As they start towards the dryad's grove, Meycho gets a worried expression, turning to the others briefly. Several times, since the logging camp, I've had the feeling there was something following or watching us, though the feeling has never been strong. I just thought I saw something in the mists before, though it might be my eyes playing tricks on me. Still, be watchful...
As they hear the sylvan voice cry out, Meycho quickly casts a spell on himself.
Caelin's jaw clenched at Meycho's words, and he silently vowed to heed them.
If you approach by stealth, please give me a stealth and perception roll each. Otherwise, describe how you advance, and I'll tell you what happens.
Meycho mutters a short prayer and the matching platinum rings on his hand and around Falling Star's leg briefly light up, not enough to give away his location but enough to show that a spell was cast.
He then creeps slowly ahead.
Jervaise stealthily moves forward, sword in hand...
Tae whispers We have to act quickly to save these fey!
He'll cast Haste on the group, including Falling Star.
Stealth 1d20+11
Perception 1d20+11
Creeping along through the mist in the fading light, you come to a halt besides a large boulder just outside the light from the large bonfire. From here, you are able to see two large Fellnight spriggans chopping away at an oak tree. The axes have already cut deep on either side of the trunk, and it looks ready to fall at any moment.
Further into the grove, you spot several smaller forms moving in the flickering light. Another dryad and a badly wounded unicorn lie bound upon the ground near a stack of man-sized, hand-cut logs that have been crudely carved into humanoid forms.
As Taecuss intones the magic words of his haste spell, one of the spriggans by the fire turns and gives a shout of alarm. The two chopping at the oak seem too distracted to notice the spell, and the rest are too far away.
Perception:
S1: vs DC 23
S2: Vs DC 22
S3: Vs DC 17
S4: VS DC 21
T: Vs DC 20
Initiative:
Taecuss:
Caelin:
Jervaise:
Goodluck:
Meycho:
S1:
S2:
S3:
S4:
T:
Surprise round
Ordered initiative:
S4: 22 - surprised
Caelin: 21
S2: 21 - surprised
Goodluck: 20
Meycho: 19
Taecuss: 17
Jervaise: 14
T: 14 - surprised
S1: 11 - surprised
S3: 4
Map:
COMBAT MAP
Terrain Features:
Pine trees/fallen tree branches: Heavy undergrowth - difficult terrain and 30% concealment.
Tree stumps and logs: Difficult terrain
Notes:
Aumgwe and Falling Star can be a bit hard to see. They begin the combat next to their respective masters.
Could everyone please note their current AC and hit points in the bottom of their posts, along with any active effects?
Active Effects:
Caelin: Lead Blades - 1 round spent
Goodluck: Bull's Strength - 1 round spent
Taecuss: - haste - 1 round spent
Meycho: - heroism - 1 round spent
Caelin gave a slight croak and pointed Aumgwe towards the nearest spriggan assaulting the oak. Meanwhile, the elf charged the closest spriggan, bring his massive sword to bear.
Power Attack: (+13; +2 charge, +1 haste, +4 favored enemy, -2 Power attack )
Damage, if applicable: (+7, +6 2-hand PA, +4 favored enemy)
Caelin burst into the grove, greatsword flashing in the firelight. The spriggans chopping at the oak are taken totally aback, and the one Caelin attacks has no time to react before the cold iron blade tears into it's flesh. It staggers from the blow, badly wounded, but still stands.
Your favored enemy bonus does not apply when fighting the Fellnight Spriggans. Due to their thorn bramble argumentation, they are actually Plant creatures, not Fey. Also, remember to describe what Aumgwe does, and roll for him if he attacks. He acts on your initiative.
Goodluck summons his icy armor and prepares to attack!
Meycho darts up to one of the large unseelie fey, using the element of surprise and his unnatural haste to get close, while whistling to Falling Star to attack from the flank.
Round 0:
Jervaise charges one of the big Fey .
The spriggan falls under the onslaught, never getting a chance to raise its axe in defense.
Shouts of confusion and anger rise from the other evil fey in the grove. One of them manages to react and swells up in size, brandishing a mean looking battle axe dripping with green sap.
Another of the spriggans enlarges itself and moves around the fire to get at the heroes.
Dryad Grove battle
Round 1
Ordered initiative:
S4: 22
Caelin: 21
S2: 21
Goodluck: 20
Meycho: 19
Taecuss: 17
Jervaise: 14
T: 14
S1: 11
S3: 4
Map:
COMBAT MAP
Terrain Features:
Pine trees/fallen tree branches: Heavy undergrowth - difficult terrain and 30% concealment.
Tree stumps and logs: Difficult terrain
Notes:
Aumgwe and Falling Star can be a bit hard to see. They begin the combat next to their respective masters.
Could everyone please note their current AC and hit points in the bottom of their posts, along with any active effects?
Active Effects:
Caelin: Lead Blades - 2 round spent
Goodluck: Bull's Strength - 2 round spent
Goodluck: Ice Armor - 1 round spent
Taecuss: - haste - 2 round spent
Meycho: - heroism - 2 round spent
Caelin leaps over the fallen spriggan and sprints towards one closest to the tree. With a whistle, he asks Aumgwe to "seek" about the grove for any hidden enemies.
Charge on a southwest diagonal to N26
Power Attack charge: (+13; +2 charge, +1 haste, -2 Power attack )
Damage, if applicable: (+7, +6 2-hand PA)
Aumgwe will fly up out of harms way and search the bushes for enemies...hopefully.)
AC: 20 (19 + 1 dodge from haste)
53/53hp
Lead Blades, 3 rounds spent
Haste, 2 rounds spent until Tae's turn
(I didn't include inspire courage as I don't think it's active until end of Tae's turn 1. Sorry if I screwed that up.)
Iron Will: 10 minutes minus the time since we encountered the first dryad.
Goodluck steps to I-32, surveying the melee. He nods to the downed spriggan and begins casting sound burst, centered on M-24, aiming to include two spriggans in the effect.
Damage: ; Fortitude save DC 17 or stunned for 1 round
AoO - dmg
Once again, Caelin rushes across the soft forest floor, sword flashing. The spriggan swings the big battleaxe at him as he closes, but the nimble ranger dodges out of the way and cut a deep slash into the evil creature.
Round 1:
With a grim nod of satisfaction at the carnage that his companions are unleashing, Jervaise moves up to the unengaged Fey , and takes a powerful swing at it...
** spoiler omitted **
Meycho moves to the Spriggan on his right, directing Falling Star to move to a flanking position.
Fort save
AoO
dmg
Thorn att
S4 att
dmg
Goodluck moves closer to the fire and unleashes a burst of sound at the spriggan still standing next to the oak. It cringes at the impact, but seems to shake off the stunning effect. Moments later, Meycho and his hawk companion sweep in to deal two grievous wounds to the spriggan. It looks to be close to death, but it's eyes still shine with cruel malice.
Taecuss scouts the grove, looking for other enemies, but sees none hiding.
Jervaise charges a new foe, dodges a nasty swing and fells the enemy in a single, forceful blow.
Now that you have all moved into the light, you notice that one of the creatures is not a spriggan, but rather a small slender humanoid garbed in armor of thorny wines, with dark green skin and brown hair. It wields a small bow, and has a thorny longsword strapped to its waist. - IMAGE
The slender humanoid is a thorn, a defender of the fey. Thorns are fierce warriors and often come to the rescue of other fey who find themselves in trouble. The are usually good-aligned, but this one shares the sinister look of the spriggans.
Like most fey, thorns have significant resistance against all weapons not made of cold iron. They prefer to use skirmish tactics, striking at foes from hiding.
Thorns wield their thorn longswords with great skill, and fire enchanted arrows from their bows that can put an enemy to sleep.
The small fey aims a bow at Goodluck, but the arrow flies past him. Infuriated, the slender creature screams something in sylvan to the surviving spriggans.
The badly wounded spriggan by the tree nods grimly at the words and swings his axe with both hands, blood spraying from the deep gashes in his flesh. Meycho duck instinctively, only to realize that the blow is not aimed at him. The axe thuds into the oak, cutting deep. The enlarged spriggan grunts, then twists the axe, putting all its weight on the haft. With a groan, the tall oak slowly begins to tumble. As the last piece of the trunk snaps, Breena gives a sharp cry of heartwrenching pain and sorrow...and dies.
Besides the bonfire, the bound dryad wails in shock as she witnesses the death of another of her sisters. All of the spriggans howl with glee at the suffering that has just been inflicted.
Too late, Taecuss realizes that the tall oak is crashing down on top of him!
Knowledge: Nature
Knowledge Nature: (includes +2 for Woodcraft in forest)
"A Thorn! It's bow brings slumber!"
The spriggan facing Caelin swings at him, but misses.
Dryad Grove battle
Round 2
Ordered initiative:
S4: 22
Caelin: 21
Goodluck: 20
Meycho: 19
Taecuss: 17
Jervaise: 14
T: 14
S1: 11
Map:
COMBAT MAP
Terrain Features:
Pine trees/fallen tree branches: Heavy undergrowth - difficult terrain and 30% concealment.
Tree stumps and logs: Difficult terrain
Notes:
Aumgwe and Falling Star can be a bit hard to see. To remedy this, I've outlined them in blue. Aumgwe is light blue, Falling Star dark blue.
Could everyone please note their current AC and hit points in the bottom of their posts, along with any active effects?
Active Effects:
Caelin: Lead Blades - 3 round spent
Goodluck: Bull's Strength - 3 round spent
Goodluck: Ice Armor - 2 round spent
Taecuss: - haste - 3 round spent
Meycho: - heroism - 3 round spent
Referring again to the Thorn as he engaged the spriggan, Cealin added, "Cold Iron is key!". With that he indulged in the power given him by Tae's magic, swinging his sword in brutal arcs. He glanced up from his foe only long enough to ensure that Aumgwe continued his search around the battlefield.
Power Attack 1: (+13; +2 inspire , +1 haste, -2 Power attack )
Power Attack 2: (+8; +2 inspire , +1 haste, -2 Power attack )
Power Attack from Haste: (+13; +2 inspire , +1 haste, -2 Power attack ) AUTOMATIC MISS!
Damage 1, if applicable: (+7, +6 2-hand PA, +2 inspire courage)
Damage 2, if applicable: (+7, +6 2-hand PA, +2 inspire courage)
Damage from Haste: missed
Caelin cuts down the spriggan with a brutal overhand chop and moves past the fire to engage the thorn.
Edit: Just noticed that Caelin killed his Spriggan. Changing plans!
Goodluck charges the Thorn!
Attack:
Damage: cold damage
Goodluck charges past the roaring bonfire, but a gust of wind sends a thick puff of smoke into his face, making him completely misjudge his thrust. The Fellnight thorn easily sidesteps.
Meycho ducks and stabs at the wounded spriggan, then breaks off, rushing towards the Thorn (to Q24). With a cry, he directs Falling Star to attack the creature.
Round 2:
Jervaise moves to a flank with Meycho on the Thorn , and takes a mighty swing!
With all spriggans defeated and enemies closing in with unnatural speed from all sides, the thorn drops his bow and moves to draw the thorn longsword. But his hand barely touches the hilt before Falling Star swoops in to rake the small fey with sharp talons. The thorn shies away, but steps right into Jervaise's mighty swing, and goes down in a heap.
A sudden hush falls over the glade. Only the crackle of the fire breaks the silence. The attack seems to have taken the evil fey totally by surprise, and lasted only a few seconds.
The bound dryad seems dazed and battered. She struggles weakly against her bonds.
"Please....free me....my sisters...our grove...please..." she begs in common.
A dozen feet from where she struggles, the injured unicorn lies still in the flickering firelight.
Meycho rushes over to the bound dryad and carefully cuts her bonds with his dagger, clearly showing distraught at the thought of the fey being bound and wounded.
Next, he lays his small hands on her, healing her wounds with a brief Elven prayer.
The dryad breathes a little easier after Meycho's healing touch, although she is still obviously wounded. She rises on shaky feet and looks at Meycho and the rest of the group.
"Thank you...If you have any more healing, save it for Palombier...the unicorn...I will be fine. He came to warn us, but they came out of the mist and fell on us before we could even hear him out."
She moves to the last standing oak tree and reaches into a hollow among the roots to pull out a slender dagger.
"Is that thorny monster dead? If not, stand aside and let me avenge my sisters."
I think it is quite dead, but no harm in making sure. Meycho crouches at the side of the unicorn, once again channeling divine power through his hands with a brief Elven prayer.
As Meycho heals the unicorn, it opens its eyes and begins to stir.
"Fira...you live....who are these warriors...and what of your sisters?"
Caelin stalked the edges of the grove, searching for any more foes. When the area seemed safe, he called Aumgwe back to his shoulder and set himself to guarding against further intrusion.
The havoc wreaked by the Fellnight creatures was abhorrent to him. He knew the fey well, and while they were sometimes fierce and could cause pain to their enemies, they were never ones to engage in such...slaughter. And to have harmed a unicorn?!
He was overcome by a profound sadness, which was eased slightly by the sounds of Meycho's healing. He took a deep breath and did his best to stay alert.