Macutotnal grins victoriously, and then dashes off to the side, skirting around the inside edge of the forest. Kibeti follows his master. Then, having gone most of the way around, Macutotnal spins arounds and calls out to the gods, summoning vines and roots to reach up and grab the bullywogs. Having clustered in one place, they are an easy target, and most find themselves hopeless surrounded by entangling vines.

---

Kassius
Move Action: Move to R9 (should be able to do it with a single move thanks to expeditious retreat).
Standard Action: Cast Entangle (DC 14) targeting grid intersection L/M 1/2. Should extend out to get 1-6, and maybe 8

---

HP: 21/21  AC 18, Saves+4/+8(+9)/+4
Spells Slots: 1st: 2/4;  Animal Focus Minutes Left: 2/3, Door Sight 6/6
Current Buffs: Animal Focus: Tiger (+2 Dex), round 1/10, Expeditious Retreat (+30 speed), 3 minutes

---

Kibeti
Kibeti enters at O1
Full Round Action: double move to Q11 (there isn't a row 10?)

---

HP: 19/19 AC 19(21), Saves+4/+7(+8)/+3
Current Animal Focus: Tiger(+2 Dex)
Current Buffs:

Not a delaying tactic, nope! And who said anything about fighting? I just have to get the amulet, right? These guys are now entangled and far to slow to stop me from just running up and grabbing the thing.

Speaking of which, how high is the Ziggurat? Jumping to the top would be more awesome of course, but if I need to climb, what would be the DC?
This message was last edited by the player at 22:56, Tue 02 Feb 2016.

It had been Alohan's first time. He hadn't known what a buyllywug was but Penny's nervous demeanor and the archaic display of animal carcasses, bone decorations, and fetishes were a bit unnerving. He worried for his friends more than himself, especially since Kassius's unnatural speed through the jungle was quickly putting distance between the two parties. He felt his muscles tightening in anticipation, knowing some type of battle was forthcoming but focused on catching his half-orc friend. Over one downed log -through another jungle thicket. A glimpse of Kassius -a burst of speed. Finally, a bluff overlooking a ziggurat with... curious looking frogmen.

"Dey look cute... de be little jungle frogs" he muttered in between sharp breaths. They didn't seem so fierce -numerous but nothing more than a frog who thought to be a human. Alohan figured they could be punched in the fleshy bits just like anything else. He ignored Penny's curious glance and peered down to find Kassius. "Dere!" he shouted, pointing to the movement by the mudslip. "What he be doing!?" Without waiting for a response, Alohan catapulted back into the jungle thickets.

Six of the priests end up inside the spell effect, and all but one of them (5 failed) end up entangled in the active plants as their paper mache frogs weigh them down.



Ah-ha! Smart! Yeah, you can just go grab it. All you need to do it end a round somewhere on top of the ziggurat (J/K 9/11) to pick up your price. It isn't an amulet by the way as it is far too big - about two feet in diameter. It is a big disc with pictures on both sides and a big groove running around the perimeter.



It is only 20' high and has steps up the side so you don't need to climb - it won't even slow you down.

BW 1: <ENTANGLED>
BW 2: <ENTANGLED>
BW 3: <ENTANGLED>
BW 4: <ENTANGLED>
BW 5: <ENTANGLED>
BW 6:
BW 7:
BW 8:

The bullywugs that are trapped in the moving vines try to break free: two of them succeed and are able to move a little. The others move towards the deranged Kassius.



OOC: BW1 breaks free, but doesn't get clear of the spell. He'll have to save again during Kassius' turn.

BW 1:
BW 2: <ENTANGLED>
BW 3: <ENTANGLED>
BW 4: <ENTANGLED>
BW 5:
BW 6:
BW 7:
BW 8:



Map at end of BW turn/start of Kassius' turn

"Cute?!" exclaims Penny. "They are the evil power of the jungle incarnate." She joins Alohan in running down the mud-slip towards Kassius, but draws the barbarian's attention to something as they are able halfway down. A couple of hundred feet out across the dense jungle there is another clearing with a ziggurat in it, with several dozen bullywugs running in the direction of Kassius while roaring at the top of their gills. Then a palanquin carried by four bullywugs with a grossly fat frogman sitting in it appears out of the jungle. The fat bullywug has sickly yellowish skin and a sagging throat pouch that has been deflated and gotten disgustingly infected. As the figure of the palanquin screams at his comrades to run faster, his throat pouch spits out little froths of pus.

"Oh Fraaaaaaaaaaaaaac!" screams Penny, still charging down the hill. "That frogman freak is Bua Gorg - he is their high priest and a living legend. Don't let him get close to you or he will cast a curse on you. And when I say close, I mean don't get within one hundred feet of him!"

OOC: You guys are in at the start of next round.

"Stay back Kibeti, I can handle this on my own! Those paper frogs make them far to slow to be a significant threat to me!" Macutotnal shouts, and Kibeti obediently backs away from the frogs before slinking into the jungle.

Macutotnal steps cautiously at first, keeping a close eye on the priest in front of him, backing into the thicket of trees and vines. With the branches all around to provide cover, he suddenly bursts forward like lightning, hurdling tree roots and dodging branches with incredible quickness. He runs circles around the bullywugs, emerging from the jungle behind them and sprints towards the top of the Ziggurat, where he triumphantly grabs the giant disc.

Holding the massive stone aloft, he crows exultantly
"You will have to be far faster and cleverer than that to challenge me! Hah!"

---

Kassius
Full Round Action: Withdraw (starting square isn't considered threatened). Back off into jungle (S11), then navigate south and west through Q13 ->M13 and then straight up to the top off the ziggurat (ending at J11).
By my count, I still have 50 ft of movement, but I stop here to pick up the disk!

---

HP: 21/21  AC 18, Saves+4/+8(+9)/+4
Spells Slots: 1st: 2/4;  Animal Focus Minutes Left: 2/3, Door Sight 6/6
Current Buffs: Animal Focus: Tiger (+2 Dex), round 2/10, Expeditious Retreat (+30 speed), 3 minutes

---

Kibeti
Full Round Action: Withdraw diagonally away from 6 into jungle to avoid provoking AoOs.

---

HP: 19/19 AC 19(21), Saves+4/+7(+8)/+3
Current Animal Focus: Tiger(+2 Dex)
Current Buffs:

Macutotnal makes it to the top of the ziggurat and gets a pretty decent view of the surrounding jungle - and his prize! He sees the Olman high priest Nulonga waving cheerfully at him from atop of his palanquin. The man is trying to yell out something to him, but Macutotnal is far to distant to make out the words (in actualy fact Bua Gorg is trying to cast one of his world famous curses on Kassius, but thanks to the hunter's super rapid achievement of the goal the evil cleric of rot is miles out of range).

The Olman hero picks up the grooved disc from the pedestal and admires it for a second, ignoring the advancing priests and their silly puppets. Strange, but this doesn't resemble the grand handball price at all!


Artist's impression...


...and a more useful sketch that shows the details

Three men and a snake surround a bow. On the outside there is a strange pattern of suns, stars and moons...

Macutotnal's study is interrupted by one of the priests rushing at him. What was the man doing?! The hero sidesteps easily but still... very much not in the spirit of the festival!

OOC: I updated the map but I'm not going to bother uploading it since it is clear that Macutotnal can make it back to the map's edge and to safety. Feel free to post on this - I'll write some more about what happens next tomorrow when I have more time.

Alohan was thoroughly winded by the time he reached the treeline. When Penny appear at this side he pointed to the top of the ziggurat. "Dere!" he whispered sharply pointing to Kassius's victoriously holding up a 2 foot diameter disk. The entire spectacle was admittedly too complex for Alohan to completely understand. They had just spent a day hustling through the jungle following a crazed half-orc who had completely lost his mind... for an exotic disk. "All of dis, for dat." he muttered in confusion. And now he had to figure out how to get his friend back to safety

"We be makin' some noise?" he asked, unsure if a distractions was wise -Kassius looked to be able to move with magical quickness so drawing attention might not have been smart. "Dis Bua Gorg.. be close?" he asked, looking through the treeline for the palanquin. "And where be de kitty?"

Macutotnal laughs again as he dodges the clumsy priest. The audacity and foolishness of the man, thinking he was a challenge to Macutotnal. Grabbing his prize, Macutotnal leaps off the far side of the ziggurat, landing in a graceful crouch and sending mud and dirt billowing away. Standing up, he hurries off into the jungle. He's fairly sure that once he's there, the challenge will be over.

Once in the jungle, he curves around in the direction he had sent Kibeti, hoping to find out what his next task was.

Withdraw to avoid provoking AoO, move 120 ft into the jungle.

Penny cursed (as usual) and shrugged. “I don’t know. The squirt looks to be doing okay so maybe we should give the maniac a chance to finish his ‘mission’ then just get out of here as quickly as possible.”



“I don’t know, I lost sight of him when we came down off the top of the mud-slip. You know we are right in the middle of the bullywug ancestral heartlands, right? This is madness!”

Meanwhile, Kassius we in the middle of the clearing and not taking the proceeding seriously at all…



The mercurial Macutotnal jogs over the mud-slip to re-join his half-orc slave, a happy grin of success on his face. Then it appears his next task is to… fall unconscious as the dehydration and exhaustion catch up with him. This is how Penny and Alohan find him… lying spread-eagled on his back with his animal companion standing over him, his eyes staring unseeingly up into the sky and a strange half-smirk on his face partially obscured by the green froth collecting on his lips. The barbarian and the ranger are unable to rouse him and the howling of the bullywugs is getting very close.

“We need to get out of here!” screams Penny.

Alohan leaps into action, directing Penny to Kassius’s far side. ”Let us get him up!” he commands, grabbing the half-orc’s torso and hauling him vertical. He directs Penny to help support Kassius’s back while he himself twists. ”Get him on my back!” he shouts, crouching down in front of his unsconscious friend. With the aid of Penny, he hauls Kassius forward, pulling the half-orc’s arms and standing.

He turns to the cat and Penny, Kassius draped unconscious across his back. ”let’s be going…” he says with a grimmace. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep it up -time was of the essence and Alohan just wanted to put distance between them and he frogs.

So begins a twelve hour chase that will haunt Alohan to the end of his days. They set off immediately, with Kibeti falling back unasked to ambush the vanguard of the bullywugs as they give chase through the jungle. The cat runs twice the distance of Alohan and Penny as he pulls back again and again, only returning to receive some healing from the ranger.

Alohan makes it two hours before he has to collapse and take a rest for the first time, but within two minutes three bullywugs have found them and they are fighting for their lives. Penny slays two and Kibeti the other before the barbarian can get to his feet, but there as no celebration as they can hear the chilling cries of the others close by. They quickly bind Kassius' hands together and then Penny takes a spell carrying the half-orc. She only lasts half an hour before she can't carry him any further, but at least Alohan is ready again by that point.

So it continues for the rest of the day and into the early evening. The amphibians are never more than a couple of minutes behind all the way up to the Blisterwall fort (check the map if interested). When they are inside the protective walls Alohan and Penny collapse while the archers on the walls take out the bullywugs bold enough to approach.

Kassius has a fitful night, calling out in a strange language at the top of his voice. But by the morning he is back to his normal self although exhausted.

Let me know when you want to move onto the next scene guys...

Blisterwall was the last bastion of civilization before the Amedio jungle and was nothing more than a palisade, an armed guard and a few necessary establishments. Its purpose was nothing more than to protect the surrounding peoples from the denizens of the forest and Alohan found himself needing that protection. Alohan had been there once before -just under two weeks ago when Kassius was leading them to his camp. They didnt stay for long and he found himself quickly forgetting about Blisterwall and its inhabitants. Now, he found himself sharing the night in the Blisterwall common room with Penny and the delirious Kassius, unable to move his legs.

Morning came and Alohan found himself in a pain he hadn't felt in a long time. His legs burned as if he was standing upon Madame Pele's bosom and a tremendous amount of fatigued made lifting himself off the straw cot a significant endeavor. calmed his senses. In a way it had felt good -they had survived and he had a story to tell to his children's children for years to come. 

When he did finally craw out of bed, he tied his cloth about his body and  stumbled into one of the only other rooms in Blisterwall's hostel. There he found Kassius's happily eating breakfast. "ya be in ya right mind today?" he groggily asked, shuffling over to his friend.

---

Blisterwall: Couldn't find much about Blisterwall so I went ahead and added what I needed. You know, my inner GMing coming out in me. Kassius, forgive my god mode.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:43, Wed 10 Feb 2016.

Kassius had awoken the next morning confused, befuddled, and ravenously hungry. He wasn't quite sure where he was, and was only mostly certain he knew who he was. Still, he had managed to stumble downstairs and get some food, and was hurriedly stuffing himself when he saw a familiar face.

Kassius flushes slightly at the man's question, mulling it over. He hesitates for a bit"Ah... I think so?" He finally asks questioningly.

The native plops into a chair next to his friend and makes a feign hand gesture to the attending worker for subsistence. He took a moment to catch his breath (yes, even walking to the common room was enough to cause him fatigue) and looked to his friend. "Ya be takin' dat strange brew, ya be waking a new man. Ya take off inta de forest, telling Penny and I ta follow." He rubs his legs, looking about for some water. Finding some, he quickly fills a ceramic glass.

He gestures to where the forest lays two hundred feet to the south. "Ya be runnin', talkin', tellin' de stories of de forest. Ya knew where ya be goin,' what be around ya. Ya be running a deep inta de jungle like we be walking down de block in Sasserine. It be like ya be dere before." He shook his head in amazement and took a big gulp of water. 

"Penny and I be hard pressed to keep pace. By de time we pull even, ya be in de middle of dis clearing... dere be a big...." He attempts to replicate the geometric shape Penny and him found Kassius climbing, unknown what the word was in common tongue. "Deeangle.. wit de frog-men all about. Ya be returning to us and ya be passing out."

"What was dat ding ya be getting? Do you know?" he asked, changing the topic to the ancient disk.

Kassius takes out the strange disk, examining it closely. As he examines it, flashes of memory return to him. Being Macutotnal, the great Olman hero, and recovering this disk, but other things as well. Fighting off strange fish beings with a mighty bow, a desperate counter attack, and even dying. The half-orc shakes slightly, trying to deal with the swarm of memories.

He wants to believe the whole thing was purely a fever dream brought about by the Ayahuasca, but the disk sits in his hand, taunting him. His memories spoke of three gods granting him a mighty bow, and here was this talisman with three men standing around a bow. But what was the snake, and the patterns of moon and stars around the edge?

"I don't know what it is. Part of me doesn't want to know. Perhaps a warning? A promise? I don't know." Kassius says, shaking his head in confusion and befuddlement.

Kassius spends another day resting with his friends inside the safety of the fort. While he is regaining his strength he has time to talk to Penny about the critter ranch, his plans for it and the need he has for a trustworthy manager. Somewhat to his surprise, she jumps at the offer of looking after the place.

"I've been roaming these jungles and mountains for a decade now and it just seems to get more and more dangerous - I have more friends dead and buried than living and that just doesn't seem right for someone still shy of thirty years of age," she explains.

But there is a catch - she needs to land one last score (isn't that always the way?) and it is a doozy. She explains it to Kassius with Alohan and Remmi in attendance.

"You ain't gunna like this squirt," she says, using Kassius' pet name despite 'the squirt' being her future boss. "But I took another contract with that crazy mage - that guy called 'Vorsh' who had us up in the mountains looking for that gargantuan rust monster. Yeah, 'Kogoloxen' - that was the name of the freak. Well, now the mage wants us to bring this thing into town!"

Penny sees the look of disapproval that flashes up onto her friends' face. "Now hang on boys! He's just gunna use its bits to make magic potions and he needs them fresh! That's why we're bringing it back alive, not so that it can run rampage around the docks or anything. Anyhow, help me do this Kassius and I'll have enough money to pay of my family's debts and then I'll happily come and keep your ranch in line."

OOC: So we are not going to run the adventure into the 'Corroded Caves' to retrieve Kogoloxen like a normal adventure. Just tell me about your plans (he eats metal you know! How will you get him back to town alive?) and I'll write a bit and we'll just skim over it - I'm going to join you up with the team in Sasserine pretty soon.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 19:28, Sat 13 Feb 2016.

Alohan leans back in his chair as Penny talks with Kassius. He watched her mouth as words flowed out of it, pondering if her... eloquence transferred over to other skills. Alas, it wouldn't be for him to know. Her attentions were for Kassius, not Alohan. And the best part was Kassius hadn't a clue! The looks she gave him, the playful nicknames -all for his half-orc friend whom hadn't the faintest idea he could storm her castle this very instant.

[Language unknown: "Roat e, leith i Be ica ee ingichday Peta Icaamehisons"] he asked Remmi. [Language unknown: "Adich derwe mipa linll stivented atice korant'bleanytho?"] "Kogo.. Loten" he tried, looking to his friends and shrugging.

Kassius nods thoughtfully as Penny proposes the hunt, oblivious to any flirtation. Kassius know's he's no good with women, and besides, he respects Penny to much professionally to entertain such thoughts.

Now the hunt, that's more his line of thinking. Rust monster's are dangerous, but not particularly bright. Kassius starts muttering, to himself as much as to the group, thinking his plan out-loud.
"The beasts like metal, right? They rust it to bits. So why don't we lure it out? Buy some cheap scrap iron as bait, and lure it from it's cave out into the open. We'll need something to trap it too. Some sort of net trap perhaps? Once it's entangled, Alohan, you could probably pummel it to submission easily enough. Either way, make sure you don't have anything made of metal on you that you can't bare to lose!"

Ok, so rough plan:

1. Set up a net trap near Kogoloxen's lair. I don't have craft(traps), but maybe I could use survival instead? Alternatively, we could just buy large sized nets and throw them ourselves?
2. Use bits of metal to lure the monster out. Ideally, we just watch, but if thrown bits of metal aren't enticing enough, I can grab a piece of metal, cast expeditious retreat on myself, and then use myself as bait to lure it into the nets.
3. Once it's entangled, Alohan attacks using non-lethal damage until it's unconscious, then we drag it back to the client.

Alohan, any thoughts?

In reply to Kassius (msg # 39):

OOC: FYI, from his previous encounter with the mighty 'Kogoloxen' he knows it is the size of a small elephant and probably pretty strong too. But nets and non-lethal damage might work... Hell, I would at least like to see Alohan try - does he even wear anything metallic?

The good news is that it is only 'large'.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:56, Mon 15 Feb 2016.

Indeed Penny is very attentive to her young protégé - and he is just as oblivious/disinterested.



Remmi nods. "Yes Sire. You know that they consume only metal and in the natural environment live around natural veins of iron or other metal bearing ores. They first rust the metal with their antennae and then consume the remains. The big ones can have a nasty bite too. Adventurers rightly fear them," he shrugs. [Language unknown: "Es arosen not wer m alri plmaec os U ndeithest esas er thuta. Di uros safi thenteure, n ionerelar atta ecse powhhe Redconome ourreaounhis. inilev trersa reanme ncemo urises fiplel redartandave o. Whi ai po wit oneit tiaspr ncder wil el os arie atatin astpreich Os sshe tiowhelat ntsi!"
]

Alohan chuckled at Remmi's reply. [Language unknown: "Ain o tioil Ivilti hihe son i robece bewe ard?"] he asked Remmi with a smile. "de Clamloten..." he answered with a smile.

Alohan nods at Kassius's plan. It was simple and he had a feeling it would work well enough. The only problems Alohan could foresee is acquiring the amount of metals that would be needed. Also, he had a feeling it would be back breaking work and after carrying Kassius through the jungle -Alohan wanted to take a break from any hard labor. Still, they capture this beast, Alohan could take a much needed vacation.

"I like dis plan. It be simple enough. Maybe we be digging a big pit and trap de sucka. Or maybe I be beating and smashing. Remmi, ya be helping us get de metals? Madame Penny? Ya be comin' ta help?"

---

Equipment: Only thing metallic is my machete and ring of jumping. Oh, and the studs on my leathers. Both of which I can 'leave at home so to speak"

"A pit trap might work as well. Just make sure it's big enough!" Kassius says with a sarcastic smirk. He well remembers the size of the beast.

Medium sized nets can entangle creatures size large and smaller, so that should be ok
Kassius will leave behind his metal scimitar, cestus, and daggers, but keep the metal arrow heads. They might come in handy, for either self defense or further bait, and they're cheap enough to replace if destroyed or lost in the fight.

[Language unknown: "T, tho ntpa thu!"] says Remi enthusiastically. Remmi is always enthusiastic about his young prince's jokes - that is a major part of his job.

OOC: Okay, so lure it out of the cave, through net(s) on it and beat it senseless? That could work. OK, give me a chance to whip up the encounter.