[Game Thread] Fires Over Brinestump

[Avelestar]

As the leech rears up to strike at Xiao once again it is struck by a swift kick and falls to the floor, where a pair of kamas sink deep into slimy flesh. The leech makes a soft hissing noise and twitches a few more times, Chime striking it with her scarf for good measure. The force of the blow knocks the nasty thing back into the river, and it gently bobs down stream. Your first altercation has passed with nothing more than some slime on Xiao's hands, hopefully a sign of things to come. As the adrenaline drains slowly drains from your bodies, the hair on your neck settling back into place and breathing returning to normal, you look around at the swamp. It really is a damnable place, cold and damp with a fetid smell that clings to your clothes.

OOC: Well that went well! Probably for the best, they have a nasty ability drain affect, and automatically being grappling with a successful bite attack. For reference of where you are in the swamp look at the map. You are on trail 1, at the first bridge, roughly 1500ft into the swamp and it is 12:15pm. Didn't mean to leave you out GDO, but with rolls like that there wasn't much to do!

[orangehatter]

The smile from the fighter's face fell away with the leech's tumble off the bridge. Back to the murky depths from which you appeared. With a flick of his arms he cleaned the majority of the slime from his hands. He had picked up the "weapon" cleaning trick from the blademasters of his home country. Unceremoniously, he grabbed the large gourd strapped at his side, opened it, and took a long celebratory swig. It certainly tasted sweet. The fall of this fiend...points to good fortune.

It seemed the tracker Reynard and the dancing Chime were quite capable. The monk as well had never seen a bladed scarf before. He couldn't help but naturally wonder what other things the two of them hid. Maybe the (bushman?) would prove his capacity soon enough.

"As we were?"

[Ehlana]

Chime wrinkles her nose as she regards he now slime smeared scarf. Muttering briefly, she makes a few gestures with her free hand and then touches the fabric. The slime drops off and lands on the bridge with a splat, leaving the shimmering sequins and fine cloth spotless. Nodding with satisfaction, she winds the fabric back around her hands.

"Unless there are any more slimy tubes with teeth lurking around here." She agrees. "Personally, I hope that thing is the last of it's species -anywhere-. The world really does not need things like that in it."

[The Fool]

Reynard gives the Kamas a shake, effortlessly relieving them of the slime and blood. He's no stranger to killing disgusting wildlife.
The young tracker gives Chime a cheshire grin. "What, don't you think he'd have made a good pet? You could hug him and kiss him and call him George!"

[Ehlana]

"I could hug you and kiss you and call -you- George too." Chime retorts cheerfully. "I wouldn't even have to do much cleanup for you. Feel like putting on a collar? But just so you know, you'd be at the bottom of the pecking order, under Onyx." She taps her torso and though there was certainly no lump there before, one suddenly appears and the little glider climbs up to rest in the "V" of her cleavage. It appears to be snickering at Reynard and there's a flash of what appears to be a little pink tongue. "Onyx says she'd use you as her personal climbing tree." Chime translates.

[The Fool]

Reynard laughs merrily and gives Chime a wink. "A collar? Kinky! I like it." he teases right back, giving her a merry grin. "But we can discuss you getting on top of me later. For now, let's all keep moving. This swamp has not exactly given us a friendly welcome."

[Ehlana]

"I thought we were discussing Onyx getting on top of you." Chime's look of innocence is acute. "I've never felt the need for a personal climbing tree." She shrugs, earrings swinging. "But don't worry, I often find the fine subtleties of feminine discourse are lost on men." She laughs, eager eyes darting across the other two males, interested to see who intends to take up the cudgels in defense of his gender.

[GrimDarkOtter]

Emiri only had time enough to loosen the chain on his flail before the others slew the oversized leech, seeming somewhat disappointed by his lack of reaction. "I do hope that is not typical of the troubles in this swamp," he says, glancing at the slime remaining on Xiao's fists, "I am not fond of treating bites, and they can infect very easily."

[orangehatter]

At Chime's retort, Xiao opened his mouth to speak. But no words came. I guess she is correct in her assumption. He re-closed his mouth and instead took another long sip from his gourd. He knew he was not born to be a diplomat of any kind. And that feeling...of anger?...from her back-and-forth with Reynard set him uneasy. He decided he would increase his time in meditation. He was never prone to jealousy.

"You need not worry of my hands," he said in reply to Emiri. "These tools of dedication are well honed." He glanced about at his companions once, then slowly began an amble across the bridge.

[Ehlana]

Chime sighs a little, disappointed at the lack of reaction. Xiao she gives credit for trying, but Emiri has now been mentally slotted into the drawer marked "dull and stodgy".

"But messy after punching that bag of slime." She chirps, dancing forward. "Let me help." Playfully seizing the monk's wrists, or at least attempting to, she makes use of the same magic she employed on her scarf to rid it of every last trace of ooze. "There! Now you can eat off them. Or with them, as the case may be."

[The Fool]

Reynard chuckles and starts walking. "Well played, Chime," he compliments her, grinning cheekily. "Anyways, let's hurry before another one of those things show up."

[Avelestar]

The four brace/foolish/heroic adventurers continue down the rough, sodden path towards Walthus' shack. Two more bridges are crossed, thankfully without anymore giant leech attacks. Though all have kept a sharp eye out, not a single goblin has been seen. The muddy track causes all footprints to be filled in with muck a few seconds after they are made, and there is nothing to follow. Plenty of noises can be heard though, snufflings and snappings of branches as something heavy walks around. But the journey passes without incident, and at just before one you reach a lagoon. The open ocean is visible just beyond these shallow waters, while an old two-story building, its walls soggy with moss and its roof sagging with age, sits on the lagoon’s eastern shore.

OOC: 150XP each for defeating the giant leech.

[GrimDarkOtter]

"Hullo the shack!" Emiri calls, striding towards the cabin and waving his free hand. "We come seeking the warden!" The paladin waves the others forward, hoping the sight of them all together will prevent them from looking like sort of skulking bandits.

[The Fool]

Reynard jumps and then sighs when Emiri calls out. "There's really no need to shout," he says softly, peering into the forest. "Not when we can just go up and knock on the door like civilized people."
That said, he peers into the woods, squeezing the handles of his kamas, mentally resisting the urge to embellish what he's about to say next. For once, he succeeds. "Besides, there's something weird about these woods. I saw a dead boar just back there with a missing head, but it just occurred to me that it wasn't eaten at all...and this track here...you can't see it now, it's filled in too quick, but it's like nothing I've seen before. Anybody else think this swamp feels wrong?"

[GrimDarkOtter]

"It is called being polite, my friend" Emiri says with a wag of his finger, "How would you like it if somebody just started pounding on your door like a hungry owlbear?" Looking around at the swamp, he adds "And I'm sure that there are many natural mysteries to this swamp that we are not aware of. Which is why we are here to consult the warden. So stop worrying, I'm sure everything's fine."