HP: 165-38=127
The first, low stab of the bronze spear finds a weak spot in the thick hide of the drake and bites deep, causing it to shriek audibly.
Both follow-ups have a hard time to get through the thick hide.
It really does feel like stabbing an old tree.
The soothing talk makes some progress in calming the plant down some.
"Really? Oh-Oh-Oh, yes-yes-yes, please help!"
While conjuring water and directing it over the flames, you hear turmoil from behind you, where you came from.
Tuning, you can see lots of people rushing up the hilly street.
From the looks of it, is a colourful mixture of ordinary townsfolk, town guard and a couple of clerics from the temples.
Round 2
Initiative:
[32] Menophite - cat talking to a frightened sunflower lechy, moved&buffed
[26] Ethana - Retaliated in kind! (poisoned, ongoing acid dmg)
[20] Gosor - more firefighting, saved another tree (Quercus would approve)
[13] Lady Zal - ??? (flying)
[11] Astrapios - moved 120 in total, buffed some more (the additional ac/save is only against evil guys - right?)
[11] Drake - ???, stabbed for 38
[06] Ktinos - ??? (grew outrageously big)
[11] Astrapios - moved 120 in total, buffed some more (the additional ac/save is only against evil guys - right?)
With a soft landing, Lady Zal lands beside the towering Gosor, informing him about the nearing townsfolk and clerics tasked with fighting fires in and around Ayolosos.
With a show of overpowering strength, the drake-like-creature batters aside Ethanas shield and spear and envelops her in a dangerous, crushing embrace drawing her close to its dangerous claws and snapping maw ...
End of Round 2 / Start of Round 3:
Initiative:
[32] Menophite - ???
[26] Ethana - ??? (grappled!, DC40 to break free, ongoing acid )
[20] Gosor - ???
[13] Lady Zal - ??? (now beside Gosor)
[11] Astrapios - ???
[11] Drake - ???
[06] Ktinos - ??? (grew outrageously big)
Astrapios, now in range, charges the dragon with one fist glowing ever brighter. He hopes his angelic aura will release the druid from whatever is controlling him, but just in case he will try to stun it in order to release Ethana.
"Vetos, are you in there?"
Ktinos had been planning on wrestling the drake to the ground, but seeing it seize the bold warrior who had dared face it angers him... and the Beasts waste no time in fanning his anger into a towering rage.
He charges forward, massive club raised, and brings it down in a sweeping arc at the thing's head. He maintains just enough of his mind to aim to stun rather than kill, but it's a near thing.
Ethana slips out of the grips of the drake, and steps back as the others arrive, no longer needing to keep the druid occupied. With it now out of reach, though, she assumes a guarding stance, prepared to defend her allies.
Gosor sees the townfolk approaching with the clerics and bellows to them, "The fire is yours, stay away from the drake!" He then turns and moves towards the drake himself, scanning the grounds for an appropriate Lechy (any that can talk.)
If he finds one, he attempts to snap it out of it's panic enough to share information. "You will stop babbling and speak straight. You will tell us who caused that drake to be here and started the fire. You will give us a name and you will do it now!"
If no Lechy is within sight Gosor will simply move towards the drake as far as possible.
Menophotine moves up another 60 ft (150 ft total) and casts Displacement.
Kelenarkios attempts another diplomacy check on his Leshy.
The small, living sunflower shrinks at the yelling starts and covers her wide, yellow-black face with her leaf hands.
"EverythingEverything you want,
but stop that shouting, PleasePlease!"
A moment later it adds, carefully looking through a tiny gap between her hands:
"Quercus is in the hall of memories,
preparing for another life.
I do not know why he did not came to help yet..."
You stomp over to a group of four tiny vine Lechys. These most delicate creatures shatter before your raised voice.
One is freezing in terror before falling face-first before your feet.
Two others run away in different directions as fast as their tiny feet will carry them, wailing and frail hands flying.
Only the last one seems to endure your towering presence, although it looks up with eyes filled with tears and fear as its frail and distant voice answers you, tremors disturb the already struggling common the plant creature is speaking.
"I...I...I dunno.
Pl-Pl-Please, I ... du-n-n-no their n-n-n-names.
A...A...A fl-fl-flying woman a-a-and a bl-bl-black man w-w-w-with a s-s-s-silver knife."
Ethena manages a miracle escape and brings some distance between herself and the drake!
Then, Giant-Ktinos reaches the place and delivers a shattering blow with the massive trunk he is carrying against the back of the drake's head!
Astrapious uses that very moment to deliver a powerful uppercut ...
... which causes the drake to slumb to the ground with a groan!
Its still a drake though. Whether it is now peaceful ... only time can tell!
End of Round 2 / Start of Round 4:
Initiative:
[32] Menophite - moved, buffed (cat talking with sunflower-lechy)
[26] Ethana - break-free! 5ft step away from drake (still in reach of its maw though as grappling moved you adjacent)
[20] Gosor - frightened the crap out of everything on this island and some
[13] Lady Zal - busy keeping her stern expression, fighting a fear from that Minotaur beside her ...
[11] Astrapios - uppercutted a drake into unconsciousness!
[11] Drake - stunned
[06] Ktinos - ??? (plonk-ed the drake last round)
If it still appears to be conscious, just stunned:
Menophotine casts her Rimed Frostbite and moves up to 60 ft to be within reach and preferably flanking it. She strikes, attempting to hit nonlethally: attack roll is at +2 if flanking and an additional +3 if her Scout action a few rounds ago was successful. No sneak attack since the weapon isn't made to deal nonlethal.
[+2 if flanked, +3 if scouted]
,
As a swift action, she'll Mark Target to touch it and give it the Battered condition and a -3 penalty on perception checks.
[+2 if flanked, +3 if scouted]
Heavy blows have left a creature with this condition vulnerable to further attacks, imposing a -2 penalty to the creature’s CMD and preventing them from taking attacks of opportunity provoked by a creature performing a combat maneuver. Some talents have different effects or activation times against battered creatures. The battered condition can be removed by taking the total defense action, or through the restore ability of the Life sphere (see Spheres of Power), the lesser restoration spell, or similar effects. When inflicting the battered condition on a target that is already battered, the rounds stack when determining duration
5/7 inspiration used, 1/8 rimed frostbite touches used. I don't think that the frostbite would trigger on Mark Target's touch attack, but that may be open to debate.
If the drake is already out, I'll find something else to do.
Ktinos growls warily, eyeing the drake for a moment, but it seems to be quiet for the moment. So he leaps into the air with a powerful beat of his wings and starts circling around, looking for any clues as to the source of this madness.
Gosor's tone softens incredibly as he regards the Vine Lechy brave enough to answer his question. "That will do friend. You are worthy. Find all your companions that you can and rally them to the townsfolk fighting the fires. They will help keep you safe."
Turning towards the drake and the rest of his companions once more Gosor jogs in their direction, shouting "The woman we seek is a flying woman, and there was some sort of black man with a silver knife. If you've incapacitated the drake, be looking for them!" As he runs, the taurian's eyes dart across the battlefield, trying to see through the smoke to determine if anything or anyone remotely fitting those descriptions might be about.
Ice creeps over the left side of the drakes body from the point where it was struck by the agile tiefling, freezing it to the ground for a short while!
The drake turns it head to look at her ... and suddenly recognition mixed with disbelief shines from the former mad eyes.
"Menophite? Is it really you?
Or is this just another dream meant to torment my old soul?"
The voice of the drake is unbelievably deep and comes out in a long, groan, as if it is struggling to remain awake.
As you attempt to walk away and call over to your friends, the tiny voice of the Lechy follows you.
"T-They flew away t-t-together.
S-Soon after the drake a-appeared.
T-T-To the s-s-sea."
Searching the sky with your eyes - there is nothing to be seen but several hosts of disturbed birds flying away from the place of fire and battle.
"YesYesYes, insight.
BelowDeepDeepBelow.
NoNoNo one goes there but him and the Creator."
Ktinos leap into the air causes lots of smoke and dust to stir and sting in his eyes. Up here, the smoke and heat from the different fires is even more noticeable than on the ground.
Menophotine holds her fauchard at the ready as the drake speaks. "Aye, and you? Are you truly the High Druid?"
Gosor turns, surprised to hear the Lechy speaking again. He gazes to towards the sea as the Lechy relays the information of the departure. Turning around he closes the distance back to the small creature, and speaks in a much more subdued voice now that it's being helpful. "Thank you, that's useful intelligence. Can you tell me how the flying woman and the black man with the silver knife came to be here in Quercus's gardens? Did they come together or separately? Also, did the woman help the man fly or could he do so himself as far as you could tell?"
With the groan of a century old man, the drake starts to shrink and change until only the frail form of Hortulanos Vetos, High Druid of Kelksiomedes, stands before you.
But only for a moment, then he sinks to his old knees (with a sickening crunching sound coming from his joints).
"Thank you.
Thank you for helping me out of this nightmare.
I ... I don't know what came upon me.
One moment I was tending to the garden and the Thousandborn's ..."
He abruptly stops as if recalling something, the thought of it shocking the old man to the core.
"No, that can't be!
Help me up, youngling, quick!
I have to check the primal pavilion, now!"
"I.. I dunno where they came f-from.
It all started s-s-so fast!
But ... I g-guess the man was h-here first.
S-She came l-late, f-flying on a b-branch.
H-He jumped u-up on it b-b-behind her."
After a moment, the little plant adds:
"H-H-He showed H-H-Her something,
b-before t-they flew a-a-away."
While you are talking and trying to get a better grasp on the situation, a chorus of voices starts a resounding prayer.
ഞങ്ങൾ നിന്നെ അനുസരിക്കുന്നു.
മേഘങ്ങളുടെ ആധിപത്യം,
ഇടിനാദം, മിന്നൽ,
ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് മേഘങ്ങളേ,
നമുക്കു മഴ തരേണമേ;
ഈ തീക്ഷ്ണമായ പോരാട്ടം!
We command thee,
oh old commander of clouds,
general of thunder and lightning,
send us thee clouds,
bring us rain,
battle down this raging fire!
The cloudless morning suddenly starts to sprout dark clouds over the hillside - it looks like rain is coming...
Astrapios helped the old man and accompanied him to the pavilion. "Always ready." He released the angelic spirit and closely monitored the druid.
The pavilion he is walking towards, is the one in the middle of the garden - the same one that lies in the center of the destruction.
He also healed any wounds the druid had to suffer.
Having spotted nothing of interest, Ktinos comes in for a landing, and then--with difficulty--dismisses his transformation, losing his wings and returning to his normal size. He follows after the former drake, keeping a wary eye out for anything out-of-place.
Gosor looks up as the rain clouds gather and gives a snort of satisfaction. He then sits down on the ground in front of the Lechy, reducing the height difference as they talk and allowing for space between the two. "Please think back and tell me what you know. Did you see what was shown before they left? And was High Druid Vetos here already when the Man with the silver knife first made his presence known? Did the man seem to have anything to do with the Vine Drake form that Vetos was in when the heroes of Ibyldos arrived?"
"Yiiii...
It... It was not big.
S-Smaller than your f-fist.
Wrapped in s-something dark."
As the speak comes to the drake, the plant looks up surprised.
"It is the true form of the gardener.
He was here since the sun was high last time.
And I don't know how long that dark man was around ..."
Gosor nods at the clarifications. "I see. And when did the gardener start acting aggressive? Was it before or after the fires started?"
Every single one of the four spirits howls in frustration, anger and disappointment at your action.
Why didn't you killrendbitemurderered?!
Why did you wasted my wings for such a useless action?!
That's it?! You just let the prey walk away?!
WeakSoftIdiot!!!
"I-I dunno.
Not to soon after or before it at least."
It takes a bit to reach the destroyed pavilion and before you made it half-way over, a strong rain starts to pour down from the sky and all around flames fizzle and thick dust billows up around you.
The druid (and some of you too) stumble frequently over toppled stones, broken-off branches of nearby trees or toppled stone pillars.
Then, quite suddenly, you are there.
It must have once been a beautiful, secluded place.
A circular pathway, surrounded by white pillars overgrown with different kind of plants and with a tiny pool in the middle.
Inside the pool, at its center, a small island rises.
It is made of heaped earth and is not larger than two hands-width in diameter.
But now, only ruins remain.
All but three of the pillars are toppled and broken, the ranking plants are torn, burned and scattered.
The pool enclosing stones are broken and the water has been evaporated by the heat of the raging flames around.
A few fish and amphibians are scattered over the pathway - dead.
And the earth of the central island is disturbed, dug over and desecrated.
The remainders of one or more flasks can be seen scattered all over it - likely the source of the flames.
Some kind of alchemical fire or other kind of bottled magic from the looks of it.
While you are still struggling to take in the view, Astrapios feels the old druid he is supporting going limb in his grip, despite the healing he has given him.
Bowing deep over him, one might hear a very faint whisper escaping the old man, as if rumbling to a dream figure.
"...no-no-no ... can't be ... must not be ...
... he counted on me ... who could have known ...
... who would do something like that ...
... Kelksiomedes-no ..."
Menophotine picks up one of the flasks and checks it for magic and alchemy.
Detect Magic
She lands her flying time over. Noting she was right that the drake was not what it seemed. She took in all that was said but said nothing herself. At the Pavlovian she walks about taking out a small note book and pan. She looks at things and writes in her book.
She then places her hand on the Flash of man made fire.
Astrapios feared the druid's connection to this natural setting was so strong that his life force was dwindling with the destruction. No magic could heal that. Someone knew Quercus' schedule and wanted to set a mark.
"Can I bring you somewhere safe? Somewhere more comfortable?"
To the others he shouted "We need to find out who did this and why. I will ask around a little. I see you tonight at headquarters."
Lady Zal, looks at the one barking orders.
"You do that Astrapios, I think myself and Menophotine will stay here a while have look around, don't you agree Menophotine"
Ktinos scowls at... well, mostly at the Beasts inside him, but to anyone on the outside it'd probably look like he was grimmacing at them. He'd been wary calling on their power for something other than killing, and while it had worked, he might be paying for it later.
Just now, though, he felt fairly useless. About the only thing he could think to contribute was tracking, so he started looking at the ground in the area and sniffing around, trying to note any oddities.
You find a lot of tracks in this place.
The soft, night-impossible to follow traces of lechys.
The bare-foot tracks of the old druid, coming and going multiple times during the last days.
One track of big, strange tracks that may belong to a treant of similar plant life - certainly not from a typical humanoid. They came here sometime yesterday and left the same way they came: from the house.
And there: tracks of leather boots, very fresh.
Not older than a few hours. They are proof that someone was here not long ago, walking around the pavilion for some time before leaving - obviously in a hurry.
Your sense of smell is not much of a help here.
Too much smoke and the smell of burned plants in the air.
The flasks contained a powerful, highly flammable alchemical substance that seems to be a further refined version of the off-the-shelf alchemists' fire that is far more widely available.
Another one once contained a powerful acid that is highly dangerous to anything organic, especially plant life.
Whoever wreaked this destruction, must either be a powerful alchemist in their own right, has a lot of funds or good connections to a master alchemist specializing in destructive elexiers.
Menophite only:
The fire substance reminds you of another investigation during your early years that you were not able to solve back then - much to your displeasure.
A fire had consumed the house - and life - of a well-known merchant by the name of Nigran Artisois.
You remember that several flasks similar to these ones were found back then as well, but no other clues whatsoever were left in the burned-down home.
As you start to lead the druid away, his mumbling becomes more urgent.
"... must warn ...
... plan to interrupt it ...
... must not be allowed to happen ..."
Gosor nods once more. "Thank you, this is very helpful. Before I go, is there anything else you can remember of today that was unusual and which may help us figure out what happened? Anything just out of place compared to a normal day in the gardens?"
"Vetos, do you want me to bring you to Quercus? Is that what you mean?"
Then it came to him.
"Guys. We need to find Quercus fast. He is in a vulnerable state and maybe someone wants to exploit that."
The reply of the druid is more like the last breath of a dying man, than a proper reply.
"... y-e-s ...
... warn ... him ..."
"NoNo.
Sun was not high yet and me still sleepy-sleepy."
As you stretch your particular sense, you feel the pain of this place.
It is like an inaudible scream of shame and loss.
Most pronounced, this feeling comes from the centre of the little pond-island.
You can feel that something incredibly old and powerful was planted in there not long ago and that it was removed against its and this place's will.
Lady Zal goes over to the centre of the little pond-island.
She looks closely there.
"Was this the place where the Great Tree was?"
A soft, mental whisper fills your mind as you struggle with indecision.
Be at piece, I won't let him die.
His body is weak after fighting off the poison that clouded his mind.
And his soul is hurt by the destruction he witnessed.
But, he will live.
There is still so much to do for him.
So many of his children to care for.
So much harm to sooth...
"OK old man. Sit down here and rest." He outs the druid on a big rock that wasn't touch by the flames.
Then he sprints towards the house. When passing Gosor he shouts "You've been here before? You know how to get into the basement?"
Ktinos bares his teeth slightly as he finds the prints he was searching for. He follows them as far as he can, trying to at least get a direction the invaders had fled in after doing their work.
Ktinos follows the tracks for a few hundred feet until they suddenly stop in front of a now burned down flowerbed.
Not tracks lead away from this place.
It is as if the person you are tracking just sprouted wings at this point and flew away - or stopped to exist.
The direction leads roughly towards the sea.
She points at the ground.
"Something was planted here long ago, and now its loss...it was taken"
She says
Ktinos points towards the sea. "Whoever took it fled this way, before using magic to escape."
Gosor nods at the Lechy before him. "That is as it is. Thank you for the help you've provided already. Now, find refuge with those who fight the fires and help what others of your companions will listen to you. I go to act on your information while there is time."
As Astrapios passes by Gosor leaps up and runs alongside the helmed hero. "I believe I know the way down to the lower levels, yes, follow me!"
Gosor leads the way to the basements as best as he remembers it, though once they arrive he looks around, not quite sure where Quercus is exactly. "The ancient Ghoran should be somewhere down here, though I know not exactly where. Why do we need to find him exactly?"
Gosor never was in the basements, but he was inside the house a couple of times before and so he knows that a central flight of stone stairs is linking all floors of it.
Entering the house is easy as well, the door is easy: the wooden door on the veranda is never locked and usually opened to let in the smells from the gardens which are carried down by the winds coming down from the mountains.
As you reach the veranda ...
... the door is indeed open and you enter the old house.
The ceiling is high above you, high enough to even let Ktinos in his great form enter without bowing.
Not stopping to admire the works of art on display nor wondering at the wild array of plants creeping up the walls and along the ceiling you hurry down the stairs to the basement.
At the lower end, an open door leads to a long hallway with a closed double-door made of a dark wood at the far end. The walls of the hallways are lined up with line after line of bookcases filled with an uncounted number of leather-wrapped, hand-sized notebooks with tiny numbers in gold on their thumb-sized book-spine.
The door on the far end is locked.
Listening on the door will reveal a very faint scratching sound to the sharp ear.
"Why do we need to find him exactly?"
While they were running he explained.
"I believe he's in danger. The attack was directed at him. He's lucky we intervened fast enough. At least I hope we did."They stopped at the closed door. Astrapios made an obvious sign at Gosor and the door, but was ready to burn it down with his hands starting to shine in bright flames.
Gosor nods, understanding. Then he bellows again. "Anyone standing behind that door best move aside immediately! Gosor Proudhoof enters!"
Taking advantage of the tall ceilings, he raises his fauchard and makes two quick slashes at the door, attempting to carve it to pieces.
Ethana, in the aftermath of the battle, dusts herself off and walks over to the druids as they finish casting, "Do any of you have any healing spells? I really took a beating there."
She then stands off to the side as the rest of the Pharossi go their separate ways. She lifts off the ground, looking for any clues that might be found from an aerial vantage point touching down in the heights of the great tree as she looks.
She returns to the ground and approaches the giant cat that fought alongside them, saluting him before extending her hand in greeting, "Welcome to the Pharossi, Ktinos. It's good to have you. What lured you to these fair lands?"