Surprise Round!
Dorel
[SBLOCK]
You take a few minutes to survey the distant ridges and canopy for signs of life. You spot many types of colorful birds flitting among the canopy and larger shapes that might be primates moving among the upper branches. The folds in the land form ridges here and there that break above the forest canopy. Far to the south west you can see a larger area of exposed land and what you believe might be a tendril of smoke. Relaying this to your companions gives you a direction of travel while the trail remains cold.
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Descending into the dense canopy is akin to traversing into another world altogether. The light dims as layer upon layer of leaves filters out the light of the sun, leaving rares shafts of light spearing down to the floor. Shadows shift and move about you as the branches above constantly shift in the breeze. The air below is stifling hot and thick with the smell of humus. Sweat immediately begins to form upon your brow. The farther you descend, the more oppressing the heat becomes. The trees become larger and soon are so massive your entire party could not reach around them by linking hands. Vines as thick as a mans thigh twist up from the jungle floor creating barriers of vegetation. Midian is able to slip through the undergrowth with almost supernatural ease while the rest of the party is forced to hack their way through with swords and machetes.
While at first the jungle seemed deserted and dominated by flora, you soon find that life is present everywhere below the canopy. Strange bird calls echo all around you and the occasional flicker of color above you reveal a large population of birds. Insects of all kinds crawl, scuttle, and buzz around you. Some of them grow quite large. Some of the biting insects are large enough to be mistaken for birds. Columns of ants strip away vegetation at alarming rates and luckily your trail leads out of their destructive path. Primates hoot and cry above you whenever a new pack notices your presence. They shake the branches and hurl small sticks whenever someone comes too close to their trees.
Kraken
[SBLOCK]
While following the trail you note some vegetation of interest to you. To supplement their diets, your tribe harvests wild growing "Long Corn". It is a prized food for your tribe given its slow rate of decay after being picked, and its resistance to Ration Rot Moss. The moss is a plague for hunters traveling inland as its spores quickly spoil rations and water supplies. While rare on the slope, it is far more likely to be encountered here in the hot interior.
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Midian
[SBLOCK]
While traveling through the jungle, you locate a rare plant you've only heard of in textbooks. It is a Reath Vine, a vine that is a parasite to more common vines. After a common vine has established a hold in the upper canopy, the Reath Vine wraps around the common vine and uses it to climb into the canopy itself. All the while it burrows into the vine to extract water and nutrients. When fully grown, it blooms and spreads its spores from the upper canopy. The Reath vine is a useful spell component when used in spells that target plants and plant creatures.
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It is mid afternoon when trouble finds you. Moving in a single file line through the dense undergrowth, Kraken and Midian lead the way as they seek the best trail. Whisper follows next along with Dorel and Glaive bringing up the rear. Midian's ape companion moves through the canopy above, braciating with ease. Suddenly, a long sinuous shape lashes out from the base of a nearby tree. A huge serpent easily thirty feet in length and nearly four foot thick attacks with a rasping hiss. The color of its scales ripple and change color unnaturally in response to the sudden movement. It's near perfect camouflage allowed it to approach to within feet undetected! Its massive maw closes around Whisper's upper torso, her shoulders and head disappearing inside its mouth!
OOC
[SBLOCK]
Give me your initiatives and 1st round actions.
Whisper: Need a grapple check from you, DC 36, to escape its bite.
Random person attacked:
Midian, Kraken, Whisper, Dorel, Glaive (1d5=3)
Attack Roll
Snake Attack, Damage, and Grapple (1d20 13=15, 1d8 10=11, 1d20 23=36)
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