"Well now, will you just look at that!" The middle-aged man of the group would perhaps look out of place when compared to the rest, if not for the gnomish woman with her badger friend and reindeer steed. Though the growing cold with the sunset should drive him to a warm fire, the man seems much more keen on the elven woman's painting.
He dismounts quickly with a couple of fine pats to his horse, dons a red-felt cap with a blue feather and adjusts a crimson scarf around his neck; he wears a jack of studded leather with a gaudy patchwork troubadour's cloak over it. "The name's Kas...Kas Crimson if you please! Mistress Harrolayne, a pleasure to find the offer of good company so far out in the wildlands." Kas bows with a brief doffing of his cap and performer's practiced bow to her, his ready smile turning slightly to a question. "Say now, your name wouldn't tie in to the Varisian practice of seeing the future? No, no I suppose that wouldn't make much sense at that...but my that's a striking painting! Look how you've gotten that shade of orange from your mixing of colors...and the liveliness of those branches and leaves too! Quite the eye of the artist if I may say so - I try to sketch sunsets and flowers every now and again with my charcoal sticks on parchment, but every time I try colored paints it just ends up a muddy mess it does!"
"And have you found much adventure?" Harrolayne asks Rosetta, until Kas distracts her with his compliments.
"Thank you, Master Crimson, though I am sure you give me too much credit. I spent many years studying with Shelynite priests in a school in Oppara--that's in Taldor--where I learned most of what I know."
"I was planning only to set up my camp before making my way to someplace called Oleg's, but when I saw that magnificent sky, it had to be painted. I hope you all don't think me rude, but I would like to finish it, while Master Haraldson prepares the stew."
She resumes her painting, able to answer questions and chat as she does so. She is clearly using magic to aid her, though only so far as to help dry the oil-based paint. As Kas watches, the landscape of a lonely wilderness track against the vivid purple of the evening sky gains silhouettes of three individuals on horseback and one smaller person riding a reindeer.
A gnome riding a reindeer has been lingering near small creek, slacking the mount's thirst. She gets off the reindeer and digs in her saddlebag and pulls out a handful of some lichen collected earlier as a further reward for a hard day's ride. She helps a badger off the reindeer (riding on a special leather covered bowl of sorts over the back haunches of the reindeer). The two smallish adventurers are quickly drawn to the focus of attention.
The gnome is female, somewhat burdened down with hide armor and a shield, an assortment of weapons of the sort druids prefer: a scythe, scimitar, sickle, and a club, plus a small quiver of shortspears and a sling. She has a mop of cyan and blue hair somewhat wild and uncombed, interlaced with bits of ivy and wildflowers. She is pretty and cheerful despite being obviously travel weary.
"Hi Ho! An elf painter! May I see?" She looks at the painting and then takes in the painter. "I do sculptures! I'm not very good yet, but I leave little wood carvings wherever I go. I am Saniana Quickly of the Seven Arches Quicklys. Pleased to meet you Harrolayne."
She bows with pleasure and then pets the head of the badger. "And this is Dax, my faithful furry fellow." She next makes a few grunting sounds which sound similar to the noises the badger makes in reply. "Dax says he's pleased to meet you too. It's been a long time since I've talked with an elf. Where are you from? Are you a wizard or a sorcerer? If you need a wilderness guide, you should have looked me up! I love taking people through the forest. We're headed that way. You should join us."
At some point, Saniana seems to realize her enthusiasm might be mistaken for rudeness so she stops talking.
Focused on on the horses Beorn unsaddles and unpacks each horse and gives each animal a good rub down before giving each food and water. He tents to the reindeer with the same care and attention if it and Saniana allow. Only then does he turn to food preparation. First he puts water on to heat, and then goes about unpacking and setting up camp. When the water is hot he washes both hands all the way to his elbows and only then begins the stew. As he prepares the simple meal he listens to the others talk and soon the smell of simmering stew fills the camp area.
"Of course, help yo--" Harrolayne cuts off as the excitable gnome barges in. She looks bewildered under the barrage of questions, trying to get an answer in before being over-ridden.
She eventually gets out that she's a wizard from Kyonin, looking for some old friends that were reunited to have been to these parts once upon a while, and that she was hoping to find a guide at Oleg's, so if they are going about, she would be happy to join them.
Once Beorn begins supper, Saniana, apparently inspired by Harrolayne's example, sets about gathering small and medium sized rocks with interesting shapes and textures. She piles them in the creek that runs near the campsite, and then begins to place one rock on another until she managed to create an interesting series of cairns in the stream.
Once their meal is ready, Harrolayne stays in her chair and allows Beorn to fill her bowl for her. She eats half of her stew before awkwardly getting out of her chair and sitting on the ground with everybody else.
She looks very unnatural sitting on the ground.
When the meal is over, she asks Kas to fetch a small cask from her small pile of belongings, and she offers everybody a drink of very, very fine Galtan brandy, commiserating that it wasn't practical to bring a set of proper crystal glassware into the wilds to fully enjoy the beverage.
Kas smiles and readily obliges Harrolayne with her request to fetch the cask of brandy, serving her first and quickly cleaning out his own tin tankard with some water before pouring a small portion for himself last. Sipping it, he smiles and nods fondly, moving to sit by the fire with the others.
"The brandy is a delight...much thanks Mistress Harrolayne. Galt you said? My my, and earlier you mentioned spendin' some time in Taldor to the far south! With devoted-types of The Eternal Rose no less! My my...I profess I've not seen anything so grand as that except in my mind with stories told. I'm a bit of a peddler and storyteller by trade...spent some time not so far from where Mistress San was reared in the River Kingdoms. You know I always wanted to see the Sellen River south all the way down to Taldor and that Inner Sea, but instead I came back north to Brevoy, as somethin' was calling me to wind up here in these parts." Kas chuckles and shrugs his shoulders as he holds his tankard fondly. "I have a good friend who follows Desna's ways, and he told me often the path taken was as important as the place your goin' to, if not more so. Here I was this morning, wanting to get back to some supplies at Oleg's, but Beorn and the rest convinced me we should head to the woods straightaways...and now I see the why-and-reason of it!"
Resting for the night, you guys establish a watch and keep careful watch over the camp, nothing seems to transpire overnight. A few bats flitter overhead in and out of the tree line. Nothing particularly big or threatening makes its way by your guys' camp.
Waking in the morning, the dew sticks to the grass, and a small mist roils through the tree line.
Saddling up, you find that there are only 4 mounts and 5 adventurers! Someone will have to double up.
"So what exactly were you looking for in this forest?" Harrolayne asks as she climbs into her saddle the next morning.
Everyone has horses!!
" Beorn and myself are devotees of our lord Erastil, and it came to us in a dream, which I know sounds a little crazy, at that she raises her hands up in slight defense and continues. anyways we both had a dream about a bear in one of Old Dead Eyes abandoned temples in the Forrest. We are making our way there to see what we can do about it, we've also heard there is an elderly cleric heading that way on foot as well. "
also I don't think we need to worry any about this mist. It reminds me a lot of the most that would roll over our farm lands early in the mornings growing up.
"So you fear this cleric may be in danger? Then we should definitely help."
Harrolayne stays in the middle of the pack as they move out. As the day progresses, Harrolayne casts a minor cantrip every hour, managing to stay clean of mud splatter (her horse, too, which she has named Yvgeni). She also uses message cantrips if anybody in the party likes to scout ahead. It can keep them in contact within 120 feet.
"Aye, I agree..." says Kas agreeably as he readies Gerdie's saddle and checks his packs one more time. "About the mists I mean...and the strangeness of the dream to my Erastil reverers here, and the need to find this place and also keep this wandering priest from harm if we can."
Kas mounts his horse and straightens his patchwork cloak around him for warmth, placing his quarterstaff in a tied sling affixed to the saddlebacks alongside what appears to be a longer haft of a polearm. "Now Mistress Harrolyane you're welcome to come of course, but are you certain you want to get mixed up in this? It's fine by me if that's what yer heart and mind want you to do - and we can escort you back to Oleg's place once we're done - but most folk in these parts don't go looking for trouble unless it finds them first."
"Trouble has found me all my life, why should now be any different. Besides, I traveled halfway across Avistan in search of what you would consider an old man, so I can't afford to miss one."
Rising early, you guys mount up and make your way through the forest, following old trails and making new ones as you pick your way. Rose and Beorn following some mystical calling as they manage to find their way to the Temple of the Elk.
As you guys travel through the forest you come across several old campsites, they look rather recent, as you thunder through the forest the campsites seem to be getting newer and more recent.
Beorn and Rose start feeling a tingling feeling as they near the Temple, its like their bodies, no their souls are crying out.
A massive roar rips through the forest and you can hear an old man grunting, and casting a spell!
The thick tangle of brambles gives way into a large clearing in the woods, its border partially defined by ruined stone pillars. The western face of the clearing is dominated by a looming, upthrust ridge of rock, nearly 300 feet across and rising to a moss-topped height of 100 feet at the center. The side of this towering boulder facing the clearing has been carved in the likeness of an immense elk, its antlers drooping down from its weathered face to frame a 50-footwide cave entrance.
A flight of stone steps leads up to this cave entrance from the forest clearing—both the steps and elk face feel quite old and are thickly encrusted with layers of moss. A 50-foot-long oval pool sits in the middle of the clearing, its waters thick with algae. Like many ancient things, the Temple of the Elk lies forgotten in the forest depths. Travelers can easily bypass the overgrown temple, which is surrounded by numerous thorny plants.
Round 1 - Bold is up MAP
Kasimyr
Beorn
Saniana
Harrolayne
Saniana
Jhod Kavken (traveling cleric)
Grizzly Bear
Upon coming on the Temple of the Elk Rosetta feels a tug on her very soul and it seems like the entire area is calling to her an ancient song she has always known and searched for. "wow..oh my goodness!" She starts to exclaim excitedly as she moves forward and pulls out her bow and aim it towards the large bear. "Can you imagine what this temple looked like before it was overgrown? How exciting! hurry we need to help him!!"
Harrolayne nudges her horse five feet closer, then holds him still, as she begins casting a summoning spell.
Prior to the conflict, Saniana approaches Yvgeni, Harrlayne's horse, and begins to make sounds that seem to combine neighing sounds of a horse and some words. The horse seems to understand and neighs back as if in conversation. Saniana is using a speak with animals spell and introduces herself to the horse and lets him know if he needs anything to let her know.
To Harrlayne, she says, "Describe your friend and we may have seen or met him. There is an old herbalist with a hut near here. We've also, regrettably, recently discovered a few remains of victims of a nest of giant spiders."
At the temple, Saniana's heart is in her mouth at the sight of the sculpted rock, but leaves that aside to deal with the danger from the bear to the old man on the steps.
"Do not attack her! She may have cubs in the cave and is only defending her family!"
While she yells this, she commands Glyph to break into a run toward the steps.
She activates her gnomish ability to speak with animals as she holds on to Glyph as she gallops forward.
to stay in saddle, if needed, DC 5.
if needed while on a galloping reindeer That would be a DC 11.
When Glyph slows as she approaches a boulder at the bottom of the steps, Saniana dismounts and begins to speak to the bear.
"Easy friend! We don't mean you any harm!"
Still mounted Beorn double moves forward toward the bear and who he suspects is the priest. As he gets closer to the man he calls out. Back away towards me father. Together we can better face this challenge. He tries to spot any holy symbol the man may wear as he closes the distance.
"Aw blast it all to..." says Kas with a huff as he leaves Gerdie's reins behind from leading her to this place, and tries to run as fast as he can across the broken stone and debris from the old temple of Erastil.
The distances are just too far for him to aid the older man for the time being, though he hopes he'll be able to help the others if Saniana can't placate the enraged ursine.
__________________________________________
As the group rushes across the open ground, running to aid the old man.
Saniana notices immediately that something is very off and quite UN-natural about this bear and she is confident there would be no way to reason with it.
As she tries speaking to it, the bear turns and roars at her, spit & spittle flying from its mouth as it howls in fury and anger.
Jhod looks around at these new allies, "Ol' Deadeye, that wily rascal, always finding a way to save the day, eh eheh," He casts a spell on himself, "I sure am glad yer here to help,"
The bear gets down on all fours and lumbers toward Saniana, his mad eyes almost belaying a human ferocity or penchant for hate.
But she manages to get her weapon between her and the bear's mouth, holding it back, barely!
Round 2 - Bold is up
Kasimyr
Beorn
Saniana
Harrolayne
Saniana
Jhod Kavken (traveling cleric)
Grizzly Bear
Beorn urges the horse forward knowing it will not want to get too close to the beast. But it balks and refuses to close further. So he dismounts and moves to close with the bear challenging it. Fight me!he urges stepping protectively in front of the priest. Saniana, That is a big bear. I hope you know what you are doing!
"Hold fast friends!" exclaims Kasimyr as he steps closer to the ruins of the old temple's pool with its green muckish waters.
There's not much room to run up and challenge the bear with San, and Kas realizes in the confusion that he left his glaive back in Gerdie's saddlebags when he dismounted earlier. To charge up against the great beast with nothing but a quarterstaff is sheer folly, so he trusts in his compatriots and does what he can to aid them.
"Blessed be the devoted who carry the dawn to the gloom that defiles this holy place! Blessed be the friends of the Lady Fair, the Eternal Rose, whose servant joins with the chosen of the Old Father to cleanse this place in his name!"
With that a shimmering of soft light comes forth from the sculpted wooden songbird symbol now held in his left hand, a pleasantly warm breeze with the aroma of spring wildflowers stretching across the old ruins to hearten the hearts of his comrades.
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Harrolayne finished her spell, and a magnificent eagle with golden feathers appears. With a flap of its wings, it takes to the air, and swoops at the bear from right in front of Saniana, biting with its beak.
On her turn, Harrolayne nudges her horse to move up to the close edge of the pool.
Saniana's expression of concern for the bear shifts to one of concern for everyone' safety, as the bear seems unnatural. She steps back out of reach of his long forelegs and says, "Tachaiseach Mathan," while pointing at the bear with one hand and scratching at her body with the other. Then she adds, "Looks like you've got a bad case of fleas, Mr. Griz!"
Then she orders Glyph to retreat and to take Dax with her.
She then pulls out one of her short spears and holds it ready to defend or attack at her next opportunity.
Rosetta springs into action, running forward and studying the bear for any weak points!
Beorn rides into battle, dismounting his horse, while Saniana urges her animal allies to retreat while Rosetta rushes forward and Kas blesses his allies while Harrolayne summons a majestic eagle to attack the bear.
Jhod looks around taking in his surrounds and his new found allies, "We must cleanse this bear, its been tainted by something and is now some terrible guardian!"
Jhod casts a magic spell, touching Beorn's greatsword and it glows with an awe-inspiring light.
The bear roaring in anger at the cleric's spell weaving steps and batters at Beorn!
And it savagely tears into Beorn, injuring him badly.
Round 2 - Bold is up
Kasimyr
Beorn 17 damage
Rosetta
Harrolayne
Saniana
Jhod Kavken (traveling cleric)
Grizzly Bear
The eagle full attacks the ear, biting and slashing with talons.
The eagle attempts to hover in place.
vs DC 15
Harrolayne herself moves up and attempts to fling a glob of acid onto the bear's haunches.
"Is it rabid?"
Rosetta knocks an arrows and cries at the bear. old dead eye...guide my arrow to my mark.
Bitten and torn by the bear Beorn fights on. Calling upon his god the divine warrior takes a hand off the great axe for a moment. It glows with a holy light and he touches the bite. A portion of that wound closes.
Bjorn steps to flank with the eagle. Power attacking he then swings at the bear.
Kas sees Beorn losing the first exchange with the strange enraged bear, and with a concerned grunt he weaves his way past Beorn's horse up just short of the worn and cracked steps. He concentrates on the symbol of the Lady and channels forth a soothing warm light that bathes all of his comrades in a healing caress, though when it reaches the bear it writhes around it without so much as a grazing touch.
__________________________________________
Saniana converts her spell Aspect of the Falcon into a spell to summon another eagle to aid in the fight.
Beorn returns the assault, chopping at the bear as Harrolayne's Eagle tears into it with its talons! Her glob of acid singes the bear while Rose's arrow fires way above the bear's head!
Kas raises his holy symbol into the air, praying for the healing power his goddess bestows!
The bear will attempt to bite the Eagle and claw Beorn!
The eagle dodges out of the way, but Beorn takes a big claw swipe to the face, opening up wounds across his face, almost knocking him unconscious!
Jhod steps up behind Beorn, "Erastil! Hear my plea, heal this avatar of good and justice!"
Round 2 - Bold is up
Kasimyr
Beorn 10 damage
Rosetta
Harrolayne
Saniana
Jhod Kavken (traveling cleric)
Grizzly Bear 20 damage
The eagle again slashes with beak and talons, continuing to beat its wings to remain stationary.
vs DC 15 to hover
Harrolayne repeats the acid splash. This time, the acid sails well high and splashes onto the steps of the shrine.
The paladin staggers as the large bear paw slashes down and raked his face. But he is strengthened as the holy power of Erastil flows trough him. We make a good team priest of Erastil. Together we shall overcome this foe.
He brings up a hand and heals himself a little more.
Still flanking with the eagle Bjorn power attacks the bear with the great axe once more.
Rosetta, grabs another arrow, knocks it and fires towards the bear again.
Saniana finishes her summoning with hands upraised, speaking a soft prayer to nature to provide aid. Near the bear-thing appears another eagle, this one lacking the celestial improvements of Kas', but it has talons and a beak and set upon the bear with equal ferocity.
Eagle:
With her spell finished, Saniana hurled her short spear at the bear, being careful to avoid the group's eagle-eyed allies.
Saniana:
As a group you guys are able to overcome the bear, battering down its defenses and finishing it off. As it dies, it lets out almost an human sigh of relief, as if it is glad to be finally vanquished.
The bear's body falls to the ground and its form melts away to dust, revealing the body of an old human cleric of Erastil who crumbles into dust just as quickly. The wind picks up the dust, swirling and carrying it into the forest.
Jhod offers a sigh of relief as well, "Well, I'm glad you made it here when you did, I am not sure I would've been able to fight that bear alone," Looking around the companions before him, "I'm Jhod, Jhod Kavken, a traveling cleric of Erastil, I received a dream from Erastil about this temple and it seemed like he wanted me to restore it,"
Putting her bow away and moving up towards the rest of the group Rosetta extends her hand"I am Rosetta Westfall, Rose for short and I too received a dream from Old Dead eye about this beautiful forgotten temple and that it needs to be restored. My companion Bjorn also is a follower of Erastil and had the same dream. But I'll let him tell it as well." she finishes with a smile and a slight bow. She continues to look around at the temple in utter awe. in its hay day imagine it, wow...
"I am Saniana Quickly," the druid says after whistling for Glyph and Dax to return to her side. "I practice the Green Faith and we consider Old Deadeye's flock to be almost kith and kin. It would be a superb honor to help you restore this temple. We need such establishments if our settlements here are to thrive."
Saniana will spend time examining the pond and the structures below, but her gaze keeps returning to the sculpture on the rock face. She borrows some rope, makes her way to the top of the ridge if she can safely do so, ties the rope to something heavy and begins to lower herself down to being cleaning up the image, picking away the moss, chipping and sculpting places where the previous rock may have become damaged.
Harrolayne also comes over to study the remains of the bear. "I have heard of powerful priests of the natural world, who can assume the form of powerful animals. For that matter, many powerful wizards can accomplish the same feat. Perhaps he was one of those."
If he was a druid or shapeshifter he must have been cursed for some reason to assume that shape forever, it likely was the cause of the creatures madness as well
As Saniana climbs up and ascends the giant rock sculpture, she sets to work cleaning the giant stone Elk.
As she finished cleaning it, a low wave of wind pulses across the whole area, the grass growing verdantly green, the waters in the pool becoming instantly crystal clear, much of the rest of the moss and growth recedes from the temple, becoming once again a Shrine to Erastil.
Searching the Temple you guys find resting on the alter a yew-wood staff, its decorated with carvings of elk leaping and the head of the staff is carved in the likeness of elk antlers.
Its a Staff of Cure Light Wounds with 50 charges.
Pondering Rosetta seems to recall something and pauses a moment before she speaks to her companions.
Saniana continues her work on the sculpture, pausing only a moment to cast Detect Magic to see if what glowed with magical divine energy. Her heart leaps at the wonder of it all and she sings a song she makes up on the spot to honor the forces of nature. Eventually, she comes down to check on what else changed, peering intently at the pool, tasting the fresh appearing water.
She marvels at the staff. She checks it with Detect magic to see if it glows, but she has yet to learn much about what the colors mean when she sees them, so she waits for others to inspect the staff with an idea of what it does.