[IC]Secrets of the Fire Swamp

[radthemad4]

(Supernatural fire effects apparently don't work underwater, so I can't really damage it much. Still, I'll see if I can piss it off, or if you damaged it enough earlier on, maybe finish it off.)

Priorities:

1. Power channel air at creature (d20+6 vs Touch AC, 160 ft range, 2d6+10 slashing damage) (double move and just do this if that's the only way to get close enough to power channel air at it)

2. Regular channel air at creature (d20+6 vs AC, 30 ft range, 2d6+7 slashing damage)

3. Fire burst orcs (3d6 damage, 5ft area, 30 ft range DC 15, reflex halves)

(If necessary to get into range of creature, use fire token to boost fly speed to 55 ft from 40 ft (since blinking, turning around in mid air (if necessary) is no problem as he can 'land' in the ethereal and then start flying again in any direction) )

[Ancient History]

Underwater, Archimedes struggles to find a way back to the surface. It's a matter of leverage as much as anything else.

As the huge swamp reptile is out of range, Orr goes for frying another batch of swamp orcs.

A sudden gurgle makes your heads spin, and you look around just in time to see Vian's head fall off, blood pumping from his neck-stump.

"That would be the beastmaster." The rat says sagely, carefully dodging a swamp orc dart. "Tricky bastards."

[radthemad4]

"Fuck! Like these assholes didn't already cause enough damage."

Orr will power channel Water (Nauseates for 2 rounds, DC 17 Fort negates and Sickens no Save) and then power channel Earth (Entangles for 2 rounds, d20+10 vs DC of 10+Max(BAB,Balance Mod) to trip and d20+10 vs DC of 10+Str Mod+Size Mod to bullrush away from party members (success pushes 5 ft, additional 5 ft for every 2 the DC is exceeded by) on the Beastmaster.

[CapnTthePirateG]

Off the path Mal goes, touching all the dying foes

[Ancient History]

About fifteen feet from Orr, a particularly bulky swamp orc vomits, and gets entangled by swamp grasses.

Mal touches the nearest dying orc...only to find that the other two were "playing possum," and quickly rise to their feet, rushing at him with their strange obsidian club-swords. (-6 hp)

Archimedes finally arrives at the bank where his fellow adventurers are on. It's mud and roots for the most part...he isn't sure whether it'll hold his weight.

[radthemad4]

To allies, "The big guy won't be able to do anything but move slowly for twelve seconds."

Orr will use two Fire bursts, trying to get as many of the remaining orcs as possible.

(Boost saves by 3 till next turn)

[Darth Rabbitt]

Archimedes will see if he can pull himself out of the muck enough to be able to fly the rest of the way out.

[Ancient History]

Archimedes iron fingers dig into the muddy bank. At first, he is disappointed: the sticky earth comes apart in his hands, the roots too thin to take his weight even for a moment. Then he strikes something solid, like stone. Clearing away a bit more mud and roots, he find it is flat, worked stone of some kind.

[radthemad4]

Orr will power channel water at the Beastmaster again (Nauseates for 2 rounds, DC 17 Fort negates). If successful, he'll then normal fireburst the remaining orcs (3d6 damage, 5ft area, 30 ft range DC 15, reflex halves). If not, he'll channel earth on the Beastmaster, entangling him for 2 rounds.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Archimedes carefully sniffs the worked stone (although he doesn't need to breathe I assume he retains his Scent ability) before using it to climb up and fly out of the marsh. He will then perform the same Power Attack/Fighting Style/Pounce routine he performed on the river dragon on the Beastmaster. Assuming this finishes off the Beastmaster, and the fight with the Swamp Orcs isn't over, Archimedes will use his breath weapon on them.

[Ancient History]

The Beastmaster vomits again; Orr takes that as a cue to barbecue the swamp orcs threatening Mal.

Archimedes can't smell anything underwater except the swirling muck around him; he tries to find some sort of edge on the stone he can get a grip on - and thinks he's found it. Yet when he tries to put his full weight on it, he feels the block start to slip. With a pounce, he manages to heave his head up and clear of the water; one more pounce and he awkwardly flops onto the dry path, staring at the dog, who barks excitedly and wags his tail.

[radthemad4]

Priorities:

1) Fireburst orcs (both standards if orcs still standing after first)

2) Powered Fireburst Beastmaster (both standards if no other orcs left)

[CapnTthePirateG]

Once the orcs eat the firebursts the bad touching will resume.

Is one of the orcs a zombie?

[Ancient History]

Yes, one of the orcs is a zombie.

[Ancient History]

The beastmaster bursts into flames. The marsh is now silent, and there is nothing else to do but count the dead.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Archimedes will carefully examine the body of the fallen Beastmaster, and of the other swamp orcs, for anything that looks useful and/or valuable.

"So," Archimedes mutters, "I guess all that's left is to loot the bodies and keep going on." He turns to the rat. "It sounded like you heard about the Beastmaster before. You know if he possessed anything of value? Or if these swamp orcs in general do?" Then he turns to the rest of the party. "As for our fallen allies, how do we split up their stuff? The dead don't need gold or magic items."

[radthemad4]

"Let's get them back up first."

Orr will dive down into the mud while blinking, tie ropes around the petrified fallen members (one at a time), and hand the other ends to Archimedes on the surface.

"Anyone took damage? We've still got some spring water left." (If so, Orr will stone shape an opening on the box and then close it afterwards)

Orr will also hand the stone bits with letters on them from the coffin that he pocketed earlier to Malagos. "Can you read these?"

[CapnTthePirateG]

Malagos motions his Legions of Terror to join him while he takes a look at the letters.

[Ancient History]

Orr dives into the mud trap, where the fallen bodies lay. It is difficult - the way it solidifies and then reverts to liquid and back again - and by the time he has brought their bodies and gear to the surface, all of them appear to have asphyxiated (save for Vian, whose head was separated from his body.)

Ruffling through the swamp orcs, you find their weapons - blow pipes which double as breathing tubes for the murky waters of the swamp, their strange clubs edged with razor-sharp glass, and waterproof pouches in which their poison-tipped darts are kept. Other than that, they bear little equipment - water bottles, the odd charm of bone or wood, rations of some unidentifiable dried meat. More terrible, however, are their bodies - for each and every swamp orc is pale and twisted in some fashion. One has a parasitic twin dangling out of its back it's malformed limbs puny as a child's; another has four eyes, one set over the other, with irises like a goat; one doesn't have a proper mouth at all, it's jaw bone missing and teeth and tongue replaced with a lamprey-like cone. The beastmaster is easily the largest, trim but muscular, and almost untouched by mutation. Hanging on his wrists are a pair of adamantine bracelets, from each of which hangs a dagger attached by a short length of chain.

The rat pokes at the bodies with the eye of an anatomist, and strokes the wisp of fur that hangs down from its chin like a beard. "Mutants," it says finally. "I've never seen so many in one place before. I wonder how long they've been in the Zone?" It looks once more at the sky, as if trying to see behind the noon-day sun. "It must have taken generations. How long was I buried in that hole?"

Shaking itself out of its reverie, the rat turns to Archimedes. "Swamp orcs are the poorest of the tribes this side of the mountains, made up of beta-orcs that don't get a chance to breed, driven out by the alpha-females...lots of bachelors, not much to do but hunt, fight, get high, and scheme their way into the clutches of something female. Fair number of artisans and oddities, but they don't live very long unless they group together or submit to a leader. Beastmasters are swamp orcs that have taken an oath to bring down something big enough to impress the females on the other side of the mountain - they have trophy-shows, once a year - preferably by stabbing it in the back. Sneaky bastards. The Scaly Ones used to hire them for assassins, sometimes, but they were unreliable."

[Darth Rabbitt]

Archimedes looks at the orcs' bodies with a combination of pity and contempt. "Any mutant that wants to live learns to be strong in body and mind. Any living thing learns that or dies. These ones were weak and stupid. Bit off more than they could chew. Unworthy of life. Hopefully they serve us better in death."

He then spends a while pondering the rat's words. "You think any Scaly Ones might have hired these mutants to take us out?"

"Also," Archimedes adds, turning to the party, "the adamantine bracelets look like the only things of value. Either of you want them? Don't think they'll fit on my wrists."

[Ancient History]

The rat raises an eyebrow at Archimedes' question. "Have you been embroiled in their affairs? I thought from your accents that you were strangers to these shores, and newly-arrived."

[radthemad4]

"We crashed a dragonturtle's wedding. I originally thought some schmuck was being sent off to be eaten by a river monster. We laughed it off afterwards."

To party members, "Do you want to tell him about the quest they sent us on? I don't think we can avoid the subject as he'll probably ask us why we're looking for the Bone Mother in the first place."

(Can Malagos read the texts that were in the box?)

[Ancient History]

"Well, if you are not involved in their business, then I doubt it. Besides," the rat gestures at the mutant orcs, "they were obviously lying in ambush, and this is one of the few roads through the Zone; perhaps it is more trafficked than it first appears."

(No.)

[CapnTthePirateG]

Mal takes a look at the bracers, muttering a quick cantrip to detect magic.

[Ancient History]

They do not detect as magic.