”Uhhh… I… umm.. we should go.”
No... No!
He looks enraptured at the nymph, "Aren't you coming with us?"
Krowe says he wants to go, but his his eyes have anchors keeping him rooted near Mireena.
”Yes. We could protect you!” He nods at Bazsil’s suggestion. To Faolan, he adds,”Maybe we should just… I don’t know… stay here and keep her safe?”
Krowe looks hopefully at Mireena, the quest pretty much forgotten in the light of her enchanting beauty.
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Mireena laughs, the sound of bubbling water and flowing brooks.
It actually sounds closer to the braying of some village animal.
"Your offers are very kind mortals, but I'll be safe enough here. I can hide in my waterfall." A look of quiet desperation crosses her face briefly. "I don’t allow myself the luxury of hope any longer. I doubt very much I will see any of you alive again. But perhaps your deaths will be mercifully quick and painless."
You move on, some of you more readily than others, along the river. It is not long before you find another clearing. Tiny dwellings made of latticed twigs and connecting vine bridges weave expertly through the trees here, but this sheltered alcove stands eerily still and silent. Slick, greasy fungus blooms on the trees’ trunks, and the miniature buildings are brittle and dilapidated, as if nothing had touched them in years. A few small, bleached bones and elongated skulls are visible through the detritus of the forest floor.
When the heavenly creature departs, Faolan is sad. It’s a few miles before he cheers up to his old self again.
”So to the dragon huh? And it sound like we need its help, so no killing it.” he shrugs.
When they reach the bleached bones, he wonders, murmuring, ”I wonder if this is as old as it looks or just more fey magic gone wrong.”
He’ll take out his shield and poke around the detritus, but he’s out of flight for the day, and a long day it's been, so he stays on the ground.
Bazsil keeps his bow ready and will renew his heroism(s) as needed as they travel.
"Might be another way to get the information out of him, or not, I dunno," Bazsil says, keeping his eyes open.
Perception
Krowe opens his mouth to reply to Bor, but it’s too late to stop Faolan from tempting fate. ”Yeah, we probably shouldn’t touch anything.” He says, then mumbles a little to himself…
”Except Mireena.. her skin like dew on alabaster…”
Then louder, ”I wish we could have stayed a little longer. If just to hear that beautiful laugh once more.”
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You move into the village, cautious of Blight. Wendel stands close to you instead of hiding.
"Cursed place this is, cursed or curséd. Tanagrak this was, sprite town. Happy days and flying wings. Then the dark one. She killed them all personally, glee she took with their deaths."
You hear whispers as you enter the village. They are not in your language but the feeling is clear. "Murderer!"
As you look around, an eldritch wind whips up and the skeletons rise into a maelstrom. You find yourselves ringed by sharp bones and sharper wings as the slaughtered fey turn into a angry ball of death. Bright lights begin forming in the ring and you have trouble making them out. It almost looks like tiny skulls on the points of each wing.
"Murderer? I think they are talking to you, Faols," Bazsil chides in his deep voice, but he has done his share of murdering over the last few months and might not be too serious about the comment.
Will
And Baszil will decline into the deadly lights of death. "Gunna pass on that."
"Krowe, what's going on here?" Bazsil asks, looking around and trying to figure out what is going on here.
Perception
Know (religion) - haunt?
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”Murderer?” Krowe glances at Baszil. ” What are you taking about?”
He looks at the swirling ring, trying to understand what is happening.
Resisting the urge to walk into the fairy blender, he moves close to his companions and reaches out. ”Gather!”
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Krowe and Bazsil both recognize this as a haunt, the rage and pain caused by the murders of the sprites having poured that dark energy into the village. Bazsil knows that such things tend to trigger on a cycle and that you'll most likely have some time before it happens again.
Krowe walks you back out to the river, Wendel quaking in fear. After a minute the bone wind collapses and you see that everything is as it was before you entered the village.
(heroism)
Faolan shakes his head at the poor dead fey. "This corruption is bad." he murmurs simply.
He follows the others and backs out.
"Yeah, let's do that," Bazsil agrees, and then answers Bor. "Ah, just someone whispering about how we're doing all the murdering. I'm surprised you didn't hear it. But it also wasn't something that we could really argue...we've been murdering hobgobs for a while now and will continue to do so."
"Unless there is something we need in that village, or if we know a way to put the souls to rest, we should go around."
Know (religion) - put this haunt down?
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Bazsil suspects that if the sprites were killed and left here that the best way to remove the haunt is to give them a proper burial. You'd have to spend several hours gathering all the skeletons, cleaning them, and finding a suitable place to bury them.
Leaving the village behind, you continue down the bank of the river. Not more than 100 feet down the river, or so you think as distance is hard to judge in this blighted land, you see another clearing.
The enormous stone slabs arranged in a circular pattern here are covered in choking vines, creeping moss, and patches of slick, black fungus. Embedded into this foliage, as if deliberately lashed to each stone, are the scarred skeletons of humanoid creatures, some of which bear cloven feet. In the middle of the circle is a smaller, squat stone with a spidery rune carved on it.
Faolan hesitates a moment whispering to the others, "Well, that looks ominous does it not?"
He waits for the smart folk to figure it out before striding in boldly to face whatever may lie within.
Bazsil explains about the haunt, and considers returning if the party has the time…and since they were in a war, he wasn’t sure of that answer.
”Oh boy, what is that?” Bazsil pauses, trying to make out the rune from a safe distance.
Know (arcana)
”Lets come back for them.” Krowe says regarding the pixie haunt, though he wonders if someone will have to do the same for him and the mercs.
Upon seeing the rune-marked stone, Krowe suggests a fireball to burn away the fungus, bodies, and foliage.
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You move in and inspect the area more closely.
The skeletal creatures have been dead for at least several months —some for years.
These skeletons are satyrs and dryads.
The scarring visible on the bones is the work of black dragon acid—likely from a very old black dragon.
The symbol on the center stone can be identified as the unholy symbol of Cyth-V’sug, demon lord of fungus and parasites.
As you move closer you hear a soft voice from the trees. "They move in, examining the site of horror. Little did they know the evil done here."
"I did."
He calls out, "Hey, who's out there? We've seen the evil done around here and are trying to do something about it. Can you help?"
He waits to enter the area.
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Bazsil joins Bors in unraveling the mystery.
Know (Nature)
Know (Religion)
”Harrumph, huh.”
”Acid. Death. Makes sense.” Bazsil says before turning to the speaker of the voice.
”You speak truth. We would hear more if you wish to share it,” he says, trying to make nice.
Diplomacy
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The voice seems to move through the trees, though you can't make out a source yet. "They question the wind, wondering about the fate of these poor souls. Do they think they're talking to their gods, or a ghost of one lost? Harsh voices disturb the stillness, come to seek the truth of transformation. Whose they wonder? Perhaps their own."
"I expect you're more likely the ghost of one lost. But we don't mean to disturb the stillness. We're just trying to do some good."
Bazsil continues his diplomatic efforts.
"The wind hears my words and answers strangely. Perhaps the wind has some wisdom within it to offer. What of the transformation? Whisper it to the leaves so that we might hear."
”Perhaps the wind can tell them where the monster is that brought this death and horror?” Krowe says, not knowing if the voice was playing a game or just observing the world differently than them.
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A long caterpillar-like creature winds down from the trees in a different spot than the voice was coming from. When the creature speaks the deep soothing sound is the same however. "The warriors thought they had knowledge, but the knowing of things and the seeing of things are not always the same. Wonder they did, at the madness of the Blight. Curious they were, the many ways of the wind in this haunted place."
This is a remacera, a large fey creature of the the First World obsessed with transformation and metamorphosis. This one appears a few degrees off plumb.
"Here it was, the dragon sought her final form, a painful journey of self-discovery whose destination they now stand in." The creature rears up and waves back and forth. "woooooooooooooooooooo"
Know (Nature)
"Which warriors do you refer to? We have already claimt to have little knowledge and seek answers. Are there other warriors around, perhaps hobgoblin ones, who might know more?" Bazsil replies, trying to make sense of the creature.
"Yeah, and what did the dragon discover?" Faolan inquires figuring the group was the warriors in the random babble. He's beginning to think the creature isn't all there, and so the things it says shouldn't be trusted anyway...
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"Wondered they did, where the dragon could be. The trees do not know. The wind does not know. The dead know. The stream knows."
The fey does appear to be quite mad but presents no threat to you. Eventually you decide to press on to the west, following the stream once again. Once again time and space seem to warp somewhat as you travel and you can't be sure how long you've been moving along the bank.
Although it’s sluggish and scummy, the stream here takes on an entirely different, more menacing character. Further west, pink froth turns into deep crimson ribbons until the entire stream runs red. Paths lead south and southeast, while the muddied trail you've been following runs alongside the bloodied stream east and west.
You see 3 fey with large scythes hiding in the shrubbery to the south of you. They do not appear friendly.
Perception
Know (Nature) - redcaps?
Bazsil spins to follow Bor's action, raising his bow and starting his song of rage.
"Fey. Begone. We aim,
for slighter slights,
we quest not for fame,
but only to make things right."
to hit;
cold iron piercing damage.
Fort +14, Reflex +14, Will +11
Front Row
Opponent: None
- - -
Conditions: Heroism, Song (+4 Str/Con, +3 Will, +1 AC (dodge), +1 AC (insight vs outsiders & aberrations), +1d6 dam (evil outsiders), skill limits)
Equipped: Shield
Shield Melee: Attack: BAB 14/9/4, Str +6, Focus +2, Magic +5, (flurry -2) Damage: Str +6, Bash +1, Magic +5, Specialization +4 (crit: 20)
Shield Ranged: Attack: BAB 14/9/4, Dex +2, Focus +2, Magic +5 (flurry -2) Damage: Str +6, Bash +1, Magic +5, Specialization +4 (crit: 20)
Shield DR: magic, cold iron, silver, adamantine, alignment
Silver Blanch, Cold Iron Arrows: 12/12; Ghost Salt, Cold Iron Arrows 8/8
Improved Iron Will (re-roll will save): 1/1
Martial Flexibility (1x immediate, 3x swift): 10/10
Knockout (DC 23, 1d6r): 1/2
Shield Bearer (free, adjacent ally +2 AC (trait)): 1/1
Ironfang Survivor (free, roll twice vs goblinoid (intimidate, sense motive, stealth)): 1/1
Jingasa (negate crit or sneak): 1/1
Cap (re-roll failed mind-affecting effect): 1/1
Headband (fly): 0/3, 8m, fly +24
Shield (daylight): 0/1, 60m, 60’r
Faolan knows about Bor’s walls, and he can’t see it, so he stands just ahead of the party and smashes his shield, ”C’mon and get it!”
He readies an attack on any who may close.
(song)
- - -
Catching a glimpse before Bor’s wall springs up, Krowe nods.”I saw them too. Ugly gnomes with red caps. If I’m correct, these things are cold-blooded murderers and deserve no quarter if they attack.”
Calling out in sylvan (or aklo if more appropriate), Krowe says, ”We saw you hiding there redcaps! We are here to end Arlantia’s corruption. If you side with her you will soon be soaking your own hats.”
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They are redcaps, or parts of redcaps at any rate. They seems to have quickling parts glued to them with fungal blight, an unholy combination if ever you've seen one. Having been spotted, they curse and move far more rapidly than you expect, dashing into the clearing and throwing thorns at Faolan, Bor, and Bazsil.
Though it hasn’t worked well in the past, Krowe attempts to capture one of the redquicks with an enemy hammer spell.
Fort
Baszil ignores the quill, mostly, and attacks back with more arrows. He aims at the one he hit last time.
to hit;
cold iron piercing damage.
to hit;
cold iron piercing damage.
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"Fall back slowly, let them keep coming." Bor raises his shield and draws his shortspear, tossing it at the evil Redcaps.
HP 138/149
AC 26 (29 w/ SoF; +4 vs Goblinoids; DR/2- Goblinoid)
Spells Used:
(1st) Shield of Faith
(2nd)
(3rd) Magic Circle against Evil
(4th) Wrathful Weapon, Blessing of Fervor
(5th) True Seeing; Blood Tentacles; Wall of Blindness
(6th) Heroes' Feast
(7th) Greater Bestow Curse x2, Destruction
Vision of Madness 8/10
Aura of Madness 14/14
Sudden Shift 10/10
Master's Illusion 14/14
Griffon Wondrous Figurine 2/2 week
CPE 0/3 (7d6)
Fort +14, Reflex +14, Will +11
Front Row
Opponent: None
- - -
Conditions: Heroism, Song (+4 Str/Con, +3 Will, +1 AC (dodge), +1 AC (insight vs outsiders & aberrations), +1d6 dam (evil outsiders), skill limits)
Equipped: Shield
Shield Melee: Attack: BAB 14/9/4, Str +6, Focus +2, Magic +5, (flurry -2) Damage: Str +6, Bash +1, Magic +5, Specialization +4 (crit: 20)
Shield Ranged: Attack: BAB 14/9/4, Dex +2, Focus +2, Magic +5 (flurry -2) Damage: Str +6, Bash +1, Magic +5, Specialization +4 (crit: 20)
Shield DR: magic, cold iron, silver, adamantine, alignment
Silver Blanch, Cold Iron Arrows: 12/12; Ghost Salt, Cold Iron Arrows 8/8
Improved Iron Will (re-roll will save): 1/1
Martial Flexibility (1x immediate, 3x swift): 10/10
Knockout (DC 23, 1d6r): 1/2
Shield Bearer (free, adjacent ally +2 AC (trait)): 1/1
Ironfang Survivor (free, roll twice vs goblinoid (intimidate, sense motive, stealth)): 1/1
Jingasa (negate crit or sneak): 1/1
Cap (re-roll failed mind-affecting effect): 1/1
Headband (fly): 0/3, 8m, fly +24
Shield (daylight): 0/1, 60m, 60’r
Faolan, assuming he has no opponent directly in front of him, throws his shield repeatedly against the enemy. If Krowe’s spell worked, he’ll melee the poor redcap. In that case +4 to attacks.
(hero, song)
(song)
(hero, song)
(song)
(hero, song)
(song)
(hero, song)
(song)
(hero, song)
dice=damage]2d6+16+2[/dice] (song)
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Bazsil's first arrow hits and does nothing to the fey. It appears these creatures have the same resistance to damage as the blighted satyr. His second and third arrow miss completely.
Bor's spear misses and Krowe is able to slip past the resistance of his foe only to feel the hand slide off as it resists him.
Faolan alone is able to do some damage, but even then he sees the wounds begin to close and fill with fungus and at least two strikes miss because they are moving so quickly.
Seeing their thorns fail and that the party has plenty of ranged attacks, they close the distance.
They're all through the wall and unaffected. Two of them converge on Faolan while the third attacks Bor.
Fort +14, Reflex +14, Will +11
Front Row
Opponent: None
- - -
Conditions: Heroism, Song (+4 Str/Con, +3 Will, +1 AC (dodge), +1 AC (insight vs outsiders & aberrations), +1d6 dam (evil outsiders), skill limits)
Equipped: Shield
Shield Melee: Attack: BAB 14/9/4, Str +6, Focus +2, Magic +5, (flurry -2) Damage: Str +6, Bash +1, Magic +5, Specialization +4 (crit: 20)
Shield Ranged: Attack: BAB 14/9/4, Dex +2, Focus +2, Magic +5 (flurry -2) Damage: Str +6, Bash +1, Magic +5, Specialization +4 (crit: 20)
Shield DR: magic, cold iron, silver, adamantine, alignment
Silver Blanch, Cold Iron Arrows: 12/12; Ghost Salt, Cold Iron Arrows 8/8
Improved Iron Will (re-roll will save): 1/1
Martial Flexibility (1x immediate, 3x swift): 10/10
Knockout (DC 23, 1d6r): 1/2
Shield Bearer (free, adjacent ally +2 AC (trait)): 1/1
Ironfang Survivor (free, roll twice vs goblinoid (intimidate, sense motive, stealth)): 1/1
Jingasa (negate crit or sneak): 1/1
Cap (re-roll failed mind-affecting effect): 1/1
Headband (fly): 0/3, 8m, fly +24
Shield (daylight): 0/1, 60m, 60’r
As they rush forward Faolan gets clocked in the head once, rocking him back slightly. ”Now that’s more like it. Let’s go!”
(hero, song)
(song)
(hero, song)
(song)
(hero, song)
(song)
(hero, song)
(song)
(hero, song)
(song)
He swings with wild abandon, enjoying the rhythm of the blows after a rough start.
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The spear returns to Bor's hands where he sticks it into the ground. He charges in to block the enemy from reaching Faolan.
HP 138/149
AC 26 (29 w/ SoF; +4 vs Goblinoids; DR/2- Goblinoid)
Spells Used:
(1st) Shield of Faith
(2nd)
(3rd) Magic Circle against Evil
(4th) Wrathful Weapon, Blessing of Fervor
(5th) True Seeing; Blood Tentacles; Wall of Blindness
(6th) Heroes' Feast
(7th) Greater Bestow Curse x2, Destruction
Vision of Madness 8/10
Aura of Madness 14/14
Sudden Shift 10/10
Master's Illusion 14/14
Griffon Wondrous Figurine 2/2 week
CPE 0/3 (7d6)
Round 2
Continue song. Drop bow.
Draw long sword.
Cast Vanish. Move into flank.
Seeing that his bow didn't do much, he switches weapons and moves into flank, turning invisible.
1) +4 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution
2) +4 morale bonus on Will saving throws
3) +1 to dodge AC (+2 for guarded stance,-1 for song)
4) You cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or use any ability that requires concentration.
5) +1 insight AC vs Outsiders and Aberrations
6) +1d6 damage vs. evil outsiders and considered good-aligned
7) Weapons gain good/evil/chaotic/lawful for overcoming DR
8) +2 resistance bonus vs. spells or effects with an alignment descriptor or that come from an outsider or aberration while raging
[ dice]1d20+17[/dice] to hit; ()
slashing damage.
[ dice]1d20+9[/dice] to hit; ( )
slashing damage.
[ dice]1d20+14[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d8+7[/dice] piercing damage.
[ dice]1d20+9[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d8+7[/dice] piercing damage.
HP: 133/133
DR 1/—
AC: 24 (8 armor, 3 dex, 1 nat, 2 def) = 24/26 vs. gobs. +1 haste
L1: 1/6 used (CLW*0, Ident*0, FF*0, Grease*0, Vanish*1, LibCom*0)
L2: 1/6 used (Invis*0, Gallant*0, Heroism*1, Blister*0, BDash*0)
L3: 1/5 used (GHope*1,InvisSpher*0,JJ*0,SeeInv*0)
L4: 1/3 used (DDoor*0,Echo*1,FoM*0,GrInv*0)
Kenning: 0/2 used
Words: 8/28 used
Battlecries: 0/3 used (+1 morale to hit;+4 morale to fear saves 1 minute)
Ironfangedness: 0/1 used
Extend Lesser: 0/3 used
Dbane Arrows: 0/3 used
HuBane Arrows: 0/3 used
Defiant Luck: 0/1 used
Smite: not used
Grit: not used
Panache: are you kidding me?
Ki: not used
Rage: maybe later
[spoiler=Bazsil's Deep Song of Wrath] Bazsil has activated his bard like song. You can opt in or opt out. Your choice...but you get all or none of the below. Bazsil will be opting in because that's what he does. You get:
1) +4 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution
2) +4 morale bonus on Will saving throws
3) +1 to dodge AC (+2 for guarded stance,-1 for song)
4) You cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or use any ability that requires concentration.
5) +1 insight AC vs Outsiders and Aberrations
6) +1d6 damage vs. evil outsiders and considered good-aligned
7) Weapons gain good/evil/chaotic/lawful for overcoming DR
8) +2 resistance bonus vs. spells or effects with an alignment descriptor or that come from an outsider or aberration while raging[ /spoiler]
[spoiler=Battle Cry (+1 morale to hit, +4 vs. fear)]
Benefit: A number of times per day equal to your Charisma bonus, you can let out a battle cry as a swift action. When you do, allies within 30 feet who can hear you gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear. This effect lasts for 1 minute.
If an ally is under the effect of this feat and fails a saving throw, she can choose to end the battle cry’s effect on her to reroll the failed save against a fear effect. The ally must take the result of the reroll, even if it’s lower. Each ally can use this effect only once per use of this feat.
[/ spoiler]
Krowe abandons direct spells and decides to even the playing field. ”We can be quick too, you ugly little runts.”