Ihon, you are aware that the Dretch is the lowest form of demon that exists. You know that the creature is destructive by nature, but relatively easy to press into service. It is vulnerable to good and cold iron weapons and resistant to most elements, though completely immune to poison.
A dretch. The lowest form of demon. It will be resistant to the weapons we have.
It doesn't appear that any of the group sees you currently, but as you wait, their conversation eventually comes to an end. It appears that the two humans are putting on gear and preparing to leave the campsite. The Dretch seems to continue to act as janitor and caretaker.
"Should we let them go and then deal with the dretch alone and then search the campsite? Even if it is resistant to our weapons, it will still be easier to take out on its own."
Andre grimaces. "Even the lowest form of demon is nothing to sneeze at," he murmurs. "And given my wounds...we can try, and I will call Erastil's light down to aid us, but I will have to hold back for fear of hubris ending my life."
"I am going with the idea of dealing with the dretch now, whilst everyone else is gone. Nothing good can come of a demon who is free to roam this forest."
Phaedra will choose to attack and would try to get in a surprise attack casting of Grease directly underneath the dretch.
Ihon nods and reaches out to touch Phaedra's glaive just as she starts speaking.
"I trust the more combat-capable members of our group here. I will do my best to support as I can."
I need to consider learning some kind of combat techniques. Maybe Andre would spar with me, and be willing to show me some techniques.
Sazu will hold off on a bardic performance for now, but he readies a spell grease if the dredge carries a weapon.
Andre grits his teeth, but nods, and puts an arrow to his bowstring.
Once Andre sees the others moving, he touches his holy symbol. Light suddenly floods forth. "I cannot go with them to confront this demon head-on, Father of the Forest," he murmurs. "Please, keep their heads unbroken!"
Sazu casts a grease spell if the dretch holds a weapon of sorts. If not, he will begin a bardic performance of an oratory once more, pointing out the facts learned battling the last dretch, inspiring his allies to strike weak points and hit true.
Inspire Courage (Su): A 1st level bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard’s performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +4 at 17th level. Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability. inspire courage can use audible or visual components. The bard must choose which component to use when starting his performance.
Phaedra will begin her Raging Song and move to within 10 feet of the creature.
Ihon touches Phaedra's shoulder as she moves forward.
Feeling Erastil's power flowing through him, Andre strides toward the clearing, raising his bow and sending an arrow flying at the demon.
Sazu will maintain his performance, and quickly get his crossbow ready, preparing an action should something other than the dretch arrive to fight.
The dretch seems caught off guard though Andre's attack doesn't seem to harm it.
The dretch turns to Andre and swings and bites at him.
Ihon moves up to touch Phaedra's shoulder again.
Pheadra swings her glaive at the dretch.
Sazu, whether he believes it might work now or not, keeps an action readied to fire a bolt from his crossbow should a non-dretch come into combat.
He also maintains bardic performance.
Not seeing much else to do with the dretch down and a difficult shot, Andre just smiles grimly as Phaedra goes after it with her glaive. He also puts a bow to the bowstring, keeping an eye on the dretch.
The dretch attempts to stand up and move to attack Phaedra.
Instead, Phaedra knocks it off balance with her swing and it falls down again. Andre fires at the creature while it is briefly upright, but the shot goes wide. Still, Phaedra's two attacks have done moderate damage to the prone-again creature.
Ihon touches Phaedra's shoulder yet again.
Initiative 16
Seeing the creature stagger under Phaedra's assault, Andre strides up behind her and lays his hand beside Ihon's. "Finish the beast."
Pheadra swings her glaive at the dretch again, hoping to finish it off.
Round 3
Sazu promptly saves one last idea and stops his bardic inspiration.
And then he looses his bolt.
Phaedra is able to finish off the dretch leaving the camp empty. It does look like this place is regularly occupied and you can tell easily that people are coming and going often.
"Alright, let's get busy and search this whole place for any clues as to who they are and what's going one around here."
Phaedra gets busy poking around while keeping an eye out for any incoming people.
Ihon walks around with the others.
Ihon will help the others search the area.
You don't find anything magical. You do, however, find a number of tools and camping kits that indicate that people have resided here for a while. It looks, from your observation, that they probably leave during the day and return in shifts to sleep. You'd also guess that this camp won't be vacant for long, so if you want to avoid conflict, doing your search and leaving quickly would be prudent.
"Well, that didn't prove as fruitful as I had hoped. Shall we head on out before the residents of this camp return? We likely aren't prepared for that right now."
Ihon nods and readies to follow the others without comment.
Sazu peers around for anything that might help with their current situation.
"I'd suggest leaving as we are injured as a group, but we will lose this opportunity."
"Ugh," Andre growls as he searches another corner of the camp. "I hate to drag us down, but I don't know that we can take on all of them. I can call on Old Deadeye to heal us somewhat more if we want to try to get the drop on one group of them...but after that we face a lot of running or dying."
Ihon nods, It is time to go.
Andre lets out a slight sigh, but gives Ihon a thankful nod. "As long as I'm not slowing you all down. Let's go." He follows the others out of the clearing.
Moving away you don't seem to be tracked or followed. The forest remains eerie and dead in this area however.
Sazu ponders himself as they walk. Perhaps he had been to idealistic to think he could inflict a difference on the world without inflicting damage. Even today, he had been forced to draw up a fallen man's crossbow too large for him and try and kill another.
If he were to combat alongside those who also wanted to change things, perhaps he needed to rethink his future decisions...
Andre shudders as he strides through the forest, leaning on his staff. "I hate this place. It will be simple enough to come back in the morning--let's get as far away as we can and find some real shelter." He broods as he walks. That first demon nearly was the end of me...and now the heathens seem to have more of the things. I pray we're not in over our fool heads.
Ihon nods, The town is safest. Without elaborating, he quietly follows the others.
Your trip back to town is without conflict. While you are still in the area bounded by the warning signs, however, you get the impression that something follows you. That feeling fades once outside of that ring and the rest of the journey out of the forest is uneventful.
At the edge of the forest, between the woods and the town, you do find signs of a small skirmish though. It looks like followers of Erastil have clashed with those of Rovagug and there are two and three members dead respectively. The bodies are unbburied and it is unclear if all of the combatants died of their wounds or if some simply fled, at least at first glance.
"Oh dear... Sazu mutters. "It seems we've missed something..."
Andre mutters a curse and squats down, looking over the bodies. "I'll say we did. Wonder if there were any witnesses--or survivors." He says a quick prayer over the Erastilian corpses--pointedly ignoring the others--and peers around for tracks.