Quest #38 "Betwixt Water And Stone"

[OGRE MAGE]

Not Following Water
Starday, 27th of Goodmonth
Mid Afternoon, Sunny, Hot, Buggy

The group decides against an attempt to cross the river to greet the locals they haven't seen yet. Instead, they head back inland, hoping to find the trail they blazed through the thick jungle earlier.

After some time slogging, they do indeed locate a trail, though it isn't the one they were hoping to find. This one appears to be a game trail of some kind, and recently trampled. Luther looks around for tracks and finds something very strange. The tracks here appear to have been made by something with very wide, round feet, almost like an elephant or a rhino or something.

The others look around as well, each of them noticing a rather horrid smell coming from somewhere nearby. The fresh path moves mostly east and west, but it looks like whatever trampled through here, did so more than one time. Nothing out of the ordinary is spotted, but there does seem to be a lack of normal jungle animal and bird noises in this area.

Actions?

You are nearly centrally located in the land mass now, near to where you found the ring of scattered stones earlier.

positions:
Keg (F3) AC:1 23/23
Luther (R4) AC:3 24/30
The Knife (T2) AC:4* 8/8
Wake (C1) AC:3 10/10 2/3 first
Amun (F1) AC:2 13/13
Yrias AC:5 8/8 3/3 1st RM, CL, DM 1/1 1st

[Karaunios]

Yrias

The cleric takes a finger to his mouth, signaling for silence, lest their voices attract the mastodon that passed by earlier. He remains silent and attentive to all the sounds and movements around them.

[Jernau35]

The Knife

The Knife sniffs the air, then holds his nose."Phewww! That's nasty", he says nasally.

"Hold on. Remember that weird creature we saw not long back? With the long neck and long tail? That stank to all the heavens too. I bet it's that again. I don't like the idea of us walking right into it. I mean, it looked like it was happy eating leaves, but who knows what it might do if we frighten it? "

"I think we need to go back another way."

[gurusql]

Wake

"I was thinking that it could that as well."

[sastaz]

Amun

"This why all small animals missing, the beast's smell. We should not disturb it."

[Urson]

Luther
Definitely the same sort of reek. Let's go.

Since the trail is basically East- West, Luther continues bushwhacking South, aiming for Cliffstown.

[Bluehorse]

Keg shrugs. So... Follow the river?

[gurusql]

I assume that we are a little away from the river at this point.

[Jernau35]

You are nearly centrally located in the land mass now, near to where you found the ring of scattered stones earlier.

That puts us about half a mile from the river, half a mile from the cliffs and about 3 miles each way to either Clifftown or the waterfall.

Unfortunately I don't know how to put a dot on the map, but I'm sure your map-reading skills are better than my tech ones

viewtopic.php?p=366477#p366477

[OGRE MAGE]

Not Following Water?
Starday, 27th of Goodmonth
Mid Afternoon, Sunny, Hot, Buggy

After realizing that they may have just wandered onto the path of the stinking mastodon they met earlier, Yrias motions for everyone to be silent.

That prompts TK to start talking immediately, followed by each of the other party members one at a time, preventing the newcomer from hearing much else.

Together they agree that this looks like trouble, so Luther starts hacking through the thick jungle in a generally southern direction, making all manner of noise as he cuts their path.

When they hear a loud grunt from the direction of the stink, Keg asks if they should go back to the west where they can follow the river.

Then the group starts to hear loud footsteps heading towards them, getting louder and faster with every one.

Actions?

You are nearly centrally located in the land mass now, near to where you found the ring of scattered stones earlier.

positions:
Keg (F3) AC:1 23/23
Luther (R4) AC:3 24/30
The Knife (T2) AC:4* 8/8
Wake (C1) AC:3 10/10 2/3 first
Amun (F1) AC:2 13/13
Yrias AC:5 8/8 3/3 1st RM, CL, DM 1/1 1st

[Urson]

Luther

Well, shit. Climb! Luther heads for whatever mess of vines, small trees, anything else he can find that looks like he can climb it to get above the whatzit.

[Jernau35]

The Knife

"It must have heard us!" babbles The Knife, scrambling up the nearest trunk.

Climb Walls (71%) [1d100]=41

[Bluehorse]

Keg looks between the oncoming thunder of something big and looks up at the trees. Oh crap on a cracker!

He grabs onto some vines of another tree off to the right a bit more and does his best to scramble up as well. If thar doesn't work, he will move perpendicular to the oncoming charge to avoid it and find a place to crouch, hopefully with cover!

[gurusql]

Wake

Wake not being much of a climber move perpendicular to the sound of the charge looking to stay behind the largest trees.

[Karaunios]

Yrias

Yrias will also try to use any large tree he can find as cover, away from the spot where the other members of the group were carelessly shouting.

[sastaz]

Amun dives into the undergrowth as well, following the others.

[OGRE MAGE]

Reunited
Starday, 27th of Goodmonth
Mid Afternoon, Sunny, Hot, Buggy

Luther, Keg, and TK start climbing for their lives, making all manner of noise as they scramble and shout.

Wake, Yrias, and Amun decide to stay on the ground, diving for cover and slipping behind any larger trees they can find. The big difference, they do so without comment.

A horrid looking bloated buffalo-like beast that reeks of dead swamp rot clumsily enters the area. It has an ugly warthog head situated upon a thick neck that looks too small and weak to carry such a heavy load. The beast sniffs around the area for a moment, edging ever closer to the tree that Keg climbed. It rubs its massive body against the trunk, shaking the entire thing from root to twig. It slowly raises its head up into the branches to sniff out its prize, its hot breath coming close enough for the norseman to taste.

catoblepas.jpg (219.46 KiB) Viewed 937 times

Actions?

E979374F-D379-4ABB-A276-D589A6B8F549.jpeg (13.25 KiB) Viewed 935 times

positions:
Keg (F3) AC:1 23/23
Luther (R4) AC:3 24/30
The Knife (T2) AC:4* 8/8
Wake (C1) AC:3 10/10 2/3 first
Amun (F1) AC:2 13/13
Yrias AC:5 8/8 3/3 1st RM, CL, DM 1/1 1st

[gurusql]

Wake

Wake not having a ranged attack form will try to remain quiet and out of the range this beast, hoping for the moment Keg will not be a meal of this strange creature.

[Bluehorse]

Keg curses loudly and tries to climb higher and find something to throw at the beast like a coconut or something. Someone do something!!!

[Urson]

Luther
Luther tries to reach a branch where he can use his bow. Assuming he does so, he'll take a shot at the beast's hindquarters.

Longbow [1d20+1]=20+1=21 longbow damage: [2d4+1]=3+1=4

His intent is to distract the beast from Keg's tree