Elder Munfried waves dismissively on his way to the door... "Ah Miss, not too worry... I doubt we'll even require tapping our stores of pickled gnome. Two fewer mouths to feed as of tonight, three after Epner is escorted to Jorunea Villa... we'll be fine."
He opens the door, and speaks to the man outside.
"Shackle Epner... and do we have any fruit?"
(O_o)
Arcthyl looks at the fellow in shock when he talks about shackling Epner and steps forward... "The name feyeater seems well-earned, and not very nice ... or appetizing. Sure fey can be a mite mischievous and playful, sometimes painfully so, but eating them is another issue. And why are you talking about shackling Epner here? What did he do?"
Ahhh, a Will save, my forte!
"An enemy consumed is an enemy truly beaten." Elder Munfried's tone remains casual - non-threateningly normal.
"Epner may hide his doubts well at times, but we've all seen his lack of faith - continually questioning, and second-guessing our ways. I offer him a chance at appeal. Jorunea will decide his fate, and if you mean to survive passage through her domain... yours as well." He steps just outside the door.
Epner is resisting being shackled in the village center. Elder Munfried waves dismissively at him... "If you had not run at first sight of the Matronguard, Epner, you'd have seen not one of us raise a finger in protest to your burning." Epner slumps, and stops resisting immediately.
You start to feel shaken by an oppressive dread.
I will draw my weapon and move to Epner.
"I have shed blood once today in defense of this man's life. I shall do so again if required. Do not test my resolve in this."
"I....I dun' like this place..."
"I'm with you, Sunny, this place gives me the creeps," Arcthyl says with a shudder of fear.
Corum will not let the innocent be burned.
"We will take Epner with us--he will be our guide!! And do not test us."
Corum prepares to help Epner.
"Nymph?" Repeated Anumil as he gave a double take.
The villagers (around twenty of them) cast concerned and indignant looks at Norde as he moves to Epner's side - weapon in hand. They then look expectantly to Elder Munfried... who quickly latches on to Corum's offer and threat. He takes a step toward Norde...
"Your might likely warrants respect.", then gestures indicating Corum "However, a solution presents itself which eliminates need for coercion. Epner is yours." He gestures villagers away from Epner.
You can sense the unnatural dread, but are unaffected by it. It seems to be centered on the village. Your allies should feel better soon after leaving.
Sunny shuffles to stand besides Anumil. "I... rilly dun't like this place..."
Arcthyl growls low under his breath, "Me either... let's get out of here... before they decide they want to change their diets."
Corum grabs Epner and shakes him.
"Get anything you need for a journey NOW. We leave NOW."
Norde makes sure Epner is properly let loose and then tells him, "stick close to me if you want to live."
Arcthyl moves to flank Epner, to help keep him safe from the others of the village who might mean him harm.
Arcthyl moves to flank Epner, to help keep him safe from the others of the village who might mean him harm.
Only a few of the villagers look reluctant to let Epner go with you. Though they attempt to rally in murmurs amongst each other, no one makes a move against you.
Once you are out of the village, the sense of doom wanes. The trail leading out of the settlement takes you to the main road known as the Palanquin Path.
Epner sighs... still glum and feeling guilty "Sorry for being a bother again. I did not know what to do... I rarely do. I have nothing to offer myself, but... you said you could use silver? I think I can show you where the stores of Henry the Blind were taken."
Looking around for threats, Anumil turned to Epner.
"Who is Henry the Blind?" He asked curiously.
As the group moves further away from the village and the gloomy presence lifts Suny is soon bouncing and skipping along seemingly happy again. (^_^)
"Um... were I not un'erstadin folks right afore?" She asks Epner. "I dun't think I rilly un'erstand whut t'was people's were talkin' about havin' fer vittles...." She absently scratches at her blond mop of hair.
"I don't know who Henry was, but I am sure we can use his stuff. Good idea, Epner, you lead the way."
Norde looks at Sunny, "girl, I fear you understood perfectly what was for dinner."
"They're eating their ties to the natural world, and wondering why the world dies around them. Insanity."
Norde looks at Sunny, "girl, I fear you understood perfectly what was for dinner."
Sunny looks back at Norde and shakes her head, Nuh-UH! I know I dun't be speakin' gooder. Lots'a times I be gettin' things all wronger an' stuffs." She begins to skip along besides Corum and Anumil.
"Henry the Blind spoke of the Matron as unnatural, and of a duty to see her snuffed out. He lost his vision looking into the Matron's Palanquin, but claimed he gained understanding... whatever that means. Lousy trade... understanding doesn't keep you from walking into trees."
You travel north along the Palanquin Path for a mile or so, then cut east into the woods. After 15 minutes of travel you see through the thinning canopy - a cliff face to the east... the pale stone faintly glows in the starlight.
When you catch sight of it, about a quarter-mile further north you see a waterfall springing from halfway up - from a open-mouthed face carved in the stone which looks like a massive mephit's head.
"I think the grove is not far... just short of the river. Keep an eye out, because who knows.. I might be wrong."
Anumil nodded.
"Is he still alive?" He asked.
"So looking at this Matron makes you lose your sight? That doesn't sound ... I don't know... full of weal? How do we deal with someone who can't be looked at if she needs dealing with that is."
Sunny skips along and listens to people's talking back and forth.
To Anumil's question, Epner shakes his head - though with a half-shrug. Arcthyl's question's receive a full shrug.
You come within sight of a clearing on a slight rise. Just at the edge of the break in the woods, you see several trees have been lopped off to be about 7' high... the bark has been peeled, and the bare wood has been roughly carved into various animal and humanoid shapes - most curled and warped in a distended fetal position. Beyond this area of a dozen "one critter totem poles", there is an old weathered shack with walls leaning slightly inward. Faint wisps of smoke seep out from the chimney - which is little more than a crumbling pile on the rooftop.
"Here!That one moved." Suny pauses and points to said figure. She begins to creep towards said figure,
"Hello? Can's ye be hearin' m'selfs?" She asks/calls out.
An angry voice comes from the shack 60' from you. "You who you are.. You can not be here! You disturb my peace! Naughty nosy children... Come to peek at my secrets!?" The front door swings open, and a large man in a leather apron stands in the doorway. Apart from the apron he is topless... his shoulders are freakishly wide, bony, and freckled, and his belly is huge. He holds a mallet-like hammer in one hand, and an ember-tipped charred stick in the other. A belt and sash cluttered with metal tools, chisels, and knives crosses his leather apron.
His face is literally a blur. You can make out no features - just a chaotic swirl of fleshy colors.
You see the carved humanoid figure to which Sunny is pointing begin to move. It creaks and cracks as it works itself to standing.
Anumil took a step back.
"Are you Henry the Blind? We come in peace, perhaps to trade." He said, trying to avoid a fight if possible.
His face comes into focus. He looks like an angry man with extreme features made to look angry - a caricature from a nightmare. "Am I Henry?! Are you mad? You dare risk stoking further my fiery fierce rage? You speak not a name but a dagger to faith's heart. The doubt he has forged cannot be unmade, so here it is kept... Where is that? Under my big-booted feet. . HaHA! Don't you see? It's a trap, feckless fools! It may be that you are not fey, but you are trouble... just the same. And here you toddle in to be soundly thumped by me, to be boiled half-alive, and fed to the darkness. I will compel the void to have your soul both in and ex-haled by dretches to boot, and return as a silt slug for the unbridled gall to speak out his name! ... Hark, Ye Olde Oaken Man, pummel this lot!" He points the charred stick at you.
Sunny moves to help spread her friends line and hence lower flanking threats.
"How's we s'posed ta' stop wood?" She asks, even as she draws forth her small looking wooden sticks....
Corum points his finger at the oak man, and a scorching ray streaks toward the wooden creature.
"Oak man, meet fire."
The wooden man balled up his fists, and advanced - seeming to be focused on Sunny as she moves to post up with the group.
Corum blast of fire scorches the golem's chest, and burns down exposed splinters.
This is a wood golem. It is vulnerable to adamantine and fire, and can fire off wickedly sharp splinters in a large radius.
Arcthyl delays until after the woodman takes his best shot...
I will rage up, charge, power Attack, and reckless abandon the creature approaching Sunny.
Rage adds +2/+3, 10HP, -2AC
Charge adds +2/+0, -2AC
Power Attack adds -2/+6
Reckless Abandon adds +2/+0, -2AC
My AC is at 13
I'm at 55/65 HPs with DR 2/-
"A trap? Well then, let us deal with you as we would any other ambush."
Fires at the guy at (E,10).
for a possible piercing damage.
Norde hacks deep into the wooden man, and Anumil's bolt grazes the disturbed man. The man then steps from the porch... "Play with fire?! No no no!"
He points his charred wooden "poker", and a tiny bird flits over to another carved stump - one of great cat... and lands on the head. The wooden creature begins to stir - creaking to life as the disturbed man mutters incoherently.
Disturbed man is essentially casting summon nature's ally 3
He points his charred wooden "poker", and a tiny bird flits over to another carved stump - one of great cat... and lands on the head. The wooden creature begins to stir - creaking to life as the disturbed man mutters incoherently.
(O_o)
Sunny blinks at the magical display... before simply running towards the wried/strange fellow in the apron.