*Atlas carefully squishes through the earthy, muddy mushroom forest, the scent of rot thick in his nostrils. He catches faint whiffs of decaying flesh, hits of acrid substances that remind him of... well, acid to be sure, as well as hints of fresh water. He can walk to the pool with little trouble, and can lower his sword to get a better look at the pool and its contents. Instead of being lined with rock, the pool seems to be lined with pallid violet moss, littered with about a half-dozen small glittering items half-covered in the moss.*
*There's three small gems (about the size of the end of a human pinky) of varying hues, a pendent of black stone on a green metal chain, something that appears to be a small book covered with a glossy black cover and clasped shut with silvery metal, and a small statue of a rather angular-looking bat carved of white stone. The pool water seems very clear and still, with only Atlas' breath to disturb its surface.*
*Along the path, he noticed a few weapons, a couple stone daggers and a crude club, as well. Perhaps there is more under the smaller mushrooms and ooze, but you would have to dig to find out.*
*With his sense of the Green, Dak discovers that spoiler
the mushrooms are edible, though usually much better in their youth than as the giants you see before you. The water is drinkable.
spoiler*
*As Leesea and Phaern follow Atlas, Dak and Kelthet trail behind, Darthallys and Will guarding their backs. But with shocking swiftness, the two sprytes vanish from view, sneaking along as they do to avoid notice from hostile parties.*
Leesea and Phaern - spoiler*
Both of you are struck in the back by an enormously powerful force, enough to drive the breath from your bodies. Whatever-it-is sticks to you like a grappling hook, and both of you are drawn swiftly upward, away from your companions, in opposite directions. You're both able to get a glimpse of your attacker over your shoulder. It seems some enterprising creature is mimicing the tops of the huge mushrooms, using their sticky tongues (?) to catch and reel in prey as a frog would do to a fly. One thing you do know is that they have huge teeth, and you're headed right for their maws at blinding speed... Would you care to scream?
Leesea lets out a long, piercing shriek from somewhere ahead in the mushrooms.
She doubts very much that she'll have the strength to break free from its sticky grasp. Thinking quickly, she instead grabs one of the Disorientation Detonations stashed in her belt pouch. She tries to pitch it into the creature's toothy maw before she is pulled inside.
"Runespit." The oath leaps through Dak's teeth in a harsh cough.
*Dak hastily entreats the spirits of all green things to make his body fast against harm, his invocation spilling out in an unintelligilbe whisper. He inclines his head, trying to pinpoint his friend's location.*
[ooc: Dak casts plant armor and makes a listen check (+4) to find Leesea. He will move to within close range of her and assess the situation, if he can figure out where she is. If not, he'll wait to hear who has found her, and go as quickly as possible to her aid.]
*Kelthet grins at Dak, his sword coming quickly into his grasp* "Myself, I would have thrown something...." *He steps carefully towards where he last saw Leesea and Phaern, poking at mushrooms as he does.*
*The screams of the sprytes easily help pinpoint their location. Looking above, you can see the two about to be drawn into the maws of what appears to be the giant mushroom tops, about twenty feet above, across from one another.*
*Leesea managed to pull out her detonation out as she's drawn into the creature's mouth. It clamps down at the same moment she pulls it out, catching both of them in the blast. The creature stops chomping short of breaking Leesea's skin, its jaw hanging as if it has forgotten what it was doing. Leesea's ears are ringing, but she managed to avoid the worst effects of the blast. However, she's still stuck to the creature's... tongue.*
*Phaern, did you care to do anything before being chomped?*
