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Dawn thinks back to The Fey and Their Nature, Vol 1, and recognizes the trio of tiny creatures as Brownies, possibly the lowest tier of fey. They resist non-cold iron weapons and spells and while having little martial ability, they can cast a few low-level spells.
The strange human/caterpillar hybrid is odd and not something she's seen before.
Yizzik charges ahead and squashes the red-eyed Brownie to the ground as if it were a fly. The other two look on in horror.
"Sisters, move back and protect Darux!"
Poe takes a shot at the now thoroughly confused creature, impaling its shoulder. It looks at the bolt curiously and pokes it a few times, not knowing what's going on.
Brownies, Yizzik, Poe, Lilly, Yellow (-9), Dawn
"W-wait! Who's Darux? Are you not aligned with that dragon? It was chasing us all over the place, and said its minions would ambush us..."
Dawn moves forward, keeping her hands away from her weapons. "Everybody, wait!"
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The caterpillar gives himself a good smack in the face.
The brownies turn pointedly to Dawn, one of them particularly dumbfounded. "A dragon? What are you talking about? Aemo, do you know her?" The other brownie laughs. "Like I said - an imposter! Darux here can't feed us if we're dead! Let's kill them first, then he'll give us the extra special treats!" Turning to one end of the cave, Aemo looks at a set of human-sized cocoons, one with a half-digested corpse peeking out.
Both Brownies zip forward towards Yizzik's ankles and attempt to distract him.
Rainbow Garden (bold is up): Brownies, Yizzik, Poe, Lilly, Darux (-11), Dawn
Dawn frowns. "Well, I tried. " she shrugs. "Ew, did Daruk... eat someone? You do realize you are in a garden, right? Grow some crops!"
Lilly can't help but see humor in the caterpillar's self inflicting injury.
"Hahaha! That was hilarious!"
Lilly moves in a south arc to the south of Yizzik, drawing her whip.
Poe isn't sure there will be brownies left after Yizzik is done with them, so he continues to put the hurt on the caterpillar.
He fires two shots at the thing, hoping that it's confusion lasts long enough to finish it off.
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Oh! Botting is so fun! Keep a cool head Dana. Breathe easy.
"I will not let you consume my friends!" Yizzik swings his battleaxe as the opportunity presents itself.
"Now choose carefully, caterpillar! Do not be foolish!" Yizzik roars.
He would roar, correct? Of course he would!
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Darux shrieks as two bolts from Poe's beloved crossbow impale her in her belly. Yizzik takes down both Brownies, leaving Darux to fight on her own.
"How about a special mushroom and we'll call this even? ... Nah, forget it. You look tooooOoo tasty!"
Lilly attempts to kick dust into Darux's eyes, but she ducks in the nick of time, and then claws at Yizzik.
One claw catches a soft spot in his jaw and Yizzik suddenly finds himself overcome with anxiety.
Anxiety Spores: Disease—injury; save Fort DC 17; onset 1 round; frequency 1/minute; effect cumulative –1 penalty on saving throws against effects with the emotion descriptor (maximum –5); cure 2 consecutive saves
Yizzik, Poe, Lilly, Darux (-28), Dawn
"I see. Keep your food. I'll just start flanking."
Dawn pulls out her falchion, casts Vanish and runs behind Darux.
Lilly steps 5ft away, then cracks the whip again, trying to blind the big bug.
Poe does what he does best, aim and fire.
"Alright ye ugly bugger, i've got more of tha' for ye right here!"
If it isn't dead yet, Yizzik swings his axe.
"Fine shots, my friend."
"Well bugger, i didn't get to blind him.
Must be bugging the thing, to be dead."
"What a waste..." The invisible Dawn mumbles. "Sorry Brownies, you made the wrong choice."
Dawn investigates the cocoons, then the mushrooms. "Was Darux feeding them? What's with these mushrooms?"
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Dawn recognizes some of the mushroom specimens, and can definitely pick out the poisonous and hallucinogenic ones from the more benign. The wheelbarrow at the end of the cavern, mushrooms strewn around it, and a few pieces of gold next to it imply that this was a for-profit operation of some sort.
Inside the cocoons are loose bones and dried flesh, along with silver pieces and gold pieces. The cocoon with the half-digested corpse contains a few more interesting items: a +1 scale mail, an oil of continual flame, a potion of spider climb, a masterwork heavy wooden shield, 50 masterwork arrows, a masterwork dagger, a masterwork trident, and a masterwork backpack.
Inside the backpack are 10 sunrods, a thunderstone, a bedroll, five vials of ink, 2 weeks of rations, and a mysterious jade idol likely of some value.
"Oooh, this one is very tasty if you fry in a little nut oil." A mushroom lifts off the ground. "This one looks similar to an edible mushroom, but you won't be able to sleep for the rest of the night- trust me." She tosses it aside.
"Now this one...yeah, only if you want to be a fungi. Or fun girl." Dawn appears just in time to brandish the hallucinogenic shroom. "At least that's what your hallucinations will say. We had to kick a few out of the commune who got a little too happy."
Dawn makes a fool of herself as she pantomimes getting high, getting caught, and getting out of town.
"I guess they were selling mushrooms for profit. And... eating people who came by? Yuck. It's why I don't eat meat." She picks off a variety of edible mushrooms, and a handful of the hallucinogenic 'shrooms.
Yizzik still felt a bit anxious from everything, though it had mostly passed as he tried to calm himself. He could feel whatever it was still in his system, the reptile trying to quell the foreign feels before setting down his shield and axe. He'd take a moment to breath and calm himself, but found some joy in Dawns jokes, turning and laughing some as he was able to relax some from her humor.
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Ahead, the twisting tunnels suddenly give way to a massive canyon, a half-mile wide and untold miles long. Hanging rock formations, some the size of buildings, dangle from the ceiling a hundred feet overhead. Thousands of glowing points line the walls and ceiling, bathing everything in an eerie mock-starlight.
A ledge, nearly a hundred feet wide, winds along the edge of the chasm. Countless black cracks and passageways split into the rock walls alongside it, opening into a myriad of new caves. Rough-hewn metal fences line a small portion of the ledge, penning in several dozen shuffling figures.
Referencing your map, you realize you've arrived at Phaedextrin's Maw. From the ledge, an eerily regular pattern of lights presents itself several thousand feet from where the Blighted Path exits onto the chasm's ledge. As you emerge, you hear the sounds of combat to the north, and about 100 feet from where you stand, you see three gnomish-like creatures locked in battle with two miniscule, wicked old men, both wearing metal boots and a blood-red pointed cap. The battle seems to be going poorly for the gnomes. What will you do?
Something seems familiar with those wicked old men. "See those critters with the bloody hats? They aren't good at all. Very bloodthirsty."
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Dawn recognizes the red-capped men as ... Red Caps, the embodiment of capriciousness and sadism. These stumpy, misanthropic fey freaks exist seemingly to indulge in blissful bloodletting and self-indulgent slaughter. They resist all but cold iron weapons, but not spells.
As she realizes what they are, Dawn conjures up a spray of golden dust on top of the two evil fey.
One Redcap covers its eyes in time while the other's world goes dark. The three deep gnomes turn as you join the fight, curious about your arrival. One stops and shouts over at you.
"Reinforcements? From where?"
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"Disgusting gnome, you will soon join the undead pen."
The Red Cap swings its scythe across one of the gnome's necks, severing a vital artery, then stomps his foot with the heavy metal of its boot, smashing all of his toes. The resulting pain evokes a scream loud enough to rip a large stalactite off the chasm ceiling.
Yizzik, Redcap Green (blind), Poe, Blue/Pink/Yellow (-23) Gnomes, Lilly, Dawn
"Right. Redcaps. Use cold-forged iron weapons if you have them."
Yizzik would rush in quick after the enemy who seemed to keep his sight. He couldn't afford to let the blasted thing get another swing at the gnomes that were struggling to fight them off. "Keep the other distracted my friends! I'll deal with this one!" he yelled back as he charged, his amber eyes locked on his target as leapt into the air, dwaring his axe to bring it down hard.
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Yizzik rushes into battle while the other Redcap blindly chops at the blue-eyed gnome.
Despite not being able to see in front of him, the Redcap stomps the ground haphazardly and manages to crush the blue gnome's big toe! Ouch.
"Now's our chance. Cut the blind one!"
Armed with two picks, the dark gnomes swing their weapons at the evil fey, yet the masterwork metal appears to have little effect on the Redcaps' tough flesh. These things don't stand a chance without your help!
Redcap Red, Yizzik, Redcap Green (blind), Poe, Blue (-9)/Pink/Yellow (-23) Gnomes, Lilly, Dawn
"Let's go, Sparky!" Dawn snaps her fingers as a thundercloud appears above the Redcap with the blue eyes.
The thundercloud deals Electric Damage
Meanwhile, Dawn advances 30 feet, drawing her falchion.
Poe advances forward a few feet, firing two more shots.
"This'd gotta sting a little!" Poe calls.
Lilly heads off, double move.
"Wait for me, Yizzik. Don't swine all the fun."
Dawn redirects the cloud on top of the RED- footed Red Cap. "Uh, sorry about that."
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Despite his confidence, both of Poe's bolts fly across the chasm while Dawn shocks the extra red Redcap with a bolt of lightning.
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R -3, G +3
"You there, fey woman. You'll regret interfering here once we're through with these svirfneblin scum!" The Redcap calls down the landing before swinging again at the yellow gnome.
The Redcap takes on the appearance of a fey death reaper as he slices the gnome's head from its torso, then squashes it with his boot. The remaining gnomes are horrified and look back at you, desperate for help.
Redcap Red, Yizzik, Redcap Green (blind), Poe, Blue (-9)/Pink svirfneblin, Lilly, Dawn
"I like most the little guys. Not you creepy ones though." She frowns.
Having run the distance, Yizzik's soul wept for the fallen gnome. He wouldn't let another one fall as he came down hard upon his foe, hissing angrily enough for it to echo off the cavern walls as he swung his axe with righteous fury.
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R -3, G -5
Yizzik steps ahead and lands two solid blows against the blind Redcap, who manages to see where the lizardman is, but his scythe and boot cannot pierce the sturdy armor.
"Hah! I can see you now!"
The pink gnome steps back and casts a spell on the Redcap to no avail. The other moves next to Yizzik and nods at the lizardman to acknowledge his assistance, then continues to attack with futility.
Phaedextrin's Maw (bold is up): Redcap Red, Yizzik, Redcap Green, Poe, Blue (-9)/Pink svirfneblin, Lilly, Dawn
Sparky continues to rain lightning down on the Red Cap with the red boots, dealing more electricity damage
Dawn casts one more spell to make herself blurry, and then swiftly enchants her falchion.
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Poe inches up another 5 feet and lets another two arrows fly at the Red Cap with the Red shoes.
"Hmpf! Nothin' quit movin' already!"
Lilly walks closer to the combat.
Passing the gnome, she hangs back with her whip, cracking it at the redcap when she comes to a stop.
"You're a bad tyke, teacher says you have to sit down and listen."
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R 0, G -2
Redcap Red's metal boots ground the lightning, and both of Poe's shots fly past him.
Lilly's whip wraps around the Redcap's boots and the evil fey soon finds himself flat on the ground.
He stands up and slices Yizzik again! Or tries to, but the scythe bounces off of Yizzik's heavy armor.
Redcap Red, Yizzik, Redcap Green, Poe, Blue (-9)/Pink svirfneblin, Lilly, Dawn
Yizzik sees the creature standing, and quickly swings his axe.
Yizzik snarls and turns to face the red Red Cap. He bears down with his Adamantine Battleaxe...
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Yizzik strikes the Redcap once as he stands up, but leans too far to the left with each subsequent strike and misses.
With similar luck, the green-booted Redcap kicks up some dirt with his scythe and boots, but little else. "Come on. Two of us versus one pet lizard. Who do you think is going to win?" He mocks the lizardman.
The blue gnome backs up and casts a spell, but the Redcap again resists being blinded.
Now at a safe distance, the pink svirfneblin takes out its shortbow and fires at the fey, but misses.
Redcap Red, Yizzik, Redcap Green, Poe, Blue (-9)/Pink svirfneblin, Lilly, Dawn
"Finally!" Dawn hoots. Her falchion surges with a burst of electricity. "My, what a big scythe you have! Overcompensating much?"
"Sorry, I can't tell if that's your boot or your face. Your clan must be proud."
Lilly cracks her whip, aiming to disarm the fey.
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Dawn's strike misses its mark, as does Poe's bolt, but Lilly manages to pull the scythe from the creature's hands.
"Hah, overcompensating?" The fey bends down to pick up his weapon . "You'll not be so bold when your head is in that chasm!" He takes a strike at .
This time, the scythe tears into Yizzik's flesh, spilling his cold blood into a messy puddle on the ground.
Phaedextrin's Maw (bold is up): Redcap Red, Yizzik (-14), Redcap Green, Poe, Blue (-9)/Pink svirfneblin, Lilly, Dawn
"Tiny boys need their big toys, I see!" Her falchion cracks with electricity as she sees the mite bend down. "Lemme help you there..."
The reptile snarls as he's finally wounded, letting out a vicious insult only existing in the draconic tongue, the the common language equivalent would be similar to calling the beareded enemy rancid bile from rotting food. It was certainly a lizardfolk insult from one who would eat carrion in desperate times. The insult would only precede another flurry of violent swings.
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R -45, G 1
Dawns opportune strike is quite effective, with her blade hooking the Redcap's chest as he kneels picks up his weapon, electricity surging from the falchion's hilt into his body. Yizzik swings his axe twice, both hits deeply wounding the Redcap.
"What are you doing, you moron? They should already be dead!" The green Redcap is enraged as his companion takes some serious damage.
He chops at Yizzik again, managing to cut another wound in the lizardman's arm.
Seeing the evil fey creatures so bloody, one of the svirfneblin feels especially brave and casts a spell, then moves to Yizzik to deliver it.
The other puts another arrow into the far cavern wall.
Redcap Red, Yizzik (-31), Redcap Green, Poe, Blue (-9)/Pink svirfneblin, Lilly, Dawn
Dawn reenchants her blade and swings again. It bursts with more electricity.
"Whoops that stench must be throwing me off...Sparky, fetch the pipsqueak in the back!" She turns to the gnomes and blushes slightly."No offense."
The thundercloud rolls over the green Red Cap, dealing electric damage.