This might be it... Tobian states as if the location was ever in doubt. So, what is it that we need, exactly?
"A strain of moss that grows upon the tree," the doctor stated. Carefully, Jameson approaches the tree as he searches both for the moss and any potential threats. Enough things have tried to kill him today that even passing clouds could seem a touch sinister.
Sounds simple enough. Lead the way, Doctor. Tobian will follow Jameson to the tree and attempt to assist.
As Jameson and Tobian Jameson cautiously approach the tree, they notice two things.
The first is that the clearing sounds quiet. Eerily quiet.
The second thing that they notice, perhaps too late as it seems, is the well hidden, large, worm-like form launching down on Jameson from the lowest branches of the tree. Hidden extremely well, and with lightening quick reflexes, the creature is upon Jameson before he realizes the danger.
Scaly hide, and eight foot long, with razor sharp teeth and claw, the creature looks very similar to a dragon without wings. As it pounces near Jameson, it lashes out with its claws, narrowly missing him.
Initiative:
Creature
Jameson
Tobian
Oswin
Belrick
Sensing its first attack having missed but perhaps having surprised Jameson, the creature lashes at him again.
Connecting with its left claw, the creature gouges Jameson for 5 points of damage. In addition, it manages to grab hold of Jameson, grappling him.
Jameson and Tobian are near each other, approximately 10 feet from the tree trunk. Overhead, the branches radiate outward another 25 feet over them. About 50 feet away, near the southeast clearing, Oswin and Belrick have clear view of the sudden attack. The creature stands next to Jameson and is adjacent to Tobian as well (both are now within normal melee striking range).
All players have action left this round.
Oswin draws his sword and rushes forward towards the creature!
Doctor! Look out! Tobian tries to warn the man but his cry is much too late. Attempting to recover from surprise the elf looks as if he were to cast a spell but realizes he may injure the Doctor if he does so. Instead he strikes at the creature with his longsword.
"Get this thing off me!" The doctor yells, stabbing at the creature with a dagger, shifting as best he could to let Tobian have access to the beast's unprotected back. The beast's assault causes it to brush up against the barbs hidden in Dr. Iverness's clothes.
Belrick runs up drawing his sword as he closes the gap between himself and the creature attacking the good doctor.
The worm-like creature screams as it grabs Jameson, surprised as it finds barbs barely penetrating its thick, scaly hide. It screams again as Jameson's dagger finds an opening between the scales, penetrating flesh. Thick, brownish blood begins to pour from the wound, further enraging the beast. It lashes around, unable to avoid Belrick's charge from the edge of the forest.
Oswin, you may either double move to close the distance to the melee combatants, or charge and make an attack.
Oswin sees the struggle, and doubles his efforts to close in on the monster. He charges forward, swinging his sword in an arc.
Howling in rage as Oswin and Belrick connect with their swords, the creature turns to withdraw defensively toward the tree, reaching its base and beginning to climb it.
All of the players have action available this new round as the creature seems to be fleeing toward the tree, and safety.
Oswin steps towards the creature and takes a hurried slash at it.
Tobian will use Fire Jet at the creature as it attempts to escape.
I doubt it will bother us further. Let's get what we came for and move on. Belrick says scowling after the retreating creature.
That was not good enough for the doctor. He draws his crossbow and sends a bolt after the lizard.
As the creature withdraws into the tree, Tobian's fire jet largely glances off of it, barely singing its tail scales. Jameon's crossbow bolt, however, hits its mark more solidly as it sinks into the creatures back, slightly above the heart. With an ear piercing cry, the creature's front paws slip off the bark of the tree as it tumbles backwards toward the ground. With a couple of violent spasms and after some wild tail thrashing, the creature lets out a large gasp -- its last -- and slumps to the ground.
A cursory search of the trunk of the tree will reveal a patch of moss similar to that which Larel described as elderwood moss. It should be easily collected.
Panting and apparently still somewhat furious, Jameson kicks the ugly beast's corpse before wincing and clutching the seeping wound in his side. Pulling a vial out of his coat, he slugs the contents. As whatever was in the vial enters his body, he breaths a sigh of relief and the red stain around the torn cloth stops spreading. Ugly torn flesh can still be seen through it though.
Will you be alright, Doctor? Tobian asks as he watches the man drink the potion. That could have ended up badly. At least we have found the moss we needed to collect. Where do we go from here?
"I will survive, I think, but we should be more cautious in the future. If I take another blow like that and end up insensate from shock, I would request that one of you administer this to me," the doctor said, holding up a potion of Cure Light Wounds. Unlike the other, it was not dependent on his personal energies to operate.
"The Witch's hut might be a good choice next," he offered. "It might behoove us to see if one of the lizard's last meals left any useful supplies behind."
As you look to the west and consult the map again, you estimate the distance to the witch's hut will probably take the better part of 4 more hours from where you are now to cover. It is approaching dusk, so the trip is likely to take you beyond sundown.
The sun lowers, we should be on our way and find a place to make camp, unless we want to go forward under moonlight.
Belrick utters a non-committal grunt. If you folks want to help that hovel, time is of the essence. We may want to press on beyond sundown and bed down for the latter half of the night rather than the entire night.
"Hold on a moment," Dr. Jameson said pointing up into the tree. "There is something up there."
Anyone looking up at the tree will see many low, easy-to-climb branches.
What is it that you see? If I can now see whatever it is Tobian will try to climb up and retrieve the item. If I can take-20 or take-10 on a climb I will.
"I'd be happy to help, but if there's climbing to do, I'd need to take off my armor first. Perhaps I can give one of you fellows a leg up?"
As you ascend 10 or 15 feet, you get the notion that the while tree is massively large, it could quite possibly be climbed quite highly -- perhaps all the way to the top. At about 30 feet up, you notice three bodies dangling just above you. Hanging upside down, their flesh appears completely stripped while their clothes dangle loosely from their now thin corpses. These bodies appear to have several weapons (including crossbows, short swords, and a shortbow), as well as possibly one intact suite of hide armor. One of the bodies appears to have a ring (which glints ever so slightly), and another, a backpack. It would probably take many minutes to climb further up and out to the bodies to cut them down or search the bodies more closely and retrieve any items.
Tobian makes short work of his climb, and in no time, is about 30 feet above you.
There are bodies up here! The glint you saw was a ring one of them was wearing, good Doctor!
I will take the time to cast Detect Magic and then will move to retrieve the ring, backpack and whatever else I can salvage, making note of any auras I detect. If there is room and the tree limbs would hold up I'll make room for anyone else that would like to come up and assist.
You find amongst the bodies:
- 2 crossbows
- 2 short swords
- a suit of hide armor
- a very well made shortbow
- a signet ring with the image of a flaming hawk
- A backpack
You also find 20gp among the bodies.
Inside:
- 8 days worth of rations
- A small sapphire that appears to have a sparkling flame inside. This sapphire is wrapped in a very fine linen.
Tobian takes the backpack and opens it, finding the sapphire that is wrapped in a very fine linen. This little trinket seems to be of a magical nature. Tobian will study the sapphire.
As Tobian peers inside the gem, his growing knowledge of arcana and his powers of scrutiny give him meager insight in this case. The gem appears, as far as he can tell, to be a container for some sort of force -- likely divine. He is unable to ascertain the exact nature of that force, but he does believe it may be possible control it or even, if required, free it. Without further research, it is not clear whether is has any function other than as container.
"Ah! a fortuitous find indeed!" Dr. Iverness said, looking over the goods. "Now then, shall we venture on? We can split up the profits later."
After about 90 minutes, darkness eventually falls. The tall trees seem to close in about the group in an oppressive wall of thick green branches that seem to catch every bit of clothing as they press into the darkness.
Will you camp or press on to your next objective? If you are breaking for camp, please state your watch order.
We should rest. Perhaps we should find somewhere to camp. I will volunteer for first watch.
"I suppose we must," the doctor sighed, "I shall take middle watch."
"I agree, rest would be most prudent right now. Since the other shifts have been claimed, I will take the last watch."
The night passes uneventfully. As dawn slowly breaks, you can look forward to the fact that you only have 2 and a half hours until your destination.
As the group prepares for the day, you'll notice that there is a particular gloomy feeling settling in. The day is very overcast and the oppressive growth you felt from the thick forest is still with you. Bugs buzz constantly around you and the woods seem alive with the sounds of small animals running all around you. It's hard not to feel stifled as you begin your trek westward toward the witch's cottage. You march on.
The sounds of the forest become suddenly distant as the trees part, opening into a small, almost perfectly circular glade. The nearest stands of pine, eyln, and darkwood—all typically sturdy woods—twist away from the clearing, as if bent by some impossibly strong wind or seemingly in an attempt to flee despite their paralyzed roots. At the glade’s center squats an ugly cottage, little more than a pile of twigs, shoots, and ivy stacked upon mud walls. From the thatched roof dangle bundles of gnarled roots, old dried beast carcasses, and knucklebone bangles, all clattering together like gruesome wind chimes. A dozen small thatched fetishes—each shaped like a tiny man, imp, or rearing serpent—stand propped in the yard, keeping guard before a rickety plank door.
The clearing is roughly 120 foot in diameter. The cottage is circular and approximately 15 foot in diameter.
How do we want to proceed? Do we just barge on in there or try to take a look around without being spotted?
"I shall go have a look," Dr. Iverness said, ghosting away from the others, without waiting for their input on the matter.
Belrick will walk around the clearing collecting a few small pebbles and stones.
As Belrick walks around the clearing you see no sign of the fox. It has been following you since you rescued it at the river, although it appears to have silently disappeared once you reached this clearing.
Is anyone approaching the cottage?
As Jameson approaches, he can clearly see the door has rotted off its hinges. The air in the glade is rather still, although not completely silent. The door does look like it could be easily lifted and pushed aside by two people. You see nothing else of note as you approach.
2 small windows exist. Near to the roof, and very, very dirty.
Dr. Iverness pauses and carefully peers through one of the windows. The hut was so dilapidated that he doubted anything was living in there, yet inside there was a figure of some kind. Carefully he returned to the others.
"The place is a mess but there is something person-shaped in there. How do you wish to proceed?"
"Does the person appear injured? I can call upon divine aid if needed, so perhaps I should investigate with an eye out for trouble. Would one of you care to go with me?"
Not really, but I'll volunteer. Let's go.