Ixius stands quietly with Keliwyn and Fippin for a while, then takes the bundle of thistle arrows back to the cabin to sort through them.
Several hours pass on the boat. The jungle closes in on either side even more than before. The darkness is so complete that you feel more as if you are travelling through an underground passage, the ceiling of which glistens and gleams rather than through a jungle with light poking through the branches. You are certain that you are being watched.
Then, The River Queen emerges from this tunnel of buzzing green into an open and very swampy area. Low brush and tall trees dot the swamp. A tributary branches off of the river to the East. Esteban takes it.
"He needs more of them ugly worms that make the engine go," Faruq confides to Fippin, "And this is where we might be able to find them. You're all going to be helping."
"Stay alert," Faruq calls out, "At least in the jungle we were well hidden."
The boat chugs along in the swamp until it stops chugging along in the swamp. The chug-splash of the wheel becomes a chi-chi-chi-clunk sound and then stops completely. Hurg flies up through the trap door in the cabin and barrels around the outside and up the ladder to the pilothouse. Esteban and him yell at each other
Esteban: "Make that wheel thingie turn! We need more power to cut through the weeds!!"
Hurg: "I canna give ye any more power, Cap'n No-brain! If I push 'er any more she'll blow!!!"
Faruq joins them and then after a time comes down to the main deck. "Volunteers are needed. We're not moving unless we get a couple of you in the water helping pull. Two at least but three is better."
So, nobody did anything with the fetishes hung around the necks of the Ekujae, eh?
Faruq joins them and then after a time comes down to the main deck. "Volunteers are needed. We're not moving unless we get a couple of you in the water helping pull. Two at least but three is better."
"I'll help."
Fippin looks down at the swampy water.
"Sorry Faruq, I'm not going to be much use at that sort of thing. I'm happy to stay on the deck and keep an eye out with my bow in case of trouble though. You and Esteban look a lot better built for pushing boats than me."
With a look of disgust on his face, Baas rolls up his pants, getting ready to wade into the swamp.
"Let's get this over with. You had best pay extra for this kind of drudgery."
So, nobody did anything with the fetishes hung around the necks of the Ekujae, eh?
Sykala will take the necklaces from the dead ones seeing them as possibly being useful in dealing with the elves later.
Sykala has taken to staying in the cabin with Ixius at night. She has moved what only can be described as her "nest" right beside his bedding. It is made up of all sorts of things she has collected from the jungle: bugs, plants, and other thing you can't identify.
She jumps in the water to help.
"Only two are needed. Who's joining Sykala in the water? ... Well, if you insist, Baas," says Faruq.
With Ixius' help Faruq passes Sykala and Baas a rope each. Although the paddlewheel is not entirely dead, pulling the boat is necessary to get it through these weedy waters.
Faruq guides the pullers from the bow and shouts directions to both them and Esteban. You can tell he's done this before.
After about half an hour in the water, Sykala feels something large brush against her leg. A splash in the water directs her attention towards her left but Faruq's shout warns them of danger on her right.
"Crocodiles!"
Sykala turns in place wrapping the rope around her torso while casting and holding a hold animal spell. She uses her survival instncts to determine from where and how the crocodiles are likely to attack.
Fippin has been keeping an eye on things with his bow. If it looks like Sykala can't calm them down, then he'll take a shot at one.
Ixius hears the commotion and comes over with his bow, He waits to see if the crocodiles attack Sykala
Keliwyn takes a position in the pilothouse with his bow, trying to gain the best vantage point to view things below. "Anyone see anything?"
The crocodile that brushed against Sykala was a distraction. These cunning predators are working as a team. Three more crocodiles are rapidly closing in on Baas, while the one that brushed against Sykala is circling around to attack her.
"Out of the water! Now!" Keliwyn yells at the top of his lungs as he takes a shot at the reptile closest to Baas.
"Sykala watch out!' Ixius yells then shoots at the crocodile circling around to come at Sykala.
Thistle arrows: 1d20+4=16, 1d20+4=10
Damage (1d8+3=4)
Hey, Ixius! I don't think K has yet to hit anything with his new bow!
Sykala releases her Hold Animal spell (DC 16 Will) at the one approaching her and goes defensive pulling her shield off her back. "You get Baas out!"
If there isn't already a ladder of some sort for the them to climb up, Fippin looks for a rope to throw.
However, presumably there should be a means ready for them to climb back onto the boat.
Assuming that's the case Fippin fires a shot at crocodile coming in at Bass
Crappy roll...
1d20+6=11
The crocodile lunges at Sykala, unaffected by her spell but is not able to get its teeth into her.
[editing]
Two of the crocodile close their jaws around Baas' extremeties and begin to pull him under.
Arrows pepper the water around the crocs but the only one that comes close is slowed too much by the water to penetrate.
*
Don't feel sorry for Nameless if he gets killed twice in one game. He's about to enter another game that isn't nearly so deadly. ;-)
Not quite pulled under yet, Baas unties the earthbreaker from his back and with a significantly loud yell in the Shoanti tongue, swings it with all his might at the creature attempting to pull him under. His eyes go a deeper shade of red than is usual.
Attack & Damage Rolls: (1d20 6=12, 2d6 23=31)
"Reel them in on the rope," yells Faruq to no one in particular leaping into the water with a grin. "I'm going to get a pair of lovely boots out of this!"
He attempts to wrestle one of the crocodiles but misses its tail.
ROUND 2
The crocodile lunges at Sykala, unaffected by her spell but is not able to get its teeth into her.
Sykala begins to chant in druidic as water sprays as the beast bites down on her shield.
Ixius keeps shooting at the crocodile attacking Sykala:
With a yell of frustration, Keliwyn drops his bow, draws his blades, and jumps from the pilot house to attack the bigger of the two crocs attacking Baas.
rapier attack 1d20=3+7=10, damage 1d6=5+1=6,
dagger 1d20=4+7=11 attack, 1d4=3+1=4 damage
Round #2 Fippin casts a spiritual weapon. The force star appears near one of the one's attacking Baas.
Baas gets even angrier, but manages to restrain himself a bit this time around. His swing is less wild, but still looks to have quite a bit of force behind it.
Attack and Damage: (1d20 10=25, 2d6 14=23)
Sykala is able to dodge the jaws of the hungry crocodile but cannot focus her divine energy while doing so.
Faruq is bitten by the crocodile he was trying to grapple with and takes it in good humour: "Oh! Well 'Bootsies' we can make this rough!".
Two crocodiles continue to harrass Baas, biting him but unable to bring the enormous warrior under the water.
Baas then brings his hammer down snapping the neck of one of the crocodiles, snapping it.
A smile at his lips as he hears the creature's neck snap, Baas ignores the pain of their bites. Although getting tired from his extreme exertions, he hopes one more strike will finish the creature harassing him. He continually looks towards the crocodile attacking Sykala. He looks as though he is anxious to help her with her attacker. It does not slow down the power of his blow, however.
Attack and Damage on Crocodile: (1d20 10=18, 2d6 14=20)
Seeing a couple of Ixius' arrows sticking from the wounded animals hide Sykala decides brute force will avail her better and unleashes her skyfire into it's open jaws burning flesh along it's gullet.
Ixius keeps shooting the crocodile going after Sykala:
If there is a crocodile still alive fighting Bass Fippin will have his spiritual weapon attack it.
He also fires an arrow at the one attack Sykala
I didn't factor in any penalties for firing into melee for that shot, so it probably missed.
Keliwyn's blades slice up another crocodile, causing Faruq to shriek. "You're ruining my boots," he complains. He sees that crocodile attacking Sykala is barely scratched other than an arrow and a bit of lightning and rushes across to grapple with it.
Baas suffers a nip from another crocodile but, again, it is not able to get a toothy grip on any of the barbarian's extremities.
Baas' earthbreaker smashes down on another crocodile, causing it enough pain that it vanishes beneath the surface of the water and tries to slip away.
2nd lightning touch attack on my croc (1d20+5=19, 1d6+2=5)
Sykala just growls and hits the crocodile with more lightning.
2nd lightning touch attack on my croc (1d20+5=19, 1d6+2=5)
Sykala just growls and hits the crocodile with more lightning.
Just the one that Faruq has grappled. ... And the one trying to escape from Baas and Keliwyn. Which one do you hit?
Round #3
Assuming that Sykala isn't too far from Bass, Fippin uses a move action to redirect his spiritual starknife to the croc that Sykala is fighting. It uses a standard action to attack.
Faruq tightens his grip on the crocodile that Sykala has twice send crackling arcs of electricity into.
"Ouch!" he shouts. "Okay, give it one more and I think we got her!! Thanks, Sykala, the other guys mushed up theirs pretty bad."
Esteban has stepped onto the bow and looks over the bleeding Baas and the swamp covered warriors. He looks at Faruq squeezing a crocodile with a big goofy grin. He looks at two crocodiles floating in the water. He pauses.
"Best get out of there before the piranhas come. ... Hmmm, I think I see some now!"
He returns to the pilothouse.
As Esteban turns his back on them and heads towards the pilot house Fippin casts a create water spell above his head, so that water dumps all over him. He tries to do it subtly. He then looks up at the sky as if trying to determine where the water came from.