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Marodais takes some time to heal Cha-Ka's wounds, whereas Ardisen meets some success in dousing the flames near him. Castien's first arrow flies past the thug without harming him, and the second one doesn't seem to pierce the man's chain shirt.
Cha-Ka's quarry meety the tengu in battle again, ferociously animated by his hatred of the man-crow. Fortunately, both attacks strike short of the crow's feathery skin.
Tenaka's tiger is once again the target of the last arsonist. Waylander's pelt is savagely pierced by two quick and precise strikes. Overcome by the pain, the tiger falls unconscious.
Meanwhile, the fires has much gained in intensity because of the dry leaves in the garden, and threatens to devastate the gnome's backyard!
Initiative - round 3
>Castien
>Marodais
>Cha-Ka
>Tenaka & Waylander (17 dmg, unconscious (-1, bleeding))
>Ardisen
>Suin-Ko
LH
Fire
>Aiva
Everyone can act!
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At first, Marodais is somewhat surprised to hear this bird person speak the language of the gods. But, is there not the god Thoth that has the head of a bird? Since people worship him that have their lower half similar to him, why would not people worship him that have their upper half similar to him? Banishing these interesting, but at the moment irrelevant questions from his mind, he returns his attention to the heated battle. More heated than before, certainly, with the fires growing.
Moving a few feet, Marodais steps up to the fallen gnome. He takes out his healer's kit and tends to the gnome, first trying to stabilize him, if necessary, and trying to find out what else needs to be done. If possible, that is, if he is already stable, he tries to wake him up.
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Falbin regains consciousness thanks to the ministrations of the Thothian priest. His eyes come into focus and he immediately realizes the danger. "It can't be - my precious Litheria, what have the hunters done! We must save the plants! Quick!" Rising to his feet, the gnome darts towards the house, jumping over the fence with great agility.
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Cha-Ka ruffles his feathers in distress. Why is he so talky-talky gab gab?
"May I remind you that they attacked us? If you really don't want to kill them, then knock them unconscious or go put out the fire, but for goodness sake do something. Or do their lives mean more to you than your own teammates?"
Despite the rising heat of the area, Cha-Ka feels an icy coldness threaten to overtake him. The voices of his companions, the fire, and the battle become oddly muffled, replaced by the roaring of water. He takes a few strangled, desperate breaths.
He forces the images of halfling faces away. No! Not again! I've got to pull myself together! I can't let these memories overtake me! I won't drown in this river! Not this time! I'll be no use to Waylander if I start doing stupid things now!
The scene around him comes back into focus, though the scene still seems oddly quiet to the Tengu's ears. His vision narrows until he can only see his enemies and Waylander's unnaturally still, bleeding body. His grip on his sword tightens. Not. This. Time.
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Seeing his other companion fall to the tengu's fury, the last arsonist drops his weapons with a frightened look. "I'll surrender, don't kill me!"
You then are faced with the tremendous task of extinguishing the fire that now ravages almost half of Falbin's garden, and threatens to extend to his wooden cabin.
Initiative - round 3
>Castien
Marodais
Cha-Ka
>Tenaka & Waylander (17 dmg, unconscious (-1, bleeding))
>Ardisen
Suin-Ko
LH (surrendered)
Fire
Aiva
Castien, Tenaka and Ardisen can act!
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First, the fire rages even further, spreading like wildfire in the dry bushes. It seems a hopless fight, but in time you are finally able to contain the fire before it reaches Falbin's home.
After minutes of intense effort, Falbin drops to his knees and start weeping and moaning. "My crops... why! Why did you have to burn it down?" The last arsonist alive doesn't show the slightest hint of regret. "Bah, we needed to prevent the competition from getting your precious belladonna, that's why! Too bad we won't be able to use that advantage. If you hadn't arrived..." he slithers, glaring at your group.
Within minutes, you can retreive the following items from the lycanthrope hunters:
three tanglefoot bags,
three chain shirt (medium-sized),
three longbows (and 60 arrows),
six silver short swords.
Falbin, despite his profound grief, takes a moment to thank you. "I'm sorry, with all that happened I haven't thought of thanking you for your rescue. I am very grateful for your help, though the field did burn pretty badly... What can I do for you? A cup of tea perhaps?"
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"Perhaps a bit later. At the moment, I'm afraid we are thirsting more for information. Might we speak a bit more privately... maybe inside?", suggests Marodais to the indefatigable gnome. "Also, some rope might be useful" with a sidewards glance towards their captive.
It seems the Chelaxian had the correct grasp on the tactical situation after all. I'll try to defer more to his expertise in the future.
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Wiping sweat from his face and cleaning himself up as best he can, Ardisen returns the thugs glare.
"You destroyed a gnomes livelihood and left him for dead... To inconvenience your competition? Do you realise how inhuman that is? There are creatures from the foulest pits of hell with better ethical values than you, and as far as I'm concerned they're welcome to whatever excuse for a soul you possess!"
Reigning his anger at the wanton destruction in, the young wizard returns his attention to the grief stricken contact, extending a hand.
"I'm sorry for your loss, we tried to get the fire under control but it was too late. My name is Ardisen Greymore, and my associates and I represent the Pathfinder Society. As my stout ally has suggested, perhaps we can speak in private? I certainly wouldn't say no to a cup of tea."
Ardisens words are accompanied by a sympathetic smile and a reassuring handshake.
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The gnome motions for the small wooden cabin next to the garden. "There's a rope in there, luckily the cabin didn't burn down!"
Then turning to Ardisen, Falbin seems impressed by the Chelaxian socialite's manners. "Oh my, the Pathfinder Society! Yes, Brackett told me you were coming. Come inside, let's have a good chat. I must insist on offering you a cup of tea. Or at least cookies? I'm a better gardener than cook, but you'll love my pastries. I got the recipe from my great-great-aunt on my mother's side. She used to live in Whistledown. A much quieter community than here, especially of late."
The gnome rambles on and on about many a topic, before sitting down in his comfortable armchair inside. Chairs and stools have been set for you, tea brewed, cookies offered with great generosity. "So, where were we? Ah yes. 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.
"I initially thought there were lycanthropes around, but I was wrong. Just like these hunters are wrong. The rumors spring from animal-men sighted in the forest near Briar Henge, where the druids’ ongoing ritual has had the strongest prolonged effect. The animal-men are bestial and dangerous, but they aren’t true lycanthropes, as they can’t change form and don’t have any particular vulnerability to silver—or to belladonna. 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.
"The ritual? 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 if you want to catch the druids before the ritual ends. The trail is fairly good for the first day, and there’s a small logging camp you could rest at. The loggers there are no friends of the druids, so you’re likely to receive a warm welcome if you mention you’re working against Briar Henge. Briar Henge is another day further southeast along some narrow but passable trails. You shouldn't wait too long before leaving, time is of the essence. Do you have any questions?
"Oh, before I forget. Here is one of my plants you might find helpful in your mission, Pathfinders - the rare Litheria blossom. By all means, it's the least I can do for saving my life."
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Inside Falbins cabin Ardisen listens intently, fascinated by the sheer power the druids must have at their disposal to conduct a ritual on the scale that the gnome is explaining. He relaxes into Falbins exposition, glad of the comfort of the cabin and the pleasant food and drinks provided, momentarily forgetting that he was furiously fighting fires minutes ago. As the gnome finishes explaining a thought occurs to the enchanter.
"You said this ritual is affecting the surrounding area. Isn't it possible, if not entirely likely, that the loggers at this cabin may have fallen prey to it's effects? More importantly, isn't it likely to exert it's influence on us too?"
Despite suspecting he knows the answer, Ardisens tone suggests he hopes he's wrong.
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Aiva was at first pleased that the threat was not lycanthrope, sure it meant a little wasted money on silver cross bow bolts, but it wasn't as if she couldn't re-use them, and then she heard what the real danger was. She didn't like the idea that anyone could be infected, she certainly didn't like the idea that she, or other members of the group might become infected. Something else occurred to her,
[b]"Is there a none deadly way to deal with these creatures? I'm conscious that I'd rather not kill a human unfortunate enough to be infected, especially if there is a cure?"[b/]
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Aiva was at first pleased that the threat was not lycanthrope, sure it meant a little wasted money on silver cross bow bolts, but it wasn't as if she couldn't re-use them, and then she heard what the real danger was. She didn't like the idea that anyone could be infected, she certainly didn't like the idea that she, or other members of the group might become infected. Something else occurred to her,
"Is there a none deadly way to deal with these creatures? I'm conscious that I'd rather not kill a human unfortunate enough to be infected, especially if there is a cure?"
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Cure light wound wand
While everyone decided to rush off and do their thing without consideration of those fallen to wounds to fend off the attack he used his wand on Waylander to ensure his companion was back to full health (3 charges used, 39 left). With this done he made his way back into the cabin and then listened to Falbin as well. He would pay note of what they could and might encounter but for now let the others do the talking as he made sure waylander was okay for the time being.
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Cure light wound wand
[dice=clw charge]1d8 + 1
[dice=clw charge]1d8 + 1
[dice=clw charge]1d8 + 1While everyone decided to rush off and do their thing without consideration of those fallen to wounds to fend off the attack he used his wand on Waylander to ensure his companion was back to full health (3 charges used, 39 left). With this done he made his way back into the cabin and then listened to Falbin as well. He would pay note of what they could and might encounter but for now let the others do the talking as he made sure waylander was okay for the time being.
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"I can't help you there, lass. You're the fighters, I'm not one. I suppose you could subdue them like normal human beings, but don't take my word for it. Now now, you should be on your way."
Leaving Falbin behind, you follow his indications for the whole days, journeying through the deep forest. An eerie sensation washes over you as Nature itself feels more "alive" here than in any forest you've trodden through.
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Feeling uneasy during the trip, Marodais tries to bring up a conversation. He explains to Cha-Ka where to find a potion of "Cure Light Wounds" on Marodais, if something should happen to him, complains briefly about this - to him - completely foreign land and terrain and then asks him: كيف يمكنك أن تعرف لغة الآلهة، يا صديقي؟
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For now Suin Ko merely followed the group, keeping silent for the most part as he looked around the forest, uneasy. "At least with sand and hills it is easier to see where enemies come from. . . " The man muttered under his breath. "Well, easier than this at least." Suin Ko looked over towards Cha-ka Ra and Marodais, not being able to understand which language they were speaking. Sadly for him he only knew the modern equivalent of Osiriani.
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Ardisen scratched the back of his neck, starting to feel uneasy so far from the civilisation he clung so dearly to. Something certainly wasn't right here. He listened to the dwarf and tengu conversing in a language he was unfamiliar with, suspecting it was some form of Osiriani dialect. As the oppressive woods and disconcerting feel of this place bore down on the enchanter he spun to face the two, his usual calm tone and patience giving way to his irritation.
"If you're going to converse, do it in a language we can at least all understand!"
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Ardisen and Marodais progressively feel crankier as the journey goes on, picking on their companions for mere triffles. Eventually, body hair starts growing at an alarming rate-tufts of hair can be seen at the tip of their ears, their beards become shaggier, and so on. Their hands turn to claws, their teeth to a maw. Yet for all these physical changes, the two Pathfinders remain in control of their actions - for now...
Humanoids who fell prey to the curse are more resilient and develop rudimentary natural attacks, but the transformation dulls the mind and gives those affected a brutish demeanor.
The first day’s journey from Wispil to Briar Henge takes you to the logging camp Falbin told you about. The path runs through a small collection of buildings deep in the forest. This place appears to be a successful lumber camp—nearly a small village—but seems abandoned. A few open doors bang softly in the wind, hanging askew on their hinges. As you are walking through the deserted square, you immediately see three beast-like woodsmen who scowl at you, ready to attack!
Initiative - round 1
>Aiva
>Castien
>Tenaka & Waylander
Loggers
Suin-Ko
Marodais
Cha-Ka
Ardisen
Aiva, Castien and Tenaka can act!
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Aiva was not in a good mood. She had the distinct feeling that fluffy ears and hard yellow, claw-like finger nails were not a good look for her. She was more determined than ever to break the curse now, no way was she going to become some kind of gross beat person. Had her senses not been so annoyingly heightened, the ugly beastial logger might have taken her by surprise. She pulled out her ukulele and started to play, she found her fingers clumsy and awkward with the claws, and it was taking some real effort not to scratch the wood.
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Waylander attack
Tenaka attack
The travel was starting to become interesting with how his companions started to look and respond to their agitation. It brought a hidden smile on his lips for the hunter that faded once the enemies were discovered once more. Regarding his right in one smooth moment he pulled an arrow from his quiver, pivoted on the ball of his heels and as he loosened the arrow he uttered to Waylander "Attack!"
The tiger didn't need any other further commands as he nimbly moved around the corner and then attempted to bite the lodger in it's legs.
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Castien reacts instantly and shoots the furthest logger with one arrow, the other going straight for the massive stone fountain. Tenaka imitates him an instant later on another logger who feebly attempted an ambush, while Avia jests and mocks the woodsmen for their lack of wits.
The loggers then move agressively towards the Pathfinders, closing on them with alarming speed. The southern one shows his bare animal-like teeth and claws, only to lash at Waylander. Only one claw rips through the beautiful cat's pelt, drawing blood.
Initiative - round 1 & 2
>Aiva
>Castien
>Tenaka & Waylander
Loggers
>Suin-Ko
>Marodais
>Cha-Ka
>Ardisen
Everyone can act!
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Waylander attack
Tenaka attack
Seeing blood drawn from Waylander he merely snarls when he reaches for another arrow from his quiver and in a swift motion unleashes it at the logger. Meanwhile blood is staining the white pelt from Waylander who lashes out with a gutteral snarl from it's throat. First he tries to clamp it's teeth around the logger's legs followed by 2 attacks with claws.
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Suin Ko snarls in an annoyed fashion at the beast men, before looking back towards the group. "Try not to kill them, render them unable to fight, but Falbin mentioned that most of them will be returned to normal once we succeed in our mission here. These people did not choose this path." Drawing upon his scimitar he rushes over towards the northeast logger, frowning. These people may have been too far gone to be easily healed, but still it would be possible if what Falbin said was true. "Surrender now and no time shall come to you."
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Tenaka and Castien hit their mark again with shafts of deadly precision, dropping both of their targets. Only one logger remain, too crazed by the curse to even understand what Suin Ko says.
Initiative - round 1 & 2
>Aiva
Castien
Tenaka & Waylander
Loggers
Suin-Ko
>Marodais
>Cha-Ka
>Ardisen
People with a > can act!