking down with his glowing emerald Shillelagh.
Ienmar’s hammer strike follows.
"Less yakkin', more whackin', lad!" Amber presses the advantage as the enemy ranks dwindle, her axe blade biting into her foe once again.
Two on Johnny take swings with they picks.
The one on Amber falls gore, bile and fungus unloading onto the ground.
Baldrek once more users his fists against the fungus controlled miner. Drops of acid splash as they corrode the poor dwarf's flesh.