Nigel manages to give the earth elemental a good twack on its back. The earth elemental looks at Nigel approvingly, with a grin on its rocky face.
Gren casts howling agony on the earth elemental, then moves, while drawing his morning star and commanding Ringo to attack.
Terbius shakes off Gren's attempt to use howling agony on it, and ducks Ringo's attempt to gore it.
Robert moves around the party, then shoots it at point blank range, but it seems to notice the arrow at the last minute and weaves out of the way.
Hedran moves all the way around, placing himself to strike at the next chance, and enhances his weapon with a frostbiting spell.
As the elemental appears to cast a spell, Ratel Drinks his mutagen, nodding as he lets go of Bears harness and slips his shield to his arm. Unexpectantly he get’s punched by the elemental, taking a step back, he manages to keep his feet, smiling through the bloody lip as arrows fly and Nigel whacks the thing with a stick. Spitting blood, ”Two can play this game, or should I say three? Bear Attack!” As bear rears up on his hind legs and attacks with tooth and claw, Ratel swings his scivore, pivoting then to slam the shield into the creature.
Ratel tries to stab, then shield bash Terbius, but Terbius dodges at the last moment, and his Scizore stabs only air. The shield bash bounces off Terbius’s rocky exterior.
Bear on the other hand, manages to land two claws on Terbius’s rocky exterior, though the bite bounces off.
Terbius turns onto Nigel, then begins a jab cross combination, but Nigel is really thankful for his breastplate that absorbs one of those heavy punches.
Grenwold and Ringo attempt to clobber Terbius, and seeing Nigel getting pounded, commands Ringo to aid in his defense.
Ringo manages to tangle Terbius briefly as he gets his horns in Terbius's face!
Robert fires at the entangled Terbius, but it falls short.
Seeing his attack bounce off, Ratel smiles, the blood on his teeth showing, ”Impressive!” He then flinches as the thing hit’s Nigel. Swinging his scizore first, then focusing more on accuracy with the shield, he attempts to bash the rockman, as Bear continues his attack
Nigel's walking stick bounces off his stony exterior. He parries Ratel's scizore with one of his rocky hands, then weaves out of the way of his shield. Bear does not manage to bite through to rock or inflict any damage with his claws.
"Now you know why we didn't manage to challenge him successfully?" Ighiz calls out from the side.
Hedran finally wades into the fight, enhancing his balde, and swinging it in both hands.
Terbius raises an eyebrow then sidesteps the longsword strike.
He then turns on Nigel, giving him a solid uppercut, knocking him out.
He then rumbles a little regretfully, as he back kicks Bear.
I hate hitting animals.
Clearly his heart isn't really in it, as the kick falls short. He then steps towards Robert who hastily backs off before opening fire again.
Ighiz does try to stabilize Nigel. "Your friend's fine. Continue."
Seeing Nigel go down, Hedran presses on the attack, attempting to unleash the spell power through his blade.
Gren narrows his gaze a bit at the elemental and takes out his shield. He and Ringo both attack the elemental, but Gren puts a little more focus on his defense for the round, while Ringo keeps attempting to entangle.
”Blast!” Seeing Nigel go down Ratel swings his scizore in a downward arche. Then he attempts to bash the rockman with his shield as Bear continues clawing and snapping at the rocky foe.
It looks for a moment that Hedran is about to hit Terbius, but at the last moment, his earlier protections flare out, and Hedran hits a green shield instead.
He parries Grenwolds attack with one of his hands, then sidesteps Ringo's attempt to smack him.
He weaves to the side, avoiding Ratel's scizore stab, and the shield bash clangs harmlessly off his rocky form.
Bear nearly manages to bite the creature, but is deflected by a green shield. Terbius weaves backwards to avoid being clawed.
He rumbles at Bear apologetically. Then he hooks Bear on his shoulder with a rocky fist, before drawing back for a side kick, which Bear dodges.
Sorry, chum. Just business.
Gren says ”Terbius is darn near impenetrable. Help Ratel and maybe he’ll hit.” He points at the party and in gnomish says to Ringo
Ringo attacks Terbius. Gren sighs.
Then they step away from Terbius and Gren then drops his morningstar and focuses for a moment on his hand, where necromantic energy forms. ”Um, let me know if this hurts you too much.”
Hedran steps forward into the vacant space, and attacks again - 'He is VERY strong - this is perhaps our first true test' - he ponders.
Longsword, flat of blade
Seeing the creature hit bear, Ratel resoponds, ”Leave Bear alone.” He then attacks the elemental with renewed vigor, while Bear continues his attacks .
As Hedran is about to strike him with his longsword, Hedran ends up hitting a green shield.
Robert's longsword glances of his rocky exterior. Ratel tries to stab him with his scizore, but doesn't manage to get the angle to penetrate his rocky exterior.
Ratel's shield bash catches him and knocks a couple of rocks off him. Bear tries to bite, and claw him, but does not manage to get any headway on the rocks.
He nods once, then smiles and salutes Ratel, then rumbles.
I yield.
Ighiz translates for the entire party.
Robert sticks the bottle of smelling salts under Nigel's nose.
The circle of trogs disperses then Terbius lumbers back to the tomb of the vault builders, where he gives a large glittering diamond that seems to have a rainbow hue inside it, the size of a human's head and an emerald studded scepter to Ratel then rumbles.
Congratulations. You've proven yourself worthy of wielding the Dominion Jewel. It can be used to call the powers of lightning, ice, fire or acid on your foes, or even be used to raise the dead, but it can only be used once. Choose wisely.
Also, here's scepter that will extend your magics. I notice some in your party use those.
All spells at caster level 10.
Choose 1 out of the options:
Call Lightning Storm
Fire Snake
Cone of cold
Acidic Spray
Raise Dead
The trogs are chattering excitedly among themselves."Ó, kedvesem, még soha nem láttam Terbius hozamát."
"Igen, egy ütéssel kiütötte."
"Ezeknek a felületeknek nagyon erőseknek kell lenniük."
Oh my god, I've never seen Terbius yield before.
Yeah he knocked me out with one punch.
Those surfacers must be very strong.
Robert draws his longsword and raises it in a salute.
Ighiz translates whatever Terbius just said to the party.
"Congratulations. You've proven yourself worthy of wielding the Dominion Jewel. It can be used to call the powers of lightning, ice, fire or acid on your foes, or even be used to raise the dead, but it can only be used once. Choose wisely.
Also, here's a scepter that will extend your magics. I notice some in your party use those."
This elemental is extraordinarily kind Gren thinks as he waves his hand and the cool energy disspiates. He probably could have dispatched us with ease. Gren accepts the rod with a nod of thanks.
In common, hoping that a translation will be forthcoming for Terbius. "Ighiz and Terbius, thank you both for your generosity, and your hospitality. If there's anything else you would have me do here or on the surface, I'd be more than happy to oblige. I know the woods very well, and can send messages for you or gather herbs or other things from the surface." He pauses. "We are low on supplies, is there anything else we can use to outfit our charges or ourselves? Such as these rock weapons? We may have something we can trade you in kind."
"Lastly, I follow the tenets of Shelyn, and I think she would be pleased at your beautiful home and beautiful spirits. She is of the air and you are of the earth, but at the meeting of both is our world - without each I think it is clear that everything is a lot less interesting." Gren smiles happily and pats Ringo on the flank of his neck.
"As I was telling Nigel, you can stay in the caverns you have cleared - but we like surface foods, so just pass us what you can get on the surface. As for outfitting - we work with rock crystals - and will trade with you for surface food." Ighniz answers.
"Do you wish to stay a while to recover from the trial, or would you wish to leave immediately to get back to your tribe?" Ighiz asks. "If you wish to leave immediately, It is prudent for me to heal you first. If you wish to stay you can join us for breakfast."
Feeling the satisfying crunch of the stone under his shield, Ratel is surprised when the elemental nods and salutes. Realizing that the creature yielded, Ratel steps back, lifting his scizore in salute, then turns, looking first to his companions then to the lizards, ”Can someone help Bear? He’s pretty messed up.”
Shifting his shield to his shoulder, he accepts the large diamond, looking curiously at the others. Not able to accept the scepter as well, he nods for one of the others to take it. Seeing Nigel waken, he asks. ”Can we put this in the bag? I don’t think we want to let everyone see it.”
Then turning to the lizard leader, ”So two questions, Does this mean if the Hobgoblins attack us here, that you will help us fight them.” He nods to the east. ”Also, why not go east, we went that direction last night looking for you, didn’t seem all that bad. Looked like plenty of room to move into.”
"The eastern tunnel leads to the Darklands. We were thinking of sealing it off - but we kept getting interrupted. The Darklands were where we came from after we had some religious schism with the other troglodytes," Ighiz explains. "They pray to demonlords, thinking it will bring them power," Ighiz sniffs dismissively. "We, the Children of Stone, have no need for their false Gods, for we know we are favoured by the voices of the stone."
"The Darklands are a dangerous place filled with cruel drow, insane derro, and skum worshiping their fish gods. If you still choose to go in there, despite my warnings, then it is your choice to make." Ighiz shrugs.
"If the hobgoblins actually step within the caverns, then we will be forced to take steps to defend our home." Ighiz states.
Ighiz first walks over to Bear, then starts tapping him, while rumbling at Terbius.
Get over to help - you're responsible for this.
Terbius rumbles back.
Oh fine, though they could have just avoided this if they just sat around and chilled for a while.
Terbius walks over to Ratel, then taps him with a rocky finger.
Terbius then moves over to Nigel and looks like he's going to tap him as well....
"No wait! He's got some sort of illness, he doesn't react well to that type of healing." Gren holds up his hand at Terbius.
Terbius rumbles at Nigel, a little exasperatedly, but doesn't poke Nigel.
Then you shouldn't even have been fighting. Medical conditions and all.
A three-stepped riser fills most of the room, atop which lies a stone sarcophagus depicting a vaguely insectoid creature. Within the coffin lie the partially crystalized remains of an acient, four-armed, insectoid creature, which Terbius gestures at the party not to touch.
Four lidless stone coffers placed around the dais are now empty.
Terbius sinks back into the earth from which he came.
Ighiz offers the party a meal of tanned coloured fungi covered with a fine white fuzz sprout from the ground and an unpleasant odor of decaying meat and some roasted albino cave fish.
Releasing his mutagen form and putting away his weapons, Ratel nods politely to the Terbius while he heals, first bear, then Ratel. "Thank you."
Then adding to the lizard, "Thank you for the explanation of the tunnel to the east. If it is best for your kin to close it, we understand."
Turning to the team, "since we are resting for a time I will make more mutagen." Sitting on or rock, he removes his pack, drawing his crafting kit out of it.
While he works he asks, "So what is the plan to rescue the Fey Queen? I assume we will bring our people here first. Do you think some of them will want to stay at the cabin?"
"To rescue Gendowyn would require more power than we have. Arlantia's wiped out a whole civilization. I ... would like nothing more than to rescue Gendowyn but we need to do a lot of research and gather allies and power. Arlantia killed most of my family and friends, and has ruined much of the Fangwood. I am open to ideas, but unless we want to be infested with rotting spores of corrupted necrotic fungus eating away at our organs, we should tread carefully." Gren shakes his head and looks pale and wan.
Ratel nods in agreement with Nigel as he puts up his gear, "Yes, first things first."
Bidding goodbye to the Lizards, "Thank you for the offer of food, I needed to prepare something, or I would have joined you. We will be back soon with those who are willing."
The party takes leave of the trogs and heads back to the log cabin. On the way to the log cabin, the party spots a rather familiar lynx following them.
One of Nigel's wolves report back to him, whining.
There's a large moving pulled by fourleggers being escorted by 6 hobgoblins.
As they approach the forest around the log cabin, the party notices that the place now smells of pine and the tree leaves are no longer yellow and are filled with new leaves. There are no goats to be seen and Geran, who is now on watch, yells at the party, "Who goes there?", his voice tense and wary.
Nigel's wolf rubs its head against his belly.
Geran has his shortbow loaded and is drawing it back, ready to fire, when he hears Nigel, he lowers his shortbow and takes back his arrow, heaving a sigh of relief.
"Quite some. None of it good." Geran says succinctly. He hops off his perch approaching the party. "Fizzbang is dead." Geran says. "We found his headless body in the bushes. Someone carved his heart out. Veld said she heard a scream, then ran into the cabin and knocked the door."
"Last night, Azriel, who was on watch knocked on the door, staggered in, profusely bleeding from an arrow in his back. He said he didn't manage to catch sight on who shot him. He doesn't want to do any watches, so I'm now the only one on watch. I think something out there is hunting us." Geran adds.
"And why do you have a large speckled cat following you?"
Hearing about Fizzbang, Ratel turns and looks at the cat, shrugging, he asks Geran, "could you show us where they found Fizzbang, we may be able to find tracks."
"Ok, follow me." Geran says. "I mean I saw tracks too, but you know I was...worried on what would happen if I followed..." Geran leads the party to a bush that looks disturbed, as if something small had lain on it. There are still some bloodstains on the leaves of the bush.
Ratel manages to spot well-concealed boot prints leading into the forest. "I mean...if something nasty has found our location, then we'd better get out of here before it starts killing us off one by one." Geran remarks. "I do want live to see Kethry, Ben and Georgia again."