Oathar, having - as he had expected - been grabbed by the tree as he closed upon it, buys himself some precious time ... Help you humble servant in his time of need, great Iomedae ... he grimaces with pain as the tree's vines tighten around his neck, while at the same time his hands are suffused with a holy glow.
Oathar pulls at the branches that bind him, and falls free from the tree's grasp.
Danica stares at the charade unfolding before her. Now Oathar has scrambled up - and down - the tree, and Tolvan is babbling some incomprehensible gibberish. Are they drunk? Neither of them had previously struck her as the type to indulge in japes ...
As Oathar falls to the ground, the tree lashes out once more, slamming one of its branches into him and lifting him off the ground again.
Kimberly steps a little closer (to get Oathar in range) she closes her eyes and the holy symbol embroidered on her Cassock glows. then a wave of energy bursts from her.
Anna feels better after Kimberly channels, but she still stands puzzled by everyone's actions. "Okay. I'm really confused. It sure looks like a normal tree."
Oathar will attempt to break the grapple
Oathar's struggles fail to break the tree's grip, which, in turn, tightens around him.
Tolvan give a narrative to those still under the hallucinatory effect. The vines of the tree hold Oathar, grappling him and constricting him. He struggles and tries to get away but has failed for the moment. His sword is too large and cumbersome to be brought to bear. Other vines dance about the tree hoping to ensnare us so we we must help Oathar from here. My insects bite and gnaw at the creature. Tolvan drops the staff, pulls a wand and fires a glob of acid at the tree.
Kimberly watches as the tree attempts to choke Oathar.
May Pharasma's blessings guide us. she prays, Save Oathar, guided by Pharasma's holy blessings.
The insects wheel and sting at the tree. As the bolt of acid also hits it, smoke begins to rise from its bark, causing a burning smell to spiral round its branches.
For Anna and Danica, however, the scent is that of blossom; Oathar plays in the tree, laughing gently. Tolvan murmurs something in a foreign language, while Kimberly seems once more lost in her thoughts.
Oathar struggles vainly against the tree's strangling branches. The tree, in turn, strengthens its grip.
For Anna, the scent of blossom is suddenly replaced by that of smoke from the smouldering tree. She sees Oathar, bound in its branches. She sees Tolvan's desperate actions to destroy the tree. She sees, played back in her minds eye now, the exact sequence of events, how the tree had previously grabbed at her with the same malign intent, how Oathar charged in and took her place as victim, how all this had been covered under a fog of illusion. The fog now lifts.
Anna's jaw drops open when the veil is lifted from her eyes. "How did-- But I saw--" she starts, but she shakes her head clear and unlimbers her crossbow.
"Stupid tree!" she shouts as she sends a bolt toward it.
The acid from the spell last round does 4 more points of damage before dissipating and the insects continue to eat at the tree.
Tolvan, glad that Anna's mind has become clear, encourages her. Keep shooting until it drops Oathar or at least stops constricting him. Tolan takes his own advise and fires another arrow of acid at the tree.
The tree cracks and breaks, dropping Oathar to the ground. As the boughs break, a couple of the bodies that were hanging there also fall. Something else slumps from the centre of the tree as the trunk splits open.
Danica's head is now also clear. The entire group can see that the bodies hanging - still or previously - from the tree were those of humans, not lycanthropes, or not in werewolf form, at any rate.
There's no other sound from the vicinity. Smoke still rises from the dead tree, where it was burned by the acid. The birds are silent and there has been no movement from within the farmhouse.
"Okay, did I really see that, or is it trying to trick me again?" Anna asks as she cranks her crossbow and reloads it.
Yes, Anna, this version is the real one. Tolvan moves cautiously up to Oathar avoiding the immobile insects that continue to eat at the tree. After making sure Oathar is OK he will check that something else that slumped from the center of the tree before casting Detect Magic and searching the bodies of the fallen. I think we need to burry these poor victims. he notes.
A figure - a male human like the others, and long dead - has fallen out of the tree, half consumed by it - it evidently saves its prey on the branches, then eats them when ready. Unlike the bodies that hung from the tree, what remains of the corpse is clad in simple farming clothes, perhaps trapped by the tree as he tried to make an escape. Still on the body, hanging from its neck on half digested straps, are those treasures the farmer had tried to rescue as he fled his home - a couple of medium sized chests and a double scroll case.
Kimberly breathes a sigh of relief at the elimination of the deadly tree. she checks over everyone in the group for serious wounds before seeing to the other victims of the tree.
nodding to Tolvan she starts to work on gathering the bodies and prepare them for the afterlife. offering a prayer to Pharasma for each.
Kim's channel healed most of the damage she took, but Anna's neck still looks somewhat raw where the vines had been around it. She rubs it while she moves closer to the tree's remains and inspects the bodies.
"I don't know if that's terrible or actually not bad. It kills you, but you don't realize it, so at least you're not afraid while you die." She kicks at one of the tree's fallen branches.
She pulls her attention away from the tree and its hunting methods to begin checking out the last treasures of the farming household. "I get that we should bury these folk, but do we really have the time? I mean, we're running out of belladonna, and we're still nowhere close to finding something that can stop it..." Her stomach lurches again at the thought of taking more of the vile concoction.
She lets her crossbow drop to the ground as she hugs herself tightly. She moves over to Tolvan and buries her head in his chest. Softly, she whispers to him, "Maybe-- maybe it won't be so bad? We'll lock ourselves together in a cage. We wouldn't attack each other, right? Kim and Danica and Oathar, they'll make sure we don't get out, and it'll be okay?"
Less sure about the issue that he pretends Tolvan tries to respond bravely as he embraces Anna. I am sure we can survive anything if we are together. Inwardly he worries Will we even know each other if we turn? Will we form a pack or tear at each other like beasts? I must try to do some research on this. But we will at least try to find more belladonna, yes?
And yes, I say we take the time. The graves will be shallow but Kimberly's rites will be complete and pharasma will receive them.
After a long embrace Tolvan tries to divert Anna, at least for the moment. I wonder what is in those chests and that large scroll case.
After allowing Anna to check for traps and open all the containers Tolvan will try to read what is on the scrolls.
The chests contain a variety of coins and gems. There are four scrolls, two of which Tolvan identifies as scrolls of cure disease and two as scrolls of cure moderate wounds.
With a smile Tolvan hands the scrolls over to Kimberly. The gods seem to watch over us. Anna is first. he says, resolve written on his face as if to say no one had better argue with me over that point. And while we need this magic, if this farmer has family alive I would return this wealth to them.
Anna can scarcely believe the providence. "Are you sure? It's not some trick?" She looks over the scrolls with shaking hands, senses alert for something that might snatch them away.
Then she looks at Tolvan. "The tree was making us see stuff. How do we know? Maybe A.A. is doing this..." Her paranoia and pessimism has her nearly hyperventilating.
Danica, what she thought was her reality, begins to fade and a new image appears before. An image of her friends after combat, an image of dead bodies and finally the reality of where she was inactive.
She looks at the scene with horror at first, then she begins to close her eyes and questions herself. "What happened here? My training should have kept me on top of my game." Her mind shuts down as her friends talk amongst themselves on current and future actions. She remains to herself, questioning why her abilities have failed her, and finally, question the Bright Lady.
In response Tolvan says to the background of his insects continuing to gnaw on the tree This was powerful enemy Danica. Those hallucinatory spores are very potent. Do not blame yourself. Had you seen through its illusion then you too might have been grabbed. It was best to fight it at a distance. I am glad I had this staff to help deal with it. Normally that spell is not too useful and the insects are stationary and an enemy may simply move away. But this enemy was stationary as well. That spell took a lot of power from the staff. I must remember to recharge it.
Danica hears the words coming from Tolvan's mouth but it does not immediately register. After a moment, the disciplined holy warrior's head pans from Tolvan, Anna, Kimberly then to Oathar. "I am very much grateful that not all of you fell to the creatures lies. I will need to be more cautious in this land. Much things I am not certain of."
Danica then looks at Tolvan and says, "Apologies....I am only thinking of myself. Let me look for some more belladonna."
The inquisitor then looks around the area for the needed herb.
Kimberly was about to go with Dancia when Tolvan gets her attention and hands her the scrolls.
Looking them over she then calls out to Dancia, who was being diligent in her search, We may have found the cure. Pharasma has come through for us.
looking back to Tolvan, What if these belong to someone else? we should repay them at least.
Kimberly then mulls over the scrolls for a bit, trying to make heads or tails of it. This prayer is very advanced, I can try right now if you want. I just hope that I can say all these words right.
Kimberly goes over to Anna first. she has her sit down and Kimberly pulls out the scroll.
First off, I want to say I am sorry if this does not work, and I really am glad I got to know you.
she takes a deep breath and starts to read through the ritual. trying her best to do everything correctly.
The prayer goes off without a hitch though it did look a little dicey there in the middle when she struggled with one of the words.
Anna feels the magic wash over her. She closes her eyes and hugs herself, but then quickly moves to Tolvan and embraces him. "This had better work for him, too. I don't think I could live if he's still cursed and I'm not," she says, the pain of her earlier possession still raw in her voice.
With the success of the first scroll, Kimberly turns to Tolvan.
You're next. this has to work, I can't let something like this break you and Anna up. your like the parents I never had.
she then begins the prayer once more.
She goes through the whole prayer, and nothing happens. what, I was sure I got it right, I mean I read the whole thing, just like with Anna. well that one part there in the middle was a little dicey but I was pretty sure I read it right.
Kimberly looks like she is about to cry at her failure. glancing at the parchment she suddenly realizes that the prayer is still there.
grabbing the scroll Thank you Pharasma, for giving me another chance. Looking to Tolvan, you should thank Pharasma to, she has allowed me to try again, for you
Kimberly refuses to try again until Tolvan gives thanks to Pharasma.
"Hey! I'm only seven years older than you!" Anna shouts indignantly.
Then she grasps Tolvan's hand and squeezes it tight. "And you'd better curse me again if this spell doesn't work."
Kimberly just shrugs, sorry, just trying to make you feel important or something like that. besides I don't even know how old I am if you add up my past lives.
Thank the gods. Tolvan breaths as Anna is healed. Anna if I am not cured I will need you more than ever to watch over me and make sure I do not hurt any of those I care about. And if worst comes to worst it must be by your blade that I am put down. Tolvan says somewhat over dramatically. But when Kimberly fails in her attempt to cast the complex spell the drama seems more real. Tolvan swallows hard and a line of sweat appears on his brow. Thanks be to Pharasma for guiding you to heal my Anna. Tolvan says to the maturing young lady. And thanks be Pharasma for the healing and comfort you bring to all of us Kimberly. Let this small thing calm and bolster the girl. Much hangs in her ability to complete this complex ritual so far above her ability and her experience. he thinks. Reaching for Anna's hand and gritting his teeth he says Read it again.
Kimberly is satisfied and gives a short prayer to Pharasma to let it work this time.
she starts the complex ritual once more. being very careful to do each step. and say each word correctly.
she even tried a couple times ahead of time to make sure she could say the harder words in the prayer.
And with Pharasma's blessing, the ritual works even better than expected. Tolvan's stuffy nose is cleared as well.
Anna's body was tense and coiled like an overtight spring watching Kimberly work, so she nearly collapsed when the spell finally succeeds. She hugs Kimberly tightly, lifting her up and spinning her around several times only letting go once dizziness sets in. Then she staggers over to Tolvan and embraces him fiercely.
"Oh, I was so-- I couldn't --" she begins, then she looks up at him with blazing eyes. She slaps him hard across his face. "Put you down!?! How could you say such a thing? Oh, I'm so gonna make you pay for that," she says with a tone that takes the edge off her words. Then she bounces up on her tiptoes and kisses him.
She pulls away at last and starts gathering her gear. "Okay, praise Desna, Pharasma and all that rot. We've got some cultists to catch. Right?"
As the healing energy washes over Tolvan he releases a breath he did not know he was holding, closes his eyes and squeezes Anna'a hand before thanking Kimberly and praising Pharisma again.
With a sheepish smile and a stinging cheek Tolvan adds Well I did expect you would figure out some way to chain me up or something. I have found that you can be quite resourceful. he says rubbing his face.
And yes, These cultist are at the top of my list. What say we take a quick look in the farmhouse before we get back on the road?
Oathar regards the group. "Thanks be to our gods that the curse has been avoided. I believe your path lies yonder, across the Furrows to Feldgrau."
He points to the southwest.
"For myself, methinks I should take your leave, at least for a short time. Our recent adventures, the things we have seen, have caused me to question, somewhat, the love of Iomedae. I cannot allow that to continue. I have concluded that I must wander awhile, and perform some service in her honour, to regain her trust and blessing. It has been my honour to serve alongside you all. I trust we shall meet again, in the path and service of the Truth."
He bows, pulls himself up onto his horse, and prepares to leave.