Online Gameday - Capricornus' Tide of Twilight (Inactive)

Game Master Capricornus

With a thump, Venture-Captain Brackett sets a rounded granite stone on his desk. The stone is polished smooth and veined with shallow carvings reminiscent of constellations. "This is a lorestone, from the depths of the Verduran Forest. It’s rumored to hold all of the secrets of the druids of that ancient wood. Just over two years ago, a group of Pathfinders recovered this stone for us. We’re not much closer to cracking its secrets than we were on the day those agents put it into our hands, but we have gleaned one interesting bit of knowledge."

"The lorestone tells of a lengthy ritual using an artifact called the Atavistic Splinter, a piece of charred bark touched by Gozreh himself. The ritual transforms humanoids into bestial creatures with preternatural resilience. We could use something with this kind of power for the upcoming Ruby Phoenix Tournament in Goka, so we need you to recover the Atavistic Splinter for us."

"We believe the artifact is near the gnome town of Wispil, deep in the Verduran Forest. A Pathfinder operative there—a gnome herbalist named Falbin—was investigating increased lycanthrope activity south of Wispil. Falbin discovered that a sinister cabal of druids in a compound called Briar Henge is using the Atavistic Splinter to perform the ritual, probably to drive out the local loggers, but he couldn’t recover the Atavistic Splinter from the druids by himself."

"Go to Wispil and contact Falbin there. He will provide you with directions to Briar Henge and recent intelligence regarding the situation around Wispil. Then use this information to infiltrate Briar Henge and acquire the Atavistic Splinter."

"Any further questions?"

Uriel has no memories of the region and has not studied nature in any great detail, so the artifacts and locations have no particular meaning for him. This is his first mission with the Pathfinder organization, but his overarching mission, to strike down the evil enemies of Ragathiel, would not conflict and might even benefit from missions such as these. He looked forward to travelling these lands and smiting evil!

"I understand recovering the Splinter is our primary mission, but what are your directions concerning the druids? Decimate them, or leave them?" the paladin asks. "If they are a threat to the area should we not remove that threat?"

"Lycanthropes eeh?" Jorag asked with an inquisitive grin "That certainly sounds like a challenge ill admit, but maybe one too steep for the likes of me? Kurgees drives his followers to challenge themselves, but this sounds more like suicide than a competition of life and death!" His grin had quickly left his face as he spoke his mind, clearly realizing the danger as he went. After a moment he brightened up again however, cheerfully adding "But, I doubt I would be lead to join this Society of yours, just to pass up my first test. Kurgees will provide a fair challenge I'm sure."

Know (Nature): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

A strange lump of mud, twigs, and feathers sits on a chair beside the other agents called to Brackett's office, exuding a rich scent of rotting vegetation and stagnant water. A few insects have taken up residence upon the mound's presence and occasionally buzz around to annoy others in the room.

And then - it shifts, it moves, it speaks! A beak appears from within the mess, and two beady eyes as well, staring impassively at the VC.

"Lycanthropes, eh," the mud-bird sneers, his voice dripping with as much bitterness as his arms did with slime. "Heard that they fetch quite the bounty if you can kill one. Plenty of 'em around the Verduran Forest as well. No wonder this gnome was staking them out."

Mikhaere stretches languorously. "This Briar Henge place sounds like it could be a place where the border to the First World is thin, if you ask me at least. Druids are attracted to 'em like flies to honey, and fey creatures are as well. As the only two beings that give half a damn about the natural world any more, they often ally with one another. Don't blame 'em, really."

He looks at Brackett with a bored expression. "So the druids are trying to drive out the loggers? It sounds like a good idea to me, buuuut I know where my pay check is coming from. Question, though - this bestial transformation... is it actual lycanthropy, or not? Sounds like that could be the root of the lycanthrope problem, though."

After the VC answers, the tengu turns to face the allies he'd had the misfortune of being assigned to this time. "Bring silver for the lycans and bring cold iron for the fey. Oh," he adds after a brief pause, almost as an afterthought, "and my name's Mikhaere. Let's make this job quick and painless, eh?"

"The transformation isn't Lycanthropy." he says.

"The ritual robs them of their wits but imbues them with physical power. That’s really all we know. Despite their bestial appearance, these animal-men aren’t lycanthropes. Falbin will know more."

"As for the Druids, stop them. Kill them or subdue them, as you see fit. They need to be stopped." Brackett says.

The tall, willowy elven woman shifted uneasily in her seat, "A genuine artifact touched by Gozreh... such a powerful object could wreak havoc in the wrong hands. What can you tell us about what actions the Briar Henge druids have taken toward the loggers? Have their been killings? Could it yet be resolved peacefully?"

She gazed around the room at her soon to be travelling companions, Quite a variety... Won't we be a sight walking into town together? she smirked wryly at the thought.
"Well met, I am Daeris(day-reese). And for the record, those aren't the only beings who 'give a damn', as you say." She offers a tight smile, nodding to each of them in turn.

Jorag chucked softly at the bird man, in part due to his appearance, but mostly due to his last words "Quick? Well that I can agree on, no triumph quite like a quick victory...but painless? I doubt it will be, and personally prefer it if it isn't. Where's the sport in that?" he let his words hang a moment, proceeding before anyone could object "But do not worry, I shall endeavour to do all I can to further our goals, even if it may ultimately make for a paltry offering. Kurgess was and is a champion not only of the contest, but the protection of its competitors. I plan to keep to those same principles." Despite his cheerful smile, his steely eyes left no question as to the sincerity of his words.

"As for my name" he continued "I am Jorag. Though I may not look the part, I am a Cleric of Kurgees, and it shall be my solemn duty to tend to your mortal shells. In my youth I might have taken a different role, sought the glory of victory by my own hand alone. These days I see to the success of others..." he stared out the window as he spoke, eyes glimmering with the recollection of years long since past.

Straightening up in his chair and slapping his knees, he put on a cheerful face and tone once more, looking around at everyone present "Aah, but Im droning on and on am I not. Let us get back to the questions."

Ill write up a backstory and description / appearance later (even just these few posts have given me alot better of an idea about these things). Suffice it to say, Jorag is a half-orc creeping up on Venerable age and it shows, although his body tells the tale of someone who was once heavily muscled. Considering his age he looks pretty fit (as in Str, Dex and Con all still above 10 :) )

Quiet and calm, the stone-faced monk from far Quain in Tian Xia regarded the Venture Captain and his new compatriots with equanimity.

"Is not question of glory," he says in thickly accented Taldane. "Is question of balance. Druids supposed to balance nature. Now acting to harm balance. Universe has selected us to be counterbalance."

His eyes twinkle with merriment. "Also, Li would like to go to Goka. Most excellent city in world. Very beautiful."

Mikhaere eyes Daeris with an arched brow and an appraising look. "... Well. Elves kinda count. I guess." His tone of voice suggests he's not completely convinced by this, though.

To Jorag, he says, "Well, how about you take the pain, then? Happy to not have to clean the blood out of my feathers." Whether Mikhaere cleans very much about himself at all is entirely questionable, though.

Li, however, seems to have said something the tengu agrees with (shock and horror!). "Eyy, the funny-talkin' man says something of sense there. A counterbalance? I can handle that."

"I guess we should be off then, unless anyone else's got any questions for the captain. Mm?"

Jorag nodded at the bird with a smile "If it will see us victorious, you may count on it. However the years have taken from me the means to stand with you at the forefront, so I shall likely have to settle for alleviating the pain rather than receiving it." he gave the birdman a short hearty laugh and nudged his shoulder "But let us see what Kurgess has in store."

"As for questions, none from me, no. I was merely waiting for everyone to be ready." Jorag continued. "Now, before we start, would you all allow me a short prayer with you to Kurgess? You do not need to worship as I do, merely participate in the joining of hands, that I may make you known to him." Jorag held out his hands to those nearest him "Once Kurgess has seen you and accepted you as competitors in the challenge that awaits, I may bestow his blessings upon you."

Feel free to write comments to this IC, but ill assume no one refuses, even if they might not like it

Contrary to expectations, the prayer was not filled with loud chanted reverence or honeyed words of worship. Instead, Jorag merely sat silently, head slightly bowed and eyes closed. A few times he nodded, saying "Mmhmmm....yes..." After merely a minute had passed, he released his grip and looked up with a satisfied sigh "Well, there we are." he said, rising from his chair and looking around expectantly at everyone.

No one was really sure anything had happened at all, the whole scene having seemed more like a team ritual one might find amongst the members of a sporting team, not the reverend act of a Cleric.

Jorag has established his Caravan Bond with the group.

Mikhaere is happy to go along with this strange hippy hand-holding circle, although he feels strangely compelled to start crowing and singing a song about unity and compassion. Perhaps a hold-over from his last mission's orchestral performance.

In any case, he knows of the power of the Gods, but cares little for them; they were, after all, not the true power down here on the surface. Maybe up there in the Heavens, but certainly not here, surrounded by all the power and beauty of nature.

Those poor souls unfortunate enough to hold his hand during the ceremony are no doubt left with mud on their hands. You might wanna wash that off.

Daeris inclines her head toward the aging half-orc, extending her slender hand without hesitation. "Of course, my father had a similar ritual of bonding. We honor Gozreh, by name, but recognize that the thread of divinity that runs through us all is in essence, the same."

Once the silent prayer is finished, she pulls a cloth from her vest and wipes the swampy muck from her fingers with a somewhat rueful expression.
"Venture Captain, how should we travel to Wispil? And can you advise us on how we ought to equip ourselves before we leave?"

With no further questions, the Pathfinders begin their preparations for travel. Passage to Taldor has been arranged for them aboard The Kestrel, a fast Taldane sloop, and the journey is uneventful from there overland to the town of Wispil where Falbin's home is located.

Feel free to RP if you want, and you have lots of time to shop and prepare. I will post the start of the next scene now though.

Wispil is a bustling town built on a small scale—although humans and elves walk the streets, most buildings are built to accommodate the gnomes who live and work in Wispil. The scent of fresh-cut lumber wafts through the town. Falbin’s home is not difficult to find. It is situated on the south edge of the town, with a large garden spreading out behind it. Most of the garden is obscured by high growth, but the sound of a violent argument carries into the street. Although it is not yet dark, firelight glimmers from within the garden walls.

Uriel follows Ragathiel and follows him completely, but being an outside he knows of the power of other gods...and their often petty natures. Although he doesn't think he'll need the blessings of another god, Uriel knows better than to snub one outright and earn its wrath, so he joins in Jorag's circle, revealing none of his thoughts to the others.

Upon reaching Wispil, Uriel heads straight for Falbin's home, needing nothing in this small gnome town and wishing to be on with their task. Hearing an argument from the back of the house, he follows the voices while listening to their words, and the tone in which they are used...
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

In a flash, Li seizes the hedge like a monkey and ascends it, dropping down the other side.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

The town of Wispil held little interest to the muddy tengu, and he essentially ignores any strange looks he garners, happy that his team mates seemed focused on heading right to their destination. Upon arriving and hearing the sound of an argument, Mikhaere arches a feathery brow and hurries after Uriel and Li.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26

Daeris took the Tengu's advice and acquired a cold-iron dagger, thieves tools and rations before they left on their journey.

She blinks in surprise to see the human leaping into the greenery, and moves to follow the others quickly, listening to the sounds of voices raised in anger and scanning for the potential threat.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12

Walking through town

Jorag strolled along the road, cheerfully whistling a merry tune as he went. He quite enjoyed the small folks company whenever he had the pleasure of meeting them, so the town was a joy to walk through, even if he wasn't stopping to talk to any of them. Stopping halfway through the chorus of his melody, he looked at Mikhaere with a look of realization on his face "Oh right, I've been meaning to ask you Mikhaere, why is it that you do not bathe? Does it hold some religious significance? I'm no expert on religions outside my own, but I cant think of any God who urges his followers to go unclean." If Jorag was trying to be insulting, it didn't show on his face. He simply looked at Mikhaere with big curious eyes, mouth hanging slightly open and smiling.

At the house

"Hey now, where's everyone going in such a hurry?" Jorag called, sputtering slightly as he had been interrupted during another whistling session. "Its just a healthy competition of wits I'm sure!" he called after them, before sighing and slouching. "Well, hope I don't miss anything." he mumbled, walking towards the gate to make a proper entrance.

Upon entering the field behind the house, a scene of mayhem comes into view. Three scruffy men are tearing plants up from the ground while in spots the field is aflame. Lying unconscious at the end of the garden is a white-haired Gnome. When the men see you appear, they draw their weapons, exhorting each other to attack.

The whole of the garden is fairly dry, and the fires are likely to spread if not stopped. The map is on Google, so you may need a google account. I've set the permissions so that anyone can edit it - you are able to move your own icons.

Round 1
Mikhaere, Daeris
Hunters
Uriel, Li Shuo, Jorag

Combat Map

Daeris slips around the exterior of the building and draws her Elven Curve Blade with a flourish. She takes up position to meet the hunters advance and prepares to unleash her attack if they come near her.

Held Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16 Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Uuuuh, curve blade, nice.

Stating Jorags action now, since it wont matter in regards to the Hunters (unless they somehow kill Uriel)

Striding forward to the corner of the building, Jorags voice boomed with a force far beyond what would be expected from his wiry frame, another reminder of the impressive physique he once possessed.

"Onward into the fray Uriel, may Kurgess reward you deeds with victory!" As he shouted, his hands moved like a seamstresses, translucent, almost invisible silver strands twisting and twirling about Uriels form.

Move Action, move to the square two steps directly north of Uriel (not moving my counter yet in case it matters). Standards Action, grant Uriel a "Bit of Luck" (roll 2 dice every time you roll a d20 for the next round, taking the better result). Free Action, grant Uriel "Agile Feet" (ignore difficult terrain for 1 round)

Bit of Luck 6/7, Agile Feet 6/7

Before the combat,

Mikhaere stares incredulously at Jorag, as if the half-orc had asked something incredibly, incredibly stupid. Something around the lines of, "So why do you breathe air?" level of questioning.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

A loud ribbit emanates from somewhere on Mikhaere's person. Perhaps he hasn't noticed, or perhaps he's just too mad to care.

---

Combat round,

An unconscious gnome (no doubt the one they were sent here to find), angry men, and fires? Ugh. Things were off to such a wonderful start... not. The tengu sighs heavily.

"You lot deal with the thugs. Keep 'em alive for questioning. I'll deal with the fires."

With that, he follows after Daeris, chanting in some ancient-sounding language that seems almost like Sylvan or Elvish and yet... not. He jabs an outstretched claw at the nearest spot fire, and as he does so a small raincloud appears over it and drenches the fire.

Moving + Using create water over the fire about 20 ft. away from me. That's making 4 gallons of water.

The men draw their weapons. The two nearest pull pairs of silvered short swords, while the farther one draws a longbow. An arrow lances out at Daeris, sailing over her head. The sword-wielding men advance on her, one moving cagily, seeing her ready stance, and parries her blade with one of his. The other seems to be trying to flank her, but he peels off at the last second to attack Mikhaere, his attack also missing. Mikhaere's spell, meanwhile, extinguishes the flames in one patch.

Round 1
Mikhaere, Daeris
Hunters
Uriel, Li Shuo, Jorag

Combat Map

Uriel moves to flank the hunter attacking Mikhaere, risking an attack of opportunity as he moves into position. Acrobatics: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 8 and a Bit of Luck roll! Acrobatics: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4

Once in place he attacks the man with his longsword!
Attack: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 2 = 10 and a Bit of Luck roll! Attack: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 = 7
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

I need a Zap the Random Number Generator spell! Sheesh!!

Li sees little reason to keep all three alive. He remains in his usual state of preternatural calm, but he has no love for bandits. He advances slowly through the garden, firing two shots at the lone bandit not in melee.

"Lay down weapons, you live," he says. "Fight, you not live."

Move 1NE. Shoot bad guy in the center of the field.

Flurry of arrows 1: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 91d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Flurry of arrows 2: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 191d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Looks like 1 hit for 4 points of damage.

Claw (flank): 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 3 + 2 = 18 Damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Claw (flank): 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 2 = 8
Peck (flank): 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 3 + 2 = 23 Damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Irritated that this thug was now between him and what he viewed as a much more important duty (putting out the fires... oh, and maybe trying to save the gnome, probably), Mikhaere takes out his frustration on the clumsy oaf. One talon is parried away, but the other digs into his arm as the wild tengu pecks at his face.

He decides to make no comment about Uriel's apparent inability to wield a sword. At least not now.

Daeris focuses on the foe before her, marking his weaknesses before launching her second attack.
Using her Ranger's Focus on her current opponent for a +2 to attack and damage
Attack w/ Elven Curve Blade: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 5 + 2 = 18Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 2 = 6

You're gonna use a 1/day ability on a mook in the first encounter? O.o

Use it or lose it! These might be the only mooks we face today and she won't hit him without it. *shrugs*

One of Li Shuo's arrows strikes home, and the man yelps in pain. Mikhaere, with Uriel's help, cause some damage to the man attacking the Tengu. Daeris' singular focus allows her to deliver a successful strike against her foe. The men continue to fight, despite each having received hurt from the Pathfinders.

The bow-armed one fires back at Li Shuo, giving as well as he got from the monastic archer. 6 damage.

The other two shift into position to coordinate their attacks on Daeris, landing two blows on her. 10 damage.

The fires in the garden begin to spread.

Round 2
Mikhaere, Daeris
Hunters (4, 8, 6 damage)
Uriel, Li Shuo, Jorag

Then again, I might not live through the day... Ouuuuch! >_<

Daeris sucks air through her teeth with a hiss as the goons prove more adept with their blades than she might have hoped. It took all of her strength not to crumple to the ground in pain and raise her blade to return attack.

Attack w/ Curve Blade: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 5 + 2 = 18 Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 2 = 11

GM PLEASE NOTE Li moved 1 NE last round, putting him 35' from his target at the start of this round.

Li steps forward and fires again.

Li will flurry again at the same target. If he drops his foe with the first shot, the second will head towards whichever of Daeris's foes are still standing.

Flurry of Arrows 1: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 111d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Flurry of Arrows 2: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 131d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3 <- -4 penalty to hit for cover if this shot is at Daeris's foe.

"You crazy, girl? Get outta there!" Mikhaere shouts at Daeris, watching the elf apparently decide to stand and fight despite being flanked on both sides and bleeding from a couple of rather nasty wounds. He visibly shudders as the thick and metallic scent of blood fills his nostrils; it's only after he covers his beak with one arm that he's able to do a runner on the thug's back with his talons and beak once more.

Claw (flank): 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 2 = 8
Claw (flank): 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 3 + 2 = 22 Damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Peck (flank): 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 3 + 2 = 19 Damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Uriel notices from his peripheral vision the ranger getting hit, but knows he must finish the fight before he can help her!
Flank Attack!: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 2 = 8 Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

The dice hate me...8-0

Yeah they do! You cyber-dice behave yourselves, ya heah!
Daeris took a 5 foot step after her attack to get away from the second attacker at her back.

Seeing Daeris badly hurt, Jorag moved to her side, interposing himself between her and the archer, should he attempt to bring her low. As he moved, he once more called upon Kurgess' favor, this time blessing Li Shuos aim.

"A battle of strings to the death Li Shuo, Kurgess shall see you prevail!"

Bit of Luck on Li, 5/7 left

In rapid succession, Daeris and Mikhaere take down the two sword-armed men.

Round 3
Mikhaere, Daeris
1 Hunter (4 damage)
Uriel, Li Shuo, Jorag

Daeris laid her hand on Jorag's shoulder and squeezed it briefly in thanks. As she steadied herself, she noticed the fires have grown.
"The fires are spreading, we must hurry!

Ok, I used my round 3 action to attack and 5 ft step. Since the foes went down can I change the 5 ft step and move toward the fire to help put it out in round 4?

Now that Jorag's magic has faded, Uriel finds himself stuck in the crops and moving slowly. He pushes towards the fires in an effort to reach them before the entire field blazes!

Move 2 blocks due east - difficult terrain makes them 10' each, right?

Seeing Uriel struggling through the plants, Jorag quickly implored Kurgess to inspire the man with the divine wisdom to find his way through quickly. He then hurried to the fallen gnomes side, casting a spell to stop any bleeding, not wasting time to see if he yet lived.

Free Action, Agile Feet on Uriel. Move Action, move to Gnomes side. Standard Action, cast Stabilize on unconscious gnome.

Agile Feet 5/7 left

I realize the hunter goes before us, so if it ends up mattering let me know and ill post a correction post. Just thought id get my action in to speed things up.

Echoing Jorag's comment above. Regardless of what the hunter does this is what he'll be doing.

With the immediate threat down, Mikhaere turns to the more serious issue at hand. He starts chanting again, summoning back the same small raincloud that put out the first fire and dousing the flames again. Such a shame that it had to spread in the first place... these damned thugs, getting in the way of the more important things here...

Create water (4 gallons) over the flames directly east of me.

Just the bottom five rows of plants are difficult terrain.

The last man, seeing his friends fall to the Pathfinders, decides that discretion is better and he didn't really like them much anyway, and turns and runs, departing to the North.

Mikhaere extinguishes some flames, but more appear.

Round 3
Mikhaere, Daeris
Uriel, Li Shuo, Jorag

Combat Map

Uriel, with Jorag's help, moves quickly through the plants and uses his steel shield to beat down the flames or dig up a firebreak if that fails. He considers using his two waterskins but knows they would not be of much help...

Can Jorag tag him with Command as he runs? He likely wouldnt be able to get a Run action in any direction, given the flames and pathfinders to the south, and the fenced garden to the north. If possible, Jorag will commmand him to "Come"

Will Save DC 15

Oh also, is the game on hold over the weekend? Alot of games tend to swing that way so just wanna check

Li moves through the burning garden to check on the fallen gnome. Is he still there among the flowers?

Uriel manages to smother one of the patches of flame with his efforts.

The man moves as fast as he can, and is out of line of sight of Jorag by the time he summons the presence of mind to cast his spell.

The Gnome, Falbin by the description you received, is unconscious, probably from a bump on the head he received.

After some effort and the help of Mikhaere's magic, the Pathfinders manage to save half of the garden.

In time, and with some tending to, Falbin wakes up. He is unhappy about the damage to his garden but thanks you for saving what you did. He invites you inside and pours himself a strong mug of tea and sits down to tell you what he knows.

"The druids intend to transform everyone in the surrounding area into feral animal-men as a perverted way of returning them to ‘nature.’ The ritual is slow but powerful. The druids have been performing the ritual for weeks, and it seems to affect the area for miles around Briar Henge. Exactly how far out, I couldn’t say. I’ve done a lot of research, though, and I’ve learned two important points. First, the effects of the ritual are reversed only if the Atavistic Splinter is removed from Briar Henge before the entire ritual is complete—then all the affected animal-men would return to normal. Second, the ritual will end at sundown the day after tomorrow. That is, the ritual will only last two more days. As it takes almost two days to get to Briar Henge, you’d better get moving." he says. "You have any other questions? I'll give you what information I can."

I tend to post less on the weekends. I try to keep up the pace but usually that falls by the wayside when I have time to spend with my girlfriend. Also, it is Thanksgiving in Canada this weekend, so will be posting less.

"You know others in forest who can help?" asks Li.

Cursing his own slow wit in letting the enemy escape, Jorag tended to the fallen gnome, thankful that he was still alive. Helping him inside, Jorag sat quietly and listened, his brow furrowing increasingly as the story went on. "Alarming news Falbin. I would be out the door already, but I do have a question which may or may not be relevant to the situation at hand." he paused a moment before continuing "Who were those men attacking you out there? Do you have some trouble of your own, or are they related to the druids somehow?"

Daeris winces as she moves into the Gnome's house. "I'm afraid I will need healing before I can go anywhere. Master Falbin, do you know why the Druids have become so hostile? Do you think they would be open to negotiation? Also, will the Atavistic Splinter affect us as well?"

Falbin sighs at Jorag's question. "It is the nature of the environment in which I have chosen to live. Rumors of lycanthrope activity often bring ruthless bounty hunters to the region, anxious to kill for coin. The rumors of animal-men south of Wispil have brought several such groups to the region. These men robbed me of my belladonna supply just before you arrived and started burning down my gardens! I can’t thank you enough for saving my life and my livelihood."

To Li he shakes his head. "I am afraid I do not. The Fey are capricious at the best of times, and I fear they will be more amused than troubled by what the Druids are doing." he says.

To Daeris, he says, "The Druids are determined. They will not be swayed by words now that they are so close to their goal. The animal-men are the result of the Briar Henge druids’ ritual with the Atavistic Splinter. That was all in my report to the Society. They used to be humanoids, but they’ve been changed by the druid’s ritual. They are incredibly tough, with animal-like faces and claws. They also lose most of their wits, becoming animalistic in mind as well as body. Longer exposure and closer proximity to Briar Henge appear to enhance the effects; I had to evade a trapper who lived only a few miles east of Briar Henge, and she was little more than a raving beast. Be careful."