"Wo there." Davis says as Pal attempts to scrabble up a tree and falls back into the water. He lifts Pal up, nodding towards the snakes. "The snakes are going away from us, not towards us..." Davis says in his calm manner. "He sets Pal on his hsoulder, if allowed to do so. "Settle there and you'll be fine, as long as this water doesn't get any deeper." He continues to wade along.
Pal will cling to Davis, waterlogged and wide-eyed, "Regrouping for a coordinated attack more like it... Aaaaghhh!" Pal will jump again upon seeing what he thought was another snake before realizing it was just a stick floating alongside Davis, "W-We'd better make haste, just in case." Pal will continue to cling to Davis' head/neck/back as the group navigates the swamp. He'll occasionally point to objects in the murk, "What is that?" as his nose twitches constantly.
"Easy there Pal, we'll fight off the snakes, protect you from them whatever it takes." Viola rhymes to calm her furry friend as they make their way through the swamp.
The water level holds steady, though it’s difficult to make quick progress in this state. Then, after perhaps 2-3 hours, inexplicably, the water level drops down, more and more, until your feet are back in the mud.
You’re aware of a loud slurping gurgling sound nearby. You can see that the water in your immediate vicinity seems to be draining down into a circular stone-walled hole about 100 feet away off-course from your direction to the tower. Is it a well? Even as you watch and the water level returns to normal, with a new gurgling and rumbling noise, a geyser of water shoots out of the thing and maintains itself. It makes a familiar rhythmic rushing noise as the water geyser weakens a bit as if it’s going to peter out, and then regains its strength, in a rhythmic fashion.
"Seems we found the source of the water." Davis notes with a glance at the fountain of water. He shrugs. "Guess all sorts of strange things happen in these lands. Shall we continue on to the tower?" He matches words to action and continues walking in that general direction, unless someone else has something else they wish to do and informs him of it.
You seem to be making progress. As the day goes on and the fog burns off, you’re able to see further out, and eventually the tower can be spotted in the distance, not much further now!
But don’t celebrate too early. The mud here seems more volatile, shifting, writhing. Now it’s gathering itself into a large mound that blocks your path. Two rocks get pushed to the surface near the top of this mound, arranged as though they were eyes, and below them, a horizontal gash opens like a mouth. A gravelly voice issues from it, “Icky flesh-blobs, you trampled our mother’s face back there, now you’re gonna pay!”
Pal will say, "Apologies, we had no idea... Oh ew..! I've got a bit of her between my toes, one second..." Pal will then find a leaf or bit of water to wipe/wash off the creature's mother. "There, that's better. As I was saying, we had no idea this stinking cesspool was your mother. We will gladly pay the toll you mentioned... Wait, are we still standing in her?" Pal will look down and around him while lifting a foot, "She is so large, it's hard to tell where she ends and the muck begins..."
"Do not insult their mother that will only make things much worse... I highly doubt they meant pay as in coin. That has little to no value in a place such as this." Calanon warns as he steps back, making sure to watch where he puts his feet.
"We're so so sorry my mucky friend, our apologies to your mother please send." Viola rhymes, trying to smooth things over, while cautiously backing away. Persuasion: 15 (rolled with advantage if help is given, otherwise go with first roll.) Acrobatics if needed to skip along, avoiding muck faces: 8
Even as Calanon admonishes Pal and Viola tries to placate, the mud pile’s rock eyes bug out and the mouth gapes open, an unmistakable expression of anger. Its surface seethes and roils as it swells larger, and it surges and looms over Pal, apparently intending to slam into him or bury him, shouting as it does so, “Come and meet her, vermin!”
Pal will immediately hop backwards away from the mud creature. He will then cast [spell[Witch Bolt[/spell] at it. After casting he will back up another 20ft, "If your mother won't discipline you, then I shall!"
Bonus Action: Rabbit Hop - As a bonus action, you can jump 10 ft. without provoking opportunity attacks. You can only use this trait if your speed is greater than 0. You can use it 2 times and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
"Hey Muddy, what did your mother say about you with sticky mud pies play." Viola rhymes to try to taunt the Mud Monster off balance (Aiming to give it disadvantage on next attack or something like that.) before dancing away. Deception if needed: 10
Pal jumps back out of the trajectory of the avalanche that was aimed at him and blasts the mud with a persisting beam of electrical energy. The mud boils, steams, and blackens at the connection. Davis leaps forward and stabs at the mass with his glaive. It feels quite solid in the core and he’s sure his weapon chipped at that solidness. Viola gives supportive taunts from a safe distance.
The mud, carried by momentum, forcefully pours itself into the spot recently occupied by Pal. A head-mound quickly reforms vertically, rock eyes popping out, gash-mouth re-opening, and it grumbles at Viola, “Now you insult my mother, too? I’ll clobber you all!”
As it speaks, two appendages of mud rise up and rear back as though preparing to fling projectiles. As they do, decent-sized rocks can be seen rolling up the appendages to the apex. Then the appendages hurl the rocks with great force, one at Viola, one at Pal.
Rock flung at Pal Attack: 6 Damage: 5
Rock flung at Viola Attack: 10 Damage: 5
Then the mud rears up and flows towards Pal again, apparently intent on burying him. All may react again before it can carry out more action.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Pal will back up as the mud monster approaches, seeking to maintain 30ft of distance between he and it. He appears afraid of the mud monster and says to the others, "Please... I... I can't hold it much longer... I'm getting too weak..." Pal looks like an animal stuck in a trap, cowering as the mud monster attempts its attack at him, "Don't let it kill me..." As soon as Davis strikes it with his glaive, Pal will jump up and cackle maniacally, "Power!" He will pour more energy into the sustained arc of electricity, "UNLIMTED POWER!"
"Wo there." Davis says as Pal attempts to scrabble up a tree and falls back into the water. He lifts Pal up, nodding towards the snakes. "The snakes are going away from us, not towards us..." Davis says in his calm manner. "He sets Pal on his hsoulder, if allowed to do so. "Settle there and you'll be fine, as long as this water doesn't get any deeper." He continues to wade along.
Pal will cling to Davis, waterlogged and wide-eyed, "Regrouping for a coordinated attack more like it... Aaaaghhh!" Pal will jump again upon seeing what he thought was another snake before realizing it was just a stick floating alongside Davis, "W-We'd better make haste, just in case." Pal will continue to cling to Davis' head/neck/back as the group navigates the swamp. He'll occasionally point to objects in the murk, "What is that?" as his nose twitches constantly.
"Easy there Pal, we'll fight off the snakes,
protect you from them whatever it takes."
Viola rhymes to calm her furry friend as they make their way through the swamp.
The water level holds steady, though it’s difficult to make quick progress in this state. Then, after perhaps 2-3 hours, inexplicably, the water level drops down, more and more, until your feet are back in the mud.
You’re aware of a loud slurping gurgling sound nearby. You can see that the water in your immediate vicinity seems to be draining down into a circular stone-walled hole about 100 feet away off-course from your direction to the tower. Is it a well? Even as you watch and the water level returns to normal, with a new gurgling and rumbling noise, a geyser of water shoots out of the thing and maintains itself. It makes a familiar rhythmic rushing noise as the water geyser weakens a bit as if it’s going to peter out, and then regains its strength, in a rhythmic fashion.
"Seems we found the source of the water." Davis notes with a glance at the fountain of water. He shrugs. "Guess all sorts of strange things happen in these lands. Shall we continue on to the tower?" He matches words to action and continues walking in that general direction, unless someone else has something else they wish to do and informs him of it.
"Yes my friends, to the tower we go,
to find what's lost and face our foe."
Viola rhymes and continues towards the tower.
You seem to be making progress. As the day goes on and the fog burns off, you’re able to see further out, and eventually the tower can be spotted in the distance, not much further now!
But don’t celebrate too early. The mud here seems more volatile, shifting, writhing. Now it’s gathering itself into a large mound that blocks your path. Two rocks get pushed to the surface near the top of this mound, arranged as though they were eyes, and below them, a horizontal gash opens like a mouth. A gravelly voice issues from it, “Icky flesh-blobs, you trampled our mother’s face back there, now you’re gonna pay!”
Pal will say, "Apologies, we had no idea... Oh ew..! I've got a bit of her between my toes, one second..." Pal will then find a leaf or bit of water to wipe/wash off the creature's mother. "There, that's better. As I was saying, we had no idea this stinking cesspool was your mother. We will gladly pay the toll you mentioned... Wait, are we still standing in her?" Pal will look down and around him while lifting a foot, "She is so large, it's hard to tell where she ends and the muck begins..."
"Do not insult their mother that will only make things much worse... I highly doubt they meant pay as in coin. That has little to no value in a place such as this." Calanon warns as he steps back, making sure to watch where he puts his feet.
"We're so so sorry my mucky friend,
our apologies to your mother please send."
Viola rhymes, trying to smooth things over, while cautiously backing away.
Persuasion: 15 (rolled with advantage if help is given, otherwise go with first roll.)
Acrobatics if needed to skip along, avoiding muck faces: 8
Even as Calanon admonishes Pal and Viola tries to placate, the mud pile’s rock eyes bug out and the mouth gapes open, an unmistakable expression of anger. Its surface seethes and roils as it swells larger, and it surges and looms over Pal, apparently intending to slam into him or bury him, shouting as it does so, “Come and meet her, vermin!”
Time to roll initiative
Viola initiative: 10
Pal will reply, "Vermin!? That's not very nice. I doubt your muddy mother would be very pleased to hear such filth from you."
Pal initiative: 20
Mud thing initiative 4
Davis initiative 14
Pal can be first to react. It looks like the mud monster is trying to flop onto you.
Pal will immediately hop backwards away from the mud creature. He will then cast [spell[Witch Bolt[/spell] at it. After casting he will back up another 20ft, "If your mother won't discipline you, then I shall!"
Bonus Action: Rabbit Hop - As a bonus action, you can jump 10 ft. without provoking opportunity attacks. You can only use this trait if your speed is greater than 0. You can use it 2 times and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Action: Cast Witch Bolt at the Mud Monster.
Attack: 22 Damage: 12
Movement: 20ft away from the Mud Monster.
Davis quickly unlimbers his glaive and, wondering if it will have any affect against a pile of mud, attacks from the side.
Glaive Attack: 22 Damage: 6
Polearm master bonus attack (with the butt of the weapon) Attack: 6 Damage: 4
"Hey Muddy, what did your mother say
about you with sticky mud pies play."
Viola rhymes to try to taunt the Mud Monster off balance (Aiming to give it disadvantage on next attack or something like that.) before dancing away.
Deception if needed: 10
Pal jumps back out of the trajectory of the avalanche that was aimed at him and blasts the mud with a persisting beam of electrical energy. The mud boils, steams, and blackens at the connection. Davis leaps forward and stabs at the mass with his glaive. It feels quite solid in the core and he’s sure his weapon chipped at that solidness. Viola gives supportive taunts from a safe distance.
The mud, carried by momentum, forcefully pours itself into the spot recently occupied by Pal. A head-mound quickly reforms vertically, rock eyes popping out, gash-mouth re-opening, and it grumbles at Viola, “Now you insult my mother, too? I’ll clobber you all!”
As it speaks, two appendages of mud rise up and rear back as though preparing to fling projectiles. As they do, decent-sized rocks can be seen rolling up the appendages to the apex. Then the appendages hurl the rocks with great force, one at Viola, one at Pal.
Rock flung at Pal Attack: 6 Damage: 5
Rock flung at Viola Attack: 10 Damage: 5
Then the mud rears up and flows towards Pal again, apparently intent on burying him. All may react again before it can carry out more action.
Davis gets an opportunity attack
Glaive Attack: 6 Damage: 6
Pal will back up as the mud monster approaches, seeking to maintain 30ft of distance between he and it. He appears afraid of the mud monster and says to the others, "Please... I... I can't hold it much longer... I'm getting too weak..." Pal looks like an animal stuck in a trap, cowering as the mud monster attempts its attack at him, "Don't let it kill me..." As soon as Davis strikes it with his glaive, Pal will jump up and cackle maniacally, "Power!" He will pour more energy into the sustained arc of electricity, "UNLIMTED POWER!"
Action: Witch Bolt - 2
Movement: Up to 30ft away from the mud monster