Kpu'Unde blinked hard a couple of times then looked around, reacquainting himself with his surroundings.
Visions never come in a simple manner. he thought to himself, then chuckled at his own joke, which drew an odd look from one of the townsfolk near him.
Kpu'Unde's attention returns to the present and the rest of you, along with the crowds, focus in on Father Zantus, who had used a thunderstone to grab everyone's attention. He recites a brief benediction to Desna and then says, "Now, with no further ado..." and lays hold of the thick blanket covering the cart which is to the side of the stage and yanks it off.
There is a little bit of a glow, but not as much as you were expecting, and you see 5 or 6 luna moths flutter upward now that they are free of the blanket. "What's the deal?!" shouts one citizen near the back of the crowd who can't see very well all the way up to the front. It is not for long that you wonder why there are so few moths, though. "What are those?!" cries out another. You see three strange figures in the cart, but it is hard to make them out in this light and how close they are together...then they seem to take notice that their hiding place has been opened up and turn to face the crowd. You see a sinuous body on each, remarkably thin, and thin limbs, also. What passes for a head is strangely shaped; rounded at the back but long and tapered in the front. One of them opens wide its mouth and you see the glisten of crushed luna moths lining many teeth. It lets out an awful kind of screech that sounds like moisture escaping a log on a fire. Then all three leap from the cart! One is fast approaching Father Zantus while the other two move toward the crowd!
[dice=Rick "The Dragon"]1d20+4[/dice]
...
Brommyl's tattoos flash in a vaguely hypnotic pattern as energy flows forth from his hands and coalesces in the form of an elaborately-carved lucerne hammer that hovers in front of the monster attacking Father Zantus.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rick immediately tries to do something, but there are a lot of people in the street. The crowd is a very difficult obstacle, but nothing is impossible, though.
The creature gives no sign of having understood Brommyl's Thassilonian speech.
If she made a mistake, she could apologize later. Estria had been about forty feet away when the creatures arrived, and she hesitated for only a moment as she made up her mind. In a situation like this, the first thing she needed to do was clear the square of innocent people. Reaching up to her bag - from which dangled numerous bottles and vials - Estria plucked one of them off and pointed it towards the sky as she flicked open the stopper.
A tremendous CRACK! could be heard as a jolt of lightning shot into the sky, bringing with it a thunderclap. It was loud enough for everyone in the square to hear - and those quite some ways away, too, to alert others nearby.
"CLEAR THE SQUARE! DON'T TRAMPLE EACH OTHER!" Estria called out with the commanding tones of a Taldan.
Estria has improved the situation--the people at the front, frightened, had begun backpedaling, but the people in the back weren't moving out of the way yet, not yet understanding what was happening. With Estria's clear command, however, the people start moving more concertedly west, away from the cathedral and the unknown creatures.
Kpu'Unde had been standing in the back of the crowd, wishing only to observe events, when the attack came. What was that earlier then? he thought to himself, before moving into action.
Kpu'Unde's master was not the undisputed lord of time and space for nothing, however.
Stepping forward, Kpu'Unde appeared in 15' away from the wagon, though it was clear that he was reacting differently than the crowd.
"Please, cease your assaults. We can resolve this as civilized beings." he said, his voice clear and calm.
Round 1 Initiative
--Brommyl
--Rick
--Estria
--Kpu'Unde
Dusk Bloom
Legonor
Enemies
Also near to the back so as to avoid the press of so many souls, Dusk can still make out the strange figures as they leap to murder and mayhem. As Estria's command and light starts to clear the throng Dusk girds herself, glaive held stiffly in hand before becoming fluid and...ready.
Total Defense Action to achieve Martial Focus.
Kpu'Unde's attempt at negotiation draws the attention of the two which were approaching the crowd. They do not respond with words, however, but by charging him instead! Their mouth parts open wide as they draw near...
The one which had been approaching Father Zantus, now menaced by the floating hammer takes a step back and spits something at the priest!
Zantus cries out in pain and staggers back!
Now is the time! Rick once more invokes the strength of the dragon, his mystical tattoos moving as if they were alive. The effect looks like the dragons in his arms really spouted a blast of pure energy at the two goblins who are assaulting the poor citizen who tried to talk.
Rick moves quickly to strike back at one of the two creatures that bit Kpu'Unde. His first blast sets it back a bit, and the second blast shreds through its thin frame. You see small bits of wet, green, fibrous material go flying as it collapses.
With a flick of his hand, Brommyl sends the lucerne hammer flying toward the acid-spitting monster, point-first.
Noticing Kpu'Unde getting torn by the goblins, Estria considered for just a moment, then darted forward. Others were attacking the beasts to get their attention, but if she was quick enough, she might be able to get the injured man back to his feet. Fortunately - thinking ahead - she'd prepared a Salve for just such an occasion. She didn't hesitate to press it against the wound, either.
The target of Brommyl's hammer is too quick, and it side steps the thrust.
Suitably prepared, Dusk moves forward. A flicker of doubt crosses her features, almost a physical rippling, as if another earlier or later iteration of herself tried to takeover.
Heal or hurt? she thinks.
Ultimately, the warrior in her decides to attempt to negate the problem rather than provide succour to the injured man - besides, the elegant young woman seems to have provided some of that already. Dusk brings her glaive to bear, and thrusts toward the spiny creature...
[+2 Str, +1 Weapon Focus]
[+3 THF]
The Mwangi man rises then once again pleads for peace, saying "Please, is there no way that we can resolve this without violence?"
The remaining plant-like creature spits now at Brommyl as it discerns that he is the source of the menacing hammer!
The nerve of this creature! Daring to attack him! Brommyl doubled over and gagged as he struggled to keep from losing his delicious meal. As if it had a mind of its own, the hammer continued attacking the beastie.
Estria grabbed a pair of vials off of her bag. "Stay out of the fog!" she said as she poured one into the other, then hurled the concoction towards the creature, slinging it out of the vial in a well-practiced movement. The mix exploded into a cloud of noxious, tiring gas as it impacted against the ground and received enough force to kick-start the chemical reaction that gave it the properties Estria was looking for.
Rick is worried for the man who got slashed, but it seems some other people are attending him, so he decides to finish the threat for once.
The creature dodges another swing of that menacing hammer, and then a cloud briefly envelops it as Estria's vial of poison shatters. It sniffs at the cloud but appears unaffected by the poison. The cloud distracted it enough, however, for one of Rick's attacks to get past its defenses. You see the green fibrous material of its skinny torso begin to fray under the assault, but it looks like it is rearing back for another spit at Brommyl...
Dusk smiles grimly, and seeks to spit the creature as she did the first...
[+2 Str, +1 Weapon Focus]
[+3 THF]
...and then Dusk Bloom brings death to the creature on the edge of her glaive.
As Brommyl recovers from the sickly feeling which had radiated from the spot on his shoulder which was struck by the acid spit, Father Zantus is recovering, as well. "Thank you, all of you! Are you alright? Here, allow me..." he says as he beckons you all a little closer and then channels a burst of healing energy by the power of Desna.
So that particular poison didn't affect them much, eh? Interesting - something to note for the future. Fortunately, she had a few other options. "More salves, I think, and less lightning for now." she muttered. It could be hard to predict how much of something she might need, but this had been quite... educational. Fortunately, no locals seemed too hurt.
Dusk breathes harder than she might, though the glaive-spit weight on the end of her haft might be the reason.
"Are these creatures part of the festivities? Will there be more?" she asks Father Zantus.
Rick wipes his sweat and runs to the injured man, applying the dragon chi to his ley lines.
"Are you alright?"
Clearly, by the way it happened, this can't be something planned as part of the festivities.
Standing, the Mwangi man bows to the group. "Thank you for your assistance. I am still alive thanks to your quick actions. I see now why I was brought here." he says, not elaborating on the final point.
"My name is Kpu'Unde, and I believe that we should band together to stop these plant creatures from harming others. What say you?"
The floating hammer vanishes as Brommyl steps forward, his glowing tattoos fading back to their normal hue. "I agree. Perhaps they stowed away from wherever the butterflies came from."
"I think the most important question is how many of them there really are. Creatures like these take time to grow." Estria noted, bending down to poke at one of them. "I may have to research something that will work on them..." If her normal poisons didn't work, her options got sharply limited. ......Maybe more healing packs. "Did anyone see what direction they came from?"
Rick notices Brommyl's tattoos and gets caught by them for a moment. "Marvelous!"
"I mean... I'm Rick. Yes, we shall band together and deal with the threat. First of all, are all citizens alright?"
"While it is possible, perhaps we should continue our discussion while we move to help those in need?"
Glad that Father Zantus has not answered her rhetorical question, Dusk nods at the suggestion of banding together. Still, Estria's question puzzles her, possibly more than her own puzzled Father Zantus.
"I think they came from wherever the moths were to be released from!?!"
"Before that." Estria clarified. "If there's a weakness in the walls somewhere, I think it would help to have a direction to start looking in. Such creatures probably didn't go through more of the town than necessary." There was no guarantee of that, but she did think it was worth having someone look in to.
"It's entirely possible they hid in the wagon that brought in the Moths." says Kpu'Unde as he begins moving towards the sounds of combat.
"We'll have to check just in case anyways" states Rick, following the rest and trying not to look too eager to help.
"Didn't they come from inside the wagon? Perhaps they snuck aboard there. Does anyone know who drove the wagon here?"
As you all ponder the where and how of these plant creatures' entry into the town, you see chaos reigning around you. Townsfolk are fleeing everywhere, and individual members of the town guard are fighting other flytrap leshies as you have done.
Suddenly, the cries of two voices to the south catch your ear:
" Why did you strike me?!"
"I don't know! I--I didn't mean to!"
And then you hear the frenzied cackling of some inhuman creatures, but it is certainly not a sound you have heard from the leshies so far.
As the five of you rush to investigate (Father Zantus stays behind to tend to wounded townfolk), you find a pair of guardsmen facing a group of 3 small creatures. They have grey bodies, oversized heads, and glowing blue eyes (image). You see that one of the guards is favoring his shoulder, and now surmise from the words you heard that the other guard struck him there with his mace. The three little creatures in front of them are momentarily occupied with their cackling.
[dice=Rick "The Dragon"]1d20+4[/dice]
Nerak had been off at a food cart when the dedication began; he really didn't have the patience for priests and their speeches, and the lines were shorter because everyone else was distracted. He had just gotten a juicy mutton leg in hand when the screaming started. Bloody 'ell, what now? He looked back and forth between the juicy meat and the commotion in the distance, thinking. Could be I could help some ol' fool, get my name spread a little... Growling in frustration, he puts the mutton leg down, grabs his axe, and moves toward the trouble.
He hears the guards yelling at each other, and rolls his eyes hard. "Bloody oafs..." he mutters quietly to himself. Then he happens upon the scene, and his head tilts just a little. He squints his eyes and studies his foes.
"Tough little buggers, looks like" he growls, then uses his off-hand to make a couple of quick gestures and grunting out a few arcane words. Suddenly, the half-orc grows to a larger size, grinning as he does. "Let's see what they've got!"
The half-orc then charges forward, rushing the nearest of the beasties, before bringing his large axe down in a wicked strike, and trying to bite one for good measure.