The best campsites away from the river can be found outside the perimeter of the swamp, where a few pockets of dry land emerge from the brackish water to provide enough elevation to avoid a damp sleep.
The backdrop of distant drums rumbles long into the night, but no additional lizardfolk make themselves known to you. As the sun begins to rise, casting light onto the gray landscape, the drums suddenly end with three low booms and two rapid thundering shots. The silence that follows casts an almost lifeless feel onto the drab landscape, but as morning dawns you awaken refreshed, with some feeling a lingering headache from the effects of yesterday's poison.
OOC: Characters have gained the benefits of a long rest.
Sylyra immediately spends a few minutes meditating after waking from his trance. The drumbeats' absence is at first very present, but his ears eventually find comfort in the sounds of the swamp. He wonders how Morisúrë is doing and swears to have that innkeeper's head if anything has happened to her while under his care. It will be much better when she can accompany him at all times.
"We have a long way to go," the elf says as the party returns to the skiff. His attitude toward Auriel and Carl is less snobbish this morning. He hasn't been what anyone would consider warm toward either of them, but he hasn't treated them like gibbering mouthers, either ... yet. Truth is after everyone else fell asleep last night, he had time to replay the fight with the lizardfolk, and he realized they were close to being captured. If there had been one or two more of the scaley creatures, who knows how things would have turned out? Having the eladrin and dwarf should come in handy. "As far as I went, I was still hours away from the main drums. And I suspect things are only going to get more dangerous the closer we get." Once the skiff is back in the water, Sylyra takes the rudder and prepares to navigate.
"I only hope we manage to find lizardfolk before nightfall this time. Rather not have anymore people get kidnapped..."
Hex jumps onto the skiff and settles by one of the poles to help Sylyra row as well as keeping an eye out for any more potential ambushes or points of interest.
Despite he missed the fight Auriel is thankful for the night's rest. After all, hours walking in the marsh with all their equipment on had had an impact on his body.
He steps out from his trance to find the sound of drums has stopped and hopes that means that whoever is causing it is a night creature, which means that the party can use the day to come near it and find out more about - and hopefully stop - the kidnappings.
The eladrin then turn his head towards the rising sun, bends a knee to the ground and leaning on the halberd he's firmly gripping with the left hand, he spends a couple of minutes praying. When he finishes, he stands up and mutters:
- Lord of justice, guide our steps. Let us end the kidnappings as swiftly as possible.
With that, and after a frugal breakfast, he joins the rest on the skiff, helping rowing if there's any oar left to grab.
In the morning when he awakens, Carl is sitting criss cross apple sauce with his battle axe in his lap, rubbing it with a cloth and a small amount of oil. He seems to be focusing on it, lips moving and murmuring, not acknowledging anyone else for a good 15 minutes at least. When everyone moves to depart on the skiff, he readies himself, sitting to the mid/rear and doing his part to row or move them along as he is able. He stays quiet and listens for the sound of the drums again, trying to locate direction, and keeping his eyes on the shoreline. When he climbs into the skiff, his eyes flash black for a moment and he pauses, then he sits down. (Uses false life for 5 temp h.p.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
During the daylight hours, the Twilight Marsh lives up to its name; as the Trank River spreads out between the shallow islands, wetlands, and dense vegetation, the dense canopy created by high tree branches mixes with a morning fog to make much of the light underneath as dim as an evening's twilight. Only in a few sparse areas does direct sunlight break through the canopy, temporarily piercing the gloom with a bright oasis.
The vast majority of the marsh is difficult terrain. Travel is slowed by tangles of tree roots, wetlands thick with water grasses, muddy bogs, unexpected deep underwater holes, and undergrowth. Some areas require wading through the water and dragging the keelboat through shallows, and others require hauling the keelboat a short distance overland to reach the next shipworthy stretch of the river.
OOC: Now that we have our new party layout, let's establish which activities the characters are engaged in while traveling. In addition to helping guide the keelboat with poles, each character can engage in one of the following activities:
Keep a lookout: Keep an eye out for threats as the boat navigates the marsh
Navigate: Find the quickest path through the marsh
Map the area: Create a map to make finding your way out via the same path easier (must have supplies to create a map)
Sylyra will navigate. If presented with an opportunity, he'll use Speech of the Woods to communicate with fauna to ask for directions. He'll also ask for the swamp to help him in navigating and communicating. Unfortunately, he doesn't have anything to contribute toward making a map.
Carl will map the area. He takes out his journal, his ink pen and starts jotting down notes, mapping their progress and turns. “Tell me any landmarks you see Sylyra, I’ll addem to the map. You see that rotten log up ahead? Did you turn there?”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Auriel is not an expert navigator, but he will do his best trying to find the quickest way through the river avoiding the parts that could cause it to get stuck.
Combining his previous night's journey with his druidic abilities and Auriel's own navigation skills, Sylyra and his newfound elven compatriot navigate as swiftly as possible through the marsh, making good time despite the thick undergrowth. Carlthuzad maps the route thoroughly as you travel.
Throughout the morning, Hex notices signs indicating a direction deeper in the swamp; occasional trinkets, clothes, and other items dropped from likely non-lizardfolk captives make appearances here and there. The morning fog and the sky both clear as the afternoon sets in, though the temperature stays low. The trinkets of the morning are replaced by fresh footprints, and on multiple occasions Hex spots lizardfolk rushing around in the distance, only to find them long gone by the time the keelboat catches up. Swarms of biting bugs pester your progress.
You are passing through a wetland with tall, wide, and dense blades of greenish brown grass bordering the labyrinthine waterways. The wall-like growths make it appear as though the boat is traveling watery hallways. Crossings occur frequently, opening suddenly to one or both sides. A slow current guides your way.
Standing on the boat, only Uragum can see over the tops of the grasses, and only barely, which wave and rustle in a strong breeze. The plants are growing in the shallower areas, and the channels you are using are only a few feet deep. Your passage is suddenly interrupted as a small snake drops into the boat from the boughs of a tree above you. It raises up in a confused daze before beginning to slither toward the side of the keelboat.
"Wait, my friend," Sylyra says in a friendly tone, using his Speech of the Woods. "We won't harm you." (Persuasion check, maybe? With guidance?) He quickly makes eye contact with the others on the boat. "Leave the snake alone," he says more sternly.
If the snake is amenable to pausing ...
Sylyra continues, "We are looking for the place where the scaled two-legs are taking those that look like me and their four-legs. Do you know how we might get there secretly?"
Carl was in mid wind up of eldritch blast, but he dissipates it and stops the spell on the warning from Sylyra. He looks up with curiosity and you see his beard moving furiously, like he’s chewing on his lip in thought.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
- What? I wasn't planning on doing anything. It's not like I would kill an animal just for appearing out of the blue ... - he begins saying, but then sees how Carl was in the middle of casting a spell and adds - Oh? ... Okay...
The eladrin then slaps his neck, where a mosquito was pestering him, and mumbles:
- Well, these ones I'm not going to let go.
He then looks curiously at the conversation happening between the druid at the snake, not understanding the animal, and hoping it would give us a lead. Druid magic was really a thing.
The snake pauses, turning back to Sylyra briefly. Its tongue flickers as it adjusts its positioning near the side of the keelboat. It lifts its head above the side of the boat, scanning the wall of grass surrounding you. After looking back toward Sylyra for a moment, it slithers over the side of the boat and into the water.
For Sylyra:
The snake seems to comprehend the notion of scaled two-legged residents of the swamp. Its meandering gaze at the grass around you indicates that it has not seen the lizardfolk within the grass itself, but that it has seen some pass by recently. It doesn't give any indication of knowing where their destination was.
The moment passes, and Carl picks back up his pen, goes back to mapping, looking to Sylyra for any guidance as to direction, scanning their surroundings for any notable landmarks.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Sylyra scowls as the snake abandons them, but then blinks and relaxes his face, looking unfazed. "We're on the right course," he says airily. "And alone. For now. But we should remain as quiet as possible."
Hex watches Sylyra's interaction with the snake, briefly considering talking to it herself before it slithers off. She nods at the druid and continues her look out, more vigilant than before now that the group knows they're on the right path.
Scanning the walls of grass, you see the camouflaged head of a massive amphibian predator lying in wait as the boat passes by. The head of a giant toad nearly 10-feet long and wide opens its maw to strike.
OOC: The rest of the party is surprised (and unaware of the creature's existence) but you have beaten the creature in initiative and can take an action before its turn.
Hex cocks her head in confusion as she spots something in the grass, leaning forward and squinting her eyes to get a better look. Upon realising she was looking into the open maw of some sort of giant creature, she immediately shoots up from her seat and throws out her hands. A mass of writhing vines and weeds explodes out of the ground as she casts Entangle around the creature.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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The best campsites away from the river can be found outside the perimeter of the swamp, where a few pockets of dry land emerge from the brackish water to provide enough elevation to avoid a damp sleep.
The backdrop of distant drums rumbles long into the night, but no additional lizardfolk make themselves known to you. As the sun begins to rise, casting light onto the gray landscape, the drums suddenly end with three low booms and two rapid thundering shots. The silence that follows casts an almost lifeless feel onto the drab landscape, but as morning dawns you awaken refreshed, with some feeling a lingering headache from the effects of yesterday's poison.
OOC: Characters have gained the benefits of a long rest.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Sylyra immediately spends a few minutes meditating after waking from his trance. The drumbeats' absence is at first very present, but his ears eventually find comfort in the sounds of the swamp. He wonders how Morisúrë is doing and swears to have that innkeeper's head if anything has happened to her while under his care. It will be much better when she can accompany him at all times.
"We have a long way to go," the elf says as the party returns to the skiff. His attitude toward Auriel and Carl is less snobbish this morning. He hasn't been what anyone would consider warm toward either of them, but he hasn't treated them like gibbering mouthers, either ... yet. Truth is after everyone else fell asleep last night, he had time to replay the fight with the lizardfolk, and he realized they were close to being captured. If there had been one or two more of the scaley creatures, who knows how things would have turned out? Having the eladrin and dwarf should come in handy. "As far as I went, I was still hours away from the main drums. And I suspect things are only going to get more dangerous the closer we get." Once the skiff is back in the water, Sylyra takes the rudder and prepares to navigate.
"I only hope we manage to find lizardfolk before nightfall this time. Rather not have anymore people get kidnapped..."
Hex jumps onto the skiff and settles by one of the poles to help Sylyra row as well as keeping an eye out for any more potential ambushes or points of interest.
Despite he missed the fight Auriel is thankful for the night's rest. After all, hours walking in the marsh with all their equipment on had had an impact on his body.
He steps out from his trance to find the sound of drums has stopped and hopes that means that whoever is causing it is a night creature, which means that the party can use the day to come near it and find out more about - and hopefully stop - the kidnappings.
The eladrin then turn his head towards the rising sun, bends a knee to the ground and leaning on the halberd he's firmly gripping with the left hand, he spends a couple of minutes praying. When he finishes, he stands up and mutters:
- Lord of justice, guide our steps. Let us end the kidnappings as swiftly as possible.
With that, and after a frugal breakfast, he joins the rest on the skiff, helping rowing if there's any oar left to grab.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
In the morning when he awakens, Carl is sitting criss cross apple sauce with his battle axe in his lap, rubbing it with a cloth and a small amount of oil. He seems to be focusing on it, lips moving and murmuring, not acknowledging anyone else for a good 15 minutes at least. When everyone moves to depart on the skiff, he readies himself, sitting to the mid/rear and doing his part to row or move them along as he is able. He stays quiet and listens for the sound of the drums again, trying to locate direction, and keeping his eyes on the shoreline. When he climbs into the skiff, his eyes flash black for a moment and he pauses, then he sits down. (Uses false life for 5 temp h.p.)
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
During the daylight hours, the Twilight Marsh lives up to its name; as the Trank River spreads out between the shallow islands, wetlands, and dense vegetation, the dense canopy created by high tree branches mixes with a morning fog to make much of the light underneath as dim as an evening's twilight. Only in a few sparse areas does direct sunlight break through the canopy, temporarily piercing the gloom with a bright oasis.
The vast majority of the marsh is difficult terrain. Travel is slowed by tangles of tree roots, wetlands thick with water grasses, muddy bogs, unexpected deep underwater holes, and undergrowth. Some areas require wading through the water and dragging the keelboat through shallows, and others require hauling the keelboat a short distance overland to reach the next shipworthy stretch of the river.
OOC: Now that we have our new party layout, let's establish which activities the characters are engaged in while traveling. In addition to helping guide the keelboat with poles, each character can engage in one of the following activities:
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Sylyra will navigate. If presented with an opportunity, he'll use Speech of the Woods to communicate with fauna to ask for directions. He'll also ask for the swamp to help him in navigating and communicating. Unfortunately, he doesn't have anything to contribute toward making a map.
Hex will keep a lookout.
Carl will map the area. He takes out his journal, his ink pen and starts jotting down notes, mapping their progress and turns. “Tell me any landmarks you see Sylyra, I’ll addem to the map. You see that rotten log up ahead? Did you turn there?”
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Auriel is not an expert navigator, but he will do his best trying to find the quickest way through the river avoiding the parts that could cause it to get stuck.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Combining his previous night's journey with his druidic abilities and Auriel's own navigation skills, Sylyra and his newfound elven compatriot navigate as swiftly as possible through the marsh, making good time despite the thick undergrowth. Carlthuzad maps the route thoroughly as you travel.
Throughout the morning, Hex notices signs indicating a direction deeper in the swamp; occasional trinkets, clothes, and other items dropped from likely non-lizardfolk captives make appearances here and there. The morning fog and the sky both clear as the afternoon sets in, though the temperature stays low. The trinkets of the morning are replaced by fresh footprints, and on multiple occasions Hex spots lizardfolk rushing around in the distance, only to find them long gone by the time the keelboat catches up. Swarms of biting bugs pester your progress.
You are passing through a wetland with tall, wide, and dense blades of greenish brown grass bordering the labyrinthine waterways. The wall-like growths make it appear as though the boat is traveling watery hallways. Crossings occur frequently, opening suddenly to one or both sides. A slow current guides your way.
Standing on the boat, only Uragum can see over the tops of the grasses, and only barely, which wave and rustle in a strong breeze. The plants are growing in the shallower areas, and the channels you are using are only a few feet deep. Your passage is suddenly interrupted as a small snake drops into the boat from the boughs of a tree above you. It raises up in a confused daze before beginning to slither toward the side of the keelboat.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
"Wait, my friend," Sylyra says in a friendly tone, using his Speech of the Woods. "We won't harm you." (Persuasion check, maybe? With guidance?) He quickly makes eye contact with the others on the boat. "Leave the snake alone," he says more sternly.
If the snake is amenable to pausing ...
Sylyra continues, "We are looking for the place where the scaled two-legs are taking those that look like me and their four-legs. Do you know how we might get there secretly?"
Carl was in mid wind up of eldritch blast, but he dissipates it and stops the spell on the warning from Sylyra. He looks up with curiosity and you see his beard moving furiously, like he’s chewing on his lip in thought.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Auriel looks at Sylyra confused:
- What? I wasn't planning on doing anything. It's not like I would kill an animal just for appearing out of the blue ... - he begins saying, but then sees how Carl was in the middle of casting a spell and adds - Oh? ... Okay...
The eladrin then slaps his neck, where a mosquito was pestering him, and mumbles:
- Well, these ones I'm not going to let go.
He then looks curiously at the conversation happening between the druid at the snake, not understanding the animal, and hoping it would give us a lead. Druid magic was really a thing.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
The snake pauses, turning back to Sylyra briefly. Its tongue flickers as it adjusts its positioning near the side of the keelboat. It lifts its head above the side of the boat, scanning the wall of grass surrounding you. After looking back toward Sylyra for a moment, it slithers over the side of the boat and into the water.
For Sylyra:
The snake seems to comprehend the notion of scaled two-legged residents of the swamp. Its meandering gaze at the grass around you indicates that it has not seen the lizardfolk within the grass itself, but that it has seen some pass by recently. It doesn't give any indication of knowing where their destination was.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
The moment passes, and Carl picks back up his pen, goes back to mapping, looking to Sylyra for any guidance as to direction, scanning their surroundings for any notable landmarks.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Sylyra scowls as the snake abandons them, but then blinks and relaxes his face, looking unfazed. "We're on the right course," he says airily. "And alone. For now. But we should remain as quiet as possible."
Hex watches Sylyra's interaction with the snake, briefly considering talking to it herself before it slithers off. She nods at the druid and continues her look out, more vigilant than before now that the group knows they're on the right path.
For Hex:
Scanning the walls of grass, you see the camouflaged head of a massive amphibian predator lying in wait as the boat passes by. The head of a giant toad nearly 10-feet long and wide opens its maw to strike.
OOC: The rest of the party is surprised (and unaware of the creature's existence) but you have beaten the creature in initiative and can take an action before its turn.
[Tooltip Not Found]
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Hex cocks her head in confusion as she spots something in the grass, leaning forward and squinting her eyes to get a better look. Upon realising she was looking into the open maw of some sort of giant creature, she immediately shoots up from her seat and throws out her hands. A mass of writhing vines and weeds explodes out of the ground as she casts Entangle around the creature.