@ Ven
Myth Sighs knowing that he will not convince you so easily
You have access to every book in the castle, when you read them take a look at the adventurers that return alive from Mistpines.
What do you do first, look for Desmond, look for Sven or read about history and geography?
@ Desmond
I knew it!, just like in the other temple... - She pushes a small stone and the ground open and she falls in there.
Desmond! Desmond!
@ Sven
You make the travelling without complications. In the road you take notice of some of the behaviour of your new team.
Maya was all the time nervous but paying attention to her surrounding, she uses a shortbow and told to you that she know a healing spell.
Will was talking all the time, way too eager to face combat and pretty much confident in his capabilities with the sword. He uses a bastard sword.
Sin was silent all the time, completely calm and aware of the surrounding. He uses a longspear.
You know you are approaching the whispering forest when the trees change their aspect to something more gloomy. THe trees in there don't have leafs and look almost petrified. There is no sound of birds and no sign of animals. There is no grass and no bushes, it is still not easy to walk in there cause the roots grow way larger than normal and they ravel all around.
Any advices for your teammates? any orders any plans?
Desmond rushes to the opening.
"Whoa! You alright?"
@ Desmond
It is very dark in the inside until mirelle cast some light into a stone.
I think I bend my ankle, I can not stand up...but this here...fascinating-
the hole is just enough for a person to enter. Mirelle is about 13 ft below.
"Oh, great..." Desmond rubs his temples.
Desmond gets his rope out, puts some knots in it, ties it to a nearby pillar, and uses it to climb down the hole.
"There, now I can get you back up. Unless whatever you found can heal injured ankles."
Vendrick goes to read up on the region before seeking out Amra to ask her where he might find the two men.
@ SvenYou make the travelling without complications. In the road you take notice of some of the behaviour of your new team.
Maya was all the time nervous but paying attention to her surrounding, she uses a shortbow and told to you that she know a healing spell.
Will was talking all the time, way too eager to face combat and pretty much confident in his capabilities with the sword. He uses a bastard sword.
Sin was silent all the time, completely calm and aware of the surrounding. He uses a longspear.
You know you are approaching the whispering forest when the trees change their aspect to something more gloomy. THe trees in there don't have leafs and look almost petrified. There is no sound of birds and no sign of animals. There is no grass and no bushes, it is still not easy to walk in there cause the roots grow way larger than normal and they ravel all around.
Any advices for your teammates? any orders any plans?
"If you have any long term spells to cast, do it now. Will, you're up front with me, Maya behind, and Sin take up the rear. We're going to do a quick sweep through the forest. If it moves toward us, assume it's an enemy, here. Hod your fire if it talks, but don't drop your guard."
"Stay alert, at all times."
@ Sven
After 10 minutes of patrolling you notice a single zombie walking around. Not other form of unlife seems to be close to that point.
Will look give you a look that ask for permission.
@ Ven
I'm understanding that you read about the situation of the zone in the present right?.
It seems perpperclamp's description of the region was not far from the truth. Among the several things that happend there. there are several things worth mentioning, but three are vital
1) Mistpines is always filled with a very dense mist that makes very hard to follow a trail or not to get lost.
2) Magic in there have chances to not work as usual. Spells could fail, get weakened, empowered, enlargened, shortened etc, without a clear pattern. Besides, in the landscape there can be found traces of magical effects, like portals or zones of horizontal gravity.
3) Some of the survivors from groups that traveled there tells that after going too deep into the forest they got attacked by unknown forces. They can't tell what happened, but the attack were swift and deadly.
@ Des
You hear some moan and lost mirelle from sight. If you call her she doens't answer.
"The Four Cascades are awful, and I'm never coming back."
Desmond picks up the stone that Mirelle cast light into, and follows her screams.
Wild Magic...dangerous indeed. Good thing those two are handy in a scrap. Vendrick thinks as he shuts the book.
He then asks around the castle for Amra to see if she knows where to find the two.
Sven watches Will's back, and nods to indicate he can move ahead to attack.
@ Sven
Will makes a loudly charge the zombie
the young ranger almost split in half the zombie, but the undead remain on foot and counterattacks striking at him.
@ Ven
You can easily find information about Sven and Desmond. The skinny one was to four cascades and the bearded one went to the whispering forest (i' assuming you have been reading because I'm too lazy to repeat the description of the places)
@ Des
Some few feets ahead you can see that Mirelle have been entangled and dragged by a large and red constrictor Snake. The snake have small horns, large fangs and in general have an evil appearance.
"Whoa! Looks like it's time to unleash my divine strength, and SMITE EVIL!"
Desmond cartwheels toward the snake and lands a devastating strike.
"There, you're smitten now. Or is it smote?"
@ des
DEsmond strikes deep into the Fiendish Anaconda's hard skin, but the creature don't die. The Snake release Mirelle and try to catch the swordman
- But fails.
Desmond keeps hacking away at its tough hide.
Then he prepares to parry.
@ Des
The serpent fall to the ground in bits. Without the constriction Mirelle start catching her breath again
THis temple...*deep breath*...Have been desecrated, recently.
"Yeah, looks like it. So, do I need to carry you back to town, or can you fly?"
Should've bought some Muleback Cords before I left.
@ Sven
Will makes a loudly charge the zombie
[dice=Charge!!]1d20 + 8;1d10+4
[dice=Slam]1d20 + 4;1d6+4the young ranger almost split in half the zombie, but the undead remain on foot and counterattacks striking at him.
"Good hit. Now finish the job. It won't stop coming at you until it's dead."
"Tsk. Well, I'll leave a message to come see me when they return." Vendrick informs those of who he spoke to to send them his way when they return.
In the meantime, he'll ready a few scrolls for their future travels.
"Tsk. Well, I'll leave a message to come see me when they return."
@ Desmon
I can fly for a while...Weah, better return, the follower of lamasthu that left the serpent here surely set more surprised ahead.- She seems interested in exploring the zone and the extend of the desecration but she is not the kind of persons to take that much risks
@ Ven an Des
Just when the elf is leaving the tavern the swordman just wlak in there
@ Sven
Will keep slashing until the zombie falls
-
Maya runs to see the injury
Maya: Are you ok? You should not attack so recklessly you are lucky he didn't hit you in a vital zone
Will: Bah, it was not my fault, the armor should have stopped that hit
"I packed some healing if it's needed. Maya's both right and wrong, Will. Charging in can often be advantageous, but making the enemy come to you is safer. If you aren't sure you can finish at least one of your foes before they get a chance to strike, it's risky business."
He seems to be getting into the teaching role that was thrust on him.
"I look forward to it!"
On the way back, Desmond buys a set of Muleback Cords (1000).
"And now, to resume my spiritual-WHOAH!"
Desmond nearly bumps into Vendrick as he walks through the Riverside's door.
"Ah, evening, Vendrick! Didn't take you for the drinking type."
"I'm not. Addles the mind." Vendrick glances past Desmond.
"Sven isn't with you? I was hoping to find the two of you."
Desmond shrugs. "No, I haven't seen him since yesterday. I think he went off to do some ranger stuff."
"Damn. Would you be willing to do some work for me as a bodyguard again? There are some elven ruins in the Mistpines I wish to explore. As a reward...well I offer many magical talents and aside from the artifacts we might find, any monetary treasures would be yours and Sven's for the taking." Vendrick tries his best to sell the idea.
Desmond perks up at the mention of artifacts and treasures.
"Yeah, sounds good to me! Can't imagine Sven would object, either. I'll keep an eye out for him."
Sven starts looking and sniffing around for signs of where the adventurers went. He concentrates for a moment, and draws an oil from his pouch, anointing his eyes with it. When he opens them, the forest becomes much clearer.
"My thanks. I'll be cloistering myself in the keep in preparation for the journey. Is there any kind of magic you think might be useful to you?"
@ Sven
There is a small odor track of some living creature, it might be the adventurers since most things are dead around here.
Not much later you discover your new power shines. Hiding below some moss there are at least 3 ogre zombies waiting, a not that normal behaviour for a free zombie.
Sven throws up a hand to stop his party.
"Ogre zombies, hiding over there. Any of you ever fought something that big before?"
Maya:Ogres?... - The girl start shaking
Will:*gulp*...I'm sure that three three of us can deal with one or perhaps two of them
Sin:...Unless this set up hide something else
"Good to know you can talk, Sin."
"And yeah, I don't doubt it's some kind of trap. Zombies aren't in the habit of hiding. But I don't see any sign of the puppet master around. It may be the same person who took out the Asskickers."
"If you want to turn around, say so now. I can see if Desmond and Vendrick can come back and help me, and you can continue your training with someone else."
"Once we move forward, it may be too late to turn back."
Will: We're... in. What do you want us to do, captain?
@ The others
VEndrick retreats to do some wizard stuff and Desmond I guess spends some time in the Inn.
Soon after a rumor started spreading, the rumor talks about large army of undeads in the whispering forest. The rangers are surprised, there was no report of so many undeads together, it seems they came from nowhere or they were hiding somehow (unusual since they are all mindless).
The city's officers have alerted all the guards, the rangers and the adventuring parties.
"As you wish."
During his wizardly time, Vendrick crafts a scroll of Jester's Jaunt CL 5 and Align Weapon CL 3.
He prepares his spells for the coming battles as well. He purchases an Ioun Torch and a Campfire Bead for 825 gp.
Will: We're... in. What do you want us to do, captain?
"I'm going to grab their attention. Will and Sin, circle around to flank. Maya, harass them with arrows and spells."
"We're going to hit them hard and fast." he says, and begins his transformation into "Combat mode".
@ Sven
They three nods, and...what do you do?
They move to take position, you, that can see the ogres, have the surprise round.
Sven rushes in and grows big, trying to take one to the ground with his bite.