Lothalian hears a female voice calling to him soothingly. Sarenrae? the Elf asks.
Even with Rask down Logan keeps jumping and fighting.
Harek swings and kills the creature in front of him, so now both of the creatures that were attacking him are dead or dying. He takes a step south to protect Rask from the critters. Ordrud swings at the wounded morlock next to him and it goes down, bleeding out. Lothalian wounds stop bleeding and begin to heal over as he stabilizes while laying on the ground. Logan continues to bite at the morlocks on Rask, and manages to kill one. Sirasa, unable to concentrate with so many of her new friends going down, looses the spell she was about to cast.
Just as the creatures are about to attack, the trees just behind you part and a booming, grandfatherly voice shouts at you in anger. “I have had enough of little humans and elves! Flee my forest and tell your people to take their black magic and warfare to other woods!” The source of the voice reveals itself as it speaks. A moving tree with an angry, moss-covered face and dark humanoid bodies hanging from its branches walks forward on thick, tree-trunk legs. The thing moves quickly toward you, promising violence.
The three remaining morlocks scatter back to their holes in the ground and disappear.
Harek UP
"We seek the elves and the humans they took captive! We seek no quarrel with you or your woods, only the return of those taken from us!"
Harek sizes up the creature approaching, thinking of his downed comrades behind him.
"Sirasa, see if you can get Lothalian on his feet. He should have a potion in his pouch, if you don't. "
Whether an answer to his silent prayers or not, Ordrud attempts to take advantage of the reprieve. He drops his ancient longsword beside him and pulls the vial that the priest had given him containing the healing drought.
As he forces the contents of the vial into Lothalian's mouth, the half-orc warrior says to the mobile tree, "we practice no black magic and only defend ourselves. As the dwarf says, we follow the trail of black elves, in order to save their innocent prisoners."
Lothalian tastes the healing water in his mouth and immediately his wounds start to heal. His eyes flutter open and he sees the morlock corpses and an angry, talking tree. what the... the Elf starts to say. He then notices the wounds on his friends and asks Sarenrae to heal them as he stands.
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Seeing Lothalian coming around. And thankful for Ordrud's quick actions, the Shoanti woman focuses upon the great tree. Sirasa drops her Morningstar and raises both hands, "Great tree, we are creatures of good and the light. We do not seek in any way to harm the forest. We are on a rescue mission. As my compatriot mentioned," Sirasa will motion toward Harek. "Dark elves have taken many of our kind prisoner into this forest. We fear for their lives. Have you seen anything like that pass this way? Would they be who are hanging upon your branches?"
The moving tree, stops his approach and looks at the group. "You kill Dark Elves? They move to the north, out of the forest with some humans, after the darkness begins." he booms.
Looking at the injured, especially Sirasa, "morlocks damage you, but you fight well. Fight with dark elves and maybe you not die." He shakes his branches, and several of the bodies, dark elf bodies, fall from him landing on the ground near you. "Take their gear. It will help you fight the dark elves. They have large elf-spider and two stone beasts as well as many dark elves, some with strange magic. Be prepared to fight. I go now. Do not let me see you again in my forest unless you have dark elf bodies to show me."
"Aye, much appreciated. I will gladly show you my dead elf collection on our next meeting!"
Harek begins to sort through the deads' equipment, blades and other weapons in one pile, potions,scrolls, and the like in another.
"I don't think we need their boots and teeth fillings, eh?"
Rask sits, somewhat confused, after his brush with dead.
"Everyone is hearing that tree talking, right?"
"We have fought the large elf-spider, but it turned invisible and fled from us. Thank you for the directions and gear. Can you help us avoid any dangers of the forest? Do you know a short-cut through the forest to catch the dark elves faster?" The surprisingly well-spoken, half-orc warrior asks.
Inspecting the two drow bodies, you discover not much gear that would be better than what you currently have. The only two things that look to be helpful are four potions, and 36 arrows for the shortbows that the drow are carrying. Other than that, one drow has leather armor and a hand crossbow with 22 bolts. The one that has the arrows is wearing a chain shirt, and carries a rapier and buckler as well as a shortbow.
"Just follow the road" barks Brownbark as he moves away. "There are many things worse than morlocks in the deep forest, and you don't want to go there. Even the drow take the road."
Rask drinks one of the Cure Serious Wounds potions.
"That is better! Do you mind if I drink the second healing potion?"
He also grabs the arrows.
"Finally! I needed those!"
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Sirasa will go to Lothalian, "It is not much, Meldir." She lays hands and provides a touch of celestial energy, Heavenly Fire.
Then to Rask, "Your wounds were deep, my friend." She touches the Ranger.
Then to Ordrud, "Here is a little something, Holy Warrior." She touches his shoulder.
Then to Harek with a smile, "Every little bit." She touches the warrior.
Finally, she gives a little to herself.
Then she looks at the potions.
"Thank you, Great One." Ordrud appreciates the advice from Brownbark.
"Thank you, Sarisa. But I'm just a warrior." He says when she heals him.
"Take this, Rask." Ordrud hands Rask a Cure Serious Wounds potion. The half-orc is only moderately wounded, so he keeps the second potion in his gear.
Rask thanks Sirasa.
Lothalian will take out the cure light wounds wand. This wand sure came in handy! We will have to buy another one once we return the missing townsfolk!
He taps Harek with the wand.
He will then tap Ordrud with the wand.
Does anyone want to be tapped again? The Elf asks helpfully.
Rask drinks the other Cure Serious Wounds potion he was carrying.
When ready he will leads his friends again.
"Rask, the great tree said to take the road out of the forest. Can we make better time following the road than following tracks?". Ordrud asks his companion.
"Yes, but I want to make sure they don't leave the road. They have divided before."
Rask 18
Logan 16
Ordrud 20
Harek 20
Lothalian 15
Sirasa 16
Rask looks at the tracks, and they continue to follow the road, however there are only drow tracks now. It seems that the flying stone creatures the Brownbark talked have taken all the villagers somewhere beyond.
The road twists continually among the thick cover of trees. At some places, the canopy is so thick it seems all would be dark even if there were a moon and stars. More aware of the sounds of the extended night, the absence of bird calls and insects heralds something unusual in the darkness beyond. Suddenly from the darkness daggers come out from behind trees, one at each of you. Logan, Lothalian and Sirasa each get hit by one. Looking around quickly Lothalian and Sirasa see two of the creatures that were at the bridge.
Harek UP
to hit, charging slashing damage
Harek takes off at the closest creature, charging with his axe.
2 potions of cure moderate wounds
2 potions of cure serious wounds
Ordrud steps up to attack the other creature. He slashes down from a high guard position but misses the bugger.
Rask fires a couple arrows to Ordrud's enemy.
Logan, on his part, quickly moves surrounding Harek's enemy and flanking with him.
Lothalian will fire an arrow at the creature and it will bury itself deep into the creature's chest.
Back for more! We will see that this time, you don't come back!
Logan 16
Rask 18
Rask 18 threat
Lothalian 15
Sirasa 16
Ordrud 20
Harek 20
Rask 18
Harek moves between Lothalian and the creature that he can see, and attacks but misses. Ordrud steps up next to Harek, but misses the creature, while Lothalian shoots an arrow at it, and damages the creature. Rask fires two arrows at the creature he can see, but only hits with one. Logan moves to flank the creature that Harek and Ordrud are on, however as he moves past the now not hidden creature, he is attacked by another of the creatures but the badger is so fast that he is missed.
From the shadows, four more of the dark creepers appear, and throw daggers along with the one that is still alone. The one in front of Harek and Ordrud, merely switches from throwing his daggers to simple melee. Harek, Rask, Sirasa and Ordrud are hit with a dagger, and suffer some damage.
Harek UP
vs poison
Shrugging off the venom from the dagger wound, Harek brings his axe around again.
flank + power attack, for slashing damage.
"Dodge that, ya ragged bastard, smellin' of dirty laundry and filth!"
Ordrud back slashes from a low guard position but misses the bugger AGAIN.
Lothalian will let fly another arrow at one that is not in melee .
He nods in satisfaction as his arrow seemed to do some damage.
Rask 18
Rask 18 threat
Rask 18
Lothalian 15
Ordrud 20
Rask 18 not confirmed
Harek swings at the wounded Creeper and kills it. Then takes a step to the closest one. Ordrud also takes a step and misses. Lothalian shoots an arrow at the one nearest him and scores a hit. Rask shoots two arrows at the Creepers but misses with both. Logan steps next to the creature nearest him and tries to bite the creature but misses. Sirasa begins to cast a spell.
The remaining Creepers throw daggers, three at Rask, one at Lothalian and one at Ordrud, with Rask getting hit by all three and Lothalian by one.
Harek UP
Ordrud centers his emotions and swings again. This time, he connects.
Harek slices at his closest foe again.
waraxe + flank; slashing damage.
Lothalian shoots another arrow at the creeper.
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CR 1
XP 400
N Small outsider (earth, elemental, extraplanar)
Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +4
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (–1 Dex, +7 natural, +1 size)
hp 13 (17) (2d10+2)
Fort +4 (+6), Ref –1, Will +3
DR 2/Evil Immune elemental traits
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft., earth glide
Melee slam (+8) (1d6+6)
Special Attacks earth mastery
STATISTICS
Str 16 (20), Dex 8, Con 13 (17), Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +2; CMB +4 (+6); CMD 13 (15)
Feats Improved Bull RushB, Power Attack
Skills Appraise +1, Climb +7 (+9), Knowledge (dungeoneering) +1, Knowledge (planes) +1, Perception +4, Stealth +7
Languages Terran
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Earth Glide (Ex)
A burrowing earth elemental can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, it can even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing earth elemental flings the elemental back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.
Earth Mastery (Ex)
An earth elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its foe are touching the ground. If an opponent is airborne or waterborne, the elemental takes a –4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. These modifiers apply to bull rush and overrun maneuvers, whether the elemental is initiating or resisting these kinds of attacks. (These modifiers are not included in the statistics block.)
The Earth Elemental rises up out of the ground.
It tries to slams into a Dark Creeper, but was too slow.
Sirasa steps behind Lothalian. She loads and fires a bolt at one of the Dark Creepers. "Phoey!" the Shoanti Woman exclaims at the bolt sails wide.
Elemental 17
Rask 18
Rask 18
Lothalian 15
Harek slashes the creature in front of him, wounding it severely and Ordrud finishes it off and steps next to the remaining Creeper on that side of the road. Lothalian, continues to assault the Creeper he hit last time, but does not kill it. Rask shoots two arrows at the remaining Creeper next to Ordrud, wounding it, and Logan moves over and one of his claws rips the creature. A small earth elemental rises from the ground next to the Creeper, and even though it is flanking with Logan, it misses.
The remaining Creepers attack the elemental, scratching it, two daggers miss Rask, but Lothalian gets hit again.
Harek UP
Ordrud steps and swings through another creeper.
Lothalian will shoot another arrow into his foe in the hopes of finishing him off, but unfortunately this time he misses.
Rask fires a couple arrows to Ordrud's enemy.
Logan tries to bite the same enemy.
power attack + flank; slashing damage
Harek delivers another punishing blow to the creature.
"Stupid darklands freaks. Why won't you just stop?"
Threat
Confirmed!
Harek moves to the closest Creeper and cuts it in half, felling the beast. Ordrud moves across the trail, swings and misses the closest Creeper. Lothalian shoots another arrow at the Creeper he has been hitting before, but this one misses. Rask shoots two arrows at the creature that Ordrud moved to and wounds it, while Logan moves over to bite but misses. The elemental moves straight across the trail to the nearest Creeper and slams it.
The three remaining Creepers run off into the woods and the elemental, Logan and Ordrud all get a parting shot. While Ordrud misses, Logan critically hits the Creeper in front of him and the elemental slams the Creeper he swung at, but all three continue to run at a speed that matches the fastest of you.
Harek UP
"Tell your kin, stay away from us and you won't feel the edge of my axe!"
Harek spits at the departing creatures, shaking his bloody weapon at their cowardice.
"Grab any loot the buggers carried, and let's see about moving along. Who knows what's out there, right?"