Kalt grins at Tiknesr's distaste for the cat, though he wonders just how large a feline it would take to hunt down their new traveling companion. "It'd take a mighty big cat to make a meal of you, Tik, but if any witch has a cat that big, it'd be the Old Crone."
He joins the others in heading to the northern part of the garden, leading the way with one hand resting casually on the hilt of his blade, as usual. When Shanya whispers her take on the sickly treant to him, he stops and raises a hand for the others to wait as well. "That makes sense, unfortunately," he says quietly to the changeling lass., "I wonder if there's anything we can do to help her? Or even some way to convince her that's our intent? I'd hate to have to kill her just because her suffering has changed her so."
With a glance at Sven, one eyebrow lifted, he says, "You think you can charm her? That'd be a story to tell, eh?"
Shanya wonders whether helping the treant is possible.
Not quite comprehending what was said, Avora recognizes the tone, nonetheless.
"We are travelers come to offer assistance to you, mighty one. We mean you no harm."
Shanya translates Avora's words into Sylvan for her.
When the mind shatters, there are few things that one can do to repair it. Powerful magics.... notably, heal but others as well... may be used. Yet even without the intervention of gods and their magic, a good ear and careful speech may help a wounded mind.
The creature lumbers up large and threatening, blocking what little artificial light filters into this dark grove, and begins to strive towards the interlopers into its pained existence...
Lana frowns, her spirit making its way first this way, then that, dodging among the ether in unhurried quest of the treant's essence. The northwoman closes her eyes, feeling the other's pain, and reaches out one arm toward the tree-person. "Shh," she whispers after a moment, as if involuntarily. Her voice takes on a tone of rustling leaves and a bubbling brook as she continues quietly in Sylvan, "The pain... oh, I can feel it. The sun, darkened... the life around you, twisted and broken." A tear courses slowly down her cheek. Unconsciously, she takes a step forward. "Is it too late for you? Can you yet be freed from this place, from your pain and anguish? If you can, then speak; let us help you!"
Shanya wrinkles her nose and steps forward.
"Great One, we understand the plight you find yourself in--a mighty treant, a guardian of the wild lands, bound to a place of unnatural sorcery and power. We understand that you are shackled to this place and tormented by those that seek to rob you of your strength--there is no natural wonder to be found here. Not in this... this tainted earth or under this damnable eldritch sky." The changeling adopts a pleading expression as she looks upon the suffering treant.
"We wish to help you. Nothing more." She takes another breath.
By all the gods, I hope I'm getting through to this one...
Though he cannot understand what is being said, Kalt knows Shanya is doing her best to make the miserable creature understand their intentions. Kalt has no wish to fight Dawnbark, and attempts to make that clear in his expression. Sadly, his cold demeanor makes conveying such thoughts rather a challenge, and he's not sure his message has been made clear to the treant.
Seeing that Shayna is attempting to befriend the beleaguered treant, Tik decides to lend her all the luck he's able to.
He twitches his whiskery nose at her and chants, "Toe of bear, baboon's rear end,
Willow's branch by water bends,
Luck to you I'd better send,
If with trees you will make friends."
Then he giggles quietly at his little rhyme. "Hehehehehehe, heh heh heh heh hee."
________________________
The treant slams a hand into the soil, just short of Shanya's feet. Great chunks of earth fly up where the treant's hands plow the earth
"NO! LIES! YOU ARE HERE FOR YOURSELVES!" the voice booms like the crack of thunder against an oak branch. The surrounding trees seem to feel the anger of their cousin, bending unnaturally down. Their branches bend towards the group, as if blown by some invisible wind. The path behind you seems to shrink before your eyes.
Still, the treant does not strike out.
"LEAVE ME. GO!"
The sound lessens, but only slightly; the voice still makes ears ring and rattles shields.
"You are nothing but more servants of Baba Yaga. Noting you say can be trusted. Nothing!" The tree-creature points a gnarled finger at the entrance of the grove and its voice raises again. "LEAVE!"
Kalt stands quiet, teeth clenched tight, as he waits to see which way this situation goes. He's on the balls of his feet, ready to draw and strike, but he feels some degree of hope, given that Dawnbark is talking and hitting the ground, rather than hitting Kalt's friends.
Avora starts when the treant strikes the ground near her. She starts to speak again, but then silently turns to go.
Shanya flinches as the treant pounds the earth before her, but steels herself.
"As you wish, Old One. But despair not--we will return with proof of our good intentions, and heal your wounded soul." She bows before turning to leave.
The treant says nothing. An animal might pant with rage, but the tree-person merely stares silently, unspoken hatred for... everything.
Greta snorts in derision as the party retreats from the treant. "Why bother helping helping it? It's just another of the witch's puppets, no better then the trolls or that crib-thief in disguise."
"I hope we hunt somewhere interesting soon. I tire of giant-flesh and the thought of biting into that tree is disgusting. Trees are good for marking boundaries, nothing else."
"I'm not hopeful we'll bring her around to accepting us," Kalt says as they get some distance from the treant, "especially since we are, in fact, serving Baba Yaga. But I think you did the right thing, Shanya, in telling her we'd try to help."
Thinking back on what they've heard about the rest of the garden, he continues, "Let's head to the west, and see what strange things live in the huts there. We can save our visit to the cat for later, Tik."
"Why bother helping helping it? It's just another of the witch's puppets, no better then the trolls or that crib-thief in disguise."
"Except she isn't there by choice, and is clearly suffering." Shanya replies with a snort. "I can't imagine you'd want to suffer in her place, wallowing in madness and pain instead of accepting aid when it's offered."
"I'm not hopeful we'll bring her around to accepting us, especially since we are, in fact, serving Baba Yaga. But I think you did the right thing, Shanya, in telling her we'd try to help."
Shanya taps her fingers together and sighs. "I hope we do find some way of helping--I don't like making promises I can't keep."
"West, then," Avora says with a wistful sigh. She is clearly upset by her inability to help the treant.
Sven pats the worg on the flank. "It's the duty of the strong to lead and protect the weak. That includes giant talking trees", he explains.
"An admirable sentiment." the little ratman replies. "Though I'm not sure I'd refer to that monstrous treant as 'weak'.
"At any rate, I'm quite curious to see what the Witch Queen grows in her gardens. Shall we head there next?"
Towering tropical vegetation grows in profusion here, and the canopy of green foliage gives the impression of a leafy ceiling overhead. Thick creepers choke the trees and taller shrubs, each straining to reach the light above.
As the group walks along the thickly-overgrown path, it becomes increasingly difficult to see father then a few feet in front of their face.
The danger in such a situation readily becomes apparent when the group rounds a corner - only the keen eyes of Kalt, Avora, and the worg spot the danger of a giant plant hidden among the leaves. The creature has a twisted trunk clustered with bulbous blossoms holds up a gaping mouth ready to swallow a victim whole. It emits a wail and arcs forward, a wail answered in kind by something not too far away...
[spoiler=Avora,Tiknesr, or anyone making a DC 18 nature]You recognize this as a Moonflower, resistant to all damage save slashing, resistant to cold, immune to electricity, vulnerable to fire. They can pulse blinding light and swallow their victims in separate pods.
Perception
(+2 in cold, mountains, underground from Kalt)
Avora Teremocles (+4 in cold, +2 in natural settings)
Greta
Kalt Ìsson (+6 cold, +4 underground; +2 mountain and forest)
Lana Shahakh
Shanya (+4 v. traps)
Sven Bjornson
Tiknesr Th'th'th'th'slifp (+2 if scent based)
Initiative
(+2 in cold, mountains, underground from Kalt)
Avora Teremocles (+4 in cold)
Greta
Kalt Ìsson (+6 cold, +4 underground; +2 mountain and forest)
Lana Shahakh
Shanya
Sven Bjornson
Tiknesr Th'th'th'th'slifp
Kalt sees the massive plant rear up and takes a moment to figure out what he's facing. Figuring it's a plant, and you cut down plants, he takes a quick step closer and reaches out to slash it with his sword!
The strike is well placed and the alien plant begins to ooze a green ichor. The moonflower rears up it's massive body and shrills, an earsplitting sound that digs at the temples. A moment later the creature glows a dull blue and green for a moment before emitting a pulse of harsh white.
The moonflower to the north crawls at a plodding pace towards the heroes.
The worg swears in crude Giant Pidgin, and stumbles awkwardly out of the forest, clearly blinded.
Blinded for rounds.
"Gods damn it! Not again!" Avora shouts, trying to find her focus.
The initial shock of being assaulted by a jungle begins to wear off!
Kalt says, "Better not give you another chance to do that." He steps closer to the towering plant, closes his eyes, and cuts at it once, then again!
Much to Kalt's chagrin, the tissue of the moonflowers slowly begins to knit back together. The creature responds to Kalt's attack by diving down to pick the warrior up in its tremendous mouth!
The second creature pushes its way through the thick jungle, finally catching up with the first creature.
Shanya, unfortunately, catches the last of the moonflower's light before she can shield her eyes.
"AAAAGH!"
She blindly fumbles with an extract flask and chugs its contents while stepping forward.
The old rat screeches as the light blinds his red eyes. "These foul things are moonflowers. Vulnerable to fire. Resistant to any weapons but those that cut, and to electricity and cold.
"And apparently they can blind folks. Dagnabbit! Can any of you still see?!?"
Keeping his eyes closed, Kalt drops his two-handed blade and draws his starmetal longsword, cutting at the plant that has grabbed hold of him!
Avora, grumbling in frustration, loads a rock into her sling and lets fly towards the place she last saw the plant creature.
Avora, Shanya and Tik are all temporarily stymied by the powerful blast fo light, but Lana, Sven and Kalt press on. Only Sven, however, lands a strike against the alien plants, and even then only barely.
Lana shouts as she sees her friends in peril. "No! Be strong and fierce! Don't let them hurt you!
But the blessing comes too late, as seconds later, Kalt is swallowed with gentle popping sound. Seconds later, the plant creature deposits a man-sized pod at its base.
Inside the pod, digestive juices eat at Kalt's skin while the pods fibrous mass constricts.
The other moonflower flails and bites at Sven, hitting with a single tentacle.
The she-worg recovers from her blindness. Sprinting quickly towards the plants, she uses the cover of trees to shield herself as she approaches. When she closes, she unleashes her pruinae oris, frost washing over the plants. The effect upon them is minor, wounding them only slightly.
Kalt is startled to be suddenly encased in some sort of weird plant matter, but he figures it should cut like any other plant. He lets go of yet another weapon, the longsword proving too unwieldy in the tight space of the pod, and draws his dagger.
The burning flash recedes from Tik's eyes just in time to see Kalt swallowed by the massive plant.
Ulp! He didn't last long.
Oh wait, he's still kicking in there. That's good, he looked pretty useful. Lets see if I can help keep'm alive.
With that, the old rat singsongs "Tongue of goat and horn of buck / Now your luck is gonna suck!" and then starts to chuckle to himself. "Ha ha ha ha, ho ho hee hee hee hee"
________________
Avora tries again with the sling.
Kalt and Sven work swiftly to free Kalt as the others hurl curses and stones at the Moonflowers. After liberating the warrior, Sven's second and third strikes bring the first plant to the ground with a mighty crash. However, the un-Golarion healing which blesses the plant still works to knit its wounds together.
Avora's stone clatters off the second creatures thick skin; when Tiknesr's curse lands the second plant pauses in doubt, unable to appreciate the strange twists of fate that now plague it.
Shanya takes off her gloves as she advances on the other plant monster.
The plant's roots look atrophied. Try and rip them up.
She swipes a clawed hand at it...