Aid Another Diplomacy
"Shanee is correct. If you don't oppose him now, it'll be too late. And he will find you, as he will everyone else. Come with us and let's finish this."
Myhm nods at Tenzekil, expecting him to nod along, slowly releasing his grip.
Troxell shrugs, clearly not enthused about the young man's help, but not adamantly against it either.
Tenzekil looks at Shane with newfound respect. "You are right. I've already failed the Prince enough to earn a terrible punishment, and if he learns I've given you information... Well, I'd rather die in a fight."
Shane has spent most of his life making friends and influencing people, and he's become a good judge of behavior. He's pretty certain Tenzekil is committed to this new course.
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Shanee smiles "Don't worry Zek after this is all said and done I'll help you out with a reputation makeover and I know a great recipe for a drink made from honey. So you see we will be alive, well known, and profitable with no Fey Prince to answer to. What do ya think."
Shanee give Tenzekil a quick wink and a mischievous smile and whispers to him.
"Women like those three things in a man and I think you should start going by Zek it rolls off the tongue better."
"If you are with us, you need to be strong. Can someone heal his wounds before we continue on? He needs to be full strength as we locate the Prince."
Troxell shakes his head at Teena's request to heal Tenzekil, replying, "I will not, but Xerexis is capable perhaps. If he is returned to full strength he'll be more likely to betray us and we will be wasting resources that would be better served for ourselves. Don't forget how many villagers he tried to kill just a few days earlier just because a young woman spurned his unwanted advances. I don't believe his intentions are positive or good and therefore he's just aiding us to avoid death and future punishment."
Perhaps the druid had an opinion after all when the group seemed to unilaterally accept the kid after being their blood enemy a few minutes ago.
"I have not prepared spells to heal, but I have a potion and some good berries that will suffice."
"You will need to replace the wardstones around the portal upon the hill before we go. They must be there to seal the Prince back into the Fellnight. Once that is done, we go through and sneak into Rowan's Palace."
Myhm nods at Tenzekil with a smile, Good choice.
"Very well, the die is cast. Let's finish this." Troxell replies, as he begins making his way up the hill to reset the wardstones.
Indentations still mark the ground around the ring from where the stones were removed and resetting them is a simple task. Once it is done you step inside the ring and move toward the center. Concentrating on the Fellnight Realm, the forest grows around you, stretching high above. The light fades, becoming a dim rose-tinted twilight.
A path twists off between the trees before you, the heavy traffic of armies having made the way clear. Following it for a handful of minutes brings you within sight of your goal.
The forest sounds fade as the undergrowth parts, revealing a massive, thorn-wrapped palace rooted within the forest. Intimidating spikes cover its walls, projecting outward with deadly intent. Three separate towers rise from the tangle, reaching toward a dark canopy of trees as tall as any mountain. Spread around the base of the palace are a few camps of Spriggans.
"Prince Rowan's throne room is on the third level of the largest tower." Tenzekil whispers. "Quick. This way."
The reformed villain leads you around the tree line to the glowing lights, then I to a tunnel hidden below. The way is twisting, following a stream as it meanders underground.
Eventually it widens into a cavern of cultivated soil upon which a garden of mushrooms and other fungi grows. To the east and south, recessed ledges overlook the room. Alcoves to the south and southwest end in doubledoors.
Pointing to a mass of rocks with large purple mushrooms on it near the shore, Tenzekil says, "The elemental."
The purple mushrooms are shriekers. They will make a lot of noise if you get within 10 feet of them.
"We may be able to circumvent the elemental by crossing through the water. Although what hazards occupy its depths may be worse. I can investigate the water, but there is a danger of facing two dangers at once if there is a loud monster in there."
To Shane, Tenzekil replies, "The satyrs have quarters above somewhere. I don't think they come down here often."
To Troxell, "I don't know if the water is safe. With the elemental right there I doubt much could live nearby."
Teena nods, awaiting Troxell's scouting results. "My
Magic is loud. If we can avoid the elemental, I think that would be best. We would lose any element of surprise if we had to take it down."
Troxell uses wild shape to turn into a medium sized water elemental and submerges himself in the water, staying under the surface as he looks around for any dangers with his elemental darkvision.
Troxell finds that the underground pool is safe.
Troxell returns to the others after a short while, "The water is safe. You'll need to stay submerged, but we can go around the elemental if we use it. I can help push you underwater if necessary. I think this is the best course of action, unless Shane can guarantee that he keep the creature and its alarm bells from waking."
"If you think you can get us through the water unscathed, I'm with you Troxell. Getting around the elemental is better than coming to blows with it, no doubt!"
"Earth warrior hurts", Myhm rubs his jaw, remembering the last time he brawled with one, "Myhm can swim very well", pointing to the water.
Following Troxell's path through the pool you circumvent the elemental and pass through another cave section full of mushrooms. Ahead you see a passage and doors foretold by Tenzekil.
To your right, long, grayish roots descend from an open shaft in the cavern’s ceiling down to a raised ledge. Several objects gleam and glitter amid a pile of bones situated among the rocks there.
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Shanee looks around and quietly says "I'm not liking this. It seems to easy. Give me a second to cast a couple spells to enhance my perceptiveness if you do not mind"
then he casts as quietly as he can and takes a look around.
With a satisfied nod that the group successfully bypassed the elemental, Troxell returns to his natural form and also takes a careful look around for traps or other details. Afterwards, he casts Detect Magic in case he missed something.
Even from a good distance, Shane notices silver and gold coins among the roots, along with a small bag.
Troxell finds no sign of traps or hidden passages, but he detects magic upon the bag, but also from two other objects hidden in the rubble.
"The bag is magical, but there are also magical items buried in the rubble. Teena, would you mind identifying the bag? I will provide assistance." Troxell informs the others.
He then inspects the rubble to see if seems safe to go digging around in.
If safe, he'll cast Soften Earth and Mud on the rubble to turn it into soft clay to make it easier to excavate and search through.
Bag Spellcraft
Item One SC
Item Two SC
Teena concentrates on the bag and its contents.
Teena identifies a grey bag of tricks, a silver raven figurine of wondrous power, and a scroll of fireball . There is also a few dozen gold and perhaps a couple hundred silver and copper coins, but they are scattered about and would take some time to collect.
"We should keep moving, we'll worry about the coins later if we have time. I assume Teena will want the scroll, while the other objects may come in handy later."
"You assume correct, Troxell. That scroll might let us burn our way out of here if things get ugly!"
Gathering the items the group heads to the double doors and cracks them open to view a circular chamber beyond with a set of steps spiraling up to the floor above.
As you enter the room a bloodcurdling scream comes from beyond a door to your right. Tenzekil goes stiff and pale, his eyes locked in that direction.
Myhm whirls around in a stoop, ears pricking up like an animal ready for fight or fight. He tries to sniff the air in case catching any drifting scents.
Tenzekil nods. "That's where..." He shivers and runs a hand over his face. "Damn.. damn damn."
"Well, let's get in there and introduce ourselves to the Prince and his friends. Is everyone ready?"
Just before opening the door, Teena casts Shield on herself.
Before entering the main chamber, Troxell casts Magic Stone on some of his sling stones and Shillelagh on his quarterstaff from his Gardener's Wand
Myhm grabs the handle of his great axe and unsheathes it.
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With his enhanced senses Shane's ears feel the tortured screams like needles in his eardrums. He also heard some laughter.
Moving through the door you pass down a short hall before coming to a room bedecked with torturous implements, including a rack, a set of stocks draped with several well-used whips, and a table housing a complicated pulley system for driving thorns into victims from multiple angles. Two punctured corpses lie upon the floor, but a living victim is strapped to the table. Human, he has the dark olive skin and hair of the Ascari people from Marascar and the Lostlands, and it is he who is doing all the screaming.
Standing around the rack are two large spriggans, their hands poised upon winches. A Satyr watches from nearby, a cruel smile on his face that twists into anger at the sight of your group interrupting his work.
INITIATIVE
"Sarenrae, I know you probably aren't the goddess for this, so Desna, I ask you instead. GET ME OUTTA HERE PLEEEEASE?!?!"
Myhm's eyes goes blank and colorless. Whatever this moment meant, it was deep and primal; seeing torture for the first time, not quite fully understanding the meaning in terms of spoken words. He steps to the side and hacks at the spriggan with all his strength.
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Myhm's axe disembowels and decapitates a spriggan before anyone can move.
Xerexis moves up and calls upon a blessing from the Wanderer.
Tenzekil casts a spell that summons a blade-like length of flame to hand and rushes at the remaining spriggan.
The satyr laughs as his headless spriggan topples over and grins madly upon seeing Tenzekil. "Aha! A toy has returned to play! I will so enjoy taking another pound out of you."
Jumping to the table, his hooflike feet straddling the victim, he belts out a horrible cackling laugh that chills all before him to the bone.
Tenzekil goes as white as a ghost.