Musangi continues to set the path through the jungle. During the walk, the heat becomes particularly oppressive and the expedition is swarmed by mosquitoes. The lemongrass oil that Sentis handed out earlier wards off the worst of the attention, but the few porters and Cpl Valorious who refused are fiercely savaged with bites.
In the mid afternoon, as you are setting a hard pace through some heavy undergrowth - you hear the cries of monkeys off to your left. They seem to slowly be coming closer.... and by the sound of it, there are a lot of them.
Upon hearing the cries of the monkeys, Blaze will draw his weapon, just in case.
Laughing inwardly at the corporals discomfort sentis is suprised at how quickly the sound of monkeys appears and equally suprised at why monkeys would even approach such a large group of people.
I hear them but can anybody see them yet!
"Might be a swarm o monkeys o flyin monkeys. I ave a bad feelin bout this!"
Perception
Steps back to hide a bit in the undergrowth.
Stealth
"I hopes tha jus pass on by."
The porters with the expedition are starting to panic. Musangi's voice can be heard shouting in Polyglot trying to instill some order. Robert has drawn his family close and is looking to the side grimly. Cpl Valorious has gamely stepped ahead of the porters and towards the cacophonic monkey sound.
When hearing the sound Kaavel readies himself for whatever comes. He than thinks "A new challenge to over come."
"Don't count on it, Grusk." Darkbiter draws is sword, and tries to blend into the underbrush so that he can get behind the horde of monkeys.
Cort draws his weapon, facing toward the monkey's screeching. "Ugh... when is this squad going to face something I can duel? Always with animals, vermin and plants. I hate this stupid jungle." His hands tighten on the blade as he prepares himself for battle, dropping his pack and adjusting his armor a bit.
Its not normally this active in the jungle Cort and its certainly not normal for monkeys to approach a group as large as ours. They could be getting driven by something larger. Maybe something duel worthy for you.
I draw my scimitar and peer into the foilage. As soon as I can see a group of them Im casting a spell.
The source of the cacophonic screeching is finally visible through the trees. You see a solid wall of tiny monkeys clambering forward over the ground and through the trees. Propelling themselves forward on calloused knuckles while screaming their calls.
At either end of the swarm of monkeys you can make out a large silverback gorilla lumbering forward. They stop momentarily to pound their fists to their chest and bellow out a challenge.
Initiative:
Blaze: - 2nd
Darkbiter: - 6th
Doc: - 3rd
Grusk: - 1st
Kaavel: - 7th
Ryuko: - 5th
Sentis: - 3rd
Monkey Swarms and Gorillas: - 4th (and I'll progress Icy and porters here as well)
"Sentis, what do you suggest we do? Seems like they are quite riled up, but I am not a fan of just killing animals, even if I do hate this jungle"
I appreciate your concern for the jungles creatures Blaze. I know this place isnt very accepting. I have a way to maybe trap some of them but it wont hold for long. Hopefully That will be enough of a deterent. Hold your positions Wolves!!!
Sentis Reaches out to grab some of the leafy foilage close by and demands that the plant life in the area heeds his call while he mutters Caparent...
If the plants in the area are covered in thorns, those in the area take 1 point of damage each time they fail a save against the entangle or fail a check made to break free. Other effects, depending on the local plants, might be possible at GM discretion
Shortbow Attack
Damage
Sneak attack +
roll to confirm critical
Doc sighs and slings his mortar from it's carry position into firing position. Calmly he drops a shell down the tube.
"Any 'un else get'n th' feelin' tha somethin' out there don' wan us t' be 'ere?"
Grusk looses an arrow from hiding at the lead gorilla, striking it in chest with the projectile burying itself deep enough that only the fletching is visible.
Sentis calls on the jungle to ensnare the gorilla and monkey swarm towards the tail of the expedition. The jungle responds to his request as tendrils and vines seek to ensnare the creatures.
Tail Swarm:
Tail Gorilla:
But the monkeys and gorilla lithely slip from the grasping vines and remain free.
Damage Tracker:
Lead Gorilla: 15
Blaze shakes his head as the monkeys escape the spell Sentis cast. "Really jungle?? You seem to have it out for us. Not very nice, even after I helped save the life of one of your creatures." Blaze is going to wait to see if any of his allies move in to attack the lead gorilla.
Doc's bomb lobs over the rise of the jungle to land directly next to the tail gorilla. The resulting explosion scorches it's flesh and a few of the monkeys in the tail swarm fall cry out and fall as well.
Blaze holds action until the beasts draw nearer.
The wave of simian fury then sweeps forward to engulf the expedition. The monkeys fall upon the supply train, scratching, biting, prying at the loads carried by the porters. The porters wildly swing at the monkeys with whatever they are carrying as they get subsumed in the chaos. You can hear Musangi's voice exhorting them to fight in Polyglot barely rising above the screeching drone.
Cpl Valorious lets the creatures wash over him before responding with a cry of "Zerplatzen" and some of the tiny creatures fall away and lie still.
Vankerman and his family appear encased in some kind of incandescent energy bubble and the monkeys are unable to approach him.
The tail gorilla roars as it charges Cort, bellowing in fury.
for
The lead gorilla lumbers forward and raises a fist to batter at Kaavel, seeking to crush the monk's skull.
for
Action Tracker (from now): Cort, Darkbiter, Kaavel, Grusk, Blaze, Sentis=Doc, Monkeys and Expedition
Damage Tracker
Lead Gorilla: 15
Lead Monkey Swarm: 5
Tail Monkey Swarm: 4
Tail Gorilla: 6
Darkbiter moves on the lead gorilla, taking a swing at it.
Moves in to help darkbiter take the lead gorilla, hoping to flank....
Greataxe Attack
Damage
Sneak attack +
As the lead gorilla closes in on the group, the Qadiran lashes out with a whip-like strike
Kaavel looks at the beast that hit him and smiles. He than swings at the beast.
Seeing that the beast who hit him is busy with the others Kaavel goes after the smaller beasts.
Blaze lashes out at the gorilla as it closes, but his strike fails to meet flesh.
Darkbiter steps up and his greatsword tracks a path of ruin across the gorilla's face and chest.
Sensing that the gorilla was not long for this world, Kaavel turned to act against the swarm. Stepping up and unleashing a practiced kata of hand and foot strikes, he is frustrated as he cannot land a clean blow against any of the agile little beasts.
Grusk then jumps up behind the gorilla and buries his axe deeply into its back. The gorilla falls to the ground limply as Grusk's strike had severed its spine.
Blaze moves into a flanking position with Kaavel, then strikes at the monkey his companion missed.
Blaze attempts to flank the seething mass of monkeys, before realizing it is a impossibility. He then lashes out with his scimitar, but is unable to land a telling blow.
Cort skips gracefully to the side of the tail gorilla as it charges and laughs. "This one needs some teaching. Speed is the key big guy, not strength." As if to show his point he moves to put himself on the other side of the gorilla from the expedition and attacks.
Cort steps to the side and sinks his sword deeply into the gorilla's flank.
Damage Tracker:
Lead Gorilla: Dead
Lead Monkey Swarm: 5
Tail Monkey Swarm: 4
Tail Gorilla: 16
-
Theres someone in the jungle back there!
Somewhat not suprised that the agile simian creatures were able to elude to the grasp of the writhing plantlife and seeing Cort easily sidestep the rampaging silverback; Sentis draws his scimitar as he moves into a flanking position with Cort and slashes at the hairy ape.
-
-
-
-
As Sentis brings his scimitar to bear it wreaks bloody ruin on the gorilla's stomach. Entrails spilling to the ground as it collapses in its death throes.
Doc has enough time to go wide eyed before the swarm of monkeys chokes off his string of profanity.
Doc vaguely remembers quaffing one of his curative extracts earlier today, which is fortuitous given the monkey onslaught. Battered and bruised he drags himself free of the melee.
The monkeys continue on their one-minded assault on the baggage train, tearing at the porters belongings. The majority of the porters are cowering and seem to be left mostly alone, the ones that attempt to fight back get beaten down under a fusillade of blows.
You see Musangi felled in the monkey's midst and he doesn't stand. Cpl Valorious is laying about with his sword but seems unable to make headway on the swarm. The Vankermans continue to seek refuge in their bubble.
It looks as though the monkeys are mostly concerned with the load the porters are carrying. Food is being trampled into the dirt, tools are being broken, straps on backpacks torn off.
Initiative Order (from now): Cort, Darkbiter, Kaavel, Grusk, Blaze, Sentis=Doc, Monkeys and Expedition
Damage Tracker:
Both Gorillas: Dead
Lead Swarm: 5
Tail Swarm: 4
Darkbiter blends into the jungle to get closer to the strange man for a better look.
"I. Hate. This. Jungle." Cort says as he continues to attempt to lay into the monkeys with his blade.
HP: 4/10
Kaavel looks at the swarm of monkeys and attacks them again.
Hoping someone else heard his warning and seeing as how the bigger threat of the silverbacks was no more and that the rest of the Wolves were still on their feet and fighting or at least moving; I decide to try to catch up with the shadowy figure I saw earlier and slip off into the jungle after it.
-
Cort's duelling sword slices into the swarm and is able to end the life of a few of the little beasts.
Darkbiter moves into the jungle in an attempt to lay eyes on the figure.
The whirling limbs of Kaavel are able to make some impact on the swarm of monkeys, crushing the life out of several.
Sentis slinks into the jungle as well to search for the figure. He hasn't made any indication he has noticed you yet.
Damage Tracker:
Lead Swarm: 9
Tail Swarm: 6
Blaze continues to cut into the annoying monkeys
"Bad Monkeys!"
"Time tah spank these monkeys"
Greataxe Attack
Damage