They were two days south of Sasserine when they stumbled across the slaver's plantation in the last rays of the day's sun. It was hidden well away from any trail, but Kassius and Penny Fort Evergreen were following the Emerald River to its headwaters and travelling cross country. Even so, it was only the sickly sweet smell of the crop that allowed them to find it. "Zzonga fruit" spat Penny. Kassius was familiar with the plant and the fearsome reputation of its fruit. Those eating the plant or drinking its juice, slipped into a blissful state of contentedness that left them totally unaware of the outside world. A blatant threat might be enough to jerk them back into reality, but zzonga addicts would often exist in their own happy world to the point where they could be struck down without them even realising. Possessing any part of the plant or cultivating the fruit was punishable with a long jail sentence in Sasserine or its holdings.

They crept towards the plantation, with Kibeti taking the lead. The small cat moved silently through the thick jungle and Kassius had trouble following his movements through the undergrowth. When they reached the outskirts of the property they were just in time to see a dozen slaves being taken back to their holding pen for the day, and to their surprise they saw that the slavers were not human. Ten amphibious humanoids were matching the humans back in the direction of a crude camp. "Bullywugs!" exclaimed Penny in a hoarse whisper. "I hate these guys."



Penny Fort Evergreen


Bullywug



Plantation cut out of the jungle showing the yellow flowers of the zzonga plants.


Our first battle map. Let's see how this works.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:30, Thu 18 Dec 2014.

"We are going after them," said Penny with a definite tone in her voice. That was surprising. She had been driving a hard pace since leaving the city and been fixated on reaching their goal and getting back to Sasserine within a week. Penny had employed Kassius several times over the years to escort her into the jungle, and she had always proved to be a reliable companion, but if there was one thing that could distract her it was Bullywugs.

"We need to do it quickly though. Tonight. Let's follow them back to their camp, wait for most of them to fall asleep and then slaughter them all." The dreadlocked women looked at the plantation. "And free the prisoners and maybe burn all this lot as well. We will see how much time we have."

The crept along after the Bullywugs and their band of slaves, and didn't have to go far before the camp was revealed in a bend of the river. Kassius saw with a sinking heart that it was well laid out. "OK squirt," the ranger said using her charming nickname for him. "Your turn to come up with a plan this time. What are we doing here?"

There will be a full moon (already up and shinning) and no cloud cover until the rains come in sometime around midnight. It is now 1800 and there will be twilight for another 10 minutes. You are approaching the camp from the east, but the jungle is so dense that you can circle around and approach from any direction you choose.

"Kibeti, kuwe," he comands softly, directing the inquisitive feline to stay low. Creeping in a low crouch through the underbrush with his bow drawn and an arrow nocked at the ready, he kneels beside Penny to peer at the encampment.

Kassius rubs the stubble on his chin thoughtfully. "You're paying me as a guide, not as an exterminator, this calls for a renegotiation" he chides teasingly in a low voice as he observes the situation overtly.

"Seriously though, I'm all for freeing the saves if that's your aim, and even setting the crop ablaze, but Bullywug's have just as much right to live thier lives as anyone else...I'm not going to hunt down ank kill every single one of them just to satisfy your thirst for blood...just to be clear," he admonishes in a rather firmer tone.
[Private to Dungeon Master:
OOC: Where are we on the map? The circle K? Are the slaves human? I don't see where you specify. About how long to we have to wait til dark? Just to be clear, Kassius has Low-Light Vision instead of Darkvission. Is the hedge some sort of barrier? How hard would it be to get through? Where are the crops planted? How is Penny equipped? Does she carry a bow?]

The small feline hunched down as soon as the command was given [Secret to Kassius: no handling check needed for everyday stuff] with his head resting on the dirt of the jungle floor. His tail likewise stayed down, but its tip flicked hypnotically from side to side. After so many years with the creature Kassius was almost as good at reading its mood as knowing his own, and Kibeti's body language right now said 'I'm ready to play'.


Penny just grunted, but didn't take her eyes off the camp. She was in the mood for something else than humour.

The ranger looked at him. "They are vermin Kassius, nothing more or less. Would you hesitate to wipe out every last rat in your house? Would you leave a couple behind to 'live and let live'? No, I think not. And right now, my friend, we are in my house."

Down in the camp they saw that the dozen humans had been stuffed into a small pen at the east of the camp. They were all men and all emancipated to varying degrees. Each of them had a leather collar around their necks that was attached to a hemp rope which was tied to the fence posts of the pen. It didn't look like a comfortable way to spend the night.

Further on they saw that there was a crude fence around the northern side of the camp. It was made out of prickle vines and stinging bush roughly woven into some bamboo sticks laid out with X-shapes. It was about five feet tall and two feet across, but quite patchy in places. Kibeti would be able to slip through easily if wanted, but it would take Kassius or Penny at least a few seconds to get through. In one spot a very basic gate had been made out of a couple of tree tunks, and they saw the last Bullywug close this as he moved through. This had even less covering than the rest of the fence line.

You are currently in Z16, Z17 & Z18, lying prone in the dirt and brush of the jungle. No, you are not at the K with the circle in it. Sorry, that was an error and was on a drawing layer I should have hidden. You only have 10 minutes until dark, but there is a full moon and no cloud cover until midnight so there is actually going to be good visibility - you will almost be able to read a book in it - so for the distances we are talking about don't worry about limited visibility.

For humans, the crude fence needs a DC15 check in acrobatics or survival to get through in one round, DC10 the next round, DC5 the following round. The square it is in counts as difficult terrain. The crops are planted about 100 ft to the east, so they aren't on the map. Penny has a full character sheet, check it out! Yes, she has a bow and is pretty good with it too.

Oh, and we are playing with the version of Bullywugs that existed at the time of the printing of the Adventure Path. i.e. no darksight, they are amphibious and can move in marshes with no penalty, the are cunning more than smart, and good at hiding if they have to be. At least, that is what Penny keeps telling you as she gives you lectures about them while sharpening her sword every night.

"Oh, you're welcome to chase every last one of the buggers down and kill them all to the last newborn tadpole if that's your will. I'm a simple man however, I have to focus on one thing at a time. You want the every last Bullywug slaughtered, the slaves freed, the crop destroyed. Let me reprioritize that somewhat."

"First, I'm going to wait for it to get a little darker while observing their camp. Then I plan to circle around and set the Zzonga grove ablaze with the help of some flasks of oil and whatever dry brush I can find. If it's that important to them they're bound to rush out to extinguish the blaze. If they bring out the slaves to put them to work, we'll hit them there. I doubt they risk them taking advantage of the chaos and escaping into the jungle though, so I'll probably cut a hole through the barricade near the slave pens while they deal with the fire, I imagine I'll have to dispatch at least a couple of guards left behind, but better I think than taking on the entire camp at once. You're welcome to come along if you like, or at least protect my rear with that bow of yours."

Penny nods in reply. "I am happy to postpone the Bullywug armageddon until another day and focus on what we have at hand. Alright, you take care of the crop and provide the distraction. I'll stay here and see what they make of it. Just make sure you come back and talk to me before you hit their camp. I want to tell you how many are still in there and see if we still like the plan, I'll also intervene if they hear you playing in their field before you have the fire lit." She sees his look and smiles. "In the VERY unlikely event that happens. Don't worry, I know that you're beginning to know your stuff squirt!"

OOC: Fast forwarding a little here.

Kassis waited half an hour until the sun was truly down, and then slowly crawled back off the ledge. With Kibeti in tow he headed back the hundred feet or so to the Zzonga plantation. The hunter used several flasks of oil and as much brush as possible to cover the bushes, and then lit the gunky mess in several places. The flare up was a lot less than he had hoped for, the plantation was just as wet as the rest of the jungle and the fire wouldn't spread, but it would definitely kill most of the zzonga bushes.

Penny was still lying motionless when he got back to their spot. "Alright," she said. "They saw your little fires - did you use any brush at all? Anyway, it got them into a real tizzy. It looks like there is no clear leader, so that is good for us. There was a big discussion about what to do, and whether it was even their planation burning. Then six of the beasts slipped into the river through the mud and disappeared east towards the fires, they have put an extra guard up on the lookout spot so there are now two up there and they are alert. There are about four others still in the camp hanging around the cooking fire. They haven't done anything with the slaves. Happy?"

"Ecstatic, except for the fact I'm about to get soaking wet," Kassius comments wryly.

"You pretty much have a clear shot at the sentries from here, if they become alerted to my presence or if I send a signal spark up in the air take them out..or at least keep them penned down. Kibeti and I will sneak through the barricade near the slave pens and free the slaves taking out any guards as necessary, after we get everyone away you can start filling Bullywugs with arrows to discourage pursuit, but don't dally too long, I'll need your help getting everyone back to Sasserine. And don't even think of getting killed...I haven't gotten paid yet."

”You need my help getting them back to Sasserine?!” she splutters. “We’re not taking them back to damn Sasserine! I am on a tight deadline here and if I don’t get paid, then nether do you!” She shakes her head. “Alright, we’ll help them get as far as Blisterwall, the county militia can take over from there.” Kassius recognizes the name of the Sasserine fort that is located a couple of miles to the north west.

“Otherwise, I agree. It sounds like a good plan.” She nocks and arrow and takes up the slack on her bow. “And same goes for you not getting killed. I have put a lot of work into you over the years squirt. I don’t want all that effort to be wasted and have to start training up someone else!”

OOC: Right, ready when you are. Two bullywugs on watch, although not with a direct line of sight over the holding pen. Four more hanging around the cooking fire or wandering around the camp. Six off checking out your diversion. Good luck!

Kassius gives a nod and slips back into the underbrus followed by the silent cat, Kibeti moves like a ghost in the night, but his master isn't quite as skilled, occasionally stepping on the occasional twig in the darkness, but hopefully it will be drowned out by all the other night sounds of the jungle. [Stealth 13 (20 Kibeti)]

The pair carefully cross over the relatively shallow river and climb onto the bank on the far side, staying as close as possible to the crude barrier to shield themselves from view of the hopefully distracted sentries. Once past the large rock, Cassius drops down to the ground and proceeds to worm his way under the broken branches followed by Kibeti. [Survival 17]

Once on the other side, he pauses to take stock of the situation. [Perception 11 (24 Kibeti)]

---

...
[Private to Dungeon Master: Kassius rolled 11,24 using 1d20+6,1d20+5. Perception, Kassius/Kibeti. Survival, Kassius takes 10. Kassius rolled 13,20 using 1d20+6,1d20+9. Stealth, Kassius/Kibeti.]

---

HP: 10/10  |  AC: 16/14/12 |  Saves: +4/+4/+2

Special Notes:

  (De)Buffs : none
 Conditions : none
   Spells : (2/2) Cure Light Wounds, Entangle, Summon Nature's Ally
  Abilities : (1/1) Animal Focus


---

Companion : Evolved Companion (Pounce), Animal Focus (Bull, +2 Str)

This message was last edited by the player at 22:19, Sun 11 Jan 2015.

Despite Kassius making a little bit of noise as he slips into the small stream, the Bullywugs in the camp remain unaware of him - they are probably distracted by the raucous that their comrades are making upon discovering that it is the plantation that is the source of the smoke. It can't been too long before the six who went that direction put out the flames and head back to the camp. DC10 required, both Kassius and Kibeti pass.

Both Kassius and the panther pass through the crude fence easily - the cat hardly breaks his stride. The Bullywugs really should have made more of an effort on that. The hunter pauses on the other side of the barrier and listens. As far as he can tell, no-one in the camp has heard them enter, and that includes the human slaves who are moaning in discomfort a few feet away.

You are now at T13. I will update the map when I get home. The slave pen is made from boards nailed into posts which are themselves hammered into the soft ground. The walls are only about five feet high, and easy to climb (DC5), but each of the slaves is tied onto a post via a collar and leash. They also look dehydrated and listless. As mentioned above, the slaves haven't noticed you yet.

Updated map.

K = Kassius
k = Kibeti
P = Penny

Red 1-5 = Bullywugs (you don't have line of sight on Bullywug 6 who is somewhere in the camp, nor Bullywugs 7-12 who are at the plantation)
Black 1-6 = Slaves

After a long pause for several moment to listen, Kassius slowly creeps forward to the crude pen and uses his dagger to pry the lower board lose to crawl under, making his way the closest slave. "Don't be alarmed, my name is Kassius, I'm here to rescue you," he says in a gentle whisper and begins cutting the slave's bonds.

---

...

---

HP: 10/10  |  AC: 16/14/12 |  Saves: +4/+4/+2

Special Notes:

  (De)Buffs : none
 Conditions : none
   Spells : (2/2) Cure Light Wounds, Entangle, Summon Nature's Ally
  Abilities : (1/1) Animal Focus


---

Companion : Evolved Companion (Pounce), Animal Focus (Bull, +2 Str)

This message was last edited by the player at 22:18, Sun 11 Jan 2015.

The slaves head jerks up as he hears the hunter's voice and he looks around in fright. "What?! Who?!" the man exclaims, not loudly, but not in a whisper either. Kassius' explanation seems to sooth him a little, but it appears that it is taking the dehydrated man's brain a bit of time to understand the situation. "You have to get me out of here!" he whispers, rather than just staying quiet. "Please, help me!"

A few of the other slaves have overheard and soon there are muttered queries flying round the pen about what is happening. The other men also start to stir and try to get to their feet. It appears that they are all in poor condition.

The sound of scrambling feet climbing up one of the stone columns on the side of the pen makes all of the men go silent. Kassius looks up and see one of the bullywugs has climbed up to a lookout spot and is now peering down at the slave. "What you maggots do?!" he demands in harsh common. He it looking intently and it is surely only a second or two until he spots Kassius.

But the good news is that we found Bullywug number six.

Kassius curses under his breath, quietly motioning Kibeti to stay put, and drops his dagger at the slave's feet after the man's hands are completely cut free.

"Free the others, but stay down," he whispers urgently, beginning to mutter an ancient incantation calling upon the very jungle to rise up in aid, and quickly draws his bow in readiness.

---

Free : drop dagger | Stnd : cast Entangle (DC13) | Move : draw bow
[Private to Dungeon Master: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/entangle]

---

HP: 10/10  |  AC: 16/14/12 |  Saves: +4/+4/+2

Special Notes:

  (De)Buffs : none
 Conditions : none
   Spells : (1/2) Cure Light Wounds, Entangle, Summon Nature's Ally
  Abilities : (1/1) Animal Focus


---

Companion : Evolved Companion (Pounce), Animal Focus (Bull, +2 Str)

This message was last edited by the player at 00:36, Mon 12 Jan 2015.

19:17, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 24 using 1d20+4. Bullywug 1 Reflex Save. PASS
19:18, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 11 using 1d20+4. Bullywug 2 Reflex Save. FAIL
19:18, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 20 using 1d20+4. Bullywug 3 Reflex Save. PASS
19:18, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 14 using 1d20+4. Bullywug 4 Reflex Save. PASS
19:18, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 11 using 1d20+4. Bullywug 5 Reflex Save. FAIL
19:18, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 9 using 1d20+4. Bullywug 6 Reflex Save. FAIL

Prepared action from Penny, rapid shot. Bullywug AC is 17/12/15. Firing against flat-footed AC 15

19:26, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 6 using 1d20+5. Penny Rapid shot 1. MISS
19:26, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 23 using 1d20+5. Penny, confirm the fumble. NO FUMBLE
19:26, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 12 using 1d20+5. Penny rapid shot 2. MISS

This message was last edited by the GM at 18:30, Mon 12 Jan 2015.