Zar holds up a hand as Sterron begins to cast. Please save your spell and use this on him. He then passes over a small wand, telling Sterron the word to activate it. CLW wand.
"Yes, Sir. I'm Falbin. Those stupid lycanthrope hunters wanted to steal my belladonna." Falbin says.
Sterron searches the hunters and finds three potions and three tanglefoot bags. Each hunter wears a chain shirt and carries a longbow with 20 arrows and two silver short swords.
After you have extinguished the fire Falbin invites you into his house. "Watch your heads" he says. "and take a seat. I'm going to tell you everything I know about the ritual, this may take some time." the gnome begins.
"Rumors of lycanthrope activity often bring ruthless bounty hunters to the region, anxious to kill for coin. The rumors of animal-men south of Wispil have brought several such groups to the region. I also initially thought that those animal-men are lycanthropes, but I was wrong. Just like these hunters are wrong. The rumors spring from animal-men sighted in the forest near Briar Henge, where the druids’ ongoing ritual has had the strongest prolonged effect. The animal-men are bestial and dangerous, but they aren’t true lycanthropes, as they can’t change form and don’t have any particular vulnerability to silver — or to belladonna.
The animal-men are the result of the Briar Henge druids’ ritual with the Atavistic Splinter. That was all in my report to the Society. They used to be humanoids, but they’ve been changed by the druid’s ritual. They are incredibly tough, with animal-like faces and claws. They also lose most of their wits, becoming animalistic in mind as well as body. Longer exposure and closer proximity to Briar Henge appear to enhance the effects; I had to evade a trapper who lived only a few miles east of Briar Henge, and she was little more than a raving beast. Be careful!
The druids intend to transform everyone in the surrounding area into feral animal-men as a perverted way of returning them to ‘nature.’ The ritual is slow but powerful. The druids have been performing the ritual for weeks, and it seems to affect the area for miles around Briar Henge. Exactly how far out, I couldn’t say. I’ve done a lot of research, though, and I’ve learned two important points. First, the effects of the ritual are reversed only if the Atavistic Splinter is removed from Briar Henge before the entire ritual is complete — then all the affected animal-men would return to normal. Second, the ritual will end at sundown the day after tomorrow. That is, the ritual will only last two more days. The bad news is, that it takes almost two days to get to Briar Henge.
To get to Briar Henge you need to go south of here. The trail is fairly good for the first day, and there’s a small logging camp you could rest at. The loggers there are no friends of the druids, so you’re likely to receive a warm welcome if you mention you’re working against Briar Henge. Briar Henge is another day further southeast along some narrow but passable trails." Falbin draws a small map.
"I only saw Briar Henge from afar. It looks like a palisade wall in a ring, about twelve feet high and made of dense thorns. There was only one break in the wall that I saw, but it didn’t appear to be guarded.
I don’t know if the druids are effected by the ritual. If they are gaining physical power, their minds would also become more primitive, so maybe you could use that to your advantage if this is the case.
I don't think you have to fear anything from the ritual. Only people that have been in the area for a prolonged period of time seem affected. If you go to Briar Henge quickly, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
Well, that's all I know." Falbin says and looks at you waiting for questions.
Archaeologist (Bard) 3 | Nagaji Female | HP 23/23 | AC 18 (T 13, FF 16) (Uncanny Dodge) | Init 3 | Perception 10 | Saves 2/5/4 (+1 Trap Sense) (+2 vs Mind Affecting and Poison) | Archaeologist’s Luck 6/6 | Spells -/4 |
The Maiden of Gold will take a silver shortsword to compliment her cold iron one.
Is this it? Will this reverse my curse? Will this restore my form? Or is this an unrelated event? I must investigate.
"First of all, I am happy you are alive. Second of all, thank you for your help and information. It seems like we are best equipped for this situation- any remaining help will take too long. Is there anything about this ritual you know about?"
Any religion theories she's heard about this? Knowledge(Religion):1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
"At any rate, thank you for your help. Let's be off."
Amazing. Zar stops with a start. I don't mean to sound rude, but the ritual sounds quiet amazing. Mass transmutation. But we need to stop it, and since it sounds like time is of the essence we need to hurry.
Falbin, are there horses that we may be able to acquire to speed our journey, at least to the logging camp. I'm not much of a rider, but if it will speed us along.
"All I know about this ritual is, that it lasts for another two days and that they need the Atavistic Splinter. It turns every humanoid beeing into animal-like beasts and robs their wits. That's all I know. Falbin answers. "It's something about praying, singing and dancing I think."
"I don't have horses, but if you are lucky you might get some ponies in town." he answers to Zarzuket's question.
"Well, I don't have much room as you can see, but you can camp here in my living room if you like. Or you look for rooms at the town's inn." he suggests.
Yes, you reached Falbin's house at sundown. After the fight with the hunters and the lesson from Falbin it's already dark outside. And it's a day's travel to the first camp.
If we rest for the night, will we still have time to make it to the ritual before the limit is up? Also do we want to try and get some horses rounded up before hand or just go on foot.
Well as long as we can make it there without a problem. That's fine.
Good Falbin, if it does not inconvenience you, it would suit us just fine to camp here. And to show our thanks, please allow me to cook us some dinner.
If allowed, Zar heads off tot eh kitchen and begins to make up some stew put together from some of the vegetables and meat that he brought.
Also Falbin thanks you for the stew. "That's the best stew I had for at least a year!" he says while stuffingg bread into his mouth. "This makes me feel much better now, thank you very much." He also offers you wine and juice.
After dinner he gets all kinds of blankets, pillows and furs into the living room in front of the fireplace. "This is all I have, I hope you have a good night."
Archaeologist (Bard) 3 | Nagaji Female | HP 23/23 | AC 18 (T 13, FF 16) (Uncanny Dodge) | Init 3 | Perception 10 | Saves 2/5/4 (+1 Trap Sense) (+2 vs Mind Affecting and Poison) | Archaeologist’s Luck 6/6 | Spells -/4 |
After performing a quick patrol to make sure those hunters didn't have friends, The Maiden bundles up and falls asleep, mumbling to her hair. She's slept in worse places before.
Everything is calm, The Maiden does not spot any hunters around Falbin's house. Falbin moves to his own bedroom and after a few minutes you hear him snoring.
Whenever you are ready the next morning:
No incidents disturbed your night's rest and you wake up refreshed the next morning. The sun is already rising and you hear birds singing outside. The rest of the town is still sleeping, only the bakery already heated-up the stove.
Zar cleans up then heads to bed. The next morning he thinks about starting up something, but decides against it due to time. He instead moves to a corner of the room and begins to study from his book, readying himself.
As soon as you are prepared and ready to leave Falbin's house.
After you leave Wispil in south direction you enter a forest which grew denser and denser, but the trail is clearly visible and free from undergrowth. After hours of walking and several stops for a short rest you come to the logging camp Falbin mentioned.
As you get closer to Briar Henge you already feel the effects of the ritual. You feel stronger, but your mind gets cloudy. Your teeth and fingernails seem to grow.DC 12 Fort Save please, unless you have the Wild Empathy feat
The path runs through a small collection of buildings deep in the forest. This place appears to be a successful lumber camp — nearly a small village — but seems abandoned. A few open doors bang softly in the wind, hanging askew on their hinges.
fort:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Garox feels the call of the wild, but he steels his mind and slows the rate of his heart. "Foul magic is afoot. We should be wary here."
With that he disappears into the shadows, keeping his eyes and ears open for trouble.
Archaeologist (Bard) 3 | Nagaji Female | HP 23/23 | AC 18 (T 13, FF 16) (Uncanny Dodge) | Init 3 | Perception 10 | Saves 2/5/4 (+1 Trap Sense) (+2 vs Mind Affecting and Poison) | Archaeologist’s Luck 6/6 | Spells -/4 |
Disguise:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Today the Maiden has disguised herself as an apprentice logger, hoping for more work in the area.
Fort Save:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Chris notices her teeth growing like a cobra's fangs. At first she feels excited by this prospect, but she soon feels repulsed. No divine influence is at work here.
Is it happening? This isn't what I wanted! Not at all.
The GM happily claps her hands. At least one PC is affected, hehe.
@ The Maiden: Please apply the Bestial Template to your character, you can find it below the link to the map.
Archaeologist (Bard) 3 | Nagaji Female | HP 23/23 | AC 18 (T 13, FF 16) (Uncanny Dodge) | Init 3 | Perception 10 | Saves 2/5/4 (+1 Trap Sense) (+2 vs Mind Affecting and Poison) | Archaeologist’s Luck 6/6 | Spells -/4 |
GM, any chance I can model The Maiden of Gold's transformation after a snake? As far as she's concerned, she was originally a medusa, and her hair is still trying to talk to her.
With the fangs and talons growing out of her hands, it's clear the disguise is pointless.
"One day in and it's already affecting us. It looks like we should end this ritual for our own sanity. hiss."
Shaking her head to fight the urge to curl up, Charis quietly scouts the area.
@ The Maiden: Sure :) As long as you still have claws.
@ Sterren: I would not say it sucks, it's just that your abilities shifted to something else. But for builds which rely on Intelligence it sucks a bit more, that's true.
The Maiden and Sterron spot something unusual behind some of the buildings. It looks humanoid, but with claws, fangs and more hair than normal. Those creatures are watching you.
Zar feels the strange energy wash over him, tempting him toward it's power. But he forces it back and clears his head by running through recipes that he knows.
Whew that didn't feel like it would be much fun.
Zar then notices the shift in Sterron as he moves along the building.
Hmm, we'll have to see if we can't do something about that.
Zar then pauses as he spots the creatures. What are those things?
Any possible knowledge skill to determine what they are?
@Garox: Yes, also Garox is hidden, sorry.
@Zarzuket: Knowledge Nature would be appropriate.
@Sterron: this is not going to happen, believe me ;) I will take care of you.
Know. Nature DC 12:
These creatures were once men, changed to beasts by the druid's ritual. They have big teeth and claws and their skin looks stronger than normal human skin. They wear leather armor but don't have weapons.
Not sure if we are in init now, but let me know if Garox should roll another perception and stealth for spotting the creature or if Maiden gets to have an action first.
Archaeologist (Bard) 3 | Nagaji Female | HP 23/23 | AC 18 (T 13, FF 16) (Uncanny Dodge) | Init 3 | Perception 10 | Saves 2/5/4 (+1 Trap Sense) (+2 vs Mind Affecting and Poison) | Archaeologist’s Luck 6/6 | Spells -/4 |
Eyeing us like prey, aren't they? Take them out! No, be quiet. Perhaps we can avoid this.
"3. Not friendly. Not hostile. One around corner." Charis whispers to Garox. Normally she'd use signals, but neither really know each other's hidden language.
The Maiden then tiptoes up to the yellow creatures, planning to subdue it if it turns hostile..
The Maiden moves up to Zar, promising to protect him. Zar prepares to cast a spell as soon as the beast-men come into range. The two creatures get closer to Zar and The Maiden, but are not able to reach them. double move
Round 1
Zarzuket
The Maiden
Logger blue
Logger red
Garox
Sterron
