[Adventure]: Shards of Eldanarth (DM: MadAzolin, Judge: ??)

[dimsdale]

"Well, I can scream, but I thought it would be more convincing if you'd do it. It doesn't affect your standing among us. It's just a play, like whole of this hunt. Deadly, like King in Yellow, but still only a play."

Oh, I understand now. Lerrick smiles and then belts out a thunderous ear-piercing scream. Like that?

 

[MetaVoid]

"Well, that decides it. Lerrick, just like that, only you should wait until we get underway. Now, Kane, lead on."
Deva turns into the swamp and crashes through the plant life, somehow just picking safe(est) path among the thorns, his eyes trained for details easily picking it in front of him.

OOC: This all assumes that there is no way to untangle the path - which [MENTION=6747396]MadAzolin[/MENTION] still didn't respond to.

 

[jbear]

Kane doesn't hesitate. He moves into a run, moving at a pace that can be followed but that forces the group to push themselves to keep up. He relaxes his magical senses which have proven misleading until now and allows the survivor in him rise to the surface and reach out towards the primal hum of the swamp.

Nature 23

 

[MadAzolin]

OOC: I will assume party headed into the swamp, Kane leading the way (say so if not )

Ground suddenly becomes soft and muddy and it is evident path ahead leads through swampy terrain. Water is barely visible amid the thickness of vegetation and dark green mist permeates the area. Dominant colors are dark green with shades of very dark brown and gray. Scents here are different from forests - there is hint of decay in the air and of stale water and something else you fail to identify.
Pale illumination shines ahead - it seems that some ancient lamps, barely glowing, still illuminate path through the swamp.
As if responding to Lerrick's scream, Hunting horns sound to the left and are quickly answered by another boom of horn to the right - direction that was directly ahead before companions turned toward the swamp. Baying of hounds echoes in the distance sounding almost happy.

[sblock="perception DC 20"] It sounds like hunters were ready to close the semi-circle around you, but it seems that path to swamp is not blocked, at least for the moment. It might be they didn't expect you to go there... or they are playing herding game and know something about the marshes that you do not. [/sblock]
[sblock="nature DC 25"] path through the swamp is difficult but doable. Air here is thick with mist and visibility is poor and tuning your senses to new environment, you can hear scraping sounds and strange howls in the distance. Among those, you recognize familiar roar, distinct sound of hunting trolls. [/sblock]
[sblock="arcana DC 25"] alluring as they might seem, you have bad feeling about those glows ahead. Thinking about it a bit longer, you remember all the tales of wisps and other strange creatures of marshes that glow to lure travellers to their demise. [/sblock]
[sblock="insight DC 25"] feeling you have since you arrived to this realm is getting stronger - something is not right here. You are fairly sure that hunters could have been upon you already if they tried and you are fairly sure that must be moving through this area significantly faster they you are able, yet they are not here yet... perhaps they are just playing with you. However you cannot shake off bad feeling that they will be upon you before Hunter's moon sets, at least if you don't manage to mislead them somehow, hide quite well or outrun them.
[sblock="insight DC 30"] Thinking about options for a bit, you don't think outrunning them will work, at least not without some of those rituals that accelerate movement through difficult terrain or inhuman performance from one who leads the path here. Stealth might work, but they know where you are now, at least for a moment, so heading deeper into the marsh first would be good idea. Finally, you think this might be good time to use those travel rituals for protection, stealth or accelerated travel. [/sblock][/sblock]

OOC: I will need group endurance check from party to check how are things going with fatigue and swamp

 

[MetaVoid]

Cyr thinks how they are playing right into hunters hands.
"Kane, don't look into the lights to mark our way, follow your eyes. I will help you keep us on the path."
Few seconds later he calls again
"Slow down *puh* *pant* *gasp* not so fast!"


Perception; Nature; Arcana; Insight (1d20+16=26, 1d20+10=20, 1d20+13=30, 1d20+15=24)
Passes Perception, failes Nature, passes Arcana, passes first level of Insight

Endurance (1d20+4=5) - and collapses right after entering the mud

 

[Neil1889]

[sblock=rolls]Perception DC 20 - 1d20+4 = 13

Nature DC 25 - 1d20+9 = 27

Arcana DC 25 -1d20+15 = 17 (crappy 2)

Insight DC 25 - 1d20+9 = 13

Endurance - 1d20+4 = 21 [/sblock]

Lilli's little legs go as hard as they might, but she still picks up on something that she doesn't want to see.

"Uh oh, trolls!" she says.

Hiding in the vegetation seems very appealing now.

 

[Neurotic]

"No, no, no! We should have at least tried to dispel the magic! Kane, Cyr, beware the lights, they are will-o-wisps and will try to mislead you deeper into the swamp! Something is rotten in this swamp and with whole of this hunt. Open four eyes. Does anyone have something to set a trap or two as we move?"

Arcana;Insight; Nature; Perception (1d20+13=30, 1d20+8=28, 1d20+5=11, 1d20+5=22)
OOC: Even crit insight is not enough for Martelai Good set of rolls.

Endurance (1d20+7=13)
OOC: as opposed to this

 

[Voda Vosa]

"Yes, don't follow the wisps please. I'll rather have you with me, that means there's another target besides me for the hunters." the wizard says, trying to untangle his staff from some underwater roots. "I agree, there's something odd going on; Either the hunters fear the swamps for some reason, or are waiting on something. They should have been upon us by now."


Arcana, Insight, Perception, Nature: 34, 25, 14, 16
Endruance: 12

 

[Neil1889]

"Yeah, they're scared of swamp trolls!" Lilli says.

 

[MadAzolin]

As mud gets deeper and stinkier and vegetation thicker, party starts slowing down - while Lilli is keeping up the good pace (perhaps by being small and able to squeeze better through thick undergrowth), exhaustion and mud are slowing rest of party. As if they smell the weakness of incoming prey, trolls roar in the vicinity...