Expedition: Golgarth/Bogling Ruins - October 12th 2021

[Spearmint]

Dawg Dann

"Team effort it was. We can drink to that tonight." He accepts the ogre dagger and sticks it in his waist band. Dragging the bodies on the barge us slow an bloody work. He makes sure the barge is washed clean of blood stains and calls Mr Whiskers to heel.

He only has padded armour (AC8), so a vest of improvised scales is going to improve that. So he will don an ad-hoc vest to improve his defence. Add loose unequipped items on the boat, three extra throwing spears are still three attacks.

He cannot identify the strange leaves or berries. He has seen them before but does not know their usage.

Rock crystal added to pouch.

Dawg Dann adds to the discussions, "Happy to follow your choice Golgarth to press on further or stay and scout."

[Stirling]

Camping in the creek ruin:

it takes some time for the team to 'house keep' the ruin. the bodies of the creatures are frisked and summarily dragged to the barge and tossed overboard the creek to float as croc-food. The assorted weapons, armour and gemstones are divided out. Tollander turns his hand to more direct searching, upturning flagstones. It becomes apparent very quickly they have lain undisturbed for decades, thick weed roots growing between the cracks and centuries of grimy flakes around the edges. the few turned over only offer wriggling earth worms and creepy crawlies which scuttle off to dark corners of the ruin. A stock of dry wood is by the hearth along with a string of wild runner beans and some nibbled at marsh turnips.

Upstairs, the mattresses are also duly searched. Several large swamp ticks emerge from beneath one reed bed, fattened by suckling blood during the night. They are duly squished and splatter stains erupt with creature being stamped on. The room looks fairly dry and weatherproof, intermittent holes in the rafters plugged by thick swabs of leaves. the partition wall is half broken down due to the growing tree in the ruins next rooms. A few scrabbled etchings line the stone work, rude pictures of trolls with extra large manhoods, a black dragon blowing 'bubblegum balloons' and skeletons or stick men walking in a circle.

The barge is tied off by the old stone jetty. A cursory look around the immediate area show that the ruin is built on a spit of land that stretches out from the plains to the south. The creek waters extending inwards another few hundred meters before giving way to boggy wetlands and marsh terrain. After a couple of miles of marsh the rising hills form a ridge along the south. The cypress groves continue in the creek waters either side of you. Further to the east must be the ruined dwelling place of the Wugs but you cannot see that through the trees. You knowledge of other expeditions reminds you that one group saw the outer wall of a settlement from the ridge further along, so you must be within a few miles of reaching it. Flocks of large cranes fly over head, they keep close to the swamp and flit as wading birds to various pools of feeding grounds. In the distance you catch the sound of occasional hooting from primitive apes. The marshland grass is tall, to man height or above and thus provides a screen to anything foraging. small hillocks dot the landscape, perhaps moss covered boulders or rock formations, maybe the remains of other ruined dwellings.

Okay so make a decision on if you camp here, wether you unload the barge to store things in the ruin and give me a 'watch' list if you post guards. also if you want to scout the area, who goes, and which direction.

[rossik]

Griswold would ask to go first on watch

[GreyWolfVT]

Galmit "We takin' watch in pairs er no? If so I'll take first watch wit Gris if not I'll take second."

[Jernau35]

"I'll take the last watch" volunteers Tollander. "I'll need to rest and pray for a while before Gwanwen bestows his blessings on me again".

Tollander begins to walk down the pier to get his cage of doves from the barge. "Are we leaving anything on the barge? If anything happens to it during the night, the guards will be too far away to see anything".

Once Tollander gets the doves he begins his devotions to Gwanwen, sacrificing one of the doves during the ritual.

[rossik]

"We better not split, so i think we should take the stuff from the barge"

[Bluetongue]

Golgarth

"Okay, unloading the barge shouldn't take too long and we cans tore stuff downstairs. Sleep upstairs if no more ticks are going to bite on us. Perhaps we are too small a group to set of exploring in separate teams. rest up then. I will take the middle hours."

He hopes the conclusion is agreed and more than happy with the first day, what with near death by squid and slaying an ogre and the various hobgoblins. He will help hump the stuff to and fro and share a flagon of ale, spending the waking hours of the evening getting to know his travelling companions with stories of their previous adventures.

Golgarth watch: random rolls if needed [1d6] = 6 [1d20] = 6

[Stirling]

An evening at the creek ruin.

I will advance this as the evening draws in without further interruption.

The party hump goods and equipment to store overnight in the ruin, figuring three strong walls and a roof over their heads better than a night under the barge tarpaulin sheets. A light rain begins to fall and as the sun sets over the horizon the creek begins to take on a whole new nature. Nocturnal frogs begin to croak, claiming territory and enticing females to canoodle with. The flocks of wading birds begin to clack in the dusk before roosting in high tree tops nests, hunkering down with heads under wings. The creek is overshadowed in the twilight and clear vision between the rising trunks lessens as the darkness sets in.

An evening meal of rations, salted preserves and pies from Pinewood are washed down with a mug of ale each. The jar of sauce is investigated and surprisingly well made with natural ingredients, perhaps one of the hobgoblins had a speciality in swamp cuisine. Everyone tells a story and as men you match scars with blagged tales of bravery and endeavour. The evening ends without interruption and so the party agree a shift pattern of watchmen, paired up while a quartet sleep in the room above. The embers of the fireplace hearth keeps the lower room warm but low lit.

During the close of the first watch, the pair by the door catch the sound of a noisy croaking, much louder and more vibrant then the midnight chorus of small fare. It comes from among the reed bushes growing behind the ruin that extend to the marshland bogs. Listening intently you can discern from the croaking two sets of vocals that seem to hold a conversation for one chitters and then the other some yards away croaks a reply. Not that you can understand any of the language but certainly for a few moments a back and forth croaking of sounds before silence. Griswold concentrates on his thoughts, twirling his medallion in nervous anticipation. Something is out there, was out there but seems to have moved on. Whatever it was, it viewed the house with the same trepidation, watching, waiting, listening, before deciding it had come close enough.

The watch continue continues in peace, the only noise the patter of rain and the 'plinking' of drops into the creek. Galmit and Griswold are replaced by Golgarth and Dawg Dann. They make a little sweep of the ruin and to the barge but just squelch in the rain. In the early hours the last pair, Tollander and Sten, both more used to rising for devotions and vespers take their turn on duty. As others bed down to sleep and the occasional snore emits from the room above, the faint whispering croaks return to the reed beds. The noise of several vocals almost in fashion 'sound off', one after the other in a line that spreads maybe a hundred yards wide and a bowshot distance behind the ruin. Your early start to the next day is beginning with a possible encounter with unknown creatures or humanoids hidden in the reed beds surrounding the ruin.
next actions please.

[rossik]

"Fellows, i do believe that in my watch, something was spying on us. Maybe one of those frogmen that live here" say Griswold, a little too much concerned

"we should watch for them in our journey", advise

[Jernau35]

Not wanting to raise a false alarm, Tollander takes a moment to think about what he heard. The linear pattern of the vocals convinces him it not just a random group of creatures wandering by.

As quietly as possible, he goes to wake his companions. He uses gestures to indicate the general direction and distance that the noises were coming from.

Then, knowing that a sling shot into the dark would be pointless, he slips on the Brass Knuckles of Holy Fury and finds a spot of cover to wait behind.

[GreyWolfVT]

Galmit nods his head agreeing with Griswold "Aye. Somethin' was definitely out there watchin' and talkin', and waitin'. I'd be ready for an encounter ta say tha least."

[Spearmint]

Dawg Dann

Woken by the watchmen, he dresses in his stupor. He obeys the direction of Tollander to stay as silent as possible. He will peek out of any upstairs window for a view of the reed beds or through one of the holes in the rafters. What can we see or hear?

My feeling is that if the visitors 'sounded off' but the sound was moving away, maybe they will pass us by but the narration seems to indicate we got discovered earlier in the night and now a few more are coming to investigate us. We can stay in the ruin and defend the building or make a quick and quiet escape, grabbing our gear and high-tailing it to the barge and pushing off into the creek. If they are a bowshot away, maybe they will take a couple of rounds to sneak up on us and that is the window of opportunity needed to make good our escape. Croaky sounds instead of grunts could mean the boglings are coming. (are boglings and bullywugs the same creature?). If they cover a hundred yards is there one figure every ten yards apart or one figure every twenty?

[Bluetongue]

Golgarth

"Let's get our equipment. It sounds perhaps they are too many. I don't want to get cornered here in the ruin. Make for the barge. Follow Dawg, I will.bring up the rear."

[Jernau35]

"Sounds like a good plan", says Tollander. He grabs his gear, and the cage of doves, and makes ready to rapidly exit the ruin.

[Stirling]

Escape from the creek ruin.

The night watchmen are alerted to the presence of unseen figures in the reed beds behind the ruin. By the hushed croaking and intermittent 'sound off' you figure almost a dozen humanoid creatures are crouching behind the thick grasses and watching the ruin, possibly debating a next move. It gives you the 'window of opportunity' as Dawg Dann expressed to quickly grab your packs and flit out of the front door and run towards the barge. Tollander dons his knuckle dusters for any 'up close and personal', remaining hidden in the faint dawn light, signalling to the first pair to make good their escape. The logger and Griswold dash the yards to the barge, untie the line and using their spears for punting poles begin to edge away from the jetty. They wave at the next pair, Sten and Galmit who exit in double time.

Golgarth and Tollander bring up the rearguard. As they do, the bullywug emerge like predators, pouncing on bi-pedal legs in leaps to make a long jumper weep. They bound in hops towards the ruin, javelins shouldered ready to hurl them as they get within throwing range. A number of them have visages marked with ochre and vermillion, streaked across high cheek bones or covering brows like native warpaint. They croak angry sounds as they leap. Four advance on the left of their line, bounding into the scrub bushes about 60ft' away.

Golgarth as last to leave the old stone shelter faces a stark choice. To keep running to the barge and hope you don't get speared in the back or to make a stand by the ruin and placate, parley or fight the Bullywugs as they close in.

[Spearmint]

Dawg Dann

"Looks like they need some covering fire Griswold. I'll push off, can you light up some oil flasks and throw them over the heads of our guys as they retreat?" The logger offers a suggestion, but away from the ruin and the choice of Golgarth, he is not sure what else he can do.

He makes sure his pet otter is safe under the storage area and digging deep into the silty creek waters, pushes the boat a few feet away from the shore.

[Bluetongue]

Golgarth

sometimes 'discretion is the better part of valour', though reluctant to retreat and eager to meet the bullywugs on friendly terms, this party seem more war-like and may possibly blame us for their missing wug comrade. Despite having no frogs' legs of his own, he is going to 'hop it' and exit the ruin and make for the barge.

[GreyWolfVT]

Galmit tries to help in anyway he can holding up a lit lantern or taking a torch out and lighting it.

[rossik]

Nervous, Griswold accept the order.
He launch the darn thing, but just his old shoulder injury kicking in, with a *pop* sound. His face turn in pain, and he hopes that he didnt hit his comrades

[1d20-1] = 7-1 = 6

[Jernau35]

Tollander keeps running to the barge. Once he gets there, he'll help with getting her moving and away from the shore. If there already enough hands helping with that task, he'll take out his sling and ready a shot if necessary.