Aux tries to go up the first 10 feet to tie off a rope.....
Climb check
"This is harder than it looks."
Farid will toss the grappling hook around a branch looking for a solid hold, he then uses the rope to assist him to that branch.
Climb
Camlo will wait with his feet on the ground, and his eyes on Naleska.
Farid is able to scale the first 10 feet easily.
A Climb check that fails by 4 or less means that you make no progress, and one that fails by 5 or more means that you fall from whatever height you have already attained.
Farid looks down, "Have any of you a second rope?"
He continues his Climb tying off to ensure that if he slips, the rope will catch his fall.
Climb
RUthviren rummages in his back, produces a 50' length of hemp rope, and tosses it to Farid. "Here ya go..."
Bhoors moves about looking into the tree and its branches and calls out help to Farid as he climbs offering advice about safe hand holds and what look to be clear paths up the tree.
Bhoors also keeps his bow in hand incase he sees any other predators moving in the tree to keep Farid covered.
After collecting the Eldermoss with Camlo's help Naleksa comes over to Bhoors and inspects his wound. "That is deep but I can heal it. Hold still." Naleksa applies a jelly to your wound and chants in a cryptic tongue. "There, all better now."
Aux knows that if he had to climb a tree in an emergency he could use the spikes on his axes, but he did not want to damage this fantastic tree.
"Well at least we know about the dragon tree lizards, anyone think this meat, head or hide is worth anything?"
Bhoors seems tense, "Keep your guard up I have a bad feeling about this."
Farid appears a bit nervous at this point as this is probably the highest the Desert dweller has ever been off of the ground where he was not in a building. He clearly makes a conscious effort not to look down. Once he receives the second rope, he ties that off to the first rope near the bottom triple checking his knots.
He continues making progress up the tree and cinching the rope every 5' to reduce the drop to as short a point as possible should he slip.
Climb
Climb
Climb
As he hits the 50' mark, Farid grins and looks down, "This is really horrible, I don't know why anyone would ever want to do this!
Removing the grappling hook, he ties off the first 50' rope to a tree branch and reties the second 50' rope to his grappling hook. Tossing the grappling hook up, he seeks purchase to get near the item of the parties desire.
Perception
Farid is making the climb up the tree with great speed and efficiency. As he reaches higher into the tree it is hard to see him.
Creature
Auxavier
Bhoors
Farid
Camlo
Ruthviren
Bhoors shouts, He takes aim and lets and arrow fly hoping to hit the creature.
Farid swears in Kelish as the serpent twists itself around his body.
Fortitude Saving Throw
He slips a hand out of the grapple and draws his dagger knowing that to fight his way free in this precarious position, the snake must find him an unsuitable meal!
Dagger Attack
Dagger Damage
"Guess we should have suspected."
Camlo quickly jumps into the tree trying to close on Farid.
"Hold on Farid."
Shaking off the poison the creature spewed out of its mouth, Farid quickly draws his dagger to protect himself but his attack is clumsy and he can not pierce the thick scales of the beast. Bhoors shouts a warning to everyone then draws his bow and fires an arrow at the beast but it hits a branch before reaching its target. Auxavier also fires a shot from his bow which nearly hits Farid. Camlo tries to climb the tree to help but can not get a hand hold. Ruthviren whips around at the sound of Bhoors's warning and hastily fires a shot with his crossbow which flies nearly straight up into the air missing everything.
The creature continues to grapple with Farid squeezing the barbarian tight then biting into his shoulder.
Creature
Auxavier
Bhoors
Farid
Camlo
Ruthviren
Farid gasps, "Little help..."
He attempts to plunge the dagger into the snake before it can squeeze or bite the life out of him.
Dagger Attack
Dagger Damage
Bhoors lets another arrow fly.
"Ahhh. This isn't working."
He stows his bow and starts up the tree.
Ruthviren steps five feet closer, reloads, and fires again.
Camlo realizes he won't be able to reach Farid in time. So he concentrates and makes his magic flow towards the creature.
Another creature, just like it, shows from behind a branch, opening his mouth, showing his teeth, menacing, but silently.
"This is something we should have thought about, Careful now!.....Camlo can you put the thing in magical slumber?"
Aux knows that if we kill this creature the lumber consortium will take the tree......
Shortbow,
"Unless I told him a boring tale of a king lineage, no, I can't!"
The beast howls in pain as Farid drives his dagger into its side and an arrow from below pierces its tail. It's grip on the barbarian loosens and the creature withdraws up into the cover of the branches higher in the tree.
Creature
Auxavier
Bhoors
Farid
Camlo
Ruthviren
As the beast seeks to withdraw, Farid swings at it with his dagger.
Dagger Attack
Dagger Damage
Will save DC 15
Farid's victory at striking the fleeing creature is quickly calmed by the effect of the beast which approaches from the branch beside him...
As I am not sure what effect I am under I will not take an action yet this turn
"Just grab the moss and get back down here! If we kill the beast the Lumber Consortium will profit from our efforts!"
"We will cover you from the ground..."
"Farid! It's an illusion! Come down! Quick!"
Camlo uses Ghost Sound to make roaring sounds coming from the illusion direction, trying to keep the beast away.
Farid grabs what moss he can and begins climbing back down carefully as his already injured badly will not survive a fall from this height.
"An illusion! Its looked damn real to me!!!"
Climb
Climb
Climb
Climb
Climb
As the creature flees Farid gives it a parting jab in the side ripping the beast open with a deep cut. The beast screams is pain and still flees upward. Farid finds no moss up in the branches of the tree only three dead bodies with various limbs missing and chew marks on them.
Farid has a hard time finding a foothold and slips off the branch is on and begins to fall. The rope catches him before he falls to far. the barbarian then slowly climbs down the tree another 30 feet.
Bhoors looks at Farid, "You okay? . . . So what is it up in the trees there?"
Camlo sighs...
"You got me worried for a minute there... What if we leave this place?"
Farid unhooks his grappling hook and unties the ropes as he progresses down the trees, after of course he kisses the rope that saved his miserable hide.
He takes his descent a bit slower after that.
Climb
Climb
Climb
Farid grimaces at the fact that he unceremoniously slips while nesrly on the ground. Checking his ribs which feel cracked from the pressure he answers Bhoors, "Snake feed. Poor bastards that did not have friends to assist them in getting away from the vicious creatures.".
Ruthviren reloads, carefully scanning the great tree for more of the snakey b@$trds, crossbow at his shoulder.
"Good show up there, Farid. I'd say lets get some distance from thsi wyrm-infested tree and patch you up a bit."
Nalekda marches over to heal Farid. "Are you crazy!!! The first time you see a tree and you decide to climb it knowing there might be deadly beasts living in it!" She shakes her head and mumbles the rest of her rant under her breath as she inspect the wounds on the barbarian.
After casting the spell of healing. "That should help but you could use more and a night's rest."
Bhoors continues to look up at the bodies in the tree. "Poor blokes. Not a fitting rest."
"No it is not. Do we dare press on lads into the dark of night?"
Auxavier weighs heavily the notion of time being of the essence and that pressing on gets them closer to the goal, he begins to reason it out....
"If the witch is home and potentially friendly arriving at dark may not be so bad as that, however darkness is a foe all it's own."
"Anyone know the proper way to skin this tatzylworm?"
He is trying to decide what might be best not only for the team but also for those in town waiting for a cure to arrive......
"What do we know about the "witch"? We can always rest near her house, and arrive in the morning..."
"I'd just as soon put some distance between us and this tree. Who knows how many more of those things are slithering around in the branches. Lets put in a couple of miles, rest, and approach the witch in the morning."
Farid shrugs at Naleska's chastising, "If men did not do stupid things how could women then chastise them? It is the way of things, this is known".
Farid turns to Ruthviren, "I have never been in more agreement with anything in my short life. Enough giant snakes for one day..."
Auxavier looks ahead to the open trail....
Survival check
"After you Bhoors, your the woodsman after all!"
Bhoors looks at Aux and at the tree. "We'll be back when we are not on a time crunch with shovels."
Bhoors changes his gaze back to the trail.
"If we are ready lets get some distance."
The party hastily moves on from the monster infested Elder Darkwood Tree thru the woods toward the home to the witch Ulizmila.
"Lets be clear about this witch. Things might not go easy. I mean don't expect a candy house and a kind granny. Some say she is a hag, that can turn into a goat . . .. you know lightning from her eyes all that. Others say she is a wise woman of the old ways . . . just be ready for weird."
He looks about. "We are about an hour out from her house. With about two hours till night fall. Maybe we can get there tonight and get what we need. If its relatively safe we can camp near by."
"So we may receive hospitality or bolts of magic as a greeting? Well, either one seems preferable to a short life as snake feed".
"Hmmm...Well, if she kills us or turns us into weasels, we won't have to scrounge for firewood tonight, will we?
Personally, never bought it. I mean, if she could call down lightning from the heavens and make the earth tremble an' all, why in the Swamps of Abaddon would she stay in the Vale?"
Those watching, though, notice the burly mercenary occasionally touching the iron of his scale armor for luck or protection as they move toward her hut. Just in case.