Gwyn, after finding out what her share is, finds a longbow and a quiver with 40 arrows in it.
"Thank you Savah, and I do hope we meet again," the elven wizard says with a bow.
Halvor decides to save his money. He had a couple of very nice weapons, but could probably use an armor upgrade before too long. He felt confident enough in what he was in to take on some goblins, though.
Also: You are very close to leveling up. Please think about your L3 options, and let me know if you have any questions.
Moonday, 10 Rova 4707, early afternoon
Finishing up their business with Savah, the five adventurers set out to reconnoiter the threat posed by the Thistletop Goblins. As you head east and north on the Lost Coast Road, you recall what the elven ranger Shalelu told you about the Thistletop Goblins...
...The Thistletop Goblins are probably the second-largest goblin tribe in this area, and they have the best lair by far. They live in a wooden fort they've built atop a huge round boulder that's just off shore from the sea-cliffs of Nettlewood. Nettlewood itself is uninhabited by any civilized folk, and is crisscrossed by game trails, which the goblins also use. The trails are always hard to follow, even for me: I think they must use some kind of magic to change up the trails every once in a while. Nettlewood is choked with dense underbrush, stinging nettles, and goblinberry vines. I would not try to ride a horse through that wood...
You follow the Lost Coast Road for about six miles to the edge of Nettlewood. The only other travelers you pass are three people in a wagon full of harvested maize heading toward Sandpoint. The journey takes about two hours. Seeing no obvious signs of goblins, you find a deer path and follow it into Nettlewood.
Halvor bumbles and crashes through the woods, utterly distracted by both the women he is accompanying and the plethora of colorful imagery the Nettlewood has to offer. The warrior takes a moment to be thankful that most of his short time of mercenary work was done on rather nondescript roads, as he appeared ill-suited for anything that was vibrant.
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"And that is why you won't find any bats anywhere near the capital city of Galt!" Cerin finishes the last of his tales to liven up their travel just as they reach the trail with a sly grin that makes one wonder if any of it was true.
"Now, when we get to the goblin's camp, be very careful not to touch ant goblinberry vines! They're very poisonous and will give you a rash and boils for at least a week. Let me scout out the area first, so I can guide you past any other dangers or natural hazards."
Before you make it as far east as the Thistle River, you find what seems to be an opening through the dense underbrush north of the Lost Coast Road. Cerin takes the lead into the forest. The game trail winds through the brush at the edge of the forest, and after only about a quarter mile or so, the interior of the woods opens up somewhat. The forest floor is covered with bracken, and twisting vines climb many trees. Cerin points out that many of those vines appear to be goblinberry. Thistles and nettles sprout in dense patches wherever a fallen tree has opened the forest floor to the sun.
After about an hour, Cerin finds signs of a more well-trod path through the woods, and identifies several signs that goblins frequent the path. He leads you on this path that heads mostly northward.
[Substituting Knowledge (nature)]
After half an our of picking your way through the many patches of vines and nettles that grow along the sides of this goblin path, you are all surprised when a patch of vines animates and lashes out at you!
[ooc]I neglected to ask about marching order through the woods, so I'm assuming it's going to be: Cerin, Halvor, Helena, Gwyn, Kyrian.
Surprise Round
...success
The vines lash out at Cerin as he walks past the patch. They strike him hard in the abdomen before he has a chance to react, and then more wrap around his right arm and left leg.
As the plant-thing sends more tendrils toward Cerin's throat, the rest of you notice that the other vines and leaves in the area are also writhing, grasping at your feet.
Round 1
Gritting his teeth as the writhing vines attempt to ensnare him, Halvor stumbles and forces his way forward to the plant-thing that just attacked Cerin, drawing back his sword before sending it swiping downward in a powerful arc.
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Stunned for a moment, Cerin feels himself being dragged across the ground as he struggles weakly. He raises his head and tries to focus on the plant that is about to consume him as another part of his mind tries to identify the species.
Shaking his head to clear it, he concentrates and his eyes flash with electricity as a small stormcloud batters the vines with wind and heavy rain.
Gwyn, who'd been enjoying Cerin's tales and swapping a few of her own, is completely surprised when the vines start attacking. Thinking quickly, Gwyn conjures up a spark of flame on her fingertips as she steps up.
"Fireball special incoming," she calls out before the spark turns into a gout of flame aimed at the plant monster.
Not noticing the vegetation reaching up to her until it's too late, helena is caught by surprise. With a gasp, she tugs her legs free of the grasping tendrils of plant matter, just long enough to reach Halvor's side, her spear already in her hands. She stabs at the creature, hampered considerably by the grasping vines.
Kyrian looks at the vegetation rise and become something else, he quickly notches up an arrow. "Well this is going to be great..." he says as he lets loose.
Monster hp: 23/30
...hit
Shocked at being attacked by what he thought was just a patch of vines, Halvor stabs his sword at the plant-creature. However, the grasping tendrils of the animate plant slow and deflect his thrust.
Cerin calls to the Wind and the Waves, who answers his prayer with a tiny stormcloud. Yet, in his haste to turn the power of Gozreh against the creature, Cerin inadvertently sends the cloud against an adjacent patch of goblinberry vines that he mistook for more of the creature.
Helena tries to get closer to stab the thing with her spear, but the grasping vines of the animate pant life manage to tug at the weapon, making her miss her mark.
Gwynn casts a spell and a cone of flame envelops the creature. However, while some goblinberry vines caught in the conflagration scorch and wither, none of the writhing tendrils of the monster seem to be affected.
Standing outside the area of the animated plants, Kyrin lets loose an arrow which finds its mark, embedding into the heart of the mass of writhing vines. Thick sap seems to ooze from where the arrow hit.
The creature sends more tendrils toward Halvor, and one wraps around his neck, squeezing tight.
Round 2
Knocking another arrow, Kyrian lets loose another shot at the mass of vines. "Someone get Halvor out of that mess!"
"Hey Ugly!"
Gwynethiel moves through the grasping vines as she shouts, gathering white-hot flames between her hands.
"Burn!"
White flames fan out in a hungry roar around the creature.
Feeling the vines constrict around him, the burly warrior starts to panic, mindlessly trying to pull at the inexorably tightening tendrils in an attempt to free his airways.
Halvor escapes the pin (& grapple)
:1-Cerin; 2-Halvor; 3-Helena; 4-Gwyn.
:1-Cerin; 2-Halvor; 3-Helena; 4-Gwyn.
:1-Cerin; 2-Helena; 3-Gwyn.
...hit
...success
In a desperate attempt to save his own life, Halvor rips free of the vines attempting to choke him out. He pulls the now-limp vine off his throat and can breathe easily again.
Kyrian lets fly another arrow, and this one completely severs one of the creature's largest vines before it embeds itself in the thickest part of the thing. A few of its smaller vines stop writhing altogether.
Helena stands her ground and thrusts her longspear at the creature, striking it solidly near Kyrian's arrow impacts. Sticky sap oozes from the gash.
Helena engulfs the creature in a cone of flame a split-second before Cerin's warning. Sure enough, the assassin vine appears unaffected by the flame while the nearby bracken, thistles, and goblinberry brambles scorch and wither.
Cerin buffets the thing with a tiny stormcloud, which does blow away some of its smaller tendrils. However, one of its vines snakes up around Cerin's ankle while another wraps around his chest, squeezing the gnome's breath out of his lungs!
Round 3
Gwyn Draws her longknife and circles around to begin setting up a flank.
"Okay, if flames don't work, someone help me flank it," she shouts.
Kyrian watches as his arrow severs a vine, but sees it still moving. "How friggin hard is it to kill a damn plant?" he yells out as he fires another arrow.
"Very when you can't set it on fire!"
Breathing heavily and listening to the words of the strange wizardess, Halvor gets on the opposite side of the plant, then lines up a vicious strike, knowing that Cerin was in big trouble.
Helena takes a brief moment to wonder whether her knuckles have grown whiter as they grip her spear in terror. At least Halvor was free, but Cerin was now down. Hoping against hope that the gnome would be alright just a little longer, she takes anotehr desperate stab at the thing.
"See, Gwyn? I told you fire isn't always the answer!"
Kyrian's arrow hits the plant-creature squarely in the thickest part of its central vine, and sinks several inches deep. More thick sap oozes from the gash. Simultaneously, Helena stabs the thing with her spear, slicing through one of its larger branches. A split-second later, Halvor chops through the vine that was crushing his friend. At that, the plant stops moving entirely, as do the other forest plants grasping at everyones' legs.
Combat Over
"Alright, everyone gather around me!" Calling out to those still mobile, Helena checks that the plant is truly dead (stabbing it a few more times if need be) before unleashing a wave of energy to heal her strange new allies.
Crouching by Cerin, she checks the gnome over, fussing like a mother hen. "Try not to breathe to deeply; it will take a while before your ribs finish healing."
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"I never said it was," Gwyn says absently as she sheathes her blades and looks around.
"True, Gwyn also tries to solve problems by stabbing and drinking as well," Fluff titters from her shoulder.
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Cerin wakes with a gasp and sits up. He immediately winced in pain and hand goes to his side as he looks at Helena with a weak smile. "Ah, thank you. I think I might need a bit more help from my wand, it's right in my pack back there, would you mind getting it for me? Bless you!"
He taps himself gingerly with the wand a couple of times, trying not to move too much. Once he is more fully healed, he pushes away the tendrils and gets to his feet to stretch. "Is everyone else all right?"
"Thank the gods you're alright," Helena sighs in relief, hugging the gnome briefly. "Now don't do that again!" she adds with a weak chuckle, standing and looking around at the remains of the plant.
"Gwyn," she asks, a familiar note of curiosity creeping into her voice, "Do you remember these things having any uses?"
Knowledge (arcana) +9 => 25
Knowledge (local) +8 => 24
Knowledge (nature) +8 => 24
Knowledge (planes) +8 => 24
Knowledge (religion) +8 => 24
"Umm, I'm not sure. Lemme think," Gwyn says as she bends down beside Helena and looks over the plant as well.
With Cerin out of danger, you examine the chopped-up remains of the plant-creature. It resembles a blackberry bramble more than anything else; indeed, there are many shiny blue-black berries that still cling to its brambles. The vine seems to have been growing out of pile of stinking black compost: it smells more like carrion than a garden. You notice several bones mixed into the black soil.
"Unless you wanna try the berries, most of the useful stuff is going to be in...that," she says with a disgusted look on her face as she points vaguely at the black, foul-smelling mess, "Anything inorganic that its victims had would be in that mess."
"Oh like you haven't made more disgusting messes. There was this one time where she --*Squeek*," Fluff begins before Gwyn grabs the thrush and stuffs her into a small pouch.
"I have no idea what that crazy little bird is talking about! Completely scatter-brained, y'know," she says with a nervous smile that fools no one.
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Cerin pops one of the berries into his mouth and chews enthusiastically. "Try one, depending on how well they hunt, the berries can be quite delicious!" He picks a bunch of them and puts them in a pouch for later before digging around beneath the vine's roots for anything of interest. "In a couple of villages in the River Kingdoms they actually plant assassin vines in areas where there are large numbers of predators. Keeps the wolf population in check and produces some excellent crops!"
Cerin picks 14 intact berries from the remains of the vines.
Cerin then digs into the pile of stinking, black compost. He discovers many bones, which you identify as goblin, firepelt, and deer. You also find a several odd trinkets of stone or metal, mostly of goblin manufacture. You also find two rusty dogslicers, a steel buckler, a gold bracelet, a roughly-cut garnet, a 4-inch metal disc with a button on one side carved with a rune, 25 gold ducats, and 37 silver shillings.
Anyone who examines the disc:
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Cerin pops another berry in his mouth and shoves a handful of them at Halvor. "Try these, they are really good and will ease the pain of those wounds!" he says enthusiastically as he recognizes the distinctive effects of goodberries from when his mentor used to patch him up after his youthful 'indiscretions'.
Watching as Cerin sorts through the black compost beneath the vine, Helena bites her lip to avoid smiling at Fluff's comment and the memory it brings. That had been an interesting mess, indeed, and she still wasn't sure where the miniature goat had come from.
"Are you sure Fluff can breathe properly in there?" she asks sternly, before adding with a small smile, "She's... expanded somewhat, after all."
Halvor breathes heavily after the close call with the plant monster, smiling gratefully as Helena's divine magics spread throughout his body, easing the pains of the bruises the creature inflicted upon him. Of course, he then flushes as she looks at him, turning his head quickly.
He accepts the berries from Cerin dutifully, fully trusting in his gnomish companion at this point. He eats a few of them, nodding his head to indicate that the fruit is indeed quite tasty.
"Should we carry on, then? I mean, was this just something that happened to be in the way, or an advance guardian of some kind?"
Halvor: The berries are delicious. As you eat them, you feel your lost strength returning.
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After handing 5 gold ducats and 7 silver shillings to each person, Cerin lifts up the bracelet and garnet to get a better look.
"I don't suppose anyone wants the dogslicers or buckler. This is something, I haven't seen anything like this before! Anyone know what it is?" he asks, holding out the metal disc.
Brushing the grime off the recovered objects, Cerin's assessment is that the Medium-sized metal buckler is still in decent condition. He's not quite sure about the gem or the bracelet, but the disc seems special, and is likely the most valuable object recovered here. It seems to be made of brass, and is surprisingly untarnished for having been found in a pile of composting meat. Indeed, it seems unnaturally well-preserved, as if it were enchanted in some way. Cerin casually pushes the button, and the disc pops open, revealing a clear crystal face under the brass shell. The golden needle of a compass points to the north. There is small brass cup set in the center of the crystal, seemingly for a small object of the right shape to be stored there. Etched into the back of the lid are the words, "Explore, illuminate, inspire!"
Halvor devours the delicious berries, closing his eyes as he savors the scrumptious flavor. Once finished, he smacks his lips with satisfaction and retrieves his longsword, ready once more to proceed.
"Yes, she can," Gwyn answers Helena's question.
"No I can't! It smells of sweaty hair in here," Fluff's muffled voice comes from the hat.
"See, she's fine." Gwyn grins as she motions to the indignantly squawking hat.
Fluff stays on Helena's shoulder, occasionally shooting Gwyn a glare.
"We'll be sure to have a drink for whoever they were when we get back then," Gwyn says solemnly.
"That's assuming I let you live that long," Fluff spits out.
"I am quaking in my boots, fluffball," Gwyn shoots back.