Gyle wastes no time in throwing a poisoned dagger at the remaining witch.
Attack, damage, and sneak attack damage
He immediately draws another dagger and readies to throw again.
Oh, this forest is actually a decently high CR challenge compared to your level, so we're going one round at a time.
Options posted in order of preference
If I can see where the verderer & hag went I will tear off after them. Even with the forest I should be moving faster on horseback then they are on foot.
"Take the witch alive, I am after her mistrress!"
If I have a clear charge on the witch I will take it.
If I do not have a clear charge to the witch I will ride around the skeletons to attack the Witch or attack the nearest bag o' bones if I cannot reach the witch..
Gyle and Rashun's attacks fall short. The poisoned dagger almost hits the witch, but she recoils back and dodges it. It seems that this skeleton is powerful, because Dougal misses as well.
Hywel does much better, swinging around the skeletons and cutting down the witch in one blow. She slumps to the floor.
The skeletons retaliate, clearly capable of functioning despite the flight of their master.
One takes on Rashun, another takes on Gyle, and a third moves back to hit Hywel.
Rashun:
Gyle:
Hywel:
If they hit, here are their respective damages
Okay, so now goes the end of round 1. Tobar and Braiden can still move (you can change your action if you'd like, Braiden).
And you can also start posting round 2 stuff
Braiden advances forward cautiously until he sees the skeletons, then stops where he's at. He can't do much currently, so he'll just wait with his readied action to attack any enemies coming near.
Dougal whirls his staff and lays into the animated bones. "Ha ha! Witches are frightening when they're laying curses in the dark of night, but in the light of day they die like anyone else."
Rashun 5 foot steps to set up the flank for Dougal if possible then attacks the skeleton
Attack:
Damage:
If I am flanking I get to add the sneak attack damage and +2 to the attack roll.
Braiden decides that standing around isn't helping anything, and he could try to help his allies even if he might not do much. He moves to help dispatch the skeletons (if any are still standing), charging the nearest with the longspear.
Wheeling from the downed witch Hywel turns to the bone-men.
"Thank you for stepping so close. Ceffyl, attack!"
One by one, the skeletons are cut down, turning into a pile of dusty bones. Soon, the Verderer and his wife arrive back in the clearing. The portly woman shows even more surprise than her husband did earlier. By Saint George, why are you in this witch infested forest? And how did you do, dear?
The hag seems to have escaped. At least we've taken care of the two junior witches, so this area will be safe until the hag recruits some more.
"Coo Blimey! That was quick. You all are better luck than leprechaun shoes!"
Gyle shakes his head grinning, snickering away the nervous energy of the fight.
Dougal makes a short bow to them. "We found the town empty, ma'am, and figured we'd best come see if there was aught we could do to save them afore they all got their hearts eaten or the like. At the least we thought we'd see where they'd gone so we could tell the King's men." His face splits into a wide happy grin. "God's luck we did. Between us and you we scared off the frenchie and his woman, and this chit wasn't no real trouble."
A sobering thought occurs to him. "Here now, where's the townsfolk at then? They all marched off this way, witch led or the like. Think they'll be stacked up in the cave like cordwood?"
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Dismounting and retrieving his lance. Hywel speaks to the vergerer.
"Check your count again the hag and two of her servants ran into the wood. Did you account for both of them?"
To the group.
"Bind this ones wounds. She may know where the townspeople are."
Hywel looks at the Vergerer and his wife.
"We left you half a day behind us and yet you are here. You say the forest is dangerous and yet you walk it alone. You claim the enemy has escaped you yet you searched for less than a minute."
"Strange things are afoot friends take care."
"For now my only concern is recovering the people of Hereford. Rashun do the tracks lead into this cave?"
Indeed, the forest is dangerous, but we are the King's people. My wife took down one of her lackeys and the hag escaped, but what do you mean that another escape? I see the witch that stayed right here, on the ground. Who is this Frenchie?
We have been on the front lines for quite a while. We seek out these witches during the day, but at night, even the most skilled person cannot find them. The only reason I was able to track them was because of the failure of the junior witches to cover their tracks. The senior is not nearly as stupid and once she left my line of sight, I could not find her again.
Tonbar finds:
50 Gold Pieces
Ceremonial Stone Dagger with fresh blood
A tiny vial of blood
Two Scrolls of Cure Light Wounds (Arcane)
Assorted unidentified herbs
Braiden mutters stutteringly, "H-h-hag?" He dreads that they didn't manage to get that one. He heard they can pass through walls to kill you in the night, and that they can cast powerful magics to know where you are at all times. He only hopes this one won't target him first.
Braiden is about to scold Hywel for suspecting their ally, who just saved them from the witch, when he realizes that the Verderer's wife is there too. Now what is she doing here? He asks himself, then cautiously offers to the missus, "Ho, what are you doing in these dangerous woods yerself, ma'am? I am certain the good Verderer wouldn't want to risk you being out here at the witches' den." He finds her presence to be puzzling, and quickly thinks up some way to test whether she is who she looks to be. "Before you go anywhere, ma'am, that meal you made yesterday was really delicious. Pray tell me the recipe?" He's becoming just as suspicious as Hywel, and he wants to see whether she knows what they ate yesterday.
"Does no one listen!" Hywel roughly pulls a long box from Ceffyl's saddle bag and moves to the bleeding 'witch'. The box disgorges bandages and lint and Hywel sets to work staunching the woman's wound and binding it closed. "There, she will survive the day. More than that depends on god."
"Indeed, the forest is dangerous, but we are the King's people. My wife took down one of her lackeys and the hag escaped, but what do you mean that another escape? I see the witch that stayed right here, on the ground. Who is this Frenchie?
"We saw three people run into the forest. The hag, as you call her, one woman and the man who called up these bones. He came from the cave. We were tracking crowd that came from Hereford. The trail leads here but know not how to read it further."
Braiden takes offense when Hywel seems annoyed that no one else jumped to his command, though he does not voice his annoyance. Instead he says, "Maybe someone should check the cave?" He regrets saying it, however. Because he was the one to suggest it, the others might think he'd be willing to do it, which he definitely is not.
Dougal seems bemused by Hywel's efforts. "Better you not. A quick death by the sword's better than the burning or hanging a witch gets from a judge." While the others talk he takes Braiden's request and heads to the cave to peer cautiously inside.
Dougal seems bemused by Hywel's efforts. "Better you not. A quick death by the sword's better than the burning or hanging a witch gets from a judge." While the others talk he takes Braiden's request and heads to the cave to peer cautiously inside.
"This is not an act of pure mercy my pugilistic friend. This misguided bag of bones may be our only link to the missing townsfolk."
"Hywel is correct. I would suggest tying her up though before she comes too. I have rope if it is needed. Ya know what I will tie her up. I am good at scaring people into giving me information, but maybe one of you chaps who is better at pretending to be someone's friend should take a shot at it first whenever she wakes up."
Rashum cuts 3 feet of rope off and ties the witch up.
CMD to escape=23
The recipe? Well, I purchased the white bread from the miller. The fish was just cooked over a fire and seasoned with some salt and pepper, but my recipe for salted game is not something I can just give away. That's a secret that I'm taking to the grave. I've told absolutely no one.
Tobar senses that the Verderer's wife is lying that she has told no one about the game recipe.
Are you sure that the tracks are fresh? In this time of war, the entire towns can flee into the forest to escape the possibility of marauding armies. The Verderer looks around the area carefully. You're right, I think I see them too.
Inside the cave, there is a pile of ash, the remains of a campfire. Further inside, there are many bulging sacks of various sizes and shapes, but sacks nevertheless. They seem to be lined against the wall and piled up in no apparant order or pattern.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
Rashun goes to cut open a sack, carefully to not damage the contents.
Are you sure that the tracks are fresh? In this time of war, the entire towns can flee into the forest to escape the possibility of marauding armies.
[b]"They would flee into a hag ridden forest? Every last man? No drunkards availing themselves of the free wine. Vestments left in the church. This was no attempt to hide in a forest.
Inside the cave, there is a pile of ash, the remains of a campfire. Further inside, there are many bulging sacks of various sizes and shapes, but sacks nevertheless. They seem to be lined against the wall and piled up in no apparant order or pattern.
While Rashun and Dougal inspect the cave Hywel examines the corpse the three were standing around.
Braiden is convinced of the wife's identity, and wonders at the trust the Verderer must have in her to be fine with her coming along. Also, he wonders at how capable she must be.
"My traveling companions, I may be able to assist in finding our missing village. I might be able to divine an answer to a question from the powers that be, though it would take some time. Perhaps if we do not find them soon, I could try at that?" He is referring to his Prophetic Visionary feat.
Bones begin to pour out of the sack, dried and in various shapes and sizes. Not only the traditional long bones, but sometimes a pelvis, shoulder, and occasionally a skull.
Hywel examines the corpse, but it is very brutally disfigured and it's hard to tell anything. There are cuts and slashes all over, likely made with one of the witches' ceremonial daggers. Definitely dead at this point. It's hard to tell anything else, since the skin is also discolored.
We have seen a plant that reproduces in that fashion, but only in sites of terrible suffering and death. If the townsfolk went this way, it's possible this is now one of their breeding grounds.
Tobar knows that there is a bounty, but it has not been set. No one has actually been able to claim one before, but it is the king's steward that usually takes care of bounty matters about criminals and spies that aren't just local enemies. He is found in the royal castle.
And they need the whole person, alive, because otherwise they can't even be sure it's a witch without interrogation.
With a look of disgust on his face Rashun says, "I found what I thought I would find."
If I need another survival check:
Braiden gets closer to Rashun to see what he is referring to, saying, "Oh? And what did you think you would find?" He grows more worried seeing that Rashun is kneeling near the strange sacks in the cave. This whole forest is very unsettling, and Braiden wants to leave already.
"Shall we seek out this insidious plant or shall we instead take this so called witch to the king for bounty?"
"The townsfolk are still missing. There are not enough sacks to account for everyone nor has there been enough time. Besides if they were all killed here we would sink into the blood soaked ground."
"Since they are not here they must be elsewhere. I expect our prisoner knows where. If we cannot track them then we must get our prize to those who can convince her to tell us where they are. I suspect she would not survive a journey on horseback but I saw 2 horses and a wagon in town. They might serve to carry her gently to the castle. Or we could fortify the church and I could ride to the castle and return with soldiers and medical men. What say you?"
Braiden thinks about the situation, then offers, "Well, do we have a lead on where this plant is at? If we don't know where it is at, I can't see us doing much about removing it. I'd say we wait for the witch to recover, and interrogate her. If she reveals the whereabouts of the villagers, maybe we quest to find them now, an' if she doesn't, an' we can't find 'em, then we take her to the king. That sound fair?"
These plants are certainly very dangerous. The thing is that they can move. I am not sure they are in your capacity, but then again, I didn't think that you could handle these witches either.
Braiden thinks about the situation, then offers, "Well, do we have a lead on where this plant is at? If we don't know where it is at, I can't see us doing much about removing it. I'd say we wait for the witch to recover, and interrogate her. If she reveals the whereabouts of the villagers, maybe we quest to find them now, an' if she doesn't, an' we can't find 'em, then we take her to the king. That sound fair?"
"Aye it sounds fair, save that this woman, Hywel indicates the 'witch'. "who is our only chance of finding the townsfolk alive will not be fit to talk for days. She needs a physic if she is to answer her interrogators and none of us are trained in that art. Her hope and therefore our only hope lies in the castle."
"Tobar if you would ride pillion a second set of eyes would be welcome. The Hag may well try to stop word from reaching the castle. Braiden, Dougal, those two saplings and her cloak will make a fine litter. You and the others will carry our prize to the church. The stone walls, sacred ground and Dougal's fists should keep you safe enough."
Assuming Tobar and the others agree Hywel helps Tobar up behind him and saluting the others with his lance sets off at a fast trot back down the path we used to enter the clearing. Once clear of the wood Hywel speeds up to a slow gallop until they near the castle.
Acknowledging Hywel's point, Braiden assists in making the litter, and once it is created, in carrying it. He finds it ironic that they would be treating the witch so gently, though he understands the necessity of making sure her wounds don't open.