Rodi shows up eventually, whistling and strolling. "I'm ready to go when you guys are!" They call out, looking very very innocent.
"Off to th' keep, gents ... and, errr, Rodi?"
"Yes?"
The Keg looks flustered and embarrassed, "Um, right ... because, uh .. well, you know ... ahhhh", he looks around for Mikos or Ben to save him from himself.
Mikos lifts an eyebrow at Rodi's appearance wondering what kind of situation they left at Fort Inevitable. Hopefully, the crew won't need to return there for a while.
"I expect we should swing by Jeck's place on the way. Is it near Thornkeep, Peet?"
"Don't know why he'd be calling any of us gentlefolk," Mikos shrugs. "Nothing gentle about us."
Peet chuckles and nods. "Yeah, Jeck's in Thornkeep. I know the way from here, but the options are all trouble."
"We can go to Alejia's Crossing and pick up the road east. That way's fastest, but the Hellknights patrol the roads." He leaves the point hanging.
"You've been through the Echo Wood, so you know there ain't any easy path there. The easiest, so to speak, is the Old Wagon Track, but that'll take us straight past the Emerald Spire. That cursed place is haunted with all kinds of badness... I'd say we keep away from it."
"I know some woodsmen routes around the Spire, but the north way takes us close to the Pit of Chains -- home of the Ripping Chains goblins -- and the south way passes Toad Hollow, which has a boggard tribe and... the Froghemoth."
Mikos chuckles. "Oh, we're quite familiar with the Spire. I'm not concerned about passing by there, but I wouldn't say no to the chance to kill a bunch of goblins."
"Frogwhatnow?" Rodi's attention is very much caught.
"It's uh... some kind of massive frog, as tall as three men stacked, with three eyes, and tentacles for arms. It's kind of a legend, because no ones seen it and lived. I've seen some of the damage is causes on its way through the forest, though." Peet shakes his head.
"If you feel confident, we can take the Old Wagon Track and go past the Spire. I know the way to Thornkeep on the north side."
Mikos nods. " Wagon track ought to be the quickest way to get you home. We can always come back for the goblins later."
"Ya, get th' boy home. There still be a bounty on goblin ears? Mighten swing by fer sum extra gold on th' way back."
Mikos laughs, "Never was a bounty. Keg. I wasn't going to argue economics with the Abadarites. Killing goblins is just for my personal enjoyment."
"WHAT! We wasn't gettin' paid for the butchery? Bah, weird human fetishes!"
With Peet and four other ex-slaves in tow, you make for the Old Wagon Track and its increasingly-familiar wending path through the strange Echo Wood. You reach the edge of the Spire Glade several hours later, as the shadows are lengthening and the sun reaches the treetops.
"Well, there's the Spire, Peet. Nothing to be afraid of though there is definitely some weirdness within. We could continue on another hour to set up camp so that it's out of sight if you like," Mikos offers.
The ex-slaves look upon the unnatural stillness of the Spire Glade with a mix of awe and fear. Although nothing threatening is in sight, they look like a demon ambush could spring from anywhere at any moment.
"That'd be good," Peet replies meekly.
Move past the spire and make camp, then.
The Keg will also start sketching an weapon potency rune on his dwarven axe.
With Peet and the ex-slaves in tow, you start across the Spire Glade. The green-stone ruin looms silent and shrouded, and you all have the skin-crawling sensation that someone or something is watching you pass. Nothing living moves, not birds overhead nor insects buzzing.
All goes uneventfully until you are about three-quarters the way across the open field. One of the men coughs, eliciting startled looks from his companions. He shrugs apologetically.
A loud explosion rips the air and a blast of smoke and metallic-tinged air erupts from a hundred feet away. A figure stumbles from the smoke -- an elf with a shock of blonde hair, faintly glowing skin and brilliant blue eyes. He is badly wounded, marked with several bleeding cuts and burns.
As the smoke clears, you see a disc-shaped hole in the air, tinged a swirling of green and black colors. Three red-skinned devils emerge from the portal, close on the heels of their quarry. They see you and chuckle, speaking in a harsh tongue.
"Well, this is new," Mikos startles at the unexpeturn of events.
The Keg isn't sure about what's going on so raises his shield and delays.
Ben draws and aims high for the long range shot. The first arrow strikes true, hitting the northern devil in the shoulder. The fiend's armor-like skin absorbs much of the impact, but the arrow draws some black blood.
The Keg waits and watches.
The glowing elf stands, clearly somewhat off-balance. He casts a spell and the air is split by a crackling bolt of lightning that strikes the lead devil in the chest.
The devils laugh and move to attack. Two rush the elf, stabbing with their wicked glaives.
The third devil disappears in a puff of smoke -- and reappears just behind Ben. It slashes the glaive across Ben's back, leaving a jagged, bleeding wound.
; plus
; plus
; plus
Mikos sees that the elf is too far away to help so he yells for the elf to move this way and thuds over to engage the closest devil.
The elf looks over and nods. Mikos rushes the near devil, cutting it once with a strong slice. You note the devil's skin resists some of the impact.
The Keg moves to the one that attacked Ben as well raising his new shield along the way.
He takes a powerful swing with his axe,
Rodi has to Stride and take a Guarded Step to flank the Deevil!
They stab! for piercing damage and precision damage!
Ben moves away and rapid-fires arrows, hitting the devil once. His wounds bleed...
Rodi and the Keg move to engage the devil. It parries aside Rodi's strike with its polearm, but the Keg slams it hard in the middle of the back.
The elf steps up to one of his assailants, slashing his scimitar and wounding it terribly. His weapon crackles with electricity as it arcs in attack. He then retreats in your direction, flying quickly just a few feet off the ground.
; plus and
The devils spit and curse in their vile tongue. One teleports in a puff of black smoke, appearing between you and the elf. It holds its weapon ready to intercept him before he gets to you. The other chases after, running across the grass to catch up.
The devil among you strikes at Mikos with its glaive, backhands a claw at the Keg, and then jabs Rodi with the spines of its wriggling beard.
; plus and bleed...
; plus
;
Mikos tries to parry the polearm, but feels infernal steel and evil bite into his flesh. A little more desperate he continues lunging past Keg to hack at the devil.
Mikos chips away at the devil's thick hide, leaving deep cuts but minor wounds.
"Use silver weapons, if you have them," the elf calls out. His language is exotic and beautiful, yet you all understand it perfectly.
Rodi stabs and stabs again!
for piercing plus precision!
for piercing plus precision!
for piercing plus precision!
The Keg deflects the blow, taking away a portion of the damage.
Depending on the status of the devil betwixt us:
Raise shield and then,
Hack and slash ...
;
... Or Move to next nearest opponent and Hack
Rodi stabs the devil again and again, landing a vital strike to finish it off. The fiend howls and disappears in a puff of greasy smoke.
Ben and the Keg shift to the next devil. Ben clips it but misses with his next shot. The Keg rushes over, leading with his shield, swings and misses.
The elf spins back and slashes at the devil chasing him, cutting it across the chest. It pops away in smoke.
; plus and
The remaining devil curses and steps away from the Keg, slashing at him with its glaive.
; plus and bleed!
Rodi strides twice to attack the deevil attacking The Keg!
for damage!
Mikos considers the bottle of silversheen in his pack. "Now you tell us. Hardly seems worth breaking it out at this point though." He lumbers over to the remaining devil and stop at the edge of glaive reach to lunge twice with the falchion.
The Keg will deflect the blow as best he can and then work to heal Mikos and then Ben and then himself with whatever actions he has, raising a shield if he has one off extra.
Mikos and Rodi close and attack the remaining devil. It parries Mikos's attacks but Rodi is able to circle around and stab it from the flank.
Ben attempts to bandage his bleeding wounds , while the Keg aids Mikos in the melee .
The elf turns around wearily and starts towards the devil. He swoons and stumbles, but catches his balance in time. He takes a breath and concentrates, then extends an open hand towards the fiend. A howling cyclone of scouring wind shoots out and strikes the devil.
The devil recovers from the wind blast, spitting a curse at the elf. It shifts position , spinning its glaive around as it strikes at Rodi and the elf.
; plus and bleed!
; plus and bleed!
Mikos starts as Keg grabs his bleeding would to pack something onit, but recovers enough to take a stab at the diverted devil.
Rodi steps and strikes twice!
for piercing damage!
for piercing damage!