Pooka spurs Luna forward, out of the garden and away from the house. Most of the others run after them. Oleander's able to pull the unconscious hunter onto the gravel path, where her allies also are, before she follows her fellow Pathfinders.
When at a safe distance from Falbin's house, Pooka stops. The others soon catch up to him, and the unconscious Falbin is placed on a bench.
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"I can heal the little one, shouldn't be too hard" Sun says, reaching down and putting the gnomes head between his hands. Speaking softly, he lets the healing energy flow into Falbin.
Once done, Sun backs away to give the gnome some space knowing he most likely wake up thrashing from the recent events.
"Be calm Falbin, we are friends, we saved you from the fire and those scoundrels from your farm. We are from the pathfinder society, here to ask you some questions.
"Wooowww!" Falbin yells as she suddenly sits up. "Who are you people?!"
It takes a moment for the gnome to calm down, but once he's calm he decides to share who his assaulters were. "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."
"Anyway, who are you?"
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Sun takes a step forward, introducing himself to the gnome. " My name is Sun Desin, and as Beads over there said, we are travelers sent by the Pathfinder Society to find you. We need you to tell us where Briar Henge is located near Wispil. We were told you know about the druids there and the magic they are trying to invoke. We are here to stop it."
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My name is Pooka Bladespinner, I, like my companions, am a Pathfinder. We are at your service, He says, dipping into a polite bow.
Forgive my ignorance, but what does belledonna have to do with lycanthropes? I wonder who those men were and why they needed it. Not to mention, why they felt the need to burn your garden down after retrieving it. They seemed intent on destroying you and the source. Also, as my good friend Sun has mentioned, we are here in search of the atavastic splinter, and were told you knew of its whereabouts.
"You can make a poison from the belladonna plant. It helps your body resist the lycanthrope curse if you've been inflicted, but has to be ingested within on hour of the affliction," Falbin explains.
Falbin listens to your introductions and questions. "I'll tell you all I know... I initially thought there were lycanthropes in the area, but I was wrong. Just like these hunters you fought were 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. So be careful when you head for Briar Henge."
"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."
The gnome takes out some paper and a pen, then draws a crude map for you to show you how to reach Briar Henge. "It’s two days south of here, so you’d best hurry 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. I only saw Briar Henge from afar, but it looks like a palisade wall in a ring, about twelve feet high and made of dense thorns. There was only one break in the wall that I saw, but it didn’t appear to be guarded."
After sharing what he know Falbin's quiet for a moment. He then adds something: "I don’t think the ritual will affect you. Only people that have been in the area for a prolonged period of time seem affected. If you go to Briar Henge quickly, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about."
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"No time to rest! We better get on the move! I think I will ask my friend to join us on this trip. He occasionally proves to be handy."
Leepo dismisses the eagle and calls her eidonlon before travelling out. It is a blue, alien looking creature with a wide mouth, sharp claws and sharp teeth. It has rather large eyes and rather large ears, as well.
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"That sounds ominous."
Leepo, how does your eidolon get a +4 to strength at lvl 1? It's quadrupet base, which have 14 str to start with. Ability increase evolution costs 2 points for +2 bonus, but at lvl 1 you have but 3. Plus that evolution is a 1 time only on any ability score.
Something i personally do with my PFS summoner is keep a checklist on evolution points and what i spent it on. Easier on myself and GM.
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If the proximity and length of exposure to the ritual are factors in the changes to the people exposed, I think we can expect some trouble when we reach the logger's house. Best to be on our guard, and it would be worth it to check in on them if they are indeed friends. Leepo is right, If there are no more questions, we really should be moving, lest we fail to remove the splinter and this area is permanently changed.
Pooka scratches Luna on the neck and behind the ears. We've only just gotten here after a long road, pooch, but it appears we must ride some more. Pooka reaches in the saddlebags and pulls a small handful of treats, then holds them out. Luna greedily wolfs them down, then obediently lays down on the ground. If it is two days until we reach Briar henge, then I would guess the next time we break for camp you would have ample time to brew to your heart's content, Ludvick. Pooka says with a smile, doing his best imitation of Ludwick's accent.
As soon as the party is ready, Pooka climbs in the saddle and with a quick word, dog and rider are up and trotting southward in the direction drawn on the crude map.
"I hadn’t thought of that," Falbin replies to Oleander. "I don’t know. If they are gaining physical power, their minds would also become more primitive, so maybe you could use that to your advantage."
To Ludwick, Falbin answers "Considering the journey takes two days, I'm sure you'll find some time. Your first day of traveling will take you to a logging camp. If you can mix stuff while walking, you will probably have it ready before you arrive."
"Wait a moment," Falbin says, and runs of toward his burning house. He later returns with a small bag. "The hunters are on the gravel path so the fire didn't reach them. This bag contains my belladonna, which they tried to steal. I'll take care of the hunters... and fire... but there's something I want to give you."
Falbin hands you a flower with large, pink petals. "This is a litheria blossom," he says. "The pollen of the litheria blossom bridges the gap between life and death, functioning like an elixir, though inhaled rather than imbibed. A creature that inhales the pollen gains the benefit of the death ward and deathwatch spells. Both effects last for 10 minutes. If plucked, the flower remains vibrant and alive. this lasts until the pollen within the flower is inhaled, at which point the flower wilts and dies. The pollen remains potent only so long as it held within the flower or immediately thereafter. About 6 seconds after the pollen is removed from the flower, both the pollen and the flower become nonmagical."
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"Thank-you very much Falbin." Sun says to Falbin before turn to Beads. "Being a druid myself, I would venture that some druids see the existing world of life as...imperfect. To cleanse the world so to speak and rise from the nurturing ashes could make sense to them. Then again it could also be... " Sun starts to say, but trails off lost in thought as he tries to puzzle the thought through as he begins the trek south with Pooka.
"I don't know about death magic," Falbin replies as he walks you to a road that'll lead you to the edge of town.
"I’ve been instructed to stay here. I’ve been tasked with helping you with all the information I can, but then remaining here in Wispil to continue reporting to the Pathfinder Society."
Falbin looks over his shoulder, at his burning house, and mumbles "Why isn't the fire department responding...?"
"Take care!" Falbin says as he waves you goodbye. "And you're welcome!"
The path you take 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.
Ludwick and Pooka feel a weird, tingling sensation. From their waists up hair begins to grow on their bodies. Ludwick's face changes slowly, until it looks more like a lion's face than his own. Pooka's face also changes, but he ends up looking much like a wolf.
AC: increase natural armor by +1
Attacks: gain 2 claw attacks and 1 bite attack dealing damage as
though the creature were one size category smaller (Medium creatures deal 1d3 points of claw damage and 1d4 points of bite damage, Small creatures deal 1d2 points of claw damage and 1d3 points of bite damage; all three
attacks are considered primary attacks)
Ability Scores: +2 bonus to Con, –2 Int damage, –2 Cha damage
At the start of each day, a bestial creature takes an additional 2 points of Int and Cha damage to a minimum of 2; a bestial creature whose Int or Cha reaches 2 cannot remove the template except with a break enchantment spell, and all ability damage becomes permanent. Such a character is removed from play in the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign at the conclusion of the scenario.
While passing through the camp Sun discovers Ludwick's suspicion to be correct: several of the affected loggers stopped thinking straight, and are about to ambush the party.
Sun notifies the others in the party about the presence of three animal-like men.
Turn progression - round 1:
Scritch
Boar man
Sun
Ludwick
Leepo
Wolf man
Beads
Pooka
Oleander
Lion man
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Pooka looks around to take stock of the situation. Just as I suspected, there is no way these men weren't affected, being this close. What's that smell... oh.... this can't be good...
Pooka arches his back and lets out a primal scream as the mysterious magic forces a radical change in his appearance. His mind begins to feel foggy and clouded.
What.... Is... happening?! Luna!
His heart rate quickens and he looks around, panic beginning to creep into his mind.
This must be the splinter! Falbin said if we stop the ritual, everyone will go back to the way they were before... We must hurry!
Sun's sling attack misses, and Scritch readies an attack in case a creature comes to him.
The boar man double moves toward the party.
Turn progression - round 1:
Scritch
Boar man
Sun
Ludwick
Leepo
Wolf man
Beads
Pooka
Oleander
Lion man
Sun misses his target, as does Ludwick after moving over to the boar man
Scritch grows several times his normal size, also becoming several times more lethal than normal.
The wolf man double moves, and ends up next to Pooka. He hesitantly stares at the halfling, who looks pretty much the same, but then growls while baring his fangs.
Turn progression - round 1:
Scritch
Boar man
Sun
Ludwick
Leepo
Wolf man
Beads
Pooka
Oleander
Lion man
Beads' spell hits the wolf man, who's now dazed.