DT's Saga of the Dragon Cult (Legacy of the Savage Kings)

After a quick trip home (where they are able to sell the extra equipment and earn bounties for a letter of credit worth 10,000 gp), the heroes retrace their steps and head towards Garland's Fork. To get to that destination, however, they will first have to cross the Great Swamp; an area that is to be avoided. For centuries, the Great Swamp has hidden hints of an ancient culture of barbarian kings. A great corruption once infested this place, destroying the savage barbarian kings and leaving only mighty statues as their legacy.

It takes a handful of days to reach the outer edges, and on the way you train and hone your skills. The entire way you follow an old wagon trail, with a path recently cut by a wagon just a handful of days before you arrived. This is odd, considering the only subject of note near the place where the wagon trail began was the pile of dead cultists you had recently defeated. You can't help but wonder if this wagon team was allied with the forces that you had defeated. You grow closer each day to the wagon team, with their trail growing fresher each hour, making you further excited to catch up to your potential foes and the heavy cargo. Finally you believe them to be close just as you reach the Great Swamp. It is a couple of hours more of forced marching when you hear the sounds of the team ahead.

A thick fog hangs over the chill swamp, turning the sun into a weak, red glow. Dead trees loom like skeletons in the mist, and everywhere is the stench of rot and death. The relative quiet is broken by a terrible thrashing sound. There are cries of frightened horses, mixed with the ragged screams of the dying.

A horse emerges from the mist, drawing its fallen rider behind. It is difficult to discern the rider's race or gender, but as the corpse flails by you, a necklace with the emblem of the three-taloned hand, so often worn by your enemies, falls from the body and to your feet. The horse continues on, carrying its dead away from the sounds of battle.

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OOC Thread: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...ayn-s-quot-Saga-of-the-Dragon-Cult-quot-OOC-2
Rogue's Gallery: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...-Gallery)-Yttermayn-s-Saga-of-the-Dragon-Cult

Grok, Level 5 Half-Orc Cleric of Pelor, AC 19 [20 vs. one foe], HP 38/38

Grok watches the horse until it stops or is out of sight.

OOC: DT, could you do me a huge favor and put links to the RG and the current OOC in the first post of this thread?

Grok's Sheet

I'm starting to regret my little scaly friends.. at least kobolds, I knew what they were.. but this? And... thought Rosalia until she said: "Eeeek.. oh no! Not again!.." and revealed that she had stepped again in a muddy patch and thus got her new Elven boots all muddied.. "Damn it, they're all new!"..

As the shouts and screams suddenly broke their silent march, and with the horse galloping towards them, Rosalia went on full alert.

She then said: "The wagon got ambused.. Maybe it's a good sign as our enemies are weaker.. but who or what ambused it?? I can try to scout ahead if you like.."

If the party agrees, Rosalia will step ahead and scout, gathering as much information as she can on their surroundings.

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OOC: spot+8, listen+9, move silently+15

Roque tenses at the site of the horse and former rider. He unlimbers his flail ready for trouble. He responds to Rosalia, "We'll give you a head start, but I think we should all move toward the sounds of battle."

Grok, Half-Orc Cleric of Pelor, L5, AC 19 [20 vs. one foe], HP 38/38

"Mmm, Grok agree Rosie go first but we all go. Sump'n not right."


Grok's Sheet

Rosalia goes on ahead, just a couple of seconds ahead of the rest of the party so she can report what she finds before they fall onto the enemy.

Rosalia
[sblock]
A massacre has occurred here. Four heavy wagons lie overturned, half submerged in the muddy waters. Bodies of fallen orcs are cast about like bloody dolls; broken spears and shattered shields litter the battlefield. Deep furrows have been torn into the muddy ground, and the stench of rot is stronger than ever.

The battle still rages at the edge of the swampy island of this scene. Three orcs desperately stab spears at a roaring serpentine shape that feints in and out of the swirling mists with impossible quickness.
[/sblock]

OOC: Need a Hide Check from Rosalia to avoid being spotted. If the result is 25 or less, then something happens that stops her from alerting the others.

Rosalia tries her best to remain unnoticed amongst the carnage.

<hr></hr>OOC:
[roll0]

Scrag had been contemplating a rock for most of the journey. This rock was different than the others, and Scrag did not understand differences in others, maybe this rock will teach him about being different. He hefted it on occasion and held it against the sun until he got sunspots in his eyes from staring at it too long. He attempt to put it in his belt and it fell through landing on his big Toe. "Rock smart! Scrag explained, he also exclaimed this but that was beyond his understanding of conversation and the rock had not learnt him that yet. Scrag had a lot to learn.

A rider flopping lifeless on a horse passed him, he studied it, that is, he attempted to study it, actually, he salivated for a moment. He then looked at John as he thumbed himself in the chest,"Scrag... surgeon?"

Rosalia turns towards the party to shout some kind of warning, but its too late. A serpentine shape appears behind her before she can scream out, then sees you and moves to attack.

OOC: The party is being attacked just as you catch up to Rosalia. Roll for initiative.

Hear Scrag