Keliwyn takes a shot at one of the croc-folk
Prerolls:
Sykala will wait patiently for the others to clear the way for them.
Prerolls:
** spoiler omitted **Sykala will wait patiently for the others to clear the way for them.
Sykala:
The 'arcophage' as you heard Hurg refer to it looks like a translucent yellow maggot about 15" in length. It wriggles around in you hand and tries to attach itself to your wrist but seems to find you unappetizing.
Keliwyn lets fly with another arrow, this one aimed for the apparent leader.
Attack 1d20=20+7=27, Damage 1d8=3
Crit Confirm (1d20=5+7=12, 1d8=7, 1d8=5)
Ixius fires off his last scorching ray at the croc-folk leader.
ranged touch attack (1d20 5=10)
And just misses. He then pulls out his trusty longbow.
Initiative Pre-rolls:
The fetish wearing shaman is wounded by the arrow but the fire does not quite reach him. Nonetheless, he decides to fight fire with fire. He raises his claws and unleashes a cone of flame.
The other remaining crocfolk throws his final javelin and misses.
In draconic, the shaman complains:
"You allow the ssssoftssskinsss to pollute our placcce of worssship!"
Reflex save (1d20+3=19) She continues to stay back from the conflict....
Although the fire hits him full-blast, Ixius's thick lizard skin absorbs much of the damage.
Reflex save [15,5] = (20)
Fippin fires an arrow at the shaman- 1d20 6=9, 1d6 2=3
Fippin's spiritual weapon attacks a crockfolk (preferably the shaman)
Reflex save (1d20+3=19) She continues to stay back from the conflict....
Ixius, I think you gave us a round 3 action already?
With no javelins left, the shaman turns to the warrior and hisses something* in draconic. The warrior turns and flees as the shaman leaps at Keliwyn, raking his neck with a claw.
*
"Claw their fleshy faces off."
With no javelins left, the shaman turns to the warrior and hisses something* in draconic. The warrior turns and flees as the shaman leaps at Keliwyn, raking his neck with a claw.
*** spoiler omitted **
Ixius misses with both of his arrows.
Moving forward to help Keliwyn, Baas moves into the shaman's space and uses his momentum to help swing his earthbreaker.
Rage Attack and Damage (1d20 11=15, 2d6 8=19)
Fippin directs his spiritual weapon at the shaman (move action). The weapon then attacks. Fippin holds fire with his own bow for now, as he is not an expert at the precise shot and doesn't want to risk shooting his ally.
Spiritual Weapon: 1d20 5, 1d8 2=[3, 5], [8, 2]
The attack misses.
Ixius misses with both of his arrows.
Baas' attack misses.
Keliwyn looses another arrow at croc leader guy. (1d20+7=27, 1d8=5) Crit Confirm (1d20+7=12, 1d8=5)
Sykala waits patiently as the others attempt to clear the way.
Thanks to Keliwyn's arrows and Fippin's spiritual weapon, the shaman stumbles. The echo of your heavy breathing is the only thing to be heard within the cave.
The arcophage attempts to nurse itself on Sykala's wooden shield.
Thanks to Keliwyn's arrows and Fippin's spiritual weapon, the shaman stumbles. The echo of your heavy breathing is the only thing to be heard within the cave.
The arcophage attempts to nurse itself on Sykala's wooden shield.
She stops it from attaching itself to her shield and bundles it up even better. Looking toward Baas and Keliwyn. "You look cave? Was holy place for crocpeople. Was Shamblers home." She begins to decend back down to the canoes.
Ixius casts light and starts searching the cave.
Baas nods to Sykala's request, but stays still at the mouth of the cave, watching her as she walks down the path. After she's out of sight, he straps his earthbreaker to his back and helps Ixius with his search.
She stops it from attaching itself to her shield and bundles it up even better. Looking toward Baas and Keliwyn. "You look cave? Was holy place for crocpeople. Was Shamblers home." She begins to decend back down to the canoes.Thanks to Keliwyn's arrows and Fippin's spiritual weapon, the shaman stumbles. The echo of your heavy breathing is the only thing to be heard within the cave.
The arcophage attempts to nurse itself on Sykala's wooden shield.
As soon as Sykala begins to exit the cave, the arcophage gives off a whistling shriek and begins to contract and squirm. Its skin begins to blister almost instantly.
Ixius and Baas find little of value in the cave. The shaman carried a morningstar that seems particularly well-crafted (and is perfectly clean as he preferred to attack with his claws, magic, and javelins instead). Each of the crocfolk warriors wears beaded necklaces.
At the back of the cave, you find the shambling mound has hidden a well crafted longbow, three gold nuggets, and a jade lip disk.
+1 morningstar
24 gp in necklaces
masterwork longbow
3x20 gp nuggets
1x50 gp jade lip disk
Ixius admires the bow, testing its pull. "This is a very nice bow." he tells Baas. "Do you want it? It's better than the one I made Keliwyn."
As soon as Sykala begins to exit the cave, the arcophage gives off a whistling shriek and begins to contract and squirm. Its skin begins to blister almost instantly.
Pulling the arcophage back into the cave right away she goes over to the remains of the Shambler after making sure it will survive. She will cut away some of the vines and create a woven ball to put the arcophage into, to protect it from exposure to the elements and sunlight. After she has finished she will very carefully bring it out of the cave to test if it is now safe to transport.
Pulling the arcophage back into the cave right away she goes over to the remains of the Shambler after making sure it will survive. She will cut away some of the vines and create a woven ball to put the arcophage into, to protect it from exposure to the elements and sunlight. After she has finished she will very carefully bring it out of the cave to test if it is now safe to transport.
As soon as Sykala begins to exit the cave, the arcophage gives off a whistling shriek and begins to contract and squirm. Its skin begins to blister almost instantly.
Sykala quickly realizes that covering the ball with leaves, keeping it in the shade, and keeping the leaves wet might help even more. Assuming she does so, the arcophage is safe for transport.
Ixius admires the bow, testing its pull. "This is a very nice bow." he tells Baas. "Do you want it? It's better than the one I made Keliwyn."
Somewhat distantly, Baas replies: "It is a fine bow, but I fear when the battle-frenzy takes hold in my spirit, I may lose the presence of mind required to not rip the bow apart by pulling too hard."
"Regardless, we should get moving. Let's prepare our load for travel and bring it to the River Queen."
The one crocfolk that ran off did not do any damage to your boat. Unless you indicate anything else that needs to be done here, I will continue the story.
The voyage back to The River Queen is uneventful. When you arrive, Hurg, who is seldom seen above deck, is waiting anxiously on the bow with a basket. He begins to lower it down to the boats as you approach. "Quickly. Put the worm in here!".
Keliwyn helps gather the assorted finds, and takes a good long look at one of the lizards people. He makes some mental notes to add to his journal later, and pulls off one of their necklaces and stuffs it in his satchel.
Ixius admires the bow, testing its pull. "This is a very nice bow." he tells Baas. "Do you want it? It's better than the one I made Keliwyn."
With a big grin, Keliwyn interjects, "I doubt that. It's a fine bow you crafted, my friend. Now that I've adjusted to the pull, it feels much better. Thank you, again."
With a big grin, Keliwyn interjects, "I doubt that. It's a fine bow you crafted, my friend. Now that I've adjusted to the pull, it feels much better. Thank you, again."
Ixius thanks Keliwyn for the compliment on his bow.
"But, really, Keliwyn, this bow is better made. But if nobody else want's it I'll keep it. I have no interest in the rest of the stuff from the cave."
Sykala casts a Soften Earth & Stone on the trail leading up to the cave after everyone has returned to the boats in an attempt to destroy the trail.
Upon returning to the river boat she will hold on to the arcophage and personally take it below decks to see exactly what Hurg intends to do with it despite any of his protests. She will hand it over to him in whatever can be concidered the "engine" room.
Hurg seems surprised and frustrated when Sykala does not hand the worm over before getting on The River Queen. When you get on, Esteban and Faruq appear from nowhere and act nonchalant, as if they weren't up to something.
Sense Motive (DC 3):
Faruq was definitely up to something. He looks redfaced.
Sense Motive (DC 20):
Esteban was up to something too.
Hurg will not allow Sykala to go to the 'engine room'. "These be Aspen Consortium trade secrets lass. I could show ya, but then I'd be havin' to kill ya and frankly I'm not sure that I could."
regarding Hurg's comment:
"I've heard this one before Sykala, and frankly I'm getting a little tired of the Aspis and their secrets. I mean what if something were to happen to poor Hurg, it wouldn't do if he's the only one that knows how to operate this boat. Then we'd be stranded."
Baas eyes both Faruq and Esteban suspiciously, but pays it no mind for now. He does, however, make sure to keep aware of where they are on the boat as much as possible.
After Fippin speaks, Baas replies: "I've had my fill of this swamp and this voyage. If the grizzled dwarf wishes to keep his secrets, I suggest we let him. The faster we move on from here, the faster we can finally get off of this cursed river."
"Perhaps you're right Baas. Let the dwarf have is little secrets."
Sykala hands over the worm to Hurg with a predatory grin, "You right. It not matter." She then turns and walks away without another word to anyone.
Hurg spends an hour below "gettin' the bloody worm to take to it's new mammy" before the wheel begins to churn. Faruq whoops and Esteban begins shouting orders to all. The wheel is set in reverse and The River Queen begins to slowly make its way backwards through the weeds and muck.
"Two bloody days too long but The River Queen is up from her nap. No stopping until Nightfall. If ya need to sleep, do it when yer dead. We'll still make it on time!" yells Esteban to no one in particular and everyone at once.
Keliwyn makes a mental note of the interaction between Faruq & Esteban and the others.
Finding a spot near Fippin, Keliwyn says, "If you could spare a few moments, I would be interested in some healing and some conversation. Let's review what we know about our, uhm, employers."
Ixius shrugs when everyone walks away from the pile of loot. He gathers it up and takes it into the cabin. The bow he puts in his chest. With the rest of it he makes a pile in a common area of the cabin.
Well, an early congratulations then. I can only imagine what a long hard road it's been but I am sure it will prove to be very worth it :)
The River Queen moves up the river for the rest of the day and night and another day. Any wounds can easily be healed by our party cleric.
Esteban slows the barge when he passes a village. "Nantamou," he says. The village appears to be a Mwangi village with dwellings made out of materials easily found in the jungle -- vines, leaves, and thick hard mud covered with a dark substance polished to a glassy sheen.
"Any of you that lacks the heart for the rest of this voyage, you can be getting off now. I'm sure you will find whatever tasks the Mwangi put you to are less cruel than mine."
He glares at Fippin as he says this.
Phew. That was a long stretch of madness and non-stop blather. I am now an (underemployed) PhD. ;-)
Ignoring Esteban, Sykala is seemingly in her own world at the bow of the ship tilting her head as she does when she claims she is "listening" to the breezes.