Into the Hool

[gurusql]

Zan

Zan stays in position, but looks for a place to set down the box if a fight starts.

[GreyWolfVT]

Roan mutters "Best hope they be friendly ta lizardfolk er else someone better tell our guide ta run." he says in a low tone so as not to be overheard by the armed men. Then he takes a deep breath "Where might you lot hail from, Eh?" he calls over in as friendly a manner he can.

[Monsieur Rose]

Cassius

He puts a hand on Snake Bite's shoulder to restrain and reassure him. His other hand rests on his bow. Cassius chuckles at Gordansk "You make friends everywhere, don't you?"

Cassius calls to Tree Moss over his shoulder. "Do you know these men?"

[hedgeknight]

Greyhawk, 586 CY, Readying 19
Hool Swamp, Cool, Windy, and Sunny

"Just passing through? Be wise for us both to do so. We need to pass you and you us unless we agree to walk together?" Gordansk says towards the new group. He gestured the path and direction we are taking which seems to be the opposite of theirs.
"No need for any lack of fellowship. Enough hostile things here to bother each of us aplenty besides adding to that?"

The man in front smiles, revealing yellowed teeth. He spits and says, "We will not be walking together today, friend. But we thank ya for bringing the lizard man to us. That was what y'all was doing, right?"
Several of the men chuckle and shift their weapons, some eyeing the lizard man, Snake Bite; others eyeing Fahima and Vilana with open lust.

"Where might you lot hail from, Eh?" Roan calls over in a friendly manner.
"Back that-aways," replies the man in front.

Cassius calls to Tree Moss over his shoulder. "Do you know these men?"
"Not particularly. Brigands or worse, I'd say. Guessing these are part of the larger group of bandits plaguing the swamp. They'd as soon kill us as to let us go. Best tread carefully."

"If ya give us the lizard man, we'll let all of ya go; no harm done to ya." The big man says. "But if ya don't...well, me and me boys, we been itching fer a fight."

[Spearmint]

Gordansk

"Ah! ... Yes, well ... don't let me stand in your way.", gesturing a strange wave for them to pass him by.

Trusting in his Sanctuary spell to save him from immediate murder will step around the bandit group on the path, sweeping his scythe blade side to side to cut a few roots from the trail so as not to entangle his feet. On the way he begins to sing a few lines of a song which he may well have picked up and adapted into some 'hillbilly swampy praise tune'.

"I can plow a field all day long
I can catch catfish from dusk 'til dawn.
We make our own whiskey and our own smoke too
Ain't too many things these old boys can't do.
We grow good-ole tomatoes and homemade wine
And a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive
Because you can't starve us out and you can't make us run
'Cause we're them old boys raised on scythes.
We say grace, and we say ma'am
If you ain't into that, we don't give a damn."

A country boy can survive."

The repetition of the last words goes on.

The wave is the somatic accompaniment to the casting of his Bless spell for he expects a melee from those unwilling to hand over the lizardman.

Gordansk initiative: [1d10]=4

[Rex]

Fahima

Not liking the look of the brigands she readies her staff sling and picks a brigand she can fire a bullet at without risking hitting one of her fellow party members. Then waits for the fun to start.

If the fun starts.

Staff Sling [1d20+4]=12+4=16 to hit [1d4+1]=1+1=2 damage
Staff Sling [1d20+4]=20+4=24 to hit [1d4+1]=2+1=3 damage

I just noticed that a staff sling has a rate or fire of 2/1 in 2e.

[Darklin2]

Sai

Tiring of all the idle threats drops an Entangle spell in the middle of the scraggly bunch. Draws his bow and speaks in Common. This Lizardman is a guide in my employment. A threat against him is a threat against me, and a threat against me is a threat against the Elven people. You all now stand stuck where you are by my magic. We are going to head off in this direction. If you follow us you will be killed.

[1d10]=6 init

[hedgeknight]

For those casting spells and such, roll initiative please (1d10).

[gurusql]

Zan

Initiative: [1d10]=10

[GreyWolfVT]

Roan shakes his head "just had ta be tha hard way. I kinda like it when they make it hard." he says with a grim smile as he gets that look of being quire ready to fight these fools as he takes up his mace and charges at the big man aiming to hit him hard in the knees.

Init [1d10]=10
Footman’s mace +1 [1d20+2]=20+2=22 to hit, [1d6+3]=4+3=7 s/m dmg or [1d6+2]=4+2=6 lrg dmg

[Rex]

Fahima

Initiative [1d10]=7

[Monsieur Rose]

Cassius

"Stay here." He commands Tree Moss and Snake Bite. Cassius is content to converse, but quickly reads the group's mood. "Keep the chatty one alive. I'd like a word."

He pulls an arrow and fires twice at a bow-wielding brigand, not the chatty one.

Initiative: [1d10]=1
Longbow (17): [1d20+3]=6+3=9
Longbow (17): [1d20+3]=12+3=15

Longbow damage: [1d8+6]=4+6=10

[hedgeknight]

Greyhawk, 586 CY, Readying 19
Hool Swamp, Cool, Windy, and Sunny
Bargaining with Brigands...Or Not!

"If ya give us the lizard man, we'll let all of ya go; no harm done to ya." The big man says. "But if ya don't...well, me and me boys, we been itching fer a fight."

"Ah! ... Yes, well ... don't let me stand in your way." Gordansk replies, gesturing a strange wave for them to pass him by.
His companion, Cassius, takes a more direct approach.
"Stay here." He commands Tree Moss and Snake Bite, quickly reads the group's mood. "Keep the chatty one alive. I'd like a word."
The archer draws an arrow and fires at the brigand with a bow, missing the man by only a few inches. Cassius draws a second arrow almost before the first one has left his bow, adjusts slightly, and buries the shaft in the man's chest right under his chin! The man drops his bow, makes a gagging sound, and then hits the wet ground with a thump.
The rest of the brigands gasp and then turn angry eyes toward the companions.
"That pointy-eared prick killed Kenny!" one shouts.
"You bastards!" the big man roars, and charges...followed by the rest of the brigands.

As the charge of the swamp brigands commences, so does a hillbilly swamp shanty about a country boy surviving come what may.
But just as the brigands are about to engage, the swamp erupts around them, snaring most of them in vines and entangling weeds and plants! All but two of the brigands are able to move, and while one is struggling to get through the morass of swampy vines, the big talker avoids it all...and finds himself alone and facing a large group of foes.
A snap and a whish announces a sling bullet to the chest of the big man who cries out in shock and pain, followed quickly by a second bullet to the groin! The man bellows like a castrated bull and falls to the wet ground, whimpering as Fahima gives a satisfying smile.

Vilana fires a single arrow at the lone brigand moving among the vines, cutting a bloody furrow along the side of his head. He howls and begs her not to kill him. "Then stop moving, and I won't," she replies, readying another arrow...just in case.

Rolls:
Initiative [1d10]=6
Brigands initiative: [1d10]=7
Entangle save: [1d20]=8 [1d20]=7 [1d20]=7
Entangle save: [1d20]=18 [1d20]=14 [1d20]=9
Short Bow - To hit: [1d20+1]=19+1=20; Dmg S/M/L: [1d8]=1

[gurusql]

Zan

Zan seeing the party has the brigands in relative control will continue to hold the box and watch around in case the noise brings out a second horror.

[Spearmint]

Gordansk

Wields his scythe at the nearest brigand.

"Surrender your gold and say your prayers or I will cut you as wheat for the threshing floor.

You'll open your tongue and speak or I will open your bowels and the crows will feast on yesterday's breakfast. Fried green tomato skins and kernels of corn. Always last thing to be digested properly. Got any of them to feed the crows. Caw does love to nibble a bit of corn. Bet this old lizard man fancies a nibble to. Look at him salivating over your ass now. I could feed you to him dead or alive! Which will it be? Your tongue loosened to talk or my scythe tongue opening you up or Sakatha's chum getting his thick gums around yer plums?"

[Rex]

Fahima

"Do we have enough for questioning?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Roan begins to sulk "Ah durn it! I wanted ta kneecap the bastard. Yah all tooke me fun away, dammit!" then he smiles and issues a belly laugh. "bwahahahaha! We, I'm thinkin' we got plenty alive ta question. If any of em make it hard, I s'pose I could still bust a knee er two." he says most not sure if he is jesting or serious. But the dwarf turns to treemoss and winks. "Least you two are safe an still standin' uninjured. I'm glad fer that, specially you Treemoss. I'd be hard pressed ta avenger yer death if them bastards kilt ya. Don't be doubtin that."

[Monsieur Rose]

Cassius

He nods over at Sai for the excellent choice of the spell. "I think we do indeed, Fahima. Thank you."

Cassius lowers his bow and claps Roan on the back. "Next time, next time. Now let's restrain that one before that scythe draws blood."

He sets about disarming and binding the hands of the fallen big man. "Speak up! There's only so much I can do to restrain him, you know. (nodding to Gordansk) And the rest of you lot! Answer freely or he'll harvest your souls.

"Why do you want the lizard man? And who asked you to do so?"

[hedgeknight]

Greyhawk, 586 CY, Readying 19
Hool Swamp, Cool, Windy, and Sunny
Begging Brigands

The big talker holds his nuts and cowers as Gordansk threatens to feed parts of him to the crows and the lizard man. His eyes are wild and he whimpers a couple of times during the doom priest's sermon of death, glancing around at the faces looking down on him. The other brigand, the only one able to move, slowly makes his way through the entangled area while Vilana trains an arrow on his face. He too drops to his knees, offering up his sword, putting his hands behind his head.

While Zan scans the swamp for any hidden horrors, Roan grumps about not being able to bloody someone, but is glad Tree Moss and Snake Bite are okay. Cassius assures him the time will come. Then the archer addresses the big talker.
"Speak up! There's only so much I can do to restrain him, you know. (nodding to Gordansk) And the rest of you lot! Answer freely or he'll harvest your souls.
"Why do you want the lizard man? And who asked you to do so?"

The big talker is still trying to catch his breath, but the other man tentatively raises a hand to get the attention of the group, and says, "There be a bounty fer each head we bring in. The Count of Eor be paying 50 gold a head. Damn good coin that! Lot of folks signed on to go lizard huntin'."

[Rex]

Fahima

"This is going to complicate things if we keep running into groups of head hunters and it certainly wont help any negotiations."