"That is further north but we do get snow. You mean the Land of the Linnorm Kings, or Irisen with the Winter Witches." Ewigga says
"Ah, yes." Ardashir says, trying to hide his non-existant knowledge on those topics.
He looks for Lanneth about an answer, even though it becomes ever more clear that there is no strong leadership structure in this group.
It’s safer if we all stay together. At least until we get out of this Vault. Then we can decide if you want to stay with us as we try to settle the unrest around here. I say Let him stay.
William admires Ardashir's breastplate and ponders if the group might have anything better to give him. "He looks trustworthy to me." William delves into Dain's backpack and produces Uskroth's Armor. "Here sir, try this on. I hear it is rather special in nature." Then, William notices a hammer...a beautiful hammer..one he must touch and wield. He removes the hammer and suddenly feels at peace. When he wields it, he is overcome with confidence. He has an urge to name it. As he searches for names only Agrimmosh continues to reverberate. "I shall call you Agrimmosh"
With an agreement made the party Sees only 2 exits form this room. The way you came and the Tendriculous and the way a head to final room of the Vault of Thorns.
Ardashir looks around that no threat jumps out at the next corner. Then he takes off his armor and puts on the one William handed him.
As he finally managed to get everything on and it he asks "And this is better how?" as the armor pinches here and there and everywhere.
"Definitely not by the looks. It shows that it's from a grave robbing. But it's some big badass magic suit of armor. I guess that makes up for the shabby looks."
Yes, once per day it can make you into a small giant, and make your skin harder to get through. But I will warn you it only lasts for about a minute.
That’s why they think it is better.
I assume that will be something that benefits you?
"I'll try it. We'll see if it helps. Being large is helpful inded. I have some magic juice with me for exactly that, if the occasion arises."
"One more room, the final room is where we keep the weapons, I haven't been here in a long time though." Ewigga says
"Shall I take point, master William?" Ardashir asks.
"You are a brave man, Ardashir. Welcome aboard and by all means take point. I will be right behind you." William inspects the beautiful hammer he Kendered off Dain. "Lanneth, is there anything special about this hammer?"
Ardashir moves on, leading the group through the door into the next room.
The Hammer?
I know it is powerful magic, but all I have been able to figure out is that it makes you hit slightly more often and harder. And that it does something with size. But I have not had the time to determine more then that.
She looks at the new man going through the door ahead.
But no time for that now.
"Thank you, Lanneth." William continues to study Agrimmosh. "I shall learn of your secrets." He keeps the hammer in hand as he follows Ardashir. He draws his shield.
Dain wakes up and is oblivious of the theft.
Dain feels relieved, as if a heavy burden was taken from his shoulders.
The party proceeds down the hallway past the dead plants. A large set of double doors ends this narrow corridor, as you proceed down corridor William looks the plants over and feels that if you spend an hour or so gathering specific herbs you could make around 100 gold or so. The double doors look like large leaves, Ewigga continues to guard the rear watching for anything coming that way. The Door are not locked and lead into another large hallowed out tree which drops about 10 feet via stairs....
J8. Bramblemounds
This large, arched chamber provides a grim contrast to the Vault’s
other life-filled rooms. Instead of lush vegetation, a massive briar
patch and layers of thick humus form high mounds throughout
the room. Hundreds of varieties of fungi choke out any attempt
for healthy plants to root, and the air is heavy with the stench of
decay. At the chamber’s eastern end, a large, swollen wooden
chest sits atop a high mound of compost.
Yorikata carefully dances around the mounds of humus, and approaches the swollen chest with her choice of special keys in hand. The lock is no real challenge and finally she stands before the goods, Silverman promised them - but only in her mind. That's too easy. After all those fey and plants this can't be unguarded. Will it be fey or plants? Some creature moving through the earth? What trap will be found at the chest? Poison, a blade, or more spores of something sending me to sleep or further?
"Lanneth, do you recognize anything here, that will try to kill or eat us?" Yorikata had her fill of being the first to run into deadly situations. Now it's the turn for the bug guys.
Ardashir keeps his blade ready and moves into the room, carefully eying the surroundings.
William sheaths Agrimmosh and now wields his greataxe.
Ardashir sees nothing as he rounds the corner, seeing nothing he again pushes further down towards another set of double doors. These doors are plain looking, like the belong to an inn instead of a Secret Druid hide away.
Yorikata scans the door for trap and shakes her head no, Ardashir pushes the doors open as the smell of plant rot over takes your nostrils.
Don't get too eager, that thing might have a ton of flesh eating mold inside.
"This chest it is?" Ardashir asks before being on his way straight to the chest.
Yorikata follows in Ardashir's shadow.
Lanneth follows carfully with Dain, bow still in hand.
As the party steps into what they hope is the final room, the large pile of Thorny Brambles errupts as a long vine like appendage Strikes out.
The appendage grabs Ardashir and slams him again.
"Argh!" Ardashir cries out as the thorns rip into his flesh.
Yorikata would like to get to the other side, but with everything so crowded and the compost lying in heaps it won't work.
William wishes he had the hammer in his hand. He swings his greataxe.
Yorikata and Ardashir both stab into the but both feel their blows don't do as much as they thought.
This looks like a animated Bramble, you think the creature could be a Bramble Blight
What is it with all these man eating plants of strange variety?. Lanneth asks Ewigga.
Curse you creature! May you choke on your own sap!
Dain casts GravityBow
Lanneth's spell washes over the large creature
You recognize this as a Bramble Blight but it doesn't seem like the whole Creature. 1 Question
The Appendage slams at Araashir again as he seems the most threatening.
"Arghh! This ever cursed plant!"
Yorikata waits for William to attack the plant. As her daggers are ineffective, she might do something more useful.
William takes a five foot step and swings his greataxe.
Yorikata puts her hand on Ardashir.
Thorny (Ex) A brambleblight’s surface is covered in a host of
thorns. A creature that strikes a brambleblight with a natural
weapon, a melee weapon without reach, or an unarmed
strike takes 1d6 points of piercing damage. Creatures that
grapple a brambleblight automatically take 1d6 points of
piercing damage each round they maintain the grapple.
Rain of Thorns (Ex) With a snap of its thorny vines, a
brambleblight can loose a volley of four thorns as a standard
action (make an attack roll for each thorn). This attack has a
range of 120 feet with no range increment. All targets must
be within 30 feet of each other. A brambleblight can launch
up to 36 thorns in any 24-hour period.
Animate Brambles (Su) As a standard action, a brambleblight
can animate any of the dead, thorny brambles created by
its bramble infestation ability. For 1 minute, the animated
bramble (see page 85) then attacks as though it were a
Large animated object. The animated bramble is under the
control of the brambleblight, which can change the animated
bramble’s target as a move action. The brambleblight can
instead cause the brambles to entwine around creatures as
if by the entangle spell (the brambles are considered to be
covered in thorns). This effect lasts for 1 hour.
"Curses! Were only fighting the real plant's expendable pawns! It raises dead thorny brambles as bramble zombies!" Yorikata cries out as she recognizes the kind of plant they fight.
She checks if she can recognize what of those thorny things is the real thing.
The mounds block line of sight to the others or Yorikata can only see some of them but is not 100% sure which is the real Bramble blight
And it resists my hexes!
Lanneth steps in the room and moves around to get a clear shot.
Dain keeps shooting
Yorikata is able to tell that the mound under the chest is the real creature.
Ewigga looses a bolt of lightning at the mound to no effect. "It must be immune"
The Bramble swings again at Ardashir, the thorns seeking more of his blood.
Ardashir is to quick and avoids the large viney branch coming at him.