Muttering, "Have to protect it...", Kalt once again attempts to break Sven's iron grapple, but doing so proves completely beyond him.
The moss continues in the only defense it knows and again releases spores on the wrestling ulfen.
And the beast of a man remains unaffected by them, much to the dismay of the fungus and its current host.
Kalt once again attempts to break free from Sven's mighty bear-hug, but his friend's affection is simply too powerful.
Bugsby frowns as he considers the dangerous but bizzare scene before him, "You'retheworstmossI'veeverseen!" he declares and tries to cast daze on it with a whirling of small fingers covered in the green glow of the gnomes magic.
He tries to discern anything of magical import about the dying moss even as he sends out the daze spell.
The Gnome immediately recalls that the spell Daze only affects humanoid creatures, and this mossy parasite is not such a thing. Beyond that however, he has no new knowledge to share that Avora has not.
Having used his only Burning hands for the day, Ankih pulls out a flask of oil and smashes it into Kalt.
Ask Kalt hangs limp in his brothers arms, The moss twitches and recoils from the continuing blasts of flame, much of the stuff burnt and shriveled at this point. It makes no effort to leave Kalt at this point.
Bugsby keeps his distance as Kalt falls unconscious. He pulls out his lone flask of oil, and removes the stopper, sniffing exuberantly as the aroma within wafts upwards, 'Weneedmoreofthis?" he asks hopefully.
As the moss burns, it makes not further efforts to defend itself, leading you to decide that it is probably dead, or at least unconscious. Pulling out a dagger, the moss is deftly cut away from Kalt, small tendrils having wormed their way into his neck and spine giving the distinct impression that if it had been forcibly removed while it still clung to life, it would have been most unconcomfortable for the host. Once removed, the moss is further burnt, smashed, and generally destroyed to the utmost possibility.
A groan escapes the original host, his body already begining to return to normal now that he is not being a living plant feeder.
Bugsby assists the others cleaning up Kalt, and tries to surruptitiously slip some of the moss into his oil flask for study later. It's not that he's trying to be deceptive, but he doesn't want to worry his companions.
That attempted he sidles up close to the recovering brother, "Kalt, thisisveryimportant. Whatwasthatlike? Areyouhungryfordirt? Doyoufeeldrawntowardstheeastatall?"
" Well. That was.....different."
Seeing the moss destroyed, Ankih pulls out a scroll and casts it on Kalt.
Then when Kalt can move away from the remains of the moss, he will channel some.
And since it heals the non lethal along with the lethal that should put you back up, mostly.
As Sven supports him, Kalt stirs as Ankih's healing magic courses through him, the sharp sting of it bringing him quickly back to his senses. "Wha...what happened? Why am I all...burned? Did that troll attack us with fire?"
He shakes his head a bit as if to clear it, and sees the shreds of moss lying on the ground. Kalt's eyes widen and he takes a quick, sharp breath, saying, "Oh gods, did I hurt anyone?" He looks quickly around and sees his friends all intact, and all looking at him with concern. He relaxes a bit, and lets out the breath in a long, slow sigh.
Ankih then sends another burst of healing through Kalt, whose wits finally restore themselves enough that he realizes Bugsby's been firing questions at him. He focuses on the bouncing gnome a moment and begins to smile, relief flooding through him, then answers, "What was it like? I don't remember much, except a strong need to protect that moss thing, no matter what. I didn't care about anything else. And no, I'm no more hungry for dirt that usual, Bugs."
He considers the last question a moment and says, "Strangely, I do feel drawn to the east. I have an odd feeling that more of my kind dwell there, happily controlling their subjects with their mossy tendrils." As he says this, he gives Sven and the others a quick wink over Bugsby's head, before saying, "What do you think it means, Bugsby?"
Kalt gets his feet fully under him and gives Sven a rough, one-armed hug in return, saying with a grin, "Seems you did a job of it, keeping me from hurting anyone while under that thing's control. Thank you, another debt between us, eh?" He steps back from Sven and looks around at all his friends, saying, "Damn, that was a strange experience. Seems Irrisen is full of them. Since we stepped through that portal, I've known death and been the puppet of a very nimble moss, among other things. But I'm glad I didn't hurt any of you."
He lifts his chin to Sven and says, "Let's collect the husband and get him home, Bjornson. I guess he and I have something in common, aside from a taste for the beautiful women of this land."
The man groggily tries to stand, wobbling frequently as he readjusts to his limbs being under his full control once more. ”Th..Thank you.” he stammers, and at the mention of returning him home, he nods eagerly.
He focuses on the bouncing gnome a moment and begins to smile, relief flooding through him, then answers, "What was it like? I don't remember much, except a strong need to protect that moss thing, no matter what. I didn't care about anything else. And no, I'm no more hungry for dirt that usual, Bugs."
He considers the last question a moment and says, "Strangely, I do feel drawn to the east. I have an odd feeling that more of my kind dwell there, happily controlling their subjects with their mossy tendrils." As he says this, he gives Sven and the others a quick wink over Bugsby's head, before saying, "What do you think it means, Bugsby?"
The gnome sits on the ground, pondering deeply for several long moments, and then stands up with an apparently brilliant discovery, "Aha!! Itmeansyouhavebeenpsyonicallylinkedwiththemossesspouse, fartotheeast, andmustonedayseekherout. Areyoufeelingmoreromantictowardsmossbychance? Thiswouldsupportmytheory!"
That settled, the gnome starts moving towards the cave, a gleeful expression of curiosity on his face.
The group approaches the small cave with all manner of detection spells active. Nothing magical or evil can be detected, but much of the cave is littered with dead animal now serving as a growth medium for a living web of molds and mosses. None appear to have reached the stage in their growth to become independent of the “hive” moss.
Those with knowledge in nature can tell that much of the moss is similar to that which the group just fought, however it has not matured yet. Observation tells you that it does not appear sentient yet and does not seem to have any spore pods.
Picking through the bones and moss, Sven comes across the remains of a bear, and within its decayed stomach are a few bits of jewelry worth about 300 gp.
Bugsby reaches quickly into a pouch to retrieve his oil flask, but then remembers just as quickly that he has a momento of the moss monster stashed inside. "ToobadI'msavingthis..." He proclaims awkwardly to the group, turning around and heading the opposite direction.
As they enter the cave, Kalt says, "I'll tell you, Bugsby, I'm not feeling romantic towards the moss in this cave, it's a pretty nasty place. The moss's spouse must be off the the east, like you said."
He then says, "Nice find on the treasure, Bjornson, sorry you had to take it from one of your kin. As far as burning the moss, I'm all for it. I've got a flask of acid and one of alchemist's fire, if you think they're worth using up to do the job."
Ankih looks at the growing moss with revulsion.
" Yes let's burn it. I'm sorry Kalt." He says with a shudder." To have it attached to you and inside your mind..."
Bugsby nods long with Ankih in joint-commiseration, but his eyes are far away and he speaks with a strange sort of longing, "Yes... that must have been terrible." He then quivers a little and seems to shake whatever thoughts he was having -out of his head. "Wellthen, letsburntheplacedown, enoughdoomandgloomeveryone!" He takes a deep breath of moss-musty air, and coughs unexpectedly, "Whocanbesadwhenlightingthingsonfire, eh?" he asks around his coughs.
With the mosscave burned, the group returns to the small cottage, and are greeted by the sled dogs freed from their bindings while Nadya and her boys waited. At the commotion, she looks up with a smile over the groups safe return, and shouts to the house. Wife and husband are soon reunited in a loving embrace as the woman dotes upon him and his many wounds.
After a while, the two separate, flushing a bit crimson over their antics being observed and offer their thanks to the party, asking if there is anything they can do to help in their grand adventure.
Bugsby was watching closely as the husband and wife reunite, a wistful expression on his face. As they turn back to the group Bugsby feels a twinge of disappointment, "Oh, youmaycontinue." he suggests to the couple.
They chuckle over Bugsby's reply, and whispering in half sentences as married couples are known to do, before she scurries back into the hut for a moment. "Though seem to not want a reward, we feel we must offer something. About a year back I found a merchant wagon that had been pillaged and burned. When I was burying the dead, I found a small ivory tube, missed in the raid. We had kept it as a rainy day fund, knowing the scrolls inside could be sold for some coin, but all the coin in the world means nothing if you are a puppet." he says, turning as the woman emerges from the house, "And since you stopped me from being a puppet, we'd like you to have it. Can't say I know what those scrolls are but well... Thanks. She holds out the ivory tube for one of you to take.
" Thank you" replies Ankih as he takes the tube.
" Normally I wouldn't dream of taking this from you, but we seem to be in hostile territory and any help is appreciated."
" Oh. How very nice. Thank you. Just what the doctor ordered."
Ankih clutches the scrolls with a huge smile on his face. It Falters somewhat as he hands the last one over to Bugsby...
" I'd save that till we really need it my friend. Its a scroll of Fly! As for the other two, they are for the removal of curses and such. Sarenrae hasn't chosen to grant me these spells yet, but I understand them and since the power is in the scroll so to speak, I believe I can cast them to remove Lana's ring and Kalt's weakness.... There is, however small, a chance of failure tho."
Kalt has been staring quietly down at the snow as his friends talk with the reunited husband and wife, but his eyes lift in wonder as Ankih describes what the scrolls can do. "You can actually lift this damned burden off me?" he asks, his voice full of intensity and a dash of hope. "There is nothing I desire more, to be done with this feeling of half-life. It is nearly worse than being dead."