The one with the swamp cannibals - RPLOG
Participants
Date
26/9/477
Log
In the midst of the mangrove swamp, with all it's humid, insect buzzing glory undeterred by the nearby thunderstorm, stands a pair of royal rangers. A female fox of the arctic variety and a male iguana. They stand waiting for the freeswords they called for, making idle chatter to pass the time.
Elijah comes lumbering along th e trail wearing his work leathers to keep the worst of the buzzing hordes at bay. Though the smell of big, sweaty bear is considerably less
The sound of footsteps on wet ground can be heard as a young plant being arrives on the scene. Rokarion, wearing his usual body covering heavy cloak, stopped near the two rangers, his serene expression not affected by the sound of thunder nearby. Rokarion then nodded as a polite gesture to the two rangers, and said in his usual calm and polite tone, "Hail and well met. I am assuming this is the rendezvous point for those who are going into the swamp? I would appreciate it if you told us more about this whole situation, and what we know."
Elijah comes lumbering along the trail wearing his work leathers to keep the worst of the buzzing hordes at bay. Though the musk of big, sweaty bear is considerably less appealing than that of his Jasmine compatriot. Behind him, his huge golem, similarly a bear, though in stylized heavy armor trundles after him. "Reporting for duty," the burly grizzly rumbles, pulling his goggles down over his eyes to keep the midges away.
The pair turn to nod, nearly simultaneously, to the bear and jasmine. "This is the place. We don't have too many details for you, just that for the past month or so, many beings have been going missing. And, I know what you're probably thinking: The swamps dangerous. Still to have this many go missing... how many we up to now?" The fox speaks, and the iguana continues: "Close to a dozen now. And the last guy we sent hasn't come back yet. He was heading off to the west somewhere, last I heard."
Rokarion nods, great not much in the information department nothing like going in blind. Rokarion then added, "Very well. So, you expect that the best place to start is to the west?" The young jasmine then turned his gaze towards the west, his jasmine smell wafting around, and struggling against that of his temprorary comrade. He then shifts his gaze again to meet that of the bear, and speaks, tone unchanged, "Greetings Mister....Elijah I think? My name is Rokarion, I hope you will have better luck that whoever went before us. Are you ready?"
"Pleasure," Elijah grunts, extending a thick, meaty hand, "You can call me Eli." The burly bear spits and looks off to the west. "Ready as I'll ever be," he says, "Lead the way, Dire Bear." The grizzly pats his golem and allows it to march ahead, clearing the path as it goes. "Handy, ain't he?" the gruff bear chuckles.
Rainer just kind of... falls in behind Elijah and Rokarion shortly after the pair have begun their trek through the swamp. He's actually following them for a minute or so before he finally offers a cheerful "Hey guys!"
The rangers don't have much more to add for Elijah and Rokarion, aside from: "Yeah, guy went off to the west, hasn't come back. A shame; handsome man too..." The fox clear her throat. "You didn't hear that. Go west, you'll probably find something. Or, something'll find you."
The golem tears through the underbrush; not that there is much in mangrove swamp. The travelling towards the western, darker swamp is a noisy affair; insects buzzing about, belchers making.... belcher sounds... The thunder off in the distance simply adding to the atmosphere. 'Tis quite dark; to the point where a light source would help greatly.
Rokarion shakes the bear's paw, and nods, "Indeed quite helpful." Before moving behind the bear, and giving a nod to Rainer as he arrives, look the crazy wolf is here hopefully he won't get stuck under lizards today. Glancing the area, Rokarion notices how dark it is, shurgging as he walks. Some movement can be noticed from the back of his cloak, and soon enough a vine tipped with a smaller jasmine blossom, pops out of the cloth, behind Rokarion's neck , before rising a couple of inches above his head. Rokarion's body begins to gllow faintly, but the glow begins disppearing and focusing around the smaller blossom on the tip of the prehensile vine. Soon enough the small blossom begins radiating a white light as strong as that of a lantern, illuminating the area around the group.
"Well," Eli snorts, "Isn't that something." The grizzly lumbers along into the underbrush after Rokarion. "How far do you think they got out here?" he rumbles.
"You do realize that thing basically makes you a big ol' walking bullseye, right?" Rainer quickens his pace to come up alongside Rokarion just long enough to pose this question, then immediately beings to lag behind again. "How far did who get?" So he apparently has no idea what they're doing out here, he just... saw them and decided to tag along.
As the group moves on further into the dark, a smell similar to charring meat wafts out from somewhere ahead. No time to question that yet, as from out of the treeline comes a belcher. It imediately lets out a hiss and adopts a threatening posture. It's wounded; probably adding to its aggression as it sends its spines towards Rainer!
Rokarion looks at Rainer and answers, tone unchanging, "Actually Mister Rainer while you would believe so it is not the case. A light source directly above my head would be unexcpected as most normal light sources like lanterns are held near one's head on a frontal angle. The current location of the light source would make any marksmen believe that the person is standing behind and a bit nearer to the light source which would probably make them aim there.....as for animals and other melee combatants then I guess you could say I will be their first target until they spot others." Satisfied with his answer, Rokarion keeps on following the golem, allowing Rainer to get back to his place. As the group moves, Rokarion suddenly spots the smell of charred flesh even coming stronger to his sense of smell that his own sweet scent, but he has no time to focus on it as he spots a wounded animal aiming for Rainer. Not willing to bet on the Wolf's reflexes, because of last time, Rokarion immediately utters a couple of equations and attempts to form a protective layer around the wolf.
Elijah grins at the wild belcher, flexing his golem-clad Left hand. "I got 'im!" he rumbles, pulling back his arm and letting loose with a speedy haymaker at the wounded beast. "But it looks like we're going the right way!" he says, wrinkling his nose at the stink, "Or smells it, at least!"
"Please," said with a light chuckle, "Mister Rainer is my -father-." The wolf pauses a moment immediately after saying it. "Well, possibly." At which moment, a disgruntled local decides to come out of the woodwork. Natch, Rainer is smooth as ice going for his sword, right up until he's suddenly surrounded by rock. "GAH!" A bit of flailing, and down he goes on his fluffy hindquarters.
