Jetta's tactical decision proves to be remarkably effective - the giant bees seem single-minded in their protection of their hive, and they cram into the small corridor in their pursuit. The cramped opening serves as a perfect bottleneck, allowing only one to get within reach of the group at a time. As blades swing and arrows and quarrels fly around her, Mairen stands her ground where the tunnel opens, using her body as a shield against the swarm.
As one bee falls, another takes its place in the tunnel's mouth, swinging at Mairen with giant barbed stingers. It seems the waves of the vermin crashing upon weapons are never-ending - long after the four you saw are dispatched, more continue to emerge, presumably from their hidey-holes within the hive.
None, however, can find even the smallest chink in Mairen's ironclad defenses, and each falls in its turn; after several flashes of blade and arrow, no more buzzing emanates from the hive. Proceeding carefully through the tunnel, no more surprises jump forth. What's left is just the hive, dripping with dark amber honey.
A door hangs slightly ajar just to the north of the hive; proceeding through it, you end up in a rounded chamber with a corridor jutting off to the left. Thick, gnarled roots dangle from the ceiling, some so long that they hang into small puddles on the floor. There are hundreds of these roots hanging between the room's stone pillars, and the fresh scent of upturned earth is thick in the air.
|
"We should've saved some bees...I am sure that this would help develop--" Perry began, before stopping.
He drew out his symbol of law, muttering something under his breath.
Marvel in its healing qualities and rich, amber color, naturally grown in the Brightsworn Vale--
Immerse Yourself.
Arizian Food Products.
How grand...this might work."
Happy with the way things turned out, the ranger tried to recover as many arrows as possible and place them in his special quiver.
He looked at Perry but declined being a beekeeper, "I know you care about jobs and stuff but I don;t think it would be very safe for someone to take care of a giant beehive. Not without magic."
He shook his head, "I think it's a fool's errand but I won;t stand in your way. You think you can find beekeepers for giant bees?"
Mairen stares down at the last bee to fall, and turns it over with the tip of her blade, eyes narrowed as she examines the lethal stinger and the iridescent wings.
"Good plan, Jetta. Well executed, everyone. Let's see what other delights this place holds."
Moving forward, she leads the group through the hive, not pausing to examine the honeycomb, and then on to the room filled with roots. There she pauses, and eyes the hanging tendrils warily.
"Could someone please confirm that those won't animate and grapple us the moment we step further inside?"
He looked at Perry but declined being a beekeeper, "I know you care about jobs and stuff but I don't think it would be very safe for someone to take care of a giant beehive. Not without magic."
"In a place like this?" Jetta shakes her head in disgust. "Probably tainted by fey-magic. The bees, the honey, all of it."
"Good plan, Jetta. Well executed, everyone. Let's see what other delights this place holds."
Moving forward, she leads the group through the hive, not pausing to examine the honeycomb, and then on to the room filled with roots. There she pauses, and eyes the hanging tendrils warily.
Jetta nods in acknowledgement, following the paladin to the suspiciously overgrown passageway.
As she follows behind the others through the enormous beehive, Anthura steps toward the hive. Thick, raw honey fills the cavities, its pungent aroma beckoning. Checking to make sure there are no ears or fingers floating in its sticky currents, she dips her own finger in it and brings it to her tongue. It is intensely sweet, with a pleasant, fragrant aftertaste reminiscent of citrus fruit and lavender.
"While their keepers are unquestionably vile, these bees create an utterly delicious product. This would fetch more than a few copper in Korvosa."
She makes a mental note to return to the hive to collect some samples for later research. Or tea and toast.
As the group approaches the earthy chamber full of roots, Anthuria falters.
"I, uh. I just don't know what to expect from these. Please be careful."
---------------------------
Despite Jetta and Mairen's trepidation, nothing lashes out to surprise them as they cautiously approach the hanging roots. As they get further into the room, they can see that shelves are carved into the pillars, and on those shelves sit neat stacks of dishware similar to that in use on the table in the feasting hall. This, then, seems to be some kind of storage room.
The door on the left-hand wall is slightly hard to open, but not because of any kind of lock or bolt; instead, as it's pushed open, a fey body rolls away, and the bloody feasting hall is revealed. The only remaining mystery, then, is the door now across from you, on the other side of the dinner table.
Feeling completely out of his element Amund quietly follows the group but stays out of the way.
Lord Perry's enhanced sense of magic auras reveals nothing untoward about the dishes, and he begins to gather together everything of value, preparing it to be loaded onto the horses upon departure.
Mairen eyes Perry's eager accumulation of dishes, cutlery, and everything else of value, and raises an eyebrow. "Perhaps the hoarding can wait till we're sure we've cleansed the premises?"
Either way, she moves to the last door, and after checking that everybody is ready, takes a deep breath and pulls it open.
Jetta makes some disapproving noises at Perry, but fails to articulate her annoyance. When Mairen moves to advance, she is right at her heel.
Pulling the west door open reveals another hewn stone chamber, this one with a foot or two of rich black earth covering the floor. Planted in this room-size planter box are twelve small rose bushes, each a perfect specimen of beauty, surrounding a pool on the far side of the room that twinkles and glitters.
Not helping with the looting but choosing not to object either Amund quietly follows Mairen.
Seeing the trap on the ground Amund quickly announces it, There is something there and I would rather one of us disarm it than figure out the hard way what it does. Content to wait for someone to solve the trap issue Amund will wait to move further.
Roses once again. Their umistakable fragrance hangs thick in the air like a velvet curtain obscuring the horrid truth upon a stage.
She will smell them in her nightmares.
She is tempted to trapse into the room, but she has learned her lesson and waits. Amund's warning reinforces this decision, and she searches the ground for clues as to the danger.
Balthus grabbed his dog by the scruff of his neck.
The ranger nodded at Amund, "Good eyes, kid."
He then inspected the trap, "If we don't want to disarm, we could cut it like we did the other one."
Jetta waves everyone to a safe distance, and uses the axe-end of her halberd to cut the vine from afar.
Jetta's halberd-blade slices through the vine noose, and just as before, it severs with a near-metallic twang and withers away into nothingness. Nothing stirs in response to the trap's severing.
The snap of the vine reverberates throughout the chamber. Anthuria realizes she has been holding her breath and exhales heavily; a sigh of relief.
"Well," she says, eyeing the pool ahead. "Who wants to go first?"
As everyone watches Jetta sever the trap and debates who will lead the way, Balthus suddenly holds up a finger to draw attention. There! he hisses, as three of the bushes near the pool suddenly quiver, then transform into their true sprite form. You should not be here! they cry. No one is allowed to disturb the nursery! One reaches for his bow and shoots a volley of poison thorns at Jetta standing in the doorway, which bounce ineffectually off her thick-plated Hellknight armor; the others bark out a few words of Sylvan. A few moments later, two more bushes shake into fey form; they ready their thorn bracers and grin wickedly.
"More fey!"
He brings his bow to bear as he continues, "They may be baby fey. Don't know but all those bushes ain't bushes."
Balthus draws his bow and sends an arrow flying at the fey he sees pop into existence just inside the door - and to his shock, the arrow simply sails through, landing against the far wall of the chamber with a loud rattle.
With a laugh, the other fey ready themselves. The two in the room's south ready their bows and take a shot apiece at Jetta, aiming more carefully, though to no avail - the arrows bounce off harmlessly, though one nearly manages to find the slit in her helmet. The one north of the pool motions toward Jetta with a shout, while the other standing near the door merely gestures silently - and it's not hard to figure out it's a very rude gesture.
Without saying a word, Jetta salutes, turns around on her heels and pushes herself trought the party, marching towards the entrance.
"Jetta, where are you going?! Jetta! Jetta!"
Anthuria places her hand on Jetta's armored shoulder, but the Hellknight plows ahead wordlessly, ignoring the question. By now, she can guess that the fey are using mind control.
Meanwhile, Balthus's arrow glides harmlessly through the fey-thing. Anthuria furrows her brow in confusion, then her face falls in dread at the implications.
Quickly, she squeezes her eyes tight and clutches the book closely to her chest, willing time to slow.
_______
Balthus was by the Hellknight's behavior.
He cursed at the illusion and stepped in, axe held high ready to cut through whoever was in there.
He swung his weapon while Slasher went ahead and ravaged another of the little fey.
Mairen runs into the room, eyes darting as she takes in the enemies, and then hurries past Slasher to move in to attack the fae to the north of the pool. Her cold iron ax brandished, she brings it snicker snack up and then back down through the fae.
Feeling that jittery feeling again Amund steps quickly into the room hoping that this goes better than it has in the past fights. Jabbing at the one behind Mairen.
Anthuria wills time to slow for her allies, and Perry grants Mairen the evenness of spirit Abadar inspires. Balthus steps in and takes a swing at the fey flanking the other side of the door - but once again, his axe swings harmlessly through empty air, and at this sudden incontrovertible proof of its unreality, the image suddenly fades from his eyes.
Amund, Mairen, and Slasher have better luck, though - as they tag-team the sprite near the room's back, their weapons bite into flesh and bone, and the creature quickly falls to their combined might.
Two fey remain, and they unleash another pair of shots from their thorn bows, taking aim at Balthus and Amund. The one hurtling toward Amund goes wide, but the one aimed at Balthus strikes true. For a moment, a painful itch threatens to spread from the arrow wound, but it halts in its tracks a short way up his leg, causing him no problems.
Glaring at the remaining Fey Amund steps forward to jab at the next creature.
Anthuria is infinitely relieved to see that at least part of the threat was an illusion.
The magic of fey is incredibly deceitful.
She rushes into the room, eager to find cover among Mairen, Balthus, and Amund. She stands behind the latter, watching in admiration as his longspear makes quick work of the little demon.
With only two of the fey left, the ranger once more hefted his large axe and stepped forth to hopefully hit this time.
Slasher was right beside him and joined in the carnage. But the dog's jaws snapped on empty air as the fey moved away.
Swirling the battle ax over her head, Mairen thunders across the room to bring it hissing down upon the blue fae.
Through the combined efforts of Balthus and Mairen's axes, Amund's spear, and Perry's crossbow bolt, the blue fey drops to the floor and the yellow is gravely injured. Her eyes are wide as she realizes her predicament, but she fights gamely on. Leave the nursery be! she cries as she swings at Mairen with her thorn bracer, which bounces harmlessly off Mairen's heavy armor. Let them sleep!
Both Balthus and Slasher move up to finish the remaining fey. Axe and fangs put the evil thing down for good.
, if critical?
Balthus's axe and Slasher's fangs indeed combine to make quick work of the last sprite, and she slumps to the ground, lying motionless. All that remains is silence, the small rosebushes, the closed door on the far north wall, and the glittering pool.
In fact, the pool glitters a little too brightly to be just water - peering into the shallow pond, you see a cavalcade of silver coins, goblets, jewelry, and all manner of other trinkets. Surely the pile would fetch a hefty sum from the merchant caravan you arrived with...