Nigel sees that the blighted pixie has flown quite a distance away and points to the party where to shoot it and Robert shoots in the general direction but hits nothing.
Father Noelan shoots in that general direction but also hits nothing.
Grenwold and Fenton move towards her. Gren shoots a blob of acid at the creature's square.
Swift - Switch to tiger focus
Move (Fenton/Grenwold) - Move closer
Standar (Grenwold) - Acid Splash on the square
The acid splash hits empty air. The blighted pixie takes another shot at Nigel, before flying off in another direction. This time the shot clanks off Nigel's breastplate.
Nigel's bomb catches her full in the chest and there is a large conflagration and the burnt remains fall to the ground.
Nigel realizes that his bomb killed her instantaneously. At least she was already dead by the tome she hit the ground.
On her body Nigel finds a small masterwork longbow, a small punching dagger, 20 masterwork arrows, a potion of cure moderate wounds and a wand he identifies using the lantern as snare.
The lantern also reveals a magical aura around the man's body.
Tossing a bomb at the body blows the body into smithereens.
Frustrated, Grenwold was about to chase down the pixie, when Nigel successfully dispatched it. He nods, and approaches Nigel after he dispatched the creature, patting him on the shoulder, ”Thank you, it is kind of you to bury her. She was certainly not in control of her own actions. It also looks like fire is the most effective way to deal with infected creatures. I’ll have to see if I can get some fire-based ranged weapons.”
"I don't really think much of cowardly pixies who go invisible and try to shoot us from invisibility," Father Noelan gives a sniff. "Next time I'll prepare invisibility purge for this kind of thing."
"I mean what am I supposed to say about pixies that shoot us on sight?"
Grenwold also spots 2 doses of Desna's star growing in the region.
|
Nigel sighs.
"She didn't have a chance. Vhy did she keep attacking? Logically, I can only assume zat ze infestation vas not just skin deep, but had infiltrated her brain, and changed her mind, as vell... but I still regret having to put her down."
He then looks thoughtful.
"Fazer Noelan? Zinking of healing people, vhen ve get back to Misthome, do you zink zat you might be able to cast a few Restorations upon Aubrin? Ve may not be able to fix her leg, but I hope zat ve can at least mend her mind..."
"How about the man she shot and killed?" Father Noelan counters back, "He didn't stand a chance either."
"The Fangwood is safer without likes like her."Father Noelan declares. "Besides what would you have wanted to do if not put her down? Allow her to kill others? She wasn't amendable to reason, not for your lack of trying."
"I would have, but I got the impression that diamond dust was in short supply, you might have wanted to keep it for future use."Father Noelan answers. "Since we have a long road ahead of us."
"Cirieo was a chernasardo ranger, a halfling that was captured by a legion troop and lost the entire rest of the troop to starvation when the legion abandoned the fort and left the rangers in cages. He had lost his leg. We managed to re-take the Forts that the Chernasardo lost, but we couldn't deal with all the enemies. Cirieo was consumed by vengeance - and he lost his life for it. I still hurt thinking about the loss..."
Grenwold is taken aback by how strident Skinder is about the problems of humans. "Skinder, look, you're right about how unfair that hobgoblins are discriminated against. It's very unfair, and you don't deserve it. Nor should people be judged. But the people of Phaendar have a right to justice for what happened to their families. Not revenge. They have a right to judge the members of the legion for being warriors - during a war. However we got to this point, whether through the despicable actions of the Molthuni, exploiting your people and breaking promises... if you are to fight a war, you don't murder children and noncombatants. I'm certain many hobgoblins wouldn't do it, or are trained to do it from birth, and that's unfair too, but some of these poor people were skinned alive. For nothing! The people of Phaendar have a right to be angry and hurt - just like the average grunt of the Legion. We have to stop it, and let go of the old anger and prejudice, even if other people won't."
He sighs, obviously distressed about the conversation, "That's not why I tried to save you, you know, not to serve as an example for 'how to be a good person' nor in fealty to Shelyn, nor a misguided sense of philosophy. I've tried to help you and save you because it's just the right thing to do, even if other people never realize it." He looks sad, and says "My family may be dead, or may have been tortured, the last family I have, who were driven from one city to another, after escaping from corruption you cannot imagine, by selfish humans, until we got to Phaendar. They were the only people in the area who cared about us. Please do not judge them - and do not hate them." He waves his hand absentmindedly, "and Oreld and Noelan helped, you, and are helping you now, asking for nothing in return. They aren't all bad, but they're hurt and scared. So open your heart to kindness, even if you never get it back. That kindness will take root, and turn into a flower, which will grow to fill up your life and replace the emptiness of bitterness and anger. I don't know any other way"
"I only saw a few creatures cured of the darkblight. It takes powerful curative magic, and you're liable to just re-contract it if you stay in the area. We had some clerics and druids who cleansed everyone as much as they could - until they were targeted to be slaughtered by Arlantia's assassins. I guess they didn't want her to mess up their plans. So... it is possible to help them? You're both right, when push comes to shove, we have to protect ourselves so we can protect the forest, but we should always be merciful - that separates us from the monsters of the world. But we can't dwell on it if we are prevented from being merciful. We have too much to do, and not nearly enough time" Grenwold says this, trying to bridge the argument between Nigel and Noelan.
"I don't know. I don't think dwelling on the past makes you a happier person." Skinder answers Grenwold. "Nor that vengeance accomplishes much - it doesn't bring back the dead, does it?"
"The hobgoblins wouldn't murder noncombatants. It's a horrendous waste." Skinder replies, her answer somewhat chilling. "And the younger ones, if they survive - are easier to break into the ways of slavery. "
"And Scarvinious is also another piece of work - if the rumors are believed are to be correct, his father, Scabvistin was horribly abusive of him when he was younger. He was harsh on us as well - any lapses on our parts would subject us to a vicious whipping with the wounds being rubbed with caustic cleaning agents. I think he just enjoyed inflicting pain, like my cousin Yissti." Skinder tells Grenwold. "Of course, if you were caught saying or listening to something like that - you'd get the whipping and your wounds rubbed with caustic cleaning agents. No one wanted to get on his bad side."
"I don't think prejudice and anger is the sort of thing that is limited to only a single species. We're all as vulnerable to it as the next humanoid. And the people of Phaendar look to you as their leaders. If their leaders encourage prejudice and anger, the people will likely follow." Skinder answers.
"I am sorry about how the humans drove you away, but I too, was passed from regiment to regiment because none wanted to deal with my...lycanthrophy." Skinder says.
"I don't ask for anything. I am glad to be free of the chains of lycanthrophy and working for someone other then Kinning. " Skinder replies. "I just felt that for the help you've given me, it might help, for the sake of both races if you could see where the hobgoblins are coming from."
"Honestly I thought you were overreacting when you first talked about the dark blight. Because, you know, gnomes have the tendency to be excitable." Father Noelan says. "But now I see the evidence with my own eyes, I stand corrected. My apologies for not taking you and your people seriously." Father Noelan apologizes to Grenwold. "How did your clerics and druids cure those who were blighted? Are there any preventive measures we can take so as not to contract the Darkblight?"
"It sounds like a regular Remove Disease might work. We all saw the Pixie. All those fungal growths coming out of her looked like a Systemic Infection. As for the forest where the Blight holds sway, as a Ranger, it pains me to say it, but I think that that patch of the woods needs to be burned away. Unless someone else has a better idea?"
Robert examines the pixie body and realizes that only powerful magic such as miracle, limited wish, or wish can sever the connection to the Abyss and cure a blighted fey, restoring the creature to its uncorrupted state if it fails to resist the transformation with a successful Will saving throw against the spell in question.
"Might be for the best. The forest will regrow, if we replant it, but we don't want the plague to spread." Father Noelan agrees. "Are you sure you're fine, touching the dead body like that?"
"Not sure, maybe the folks just recovered, or there was some sort of extra magic that was involved? I was young when it happened, so I could be remembering poorly. And we did consider fire - it isn't clear to me why it didn't work, but Arlantia may have fire suppression magic that keeps the whole thing damp and disgusting. It could be worth a shot, but the darkblighted area is very far from here, so we'd have quite a trip. I would also caution that if a forest fire were to spread beyond the area of the darkblight, it could consume much more than we intend."
"That said, if I remember, the most powerful people in town were very strong and were dispatched by Arlantia's minions, so we may have a bit more practice fighting before we have a shot."
Grenwold says, "So, Phaendar is about two days away. Noelan and I would like to head over and check it out, to see if we could rescue the rest of the prisoners. The last family I have may be still alive - if we can rescue them and any other slaves, it would help Misthome and could save people from a lot of suffering. We can't do it without you both, and I won't rush in if we find out that it isn't feasible, but we are close to the town. It would be worth the trip, I think. What do you think?" Grenwold looks very serious.
"Of course! You can talk to me about whatever you want. I appreciate you letting me know how you feel and your experiences. How else would we learn about each other if we don't speak honestly? I'll try to impart your message to the other folks of Misthome as I can. They don't listen much to me either, though they do respect me. I think that they think gnomes are just silly and trifling, and it's hard to get over the prejudice, even with my personality being much more - even - than many other gnomes."
"Maybe it was the early stage of the disease, rather then after the transformation took place."Father Noelan ponders. " Didn't you keep the map on where the black dragon moved to? It was near somewhere marked as "The Blight" and maybe a week from here or so?"
"I agree we should check if we can take back Phaendar. It would give us more facilities to work with in facing the Legion as well as more manpower after we rescue everyone. Even if we can't - a reconnaissance mission would help us in knowing what we truly face."Father Noelan adds his support to Grenwold vote.
"Yeah, they'd more likely listen to you then to me, I'm a Hobgoblin at the end of the day."Skinder agrees. "I mean sometimes I feel straddled between two worlds. I'm living in a human settlement that has treated me well, and I know my own kin view me as a traitor, but somehow I can't help but hope that someday there will be a peaceful resolution that doesn't involve one race wiping the other out."
"I think everyone thinks that gnomes are silly and trifling, including the Legion. But again they're usually inventive, which makes them useful, as long as the stuff that comes out of the workshop doesn't blow up, that is." Skinder answers.
|
|
Nigel nods thoughtfully.
"Scoping ze town out for some additional intelligence vould not be a bad idea... but ve should be careful; ve don't know vhezer or not zey have become even more entrenched. If ve are in over our heads, ve should just cut our losses, for ze moment, and move on to battles zat ve feel ve can actually influence..."
Nigel calls his wolves to him and they escort him in the direction of Phaendar. After two days of traveling, the party sees in the distance a large menacing onyx tower at where should have been the town centre of Phaendar.
Then the wolves whine, turn tail and head deeper back into the Fangwood.
It is not safe to go on any further…there are too many grey two leggers and beasts.
They also spot approaching their position a large patrol of snarling, feral beasts tightly leashed by grim hobgoblin handlers. The hobgoblins are armed with scimitars and javelins, while the beasts wear spiked collars and makeshift barding.
No one knows what the heck that patrol is.
Grenwold looks annoyed, "Looks like it, too bad... if only we could have gotten closer. Ugh, well, what can we do. Father, Robert? These hobgoblins must be very organized well here.
"I would caution against going closer. Most beasts have scent so even if you were invisible, it would be likely they would raise an unholy ruckus on smelling an unfamiliar smell. Unless you could find a way not to smell."Father Noelan replies. "Anyway we are still some distance from Phaendar. How long can you stay invisible?"
|
|
Nigel chews his lip thoughtfully.
"Ve could see if Oreld has vhipped up any Scent Blocker, or, at a pinch, some Deodorising Agent, if you vere really convinced zat ve should try exploring ze town...?"
"This is currently beyond our capabilities. We should leave. Now."
Yes.
The party manages to evade the hobgoblin and their feral beast patrol as they make their way back to Misthome.
Tarethelan and Lorethiel greet the party as they return to Misthome, reporting that there was a incursion of a group of hunchbacked, green-skinned humanoid with frog-like heads from the tunnel leading to the underground about 3 days back, which the troglodytes fought off, but production was disrupted as Ighiz asked for manpower to completely seal off the tunnel, in fear of further incursions, and no new items have been scourged up.
|
|
Nigel gets together with the community leaders, his expression grim.
"It vould appear zat ze Hobgoblins have been busy over ze last month - zey have further entrenched zemselves in Phaendar, and brought in even *more* troops. I don't zink zat it vould be a good idea to go down south any time soon..."
He then sighs.
"For ze moment, I zink our next course of action should be for us to go tovards Longshadow, to varn zem about vhat is coming zeir vay."
On the way back, Grenwold posits, ”Noelan and I were thinking of taking another trip North, to see if we could find that dragon, but I think Longshadow is more pressing. We should try to get there quickly and help them before they are overrun.”
"You said you managed to rescue some Chesanardo rangers, right? It'd be good if we could make contact with them, since it looks like it would take an army to retake Phaendar."Aubrin sighs."You'll need to gather what allies you can - I was hoping the Chesanardo Rangers could send the Legion packing but that's not going to happen."
"We'd sleep better if we knew that black dragon was gone for good, who knows if it decides it wants to come back to Fangwood?" Jet says.
"I don't think we should borrow trouble by assuming the dragon will come back to the Fangwood. If he does then when it happens we think about it." Rhyna counters.
"Well, Longshadow is a mining town in Nirmathas, if the hobgoblins get their hands on it they'll have a ready supply of ore for their weapons."Oreld adds.
Grenwold nods, "Aye, let us make preparations."
"I know how you feel, I hope everyone can find peace, too. If it comes to it, if you find yourself too different from your comrades, I hope you will consider serving as a citizen. We need to all interact and learn from each other if we are to learn. Tell me of the culture of your people - not just war and fighting. What else did they make? Shelyn must bless your people with creative spirits, there isn't a people on Golarion who aren't touched with the spark of creativity. In my case, it skipped a generation, though."
”We’re good at engineering.” Skinder brightens. ” Like building siege weaponry such as catapults, trebuchets, battering rams, bombs.”
”For the more peaceful applications of engineering, we’re good at building pretty much everything, fortresses, buildings, dams, terraces, cranes, wagons and roads.” Skinder says. ”There’s a saying among our engineers, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”
”Basically if we put our minds to making something happen, it’ll happen, no doubt. We’re innovative and determined people.” Skinder adds.
The party heads towards the direction of Longshadow, Nigel calling his wolves to his side, but after 4 days of uneventful traveling, his wolves whine at him.
This is outside our territory, pack leader. If you wish, we will accompany you further, but we fear we are out of our depth.
|
|
Nigel scratches each of them fondly behind their ears.
He then gives each of them some jerky, and turns to the others.
"Ve are outside zeir territory, so zey vill not go any furzer. Ve vill be on our own, from now on..."
The wolves whine at Nigel then turn back into the more familiar parts of Fangwood.
Ok pack leader. Safe journeys to you.
The party travels for an hour or so when they spot a hole in the distance, then suddenly the ground beneath Father Noelan, Grenwold and Fenton caves in, and Father Noelan, Grenwold and Fenton fall into the pit.
The violent fall jostles Father Noelan off his feet and Grenwold off Fenton's back, to fall prone in the pit.
In the pit the party sees a large worm like creature with a mix of burly and slender tentacles extending from its body. Rows of frightful fangs line the maw beneath its sharp beak.
Grenwold does not know what the creature is, but Nigel recognizes it as a Genghryl.
When its prey gets close enough to the burrow, either to capture an easy meal or to investigate the animals’ strange behavior, the genghryl collapses the ground beneath its victim. The victim falls into the pit, where the genghryl waits to grab it. If an approaching creature is too strong or dangerous, the genghryl can emit shrieking noises from its lure tentacles to either weaken or frighten away the threat.
They have 5 DR slashing/piercing, have 60 feet tremor sense, can burrow, understand but not speak Terran and dig sink holes.
A genghryl can cause an adjacent area of the ground above it (up to a 10-foot-by-10-foot square) to collapse, dropping any creatures in the affected squares into a 10-foot-deep hole unless they succeed at a Reflex save, as though they had been subjected to the effects of a pit trap. The genghryl waits adjacent to the bottom of the pit and can immediately make a single melee attack against the flat-footed AC of one creature that fell in. A creature that fails the Reflex save by 5 or more also falls prone.
The genghryl takes a bite out of Fenton as he falls down the pit giving him a nasty gnash on his flanks.
It wiggles its tentacles at Nigel and points to its mouth, sticking its tongue out while salivating and doing a happy dance.
”I can’t wipe your memory of what you’ve gone through, Abby, but now I can at least remove the physical scars.” Father Noelan tells Aubrin.
”But how? It’s been years and I haven’t been able to do much, and you know I’ve been blessed by Cayden,” Aubrin answers.
”I’ve grown more powerful in channeling his divine energies, my only regret is I couldn’t do it earlier.” He reaches out and touches her eyes, his hand glowing with warm golden energy as the white film obscuring them melts away.
”Oh my gosh…I can see again!” Aubrin exclaims as tears of joy trickle down her face.
”No problem, it was a pleasure. I don’t think we’d be here if not for your guidance in getting everyone out of Phaendar.” Father Noelan answers.