Niche looks over the crumpled form of the blue wyvern, "Well, that was disappointing. We'll need to find some tougher dragons..."
He looks over to where the other are fighting to see if there are any opponents left to confront.
No dance partners free. Sounds like the armoured one wants help though. To many people in this fight, I'm not used to having to account for others getting in my way... though if I'm going to travel with them, I'll have to learn to deal with their presence in battles.
This round, Niche dashes over to the site of the ongoing fight. He goes for the wyvern's jaws, grabbing top and bottom with each hand and attempting to force them open by main strength, hopefully allowing the goliath to escape.
Rosa force wings bat away attacks as with both hands she holds her blade into the flesh of the Dragon letting it drink deep of its life.
The cold hard cruelty in her voice could not be missed. Black flame washed out from the blade buried deep in the wyvern flesh.
Round 3
Aukan still struggles against the dragon holding him... though with Niche's help I am sure it will be taken care of quickly. Freed from the beast's mouth he lifts his warhammer and brings it down smashing on its head.
But not for long as it takes hold of him again.
"Yaharrll, a brawl with a drake?
Count me in big boy!"
With a few more steps, the now quite large, but still old dwarf is within beard-distance of the drake which is trying to overpower the giant - beard distance is now a respectable 20ft mind you.
And then ... the long braids of white hair starts to entwine the beast all by itself!
Frighteningly quickly, the thick braids starts to creep around the neck of the drake and starts to strangle it!
Round 3
With Old Snowbeard getting into the mix it sure is a mix mash of combat. As if it wasn't before. Rosa, keeps draining the wyvern she is fighting of wisdom and some would say its soul. As the giant dwarf's beard, Aukan, and Matthew take down the other one.
Rosa gets hit with a stinger right in the side of her neck and causes extra bleed damage, Aukan gets bit again and held for the moment and struck by another wing as it buffets him,
Then the wyverns both drop from their wounds.
The black ooze from the tree continues to pour out and those standing near it have likely moved away. It now covers a huge, 15 feet by 15 feet, patch and the grass seems to be burning as it spreads. A mouth parts in the center of the goo and it snarls, hissing like a reptile as it does, "Who darethsss cut my treesss?! You will all be eaten for thissss tressssspasssss!" The mouth then becomes one with the goo again before it begins to sluggishly move towards those who did not participate in the battle.
She quickly casts mount again, quickly gets up and offers a hand to Davian before rushing off to the North away from the goo.
Cleaning his blade of the blood of the wyvern on the grass and checks his body for its condition. A little floating box appears next to his shoulder and scans him with a light blue light. Some of his wounds appear to recover, then he walks over to Rosa standing vigilant ten feet off.
He steps back from the wyvern, letting Niche pull the mouth off of his arm, and sighs. Once Old Snowbeard retracks his beard he takes his massive goliath warhammer and makes sure the dragon is dead, decimating its neck.
Hearing the hissing goo, he looks to Rosa, Niche, and Old Snowbeard before asking, "Another one? Or avoid the burning ooze?"
Davian takes the offered hand up and rides with Olivira away from the ooze.
Rosa hears the goo, The Rosa winces as the stinger as it hits her. Black blood comes out of her nick, as her wing bats it away.
She takes a 5' step back, placing the wyvern
between herself and the goo. Then jumps into the air as her wings beat.
As she passes Matthew, she grows to 32' Huge, and she grabs him by the collar pulling him into the air with her.
Great black wings beat as she rises.
With Rosa stepping away and taking Matthew with her Aukan quickly backs off as well. Moving to be 20 feet behind Rosa if possible. "Come on Ole Snowbeard, we don't want you to lose that lovely beard of yours to be a snack of some ooze."
Niche takes a long wary look at the ooze, but doesn't immediately run from it. He keeps a generous distance from it, more or less keeping pace with Aukan and Snowbeard, but generally just staring at the ooze and its movement.
Rosa puts Matthew down and shrinks back to her normal 16' in hight.
She looked at the goo.
"This is my supposition, I have read of Chaotic creators whose digestion systems are demi-planes so large they can hold city streets or wild wood. The fabric of the plane being the point of absorption. clever ones use their foodFood to Tenderise each other. I suspect we have been offered up as lunch to one such being. That Tree was being fed by the life blood of a great Bronze Dragon. Those that eat of its fruit ingest part of the being tenderising them. The goo sap you see before you is the true body of the best we are inside I think. The being we are inside being the thing that spoke to us."
she took a few more steps back, keeping well away form the Goo.
"So... how to go about verifying this, and if I'm right, How to end it existence".
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Having been completely unhelpful for the fight, Lidras finally spoke "I hope you all had fun playing with those. Luckily nobody was seriously hurt. Though I must remind you all that we were sent to investigate the tomb. Now we are drawn into a conflict with some eldrich horror because we decided to play with the wyrvens and it's trees."
Rosa snaps her head round and looks at Libras with a sweet smile on her face.
Interesting
Rosa walked the halls of power of the Hells, where labyrinthian politics and power plays where the norm. She had missed all that on the prime. But Libras comment has so many levels of passive aggression and manipulation in it, that it was refreshing to hear it. she know what he was doing, he was making a move to take command of the group, pushing his agenda and time table. All at max stress point, Mid fight with new faces in the group. Prefect timing, he would ether get his way or know who was standing in his way. She admired his style. Unkless.. She filed away another thought about his motives.
She winked at him.
then turned her head back and with sword our sort to keep the wyverns in the way of the goo. So it would go for them.
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”Oh of course.” Lidras said, slipping into the mock polite voice from his courtier days so many years ago. ”It is just that I have seen so many adventurers die from hubris over the years. Because one never knows that they overestimate oneself until it is too late. I have survived by not fighting unless the reward is worth the risk. But, of course, I do not pretend to have the wisdom of an outsider.”
She chuckled at his comment.
In full defence mode she works to keep the wyverns close to the goo.
"Look," Annwyn interjects, "We're here to do a job. I, for one, would like to do that job. I'm still confused about how I was hired, but I won't let that stop me. Could we at least try to get along until then?" she asks, looking from Rosa to Lidras.
The goo separates into smaller chunks as it spreads, each at least large with one huge ooze still forming from the tree. The oozes cover the wyverns and they quickly 'disintegrate', leaving nothing behind. Though it seems that only increases their speed as they start moving at 10 feet per round, then 20 feet per round. The group easily out paces the oozes but then there are about 10 large oozes and 3 huge ones as they continue to spread and more flows from the tree.
Grabbing Matthew she takes to the air.
He quickly follows Rosa away from the goo. Hefting his goliath warhammer over a shoulder he looks at the enlarged snowbeard and asks, "What would you look like without that beard?"
Finding that the rest of the party already moved North those flying quickly catch up to the main body as the few still on feet come along shortly thereafter. Soon the party is together and can continue North.
A few hours later and many more grassy hills the group comes over one hill to see a campground layed out with many workers milling about to keep the camp functioning. Olivira rides in and they stop working to come greet her and the rest of the party.
Olivira also points out, "Look over this hill and you will se a larger than normal hill that seems to level out on top. The ground has been moved and a illusion to stop it from being seen from above is in place. That is the Tomb of Nazarack."
Davian gets off the phantom steed first to gingerly help Olivira off the magical saddle.
"By Ţhe Dreâm! Âll ţheşe people âre here from țhe orîgînâl expedîţîon?!"
With a smile that has not been seen on her since meeting Rosa, she says with renewed finesse, "These..." pointing to the camp and the workers, "... are my entourage. They make my stay... well... that much more enjoyable." She then looks to the gathered 'help' and states in a high noble form, "Now do be kind to our new guests and treat them as you would me, I will be back." She then gets whisked away with several lady attendants to the largest tent. One that is at least 20 feet tall and 50 feet wide, pink and red striped. There are 9 other tents that seem typical for a traveling camp.
The varisian is still awestruck for a few more moments, until snapping out of the revelry. Looking to the regrouping of his party, Davian calls out.
"Îş ţhere âny înjured from țhe wyvern bâţţle?!"
He comes up and lays his massive goliath warhammer on the ground and sits next to the Varisian. In his deep almost growling voice he asks, "A bit would go a long way!"
Once landed, assuming that Rosa does indeed land in the camp, he bows to her and walks casually over to the healing man and requests in one word, "Aid!"
Davian waits until all injured parties are near him, then holding his holy symbol to Desna, the cleric pulsates several channeled healing energy bursts.
Rosa dose in deed land away from the others, most of all away from Davian. When she sees him about to channel positive energy.
She and Matthew seem to talk then she asks him to move away as she goes to channel Negative Energy so she can heal herself.
Then she rejoins the group.
She nudges Devian shoulder.
She smiles
She chuckles.
She shrinks in size until she is the same as them and starts to walk into camp.
"Come on, lets go see what hold she has on them"
"What would you look like without that beard?"
The dwarf looks surprised at that, then retorts:
"Very dead indeed."*** Once in the camp ***
"Yarll, 'et was earlier than expected.
Weird stuff going on indeed, yaharhar.
Time to get into that tomb a' find out what tis all about, right?"
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Davian quickly grabs Rosa's wrist before she completely walks away.
"Î wăș never her ’mănly proțecțîon’", the desnan cleric's voice trembles with held-in fury. "Țhănkș țo whăț pășșeș for dîplomăcy în țhe Lower Plăneș, Î becăme her phyșîcăn ănd șurgeon. For over ân hour of lîfe-ţhreâţenîng şurgery, Î tolled în ă vâîn âţţempţ țo mâke şure șhe dîdn’ț bleed ouţ! Ând şhe mây noţ be ouţ of dânger!"
The varisian man then took a large step toward Rosa's towering face and roared.
"Ând how f#<kîng âfţer şpendîng one nîghţ wîţh me, you know me! For şomeone who hâş, ând Î’m puţţîng ţhîş nîcely, ân unconvenţîonâl âppeârânce, you blâtânţly âţţâck ânoţher perşon ând do bodîly hârm becâuşe of how you percîeve her!"
Davian then gets on his tip-toes and speaks with such venom at the half-fiend, a rage-trembling hand fights not to reach for one of his starknifes on his belt.
"Ând îf YOU THÎNK of lăyîng one of your lîterâl god-dâmned gîânţ pâwş on me , Î wîll curşe you âş only â true vârîşîan cân curşe! Your toeş wîll curl în horrîble pâîn, your menşţruâl blood wîll run âş blâck âş your cold heârt, ând you wîll never geţ ânother nîghţ’ş reşţ for âş long âş you lîve!
Davian then spits at Rosa's booted feet and stomps toward the camp, away from Rosa as his feet will go without running.
As the shouting starts, Snowbeard cooks his head and watches the spectacle with unconcealed interest.
As the Varisian man comes to the really interesting parts, the dwarf actually takes out his book and takes notes.
Just imagine it my dear!
A deviless getting chewed out for real by a stocky man with heavy accent.
They spent the last night together and now they are shouting and threatening each other because of a female Tiefling in the appearance of a succubus.
What do you think? Will they marry tomorrow? Or kill each other in the next hour?
Oh you are so right, live indeed writes the best stories!
Rosa is a little surprised when Davian grabs her hand, But she dose not respond as Davian rants at her. She knows better than to interrupt a man when his in full vent. Then when he is spent and walks off, she looks after him, waiting a while, before she says to herself.
"Daarrn! That boy's got it bad"
Then she rubs the spittle off her boot and follows them into camp.
He just stands there as the whole scene plays out. With his thick helmet on nothing can be seen for how he feels about it all, nor does his body give off any tells. Then as Rosa heads into the camp he begins to walk the perimeter.
He steps over to Niche and asks, "And how do you really feel?" Another question nearly out of the blue, perhaps in correlation to the scene or something else.
He stays to the perimeter of the camp and takes a seat watching the busy people doing their work...
He runs up to Serill and smiles at him turning his head from one side to the other. After a few minutes of this he asks, "So what exactly brings you and Revan here?"
Serill watches from above the escape from the black oozes coming from the tree. He throws a fireball at the remains of the tree and as everyone retreats he follows on Alagon, making sure Raden escaped too, picking up one of the golden feathers on the way out.
When they find the Tiefling's camp he lands outside of it and they all walk the rest of the way. He did not want to be mistaken for an attacker. Yes, this fiend could get us all killed. Proud and sure, but unthinking.
"We are employed by a man named Valor to enter the tomb. Might I have the items you took from my bag back?"
Entering the camp you can tell that these people are not adventurers, merely paid camp tenders; cooks, valets, maids, guards , and other such professions. Several boys come up and ask if you want your waterskin or flask filled with water. Others bring up trays of food, ushering you over to a table if you agree.
After you hit the tree with the fireball you could see it splintering and releasing a creature made up of bone and more black puddings. It head was that of a carnivor with four horns protruding from the skull. Deep red glowing eyes in that skull reveals it as undead. A knowledge religion check... reveals that the creature is undead. It does control the oozes as extensions of itself. It being the Herald, Mother’s Maw.
This skull is as large as an ogre and surrounded by buzzing flies. Its bat wings carry it through the air as easily as those of a vulture. Though as the group leaves it descends back into the tree.
You know all about it here.
"Yes, I know of Valor but why? No, they are sooo shiney!" He says in a whining voice as he shakes a bit with an electrical charge beginning to charge on its body.
He thanks Davian with a toothy smile and as pleasant a voice he can create , "Thank you Davian."
He offers his waterskin to one of the lads, takes a few items from the trays but refuses to go sit at one of the tables. Once done and licking his hands clean he walks into the camp and asks,
"The Tomb is dangerous, full of evil. I must help defeat it. There will be many shiny things hidden in it. If you give me back what you took from me, I will bring you something when I return from it."
He speaks to the others about what we saw. "I have learned of the god that claims this place. Within the tree we destroyed I saw an undead skull, the herald Mother's Maw. It serves the Pallid Princess, the Lady of Despair. Urgathoa. I pray the black puddings do not spread too far from the tree. We may have left a powerful enemy at our backs."
Some of the attendants are still intimidated by Davian's outburst, but some come forward to ask about filling waterskins.
Sitting at the edge of the firelight, the varisian still flushed with anger, forces himself to calm down after the offer for a refreshed water supply.
"WHÂŢ! Oh.. yeș, pleășe. Thănk you," Davian responds slightly sheepishly.
"Daarrn! That boy's got it bad"
Then she rubs the spittle off her boot and follows them into camp.
After Davian's outburst, Niche sidles up to Rosa. "Ya, I've seen the morning-after rejection scene play out about a hundred times over lately." He smiles at some sort of memory playing through his mind. "I've had about a half dozen girls finding their way into my room every time I stayed near a human settlement. I mean, humans can be fun; a lot of fun, but they tire out so quickly. But I suppose this means you're free tonight, hmm?"
He steps over to Niche and asks, "And how do you really feel?" Another question nearly out of the blue, perhaps in correlation to the scene or something else.
"Feel about what? I mostly feeling curious about those ooze-things back there. Never fought an ooze. It's on my list... Not very high on my list... but sometimes you gotta take the opportunities when they come up!"
He accepts a water skin from one of the kids carrying them by, and gives a more lingering eye to a few of the servant girls wander about, and noticing happily how many of them seem to be noticing him. "Hmm," he murmers, glancing at Rosa again, "Well, looks like one way or another, at least tonight isn't going to be boring..."
He speaks to the others about what we saw. "I have learned of the god that claims this place. Within the tree we destroyed I saw an undead skull, the herald Mother's Maw. It serves the Pallid Princess, the Lady of Despair. Urgathoa. I pray the black puddings do not spread too far from the tree. We may have left a powerful enemy at our backs."
"Holy nine Hells! There is a Herald of the gods back there and it wanted to kill us? Damn, we have to go back there! Now that would be something from the top of the list! Why the Hells would we leave something like that behind! How often do you get the chance to try yourself against a Herald of the Damned!"
"It was only as we retreated that I thought to burn them to help us get away. Now that we know what we're facing we can better fight them. Burning them or some other form of energy to harm them would be the most effective. Another plan might be luring the Herald away from its oozes."
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Lidras walked over to Davian and put a hand on the man’s shoulder. ”It’s alright. She’s trying to undermine your confidence. It’s all power to her, nothing more, nothing less. She likely doesn’t know what friendship is, and I think under all of that bluster she is deeply insecure, otherwise she wouldn’t feel the need to denigrate so. Try to let it go. Come, we all might die a horrible death come the ‘morn. I would hear of Varisia if you would tell it. I have heard scant about your home and have never visited it.”
" I suppose this means you're free tonight, hmm?"
Rosa now large once more, looks no so down as she would to others, Given Niche's size.
She looks sideways at him.
She says and slaps his behind.
"Going back? Narrl, I say!
We got plenty o' foes ahead why search another one before its time, eh?
If that thingy is really a demigod, 'en we better get better working together first.
Not to mention looting some shiny stuff from our goal, isn't'at true Sly?"
"It was only as we retreated that I thought to burn them to help us get away. Now that we know what we're facing we can better fight them. Burning them or some other form of energy to harm them would be the most effective. Another plan might be luring the Herald away from its oozes."
Rosa listens to what Serill is saying intently. As she is doing this some of the camp attendants come to ask if she needs anything. She glares at them and bluntly say to them.
before going back to hearing what he has to say.
Her voice is polite, to him.