That reminds me, if there is anyone to attack, that's a +1 to hit +3 range from song/grappled.
Heng swings and misses, thrown suddenly off balance by his new wings. As he launches up into the lower branches, the root-claw catches his leg, failing to keep hold but leaving behind bloody marks.
Parity babbles something about enemies in the perimeter, swinging his sword left and right, but accomplishing nothing. The root-claw burns from Parity's acidic aura, but still continues to coil around his limbs and constrict painfully.
Malnival continues babbling, while Kiyomi cleverly escapes her bindings by switching to and from fox-form. Harlan's spell brings Shalelu immediately back to her senses. She recoils upon seeing her arrow in Harlan's arm, and rushes forward to quickly cut him free.
With Heng up and out of reach and with Parity pinned, the two remaining root-claws retract into the undergrowth.
;
Round 5
HP = 76/82
AC/T/FF = 22/14/19 (25% ignore sneak/critical)
Weapon Equipped = None
Bolts = 35/35
Speed = 15'
Channel = 6/6 (6d6)
Energy Body = 11/11
Oracle Spells Known (CL 10):
5 3/4 Cure Light Wounds, Mass, Break Enchantment*, Breath of Life*, Wall of Stone
4 6/6 Blessing of Fervor, Cure Critical Wounds*, Restoration*, Air Walk, Holy Smite*
3 7/7 Cure Serious Wounds*, Dispel Magic, Invisibility Purge, Neutralize Poison*, Stone Shape, Magic Circle Against Evil
2 6/7 Aid, Restoration, Lesser*, Resist Energy*, Cure Moderate Wounds*, Shield Other*, Spiritual Weapon, Ghostbane Dirge*
1 8/8 Bless, Detect Evil, Detect Undead, Command*, Cure Light Wounds*, Burning Disarm*, Sun Metal*
0 Stabilize, Purify Food and Drink*, Create Water, Detect Magic, Mending, Guidance, Light, Spark*
* Save DC = 15 + Level
Status Effects = None
Harlan shakes the remaining ropes off as he stands.
"Ok, where were we?"
Seeing Parity madly babbling and hacking at air, the halfling next turns his magic to the blind man while his spiritual weapon continues to swipe at the tree with kittenish affection.
Kiyomi maintains her singing as she draws her bow and fires once at the tree. for plus acid damage!
if it takes damage from the shield for constricting
Harlan frees Parity from his confusion, but the vanguard remains pinned. The root-claw constricts again, even as Parity's acidic shield burns it.
Heng tears into the thick branches, using claw-style strikes to carve into the armor-like bark. Harlan's summoned weapon cuts to the core as well. Kiyomi's arrow does little damage itself, but its acid burns a small area. With each hit, the branches shiver and thrash.
Finally, loud *crack* is heard from deep within the tree trunk. Parity is released as the root claws retreat into the earth. Similarly, the vines holding Skygni and the other captives open, all relatively unharmed. A few older victims, now little more than moldy bones, are also revealed.
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Heng pushes away from the charred branches and coasts back to the ground before the silvery wings disappear. He quickly moves to help the living victims rise from their woody tombs.
"Parity, are you well? We have saved the lost ones though there are a few old bones among the roots from those that fell before."
Parity groans as he pushes himself to a sitting position. "Fine, just feel a bit thinner."
Malnival sits up and pushes the roots away. "What did I miss?"
"My. A carnivorous tree is not something I expected to find." Kiyomi will help the others to their feet, and afterwards cast detect magic on the long dead victims' remains.
"Did we find all the ones we were missing?"
The number of people rescued matches the number of missing. They are alive and, after some coaxing, wake up very groggy and disoriented. Those caught early last night have some deep puncture wounds from bleeding thorns, but are otherwise unharmed. They all share similar stories: hearing the voices of loved ones during the height of the storm, compelling them to wander off into the dark.
Among the skeletal remains, Kiyomi finds a few valuables, including a platinum-jeweled necklace, a decorative fan made from jade, cherry wood and lacquered paper, and a blue ceramic sake flask with a silver stopper and painted with a single white Tien rune. The flask radiates faint enchantment magic.
Harlan helps free the others and makes sure Skygni is ok, channeling once they are all safely away from the tree.
"Well that's a first. Let's not use that for firewood."
**************
"Endless sake. Well, that's useful. Better if it was water of course."
Dates: 20 Pharast 4712 - 23 Pharast 4712
Route: Osogen Grasslands
Distance: ~200 miles (Total: ~5800 miles)
Weather: Sporadic Springtime
Special Events: Smoke on the Horizon
After extracting the rescued from the calling tree and returning to the caravan, you spend the rest of the afternoon righting and repairing the damage caused by the monsoon. In the morning, you set out and finally leave the last remnants of the Forest of Spirits behind you. Ahead lies the open expanse of the Osogen Grasslands. Waist-high grass, turning freshly green after the recent rains, extends from horizon to horizon. The near-constant winds shift and weave the grass like waves on a green sea.
"After so many miles, my friends... may I welcome to you Minkai!" Miyaro offers with a smile.
The day starts cool, with pockets of heavy mist covering the land around you. As the sun rises, the mist slowly dissipates as the wind picks up across the grasslands. By mid-day, the air is warm, even pleasant, and heavy with humidity. Afternoon showers wash you with sporadic, spring rains, and the evenings return to clear and cool. This becomes the pattern for the next several days.
Date: 22 Pharast 4712
On the third morning out of the Forest, dawn's light reveals a column of dark smoke on the southern horizon. The source is unclear, but Shalelu estimates it lies more than ten miles away.
"Maybe. Where's the closest town? Remember we still have these refugees, I don't want to risk them again."
Kiyomi knows that there are many small farming villages scattered throughout the northern plains and the Borderlands, most of them comprised of less than a dozen homes. Other, larger settlements would be found further south, closer to the heart of Minkai.
As you approach the source of the smoke, you can make out more details. About a mile distant, you can see that it was one of these farming villages, with plowed fields adjacent to a small river. All of the houses have been put to the torch. You see no movement in the area, but for the circling carrion birds gathering overhead.
Malnival frowns and follows Heng.
Approaching to the edge of the razed village, you see no living survivors and the aggressors are long since gone. Every house and building has been set afire, all of the livestock and stores have been rudely emptied, and you count at least twenty dead villagers. Based on the progress of the fires, you estimate the attack happened sometime late last night.
All of the victims died from weapons, mostly blades but several from arrows. The village and bodies have been roughly looted for all goods and valuables.
The area is trampled with prints, both foot and horse, going to and from the fields. Most flow towards the south, where a well-worn track serves as a road. Several villagers are dead along that path, obviously struck down while fleeing.
"If we were back in Varisia, Id say this smells of a bandits. Same idea here?." Parity posits a question
-Posted with Wayfinder
Malnival moves forward and begins to examine the tracks.
Survival:
After tending to the dead villagers, the caravan continues south along the path of the small trail. Towards the end of the day, rising highlands to the south come into view, and the surrounding terrain, while still open plains, becomes more hilly and rugged.
Miyaro explains that Hirabashi Jiro, the ronin officer you seek, should be found in one of the villages in this area.
You find the next settlement in the afternoon of the next day. You spy a cluster of huts standing atop a hillock overlooking a lazy bend in a river. In the distance west of the hillock, you see several people digging a ditch and demarcating the boundaries of a paddy. Closer by, a group of youths are training with shortbows before a line of straw targets. Next to them, a tall figure yells orders in a husky voice.
Kiyomi kneels next to one of the dead villagers, a woman. "It is our great sadness that banditry exists here in such a manner. Our lands have been left to chaos under the Jade Regent. My Empress, your task is a great one, to heal such a wounded land." Kiyomi begins to sing a dirge for the dead, hoping to speed their souls onward.
"Looks like the bandits aren't here yet. Or this village is too big for them. Either way we need to make sure they know what happened, and see if they know anything about it."
"Let's hope they aren't the bandits," Parity mutters.
Looking to Ameiko, "You ready for this? It's game time for you, Ame. We're no longer just travelling. Time to take the sword by the hilt."
Ameiko nods solemnly to Kiyomi's words, maintaining a silent and respectful vigil as Kiyomi performs the funeral dirge.
***
Ameiko gives Parity a look. "I am ready, but I'm not going just walk up and announce "I'm here!". Let's figure out the situation first."
"Emp.. Ameiko. If you wish, I could approach the camp. It is not unusual for women of a certain employment to visit the camps of men of war. I could learn their disposition, perhaps how honorable they are."
"Let us go together," Ameiko adds. "I will stay quiet and out of the way and let you handle the talking. I'd rather stay anonymous for now. Let's avoid another incident like the one in Hongal." At the last mention, her eyes and shoulders drop a little.
"If you wish, my...Ameiko, I can disguise you, with or without magic."
"Well... shouldn't be a need to. No one really knows me here," she flashes a half-grin.
Leaving the caravan a good distance from the edge of the village, you approach with Ameiko and Miyaro. The sight of the caravan has garnered some attention from the workers and archers, and the tall figure walks over to meet you at the base of the hillock.
As you near, you see the figure is indeed a Tian woman, taller than average. Her black hair is half-bound in a queue. She wears no armor, only an outfit of fine, layered cloths of pastel colors, but she carries a masterfully-wrought naginata, composite shortbow, and quiver at her hip.
She stops a respectful distance away, and her eyes suddenly widen in shock. Not at the sight of Ameiko, but apparently Heng. She recovers quickly, masking her surprised look behind a formal bow.
"This one is Habesuta Hatsue. What assistance can be provided?"
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Heng is first slightly ashamed that he thought her a man and then further confused when he catches the look of surprise. Surely, she is repulsed by his orcish blood. It has been so long since the caravan has beenin southern lands, he had forgotten the looks of pity or fear. He remains silent, letting glibber tongues handle introductions.
Harlan limps forward. He raises his arms to encompass the group and his words quickly pick up speed as he gains momentum.
"Greetings noble warrior! We have traveled far to bring you tidings of ill fortune and awesome adventuring! Not a few days ago we saw a village attacked and burned to the ground. We suspect bandits but you never know and as we're new around here we though we'd check the next village and here we are and here you are. I see you're fortifying your village, are there bandits around and if so can we help? We have refugees that were captured by forces most foul and not at all appreciative of my cooking, the forces of evil not the refugees, and they could sure use a place to stay. If you have need of defenders I'm sure they could help out, and they're probably good at digging ditches at the very least. They need to take out their aggression at a cannibal tree that captured them after the forces of evil during a storm so they'll make good choppers no doubt. Although I am but a humble cook I can also heal maladies and afflictions and would no doubt be happy to help there, and my companions are all mighty warriors who have survived many months of travel and strange food."
Parity can't help but to smile a bit at Harlan's exposition.
Hatsue is taken aback by Harlan's diplomatic barrage. She struggles to keep up with his stream-of-consciousness, rapid-fire, rough-Tien dialogue, but after a few moments, she also wears a bemused smile. "This one can see you have come a very long way, and you honor us with speaking our tongue. As for your refugess, this one will see to their shelter, and they will have a home among us, if desired. " Her demeanor turns serious as she continues. "We know of the bandits, but have no news of any recent attacks. You must tell more of this evil."
"And what brings you so far from your homelands? Your caravan does not appear to carry much in the way of trade goods."