Gorgoron leans close to Ansruath and whispers a prayer to his patron goddess.
"On your feet, ears; there's still work to be done"
Lleneth finally concedes the point of 'using his whip,' dropping it and instead drawing his dagger, getting to stabbing the wounded goblin dog standing in front of him.
With a quick thrust of his dagger, Lleneth draws the last bit of fight from his foe. Blood gushes from the fresh wound as the rat-faced canine collapses. Moments later, Dehrisan hisses with crooked fingers, directing a relatively merciful curse of slumber at the final goblin dog. It snarls nervously as it feels the magic about it. Swaying groggily, the beast lays down calmly and sets its head upon its paws, despite being locked in combat. Within seconds it snoozes as soundly as the other.
Gorgoron will check on Ansruath, and anyone else who needs healing.
"Are we pressing on now, or breaking here? If we wait, then I'll heal the elf myself, but if we press on, I'll use the wand and save my Lady's blessings for the coming battles.
He looks to each party member in turn, looking for their opinion.
"Let us rest, I do not know much about magic myself do what you think is best." Ansruath says to Gorgoron.
"I've used only one of my spells; it is not for me that I ask. Rather, is there anyone else who needs to rest, or shall we press on?"
"I can continue on, but will have to depend more on my weapons than my spells," Alyoma replies.
Gorgoron applies a few more healing touches to Ansruath.
"Anyone else still injured?
Lleneth has no complaints; he's got plenty of gas left in him.
"I'm alright. Let's move on, everyone."
"Thanks Father." Ansruath readies his gear before waiting for the others since they wish to move on.
Alyoma pulls out her crossbow.
"Ready."
"Alright. Lets go."
The party quickly disposes of the slumbering goblin dogs. Already the thick tangle of brambles that is the Nettlewood has proven to be filled to bursting with goblinoid foes. Once everyone has had a fair chance to breath and Ansruath has had his wounds magically knit via the priest of the Dawnflower's wand, the group decides to press on, making haste through the infested forest, North to Thistletop.
Seeing such strong opposition, Dehrisan volunteers to sprint back to town as fast as his legs will carry him and recruit aid in the form of other warriors, hopefully even Shalelu herself if she's wound her way back into town. When nobody objects he's off in a flash.
Surging forward, the woods thicken before they ease. The dense mess of foliage flanking an dirt path (which now has given way to an overgrown mess of tall grass and sickly purple-green ferns) is more or less a wall of painful spines and needles. Eventually twisted, dead trees with massive, low hanging branches come into view, adding to the already forboding appearance of the woods.
Ansruath's sharp, half-elven senses catch a flutter of movement through the tangle. A small sparrow flaps its way into the sky and out of view to the North. In its talons it clutches a thin, rawhide strap adorned with fangs and feathers, but there is little time to examine it.
Seconds after it leaves the warrior's narrow field of vision, everyone is startled by a thunderous roar. Overhead, loping across the low hanging branches of the sagging trees is a sleek, powerfully muscled firepelt. It snarls and huffs as it approaches (). About its throat is a thick, leather collar studded with bones and dyed in blood. Its scars tell of a violent life and violent temper.
Round 1 , Init 23, 30/31 HP
Ansruath looks at the fire pelt he says "Well seems that this one is a lot tougher than the one who attacked us earlier." He than moves forward.
"Now THAT is a Firepelt." Lleneth comments wryly, moving forward.
Gorgoron grasps his spear firmly in both hands, and charges forward with a barely suppressed growl.
Jumping into action Ansruath surges forward, leading with his wickedly sharp elven curve-blade. Its clean swipe shaves twigs from several branches, but the lithe hunting cat dodges back to evade the blow. While your foe has its attention focused on the half elven warrior, Lleneth utters a short magical chant. The air shimmers about him briefly as he disappears from view. Sliding past the bard is the dwarven priest of the Dawnflower, brandishing his cold-iron tipped spear. With a powerful thrust, its biting edge grazes the firepelt's powerful physique, drawing a line of dark blood as it skips of some boney protrusions along its shoulders. It snarls and winces, and with a roar retaliates-hopping to a nearby limb from which to strike at Gorgoron with a massive paw. However its strike comes up short.
Perception:
"Hsst! There's a torch heading this way!"
As the massive hunting cat prowls through the treetops, the duel blades of Ansruath's and Gorgoron's weapons flash, quickly cutting its attack short. With a mournful whimper which is very unbecoming of such a savage looking creature, it sways and plummets to the twisted weeds and grass below.
Alyoma moves forward, her crossbow at the ready.
Ansruath looks toward where Gorgoron was looking keeping himself low.
Alyoma moves forward to keep up with the group, keeping her crossbow in hand as the rest of the party waits to see what danger Gorgoron spotted moving about up ahead. At the far end of clearing the briars and thickets seem snake and twist about on their own, opening a path for a knobby little goblin clad in horse-hide armor. In his dirty fist he clutches a blazing ball red-hot flame. His eyes flash with a fury that nearly matches the fire in his hand as he sees the rent body of the ferocious firepelt cougar laying nearly motionless on the ground. With his free hand he grasps a sprig of holly and mistletoe at his collar. Dark tendrils of energy seep into the earth at his feet, defiling the foliage and bending it to the nature priest's will. The spined weeds grow and wrap rapidly about your feet.
The AoE is within the pink circle.
Gorgoron rushes forward, doing his best to hop and skip over the twisted roots and vines that move to grab him.
"It's an 'Entangle' spell; nature magic! I bet the Firepelt was his animal companion! Oh, he'll be cross with us!
After breaking the roots around his feet Ansruath moves forward.
Lleneth will be hauling butt to O-4 under the cover of invisibility.
The party moves about in the forest clearing, struggling through the grasping weeds which ensnare their legs with every step toward the edge of the spell's influence. Alyoma is the first to make it out of the magically enhanced foliage after shaking free her bonds, but is now seperated from the group, albeit safely across the field where she is free to attack from afar. Over the course of several more heartbeats, Lleneth has yet to reappear.
Satisfied with effects of his woodland magic the knobby goblin's eyes twinkle maliciously. He licks his many rows of sharp teeth, like those of a shark as he growls and promises vengence in the goblin's grating tongue. Looking to the fist sized ball of flame in his palm he throws the globe of fire at Ansruath. No sooner does it leave his hand than a new one appears in its place.
The green-skin's angry face contorts into one of confusion as the missile spins harmlessly to the side and disappates after it collides with something in mid-air, missing its mark entirely. Lleneth feel his arm warm rapidly, but harmlessly as the fiery attack glances off his buckler in an amazing stroke of luck. Its passion is back in full force momentarily though, as it gives out a feral roar and the plants in the clearing reach back up attempting to wrap about the three party members nearest their foe once more.
All three men are captured in the magical bindings once more.
The party moves about in the forest clearing, struggling through the grasping weeds which ensnare their legs with every step toward the edge of the spell's influence. Alyoma is the first to make it out of the magically enhanced foliage after shaking free her bonds, but is now seperated from the group, albeit safely across the field where she is free to attack from afar. Over the course of several more heartbeats, Lleneth has yet to reappear.
Satisfied with effects of his woodland magic the knobby goblin's eyes twinkle maliciously. He licks his many rows of sharp teeth, like those of a shark as he growls and promises vengence in the goblin's grating tongue. Looking to the fist sized ball of flame in his palm he throws the globe of fire at Ansruath. No sooner does it leave his hand than a new one appears in its place.
The green-skin's angry face contorts into one of confusion as the missile spins harmlessly to the side and disappates after it collides with something in mid-air, missing its mark entirely. Lleneth feel his arm warm rapidly, but harmlessly as the fiery attack glances off his buckler in an amazing stroke of luck. Its passion is back in full force momentarily though, as it gives out a feral roar and the plants in the clearing reach back up attempting to wrap about the three party members nearest their foe once more.
Edit: Sorry, the dice results came out different between previewing and posting. Gorgoron doesn't take the damage and isn't ensnared.
Gorgoron keeps moving as fast as his short legs can carry him.
After breaking free Ansruath moves forward.
Alyoma takes a step to the right, loads and fires her crossbow at the goblin.
With a powerful flex of his muscles Ansruath once again bursts free of his magical bonds, pressing forward. The party's priest forces his way out of the spell, bringing the tip of his spear within range of the nature priest. Alyoma snaps off a shot from her crossbow, but the bolt falls short of its mark.
The goblin shaman snorts derisively at the dwarf before him.
"Stubby longshanks fool to enter goblin woods!"
He clutches the sprig of holly and missiletoe one more with his non-flaming hand and focuses his magic. Brown and green motes of energy collesce about his palm as he brings it against the trunk of the tree beside him (not a tree of any considerable size, but massive next to the scrawney cretin). The trunk bends and twists, creeking like old floorboards at first, but swiftly flowing like water. Long, thorny tendrils erupt from the tree like malformed, demonic branches. They weave into a wall of spikey protrusions between Gorgoron and goblin.
The shaman capers and hoots at his own cleverness as the wicked weeds once again reach up to ensnare those who walk within them.
Gorgoron attacks through the impromptu wall of thorns.
Ansruath seeing the goblin try to hide behind a wall moves forward to attack it.
Alyoma, trapped on the other side of the 'entagle' spell, trys to shoot the goblin again.
Ansruath manages to push his way out of the vile entangling spell, followed shortly after by Lleneth . The bard's whip quickly lashes out, but gets tangled in the thorny branches, foiling his attack as he shimmers back into view . Gorgoron has trouble manuevering his spear through the hedge as well. There is the twang of a crossbow string, but the rustling of nearby foliage tells of a missed shot from Alyoma. The shaman snarls again, bouncing the ball of flame in his palm as though it were a toy. He hurls the fistfull of fire through the thorny branches at Lleneth. The wood almost seems to twist and move out of the spell's path as it blazes into its target's chest. Again a crimson ball of hot flames appears in the druid's boney fingers, replacing the one he just threw. A wide smile of confidence crosses the goblin's face, only to revert back to unbridled rage as his beady eyes flicker to the corpse of the enormous hunting cat.
AoO:
Cover and Attacks of Opportunity: You can't execute an attack of opportunity against an opponent with cover relative to you.
Ansruath moves forward and attempts to strike at the goblin from behind the wall.
[Made an edit to the map. Somehow the Goblin Shaman got moved 5'. He wasn't supposed to.]