Both of Firebeard's attacks land, denting in the side of the cauldron. Immediately followed by Bernwyr's frost, which on the side instantly. Tidus swings his large sword at the cauldron, but just barely misses his foe.
Firebeard slipped to the side again to allow tidus to join him opposite the cauldron from the giant Tash. He continued to pound on the cauldron, slamming iron-hard blows into the iron of the pot.
5' down, Flurry.
attack
damage
attack
damage
Seeing Firebeard shift to allow room, Tidus takes a five-foot step in to attempt a flank with the enlarged half-Orc.
Tash swings again at the cauldron. "Hold still, you overgrown teacup," he chuckles in a booming voice.
Tash swings his greataxe at the cauldron, but he misjudges his height and the attack is too high.
Round 3
The cauldron attempts to slam into Tidus again.
for
The attack lands. The metal molds and attempts to wrap around Tidus.
Fortunately, Tidus manages to avoid the grab and remains ungrappled.
Firebeard lays into the cauldron with a flurry of blows. Both connect and instantly, the cauldron ceases to move.
After the cauldron is defeated, you spend another 10 minutes looking for the root. You poke through the nooks and crannies of the cabin, uncovering many strange, but ultimately unremarkable items. Finally, Berenwyr, finds a small bundle of the root under the humanoid bundle of branches.
Your detect magic spell also detects an aura of faint illusion coming from the amulet around the straw man's neck.
Firebeard celebrated the cauldron's demise, and then leaned heavily against the wall. "I know we be in a hurry, but I be afeared that I be needin' a rest. I still not be feeling righ' from tha' damnable lizard. What say we stay the night here an' set out fer the dwarf ruins at first light?"
Tash focuses a wave of healing energy.
"Let us bar the door and sleep in here."
"Agreed. And thank you, Tashtal. I feel much better now."
A wise choice, Firebeard. We must be swept swift, but a night's rest will serve us better than rushing through the woods in the dark. This place has not yet yielded all its secrets to us. There is a dweamor of trickery around the amulet worn by this effigy.
Allow me to study it a moment, but please do not touch it. I'd hate to see anything else come to life and attack us.
You're able to identify the grotesque, amulet-like shrunken head as a soulspeaker. It is said to contain the enslaved soul of its former owner. Forced to obey whomever carries it, once per day a soulspeaker can repeat a message as if the spell magic mouth were cast upon it. The owner must merely hold the 6-inch-in-diameter head and speak his message and the conditions under which the soulspeaker should repeat it. While it carries a message, the eyes of the stitched head stretch open, closing as soon as its message has been delivered.
The night passes without event - the cauldron doesn't move and no enemies try to come through the door. It appears that Zane has left completely - he doesn't return at any point during the night either.
Tashtal -
Tidus -
Firebeard -
Berenwyr -
You stow your gear and head out for the short journey to the abandoned monastery. It is relatively easy going, as you manage to find a path that is surprisingly well-trod and kept up.
As you think you are nearing your destination, you spot movement to the north - two wolves are approaching - make that running - towards your group. It is clear they intend to attack.
Surprise Round
Tash -
Tidus -
Firebeard -
Berenwyr -
Wolves -
"There be wolves comin'. And they ain't lookin pretty, neither." The dwarf calmed his mind and set himself in a loose stance, ready for battle. His nimble - for a dwarf - figure seemed to sway slightly to an unheard rhythm.
"HOLD!" booms Tash in a voice of thunder. It appears that he is calling to his companions and the wolves alike. He brandishes the symbol of a bow and feather among the many trinkets he wears and recites a low word.
The two wolves move forward - one of them reaches Tidus.
Round 1
Tash's voice booms through the woods. The wolves stop short.
Both wolves immediately sit down and look at the party, tilting their heads and panting.
"We have a minute to get away from the wolves and give them an option not to pursue. Of course...if they pursue, and wolves often do..." Tash smiles and runs a finger along the grip of his axe.
Tidus eyes the wolves warily, but trusts his new companion.
"They seem subdued... for now. Let us go, but not drop our guard."
Berenwyr grins at Tash, You are a cunning creature, my friend,. Well played indeed. Let us depart, and as we travel, I will tell you all of the properties of the amulet I discovered in the witch's hut.
Berenwyr drops a bit of dried meat from his rations near the wolves as they pass, hoping that sating their hunger will dissuade the beasts from pursuit.
The amulet is called a soulspeaker it is a relatively minor, if grotesque magic item. It can be commanded to deliver a message based on certain circumstances, last night, I commanded it to cry out 'Halt! Who goes there?' in a loud voice should anyone approach us unseen. We shall see how efficacious it is.
"Tha' sounds like a right useful little thing. Pity about it's looks though."
The group makes it way up the path, leaving the wolves behind them.
Sitting squat at the foot of an imposing mountain, a ruined monastery comes into view between ancient gnarled trees. Made of simple stone blocks, worn smooth with the passage of time, the stout building is falling apart. Sections of the slanted shale roof have collapsed and portions of the outer wall have crumbled. Weeds and wild thorn plants run rampant across the field leading up to the place, leaving only the slightest indication of a path that ends at the ruined front doors. Beyond, an overgrown yard sits in shadow.
The old path that leads up to the ruins ends about 50 feet from the monastery. Before entering the yard, the path passes between a pair of old stone statues. While one of them is little more than rubble, the other is relatively intact. The 5-foot tall statue is incredibly worn but it can
still be made out as a dwarf holding its arm out as if to stop. Moss and creeper vines cover most of its surface. Peeking through the vines around the base you see an old dwarven inscription that reads “All praise, [this part is defaced].” Unfortunately, the missing name was scratched off a long time ago and is no longer legible.
Tall grasses and chunks of stone debris have all but overtaken this small yard. Off to one side,
a wooden stable has collapsed into a mound of rotting timbers and moldy straw. The outer wall on the east side has also collapsed, leaving a ragged hole. Three doors exit into this yard - a pair of double doors to the east, a single door to the north, and a lone door leading into the
squat tower in the southeast corner.
Finally, there is a well in the northwest corner. You can spot a body propped up against the edge.
Tidus draws his longbow and looks back to the rest of the party.
Based on our recent run-ins with forest creatures and magical monsters, I'm inclined to feel that we're not alone here. Everyone stay on your guard. Let's go and examine this body and see if it offers up any clues to the current state of the monastery."
Tashtal looks at the dwarf statue and inscription. "Firebeard, compatriots of yours?"
He draws his greataxe out of habit.
Berenwyr casts detect magic and scans the surrounding courtyard as he makes his way over to the corpse at the well.
This fellow does not seem well off. Does anyone recognize him?
His eyes wary, the elf searches around him, while his raven companion caws on his shoulder in the silence of the ruined monastery.
"Hmm...not that I ever heard of, but then, I ain't from these parts. Anyways, they been gone fer a good long time from th' look o' things."
Tash examines the statue and is able to recognize that is from the time of the last great dwarven kings, many centuries ago. He is unable to discern, however, what was scribbled out.
Studying the body, Tidus is unable to recognize the man as his body has been torn to shreds by what appear to be large claws or talons. There is a backpack resting beside the man.
If the backpack is opened, you will find a week’s worth of trail rations, a set of thieves tools, 50 feet of silk rope, a small coinpurse with 42 gp in assorted coins, and a small blue vial of liquid.
Berenwyr opens the backpack and examines the contents with his arcane vision.
It is a potion of cure light wounds.
You don't detect anything in or on the well.
"Shall we check out th' tower first?"
"The high ground may reveal something more of this place," Tash says in agreement.
He shifts his grip on his greataxe. "Tight quarters in there. I can lead, Firebeard, with you in the rear guard, and Tidus and Berenwyr in the middle."
Tower it is, then. Berenwyr claps the corpse on the shoulder. Our friend here has left us some kindly gifts, some good silk rope, strong as hemp but much lighter, what appear to be lock picks, trail rations, over forty gold pieces, and best of all, this healing elixir!
The elf hands each member of the party ten and a half gold in assorted coins.
Perhaps one of you more martial fellows should hold onto the potion. You tend to get yourselves into scrapes, he adds with a sly grin.
He adds, I think mushrooms tend to do well in the damp. After we explore the tower, maybe we should use this handy new rope to investigate the well.
"Whatever tore our friend to bits neither robbed him nor ate him," muses Tashtal. "Interesting."
"Best be lookin' out fer another large animal. Like as not tha's wha' did i'."
"Agreed. Let's explore this tower. It may hold some clues to what happened to our friend here. And be on the lookout... his killer may still lurk the area."
Tidus draws his greatsword over his shoulder and begins to walk cautiously.
The door to the tower is stuck, but Tash and Tidus manage to push it open - this time without needing Firebeard's assistance.
Thick webs cover much of the ancient crates and barrels stored inside the base of the tower. A rickety wooden staircase ascends along one wall to reach an open trapdoor above.
Tashtal -
Tidus -
Firebeard -
Berenwyr -
You spot movement in the northeast corner of the room - a giant spider appears to have descended from the ceiling upon your entry into the room.
Tash -
Tidus -
Firebeard -
Berenwyr -
Spider -
Surprise Round
The large spider scurries down from the barrel upon which it had lighted and moves close to Berenwyr.
Eager to get the drop on the spider before it preys upon his friends, Tidus takes a step closer to the spider and swings his greatsword.
Tash takes a 5' step towards the spider and hefts the greataxe at it.
Firebeard stepped up beside Tidus and lashed out at the spider with hands and feet. His blows rained down on the skittering legs and hairy body.
5' to M26 (or anywhere beside Tidus)
Flurry attack
damage
Flurry attack
damage
Flustered from his previous swipe, Tidus takes a second to regain his composure before bringing his full force behind his next attack.
"Old Stag's Droppings!" Tash swings again, somewhat annoyed at his first attempt.
(+2 to flank if Tidus gets there)
Round 1
Firebeard's first attack lands true, but the second sails wide.
The spider, seeing that it is quickly surrounded, lashes out at Tidus with its pincers and then shifts back to the northeast corner.
Tidus easily steps out of the way, but the dodge causes his attack to miss.
It is of little significance, however, as Tash opens a large gash on the back of the creature, damaging it significantly.
Berenwyr steps back to create some space between himself and the monstrous arachnid.
He hurls one of his acidic darts at the beast.
The acid hits the spider's hide, searing the flesh and causing the creature to squeal in pain. It looks as if it's on its last legs.
Round 2
Updated Map
Berenwyr takes a moment to think about what he knows of giant spiders.
Tidus continues his assault on the spider, determined to connect flesh to steel.
Tash strikes again with his greataxe.