Fulk is mostly delirious throughout the process. He sees flashes of his past, of orcs and dragons, raids and fire. Other flashes he cannot place, and he knows not if they are dreams or prophecies, visions of ghosts, vampires, stitched monsters, and other, stranger things. Through it all he feels a gnawing hunger. When he becomes sensible again, he is in a bed, being ministered to by a Kellid healer. ”What? Where is this? Who are you?” he asks, looking around. When he sees Drogeda, he relaxes somewhat as he remembers fighting the creature. ”You must be the doctor.” he says, looking again at Brias.
Being around others of the people is almost enough to make Brias slip, but he keeps his mask up for now.
"I wouldn't say 'doctor,' but, yes. I'm the healer. I hear you punched a nightmare and lived to tell the tale. That was either very brave of you or very stupid of you, or perhaps a bit of both. No, don't sit up so fast. You're going to need to get used to going slow for a little while. Your body is doing a lot of work just keeping you alive at the moment. Give it some grace."
"How is your stomach? Can you eat? You'll need to get something down, and soon, if you can."
"I don't," Aliseya shakes her head no to Rhia's question.
"We'd have to go back to Lepidstadt to have it removed..."
As Sunny elaborates her thoughts, Aliseya tries to follow her eccentric way of explaining things. And she thinks she succeeds.
"We're... um, not entirely sure what it is capable of. Only that it can track us, and maybe sense more..." She grows flush, "I probably should have thought of that before saying all of this..."
As Naught insists on pressing onward, Aliseya adds, "I... I think it would take too long to return. I agree, we should press on. We'd lose track of..." she thinks better of explicitly stating the necromancer or the Way, "who we're after if we turned back now. Turning back now might give them the time to complete their mission, and none of us wants to see them succeed..."
When Zelda asks what they can do for her, Naught responds, "Recommend a good therapist?"
She then tips her hat and smiles at Sookie, "Nevermind, found one."
Naught then gives Zelda an encouraging hug. "We've got this, don't worry about me."
"I'll be fine," she reassures everyone.
"Just don't say our plans out loud in front of m... oh crap."
Aliseya looks skeptically at Naught for a moment. She embraces her love tenderly for a moment, but only long enough to avoid crying. Much.
Being around others of the people is almost enough to make Brias slip, but he keeps his mask up for now.
"I wouldn't say 'doctor,' but, yes. I'm the healer. I hear you punched a nightmare and lived to tell the tale. That was either very brave of you or very stupid of you, or perhaps a bit of both. No, don't sit up so fast. You're going to need to get used to going slow for a little while. Your body is doing a lot of work just keeping you alive at the moment. Give it some grace."
"How is your stomach? Can you eat? You'll need to get something down, and soon, if you can."
"My stomach is very empty. I feel like I haven't eaten in a week. You got any food around here?" Fulk says, pushing himself up a bit and looking around the room.
Accustomer to reading people, Rhia sees the brave front Naught puts on for what it is, as well as Aliseya's valiant effort to hold things together for her sake, giving them both a compassionate look whilst simply nodding.
Brias smiles. "Aye, I've got some food. Move slow, now. Your body is still mostly fighting its own battle."
Brias goes about making a quick plate of food. Nothing fancy. Some fruit. Dried meat. Day old bread.
He gives the plate to Fulk and asks, "You're from around here?"
As the companions discuss Naught's trauma, the revelation that the party is still being tracked, and their plan to carry forward, sunset shifts to mid-evening. Everyone beds down for the evening, except Zelda on first watch. Distant wolf howls aside, the night passes uneventfully for her.
Uneventfully, that is, until she thinks she spots the slightest movement in the tall pines above...
"Ghoul fever..." the half-orc woman repeats Brias's diagnosis with an expression of distaste.
Thought she seems genuinely concerned, she smirks at Fulk. With apparent sarcasm, "On the bright side, you're not turning into a werewolf."
She thanks Brias for his help and the positive prognosis, then introduces herself as "Drogeda."
"No tea for me, thanks." That sarcasm again.
She then takes a seat near Fulk.
Brias smiles. "Aye, I've got some food. Move slow, now. Your body is still mostly fighting its own battle."
Brias goes about making a quick plate of food. Nothing fancy. Some fruit. Dried meat. Day old bread.
He gives the plate to Fulk and asks, "You're from around here?"
"Ah, not exactly. I'm from Belkzen originally, but, well, I'm...no longer really welcome there. Had some contacts over this way, thought I might be able to make my way here."
Sunny again retreats to her tree branch nest along with Chancy.
Having made it evident that she's quite happy to be up bright and early for last watch and help with morning vittles and restitutions.
(^_^)
Brias gives Drogeda a glance, picking up on her sarcasm.
When Fulk tells him he's from Belkzen, Brias raises an eyebrow. A look of intense curiosity on his face, he leans in.
"Truly? You fled Belkzen Hold? My fath... I mean, my friend came from there, many years ago. Any who have gotten out of that place is welcome here. Whatever payment you or your friend" - he indicates Drodgeda - "may have had planned for me, you can keep."
Fox enters the room, sniffs Dorgeda, and then sits back on her haunches behind Brias, watching.
"This must've been a good friend, to make such an impression on you." Fulk says, oblivious to Brias's slip. "At any rate, I thank you for your kindness. Such is rarely seen these days. Especially for...our kind" he says, nodding to Drogeda.
Brias looks conflicted. "People are people. At the end of the day, we're all just trying to survive."
Drogeda also misses the slip. But she does take notice of the fox. At first wary of an unwanted pest, she quickly realizes the fox is Brias's. Fox immediately grows on her, and she offers her a treat: a broken bit of a trail ration.
"Is this what you smell, cutie?"
She is pleasantly surprised to hear the healing services are free. Nodding to Fulk, she says "Thank you!" to Brias.
She nods in agreement with his wisdom.
As his meal settles and the tea kicks in, Fulk loses consciousness and falls into a deep, healing sleep.
Drogeda checks to see if he's still breathing. Satisfied, she looks around, and then looks at Brias.
"Guess I can camp out back. Out of sight," she suggests to Brias, who understands the implication very well: some of Brias's human patients might get a real fright to see her in the morning.
She motions to Fulk though, "Is he... alright, right here?"
She thanks the healer once, then takes her leave to rest for the night.
Fulk slowly returns to consciousness. He's disoriented for a moment before realizing he must have passed out. He's still in the same bed, but the sun's rays entering through the window would indicate it's now early morning.
When he tries to move, he still feels like a warcat of Rull is sleeping on his chest. And his arms feel as though they've carried such a massive cat for hours. But, he feels some improvement from yesterday: his health is returning.
But he's not quite there yet.
As Zelda contemplates the future and Naught's circumstance while on night watch, she is suddenly taken out of her thoughts and into the present moment...
Something suddenly brushes against Zelda's head and neck. She instinctively reaches to deflect it, feeling and now seeing a slick, rope-like substance as it tries to wrap around her neck, like a noose!
She now sees the silky, thin, almost transparent rope shimmering in the dim moon light light. It reaches down to her from the tree branches above, where someone, or something, hides well. The foliage of the tall pine makes it hard to see, but it's about 30 ft. above Zelda's head.
Whatever is hidden there, it clearly just tried to hang Zelda!
Some 30 ft. above you in a tree, you catch a glimpse of some kind of creature in the dim moon light... perhaps five, no six feet long? A big spider you think at first, but then notice its roughly humanoid shape...
Wait, there's another one of them in a branch right above it. And there's another one, just next to that one... how many are there?!
You identify the creatures as ettercaps. This hideous purple creature walks upright like a man, but its face is that of a spider, and its hands are sickle-shaped claws.
Ettercaps are solitary creatures and rarely group with others of their kind, even to mate. When they do group, they tend to attract a variety of different spiders, forming a strange collective of ettercaps and arachnids. Ettercaps are known for building cunning traps out of webs and other natural materials, using them to trap prey. They build shelters out of webbing, often high up in the trees away from other ground-based predators, and use monstrous spiders as lookouts and guardians.
Ettercaps are not brave creatures, but their traps often ensure that the enemy never draws a weapon. When an ettercap does engage its enemies, it attacks with its claws and venomous bite. It usually refuses to come within melee reach of any foe that is still able to move, and flees if an opponent gets free.
Early Morning, Toilday, 8th of Calistril
Fulk slowly returns to consciousness. He's disoriented for a moment before realizing he must have passed out. He's still in the same bed, but the sun's rays entering through the window would indicate it's now early morning.
When he tries to move, he still feels like a warcat of Rull is sleeping on his chest. And his arms feel as though they've carried such a massive cat for hours. But, he feels some improvement from yesterday: his health is returning.
But he's not quite there yet.
"Well, we were really trying to get to the Ascanor Lodge. This little incident has put us rather behind schedule. Any chance I could convince you to come with us? It'd be good to have a healer, just in case."
Sunny, sleeping higher in canopy...
As the sleeping adventurers awaken to the sound of Zelda's warning, her voice is sharply cut off... the silken noose makes another attempt and wraps around her neck this time. But before it can tighten, she gracefully slips right out of it.
Three web-like nets then descend onto the party from the surrounding trees. One tries to stick Christoph to the ground. But the swift Speaker is already on his feet, reaching for his bow and grimly scanning the trees above as he dodges the web.
A second web lands on Sookie... or at least on her bedroll. She too evades her web, having arisen and readying her own bow.
A third tries to stick it to the evasive blonde rogue, but again the frustrated web-spinner is disappointed as she somersaults out of the way with ease.
By the time everyone is standing and armed, you see a silk-like, semi-translucent rope hanging from a tree branch near Zelda. And three web-like nets now cover two of your bedrolls and the ground near Zelda was.
There are at least four of them in the trees above and around you...
Ettercaps are solitary creatures and rarely group with others of their kind, even to mate. When they do group, they tend to attract a variety of different spiders, forming a strange collective of ettercaps and arachnids. Ettercaps are known for building cunning traps out of webs and other natural materials, using them to trap prey. They build shelters out of webbing, often high up in the trees away from other ground-based predators, and use monstrous spiders as lookouts and guardians.
Ettercaps are not brave creatures, but their traps often ensure that the enemy never draws a weapon. When an ettercap does engage its enemies, it attacks with its claws and venomous bite. It usually refuses to come within melee reach of any foe that is still able to move, and flees if an opponent gets free.
Drogeda checks to see if he's still breathing. Satisfied, she looks around, and then looks at Brias."Guess I can camp out back. Out of sight," she suggests to Brias, who understands the implication very well: some of Brias's human patients might get a real fright to see her in the morning.
She motions to Fulk though, "Is he... alright, right here?"
She thanks the healer once, then takes her leave to rest for the night.
** spoiler omitted **
Brias speaks up, "No need for that. I have another cot in here somewhere. It will be a little, ah, cozy, but we will all fit."
As Fulk awakens and begins speaking to Brias about their quest, a short Kellish woman enters the front door. She is about to speak to Brias when she takes notice of the patient and his companion, Drogeda.
She matter-of-factly states to Brias, "Another late night, boss?" as she approaches Fulk to examine him. She is dressed in practical, plain clothes, and looks Fulk up and down with an inquisitive expression.
"Well, we were really trying to get to the Ascanor Lodge. This little incident has put us rather behind schedule. Any chance I could convince you to come with us? It'd be good to have a healer, just in case."
Brias raises an eyebrow. "The Ascanor Lodge? What could you possibly want there? And at a time like this, when the wood is... what's the word? Agitated? There are more werewolves and there is more wrongness than I've seen in years."
Early Morning, Toilday, 8th of Calistril
As Fulk awakens and begins speaking to Brias about their quest, a short Kellish woman enters the front door. She is about to speak to Brias when she takes notice of the patient and his companion, Drogeda.
She matter-of-factly states to Brias, "Another late night, boss?" as she approaches Fulk to examine him. She is dressed in practical, plain clothes, and looks Fulk up and down with an inquisitive expression.
** spoiler omitted **
"Ah! Annik! Yes, this fellow was passing through the wood and crossed paths with one of its more inhospitable denizens. Fortunately, his companion got him here quickly enough. The ghoul fever itself has been treated, and now he's in the fun that is recovery."
To Fulk, he says, "Annik is my assistant. She is quite capable, and you can trust her discretion, insofar as you feel you need it."
Fox flicks her tail and then bops the back of Annik's leg with her head. She then twitches her ears and tilts her head invitingly, obviously looking for scritches.
"Well, we were really trying to get to the Ascanor Lodge. This little incident has put us rather behind schedule. Any chance I could convince you to come with us? It'd be good to have a healer, just in case."
Brias raises an eyebrow. "The Ascanor Lodge? What could you possibly want there? And at a time like this, when the wood is... what's the word? Agitated? There are more werewolves and there is more wrongness than I've seen in years."
Fulk rolls his head a bit, then shrugs. "As I said, I'm new to the area. I have contacts at Ascanor. Gotta get there somehow. Waiting just gives" he gestures to the outside generally "whatever's out there more time."
Brias sits down as he listens to Fulk. "And you think there might be someone at Ascanor who can help with," Brias mimics Fulk's gesture, "whatever's out there?"
He is quiet for a time, and he seems not to notice when Fox hops up in his lap. He begins idly scratching her head and thinking.
After perhaps half an hour of stillness, he looks down into Fox's eyes, lets out a sigh, and stands up.
"Yes, Fulk. I think I will accompany you, at least to the lodge. I could use a closer look at what's ailing my forest, and you could use the help, clearly."
He nods at Annick and drops his hex, his Kellid face melting away, replaced by strong half-orc features.
"After all. Our people should stick together out here."
Jumping up in alarm as she’s awakened by Zelda's warning, Rhia looks up at the creatures attacking from the trees. Even as she prepares herself for battle, she calls out to her ancestors, a whirling storm of warrior spirits unleashing their protective fury in the midst of the creatures,
Brias sits down as he listens to Fulk. "And you think there might be someone at Ascanor who can help with," Brias mimics Fulk's gesture, "whatever's out there?"
He is quiet for a time, and he seems not to notice when Fox hops up in his lap. He begins idly scratching her head and thinking.
After perhaps half an hour of stillness, he looks down into Fox's eyes, lets out a sigh, and stands up.
"Yes, Fulk. I think I will accompany you, at least to the lodge. I could use a closer look at what's ailing my forest, and you could use the help, clearly."
He nods at Annick and drops his hex, his Kellid face melting away, replaced by strong half-orc features.
"After all. Our people should stick together out here."
Fulk is caught off guard, but quickly breaks into a smile. He offers his hand. "That we do. Good to have you with us."
Three arrows swiftly fly towards the tree above, aimed at what was trying to hang Zelda.
"Ettercaps," the Speaker grumbles. Piercing eyes aimed up at the trees, his face is the visage of Sterness Incarnate.
"Spider people," he continues. "Cowards, they prefer webs and traps to melee. They'll flee if we press them."
As he reaches for more arrows, he adds, "Watch for large spiders, too. They like to keep them around..."
An eerie glow appears in the trees above. Ectoplasmic old warriors bearing a resemblance to Rhia bear arms against two of the spider creatures above. Though their insectoid faces show no human-readable emotion, you get the strong impression they are frightened half to death at the sight of angry ghosts.
Before one can flee, a barrage of arrows from Zelda and Christoph finish it off. The body falls thirty feet to the ground, landing beside Zelda with a sickly splat.
The other climbs higher up into the trees with lightning-fast speed.
There is movement in two other trees above. You see glimpses of insectile limbs scrambling to get as far away from you as quickly as they possibly can. One creature flees through the trees to your left, the other flees through yet more trees to your right, effectively splitting up in three different directions.
-42
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Seeing the creatures flee, Rhia decides against pursuing them, understanding that they are in search of easy prey, and unlikely to return.
The surviving ettercaps disappear into the night as the groggy companions settle back down. Christoph and Sookie walk around the camp's perimeter for good measure, reporting that there are no signs of further immediate danger, ettercaps or otherwise.
Christoph tells Zelda, "I'll take over the watch. Get some rest."
The rest of the night passes uneventfully. One by one, the companions all arise by an hour after dawn. Some slept more soundly than others, for the terrors of these woods are difficult to put aside. They now know from experience this forest was named the Shudderwood for good reason.
After breakfast and other preparations for the day are made, the companions saddle up on this chilly winter morning, and continue along the old hunting trail for their third day. About an hour in, the trail bends right, heading in a nearly southward direction. By noontime, it turns left back to a southeastward direction...
Annik nods with understanding after Fulk's and Brias's exchange.
"I'll tell them you're visiting your family in Chastel," she says to Brias, implying she's good with taking over the healing practice in his stead.
For the rest of the day, patients come and go: a sprained ankle, a bruised hand, a broken toe. The troubles of villagers as they get antsy to start plowing their fields with the forthcoming break of winter approaching.
None of them notice the big sweating half-orc or his companion hiding out in the back behind some curtains. Annik and Brias take turns checking in on their special patient, though.
When evening comes, dinner is prepared and served. Nothing fancy, though Annik was sure to pick up fresh meat and fixings for a heartier meal than yesterday's. Fulk is now able to sit up and move about for a change. Fortunately, there are no late-nighters knocking on the door tonight. The conversation revolves around getting to Ascanor Lodge, what to do once they get there, about Brias making sure Annik is good on her own, about Drogeda's and Fulk's flight from Belkzen, the troubles of the Shudderwood, and about the embarrassing but funny moment when Annik first learned of Brias's half-orc nature...
At dawn the next morning, Fulk awakens feeling much better. His clothes and bed are wet with sweat: the last of the ghoul fever has been expelled.
There are no roads in the Shudderwood. Few wish to enter this spine-chilling realm who are not already here... and few are they who would risk their lives to the fell dangers that await those attempting to leave the dark forest's embrace.
But the Silent Path is known to the companions: a very old hunting trail that traverses through the Shudderwood. The nearest point along that trail is due south of them, and can be reached in about two days travel by foot. From there, the trail can be taken further south to Ascanor Lodge.
Drogeda is already packed and ready to accompany the two men.
Annik is there as well, preparing for her first day without Brias's leadership. She appears a little nervous, but there is no doubt in her mind or in Brias's that she will do well on her own.
Packed and ready to head out, the three companions take their leave of Annik in the early morning to avoid the notice of the villagers. For the woods remain as dark as night in spite of the sun's early morning rays, for they cannot penetrate the tall woodland trees or their dense foliage yet. But this presents no issue for three pairs of orcish eyes...
The three make their way to a narrow game trail that roughly heads south, knowing that it eventually connects with the Silent Path.
As the companions ride on into the early afternoon, they hear the sound of running water up ahead. It gets louder as they go. As the trail bends left in an easterly direction, they spot an old oak bridge that spans the width of a running river up ahead of some 15 feet in width.
Seated near the bridge's entrance upon on a large tree trunk stub, a 14-foot tall humanoid creature looks with boredom at the river. Green-bearded, beastial-faced and tusked, the large creature wears tidbits of mismatched armor over its large and green hairy form.
You come to a halt some thirty feet away, partly concealed by trees from the bend in the trail. For the moment, the creature does not seem to notice you.
If you rolled a 20 or greater on this check, you additionally know that trolls are notoriously ferocious, formidable, and fearless in combat, for they posses an innate ability to quickly heal wounds.
If you rolled a 25 or greater, you more or less know all of the traits of trolls found here, including that only acid or fire can halt the troll's innate ability to regenerate wounds.
The morning hours go by as the three companions make their way along the trail. Breaking around noon for a meal, they carry on throughout the afternoon.
The trail grows wilder and more difficult to follow at this point. Drogeda takes the lead from here on. Kneeling down to read the signs a few times along the way, she ensures they don't get lost.
"This trail's not been used in a while," she remarks. "I wonder why..."
Nightfall approaches. As the light in the deep pine woods grows dimmer, the companions realize the occasional sounds and sights of squirrels, birds, and other small wildlife have largely stopped. Apart from the sound of winter's breeze in the trees, there is an eerie silence.
Drogeda halts. Peering carefully ahead, up, and around, Fulk then sees it, too... Stepping forward, Brias tries to get a better look when Drogeda suddenly halts him with a firm hand to his chest. Placing a finger to her lips to silently signal "QUIET!", Brias realizes she just stopped him from walking right into a web...
The trail ahead is riddled with large webs. Various thick strands of webbing span up from the ground into the high trees above. The companions can make out several large spider-like web patterns. Perhaps more are further along.
You know that giant crab spiders are dangerous ambush predators that live in dense forest vegetation. Though crab spiders are not web spinners, they are truly gifted climbers and use this talent to clamber up into places where they can observe wide areas from on high. Named for their curious scuttling walk and wide-legged stance, giant crab spiders are rarely larger than a typical adult halfling.
Given that they are not web spinners, you now wonder what DID spin these very large webs...