Elena looks around the temple with wonder.
"It wasn't a bear at all. A man... under some kind of curse."
She shakes her head, and shudders. "Imagine being turned into a beast, unable to speak or know your own kind again. I wonder how he came to be this way? Perhaps he desecrated the temple, and this was Erastil's punishment?"
"I suppose there's no way of finding out at this point. Perhaps Erastil will show us when he is ready."
She moves forwards, admiring the temple grounds, and heads towards the cave to examine what is within.
The "bear's" death was something of a shock, though it did go some way to explaining why it had attacked Elena.
"Whoever he was, he must've had a serious problem with Erastil or his priests. Or both," Xan remarked, looking over the ashes.
"A lot of stories where someone's corpse goes through that when they die tend to be about people who'd been around for much longer than they should've been - time and natural decay catching up all at once. Think that's what happened here?" A part of her was hoping she was wrong, the thought of someone cursed like that for what could have been several times their natural lifespan was not something she wanted to dwell on.
"Maybe a druid, I've heard tall tales of them being able to take the form of animals.... even then it seemed wrong. If it was a druid I couldn't see why it would have an issue with the fae."
Walking around the area a little before continuing "I'm more worried about his ghost coming back but... Elena do you think you could reconsecrate this place to Erastil? I'd be happy to help... and put what is left of this mans remains to rest. A proper burial might let his spirit rest more easily I hope."
"His body turned to dust... I'm not sure what that means, but there's nothing really to bury. We could put up a marker, but we don't even know his name."
She looks up at the Richard.
"I appreciate your offer, but I've never consecrated a temple before. Perhaps after looking around, we should return to Oleg's and fetch Shepherd Kavken? He would know more about such a procedure than I. And he dreamed of this place."
"Yes, yes, let's leave this nasty place to that itinerant priest," Colwyn eagerly agrees.
"This is precisely why I avoid the dabblings of the fey and the old Green ways. Men turning to bears, bears turning to men - it ain't right, none of it. I mean, consider that shirt of mail there. That's probably the finest piece of craftsmanship I've ever seen in my sorry life, yet I'm not even going to touch it, lest some beastly curse overtake me."
Colwyn shudders at the thought.
"You folks can have the mail and the spear. Hells, take the coins, too. I'm as fond of gold as the next bloke, but I don't need no cursed gold taking its toll on my soul."
He brusquely throws up his hands, frustrated as much with himself as with these strange happenings, and he walks back to check on his horse.
"Are you sure Colwyn? I have an interest in it but the chain shirt I have now is serving me well, I wouldn't see it go to waste but if anyone else would like to use it I wont object."
Mykhael shrugged at Colwyn's apathy toward the treasure. He picked up the short spear and examined it, turning it over as he checked its balance he asked, " If there are no objections I could use this fine spear."
Niadroub Kliip nods understandingly at Colwyn's well-measured and rational caution concerning ghostly bear-men. But his natural curiosity gets the better of him, and he starts to look around, anyway. He was raised in Erastil's faith, after all.
The arcanist studies the suddenly-clear pool. He casts detect magic on it.
"I believe that the curse is lifted, just from the look of this place. The waters run clear now. It wasn't just the bear... or man... whatever it was."
"But let me examine these..."
Elena utters a few prayers and examines the items and the area around.
The pool detects as divine magic, for the next 24 hours the waters will function as a potion of Cure light wounds. But only if drunk from the pool.
You travel to the east, finding yourself back at the former bandit camp, where Serafina and the surrendered bandits are working to create a fortified camp. It is still very rough, but things do seem to be progressing. No deaths or desertions yet.
As you travel you come across a small herd of Elk.
Moving on from the camp you continue east, crossing the open plains again. Richard, Elena & Niadroub all notice a particularly rocky crag rises from the hills here. At the crag’s base is an overgrown 5-foot-wide crack that leads down 20 feet to a 30-foot-diameter cave.
The cave wall directly across from the entrance sparkles
slightly Richard recognizes this as a vein of gold. Indeed, this
cave can be transformed into a healthy gold mine with the proper time and equipment.
2 Hexes crossed. Hex18 to go. What are you doing now?
You ride north again, still surveying this wide open land and noting how good it could be to see it settled and flourishing.
As the afternoon draws on you see a landmark, an old lightning-struck oak tree stands atop a low hill at this spot—the only tree in a 2-mile
radius, in fact. Approached from the south, the tree looks eerily like a claw reaching for the clouds.
Elena notices something unusual as you ride by. Someone has been digging at the base of the tree, the soil is disturbed but also attempts have been made to conceal the digging.
What are you doing now?
"Lets dig it up, if we're convinced it's innocent we can always bury what is in there again. It could be a drop of point or a hiding place but if its being used by the bandits then we will want to know whats in there. It could be something being hidden by a trapper too of course."
"Alsoo, et could be money."
Niadroub Kliip casts expeditious excavation to assist with digging the hole out.
As Niadroub casts his spell and you look at the hole wondering just what has been buried here, so far from anywhere really.
As you wait Elena & Niadroub both catch sight of two groups of ambushers advancing on you stealthily.
What are you doing now? Elena & Niadroub both can take an action on the surprise round.
"Ambush!" Niadroub Kliip points in the direction of the bandits (?) and then casts mage armor.
Elena's eyes snap to the south where the mysterious people have appeared. "Looks like more bandits!"
She draws her bow and takes aim. She shouts, "You there! Stay where you are, or I will shoot!"
Colwyn checks his pack, unable to remember if he brought a spade.
Meanwhile, he remains too distracted to notice the approaching danger until Niadroub shouts out.
Even then, his reflexes fail him and he wastes those valuable first seconds in befuddlement.
When the party reacts to their presence the ambushers stop trying to be stealthy and attack. Two beefy thugs hustle forward, while the others return fire.
"B$*@$!" Magenta screeches as Elena's arrow clips her, aiming at her specifically.
Missing in her haste.
Yellow picks Niadroub as his target and shoots.
Red aims his bow at Mykhael
The party may now act.
Mykhael rushed forward toward the bandit that shot the arrow at him cursing his crippled leg as he hobbled along.
Elena nocks another arrow. "They're not stopping!"
She takes aim and gets ready to shoot, taking cover behind the tree she is behind.
Richard moves up quickly heading over the support Mykhael, drawing his blade as he circles around the tree of the man Mykhael was threatening was hiding behind.
Colwyn drops his pack and hustles beside a stunted tree, drawing his bow as he moves.
He crouches and lines up a shot at one of the attackers lurking in the brush.
Recovering from the surprise, Xan quickly moved forward to cover Colwyn, drawing her sword in the process.
Niadroub Kliip moves forward to duck behind a bush so that he has some cover while he loads his crossbow.
Magenta keeps shooting at Elena.
Her arrow hitting hard.
Yellow & Green rush forward to attack Niadroub & Xantria
Green swings his club at Nidroub.
Swinging wide.
Teal emerges from concealment and shoots richard in the back.
Blindsiding richard.
Orange steps in and swings his club at Richard as well.
Missing.
Red steps back from Mykhael, Elena's arrow whistles just passed him.
"Not much coin for a cripple." He remarks callously and shoots at Mykhael.
He misses and curses foully.
The party may now act.
Magenta keeps shooting at Elena.
bow: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6Her arrow hitting hard.
Elena calmly keeps shooting.
Richard deftly parries the club only to take an arrow in his shoulder. It wasn't his swordarm atleast. Lunging forward he attempts to strike the bandit.
Lashing out at the attacker as they advanced, Xan quickly followed it up with another strike, trying to put this one down swiftly so she could start dealing with the ones threatening her more vulnerable allies.
Enraged at the cretins audacity in mocking his leg Mykahael steps up and wildly thrusts his spear at the man almost losing his balance in the process.
Niadroub Kliip takes a five foot step back and casts color spray at the bandit attacking him.
As he nocks another arrow, Richard's pained exclamation catches Colwyn's attention.
He sharply turns his head and discovers the latest foe emerging from hiding and decides that two can play this game.
Colwyn swiftly slinks among the trees and overgrown shrubs, taking a moment to single out a vulnerable spot just beneath the arm, before loosing a quick, unexpected shot.
Green shrugs off Niadroub's spell. He leers at him "Good coin for casters!" He sniggers. "Even one who smells as bad as you."
He delivers a nasty clout to Niadroub's head, clearly aiming to knock him out.
Xantria's strike misses and her opponent sneers back at her. Not talking abut swinging his falchion at her.
His facade of competence shattered by his weak attack.
Red steps back again. "Keep stumbling fool!" He mocks Mykhael.
Orange also tries to knock out Richard.
Really staggering Richard with a sickening blow.
Teal shots at Elena as Magenta moves closer. Not shooting this round.
The party may now act.
"It's going to be really embarrassing when you get beaten by a man who can barely walk," Mykhael retorted as he thrust his spear again.
Richard lunges forward trying to land a blow on his foe. If he could just take this one out he knew Mykhael and himself could easily dispatch the other bandit.
A clumsy strike, Xan simply stepped slightly to the side and gave the blade a light slap with her own, knocking it out of line with her body.
The moment the falchion was clear, she stepped forward and brought her sword - which was currently touching the back of his blade and with nothing between it and the bandit - up in a blur of motion towards his face.
Sadly, her foot came down on a rock she hadn't noticed and threw her strike off enough that she was forced to back away, the stumble giving her opponent a clear chance to slash into her stomach.
"Who's peeying? Mebbe they pay for bendits."
Niadroub takes another five foot step back, and re-casts color spray.
"Now I'm mad," he thinks as he fishes a special something from his belt.
Colwyn no longer remembers how he came across this flask of alchemist's fire, but he knows he stowed it in his stash before being locked up since it would make for a good surprise in an emergency.
This fight was not obscenely favoring him, and Colwyn considers that an emergency.
He takes a step forward and flings the flask, hoping a little fire might take the fire out of this enemy.
Green is now blind & stunned.
[ooc]Just waiting on Elena[/b]
An arrow passes through the bush and strikes Elena in the hip.
"Blast! Keep shooting!"
She shifts to keep the bush between her and the enemy archer, and she takes another shot and the one that is coming closer.
The bandit in front of him stunned, Niadroub Kliip steps into position to catch both Xantria's target and the approaching bandit in his final color spray.
The burning bandit (Teal) is put out of her misery by Elena's arrow.
Mykhael lunges and buries his spear head in Red's guts, finishing the wounded man off.
Richard cuts Orange lightly, the man not aware he was now fighting alone on this flank.
Orange swings back at Richard trying to render him unconscious.
His blow whistling close by Richard's head.
Magenta loses her temper and drops her bow, drawing a short sword and dagger she rushes at Colwyn screaming in her rage at his burning her friend.
Yellow is looking more dubious about the fight now, grimacing he swings hard at Xantria
Cutting her nastily.
The party may now act.
"Don't like losing, eh?" Colwyn taunts the fuming attacker as he tosses aside his bow. "Well tough jerky, 'cause neither do I!"
He draws his blade and aims a thrust for Magenta's gut.
Magenta's blind rage ends up with Colwyn's blade buried in her gut, she dies with a shocked look on her face.
Cursing, she quickly struck back. She feinted a swing from her right, relaxing her wrist and letting the blade flow around his falchion before turning it into a stab.
Seeing Xantria take another deep wound, Elena runs over to where Xanrtria is fighting the bandit.
"Hang on!"
Mykhael slowly tried to move behind the bandit Richard is engaged with. The big man saw an opening while the bandit attempted to parry one of Richards blows and with serpent like quickness thrust his spear into the hole in the bandit's defenses.