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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
drnuncheon's Freeport Story Hour - Book II: Inheritance
- Thread starter drnuncheon
- Start date
Jon Potter
First Post
HIJACK!!
Just cleaning up my clutter.
Just cleaning up my clutter.
Last edited:
drnuncheon
Explorer
Session Eighteen, Part Two: A Social Visit
Dru cursed as the soft muck beneath her foot gave way, plunging her leg thigh-deep into the water of the mire. It sucked desperately at her boot as she worked it free. "I think we're running out of path," she observed sourly, swatting at an oversized mosquito.
Benares moved to the front of the shallows. "I'll probe ahead with my staff. Maybe we can find firmer ground."
As he busied himself, Dru turned to look at Jim. The halfling gave her a grin, even soaked as he was to the waist from the water of the mire. Behind him, two of the mercenaries struggled through the muddy water: Geirstein and Fatima.
Di'Fier followed her gaze. "Jim, it looks like the water's going to get deeper. Will you be all right?"
"Oh, I can swim!" he hastened to reassure them. "The bigger boys used to throw me into the harbor and tell me the sharks were going to eat me."
"It looks as though you'll have to," said Benares, returning. "I've found some more solid ground, but it's about waist deep for me."
Di'Fier held out a length of rope. "Tie this to yourself, Jim. That way if something happens we can pull you out of the way."
Great, Dru thought. Trolling for crocodiles. She swatted another mosquito. Probably giant crocodiles. She reached over her shoulder to check the borrowed bow she carried, and hoped that the swamp's wetness hadn't gotten to it.
"Look! There's her hut."
"Are you sure?"
"Who else is going to live out here?"
"Look, she's got a boat."
"I could swim out and steal it!"
"No, Jim, I don't think that's a good idea."
"I don't like it. We're not going to be able to fight effectively."
"So should we pay her a social visit?"
"I don't think I like her idea of refreshments. By the way, that log has eyes."
"Fatima? Are you all right? You look pale."
"Just... a little tired."
Dru splashed over to the other woman, bending and heaving her out of the water. There, attached to her thigh, was a black squirming shape the size of Dru's forearm. "Leeches! Everyone check yourselves!" She propped the woman against a tree and pulled her blade, slashing deep into the leech. Squirming, it fell away from the mercenary, leaving a bloody trail in the water.
"They're all over the place!"
"Look out!" The shout came too late, as a pair of logs floating placidly in the mire sprouted eyes - eyes and a gaping maw of sharp teeth. Powerful tails launched the crocodiles along the surface towards them - one barelling into Shesara, its jaws crashing down on her body.
Di'Fier's voice cracked as he shouted the words of the invocation. He could feel dark power flooding through him as the tendrils of magic sought their target. Questing in a direction he could not sense or move in, they curled around his desire and drew it here. Dimly he could feel pain, but he wrenched himself away from the clasping jaws, focing himself to focus.
The stink of brimstone was added to the swamp's stench, and the water hissed and boiled as a creature arose: a twin to the two attacking them, except for the smoky fire that burned in its eyes. Without hesitation, it launched itself at the creature threatening its master.
In an eyeblink, Shesara was underwater - no time to catch a breath, her captor twisting and writhing to force her beneath the surface. She felt the blood pouring from her body as she struggled to free the cutlass from its sheath. Her fingertips touched it, were jerked away by the thrashing of the crocodile. She twisted, fighting the pain, and felt the hilt slip into her palm. Jerking it free, she stabbed, feeling the point slide off of the scales again and again.
And then, the creature convulsed, biting harder - but its motions stilled. Dimly she could feel a hand prying the teeth out of her, hauling her to the surface, spewing foul water from her mouth. She looked up through the hair plastered across her face to see the hardened face of Dru.
Di'Fier's voice came across the swamp. "That croc's casting a spell!" Light flared from his hands, and orbs of force arced towards the creature.
Dru could feel something clutching at her feet. Swearing, she pulled away, only to see viny tendrils reaching from the trees. She hacked with her blade, but to no avail - they twined around her arms, growing on her, impossibly fast, as if she were a living trellis.
Di'Fier fought the tendrils that grasped at him, calling another spell to mind. As if it could read his thoughts, the spellcasting crocodile twisted its body around, heading for the deeper water. Oh no, you don't, he thought, unleashing the magic. A green bolt of vitriol slammed into the creature, eating into its side as it vanished beneath the surface.
Near him, Benares pummeled the last crocodile ruthlessly with his staff, the stout wood bending visibly under the force of his blows. It snapped at him, but each time he was somewhere else, even fighting the resistance of the water. He could feel the ensorcelled plants questing for him, clutching at him, but each time he moved clear...for now.
A water weed wrapped itself around his leg, and he stumbled. That was all the opening the crocodile needed. Moving with a speed that seemed impossible for a creature so large, it fastened its toothy maw upon him - and then expired.
Di'Fier pulled his blade free of the scaled beast, fighting the plants that entangled him, and looked around. A moment of peace? A cursing Dru was fighting her way to the edge of the spell, where she could move. Jim and the mercenaries had taken to the trees, but even the nimble halfling was now enshrouded by branches that held him fast. Shesara and Benares were bleeding...so was he for that matter.
"Mister Di'Fier?" Jim's voice came. "There's more of them coming, and they're as big as a house!"
Dru cursed as the soft muck beneath her foot gave way, plunging her leg thigh-deep into the water of the mire. It sucked desperately at her boot as she worked it free. "I think we're running out of path," she observed sourly, swatting at an oversized mosquito.
Benares moved to the front of the shallows. "I'll probe ahead with my staff. Maybe we can find firmer ground."
As he busied himself, Dru turned to look at Jim. The halfling gave her a grin, even soaked as he was to the waist from the water of the mire. Behind him, two of the mercenaries struggled through the muddy water: Geirstein and Fatima.
Di'Fier followed her gaze. "Jim, it looks like the water's going to get deeper. Will you be all right?"
"Oh, I can swim!" he hastened to reassure them. "The bigger boys used to throw me into the harbor and tell me the sharks were going to eat me."
"It looks as though you'll have to," said Benares, returning. "I've found some more solid ground, but it's about waist deep for me."
Di'Fier held out a length of rope. "Tie this to yourself, Jim. That way if something happens we can pull you out of the way."
Great, Dru thought. Trolling for crocodiles. She swatted another mosquito. Probably giant crocodiles. She reached over her shoulder to check the borrowed bow she carried, and hoped that the swamp's wetness hadn't gotten to it.
"Look! There's her hut."
"Are you sure?"
"Who else is going to live out here?"
"Look, she's got a boat."
"I could swim out and steal it!"
"No, Jim, I don't think that's a good idea."
"I don't like it. We're not going to be able to fight effectively."
"So should we pay her a social visit?"
"I don't think I like her idea of refreshments. By the way, that log has eyes."
"Fatima? Are you all right? You look pale."
"Just... a little tired."
Dru splashed over to the other woman, bending and heaving her out of the water. There, attached to her thigh, was a black squirming shape the size of Dru's forearm. "Leeches! Everyone check yourselves!" She propped the woman against a tree and pulled her blade, slashing deep into the leech. Squirming, it fell away from the mercenary, leaving a bloody trail in the water.
"They're all over the place!"
"Look out!" The shout came too late, as a pair of logs floating placidly in the mire sprouted eyes - eyes and a gaping maw of sharp teeth. Powerful tails launched the crocodiles along the surface towards them - one barelling into Shesara, its jaws crashing down on her body.
Di'Fier's voice cracked as he shouted the words of the invocation. He could feel dark power flooding through him as the tendrils of magic sought their target. Questing in a direction he could not sense or move in, they curled around his desire and drew it here. Dimly he could feel pain, but he wrenched himself away from the clasping jaws, focing himself to focus.
The stink of brimstone was added to the swamp's stench, and the water hissed and boiled as a creature arose: a twin to the two attacking them, except for the smoky fire that burned in its eyes. Without hesitation, it launched itself at the creature threatening its master.
In an eyeblink, Shesara was underwater - no time to catch a breath, her captor twisting and writhing to force her beneath the surface. She felt the blood pouring from her body as she struggled to free the cutlass from its sheath. Her fingertips touched it, were jerked away by the thrashing of the crocodile. She twisted, fighting the pain, and felt the hilt slip into her palm. Jerking it free, she stabbed, feeling the point slide off of the scales again and again.
And then, the creature convulsed, biting harder - but its motions stilled. Dimly she could feel a hand prying the teeth out of her, hauling her to the surface, spewing foul water from her mouth. She looked up through the hair plastered across her face to see the hardened face of Dru.
Di'Fier's voice came across the swamp. "That croc's casting a spell!" Light flared from his hands, and orbs of force arced towards the creature.
Dru could feel something clutching at her feet. Swearing, she pulled away, only to see viny tendrils reaching from the trees. She hacked with her blade, but to no avail - they twined around her arms, growing on her, impossibly fast, as if she were a living trellis.
Di'Fier fought the tendrils that grasped at him, calling another spell to mind. As if it could read his thoughts, the spellcasting crocodile twisted its body around, heading for the deeper water. Oh no, you don't, he thought, unleashing the magic. A green bolt of vitriol slammed into the creature, eating into its side as it vanished beneath the surface.
Near him, Benares pummeled the last crocodile ruthlessly with his staff, the stout wood bending visibly under the force of his blows. It snapped at him, but each time he was somewhere else, even fighting the resistance of the water. He could feel the ensorcelled plants questing for him, clutching at him, but each time he moved clear...for now.
A water weed wrapped itself around his leg, and he stumbled. That was all the opening the crocodile needed. Moving with a speed that seemed impossible for a creature so large, it fastened its toothy maw upon him - and then expired.
Di'Fier pulled his blade free of the scaled beast, fighting the plants that entangled him, and looked around. A moment of peace? A cursing Dru was fighting her way to the edge of the spell, where she could move. Jim and the mercenaries had taken to the trees, but even the nimble halfling was now enshrouded by branches that held him fast. Shesara and Benares were bleeding...so was he for that matter.
"Mister Di'Fier?" Jim's voice came. "There's more of them coming, and they're as big as a house!"
Drusilia Nailo
First Post
But didn't we have crocodile steaks when it was all over? I can't remember.
DiFier
First Post
Drusilia Nailo said:
yeah and swamp hag steaks. . . Doh, oh wait that's what got us in trouble in the first place. Geeze now we gotta go back into the spirit world and . . . oh man I think I'm gonna hurl.
This whole island has been one near death experience after another. as the sessions go on we get closer and closer to 0 HP at the end of the battles. finally we rocketed past that point with a vengence. I am so glad to be off of the isle of dread. it was fun don't get me wrong. but it is nice to have an armor class again.
Drusilia Nailo
First Post
And stuff. Don't forget that. I like having stuff.
