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Message: <blockquote data-quote="covaithe" data-source="post: 5097745" data-attributes="member: 46559">ooc:  Since there appears to be no objection, I'll take that as the current marching order.  The stables are spacious and nearly empty, save for a pair of plowhorses and an elderly gray mare who peers out from her stall with undisguised interest at the newcomers.  The stablehands seem excited to have new horses to work with, especially when silver exchanges hands, and they promise to take good care of your beasts.  Without further ado, you set off into the swamp.  Gildrim moves slowly at first, consulting with Richard, but as time passes he finds that he remembers more than he expected, and feels fairly confident of his direction.  The first day's travel passes without event, and as the sun begins to set, you find a dry, grassy islet to make camp on.  Things seem to be going well.  The night passes, broken only by the sounds of the living swamp:  thousands of varieties of insect, bird, and frog fill the air with a blanket of noise that could be seen as either maddening or soothing, depending on the observer.  Come morning, Gildrim finds himself beginning to feel confident that he has the trick of navigating the swamp.  He notes familiar, uniquely-shaped trees, and begins to recognize clusters of irregularly-shaped fixed islands, navigating between them like a sailor watching the stars.  He leads the party more quickly, splashing with confidence through the muck.  Shortly after midday, as Gildrim forges through an armpit-deep section of mire between two islands, there is a shattering, multi-voiced roar from a tangled thicket ahead.  The leaves and branches begin shaking and trembling, then are crushed as an enormous, five-headed reptilian monster tramples them under.  It lurches into the water with a tremendous splash, heading directly for Gildrim.  Gildrim and the hydra stand facing each other for a moment, but Richard and Karl spring quickly into action.  [sblock=know(nature) or bardic DC 10]Hydras can attack independently with each of their heads.  [sblock=DC 15]Hydras can survive the loss of some or even all of their heads, which regrow and multiply very quickly.Fire or acid applied to the stump of a severed head can prevent it from regrowing[sblock=DC 20]Hydras heal damage to their body very quickly.  It is hard to kill them that way.  [/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=ooc]Initiative:  <a href="http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2415884/" target="_blank">Richard 17, Karl 7, Gildrim 4, Weel 1</a>.  <a href="http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2415885/" target="_blank">Hydra 5</a>.  So Richard and Karl are up.  The deep blue squares, such as where Gildrim is, are deep bog.  The greenish-blue, like where Richard is, are shallow bog.  See the <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/wilderness.htm#marshTerrain" target="_blank">marsh terrain</a> entry for details.  On land, the really leafy bits like Q23 are undergrowth, which costs double movement and offers concealment.  Other squares, such as where Karl and Weel are, are normal terrain.  [/sblock][sblock=status and initiative]<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Richard 48/48 <== You're up</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Karl 10/10</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Hydra unharmed, 5 heads</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Gildrim 34/34</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Weel 18/18</li> </ul>[/sblock][sblock=map]<img src="http://betahelix.net/pics/maps/SwampTrek/hydra01.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />[/sblock]</blockquote>

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