Kytes nods at the wisdom of waiting until the chaneque is out hunting to look for the remaining druid. "But after we have rescued your friend, we must kill the remaining chaneque, agreed? We must not let them continue to befoul the lands."
”So you did, and a good spearing it was! Attai returns good naturedly, rubbing his abdomen a little gingerly.
”A good plan Kolondros, and, I think, I agree with Kytes. This malfeasance must be ended.
Kolondros nods, "Indeed, eliminating the chaneque and destroying the skulls will free Grezhg from their possession."
Teas sell for 5bags/1gp. Brewing one bag of tea takes 10 minutes and requires steeping the tea in 1 pint of boiling water. The tea can be taken then or be stored in a waterskin for use later. Drinking or administering the tea is a move action and on the next round immediately alleviates the following conditions:
Tummy Tea - Nauseated
Energy Tea - Fatigued
Calming Tea - Shaken
Alertness Tea - Drowsy
As you wait for sundown, Kolondros guides you to the island in the bog, where he has a small, primitive, camp near the cave mouth.
Kytes will follow the lead of the others, uncomfortably impatient now that the source of evil is this close.
"I have a few potions, healing and protection from evil doers. Not sure either of those helps us right now but maybe if the chaneque turns on us in a fight."
Attai stumbles and leans on his morningstar, visibly fatigued. Also: wet, stained, stabbed, cured and somehow, not miserable. His sylph ability to rise above melancholy serves him well.
"An...interesting day. Do we rest and move on refreshed, or prepare to strike now while we yet may still have the element of surprise?"
Kolondros clarifies. His plan is to attack the chaneque when they emerge from their cave at dusk. To infiltrate the cave means facing yet another dominated druid (and his bear) first. Taking out the chaneque first will free the cave druid, as you freed him.
He informs you that there are three other chaneque nesting in the cave. What you know about the chaneque after facing one: They are small agile fey, they can fly, they have the ability to dominate if they hit you with a faerie skull, and they have some sort of fear ability.
Ashilia and Kolondros are mostly down to orisons, but they can provide everyone with Resistance. Kolondros also has some scrolls he offers as thanks for helping him out: Blend, Longstrider, and Whispering Lore.
"It wouldn't be wise to sleep here as long as the chaneque still occupy this place," he indicates his simple camp. "They can simply possess us while we rest."
Nodding, Iagon gives the cave a contemplative frown. If we attack at dusk, we will be engaged with three of the creatures, right? Do they have a preferred hunting grounds at which we could better ambush them, perhaps even one at a time?
”So be it, strike now while we hae some element of surprise,”
Attai listens and nods as Iagon begins to formulate a plan.
Kolondros shows you the cave mouth. Set into the base of a low hill in the island's center is a wide and low crevice, like the wicked grin of a hungry goblin. The entrance is veiled in mosses and gnarled tree roots. Between the cave and the bog are several of the large dark oaks, bare of leaves but dripping with moss. They'd provide plenty of cover to hide behind while remaining in sight of the cave.
As you make preparations, you realize the light in the forest is getting low. Dusk is fast approaching.
Before they go into the cave, Liamae uses her wand to replenish her mage armor. She draws power from her bracers and places an aegis on Kytes's armor as well.
As they approach and are still soemwhat gathered, Attai cast’s bless on the group. ”Let the Harrow guide us through to our own fate.”
Kytes stands ready, accepting the enchantment to his armor and the blessing from Attai. He whispers the prayer of Iomedae over and over and under his breath, waiting.
Iagon re-initiates his flesh of wood ability and waits with a blast ready to attack whatever comes out of the cave.
Beyond the dense forest canopy, the sun is setting in the west. Around the bog cave, the trees are sparse and dead, branches bare but covered in moss, so there’s a bit of an opening to the sky. It’s actually a pretty perfect location for a colony of bats to roost. As the party waits behind the massive tree trunks for the Chaneque to appear, they may catch a glimpse of the red-orange light of the setting sun highlighting the edge of a cumulous cloud.
Then there is the sound. Instinct and hunger draws the bats out to feed. Their approach is heralded by the sound of hundreds of thousands of tiny pairs of wings echoing out of the cave. Then, in a sudden eruption of movement, an entire cloud of bats bursts from the low and wide cave mouth, filling the air with ultrasonic chatter.
As the bat colony rises into the air above the trees, three small figures appear at the cave mouth. Gnarled and batlike themselves, the Chaneque stop and look around. In their dark tongue, the signal to each other that something is amiss.
Iagon moves out from cover, perhaps a bit overeager to prove himself given the failure of the last fight. He targets the lead Chaneque, then gathers up the power around him and hurls it out, taking more than a bit of his own energy to do so.
Then, seeing that he no doubt drew their attention, steps out again and draws the nearby wood and leaves about him in a whirlwind of splinters. Shouting out with power, he sends a hail of these splinters at the very same Chaneque.
Having refreshed her mage armor spell, Túrante is prepared to rush out and fight the chaneque, and she steps around the large tree and prepares for the chaneque to strike.
In a barrage of wooden ballistics, Iagon blasts one of the Chaneque from afar. The batlike Fey looks badly battered, but still stands.
The Chaneque hiss and howl as Turante appears before them, ready to strike.
“That’s it! Way to go!” shouts Ashilia excitedly. In his excitement, he turns to Liamae and gives her a touch of Guidance.
Turante advances on the nearest chaneque and lashes out with her sword, clearly not wasting time!
Attai sights his crossbow at the chaneque flayed by Iagon's burst and lets fly with a bolt.
[+1 BAB, +2 Dex, +1 bless]
Liamae moves forward a bit to get a clear bead on the chaneque Turante is attacking before firing an arrow past her fellow elf!
Kytes is just too far away to get any sword strokes in early on. He advances and takes his place next to Turante, protecting her right flank, and using his shield to try to ward any blows from the evil bat-men.
Kytes and Turante close with the nearest chaneque. A little bit quicker to act, Turante swishes her dueling blade, but her attack merely cuts the air above the chaneque's head.
Liamae fires a guided arrow directly between her two companions and hits the chaneque in its wicked heart, finishing the job Iagon started.
Attai follows with his heavy crossbow and nails the chaneque closest to him.
Kolondros spins around the other side of the tree and hurls a spear at the same chaneque.
His spear barely grazes the creature, not enough to cut through its blackened flesh.
Seeing the elf druid, the chaneque howl in realization, their slave has been freed. The injured chaneque glares at Kytes, its eyes flash red.
A chill runs down Kytes' spine, and he finds he is a little less sure of himself. The chaneque then clumsily flies around and behind Kytes and Turante, to take cover behind a tree.
The other chaneque removes a skull from its belt. In its dark tongue it barks out a command, then retreats further back into the darkness of the cave.
Unable to target any of the enemies, Iagon moves out from cover and joins Attai and Liamae. He watches the cave, looking for any sign of the retreating target.
Seeing Liamae and then Iagon run off, Ashilia bites his lower lip. He moves around the tree and points at the tree the Chaneque just flew behind. He begins making animal noises and writhing his fingers upward toward the sky as his eyes flash green. Just then, the soggy ground around the tree begins sprouting reeds and vines which quickly grow upward to wrap around anything they can.
On the other side of the tree clings the chaneque, and now it is lashed to the tree by moss and vine.
Seeing the closer chaneque contained, Liamae strides forward and shoots the distant creature!
Despite the chill from the glare of the chaneque's eyes, Kytes still has the will to fight these evil things. With one trussed up by Ashila's spell, he closes the gap to the nearest (yellow) one.
Attai drops his heavy crossbow and makes a beeline for the tree to his north, sprinting across the fen and rounding the dark bole, bringing his morningstar to bear as he does so.
Double Move: 70' movement to end at square C15
Liamae fires into the darkness of the cave, aiming for where she thinks the chaneque has gone.
Kytes can still see the creature and he charges into the cave mouth swinging. He cuts into the chaneque, spilling its dark blood.
Attai runs around the tree in order to cut off the entangled chaneque. However, he runs right into the area affected by Ashilia's spell.
The airy sylph nimbly avoids the clinging overgrowth and moves undeterred.
Turante's elven vision only goes so far, so she does not follow Kytes into the darkness of the cave. Instead she turns her focus on the chaneque now bound to the tree behind her and flings a globule of acid at it.
She is just unable to pinpoint the small creature in the tangle of moss and vines.
Kolondros moves to just inside the cave mouth and undergoes a subtle transformation. His eyes narrow and his pointed ears enlarge and become more batlike. He calls out, "Grezhg! It is I, Kolondros, come to free you friend!"
The entangled chaneque tries to free itself from the tree.
It struggles against the vines but remains entangled. Better to get someone else to help, it thinks. It grabs a skull from its belt and lobs it at Turante.
The skull flies harmlessly over Turante's head.
Deeper in the cave, the other chaneque strikes out at Kytes.
Kytes holds off the attack with his shield.
Then, out from the darkness, two figures emerge from deeper in the cave. Kytes can see another half-orc, wielding a heavy club, and a bear companion.
Iagon rushes forward to get closer to Turante as he sees her turn to trade shots with the now concealed to him Chaneque. He gets to where he can just see it around the tree and lets loose with a blast of wood particles.
Although it’s attention is on Turante, the entangled Chaneque notices Iagon running around the tree just in time. It clings it’s body tighter to the tree to avoid most of the blast, it’s charred skin blocking the rest.
Nowww Ashilia is really out of spells. He begins hustling toward the cave, his little legs carrying him as far as they can.
Having stepped adroitly through the magickal vines, Attai pushes on, intent on hammering the chaneque. The sylph weaves through and swings his morningstar...poorly.
[+1 BAB, +2 Str, +1 bless]
[+3 Strength, two handed]
Still shaken, Kytes manages to stand his ground against the attack of the chaneque inside the cave mouth. He counters the attack, trying to slip his blade inside the defenses of the bat-thing.
After his attack, Kytes takes a 5' step back, creating some room for others and the emerging half-orc. The paladin tries to see if the newcomer is friend or foe...
Liamae continues to move as she fires on the chaneque engaged with Kytes.
Attai swings his morning star and gives the sturdy oak a mighty whack.
Kytes cuts into his opponent again, but fails to fell it. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices the other half-orc take up an attack stance immediately as he cuts the Chaneque. Kytes can make of that what he will.
As Kytes steps back, Liamae fires an arrow passed him at the fell fey in darkness.
She can hear her arrow strike stone.
Túrante moves to aid Liamae in her attempts to fell one foe.
Turnante closes in on the chaneque stuck to the tree. With its attention on Attai, she swoops in through the tangled swamp grass and cuts it down, her dueling blade cleaving down through it's skull.
She continues to evade the grasping weeds.
Kolondros takes another step forward and readies his spear. he calls out to Kytes, "Destroy the skulls on the fiend's belt!"
He then hurls his spear past Kytes at the chaneque.
His spear plunges into the soft dirt at the chaneque's feet.
The last remaining chaneque takes a step back away from Kytes, removes a skull from its belt and lobs it at our paladin.
The skull bounces harmlessly off of Kytes' psychically enhanced breastplate.
The half-orc druid utters a guttural growl and stomps his foot hard on the ground. Kytes can feel the earth beneath his feet tremble.
Kytes keeps his balance and stays on his feet.
The bear charges forward under the druid's command.
The bear's strong jaws find their way around Kyte's armor and crush into the flesh of his upper leg, bruising his femur.