"I'm not sure we'll really be here all that long," Jask says. "The place is large, but not so large that it'll take more than a few hours to explore, especially if much of it is inaccessible, like the stairs here. The snake person we're looking for is presumably in one of the accessible areas, so shouldn't be too hard to find. By the time we get a base camp set up, the exploration will probably be done."
"Is there anyway we can get a signal to come back to the camp if something happens? I don't want to come back and find something has gone wrong."
"I can keep a whisper-line open, as long as we don't get too far away," Douena offers.
"A few hours, yes," Mahjik nods to Jask, "but look, it's not morning anymore. We've already seen that this place is somewhat inhabited, or perhaps I should say infested. There's a reasonable chance that we'll come out of exploration a bit worse-for-wear; I figured it would make sense to prepare to spend the night to nurse ourselves and recover some of our expended energies."
Jask shrugs, then nods. "That's a fair point. All right then. Let's do it."
"How shall we split things up then?" Sasha asks. "Same way we used to on the island?"
"Seems appropriate," Jask replies.
Ishirou is already heading back the way you came in, pulling camping supplies from his pack as he goes.
"Like back on the island." Urza repeats. He gets quiet while the island is in mind. The island and the companions who didn't make it off that island.
Unusually emphatic, Mahjik puts his arm around Urza's shoulder to help console him.
Pezock watches as Ishirou and Jask start setting up the tents. "I hope nobody expects me to be staying at camp," he grumbles.
"Oh come on, Pezock," Sasha smirks as she passes by him. "It'll be fun! It'll be like your giant crab on the island. You'll get to scare away people who might try to sneak up on the others."
Pezock stares at her intently. "Do you see a giant crab anywhere near here?" He pauses only briefly. "No, I didn't think so." Sasha sighs and wanders over to help with the camp, chuckling all the while.
Pezock then strides over to Douena. "Come! Let us continue the search!"
"That was a very persuasive argument, Pezock. Normally you're so quiet, but sometimes you just seem like you understand the universe."
"Of course he does," Douena says loyally. "Pezock is very intuitive." She gives Mahjik a significant glance, urging him to open the next door as agreed.
"Here we go," Mahjik proceeds heading the reduced group to what may have been the main entrance of the place.
Mahjik makes as if to knock, but then just guides his ear carefully to the door as he listens - then cautiously puts on more and more force to see if the door gives way.
The double doors push slowly open, squishing mud beneath them. They reveal an open-air courtyard that's entirely overgrown with wild brush. From amid the dense vegetation rises a single massive stone pillar, sheared off just above the middle tier of the ziggurat. A crumbling staircase arches over the courtyard, descending from the middle tier. The stairway curves around the pillar, then continues into the brush and through a stone arch into darkness.
After opening the door, Mahjik quickly notices something moving in the south side of the room under the shadow of the staircase. At first, it just seems to be plant leaves blowing in the wind. Then he realizes the plant that they're part of is moving slowly, attempting to stay hidden behind other plants (though not doing a very good job of it). It doesn't make any immediately aggressive moves.
"Huh, what do you know, there's a wise guy over there," Mahjik points to the offending plant/thing. "Be on your guard, the foliage might be aggressive," he adds, as he steps into the courtyard to make room for everybody.
"If it offers you food, don't eat it," Douena warns.
"Don't eat the food, or the thing offering the food?" Lorenz jokes.
"I'm not afraid of aggressive plants," Pezock says and strides into the room after Mahjik.
As the rest of the you being making your way into the room, the plant creature shuffles out of hiding. Large green leaves form an inverted bell-shaped cap, making up the bulk of its body. It has four spidery stalks for legs and four long green tendrils. It rustles its leaves and tendrils, shaking spores about it.
Order: Urza, Mahjik, Douena, Lorenz, Makoa, Pezock, Tar'kanas, Plant, Untari.
First up:
"Speaking of aggressive plants." Urza keeps his distance and prepares his light crossbow.
Next Up: Douena, Lorenz, Makoa, Pezock, Tar'kanas, Plant, Untari, Urza.
"Sure, Pezock, but we don't know if it is aggressive. Or maybe just shy." He picks up a couple of bullet-sized pebbles.
"Maybe he's like Aycenia," Douena reminds Pezock. "She was nice." Calling on her innate ability to understand others, she calls into the room, ""
Urza readies his crossbow and Mahjik moves over and around to the opposite side of the broken pillar. While they do that, Douena calls out to the plant creature.
Meanwhile, Lorenz nocks an arrow and prepares to fire if it makes an aggressive move.
Next Up: Pezock, Tar'kanas, Plant, Untari, Urza, Mahjik, Douena, Lorenz (subject to readied action).
"I'm not sure this is like her, Douena." Makoa growls softly as he moves next to Pezock and gets ready to throw his axe in case the plant decides to attack.
"It certainly doesn't look much like her," Pezock says as he draws his sabre. He stands in wait.
Next Up: Plant, Untari, Urza, Mahjik, Douena, Lorenz, Makoa (subject to readied action), Pezock (subject to readied action).
Tar'kanas waits to see how the creature might respond, although, knowing what he knows about it, he can gather how it will respond."It is called a basdirond. It moves freely, possesses no intelligence, and survives off blood; or any other type of moisture containing rich minerals. It can also release spores into the air causing hallucinations. I believe our time of talking need come to an end." He looks over at Douena, "It possesses no desire to be our friend, Douena. I am sorry." Tar'kanas looks back to the creature, taking no action as he allows the gnome to play out her conversation. Never the less, he readies to fire as soon as the situation turns.
Tar'kanas looks back to the creature, taking no action as he allows the gnome to play out her conversation. Never the less, he readies to fire as soon as the situation turns.
The creature's leaves and tendril begin to shake and flutter violently, almost like it's confirming Tar'kanas's words that it has no desire to be anyone's friend. Spores begin to spew rapidly out from it, spreading into the surrounding air.
Next Up: and readied attacks, remainder of plant's turn.
Tar'kanas will move into the room, finding himself a clearer shot.
The spores throw off Makoa's aim, causing him to miss his target.
Tar'kanas will move into the room, finding himself a clearer shot.
he readies to fire as soon as the situation turns.
-- miss
Both Makoa and Tar'kanas spring into quick action, one throwing an axe and the other shooting an arrow. Unfortunately, both attacks go just a little too far to the south, allowing the plant to easily shuffle aside.
The plant's shaking and fluttering becomes more pronounced and suddenly there is a small explosion of spores, sending the spores out in a cloud that covers much of the courtyard and covering Mahjik, Makoa, Pezock, and Urza.
-- fail
-- pass
-- fail
-- pass
Mahjik suddenly feels as if he's suffocating and he begins clutching at his throat.
Urza sees an item on his person suddenly turn into a vicious viper.
Next Up: Urza, Mahjik, Douena, Lorenz, Pezock, Makoa, Tar'kanas, Plant.
Tar'kanas holds Untari from entering, not wanting her to be subject to the spores.
Urza tosses his Wand of Vampiric Touch toward the corner where the plant creature is. He then quickly leaves the room.
"ghhlgbllaarghaabblbliffthgkk"
Untari holds back.
Urza tosses his wand away and then hurries out of the courtyard. Mahjik continues to clutch at his throat.
Next Up: Lorenz, Pezock, Makoa, Tar'kanas, Plant, Untari (subject to delayed action), Urza, Mahjik.
"Oh, they're sparkly!" Douena cries, enjoying the cloud of motes drifting through the courtyard. "Makoa, could we take the plant man with us and train him to spore our enemies? " (calling back to the campsite under construction in the next room) ""
Douena summons eight gallons of water into the air above Mahjik's head, hoping to wash away the spores apparently choking him.
"aghlsputtersputterblarghlbla"
A waterfall momentarily materializes over top of Mahjik, dumping gallons of water on him and washing away the spores in the immediate area. For a second or so afterwards, he continues to choke--although he might now be choking on water instead.
Taking a deep breath and holding it, Lorenz rushes into the room and through the cloud of spores, coming out of the cloud just north of the doors. He then aims an arrow at the plant and fires.
-- hit
The arrow arcs gracefully under the staircase and straight into one of the thick leaves of the plant.
"Ha! Your spores have no effect on me!" Pezock declares triumphantly, splashing through some of the water on the ground as he moves under the staircase and up to the plant. "You!" he yells to Makoa. "Get to the other side of it!" He prepares to strike.
Next Up: Tar'kanas, Plant, Untari (subject to delayed action), Urza, Mahjik, Douena, Lorenz, Pezock (subject to readied action).
Makoa sees the advantage of that placement, but the dangers as well and, with predatory grace, slides another axe free as he darts into the corner and brings his teeth to bear against the plat creature.
With a duck and a dodge to the side, Makoa slips past the plants tentacles to take up a position opposite Pezock .
Pezock immediately swings his sabre, cutting deeply into the plant's thick leaves, and removing the tops of several of them. Makoa then sinks his teeth into the leaves at the other side, shredding several of them. The plant now looks a mess, but is still active.
Next Up: Plant, Untari (subject to delayed action), Urza, Mahjik, Douena, Lorenz, Pezock, Makoa.
Tar'kanas takes aim and fires, remaining outside the range of the spores.
Tar'kanas sends two simultaneous arrows, which tear through the centre of the plant. Its tendrils then fall limp and the stalks it uses as legs fall out from under it. It falls to the ground with a light thud.
-- fail
-- fail
Everything around Makoa suddenly seems to grow, getting larger and larger. Then he realizes that it's actually him who's getting smaller. He shrinks down to minuscule size. Realizing that he might get stepped on, he decides the best thing to do is stay absolutely still so that the giants won't notice him. To everyone else, Makoa just freezes, not actually changing size.
Pezock suddenly cries out, "I'm melting! I'm melting!" He starts frantically clutching various parts of his body as if trying to keep them in place. After about 6 seconds or so, he regains his composure.
Douena enters the room to comfort Pezock. "It's okay, Pezock; it's okay. See? You're not molting." She looks at the shredded plant glumly. "Poor thing. Do you suppose it will grow again if we bury some of the pieces?"
"Well, it's spores are all over - I doubt it'll have trouble. It's a plant-fungus thing, if given half an opportunity there will be four dozens of it by next year."
"Let's take one with us!" Douena suggests. "Then we can plant it when we get to ... where are we going, again?"
"Saveth-Yhi." Urza finally shakes off the effects of the spores. "I think I we will take some of them with us whether we want to or not." He says shaking his clothes to get them off of him.
Douena casually summons another 8 gallons of water over Urza's head to help the sorcerer clean off. "We should take one back to Aycenia. I bet she'd love to have a friend on her hill."
When Makoa moves again, he shudders.
"I hate those plants now. I've never felt so much like.. like prey before, and I've been acively hunted!" He snarls and gives the plant a hard kick before moving away from it. "If we're taking any of it, it's in a clay pot sealed somehow."
Pezock pats downs his feathers and grumbles slightly, nodding to Douena's words. Rather uncharacteristically, he doesn't say a word and looks away, almost appearing embarrassed.