III. To Belhaim

[dmw71]

23 Rova, 4712

It's a crisp morning as Silas leads the trio of Sylvan, Sparrow, and Kassal through the northern gate of Sandpoint. The rocky coastline of the Varisian Bay quickly disappears behind them as they make their way due east -- at Kassal's slower pace, much to the chagrin of Silas, who mumbles at the fact that the trip will take twice as long. The grumpy merchant, while not in the mood for small talk, does provide an initial overview of their journey:

Exit Sandpoint and head due east. The Yondabakari River, which is south of them, bends north and, if they stay their course, they will run into it and follow the northern bank of the river which is lined by a well-worn road called the Dry Way. "Travel along the river is generally safe," Silas starts, "But near the swamps there are risks of boggard attacks." The river and Dry Way will dip south and wind its way to a small town called Wartle, which is something of a frontier trading post, primarily populated by swampers and trappers who don't mind the inhospitable environment. The buildings of the city rise out of the murky swamp water on stilts, connected by wooden boardwalks. At Wartle, the river forks, with one branch turning north and feeding into the Ember Lake, which is overshadowed by a minor mountain range -- the Malgorian Mountains. The other branch continues to wind east towards another town, Whistledown. "A town that contains many of your folk," he mentions to Kassal.

The plan is to cross the Yondabakari River at Wartle and, depending on their progress, they will either head north from Wartle to Nybor, a peaceful farming community at the base of the Ember Lake, or continue east, following the Yondabakari River around the southern edge of the Sanos Forest. Since Belhaim itself is on the eastern side of this forest, the later is Silas' preferred course of action.



---

The above is simply an overview of your journey. At this point, feel free to ask any questions of Silas or make plans amongst yourselves.

More details of your actual progress will follow shortly.

[Storm11]

"What brought you to Swallowfield Silas? Are you local to these parts, or a regular traveller of such? the gnome asks making conversation.

[dmw71]

"I'm not familiar with Swallowfield," Silas says to the gnome, "But, if you're asking about Sandpoint, and the Swallowtail Festival, then there's your answer. I was hoping the festival would have attracted quite the audience, and there'd have been a better-than-average chance of my flyer being recognized." He falls silent after that; never sharing, only answering questions asked of him.

---

The journey across the open plains from Sandpoint to the Yondabakari River take half the day, but are uneventful. As promised, a well worn road -- Dry Way -- comes into view and makes travel much easier. "Here is where we need to be on the lookout," Silas warns. "Many a dangerous creature have been known to call the Yondabakari home."

No less than a half hour after the warning, a hissing noise is heard coming from the swampy shoreline about eighty feet ahead of your current position. The reeds found along this shoreline -- ranging from one to three feet in height -- are being displaced, bending forward as something or somethings are moving along the shoreline from west-to-east, in the opposite direction you're traveling. Whatever is moving is closing the distance between it and the party, but is not necessarily moving directly at the party as the Dry Way lies a solid twenty feet or so from the shoreline.

Shoreline.png (89.3 KiB) Viewed 1118 times

Actions?



Rolls:

Surprise/Initiative: Monsters [1d10] = 8, PCs [1d10] = 9

[Storm11]

Kassal will look for cover, a large trunk or bush and encourage Silas to follow him into or behind it. The gnome draws a pair of daggers and prepares to throw them if something closes with him and their charge, keeping a careful eye on the disturbances.

[AleBelly]

Given the small size of their party, Sylvan is taking no chances. He pulls a pinch of mistletoe out of his pouch and begins making swirling motions. "Giolcacha! Coinnigh na fir!" he cries.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sparrow knocks an arrow and waits to see what the disturbance is before firing. If the creature is obviously hostile, he shoots at it.

Longbow [1d20+2] = 18+2 = 20 Dam [1d6] = 6 2nd arrow [1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12 Dam [1d6] = 3

[dmw71]

Upon spotting the disturbance and hearing the intermittent hissing sounds, Kassal immediately looks for cover, but finds the road they're traveling on, with nothing but a flat plain area around them, provides little. As he draws his daggers while keeping a watchful eye on the area, he backs away from the movement, off the road, and encourages Silas to follow him, which the merchant does. Sylvan, not taking any chances, pulls pinch of mistletoe out of his pouch and begins making swirling motions. "Giolcacha! Coinnigh na fir!" he cries. Almost immediately, the shoreline seems to come alive, with the reeds and other plant-life twisting and turning and wrapping itself around whatever was the source of the movement. A few isolated trailblazers appear to have escaped the affects of Sylvan's magic, but a fair amount of struggle is taking place in the area the movement was first detected as something or somethings attempt to break free of what binds them in place. Sparrow instinctively draws his bow and nocks an arrow, prepared to let it fly should a threat present itself.

None does.

se_r2.png (98.35 KiB) Viewed 1105 times

The source of the movement in the area of entanglement remains stuck in place, but still out of sight. Those that managed to avoid entanglement rapidly move in the same west-to-east direction and appear to pass the party's location.



Actions?

[AleBelly]

"Those reeds won't hold for long" Sylvan warns the others. "Sparrow, do you want to watch our back? I'll go see what we caught." With that Sylvan jogs forward, scimitar in hand to get a closer look at what's trapped.

[dmw71]

"Those reeds won't hold for long" Sylvan warns the others. "Sparrow, do you want to watch our back?  I'll go see what we caught."  Sylvan says as he begins to jog forward, scimitar in hand. 

Suddenly, several blasts of water erupt from the tangled mess at the shoreline when Sylvan comes within twenty feet of the entangled area.  The blasts, aimed directly at his face, cause Sylvan's reflexes to take over and he successfully ducks out of the way.   The source of the water is still concealed so the assailant(s) remain unknown.

[AleBelly]

Taking this as a hostile act, Sylvan draws his spear and hurls it at the closest tangled mass.

Attack with spear [1d20] = 14, damage [1d6] = 3

[Storm11]

the gnome will withdraw some fleece from his robes and begin casting a spell. "Phantos Spectro Hologos" he chants pulling apart the fleece and scattering it before him.

A solid fog billows up between the reeds and the water spreading out along the shore line around the area the taller party approaches. Two more images, one of Festus the sour dwarf without his trousers on and sporting a baboons bottom and the other of Fulp, approaching the reeds with Sylvan spread out to hopefully give the misty illusion of other targets.
The gnome will conjure a large clump of thick reeds before him and Silas also.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sparrow shoulders his bow and runs in to help Sylvan.

What did you catch us this time Syl?

He will attack alongside Sylvan or confront his own enemy if he is advanced upon.

Attack w/ Scimitar [1d20] = 14 Damage [1d8] = 6

[dmw71]

The illusionary forms of Festus and Fulp appear in front of entangled area as Sylvan and Sparrow move to close on it. Sparrow, scimitar drawn, cannot quite reach the shoreline, and Sylvan intentionally stops short, but within range of his spear, which he hurls at the nearest area of entanglement. The spear flies into the boggy shoreline at an unseen target and almost disappears from sight.

The entangled creature(s) continue their intermittent hissing noise, and also continue to spit forceful streams of water, with the illusionary forms of Festus and Fulp each being struck in their "faces" with targeted blasts. Those creatures which avoided the effects of the entanglement spell hurriedly disappear off to the west.

se_r3.png (88.9 KiB) Viewed 1070 times

A clinking of chains and a steady thudding of hurried footsteps are heard approach Kassal and Silas from behind.



Actions?


Rolls

Spear lost (01-25%): [1d100] = 28

[Storm11]

Kassal will continue to concentrate upon maintaining the spell, and cause the illusions of Baboon Festus and Fulp to stagger and squirm as the water seems to splatter in their faces.

He will weave some fog around his position and around Silas as well.

[AleBelly]

"What do you think, Sparrow? No lovely maidens in those reeds, I reckon." Sylvan walks cautiously towards the entangled creatures, taking as much cover from the illusions as possible, trying not to laugh at Festus' angry red baboon ass. He wants to get a look at the things but stays out of the area of effect.

"Careful, now. Those reeds can entangle us too."

He turns back to the others. "Let's get a move on!!" he yells back to Silas and Kassel. "This alteration doesn't last forever."

[Storm11]

"What's been caught by the spell? Can we parlay with them? Guys, there's trouble coming up my rear" shouts the gnome

[OGRE MAGE]

Sparrow wonders what kind of mess he has fallen into now.

Perhaps we better be........ leaving?

[dmw71]

Kassal continues to concentrate on maintaining his spell, causing the illusions of Fulp and the baboon-bottomed Festus to stagger and squirm as the water appears to splatter in their faces.   Unable to break his focus, the gnome hears the approach of someone -- or something -- from behind him.  "Guys, there's trouble coming up my rear" he shouts.   Silas, in the rearmost position, turns and notices the approaching footsteps are actually those of Ciar, Festus and Fulp, and relays as much to the rest.

Sylvan, paying Silas no mind, walks cautiously towards the entangled creatures, trying not laugh at Festus' angry red baboon ass. "Careful, now. Those reeds can entangle us too." he warns.  Taking care to avoid provoking a water blast attack, or the entanglement of his own creation, Sylvan is able to spot a small covey of 1-foot tall, upright gila monsters with prehensile forepaws.  Their backs are colored a mottled gray and brown, and their underbellies are yellow, and they have short tails.  The small beasts writhe and hiss angrily.

Turning back to the others: "Let's get a move on!" he yells back to Silas and Kassel... and now Ciar, Festus and Fulp.  "This alteration doesn't last forever." he says as he retreats from the area carefully.   "Perhaps we better be... leaving?" Sparrow agrees.


Fulp snickers at the likeness of his dwarven companion.   "Festus, it appears the magician here has represented your good side, my friend." he says with a chuckle.

"No time for jokes," Silas warns. "Precious little sunlight remaining," he states, casting his gaze at the horizon. "We best get moving - all of us - if we stand to make Wartle by sundown." Casting a wary eye at three new arrivals. "Nice of you to join us." he quips.

"That just means smaller shares for everyone." he says under his breath.


Actions?

[Storm11]

Kassal will release the spell with a flourish, causing the fog to appear to be drawn into a funnel and then vanish in a rainbow flash of light as the reeds ripple from view and Fulp turns and bows before fading. Festus' ass grows until it's as big as the rest before it appears to explode silently out of sight.



"Indeed with all due haste!" he says with a wink

[onlyme]

Fulp (the real one) casually calls back out...
We knew you three couldnt handle the job without us. And we didnt need find out you died due to our negligence of course. So, well, here we are.