The three party members cross the bridge leaving Elly behind and open the door leading to the next area. A series of detailed woodcarvings depicting druidic worship decorates the walls of this room. To the southeast, a short flight of stairs leads to a dais, upon which sits a throne crafted of dead, overgrown brambles and thorns. An old elven woman and sits upon the thorny throne. "Welcome adventurers, thank the gods you have come to repel the fey invaders. Please tell me you are. I am Ewigga, guardian of the Vault of Thorns." She pauses, awaiting your response. Doors to the north and west offer exits from the chamber.
Morti steps forward to the middle of the room, wary and somewhat confused. "Beggin' yer pardon, er, Lady Ewigga, but we're 'ere ta find weapons we can use against th' invasion o' giants? We di'nt know aught about fey...no' until we got 'ere an' they started jumpin' at us from erry which way. If ye can tell us what's goin' on, we can try ta help - but we need ta 'urry so we can get back ta Trunau afore the giants."
Ewigga looks surprised. "Giants? I know not of any giants. I have been stuck here many years - I am the last of the druids. As you can see...", the elven woman pauses and motions with her hand to the wood carvings. There are series of 21 scenes which were masterfully carved into panels of all types of wood, including alder, ash, birch, fir, maple, oak, and pine, hanging from this room's walls, proceeding clockwise around the room. Ewigga continues, "The druids of the Vale sacrificed themselves, turning themselves into willow wisps to drive the orc hordes out of the swamp. I was selected to remain and serve as guardian. Unfortunately, I could not keep the fey out of the vault. My druidic powers were not sufficient and I have resorted to hiding in this room, subsisting on goodberries, shameful for my cowardice." Ewigga bows her head in shame. After a few seconds, she raises her head in hope, "But perhaps, now with your arrival, you can redeem me. Together, we can vanquish the fey and reclaim the Vault. The treasures there are yours, I just want the fey gone. I have little arcane power but I can create goodberries to heal you as well as some fire spells."
While Morti speaks with the elven woman, Falric will walk around the room clockwise looking at the 21 carvings to see what story they tell.
"...Inta...will-o-wisps," Morti repeats, awkwardly, realizing they must have destroyed Ewigga's companions to acquire the lantern.
Rallying his composure, he moves on, "It mus' be the descendents o' those orc hordes tha' we face now, with their giant an' troll allies. So we're on th' same side there -- an' can hopefully help ye with ye're fey problems as well.
"An' ye've no' been a coward, ta be sure -- fortifyin' here an' waitin' for reinforcements was th' wise move under th' circumstances. Better ta aid us an' make sure we know what we face than ta have fallen in single combat an' left us ta face the fey blind."
He indicates the doors in either direction from the room. "Wha' can ye tell us about what lies beyond these? If ye can tell us the layout o' this place, twould help immensely -- an' even better if ye know what fey we face."
While Morti speaks with the elven woman, Falric will walk around the room clockwise looking at the 21 carvings to see what story they tell.
The initial images portray a horde of orcs rampaging across a marsh until they are met by a group of druids. The next several carvings show the orcs battling the valiant but vastly outnumbered druids and routing them back to a circle of standing stones. The next panel depicts the druids prostrating themselves before a single large stone menhir, followed by a series of carvings showing the druids—many in animal form and accompanied by all manner of beasts and plant creatures—issuing forth from a giant carved blossom and marching with renewed vigor into the center of the orc horde. The last few images illustrate a solemn scene of sacrifice, wherein the druids slay themselves. As the druids’ bodies fall to the ground, strange glowing globes of light rise from the mud of the swamp. The final panel depicts the spheres of light punching through the invaders in murderous retribution, driving the orcs from the marsh in terror.
"...Inta...will-o-wisps," Morti repeats, awkwardly, realizing they must have destroyed Ewigga's companions to acquire the lantern.
Rallying his composure, he moves on, "It mus' be the descendents o' those orc hordes tha' we face now, with their giant an' troll allies. So we're on th' same side there -- an' can hopefully help ye with ye're fey problems as well.
"An' ye've no' been a coward, ta be sure -- fortifyin' here an' waitin' for reinforcements was th' wise move under th' circumstances. Better ta aid us an' make sure we know what we face than ta have fallen in single combat an' left us ta face the fey blind."
He indicates the doors in either direction from the room. "Wha' can ye tell us about what lies beyond these? If ye can tell us the layout o' this place, twould help immensely -- an' even better if ye know what fey we face."
A smile comes over the elven woman's face. "Bless thy heirs, fair dwarf. Well, through that door", pointing west, "is a storage room, where we druids stored crates, burlap sacks, and gardening tools, as well as a number of exotic seeds for planting. Feel free to look around if you wish if there is something that may aid you." The elf pauses, as if trying to remember, "Behind you is the greenhouse, of course, and on the ground floor is a foul plant, a corruption of nature, known as a tendriculos. It is a voracious carnivore, so be careful if you enter there again. The stairs down lead you to the lily pad chamber, where a giant dragonfly that preys on warm-blooded creatures dwells. It has the ability to turn itself invisible so be careful and prepared. There is also a swarm of flies, which tends to distract you and make you less effective in combat. That fell creature is the reason I have been stuck here, in a defensive position, as you say. The Vault is not much further beyond that, but due to the inevitable inconsistencies of the fell influence from the First World creatures that have invaded the demiplane, I cannot tell you what other dangers lurk beyond that. However, I will gladly aid you as best I can, even in my old age." She smiles but it does not reach her eyes, which are sad and ancient.
Falric reaches the end of the carvings and mutters, "Sad...what a noble sacrifice the druids made..." He bows his head and says a short prayer in their honor. Then he raises his head, "Oh boy...a dragonfly?! If it's flying, all I got is a crossbow to try and peg it."
Mair invisible enemies...I hawp ye hae mair o' that spell that lets ye see 'em ready tae go, Morti. We awready took a fair mean beating juist getting 'ere, ought we nae rest 'ere and recover ourselves afore we press on intae mair danger? Or are we good tae go?"
"We wull do whit we kin tae hulp ye re-take the Vault, lady. Juist sae ye know, we wur sent tae this place fur aid against those giants by anither o' your Order - an elf we call Silvermane. Dae ye remember him?" Barundar asks.
"A tendriculos in th' greenhouse? Per'aps we ought bring Eli in 'ere then, jus' in case it decides to try climbin' up to 'er," Morti suggests to his companions.
"Ewigga, what can you tell us about the tendriculos? Can it climb? Besides a carnivorous bite, anything else it can do? Tentacles, vines, spells?"
"indeed, Angradd has equipped me well!" morti replies cheerily to Bar. "though ye're right, I'd need ta rest an' commune ta equip us all wi' the vision. Per'aps we ought dispatch this tendrilocus first, as Falric proposes, if we still have fight in us today?"
Ewigga pauses, as if recalling, ”Yes, the elf druid Silvermane, he left the Order before the great Sacrifice.” She seems to express disgust when mentioning his name.
Ewigga smiles, ”Oh brave halfling, you may think otherwise when I tell you of the tendriculos. That malevolent plant is the size of a tree, about 20’ tall, with a massive maw that can swallow most creatures whole. It tends to hide in the undergrowth then pop out, bash creatures with its vines and then swallow it. By the way, its trunk is filled with paralytic juices, so the prey is alive as its acid dissolves you. Oh and it regenerates its wounds unless attacked by fire. I could help with that. It is a very dangerous creature indeed.”
Ewigga hesitates, ”While the plan to bypass the dragonfly is creative, my concern is not with the treasure but with dispatching the foul fey creatures who have invaded this demiplane. I hope I will have your cooperation with that afterwards.”
"Well that's...rosy." Morti gulps as Ewigga describes the plant thing. "We'll need ta plan well ta defeat that beastie."
I'm not sure if we can do enough damage at range to chew up the tendriculos from the bridge? Best plan I have is to buff up ridiculously, and have the three of us rappel off the bridge to smash at it while Ewigga tosses produce flame at it from the bridge to supress regen? Anything better come to mind?
Falric gulps at the description of the plant creature. He clears his throat and recovers. "With all due respect, madam druid, you have not seen me in action. I may be thin and wiry, but I can be nigh near unhittable when I want to be and I sure don't want to end up as a snack in that plant's trunk."
In the storage room, you find just what Ewigga said: crates, burlap sacks, and gardening tools. You find another 40' of rope in one of the crates as well as a pouch containing 13 goodberries (they remain fresh for 1 week after being removed from this room) and Morti identifies 12 exotic seeds and plants worth 50 gp each.
You open the door on the other side and see an extensive wooden bridge that stretches across a wide, high chamber and overlooks an exotic garden far below (80' below).
Morti frowns, "Havin' only th' one rope isn't ideal -- I worry about th thing gettin' below us and pluckin' us off it like so many grapes."
"Could be we're better off takin' th' dragonfly first so we can git two angles of attack on the tendriculos? But how do we deal wi' th' flies? Eli's in no shape ta fry 'em, an' I don' have much I can do ta wee things.:
"We might hae nae choice but tae take tha dragonfly oot first, the hard wae...if we dae, I'm sure tha' yair spell tha' lets you see invisible things wull bae right handy. Dae yae have ony asides tha' one tha' cuild give us an edge?"
Falric steps to the edge of the bridge when the rope has been secured. "Ready when you guys are!"
Morti will bless Barundar with a shield of faith , then use the same on himself before following down the rope.
Falric clinging to his back, Barundar descends the rope down into the greenhouse ahead of Morti, taking up a defensive position but not moving forward until the cleric is on the ground.
Bar's strength is more than enough to handle Falric's weight around his neck and the methodical climb down begins, after Morti's buff. Morti follows and Elly waits patiently, still blind, in Ewigga's chamber. Ewigga grabs some goodberries from her chamber and prepares to cast her produce flame spell.
As you all climb down, the air is moist, and a thousand smells, both pleasant and pungent, waft throughout the area. Water drips from the bridge high above, falling like rain to the greenhouse’s floor. A constant symphony of birdsong and other animal noises fills the air, evidencing that the greenhouse is full of life. The greenhouse contains a wide variety of plant life, including bamboo from Tian Xia, teak trees from distant Vudra, vines from the Mwangi Expanse, and even stranger, unrecognizable plant life. You hear howling monkeys, chirping birds, and hissing reptiles, among others.
Thus, your senses are on overload as you get closer to the ground (20' above the ground and Morti 25' above) and the sounds go silent and the animals scatter, as 20' tall massive and thick trunk rises from the undergrowth 10' away. The creature is capped by a crown of wide leaves, whipping vines, mushrooms, and a ravenous purple maw!
Seeing the giant plant rise up, Falric yells to Barundar, "Okay, here is where I get off!"
Stuck on the rope above Bar and feeling quite exposed, still somewhat further than he'd like about the ground, Morti grits his teeth and hopes Falric's charge keeps the beastial plant's attention until he can reach the ground! "Yup, there it is!"
Falric leaps away from Barundar, twisting in mid-air like an ice skater, drawing his weapon, and deftly leaving a scar down the side of the tendriculos' trunk, causing it to emit an inhuman guttural sound of pain and anger!
As a move action, Morti slides down the rope, moving 10' lower.
Round 1:
On its turn, the plant's trunk shifts, healing a great portion of the halfling scimitar's wounds.
The angry plant seeks to make the acrobatic halfling an appetizer, as it launches its tentacle and bite at him!
Finding himself almost toe to toe, er, root with the tree, Morti decides to step in, angling to one side to help Falric position himself behind the thing.
Calling on Angradd's judgement on the thing, he attacks!
Falric moves to flank with Morti or Bar and fights defensively:
Ewigga, from the top of the bridge, hurls magic flames at the plant creature:
[/ooc]
Round 2:
With Falric drawing the tendriculos' attention -- and slightly embarrassed by missing such a large target on his first attempt -- Morti winds up again, takes a moment to draw even more divine energy, and swings at the thing!
Barundar gleefully joins in the fray, swinging his dorn dergar in a wide vertical arc to bring it as close to the thing's head as he can.
The two dwarves gang up on the plant creature and their two powerful blows bring it down. Ewigga's ball of flame halts its regeneration again and the creature dies from its wounds.
Ewigga grabs the rope and despite her advanced age, she clambers down the rope, demonstrating physical strength you did not believe was possible from the elven druid. When she reaches the ground floor, she smiles, "Every lady has her tricks. Good job dispatching the Tendriculos and without any wounds...impressive. Let's proceed west toward the vault before dealing with the dragonfly later, while my flame magic is still in effect."
"Almos' like we know wha' we're doin'!" Morti smiles in satisfaction. Remembering Ewigga's warning about the tendriculos' paralytic sap, he carefully wipes his hammer clean on some undergrowth.
"Aye, le's see what yer vault holds, an' then figure out th' moppin' up."
"Sounds like a good plan tae mae!" Barundar agrees.
The party proceeds west through the door passing through a 30' corridor before reaching another door. Opening the door, you find yourself in a completely new scene. This large, arched chamber provides a grim contrast to the Vault’s other life-filled rooms. Instead of lush vegetation, a massive briar patch and layers of thick humus form high mounds throughout the room. Hundreds of varieties of fungi choke out any attempt for healthy plants to root, and the air is heavy with the stench of decay. At the chamber’s eastern end (about 140' away), a large, swollen wooden chest sits atop a high mound of compost.
The arched ceiling is 60 feet high in this chamber. Harmless rodents live among the rotting mulch and fungi, skittering about in a desperate hunt for food.
Falric casts Shield on himself. "Time to draw the enemy out! Be ready, friends!" With scimitar in hand and mutagen in effect, Falric double moves (60') toward the chest.
"this is yer vault, then?" Morti asks Ewigga. "Has it always looked so...moist? Or is this some new corruption?"
The dwarf steps cautiously after Falric, scanning ahead for any sign of a threat... beyond the general sense of foreboding.
Ewigga scoffs at Morti, "No, it is obvious there is a blight here. Be careful....unlike your small friend there."
Barundar will keep pace with Morti, as Falric rushes off. Ewigga keeps pace with the dwarves behind them. At end of his double move, 90' away from him (110' from the dwarves), a plant creature stands, two 10' long vines covered in sharp thorns protrude from what appears to be a massive rotting bundle of barbs that’s topped with a heap of berry-red eyes. Ewigga screams out at the creature's appearance, "It's a brambleblight! Watch out for its thorns!"
"Whoa...time to introduce my blade to that plant! Morti, can you speed me up?"
With a slight smile -- Since there's naught I could do to dissuade ye... -- Morti concentrates, envisioning the arm of Angradd hurling the eager halfling at the blight like a javelin.
Inspired by the dwarf's tactical mind, Falric rushes off at top speed against the Brambleblight, who reacts quickly upon seeing the enemy approach, and lashes out but misses the speedster by a mile, as his scimitar drives a deep wound across the plant's trunk!
Round 1:
Angered by the wound and the fire, the Brambleblight brings both vines down on Falric, but the shifty halfling dodges one and then the other with ease, frustrating the plant!
Drawing in a deep breath, Barundar takes off at a sprint, trying to close the distance between him and the brambleblight!
Seeing Falric's slash send a spray of sap across the far end of the room, Morti joins Barundar in running towards the plant. "Save some fer us!"
As the dwarves pound towards the thing, Morti racks his brain for any helpful knowledge about the creature.
Falric attacks the plant creature again, fighting defensively!
Not wanting to be left alone, Ewigga runs with the dwarves.
Round 2:
The plant again lashes out at the halfling with its vines, making dents in the dirt, as its blows catch nothing but air!
Morti rushes to join the halfling, attempting to use Falric's strikes as cover for his charge and using his knowledge of the plant to drive his blows.
Falric taunts the plant creature, "Too slow for this halfling, huh?"
Ewigga smiles as Morti smashes into the Brambleblight, "Good hit, you'll kill it soon....which means I must kill you first before you take the treasure my sisters and I came to steal!"
Just as Barundar is going to rush forward and join the fight, surprisingly the old elven crone slashes at Barundar, her first attack missing by a mile, but the second drawing a deep wound and much blood from the dwarf's back! Instantly, Bar feels weaker from the blow!
In the place of the elven crone, now stands her true form: Ewigga