"Curious. This may tell us as much as we need to know about our rivals. Let us ride with all haste toward the next site." Thrand takes one of the potions, though he has not yet decided whether or not it would be wise for him to use it.
The party travels south to the next clue. Their path leads them through the forest still where the local vegetation has changed just slightly. The trees of the forest are older and grow much taller in this area. Carried softly on the breeze is a strange thumping noise. A massive hollow tree trunk towers above the surrounding woodland—once truly a forest giant. Upon one of its remaining upper limbs dangles a bone scroll case, swaying in the wind and thumping against its hollow side...
I do not like this. This might be a trap. she says as she casts detect magic.
Tanariel detects magic up in the tree in the bone case...
Spellcraft to figure out what schools of magic she is detecting.
Victrix folds her arms and gives the tree a dubious look.
"So, yeh want me ta climb up 'n' get it?"
Thrand says to Victrix, "Would you be so kind? I have a rope if you need one." To Tanariel he says, "It could be a trap. Let's circle the tree and search for clues."
Victrix nods and starts taking off her armour.
"Bloody thing keeps gettin' in my way."
Once she's stripped out of her armour and down to her regular clothes, she starts climbing up the tree.
Victrix takes off her armor while Thrand circles the tree looking for signs of anything that might affect their mission and Tanariel is busy focusing on the magic she detected.
You detect some form of elemental magic emanating from the scroll
you see tracks on the ground that lead to a hole at the base of the tree
Victrix deftly climbs the tree as if she is born to do it...
Thrand finally decides that the good that he might do by staying conscious and alive outweighs the evil taint that the unholy potion will imbue upon him. He quaffs the potions in one gulp. He then warns the party of the tracks leading to the hole at the base of the tree and dismounts to investigate.
Thrand feels the energy from the potion heal his wounds for a minute and he feels better...as he walks over to investigate the tree he sees a Giant Beetle roughly 5-6 feet in length coming out of the hole at the base of the tree. At first the beetle just stays at the opening as if watching Thrand... Victrix continues to climb and snaps a branch as she ascends... which seems to anger the beetle who advances on Thrand in a violent manner...
Beetle:
Victrix:
Thrand:
Tanariel:
Combat 1st Round
Thrand, Tanariel, Victrix
Beetle
Garl yells to the group "That is a bombadier beetle... it shoots acid out... be careful...!"
Victrix has reached the bone case...
Thrand takes a lame stab at the bombardier beetle, then retreats around the back of the tree.
Thrand strikes at the hostile beetle but manages to only hit the tree and then backs away...
Noticing that Thrand appears to have gotten himself in trouble, Victrix opts to just grab the bone case and jump out of the tree.
Well, more like fall out of it, really.
"SHIT!"
At least she just bruises her tailbone. "OW!"
Combat 1st Round
Thrand (swing and a miss), Tanariel, Victrix (tried to get down the fast way, came down the very fast way)
Beetle
Victrix jumps down from where she is but manages to hit some branches on the way down and lands this a thud on the ground, on the other side of the tree from where the action is...
The elf will cast Daze on the creature. Will dc 15
Tanariel discovers fire bombardier beetles are immune to mind affecting magiks...
The beetle tries to bite Thrand with its pincers...
... MISS!
COMBAT 2nd
Thrand, Tanariel, Victrix
Beetle
Thrand continues his attack on the extremely wicked beetle.
Victrix picks herself up off the ground and starts running to Thrand's side. She readies her greataxe as she goes.
Thrand lands a solid blow and the injured beetle scurries back to its hovel at the base of the tree...
Victrix comes to Thrands defense with her axe in one hand and the case in the other...
The elf will take a look at the scroll case when she has the opportunity. She will cast read magic on it if necessary.
Thrand cleans and sheathes his longsword. He rushes up to Victrix and puts his hands supportively on her shoulders saying, "That was quite a fall. Are you injured?"
Victrix rubs her backside and winces. "Eh, the only thing really 'urt is my pride."
"That, and my arse."
Thrand releases Victrix's shoulders and walks around her to inspect the damage. "It looks fine to me. Let's hurry to the next site before another artifact is taken. Shall we?"
On to the next closest one...
Victrix retrieves her armour and puts it back on before following Thrand onward.
The group quickly moves away from the beetles lair and Victrix allows Tanariel to inspect the scroll case. Inside is an old piece of parchment.
It is a long scroll with simple wooden dowels at each end. A bright-burning sun illuminates its face. On the reverse side are scribed the divine spells daylight, gust of wind, and shillelagh (caster level 5th). The entire scroll has been treated with a permanent endure elements (caster level 15th) that only affects the scroll itself (but not its bearer).
You have recovered one of the items listed in the riddles and know one of the others was taken before your arrival...
Unrolling the scroll and examining it the wizard will state This is one of the missing items. It is a scroll of divine magic which I do not believe any of us can use.
Thrand says, "Let us ride toward the lofty stone reaching higher in pursuit of the sacred fire." He mounts up and rides quickly toward the next site.
The elf agrees.
"Roight--let's get a move on. Can't let 'em get too far ahead of us now, can we?"
The trio decide the clues for the lofty stone reaching higher are actually the stone spires from where they fought the vines at the altar. They travel back to that location and begin to search around...
Victrix:
Thrand:
Tanariel:
and while Thrand is concerned for threats and scans the horizons, Tanariel and Victrix find some odd objects at the top of the stone pillars... one is an old silver ring with a wave pattern and atop the other stone is a breastplate that has an orange and red flame at its center that dances and is warm to the touch.
The elf will cast detect magic
both items radiate magic
"That was lucky," says Thrand. "Where to next?"
Victrix looks up at the items on the pillars and folds her arms.
"Hm... want me ta climb up and get 'em?"
"Oh right! Sorry, I don't know where my head is at. Yes, please, Victrix."
Thrand sits high in the saddle looking all around, ready to charge anyone who comes uninvited into the clearing.
spellcraft
Victrix climbs up and grabs both items and after a while Tanariel discovers one is a ring of swimming and the armor is the breastplate of sacred fire...
The trio understand they have two of the four pieces and know someone took a third... only the clue which states “A league to the south in sacred mother’s home, the royal water is returned to its own.” is left to acquire...
"Well done, Victrix! Now onward to the sacred mother's home! Let's ride!" He starts heading hastily southward. "That was bad luck that these items would remain out here for so long only for someone else to go looking for them the same day we set out to find them. What are the odds?"
"Well we did not seem to be the only ones interested in that dagger back at the Inn either" says a voice from the back, difficult to say if it was Garl or Rolfe.
The group continues following the clues and come upon a thicket of tall rushes surrounds a pool formed from a crystalline, bubbling spring. Melodic singing can be heard coming from the pool area as the group advances...
perception check
Victrix scratches her head in confusion. "Wait... what's that singin'?"
Thrand look all around. "What singing? I don't hear anything."