Well, we did get most of a night's rest. Maybe we'll only be able to follow the light at night. Let's go on.
On we go.
During the battle with the wisp, your dwarven captive was able to free herself from her bonds, retrieve her equipment, and escape. The party navigates its way in darkness across the treacherous marsh terrain, following the ghostly light of the lantern to an unknown destination.
As dawns light slowly washes over the land, the party finds what must be its destination-A circle of monolithic standing stones surrounds a central menhir covered in a layer of thick, thorny vegetation. In all, eight formations surround the central stone: five intact trilithons and another three that have crumbled and partially sunk into the swamp’s soggy floor. A large pool gently bubbles to the northwest of the standing stones.
The standing stones are constructed of rough-hewn granite. The vertical posts are approximately 8 feet tall, and you guess each weighs approximately 15 tons. The horizontal lintels that rest atop the posts weigh upward of maybe 5 tons each. The central menhir stands 12 feet tall, with its base buried deep beneath the mud and earth. The bubbling mineral pool to the northwest is a natural hot spring. After 5 feet, the pool’s banks quickly drop off into darkness.
Study the area before charging in, does Eng know anything about the circle of stones.
Ghûn looks for hidden enemies or anything out of place or valuable.
Orett scopes things out
Daardra checks out the menhir
Long ago, the Council of Thorns used this stone circle to enter their secret demiplane, the Vault of Thorns. Daardra feels a strong aura of conjuration about the area and remembers Silvermane's instruction to wash the supernaturally fueled lantern’s light over the central standing stone to open the portal into the Vault of Thorns.
Before the party can take any further action, Ghun cries out a warning as a giant form explodes from the marshy waters. Cold, black eyes stare out from the fish-like face of this hideous green-skinned, web-fingered, and obese giant as it stabs a savage gaff at Orett.
Ghun acts, then the giant, then the rest of the party.
Ghun's hammer strike goes wide as he missteps in some marsh.
The giant turns his wicked gaff on Ghun!
On Orett.
"Fight Orett, our lives depend on it!"
Cast Sleep Hex on the marshy fiend...
The giant is stunned!
Aha! Now taste my stony fists!!
Orett jumps up and strikes!
-boo!-
Cast Fortune Hex on Orett and Cackle TEE, HEE-HEE!
Use Fortune on 1st strike
Eng cures Orett again.
"Keep at it Orett, bring him down!"
Orett throws a rapid combination of fists, feet, elbows, and knees but only manages to land one blow on his massive opponent.
The giant stabs a Orett with its gaff:
On Ghûn.
"Get up Ghûn, fight!"
Rage!
7hp +8rage
Attack!
Cast Fortune on Ghun and.....Cackle TEE, HEE-HEE!
Ghun swings his hammer from a prone position and mashes the giants shin. Orett is fortunate to connect with a fist. Eng heals, Ghun cackles.
The giant stabs down at Ghun, furious that the doughty half-orc is still alive.
“Fight Ghûn fight!”
On Ghûn:
“AAAARRGGHH!!!”
Fortune
19
Ghun's next blow lands square in the giant's pelvis, blasting a hole out it's backside, ending its life.
End rage.
"He hit me hard, I hit him harder."
"Eng, you magic keep me alive. Daardra, you magic help me fight. Orett, you fight giant by self when Ghûn down. We good team."
Ghûn looks around the area and checks out the creature's weapon.
11hp
"Uhh thanks Ghûn, I think you're right, we do make a good team. I think we should rest now, I've used up a lot of my healing magic for the day."
exclude bad guy
Helps look around. Use Detect Magic.
The massive gaff is of MW quality and the giant had 500GP worth of valuables in a large sack. The area is as previously described.
"If no one disagrees, I think we should set up camp within view of the stone circle but a bit back from it if possible and rest."
On watch.
"Uggh, ok for me."
On watch.
Mentally go over my meditation techniques.
The night passes without event. Whatever predators called this area home have been scared off by the previous presence of the giant.
Activate life link on party members.
“Ready to open the Vault?”
When everyone is ready shine lantern light in central stone.
Ready!
As Eng shines the ghostlight lantern’s light over the menhir, the thick vegetation covering the monolith quickly withers away, revealing a faintly glowing, olive-hued stone.
Ghûn moves forward and touches the glowing stone.
With a soft popping sound, Ghun disappears!
"Here we go."
Touches the glowing stone.
With a soft popping sound, Eng disappears!
Daardra and Orett touch the stone.
After a brief moment of disorientation (and some stomach butterflies) the party finds itself in a clearing with a lone menhir surrounded by a vibrant forest filled with thick, verdant plant life. Exotic flowers drape the standing stone, which pulses with brilliant chartreuse light. A path lined with rose petals leads from the monolith to a giant floral bloom carved from wood. Two carved wooden stamens stretch out toward the pulsating menhir, extending from either side of a set of ornate doors carved into the giant flower. An overpowering fragrance of flowers and sweet grass permeates the air. The sun above sits at its zenith, basking the area in light and warmth.
Your brief pleasant reverie is quickly disrupted as you are ripped by a crossfire barrage of splinters coming from either side of the clearing.
DC 14 REF for half on each (2 rolls)
Deep in old-growth forests, twigjacks spend their time tormenting intruders and wreaking havoc on settlers. Maladjusted protectors of the wood, these malicious fey constantly threaten any attempts to civilize the wild. Twigjacks delight in breaking wagon wheels from expansionists’ caravans, snapping hunters’ bows, and sabotaging isolated cabins and villages. Although they possess a keen intellect, few creatures, even other fey, can tolerate these twig-born creatures for long. Treants especially find twigjacks bothersome, and resent any suggestion that they are related. Equally, twigjacks resent being considered plants, and are proud of their fey heritage. Twigjacks sometimes go out of their way to impress dryads, an effort that is rebuffed almost every time. But some spriggans, quicklings, and other evil fey associate with twigjacks, and while goblins fear and distrust the creatures, bugbears often bully them into service.
They can fire brambly splinters a few times a day, dimension door between pockets of shrubs for short distances, and are doughty fighters that are belied by their size.
-17hp
"Look at those things, they attacked us!"
Rage! Attack closest stick thing.
-8hp
C r a p ! I was waiting for other people, doh!
-26 hp
Ow! Stupid Twigjacks, they can't throw those splinters all day. Let's get em.
Attack other one.
Yeah, twigjacks can also flit about between plants so watch out!
-16 hp