The Flowery War [Invite Only]

[MoxexPenNama]

"There are a lot of pretty things down here," says the voice. "If you'll help me out of here, I'll give you some of them."

[BDEYE]

Mizton looks over at Xicotencatl coldly.

"If you go down there you go alone," he says.

[souldoubt]

"Why do you even need help?" Itzcuintli asks, squinting into the dark opening suspiciously. "Climb out yourself. And if there's 'pretty things' down there, we're as free as anyone to go down there and take them if we want, once it's light out."

[MoxexPenNama]

"I can't leave this place. I need help. . ."
The speaker pauses briefly.
"Besides, to find the pretty things, you'd have to know where to look. . ."

[souldoubt]

Itzcuintli looks to his comrades. "Evil spirit," he says.

[BDEYE]

"I agree," says Mizton. "Anyone who goes down there we should leave without."

[MoxexPenNama]

You hear a bubbling from deep in the underground chamber, and a loud splash, then everything goes quiet. The sun is beginning to rise over the eastern edge of the Great Bowl, and you find yourselves, worn-out and irritable. What do you do?

[S.K.U.M.M.]

"Let's get out of here," says Xicotencatl. "And not camp on any islands housing ruins."

[BDEYE]

Mizton rubs his eyes wearily. "Yes. Let's depart."

[souldoubt]

Itzcuintli nods sober agreement, pawing at his strained eyes with one hand.

[MoxexPenNama]

Today's travel is the roughest so far. As the Great Bowl becomes shallower, you find yourself catching on snags and half-sunk stelae. Large caimans swim between cypress trees. You find yourselves rowing half-awake, just pushing on to find the next dry piece of land where you can camp. Maybe that's why you don't notice it sooner.
An overwhelming stink hangs in the air here, and that's when something bumps the canoe. At first you think it might be another snag, but it gives too easily. You float in a small lagoon. Human corpses crowd it as thick as lily pads, some fresh, some badly decayed, but all missing their eyes, teeth, and fingernails. They choke this area among a circle of boulders that may be half-sunk buildings. Disgusted or weary, you begin to paddle your way out, but then you realize your canoe isn't moving. In fact, something has taken a firm hold of Mizton's paddle from under the water. What do you do?

[BDEYE]

Mizton quietly curses and shakes the paddle. He looks around, trying to make sure nothing coming out of the water can catch him by surprise.

[souldoubt]

Nearly on the cusp of some frenzy, his nostrils filled with the stench of death, Itzcuintli drops his paddle in the bottom of the canoe, grabbing his warglaive to hack blindly into the dark water at whatever is holding Mizton's paddle. (Obviously if this initiates combat, Itzcuintli takes this action at whatever point he comes out in the initiative order.)

Initiative if necessary - (1d20+2)[12]
Warspear with reach - (1d20+7)[20]
Damage - (1d10+4)[9]

[S.K.U.M.M.]

Xicotencatl looks around to see if he can spot any pieces of dry land, or even if he can find a tree sticking out of the water that he can climb onto.

Spot: (d20+8)[16](24)
Initiative (if needed): (d20+7)[7](14)

[MoxexPenNama]

The paddle suddenly loosens, flying back into the boat, and a large, dark shape momentarily breaches the corpse-strewn surface. In the ripples, you can see it swimming straight for the boat. Mizton, roll initiative.

(Xicotencatl, you see a hanging tree on the cliff above you. You might be able to shimmy up it with successful climb and jump checks.)

[BDEYE]

The moment that the threat is recognized, Mizton's knife is in his hand and he is slashing away.

((Initiative: (1d20+4)[22]

Full attack:
Attack 1: (1d20+7)[9]
Damage 1: (1d4+1)[4]
Crit Conf (19-20 range): (1d20+7)[17]
Crit damage: (1d4+1)[2]

Attack 2: (1d20+7)[18]
Damage 2: (1d4+1)[4]
Crit Conf (19-20 range): (1d20+7)[18]
Crit damage: (1d4+1)[4]))

[S.K.U.M.M.]

Eh. I'll wait for my initiative order, whenever that happens to be, before I decide what to do.

[MoxexPenNama]

Initiative for the Beast:(1d20+2)[13]

[S.K.U.M.M.]

I wait for it to get close enough, then thrust my dagger at the thing.

((Rules lawyer talk: because I have a higher initiative than the monster, it is considered flat-footed; it does not get Dex of active bonus to defense. Plus, I can use sneak attack against it.))

Attack: (d20+7)[10](17)
Crit: (d20+7)[11](18)
Damage: [d4]
Crit damage: [d4]
Sneak Attack: [3d6]

[S.K.U.M.M.]

Let's try this again:

Damage: (d4)[2](2)
Sneak Attack Damage: (3d6)[4][6][3](13)