Abenor, who is surprisingly a little better at engineering than Aasgar, steps up with his friend, and then Galakhar follows behind both of them. They get out to the middle, and start discussing things. By this point, it is obvious that once again Galakhar is the superior scholar as regards engineering, though he is quite surprised that it was the elf over the dwarf to provide helpful insights.

Galakhar, looking around, says, "Something large ... and of prodigious strength, likely multiple of count ... made this damn. It was no animal, but had to have been fashioned by creatures with opposable thumbs as you can tell by the way that this stone is carefully fitted to that one, and a special mud-mortar was made. The entire thing is suspended on a thick bedding of branches and only dams the surface like a bridge, rather than actually damming this large river, which is why the water itself freely continues. It was purpose-made to stop shipping, and nothing else."

He stops speaking for a second, as if in concentration. "We are about to be attacked from below. Arm yourselves."

Just then, three large, greenish bipedal creatures burst forth from the water to stand upon the dam, but Galakhar's warning kept the party from being surprised.

Begin Round One ...

R1T23: Kurst seems to recognize the threat immediately even from the shore. "Freshwater merrows! Aquatic giants of lakes and rivers! Hides like thick leather. Ogre mentality - savages and degenerates!"

He is not idle during this time, however, as he is calling this out as he moves on the dam while taking out his bow and shoots. His shot illustrates the thickness of its hide as his arrow bounces.

R1T22-21: Just because the party isn't surprised, doesn't mean they are prepared, either. Aasgar finds himself flanked, and "Red" swings but wasn't expecting dwarves this day as its clawed arm extends too far and it tears a muscle (1 STR drain). Its savagery is such that it simply slashes with the other claw, which Aasgar dodges as well. Abenor isn't so lucky as Blue slashes him along the lower back for 9 mod and along the back of the neck for 4 mod.

R1T20: On shore, Lucette chirps in alarm.

R1T19: Galakhar quick draws his rapier and gets into his fighting stance, nodding back to Kurst. "I concur. Nothing to add." He does a sidestep while studying Green and stabs. The merrow hadn't expected their "prey" to be so ready for him, and is unprepared for the lightning fast thrust that catches it in the belly for 12. "Yes, only like thick leather, but my rapier is an awl punch."

R1T15: Abenor feels like the punching bag of late. He quick draws his daisho while getting into an aggressive stance. He performs his fading strike where he teleports behind his enemy and slashes Red in the right hamstring for 19. "Aasgar! Flank!"

R1T13: Gharmez, what do you do?