Full attack.
The wisp spirals around taunting those near it, then arcs through the air toward Ta'de-win with a "Screee!". It zaps her as it had just done to Furiel.
Round 2
HP 14/25
AC 16 T12 FF12 CMD15
F/R/W 4/3/7
Storm Burst 5/7
Spells
0th - Create Water, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Mending
1st - Burning Disarm, Frostbite, Cure Light Wounds, Obscuring Mist
2nd - Bull's Strength, Flaming Sphere (Cast), Fog Cloud
Ta'de-win backs up away from the swarm, directing her sphere of flame towards the wisp as she calls forth the storm to attack as well.
With the world showing red through his ragefilled brain, The Green Man has no thought but the destruction of his unatural foe.
If he had been calmer he might have realized that the action he is about to take is perhaps somewhat foolish.
The ball of flame rolls toward the wisp... Ta'de-win blasts the malevolent ball of light with a violent burst of wet wind toward the flaming sphere. Although it appears to be a direct hit, the wisp seems unaffected by both the blast and the flame.
Green's angry swings and bite seem to have no effect either. The nearby ball of flame covers the now-towering Green in a fiery glow... matching his rage.
+2 if flanking bonus applies
Norton and Murak don't let the chance to hit the creature go by
+2 if flanking bonus applies
+2 if flanking bonus applies
Norton pushes Murak forward towards the enemy
+2 if flanking bonus applies
+2 if flanking bonus applies
+2 if flanking bonus applies
+2 if flanking bonus applies
Norton and Murak swing, bite, and kick at the glowing puff, but fail to connect with the flitting thing.
Alice, who had successfully slashed at the wisp as it flew off toward Ta'de-win, dashes around Murak and swipes at the wisp again from beside the druid.
You hear another arrow from Rook whiff past.
The wisp rises a few feet and zaps Green in the chest
Round 3
HP 14/25
AC 16 T12 FF12 CMD15
F/R/W 4/3/7
Storm Burst 5/7
Spells
0th - Create Water, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Mending
1st - Burning Disarm, Frostbite, Cure Light Wounds, Obscuring Mist
2nd - Bull's Strength, Flaming Sphere (Cast), Fog Cloud
Seeing how ineffective her spell cast upon the wisp was, she instead attempts a different approach, drawing her sickle and moving in to the creature to strike.
The Green Man howls with rage, his muscles clenching from both electricity and anger.
But he can feel no pain in the state he is in, instead he merely gets angrier at the foolishness of attacking him.
Norton and Murak keep trying to hit the creature
Magic missles are often able to hit foes otherwise resistant to magic
"Errol, don't just watch. Hit it. It is going to electrolyze people until dead."
Everyone continues to miss...
Errol responds enthusiastically to Furiel "Right away, sir!", and charges forward... sword in one hand, scabbard in the other.
Kesten starts to protest "But Ser Norton's orders...", but stops when he realizes Errol is not listening to him.
Errol slashes at the end of his charge, but swings wide. He settles back into his stance, and waits for an opportunity to strike again.
Rook fires wide again, and curses at Errol for getting in his line of fire.
Furiel enlarges Errol the moment he acts.
The fighter grows to giant size.
Errol laughs triumphantly as he grows in size. "Master Valertis! My scabbard is ! Hu-HA!"
Alice swipes at the wisp again, and again fails to score a solid hit.
The wisp spirals... repeating it's taunts before flying around the group. It buzzes by Norton's face and stops just over Ta'de-win's head. It blasts her again from above.
"Waaaaaaargh!"
The Green Man swings the axe he weilds in an arc over his head , then swipes at the spirit eater.
Despite being close to Ta'de-win, his rage addled mind doesn't see a problem with it, and to be fair, in his new size he doesn't really risk hitting her anyway.
Norton and Murak strike as the creature moves
Murak moves around to circle the creature
Round 4
HP 8/25
AC 16 T12 FF12 CMD15
F/R/W 4/3/7
Storm Burst 5/7
Spells
0th - Create Water, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Mending
1st - Burning Disarm, Frostbite, Cure Light Wounds, Obscuring Mist
2nd - Bull's Strength, Flaming Sphere (Cast), Fog Cloud
Ta'de-win backs away from the creature before unleashing a strike with her sickle.
Ta'de-win moves back and connects... the wisp then recieves a flurry of successful blows from the druid's flanking allies...
After being battered and torn by Green's axe, Norton rides in and cleaves into the malevolent creature. The light winks out, and a colorless blob which was once a will-o'-wisp "flomps" to the ground unmoving.
Rogar congratulates; now approaching the fallen spongy foe.
"Well done. I was about to suggest blowing it out... I suppose the breeze from those mighty swings did the trick. Mark my words when we come across a foe worthy of crossing swords with me... I will put on an equally impressive performance for you."
"Truly a frightening creature that was." Ta'de-win utters a few words, restoring the wounds inflicted to herself before moving in the direction of the carriage. "I doubt there are any survivors, but perhaps we can still learn more of it."
There are two skeletons of horses, and five humanoids... two inside the carriage, three just to the west. One of the humanoid skeletons just to the west of the carriage still wears manacles. The other two outside are lightly armored (parade armor). The two inside are unarmored, but wear the same colors and style.
The nearby tracks, and ruts when the carriage lost control, appear to be a few months old.
"It appears to have been transporting a prisoner of some sort, a few months old. What they were doing here, I cannot say. I know not what the colors may mean. Norton, Errol?"
You do not recognize the dress. Navy blue and neutralized yellow, with silver grey piping and trim. The crest is a stylized owl holding a sword horizontal with it's talons... a small scale and gavel are placed in the top left and right corners.
You do notice a book near one of those inside the carriage written by a well-known Chelaxian tactician and author Ogdum Reinstetler. Although his books are said to provide some sound tactical advice, his writing is notorious for rationalizing brutality in the name of law.
Now that the fog has lifted, you can see how enormous the fangberry thicket is... easily an acre of the berried and thorned bushes.
The bones of the dead are picked clean - most likely chewed clean by the spiders. The soldiers outside the carriage lie face down with their swords still sheathed. It looks like the prisoner got away, but only made it 30 feet before falling to where his skeleton now lies.
"They did not respect the land, such careless behaviour is swiftly punished."
The Green Man exhales and takes a few moments to regain his strenght after the violent explosion previously.
"Ye spirits, go to your deserved rest, and may you find the peace in the next world that you did not know in this one."
Norton will grab the book he found. "Strange reading indeed this one."
He will give it a closer look later
other than the prisoner, they all have coinpurses... hundreds of gold.
one of the riders has understated common accessories, the other has more impressively jeweled rings and finer clothing. Both riders carry daggers, one wears a rapier as well.
The less blinged rider carries a leather portfolio with several maps, and a small journal scrawled with notes in a difficult-to-decipher shorthand. At his feet is a small box filled with candles.
"Furiel, can you check if anything of this is magical?"
Furiel produces his captured spellbook and checks for similarities, then casts. He concentrates on the immediate area for magic.
"Why on earth would they have so much gold on what seems to be a simple prison transport? I'm curious to know who the prisoner was...no records here are there?"
The candles are magic (faint aura)
The rich man's leather boots (two faint auras), and rapier are magic (faint).
The journal could prove difficult to decipher, the only full words are names at the tops of several pages... like headings. Next to those names are initials and numbers ranging from 500 to 8,000. Under the names is the bulk of the writing, and hardest to read. All but the last two names are crossed off. Ogden Ellis and Norton Ambrosi.
"Obviously Norton Ambrosi is a common name." Furiel exclaims as he finishes his reading.
The gnome helps organize the goods.
It is not for me to start this conversation--my past isn't clean.
Ta'de-win gives Norton a glance before turning back to the trail. "The question is how we wish to proceed at this point. Continue to the Stag Lord's fort or risk time to recover? My own wounds have not fully recovered from the creature's assaults, and I will not be able to prepare more healing until tomorrow."
"Ogden Ellis was supposed to be the leader of this charter, yet another clue of this intricate web of deception."
"Hmmm, wasn't there a fair number of people who were happy back in Restov when he was unable to lead?"
Rogar scratches his jaw, and turns when the two names are mentioned.
"I agree with Ta'de-win... we have other things to concern ourselves over." "Ah Errol... so now you see what I was saying about your grip during your charge...." Rogar starts to walk off tutoring Errol.
Rogar seems rather uncomfortable with the topic... like he knows something.
"Let us camp and resume operations in the morning."
Furiel checks his equipment and nods to the druid, obviously trusting her to find a good camping spot.
Taking note of Rogar's reaction, Ta'de-win chooses to hold off for now and seeks a suitable campsite to rest.
Ta'de-win finds a suitable place for camp a quarter-mile southwest. From the information you have gathered, you are able to estimate the travel time to the Stag Lord fort to be around 4 or 5 hours.
Errol helps tend the fire and tells a story while Furiel inspects the found items.
"When I was a boy, I went hunting... well.. gigging bullfrogs. The other boys I was with were much older... sons and nephews of my father's underlings. I was forbidden to spend time with them, but I listened as well as any other 11 year old boy."
"We were in the swamp, and having little luck when we saw a light... a lantern-light in the dark marsh. We foolishly went to it, found a shack on stilts we swore was never there before, and even more foolishly went inside. Before we could even reach for one of the dozens of odd baubles, jars, and artifacts... there it was in the doorway. "
"It had the body of a old hunched and sagging woman in rags, and the head of a bullfrog. She waved her staff and belched forth a cloud of flying insects. I tripped over something and fell... and watched the swarm chew through them like corn-on-the-cob. The beast then opened its mouth and with a flick of a massive tongue, swallowed every last bit of the swarm. "
"It was then I realized what I had tripped over was the latch to a trap door. I flipped the latch and dove through head first. I landed in the muck on my back, and willed myself to run with the wind knocked from my lungs... I never turned back, and never admitted I had gone in the first place."
"Nasty things out in these woods... and some things... you run from."
The maps are of this area and areas south and west. The maps include a marking where you have been told the Stag Lord fort is... it is labeled "the Lost Fort"
Ta'de-win listens to Errol's story as he tells it. "That is good advice, Errol. There is something about these lands, I cannot say what. I'm drawn to discover their secrets. If we should find a similar sight, it would be best to take care."
Furiel tries the boots.
"The spirits are very active here, I think in part it is because of the history of this place.
Much conflict has taken place here, several attempts to tame the land.
I would not be surprised if it has made the spirits of the land hostile, and likely there are many lost spirits of men slain in war here as well."