”That would explain a lot,” Ienmar says thoughtfully. “In this case, we must find the weapon and destroy or otherwise incapacitate its ability to harm us.”
Amber's eyebrows lift at the revelation. "A weapon that can control fungus? Seems like an...odd choice." But what could I DO with that kind of tool? Hmmm..."
The exit tunnel is up out of the water, however, the tunnel is steep and is covered in a variety of fungi, mold, and mildew. The Fungus is strange looking like strands of hair or weird flowering stems.
As you descend into the depths you find the footing slick, the stank fetid water, and the natural slimy rocks make the footing slippery. It takes about 30 minutes of careful footing to keep from slipping.
Once more about halfway done with the 40-foot tunnel you begin to hear the croaking rhythm. The sound was very musical. Strangely it was primal and also eerily beautiful. Its echo adds to it a symphony of strangeness.
As you got to the end the tunnel drops into another 3-foot-deep fetid swamp full of a variety of frogs and toads. It was a huge natural cavern teaming with life. Fungi, Mold, and moss littered the cavern, Tadpoles swam in the water and twisted unnatural things alongside larger frogs and about 15 Frogs including the one with the Trident stood next to a cavern opening and a frog person in tribal garments. ON a dias was one of the younger dwarves. The rest were chained to the wall beside the opening.
The Tribal regalia of a Strange Fungal headdress and extensive robes and jewelry covered the one frog that lead the croaking. The one with the Trident stood poised his trident raised high as he then lowers it and shifts to strike.
"Focus fire on the trident wielder!" Krystid exclaims the obvious.
Her foot slips and the arrow flies wildly and embarrassingly.
"Aye"!
Crossbow
Bolt
Hearing the rhythmic chanting, Ienmar gets a sense of foreboding. Perhaps this is a sonic or musical based attack.
He fashions himself a set of improvised earmuffs, and marches ahead.
When he encounters the frogmen, he dashes forward, eyes (and hammer) targeting the one with the offensive trident.
A whirlwind of action happens, First Krystid cries out and misses the Frog Warrior. Morkham's bolt tangs flying true, its thick shaft burying itself deep into the arm of the Frog Warrior. As it still vibrates the croaks begin to stop as it does Ienmar comes up and swings the hammer deflected by a quick twist of his trident. This leads Johnny' club to hit hard and strong. The Frog Warrior stumbles back, only the regular frogs and the strange painted and robed ones continuing on. the rest were pulling weapons and beginning to step forward.
The Trident warrior Manages to set himself with trident tip ready. As he does the rest pick up clubs as the spears seem to have been left elsewhere. Still, the Frog men slapped forward ready to leap on the intruders.
Picking up on the party's initial gambit, Amber casts her cantrip and flings a firebolt at the ornate ritual leader, pulling her axe afterward.
The 10 frog men begin to move in however they can't surround you as your group seems to have a good wedge going. The trident-welding frog warrior stabs at Ienmar
The Warrior misses his trident deflected by your Hammers recovery. The Frog creature's eyes narrow and croaks a horrible sound as it resets its net strike
2 frog men on Johnny
Unlike Johnny these frogmen swing and miss, clubs connecting with each other the coordination is off. Leading the two frogmen to argue
2 On Ienmar
Ienmars armor is nothing for these frogmen, clubs bouncing off the powerful dwarven warrior. They hop back and look to use tw hands neck time
2 on Krytid
2 on Morkam
The crafty Artificer seemingly avoids the wings of the frogmen. Both seem to switch to two hands for the net go-round.
2 on Amber
One frog slips his hand slick, altering the trajectory it dips low and off.
However, the other one hits home and hard letting his two-handed strike slam home into Ambers's abdomen.
While you fight the chanting continues, Mist begins to form. The ground grows slicker.
Sorry I forgot you guys got surprise. You guys net moves apply before your damage is taken
Morkam bobs and weaves as he drops his trusty crossbow and draws his hammer. "You're going to have to do better than that. I'm dead tired and you still can't hit me".
Morkam releases a shocking grasp at the froggy that got close to hitting him.
Electricity bolt
Shocky, Shocky.
Then, if possible, he will look for somewhere to move that both doesn't provoke an AoO and keeps him from being flanked. If nothing is there, he'll keep his position in the group.
Seeing the anticipated reaction from the frogmen, Amber advances and brings the sharp end of her axe into the nearest offender, looking to hear that satisfying wet crunch of steel biting into frog flesh.
Krystid falls back away from melee, trying to stay at missile range. She fires again at the one Amber attacked if it's still up. (Because she said nearest.)
Ienmar’s round shield blocks the trident attacks and the feeble frogmen assault. He finds an opening, and strikes.
4 Frogmen fall before they can even strike at the might of the dwarves. Morkam lets an electrical bolt fry and sizzle one of his assailants making the air smell faintly of chicken.
Johnny Hits one squarely on its noggin. It lands with a sickening crack and the club welded falls sprawled on the wet ground the other weary of coming in.
Ambers axe bites deep sending the insides of the first frog spilling from its body, the second was coming in strong only to take an arrow from Krystid and down it went. Still two clubs came for the archer connecting hard.
Lastly the two on Ienmar seem to stay, even though the dwarven warrior showing the patience of his race, found the opening and hit the trident welder hard letting the meaty blow crack a rib as it hit the side of the trient welder.
Ienmar keeps up the assault on the trident-wielding frogman, not letting him get the opportunity to strike back with his cursed weapon.
Krystid is hit twice and loses 13/15 hit points. The pain is overwhelming, but she tries to stoically keep a stiff upper lip. She tries to do a withdraw action and back up as far as her movement will allow without drawing a free swing. (Is full defense an option?)
With her teammate under assault, Amber makes a snap decision to turn on Krystid's assailants, swinging for frog flesh.
Transfer of Electrons at a high rate of speed
Hair standing on end. (As if you could see Frog hair).
Morkham continues his electrical assault.
"Kill the boss! I'll be there soon"!
The Trident welder takes another powerful blow. His flesh takes it in and he coughs spitting out blood. It croaks something as it straightens and whirls its weapon, but spits more blood. Still, he thrusts.
Johnny's frog recovers but unfortunately, Johnny is faster his club smacking into the frog folks' heads. The bone-smacking snap and crack make its eyes gloss and its life disappear. It too fell to the ground dead, this chamber becoming littered with dead frogmen instead of dwarves.
The two swing as the dwarven archer Krystid retreats. As one seeks to pursue her instead AMber's trusty Axe bites deep into his back and he falls in a heap, dead to the world. The One that was free turns and takes a swing at the Sorceress.
Morkam sizzles another and now only three frog warriors, the Shaman and the keeper of the Trident remain.
The two that were aiding the Trident warrior back off Ienmar and used defensive stances to ready strikes at any other dwarves seeking to fight their champion.
Ienmar's round dwarven shield blocks the thrust of the trident, and his thick mail armor splatters with the frogman's blood as the stout warrior takes a step forward and brings his hammer down. He does not care for the two backing the trident warrior; his foe will fall.
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Morkam seeing no closely threatening enemies, reloads his crossbow and shoots for the Trident wielder.
Crossbow
Blot
Critical Damage
And smiles with pleasure as his bolt carefully weaves through his companions and lodges firmly into the Trident wielder.
Maybe if we can end this combat quickly I can finally get some rest.
Krystid takes a deep breath in case she ends up under water and fires at the trident frog. (Assuming Morkam didn't end him) She will shoot the shaman as a second choice.
"Oooh, that had to hurt..."
Amber looks for her next target, but crumples as the blow lands outside her peripheral vision.
The mighty hammer falls, Ienmars' blow sending the Trident frog man reeling. Blood poured from his mouth and he seemed to shake from some unnatural cold before he straightens himself and sets for another strike.
The effort was in vain as fletching from Morkams bolt buried itself into the head of the trident welder. His eyes looked up at the vibrating stick in between them. Then unceremoniously the frog man, who welded the ancient Elven weapon and took the Dwarves of the expedition on this journey splashed into the water below.
At the last moment, Krystid moves and sends her arrow into the one frogman who dared to try and end her life watching in horror as the arrow was too late to save Amber. Still, the arrow slew the Frogman and he too fell.
The other two frogmen warriors stepped up to fight Johnny and found themselves able to hold their own. As they clash the Frog priest behind raises its arms high, a curved dagger in its webbed hands, A dwarf prisoner on the Alter squirms and thrashes right before the dagger falls.
Ienmar charges up to the nearest foe () and attacks.
"Take them out. I'll go help Amber"
Morkam rushes to Amber's side to cast cure Wounds.
Krystid fires a (final?) shot and does not even watch to see if it hits the priest before grabbing Amber's hair and pulling her face out of the water and onto her back. If that puts her face-to-face with the one who knocked Amber out, she will ask the others to help.
An arrow sails over the charging Ienmar to hit home, the Cultist Forg blinks and misses the dwarf below. It seemed shocked that it would get hit, then it wasn't ready for the next stroke, the hammer of Ienmar coming down and connecting hard. Between the two blows it gurgles and falls into the floor, blood leaving him as someone gets on the altar. The dwarf shimmies and shakes seemingly aware of other dwarves crying in relief.
The last two combatants seem to back off and recede further into the cave not wishing to die to the hands of these invaders. The altar is crude slabs of stone from minotaur caskets.
Ienmar yanks his bloodied hammer from the cultist's head with a sickening plop, and the cultist falls into the reddening dirty water. He quickly checks over the to-be-victim dwarf and cuts any ropes or binds that hold him down.
After confirming his status, he rushes to help Krystid and bring Amber to dry land, checking her wounds.
"Hang in there, lassie." he says.
Amber coughs, sputters and nearly retches on the stone as the unclean water makes its way out of her. "Gods, that's foul..." She gets to her feet, quickly scanning the scene. Upon finding no more immediate threats, she begins searching the water to retrieve her axe.
"Unless one of you has some mighty magical healing, Amber and I could use a long rest."
Anyone? I hope you didn't all turn into fungi-fiends.
"Wait! Wait! Perhaps I might shed a little light on things. As I recall there is a legendary weapon of a long-banished Demonlord that commands fungi, molds, mildews, and worse. It was a Trident named 'Alvendhal' or in ancient Elven "Farmers' Fork" It was taken by the Demonlord after it slew an ancient Elven deity of Agriculture. Somehow these Frogmen have them? I believe that explains what is going on. We need to get that evil weapon away, and perhaps they'll start minding their own business again".
Ienmar recalls Morkam's warning, and reaches into the frogman's dead grip. He pries the weapon out with a hand wrapped in cloth, and conceals as much of the weapon as he could.
"We'll se'le this in full with the frogmen until they call for parlay," Ienmar says, stowing the trident in his inventory. "Perhaps we could even destroy this foul demon's weapon."
Morkam nods at Lenmar's actions. "Indeed. First let's find a secure place to rest. I'm utterly at my limits. Perhaps we could discuss first thing tomorrow? I don't mind taking a turn on watch but could really use some rest. Perhaps someone could wake me for a later watch"?
Morkam looks around at the bodies. "Where should we take our rest".?
The mold and mildew seem to lessen. Slick stones dry and some of the mushrooms shrivel and die. The Trident itself seems to shift from a fungal-covered weapon to more of a pitchfork.
The altar though blood stained is not as ominous as it once was and is instead just a cold slab of craved stone with a depiction of a Minotaur that is somewhat warning. The area is free now the other frogmen long gone and the dwarf seemingly sobbing in thanks praying to Moradin for the save.
Ienmar explores the cavern a bit more as his companions rest, assessing how many dwarf-folk they rescued.
Once he finds the cavern empty, he returns to report the good news.
For those searching, you find some coinage, some various bones, the Trident.
"Do we have any healers in this stout party?"
As you look around you notice the discarded leavings of the sacrifices, more coins (100 gold pieces worth of various coins) An Adamantine Hand Axe head, a Silvered dagger, and several gold and silver teeth(50 gp)
Near the improvised altar is an alcove with candles, a human skull bowl, Three potions, and a scroll of Find Familiar.
Lastly, there is the Trident which is no longer wicked looking. It seems more like a military trident with beautiful yet dark imagery of nature. The wood rithes with new growth both fungal and some sort of plant.
"I've just a little magic for wounds; not enough to tend a whole group; just maybe enough to save a life in a pinch. Nevermind that though; are we SURE that trident's a demon's tool? Doesn't look so hideous now that the frog's not clenching it."