Rhen nods at Bulgard and gathers his traveling pack.
"This one lives. Are ye not going to question him. I feel certain he knows more than you do about what is going on. I will be glad to torture him, but I do not know how to revive him."
Mox will rouse him with smelling salts.
The smelling salts do their work. As the cultist revives, he is staggered and knows further fighting is not an option. He is also disoriented. "I...I...I am alive. Where am I? Who are you and why did you attack me?"
"ye brought them ugly flowers inta town." Rhen says holding his short sword out at the man
"They are not ugly. You can have one if you want."
T-tell me about this party in the Darkmoon woods!
"Party? What are you talking about?"
The word he is looking for is celebration. We found a map marked so in your wagon. We have devised a cure for your malady so do not think we will get our comeuppance by handling them or you. I have seen what this man can do with a blade and I assume you that with my assistance, we can keep you alive for quite some time while he searches for answers.
The cultist smiles at Mox.
"You seem to know too much about us, stranger. It does not matter, you cannot stop what is to come and you cannot stop the Pallid Princess or her Pallid Plague. Falcon's Hollow brought this on itself. They neglected an orphan child and left her on the streets to beg for survival. We, the Fiendbloods, took her in. She quickly took to the ways of Urgathoa due to her mistreatment and suffering in Falcon's Hollow. She has become the most powerful cleric we have ever had. We call her the Pallid Princess, as she is quite pale. She revels in her revenge against the town by using the same artifact that orphaned her. We have distributed flowers. The Pallid Plague Vondrella created using Isandrea’s Basin will eventually kill everyone in town. At sundown tonight she plans a feast in an unhallowed clearing to celebrate the many undead she will create and command. Her power is great. She will undoubtedly make zombies of you should you pursue her."
Bulgard dispatches him with an arrow.
Any chance Cirthana will aid us? We need a priest on our side if we are going to f-f-fight undead.
Grokar looks at Bulgard "I will smash their bones to dust. We don't need a cleric." he says stomping his feet. "Well maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask" he adds remembering that he is still a bit sick. [/b]"But we go quick if we are going to make it" [/b]
"I will be havin' ta pick up a mace o' something fer bashin'." Rhen says. "We can be gettin' her ta bless us some water as well? Don't that be workin' against undead?"
Visit this cleric again if you must, but I have means of dealing with restless corpses. Our time is pressing.
"Then we be off." Rhen says still not trusting Mox
Seldlron throws the dead body on the burning cart. "May ye fight well."
You are approximately half way to the clearing.
Grokar
Rhen
Mox
Bulgard
You hear something crashing through the underbrush. It is moving directly towards you and at a very fast pace. It is coming from the west. You are headed north.
Surprise Round
You may take a standard or a move action.
Bulgard, Mox, Rhen <===
Mox braces himself for any aggression.
Rhen steps off the path and tries to blend into the shadows
Bulgard draws his bow. Khador assumes a totally defensive posture.
The crashing sound is now upon you. It is just a matter of feet into the underbrush. You see the underbrush being moved by whatever this is. It will be upon you any second now. You can tell there are multiple things moving toward you as the noises and brush movement are spread out.
Round 1
Bulgard, Grokar, Mox, Rhen <===
Rhen readies any attack if it is needed.
Mox loads his crossbow, levels it towards the treeline and readies a shot if attacked.
Bulgard and Grokar ready attacks (you can roll them if need be)
Four satyrs running at full speed emerge from the underbrush and suddenly come to a halt when they see you. They bleat loudly in surprise, which is quite an alarming sound to you at this moment. They dig their hooves into the ground and lean backwards, arms outspread to keep their balance. Dirt and weeds are sent into the air in front of them. They appear frightened and have apparently dropped everything they were carrying. No weapons in hand and no pipes anywhere.
Round 2
Satyr, Satyr Red,
Bulgard, Mox, Rhen, Grokar <===
Satyr Blue, Satyr White
"Whoa! I am Latreus, commander of Syntira's sentinels. We regularly patrol the borders of Darkmoon Wood, reporting suspicious activity back to her. We just stumbled into a grove of palepox infected dryads on the verge of death. Fearing for our lives, we fled the scene, hoping to warn other fey to avoid the tainted glade. In our panic we dropped our panpipes. We find ourselves here with you now. Pray, tell me, who are you and what business have you in Syntira's domain?"
Red readies an attack, will roll if needed.
Grokar refrains from attacking, but allows a more diplomatic member to speak. He continues to stand guard over the others.
Mox holds his fire.
Diseased dryads? Then it is fortunate you happened upon us. We have devised a cure for this malady.
Rhen stays his blade.
"We be from Falcon's Hallow, brin' a cure fer yer people." RHen says.
"A cure? Really!. How might we acquire this remedy from you? It is devastating all the fey in this region at an extremely fast pace."
We are to deliver it to your queen so that she may properly distribute it. Take us to her so that your people may find relief.
"It is forbidden for anyone to bring outsiders to the queen. Unheard of. We will gladly deliver it for you. Your generosity and benevolence will undoubtedly be noted and most likely rewarded by our queen. Who shall I tell her provides this much needed remedy for her kind?"
This is no folk remedy! I highly doubt any of you possess the knowledge or training required to begin to administer this treatment. Now, if you want to save your people I suggest you acquiesce to our request!
"We were told ta brin' it straight ta yer queen, so we will be goin' with ye." Rhen says not asking for it to be questioned
"We have alchemists who can easily replicate any potion. We are not taking you to the queen. We will deliver it to her. What you possess is worth dying for." The satyr commander reaches out his hand towards Mox. He leans in with a stern expression. "The potion, trespasser." The other satyrs take the lead from their commander and take aggressive postures.
Y-you are right, this is worth dying for. And all your people will die if you don't take us to your queen or leave us to travel unmolested. Our alchemist here will need to show your people how to reproduce it. We are here to save your people and slay the necromancer behind the plague, not quarrel with allies
Bulgard levels an arrow at the satyrs heart and Khador growls behind him.
"You have not yet identified yourself. I shall refer to you as humanoid. Humanoid, I am in great favor with Queen Syntira. We speak daily upon my observations of her realm. For me to bring humanoids to her secretive throne room would cost me that favor, my position as patrol commander, and most likely my life. Surely you are wise enough to recognize what you ask of me is not possible. Your cure will be delivered and should you reveal who you are, that shall be delivered as well. Please sir, the potions. Our kind is in dire need of what you have produced. Fey are dying as we speak and I am sure you would like to be free of this duty so that you may carry out more important deeds this day."
Give simple aid with an indifferent attitude to this creature is a modifier of 0.
Please give me a charisma check to counter the diplomacy. If you fail to meet the DC of 22, you must give him a portion of the vials. Be sure to keep enough for your infected party and possible future infections.
Mox tilts his masked face to the side and shrugs.
If you feel the lives of your people are worth some antiquated protocol, I will not waste the mental energy to dissuade you. The lives of woodland creatures was never my concern. Best of luck, but even with that I expect you only being able to save but a handful. I am sure that will be enough to please your queen as long as she knows that you held your ground.
Mox removes enough vials for the party and puts them in another pouch. He tosses the case with the remaining vials to the ground and turns away.
Now, do we not have a celebration to attend so that we can but an end to the source of this malady?
Meanwhile, back at Roots and Remedies, Laurel has noticed that Seldlron is not getting any better. She gives him a dose of the anti-plague concoction she just finished producing and uses her healing skills to help him along.
Seldlron goes out to inspect the ashes of the burnt cart. "Damn!" He sees pieces of broken vials and what looks like a burnt wand.
"I dread this." Seldlron heads to the Darkmoon Lumber HQ to report what has occurred.
"This be all we have ta do fer taday. SO ye be showin' us the way an we be followin'" Rhen states
As you draw closer to the unhallowed clearing, your thoughts go to this evil cleric of Urgathoa known as The Pallid Princess.
Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale, live in Denmark 2006
A low melodic droning carries through the still air, interrupted by random screams of pain and pleasure. Ahead lies a clearing surrounded by low-hanging willow trees. Mox notices that Grokar and Rhen have not improved. He would have expected a change in symptoms by now had the medicine done its job. Bulgard notices that Khador is ill.
If need be, going forward you will give it a day between treatments as opposed to an hour.
In the center of the clearing rests a long, bone banquet table covered in mounds of bright red, orange, and yellow flower petals, human skull goblets dripping with wine, and alabaster platters filled with raw meat. In the center of the table rests a water-filled basin made of carved birch, from the center of which rises the wooden sculpture of a nude woman pouring water from a jar.
The cultists assume their isolated location provides sufficient protection from discovery. As such, they take no efforts to keep their gruesome rite quiet. A dozen human revelers gorge themselves on mounds of flamebloom petals, wine, and raw meat. The diseased cultists dance and frolic around the gruesome banquet table, humming a macabre dirge interrupted occasionally by a bloodthirsty scream. Four human plague zombies, stuffed with flowers
and writhing with maggots, sit around the table, their glassy eyes fixed on the woman at the table’s head.
Vondrella Mahesto oversees the ritual with a maniacal grin and wild, sparkling eyes. Despite her proximity to the flowers and infected cultists, she appears to be in perfect health; her pale skin is clear of blemishes and her dark, straight hair is neatly combed.
Mox will invoke Aura of Purity.
Rhen will stealthily but slowly double move through the forest
Rhen, Grokar, and Khador have a +4 circumstantial bonus due to Mox's healing attempt and get a fortitude save against DC22. It takes two consecutive saves to overcome this plague, so roll twice. Consuming the potion that you helped Laurel concoct gives you an additional +5 alchemical bonus.
Rhen drinks the potion
We need to kill the b$%~@ first. I propose we concoct a plan to get to her first. If we kill her, the minions will likely disperse
If these creatures are like the ones in the camp, stay within 10' of me and their explosive effects will not harm you. Or kill them from a distance.
Vondrella stands and taps her human skull goblet with a small wand. The revelers immediately pause and hush. She raises the goblet.
" To those who will suffer greatly before dying from our Pallid Plague.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light"
Vondrella sips from the mug and sits. The cultists yell loudly and resume their festivities.
"I can sneak around to her, if you keep their attention one way I can stab her in the back." Rhen says from the bushes.
That is good enough for the stealth check. They are too busy with their celebration to notice you. Technically a -10 if it comes into play.