"Fine, let's go!"
The group heads into the woods, in the general direction of the beach labeled "Shipwreck and ENEMIES."
Hollow husks of crooked, leafless tress grow from the blackened ground in this forest. The bark on the trees is marred with wound-like cracks that weep blackish sap.
"This place is creepy. No bugs, no animals, nothing. It's too quiet."
Silt nods. He casts Barkskin.
"Life has lost its hold here. Let's keep alert for the restless dead." He sings and his rainbow skin hardens .
Purpose Creche casts the gray currents of his awareness around the forest.
"Necromancy. The entire area is saturated." He unfurls a thin finger towards a tree. "They grow crooked. Hollow. Be alert."
He presses forward, head slowly turning form side to side, keeping watch over the eerie trees.
The group continues progressing through the creepy forest. You reach a point where the trees grow thick, blocking the sunlight, when suddenly!
, possible height. awareness/see invis.
Joli and Purpose spot two incorporeal figures coming toward you! Their gaunt, shadowy bodies appear to be little more than tangles of insubstantial, tattered cloaks. The most disturbing feature is their gaping mouths, seeming to go on forever and hungry to devour the souls of living creatures.
Initiative!
Joli
Purpose
Harpoon
Silt
pink ghost
blue ghost
Toby
Joli calls on his ancestors to strike, "Wraiths! Have a care!!" In response, an apparition forms, striking at the pink wraith.
Purpose Creche adds his observations to Joli's, then lays a hand on Silt's greatsword.
Silt nods grimly at Purpose.
He readies an attack with his weapon, hoping to kill one as soon as possible.
Joli's spiritual weapon strikes true, piercing one of the wraiths!
These wraiths are known as hollows. They have an incorporeal touch attack that deals negative energy damage. Unlike normal wraiths, if you do not succeed at a Fortitude save, it deals Charisma drain (not Con drain). They are incorporeal, with all that entails, and have channel resistance. They are staggered in direct sunlight.
Initiative!
Joli
Purpose
Harpoon
Silt
pink ghost -11 hp
blue ghost
Toby
Purpose Creche draws his sword and takes up position ahead of Silt. The blade's green light glitters against the moribund forest's floor.
Riku also moves up and readies to attack a wraith should one come into reach.
”Defend Toby! It’s best to blast these sad creatures from range.”
The pink wraith moves in to hit Silt! His ready goes off, dealing a mighty blow.
He also gets an AoO. If that doesn't take it down...
The blue wraith swoops in to hit Purpose.
Initiative!
Joli
Purpose
Harpoon
Silt
pink ghost -40 hp
blue ghost
Toby
Joli sings for the guidance of his ancestors while continuing to avoid the very unfriendly ghosts. The spectral ancestor continues to favor pink with its lashes.
The wraith's appendage passes through Purpose Creche's coat and into his body. When the limb retreats, it brings the sound of cracking, warping wood with it.
"Stay back." He then steps up to take an glowing swing at whichever wraith is closest to dissolution.
Toby moves to get a clear shot, occupying the space vacated by the destroyed wraith, then fires a brutal blast at the remaining foe. Water is streaming now from his body as he pushes the limits of his abilities.
Silt takes the AOOm but misses:
He then tries to fend off the negative energy, also failing:
He circles around, then swings at the last standing enemy:
RIku moves through the trees and attempts to kick the last wraith.
”In Minkai we honor our ancestors, but not when they try to kill us!”
The spiritual weapon finishes off the struggling pink wraith. Purpose struggles to connect with his longsword, but Toby scores a direct hit. Silt comes in with a powerful blow that is just enough to take down the other wraith.
Out of combat!
Purpose Creche sheathes his sword, pulls something from a pocket, and presses a jagged stone against the cracked area on his chest. The wood slowly swells, straightens, and returns to its normal shape.
He kneels to examine any remnants of the wraith's dissolution. "Did these cause the blight. Are they simply a product of it. Are there more. Hm."
He surveys the gloomy woods. "These woods could be a good place to camp. I doubt the stalkers visit this place for fear of the wraiths. But we would have to safeguard ourselves. It may be too dangerous."
Once the group has recovered and deduced all they can about their surroundings, Purpose Creche suggests they press on.
Purpose has trouble making sense of the necromantic effect, though he can certainly tell it's there! He does notice a particularly large, hollow tree, inside which is a humanoid skeleton overgrown with bark.
"You want to camp here, with the ghosts?!"
Silt smells himself — his normal fragrance of Locathah is even stronger than normal. Maybe camp at beach. I would like to swim: the ghostie did a strange thing to me.
"If you need to rest now, let's find a spot in the coastal shelf. Or we can forge on to find our enemy's enemy." Joli chants, asking his ancestors to again guide Toby's hand.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The group continues along without any more disturbances, though the woods are still twisted and bleak.
When you get less than a mile from the shore, Purpose sends his mind's eye out to scout the area. Noticing a figure moving, the eye zooms in to see someone a bit unexpected...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Purpose Creche pauses as he pulls the skeleton's possessions from its botanical coffin. "Just a suggestion, Toby. It may still be an effective deterrent if we've nullified the forest's threats. But I understand your concern."
—
Purpose Creche's viewpoint sails between twisted trunks as it makes its way towards the shoreline. It alters course when it notices movement, quickly approaching the figure, then arresting its advance just as suddenly.
Wrought body. Static features. Though their form is much more ornamented than Purpose Creche's, their identity is unmistakable.
Wyrwood.
His viewpoint draws closer, circling the figure, scrutinizing every detail, attempting to discern their mission or intent. Once he has gathered all the information he can, his sight rushes back through clouds of ash and snaps to its original position within the wyrwood's head.
"Ahead. Me. Us. Everything." This time, none of the logorrhea his interest would usually produce. His thoughts and words slow before the enormity of what he's seen. He simply stops, gestures towards the shore, then turns to face his friends.
"A wyrwood."
Silt looks confused. Did the picture lie to us? It pointed at "Enimees" on the shore, but if there is another Purpose, they must be nice…
Realization dawns and he claps his hands, excited for his friend.
"Wait, I don't...you mean there's more folk like you? That's great, right? And if they're the enemy of those buttheads we followed here, then even better!"
"I don't know." His fingers tremble once as he curls them around his iron waistband. "Yes. It's likely that they fight the ugothols. But will they treat with us. We must try and find out."
"Furthermore. I don't know how much they're like me. I only knew my own family. There aren't many wyrwoods. Did these travel here like us. Like my ancestors. Over the sea from another land. Were they made here. Did they survive Earthfall."
"I don't know. But I must learn."
The group moves along, with perhaps more speed this time, to cover the last mile to the shore. All of a sudden, the creature who looks much like Purpose jumps out 60 feet ahead of you.
"Reveal your true form, spies! You can’t fool us! Not even disguised as one of us!"
"Of course. Reasonable to be cautious." Purpose Creche spreads his arms wide, finger unfurling, palms facing outward. "I'm going to reach for my dagger now. To show proof."
He slowly lowers his right arm, curls his hand around the simple weapon, and pulls it free. He reaches for his left arm at the same cautious pace, then slides the dark leather of his coat sleeve up towards his shoulder.
Still slowly, deliberately, he kneels to retrieve the fragment. He displays it between delicate thumb and forefinger.
"Here. I am like you. And these others are my friends. We live on the larger island to the east."
Silt turns back into a Locathah, revealing his true form as directed.
He attempts to aid Purpose by telling of their brave adventures. Yes friends. Not worms. I am a nice locathah. See? We killed the mean table in the old house, and took its rocks. We did not run from mean ghosts in the forest, and now the little birds sing again. We come to save our taken friends.
"We're not spies! We chased spies to this island to get our friends back!"
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Riku also shifts back to his human skin and bows to the creature.
”We seek the enemies of our enemies. Perhaps you are them? Either way, this is a momentous occasion for our friend as you can see.”
”Over sea and surf
Old island full of mystery
Lost sock finds a match”
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Toby winces as Riku shifts form. Is shape-shifting right now really the best way to convince them we aren't evil shape-shifters in disguise?
It's difficult to read the expression of the wooden creature. "But how could you have gotten here? We didn't see a ship approaching!"
Joli hops forward and enthuses, "I’ve traveled many leagues to make a home for others of my kind. Do you know of gripplis? My wyrwood friend Purpose would not admit emotion moves within his wooden limbs, but I know the excitement the fills him now. You are magnificent, and I hope you can be a friend. For my part, I know those abominations are difficult to harm. You may try to hurt me if it will make me easier to trust."
”No boats. Magic. Conjured steeds and enchanted garb.” Purpose Creche steps up in solidarity with Joli. ”Please. We mean no harm.”
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
"Told you we shoulda brought a boat."
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Silt tries to demonstrate his newfound riding skill by hopping onto a storm-washed tree trunk.
Some rode Joli's Hiccups in the waves.
He stands up, brushing off sand and broken pieces of driftwood. He picks something slimy out of his teeth as he readjusts his jaw.
I swam.
Another wyrwood archer pops out of the trees, previously unseen. “Do you have anything that’s worth something to us?”
Purpose Creche glances upwards at the new arrival before returning his attention to the first wyrwood. He touches the battered prayerbook quicken his mental faculties.
"Alliance. Ending the ugothol threat. Protection from the aboleth Onthooth and his forces."
"Ah." Purpose Creche plucks the dark green disk from his gauntlet. "And this. Or the promise of others like it."
He pauses. "To build your community. Something important to me."
"Yes, we can offer the means of your creation. And as he said, control over this island. Trade with the city under the waters. All of this once we defeat the aberrations."
"And friendship with our colony, on the next island!"
Silt pulls out a rock from the mimic’s bag. These pretty stones are prized on your island. I have pieces of carved coral, as well, but that is only for friends.
A third wyrwood emerges, speaking in the same measured tone. "“Why shouldn’t we just kill you just to be sure you’re not enemies?”