Berrus wakens feeling better and prepares for the day

Maxine curious about the footprints went to look. "I had a feeling something was watching us, but could not even guess the direction. So, who was our visitor?"

OOC: I wish we could keep Zip as an NPC-ranger :)

OOC: Zip is still part of the group for now, I'm just playing him.

As you approach the footprints, you quickyl realise that there are two sets of them- one small and humanoid, but with elongated toes and what looks like webbing between them, and the other the pads and claw marks of a large cat, or a panther. You figure that whoever stalked you at night was chased away by the panther who had protected you throughout the night.

What do you want to do before heading off into the woods again?

"May be it's a wishful thinking, but I want to believe, your kindness, Professor, payed up and those panther's paw prints are from the animal you saved yesterday!" Maxine smiled and if they had some time before departing, returned to her unfinished invention - "Infusion: Repeating Shot". She was so close! There had to be something insignificant she overlooked before. 

OOC: Please give me a tinkering roll (Wis +Proficiency modifier for tools/for alchemical supplies: you're looking to beat a DC 13)

Tinkering: Wis 8 +2 (or 2 if we roll for it)

Shae, I believe Maxine is right. "I think she's right too. I believe... it watched over and protected us last night..." She'd say out loud while looking over the panther tracks alongside Maxine. Then she'd point to the webbed foot prints "Lizardfolk?"

While Maxine tinkered, Shae would take a tour around the campsite to look for some mushrooms to restock their supplies. She'd focus on listening to the sounds of the jungle, wondering if she would have listened closer last night, if maybe she'd have been lucky enough to hear the panther. Maybe speak to it? Wishful thinking, but she was thankful all the same. Both for the Professors actions and for the panthers protection last night. Shae would pause for a moment, looking out into the thick jungle and speak out loud "Thank you." Whether it was still around or not, she needed to believe there was still good out here.

 Shae would return to the camp and assist with packing up the supplies for the day. And if the Professor, or any of the others for that matter, didn't hear her and Maxine discussing the prints, she would report it to them.

Professor S:

The professor's smile widens and he addresses Shae and Maxine, saying, "I hope that you are right, though it could have just as easily been a web-footed creature and its feline ally watching us last night for the opportune time to strike."  He shudders at the dark thought, concluding, "nonetheless, we had undisturbed rest last night.  And if the panther wishes to be our ally, perhaps we shall see it again."

"Now then, let's break camp and be on our way--we may survive this jungle yet!" says the professor with renewed optimism as he starts the ritual for the Floating Disk.

"Same order and method as before,  an no shootin at panthers til we be sure" Berrus says loudly as he begins loading the disc

Shae would nod, agreeing with Berrus. She'd pull out the cartography equipment and map to review it again with the Captain and the Professor before the group heads out for the days trek.

The journey is tough, as the clay-laden earth clings to your boots and makes walking difficult and hard-going. With the rising sun and temperatures however, the ground is drying up, and the going gets a lot easier towards mid-day. The dense brush is occasionally giving way to small clearings with colourful flowers and and fragrant herbs, or rocky cliffs poking out from the undergrowth. The path is overgrown with herbs and flowers, but you push on easily enough. After a while however, the plants get larger and larger, until you are surrounded by vividly coloured flowers taller than a grown human. 

As you squeeze through the stems of the plants, Zip suddenly collapses and Thasselandra starts to cough violently. As Zip collapses, he is covered in sap from one of the plants and swallowed by a red flower nearby. Thasselandra and Brax are similarly attacked by red flowers, which close around them, grappling them for now.

For everyone, roll initiative!

Initiative: 7

Professor S Initiative:  

Berrus initiative

OOC: Maxine: Yes, she managed to get her infusion to work :)

Shae initiative: 7

OOC: Shae, all you can determine in the moment is that the main threat seems to come from three main plants, each with three differently coloured flowers on them. While the rest of the plants here make the terrain difficult to move through quickly, they don't seem to be immediately dangerous.

Also, since Faekin posts very irregularly, I'll start combat playing him, to keep things moving.

Initiative is as follows:
Maxine and Shae, then the first Flower
Professor and Brax
The second Flower, Faekin and Falx
Thasselandra, Berrus, and the third Flower
Bertrand, Cliff and Zip (as NPC by me)

The Battlefield is covered in plants that make this difficult terrain. Before moving any further than 5 feet, you need to make a Str DC 12 to push through the plants.



To encourage you narrating your actions, any attack above a 10 hits. To keep the actions going, I'm going to roll any saving throws for you all, so you can keep posts to your actions and reactions only

Shae and Maxine, you're up

"Kam, lets suit up." Shae will take out her waterskin and pour about a cup of water over herself.

"Agathys blans ef."
Agathys blans ef.

Glittery sparkles will wash over Shae, then flash a reflection of ice that coats her.

OOC: Can not see the map! :(

Maxine was not going to move anywhere, it was a chance to try test her upgraded crossbow: Attack: 17 Damage: 8 (+1 for damage did not make it into CS for some reason, but it's there) Attack on the flower, that is assaulting Captain, if it's one of the "three" or the same, Shae is attacking.

As Shae's protective magic takes hold, Maxine fires at the flower grappling with the captain and cleanly severs the stalk of the flower, but the Captain is still restrained inside the closed petals and will have to free herself (now with advantage however).

Faekin falls unconscious, and is covered in a thick milky sap by the orange blossom on the middle stalk. The red flower on the third stalk swallows him up, much like Zip and Thasselandra. Shae, since you're focussing on the plants, you realise that the yellow blossom must be be secreting a substance that is responsible for your party members falling unconscious.

Brax is trying to free himself from the grasp of one of the red blossoms and manages to break free (Strength Athletics 21)
Professor, your turn!