Spellcraft 1d20+15
Spellcraft 1d20+15Eli examines the two potions closely.
Eli describes the potions to the group. ”Bring her over by the fire. Let’s see if she’s under some magical magicks or if she’s just seen too many bad things out here. Maybe we can bring her back to reality.”
Barundar gives a nod, dragging the dwarf woman over to the fire.
"Remove curse potion? Will that cure the clear hallucinations she was suffering thinking we were orcs? I mean, sure Morti and Bar, maybe, but me, no way. That dwarf has got issues." Falric shoots the dwarves an innocent smile.
Barundar gives the glib halfling a light-hearted shove. "I dinnae think it's a curse she's suffrin' from...mair lik' a case o' tha crazies."
Falric mimes looking in his belt pouch. "Well, if that potion don't work for that, I ain't got nothing else to cure da crazies, so she's screwed!" Falric looks at Elly, "Girl, you the mistress of the arcane arts, what you say? This potion work or not on crazy people?"
Spellcraft
"Let's 'ave a look at 'er," says Morti, "See when she'll be rejoinin' us."
He'll attempt to determine how badly off the dwarf is; if it looks like she'll take more than an hour to come round, he'll give her a shot of the CLW wand.
”Can any of the rest of you take a crack at that potion? I feel sorry for the poor dwarf. Any of us might lose our mind out here all alone in the swamp...”
"Here, let me try." Falric takes the potion and rushes over to the manacled dwarf and just as Morti is healing her with the wand, he uncorks it and shoves the liquid down her throat. He then looks innocently at the party and says, "What? If it doesn't work, then she's got far more problems than worrying about a wasted potion. And if it does, I'm a hero." He then stares at the female dwarf to see if the potion worked.
The female dwarf regains consciousness upon receiving healing only to have a potion stuffed down her throat. She drinks it but also gags and starts coughing uncontrollably. After a few seconds, she stops and feels her hands bound by the manacles. She looks up, "What the hell?! Why do I hurt all over and why I am I bound? What the hell did you people do to me? Answer me! By my dwarven honor, there will be blood if you do not answer me and stop smiling halfling!"
”So you are mad at us for being sore, but you don’t feel a blood rage compulsion to kill us? Good. This is progress! Assuming you agree to not try to tear us limb from limb, I’m fine with untying you. We are just here to share your fire and get dry from this awful
Swamp. And ric grins a lot...don’t let it bother you. He thinks he’s clever,” Eli says with a smile.
"Of course, I am clever, Elly. I just cured our manacled friend here. See, she thought we were orcs trying to kill us (we're lucky if Morti is not lame for the rest of his life from the axe blow he took to the leg from her) and now she sees a beloved halfling in front of her. Whatever she was suffering from appears to be gone now. Morti, I think you can take your manacles off the lady. And Ms. whatever your name may be, you are welcome. I am Falric Dawnstriker and there are my friends." Falric takes an exaggerated bow and winks at the arcanist as he hams it up.
"Sorey about tha'. Ahl have these off in a moment," Morti says, relieved to be able to un-bind the dwarf.
"Ah kin imagine we surprised ye, comin' outta th' swamp in th' middle o' nowhere, but....sumthin' was afflictin' ye as well. Any idea what i' coulda been or how long ye'd be out here?"
The dwarf rubs her wrists as Morti removes the manacles. "Thank you, kind sirs. I am Ingrahild Nargrymkin and I am starting to remember some things. My brother Umlo and I entered the Ghostlight Marsh in search of the tomb of our ancestor, the giantslayer Nargrym Steelhand. We were accompanied by a pair of hired mercenaries, but we stumbled upon a circle of standing stones and were ambushed by a coven of green hags and their marsh giant bodyguard. I know we got a few good licks in, killing at least one of the hags, but then last thing I remember is the casting of magic and nothing after that. Thank you for saving me. If I may ask, why are you four in the Marsh?"
"We are looking for a place called the Vault of Thorns. Apparently, to get there, we have to find a marker in the form of a circle of thorns carved into a stone near the banks of the River Esk. This marker should put us on the right path through the swamp to find the Vault," Eli explains, deciding she could trust this dwarf.
Looking around to verify there is no circle of standing stones in sight,
Morti asks, "This in't the place where ye fought th' hags, then? Had ye made this camp before meetin' them - would ye be able t' find their circle again? Would tha' we could find yer brother.
"One way or t' other, ah think ye should stick wi' us. We could use another set o' eyes out 'ere, an can give ye a ride out on our boat when we're done."
"Yeah, we have to find the Vault. And to do so, we have to find a will-o-wisp to put it in this lantern, which will show us the way. Or something like that...right guys?" Falric scratches his head trying to remember the druid's advice.
"Aye, ye've got tha right o' it. Only fergetin' that tha will-o-wisp has to be dead afore we put it in tha lantern."
Ingrahild scratches her head, "I can't remember where my brother and I fought those hags, but oddly, I do know where will-o-wisps are said to linger in the Marsh. If you wish, I can lead you there so you can obtain one for your lantern for whatever purpose you may need that." Ingra also asks the party for her magical axe and masterwork handaxe.
"That'd be a big help, if'n ye dinnae min' leadin' us there." Barundar offers, retrieving her weapons for her.
'Ere. Axes are nae me style, onyway." he says with a grin, handing them over to her.
"Aye, now we're gettin' some'ere!" agrees Morti. "Mighta known what 'ud put us on th' righ' path 'ud be a dwarf!" winking at Falric with the last.
More somberly, he asks Ingrahild, "ow're ye feelin'? Ah can heal ye up a bit more before we travel, if ye need?"
"Awesome, I knew helping ya out would help us in the end, Ingra. Morti, heal the lady, and let's head out. I want to get out of the swamp as soon as possible - we have a giant fort to raid."
Ingrahild smiles meekly at Morti, "Healing would be much appreciated. I don't know what you all did to me, but my whole body aches and even smiling hurts so you really took me to task. I apologize, it was clear that I was not in my right mind. I will lead you to where you can find the wisps and then I will leave you. First, I have to find my brother. That's my top priority and it's going to be very difficult as I have no clue where he could be. And second, wisps from what I hear are quite dangerous and deliver a nasty shock when you can find one. So don't want to get involved in that."
"Do you want to be out here all by yourself? You could go with us. We'd keep you safe. Those boys are all pretty darn strong! It'd be nice to have another lady along for a while..."
Ingrahild smiles at Elisen. "No, really, I could not impose. Besides, as I said, I have to look for my brother, not put will-o-wisps in lanterns." You can tell that last sentence was a bit snarky. She thanks Morti immensely for the healing and leads the party away, thankfully through solid ground. After almost 2 hours of traveling, with the normal time spent waiting for Falric to brew his mutagen, you reach the area. Ingrahild whispers, pointing to a copse of dead trees, "Yeah over there is where I have seen from a distance glowing lights in the Marsh, which can only be will-o-wisps. Those things are dangerous. Good luck." The female dwarf shakes each of your hands and pats Falric's head for curing her and stealthily sneaks off, heading east, leaving you all alone, some 200' away from the trees.
Morti surveys the range between them and the copse, trying to identify routes that will be solid-ish, vs water up to the neck.
"Seems them goin' invisible will be th' most o' our worries 'ere," he offers. "Ah kin give up t' three of us th' ability to see them in spite o' that -- me, an' Falric, an' Barundar, y'think?"
"Sounds like a good plan tae mae. Ah'm thinkin' ah might make guid use 'o this armor's magic fur this fight, tae. If they're as bad as Silvermane made 'em sound, I dinnae think we wanna meet more'n one o' the beasties."
”I have magic to allow me to see the invisible, so that sounds like a good plan. You keep I.t off me and I’ll use as many magic missiles as I have...”
"How big are these things, onyway? Fer the husk tae fit inside tha' lantern...they got to be teeny things, aye?"
"Aye, Elisen -- sounds like they'll be fast critters, an' your missles may be our bes' shot a' hittin' 'em reliably."
Falric draws his scimitar and whispers, "Yeah, that magic to see invisible will definitely be helpful. If you wish I can rush up first to draw the wisp out."
Eli casts Mage Armor on the halfling, saving the rest of her magic for the wisp.
"Thanks, dear."
Stealth check:
Perception:
A buffed Falric rushes over to the copse of trees, with the party close behind. His keen eyesight detects the invisible faintly glowing ball of green light in the shape of a skeletal face about 30' from him, hidden in the marsh near the base of the tree, waiting to ambush the party!
"I see it, ya'll! It's hidden!"
Falric rushes over to attack the flat-footed wisp with his scimitar, striking defensively to avoid the shocking touch.
While closing in, Eli casts See Invisibiltiy on herself. Once the group closes on the wisp, she starts firing away with her magic missiles.
Damage
The enraged will-o-wisp moves to touch Falric, glowing and becoming visible in the process! Its touch shocks the hafling, but not as severely as it would have wanted. It then diminishes its glow and turns invisible once more.
Eli blasts it with her magic missiles yet again.
Damage ]
Seeing the foe engage and Eli firing off missiles, Morti mutters a quick prayer and taps Bar on the shoulder to allow him to enter the fight , then moves to position himself between the wisp's position and Elisen
Falric attacks the wisp but misses.
Barundar turns his dorn dergar against the wisp, focusing more on the accuracy of his strike against such a small target rather than his usual all-out attack.
Barundar's attack misses...
Realizing that the magic missiles are the most imminent threat, the wisp rushes past Falric and Barundar and attacks Elisen.