Quest #6 "Return To The River"

[Spearmint]

Krystal

looks from a distance at the wrinkles face of the cleric. "Maybe that mummy glue was full of bacteria and necrotic stuff. Can you Cure Disease? Would hate it is you started sweating sticky glue and began to rot yourself from within?" says Kystal and she reminds herself not to get too touchy feely with the cleric just in case of infection.

[Bluetongue]

Ferris

well with the cleric back with us, lets' continue and follow the flaming mummy.

[Scott308]

Brufrig Granitesunder

The dwarf will follow the flaming creature, waiting for it to succumb from the trauma inflicted upon it.

[Hotgoblin]

Franny shakes her head, she never saw nothing like that happen before. Let's get after that creature, it's going back to whoever sent it out here. Make no mistake, it was following orders from something or someone else. Come on.... Franny follows after Brufrig with her Battle-axe in hand.

[OGRE MAGE]

Outside The Hut, Round 13
The Communal Meeting Place
Mid-night, Cooler and Less Humid
Pitch Black and Even More Buggy


Waes helps get Keilif up and standing on his own feet again, but the priest is in no condition to go trekking through the deep bush. He croaks out a whispered warning, his now grotesque features blinking disturbingly in the flickering torchlight. "Anyone foolish enough to follow that thing into its own territory is as good as dead. We need to get back to safety and count our blessings." He moves back into the hut and begins securing the mats over the openings again to keep the insect swarms out. Krystal is happy to keep her distance, suggesting he may be diseased. She sucks up a mosquito into her mouth for her effort and three more bite her face as she heads out after the others.

The bugs seem even worse now since you have been outside for a while, it is as if they can smell the blood on you and can sense an easy kill. Despite this, the group is content to follow the burning sticky mummy deeper into the unmarked jungle. Franny is convinced that this thing is working as an agent for a higher power. Bonnie scoops up the dropped long sword along the way, it feels very well balanced in her hand and its fine craftsmanship is obvious, even in the darkness.

The monster flails and shrieks loudly as it bolts into the trees, spinning around and through the thick underbrush. It stops at one point to rub its still sizzling back on some wet moss growing on the side of a huge unknown tree with massive gnarling roots. It seems to be nearly dead from the terrible burns, but still manages to push itself on further into the nearly impassible foliage.

One by one the group follows the monster into the darkness. The elves are able to keep up, with some difficulty, but the dwarves and gnome soon begin to fall behind. Their short, stubby legs are not geared for bushwhacking through this much undergrowth. It becomes apparent fairly quickly that using the current strategy may soon result in this becoming a three person chase. (1/4 movement through rough jungle)

The insects continue to bite and sting you relentlessly, every second spent outside in them is sheer misery.


Actions?

Ferris 3/7 DM, RM, 1/1 first
Waesfaren Rhey 9/10 1/4 first Torch
Bonnie 2/6 Torch
Krystal 5/5 CL DM RM 1/1 first
Franny Buurlslammer 8/12
Brufrig Granitesunder 4/15
Keilif 2/9 0/3 first

[Scott308]

Brufrig Granitesunder

Brufrig watches the elves pass him as he continues to follow the mummy, slow as the going may be.

[Storm11]

Waes slathers some more of the bug salve all over him as he moves along behind the others. He offers some to the other elves still near by and continues to follow the burnt creature.

[Spearmint]

Krystal

"I was expecting a slow shuffling zombie type mummy not some flaming athlete. If it outpaces us and doesn't seem to be dropping then we could just end up like we did when the veggies pygmies attacked. Stragglers all alone on the trail."

Does the creature look like it is following a discernible path or trail or just fleeing from us into the jungle?

[Hotgoblin]

Franny

Doesn't anyone think it's odd that this mostly dead creature seems to be outpacing us? Something's gotta be controlling it! I ain't heading further into the darkness and most likely a trap!! Franny turns to head back to the hut.

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

Seeing the terrain turn even rougher, and her shorter companions struggle, Bonnie makes up her mind. Enough of this! She turns to Krystal and Weas and declares This is madness. Let's turn back while we can. A daylight hunt for this thing is a much better idea.

Bonnie turns her back on the fleeing creature and starts trying to find her way back to the hut.

[Scott308]

Brufrig Granitesunder

When the faster members of the party get back to him, Brufrig will turn around and head back with them.

[Storm11]

"I wish you people would make up your damn minds, we could have killed that thing back at the camp ages ago. Nature demands these undead be cleansed, and all this flip flopping indecisiveness is NOT good form. What a waste of our resources as well. We will likely have to face that thing again at some point. Air heads!" the Druid grumbles loudly. He stomps off back to the campsite to rest and recover his druidry.

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

She takes a moment to look at the Druid, eyes narrowed "Please. Feel free to continue the hunt. I for one don't feel the need to continue a foolish course of action."

She lightens up a bit "But I do agree that was a waste. Better planning and contingencies are required."

Walking close to Weas she leans in. "Watch your tongue druid, I will not be insulted again."

[OGRE MAGE]

Back To The Hut
Mid-night, Cooler and Less Humid
Pitch Black and Even More Buggy


The fleeing monster continues to outpace the adventurers, not because he is moving really fast, or on any discernible trail, but because the party is moving at about one quarter their usual speed through all of the jungles natural overgrowth and obstacles. The party finds that trudging through the rough thick jungle at night, all while being eaten alive by the thousands of insects, is no longer a wise course of action. They begin to rethink the idea of the chase and start heading back towards the relative safety of the hut instead. Even through the short distance they've traveled so far, finding the hut is no easy task. They may surely have gotten lost out there if they had pursued their prey much further.

On the way back, Waes gives the others a piece of his mind after their flip flopping of ideas and poor form. To which Bonnie offers the suggestion that he continue on alone. She lets the druid know rather plainly that she doesn't take well to insults.

Once back at the hut, you find the pale, wrinkly Keilif swinging his torch around inside, trying to kill the last few of the larger bugs that got in during the turmoil. He nods at you as you enter, happy to see that you came to your senses.

"We have some more traveling to do in the morning. I suggest that we all try to get some sleep before the sun begins to rise again." The homely priest goes about his usual bedtime business, swatting at the tiny mosquitoes that enjoy flying around your ear holes and buzzing annoyingly.

Actions?

I will advance this along to the morning if there is nothing else specific you want to do (or say) before then.

Ferris 3/7 DM, RM, 1/1 first
Waesfaren Rhey 9/10 1/4 first Torch
Bonnie 2/6 Torch
Krystal 5/5 CL DM RM 1/1 first
Franny Buurlslammer 8/12
Brufrig Granitesunder 4/15
Keilif 2/9 0/3 first

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

"It's been a crappy day and night. I know I need a bit to cool off before our next misadventure. See you in the morning."

Bonnie resets her traps, then heads to bed.

[Storm11]

Waes stomps into the hut and slumps down in a corner without saying a word and slips into an exhausted slumber. In the morning he communes with the earth and sky for the return of his magic.

[Spearmint]

Krystal

rises early, she needs less sleep than some of the others and goes about some studies, breakfast making and ladies morning ablutions.

[Bluetongue]

Ferris

the gnome, decides he needs longer legs, sleeps fitfully and feels as though the mosquitoes have eaten him for breakfast. He combs the gnats and creepies from his beard and joins the others at breakfast. "Okay, follow the leader again."

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

Rising just as refreshed as the others, Bonnie preps for her day and disarms the alarms set around the hut. Coming back to the group, she starts trying to plan their next outing.

"Right. As Waes so correctly pointed out last night, we need planning. As I still see it, we may as well continue onward to this supposed camp. Pirates or whatever. Once there we gather information, I guess. Then we do what, exactly?"
She looks around at the bug-bitten bunch. "Any ideas? Suggestions?"

[Storm11]

"I guess we need to find any survivors and free them. Perhaps discover what has been attacking the villagers and why, and put a stop to it. If any undead spear before us again you should all know I will not be waiting to end their existence, whatever hair brained scheme you guys come up with! Nature will not be denied!" the half-elf aspirant says emphatically, still unhappy with last nights fiasco.