Wisps can speck Aklo and Common they just rarely choose to.
Every trapper and bog farmer living near marshes or swamps has his own name for these faintly glowing balls of light—jack o' the lanterns, corpse candles, walking fires, pine lights, spooklights, rushlights—but all recognize them as dangerous predators and false guides in the darkness.
Evil creatures that feed on the strong psychic emanations of terrified creatures, will-o'-wisps delight in tempting gullible travelers into dangerous situations. In the wild lands where they're most common, will-o'-wisps favor simple tactics like positioning themselves over cliffs or quicksand where they can easily be mistaken for lanterns (especially if they can set their traps near actual signal lanterns), allowing them to lure unwary travelers into perilous situations. On rare occasions, will-o'-wisps seeking easier pickings will move into a city and take up residence near gallows or follow along invisibly behind an army in order to harvest the fear of the dying men; why the vast majority choose to remain in the swamps where victims are scarce remains a mystery. Will-o'-wisps only use their electric shock ability under extreme duress, preferring to let other creatures or hazards claim their victims while they float nearby and feast.
Will-o'-wisps can glow any color they choose, but are most frequently yellow, white, green, or blue. They can even vary their luminosity to create patterns—many will-o'-wisps are fond of creating vague skull-like shapes in their glow to further terrify their victims. Their actual bodies are barely visible globes of translucent spongy material 1 foot across and weighing 3 pounds, capable of emitting light from every surface. A will-o'-wisp's light is approximately as bright as a torch, and though they do not seem to use sound to communicate with each other, they hear perfectly and can vibrate their bodies rapidly to simulate speech.
While vilified by most other sentient creatures, will-o'-wisps are actually quite intelligent, if utterly alien in their reasoning. Sometimes organized into groups called “strings,” their society and goals remain complete unknowns to outsiders, as do their origins, though they have sometimes been known to strike bargains with those who can offer them vast quantities of appropriately frightened victims. As will-o'-wisps do not age, and are effectively immortal unless killed by violence, particularly ancient will-o'-wisps can serve as fantastic repositories of knowledge from the ancient past, although convincing one of these cruel creatures to cooperate with an interrogation can be a trick in and of itself.
"Before we move on, I'd like everyone to come together in a circle while I call upon Angradd to protect us from the attacks of the wisps."
Once everyone is circled around Valak, he begins his war chant to Angradd, "Angradd ein hamddiffyn rhag drydan." Each time he says the phrase he touches the hand of one of his companions.
Target creature touched
Duration 10 min./level
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
This abjuration grants a creature limited protection from damage of whichever one of five energy types you select: acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. The subject gains resist energy 10 against the energy type chosen, meaning that each time the creature is subjected to such damage (whether from a natural or magical source), that damage is reduced by 10 points before being applied to the creature's hit points. The value of the energy resistance granted increases to 20 points at 7th level and to a maximum of 30 points at 11th level. The spell protects the recipient's equipment as well.
Resist energy absorbs only damage. The subject could still suffer unfortunate side effects.
Resist energy overlaps (and does not stack with) protection from energy. If a character is warded by protection from energy and resist energy, the protection spell absorbs damage until its power is exhausted.
Inclining her head in thanks to Valak, Aer points up and Ragathiel takes wing, circling above the party. "Do we know if they will even come out to attack or speak to us? Perhaps we should move to that tower and investigate..Ragathiel should be able to carry us one by one."
"Magic's Lady, I sing thee praise,
Pierce the veil that hides the known,
Let this song enhance my gaze,
The unseen seen, the hidden shown!"
Riva casts see invisibility.
You see 3 wisps circling the boat.
Hoping not to tip off her awareness of their presence, Riva speaks carefully to her comrades, using deliberate innuendo: "Sharks make good meals I find, but we must not waste our rations. When the clock strikes noon, three, and five we shall enjoy our gibbets. Try not to make too much of a fuss over them."
"We're surrounded. There are three of them, circling us; one directly ahead of me, one forward and right of me, and one behind me on my right. Coordinate your strikes and kill them. Don't tip the boat during the fight."
I think Secret Messages isn't covered by Orator.
I think Secret Messages isn't covered by Orator.
You succeed.
You have a surprise round.
You are halfway to the island 50 feet from ether shore. The water is deep enough that you can not see the bottom.
Surprise round
Toran
riva
Maermana
Mallichatti
Valek
"A silent image for all to view,
magic comes on the count of one,
the illusion's made on the count of two!"
Riva casts silent image, creating floating illusions of wisps over the wisps' actual locations, allowing her fellows to strike more accurately. She continues to maintain concentration on the spell until something more can be done.
Toran grabs his halberd and swings at the nearest wisp,
Aer swings her hand through the air, winking at Riva. "I can do you one better."
She hisses something out in elven. Its pronunciation sharp and filled with the accent of Kyonin's royal court. An explosion of golden dust showers the area around two of the wisps (located at 3 and 5 from the party) . The dust settles, clinging to the invisible, spongy creatures.
Ragathiel takes wing and charges the nearest wisp, slashing out at it.
for
"Focus your attacks!" Riva shouts. "They're tougher than they look and one brought low is one less that can escape to later do battle!"
Trying to steady himself in the rocking boat, Valak stays low in an attempt to keep his center of gravity low enough so he doesn't end up sinking to the bottom of the lake.
He pulls out his spear in the hopes of piercing one of the spongy bastards. he goes for one that has already been attacked if possible.
Mallichatti also attack the same wisp as everyone else.
And like all the others he misses.
The wisp that no one was attacking is blinded.
And at the beginning of the next round all the wisp start to fly away. The one that everyone attack make a withdraw action.
They fly into the brambles 50 feet away.
Riva targets the same one the party meant to attack with magic missile while using potent magic to pump up the caster level.
2 of them are.
You hit one of them in the brambles.
"Damnit! How are we to catch them now?" Maermana scowls and waves a hand after the glowing one. "Ragathiel! Go!" She utters the words to a spell and those around her feel their muscles tense, their breath quicken as the world seems to slow around them.
With a grin, she grabs an oar and starts to row. "Pursue. Do not let those vile abominations escape."
Ragathiel soars forward and charges. for
Ragathiel Misses
"Agile little beasts." Riva contributes to rowing the best that she can.
Catching himself before he is up-ended by the sudden surge of rowing, Valak sits down and grabs and oar to help.
It will take two rounds to row to shore.
Yes you can. The two rounds are just with two people rowing does not matter who.
Aer focuses on rowing while Ragathiel continues pursuing the glittering wisp that Riva struck.
for (assuming the wisp moved, otherwise he can full attack)
It moved. He missed. Also now the wisps are trying - unsuccessfully because of the gillterdust -however the brambles are difficult terrain. You can force your way though but you might be scraped by the thorns.
As they row up to the shore, Riva examines the thorn briar, attempting to determine if they might be magical in nature.
armor does not seem to protect. The thorns are mildly poisonous. It would take 2d4 hours of pushing though in order to have any real effect.
Doe there appear to be any path through the briars here?
Perception
Unfortunately no. The briar is very thick.
"Hm..and its here I wish we had a druid who could part the vines."
As the boats make landfall, Riva corrects Maermana: "They appear to be briars, not vines. Be wary of the bite of their thorns."
Out of curiosity MAllichatti reaches out and grabs one of the briars and grips it.
"We'll probably have to take the time to hack through this. Pain in the ass but unless you ladies have an alternate way through I don't see a way through this without being flayed alive."
I think the briars won't be able to get though your DR.
Riva stared at Mallichatti's gripping fist in sudden shock, before shifting her wide-eyed gaze towards his face, which showed no trace of obvious pain. Recomposing herself a moment later, Riva responds in her usual calm manner, "We do what we must for Allania."
Now where did those blasted lights get off too?
There are no wisps in sight.
"I guess we will have to cut or burn our way through after all."
Ragathiel can pursue but only up to 100 feet so he's stuck circling overhead now.
This will be unpleasant. I agree with Riva though. We do what we must Onward!
Looking around you see that the ground is covered with many oddly shaped white rocks. Looking closer you can see that the rock are in fact bones most seem to be centuries old, but some are more recent and most don't seem humanoid, but some are.
This place has been the site of many dark magics and the taint covers everything.
"I know Burning Hands...would that help?
It would but only in the area of the spell and the island is covered in them.