"Yikes, those bees are huge! They're bigger than me." The cheerful gnome eyes those beautiful purple flowers.
He waves his hand and makes himself really stinky and hopefully uninteresting to bees and colossal bees.
Trevor looks to the sky and sees these aberrations: "Can we please move on? I don't like these- Aterro, you said there not bees? Well, bigbees then... And what's that disgusting smell?! Ibrox, is that you?"
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Aterro frowns into the distance. "Hmmmm. I see something on the side of the hill. Something definitely metallic. Perhaps it is a clue to our current delima. Or maybe the remains of some explorer that needs a proper burial.
Either way I would not leave it unknown.
Though I thirst to rest and attack so glorious a challenge, methinks there are a number of easier solutions.
First, bees sleep at night. We could just return here after sundown and explore at leisure.
Second, Vrindel, could you not transform into a bee and go and investigate?"
"Delima? Aterro, I think you mean conundrum..." replies Trevor, his whole body trying to move away, but stuck until the others start to move with him.
Vrindel-cat freezes in place as he detects the giant bees. His head then quickly flashes to the glint of metal in the distance.
INT
The big cat then puts his head down and prepares to skirt the meadow if possible, staying as far away from the bees as he can.
Survival or Perception.
He looks at Aterro as he speaks about transforming into a bee himself, then continues his parade around the meadow, nose to the ground.
The bees simply ignore you as you first approach the meadow and then back up to the edge of the forest. The giant insects seem much more interested and focuses on harvesting the sweet scented pollen from the big flowers or occasionally some of the larger blossoms of the many other plants blooming in the open grassy expanse.
It is easy enough to circle around the edge of the meadow following the wood to the northeast. The warm afternoon air is relaxing and filled with the sweet smell so many flowers, at least for those not standing too close to Ibrox. Those near the gnome get an unpleasant mix of sweet fragrance and the odor of a cattle yard. This does a solid job of repelling any of the bees, both normal or large, but unfortunately attracts a growing number of flies that buzz and dance around the gnome, looking for the all too attractive source of the stink.
But while Ibrox swats at flies as he follows along, everyone else passes along the edge of the meadow with ease. Enjoying the dreamy, relaxing early summer afternoon with is glorious display of spring not far away.
Upon the attack of the flies, the cheerful gnome waves his hands to remove the magical stink.
All seems well and calm, until you notice the halfling Scramsax slipping behind a shrub. How the seemingly perceptive sneaker missed it you'll never know, but lurking up behind him is a rather vicious looking purple, yellow, and apple green spotted snake. It's head nearly the size of Aterro's shield. While Scramsax gazes ahead, the massive snake is reading itself to strike.
With thoughts of home, spring, and the past filling you mind, that's when you hear the voice calling to you from the meadow.
"Hallooo! Hallloo!" Calls the voice of a young woman. You look around and finally your gaze falls on a wonder to behold. A girl about your age, her long honey colored hair dancing as she twirls and spins through the meadow flowers. Her laughter is the ringing of silver bells happily chiming in the afternoon breeze. Her smile brighter than the spring sun. "I say hello there!" She says again waving to you with soft, delicate hands, while her face reminds you of the prettiest girl from home. "Oh! Do come and help me find it, won't you? I mean it really is important and my mother will be so upset if I've lost it yet again."
Trevor smiles, nods, and fixes his armour as he crosses through towards the meadow, mumbling a shy: "Sure, immediately!" and he looks at the ground, then in the distance, smiling dumbly.
Scram was tickled at the wordplay in Attero's comment, leaning a hand on the tree trunk nearby and taking a load off a second "Heh. You are wise, armored one. Tell me, what god do you kneel to that imparts such clarity of thought?" he asked earnestly and with curiosity.
Hmm. How much do I like that new halfling? He could be leading us into a trap. And, we got attacked by multiple-headed dragon since we met him. And, I thought I had the small person spot in this team. He cannot possibly be useful in breaking the curse of the Grandmother.
Alright fine, fine, fine. After much internal debate that held the massive snake poised to attack Scramsax, the hallucinating gnome says "Ibrox" in a stern voice and fires an Eldritch Blast at the rather vicious looking purple, yellow, and apple green spotted snake.
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Aterro looks askance at Trevor. "Eh? What are you on about? You act as if someone asked you to do hard work, but we've all taken care not to make that mistake again."
To Scramsax he answered, in his characteristic low rumble,"Gratitude. I make the attempt to be a rock in the maelstrom, though methinks these times would try the soul of men even much greater than myself.
I bend knee to Thor, Lord of Thunder and Battle, son of Odin himself, and enemy of Loki the Trickster, though the two are brothers.
This spear I now wield," he holds a loft a great polearm, thick and mighty as though someone made a spear from a good-sized tree, "is a relic of The Thunderer. We found it deep in the heart of a nearby mountain, and after a great sickness took me, it was delivered unto my hand.
This parallel's Odin's own elevation, wherein he spent nine days and night speared to the World Tree, without food nor meade, and at last gave his eye for 17 magical runes to increase his powers, including Wisdom, Success at Battle, and Lovemaking.
Hence, this is not lost on me, and I take it as a sign that I stand tall before him. Indeed, the grand theory that I am working on states unequivocally that WHAT BY ODIN'S GREAT THROBBING MEMBER ARE YOU SHOOTING AT IBROX?!?" Aterro starts as the increasingly odd gnome suddenly loses at literally nothing.
"Get a hold of yourself man, or do you NOT see the legion of bees that we are trying to not startle?"
He grinned "Hehe. Lovemaking, eh? Helluva trade, I'd say. ...Oh s*&$!" ducking at the force explosion to his rear.
Trevor smiles back at Aterro and says dismissively: "Oh no, it's no biggie. Happy to lend a helping hand." and keeps walking.
Cat Con Save
Con Save
The big cat whirls around as Trevor starts towards the bees and flowers, then jumps five feet into the air at Ibrox's sudden attack.
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Your stomach rumbles again as the musky aroma fills your nostrils.
And there it is. Stepping out into the open meadow. Walking forward with little caution. A deer. Its brown fur glowing softly in the afternoon sun. A young buck, barely grown into its first set of antlers. An easy, flavor filled meal. No old stringy, tough meat from that one. Not at all.
"Sssss....ssss....ssss..ssst..tssss." Laugh the first slithering serpent. Its forked tongue working the air. "What isssss thisssss? One of the witchesssss cursssssed onesssss?"
"Yessss....yesssss...yes...." Hisses the other sliding its long fat body forward. "What are you doing ssssso far from your ssssafe little wood? Blassssting innocccent creaturesssss jusssst trying to ssssurvive?"
"Not very nicccce." Answers the first one. "We can ssssee why the witch doesssn't like you. Ssssshe won't mind if we eat you."
"Yessss....yesssss.....yessss... Better than stringy halflings anyway. Full of power, thissss one. Tassssty, juicccccy power." Says the second as both slide toward you, their swirling eyes filled with hungry anticipation.
The sun is warm, hot even, out from under the shade of the trees. The air heavier with the scent of all the flowers but it is of little consequence as you make your way up the hill to where the young maiden smiles and dances with joy at your coming arrival.
"Oh for so long I've waited and waited for my young knight to come. Waited to give my heart...and my body...to my one true love. Come to me and let me caress away all of your fears and pains. Together we will be safe and at peace in each others arms!"
You wade into the sea of flowers. The insects occasionally buzz around you or fly about in irritation, but otherwise do not hamper your path up the hill.
Scramsax easily avoids the blast from Ibrox which actually seemed to be aimed at a scrawny thorn bush growing a few feet behind where he was standing. Aterro's startled shouts are ignored by both the gnome, who continues to stare at the offending shrubbery, and apparently Trevor who is now a good thirty feet into the meadow and walking with determination up toward the flower covered slope. Fortunately none of the giant bees seem to be bothered by the young knights trek through the flowers. At least for the moment.
There is a rustle of movement from ahead, where Vrindel-Cat was just a few moments ago. Aterro and Scramsax both see the big cat suddenly shift direction. It seems Vrindel has also found something of interest in the meadow. You both watch as the big hunting cat stalks stealthily through the tall grasses and flowers of the meadow. His entire body moving with feline grace and beauty. One of natures most magnificent hunters tracking....what?! Something in the meadow? Something that must be lurking near Trevor, because that is where the big cat seems to be heading, although neither of you can see anything threatening near or beyond the wandering knight.
Trevor laughs and says with a warm voice: "Only happy to help. But... You should know, it's been a long day, and I've soaked, sweated, and dried, then sweated again coming up here. So I'm happy to help, just don't mind the smell." and he blushes as he starts taking off his armour, then pauses and adds: "But let's find what you were looking for first, yes?"
"No, you will not get me! I will break the CURSE!" The gnome screeches while dashing away.
"Ibrox" in a stern voice and fires another Eldritch Blast at the rather vicious looking purple, yellow, and apple green spotted snake on the right.
"Help! Kill the snakes! Aterro, Trevor, kill them!"
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Aterro stands agape at the oddness as most of his companions show signs of madness.
"Oh dear. Everyone with me inside the mountain is now insane."
He stares at the spear. "Perhaps this is the only thing saving me from some lingering curse of the mind," he muses to himself as he wonders how he can save...everyone.
"Damn. What do we do, big fellow? Can your god...like...undo the curse?" he asked, already knowing in his heart somehow that the answer was no. Suddenly he snapped his fingers excitedly "Hey, I got an idea! What do you do when a soggy bastard nods off in the pub? Ye makes em more soggy! Eh, now!"
Like waking a sleeping drunk with a splash of water, Scram uses the water in his waterskin to splash Ibrox full Scramsax blast in the face with a gush of liquid.
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"Okay, yes, maybe you're right...." Aterro stammers, looking around.
With the hobbit dousing the gnome, that leaves Vrindel doing...mayhap he's not insane, just stalking something. Best to leave that for the now.
But is Trevor...getting NAKED???...??? That can't be good. For anyone.
Aterro barrels forward, closing the distance. Taking Trevor by the shoulder he shakes the man vigorously, yelling into his face. "Stop it! Stop it! You're not talking to anyone! There's no one in front of you! Put your armor back on! Come to your senses, man!"
It's not working! He's still staring off into the distance, lost, unconnected. This will need something more than just words! What else is there to do??
*SMACK*
It echos across the tranquil meadow as Aterro slaps him full in the face.
"Well?" he asks.
Vrindel-Cat's mouth begins to water as he senses the taste of the prey ahead. This should be an easy kill. It doesn't seem to detect me.
He crouches forward, moving silently through the grass towards his unsuspecting prey.
Suddenly something else catches his attention from the corner of his amber eye. What is this competition. Surely this deer must hear the blathering, and noisy movement of that familiar human? Why isn't it running away?
Vrindel-Cat hesitates for a moment to see if the prey moves on, or if he still has a chance to dine.
Now there are three of the large snakes slithering toward you. One up them leaps forward and suddenly spits. You're hit and find yourself covered with a burning toxic saliva that is surely a wicked creation of Baba Yaga herself. You've only moments to act before it surely dissolves your skin away completely.
"Come dance with me." She says blushing slightly in the warm sun. "We will dance and search and I just know we will find it." She adds holding out a hand with long, gentle fingers.
You reach for her hand, anticipation pounding hard in your heart when suddenly she screams in pure terror. And big, cold hand grips your shoulder and spins you away to face the brutal cold visage of a Ghost Knight of Morgau staring at you with its horrible undead eyes. Like the knights that conquered Krakova, destroying your home, your loved ones, all that you once held dear. Now here is one standing before you once again. It's black plate armor, burning with the very heat of the nine hells, its empty eyes staring at you with laughter and contempt, one skeletal hand gripping its lightning charged spear.
It speaks, but you don't understand its foul tongue. You do understand when it slaps you hard across the face. Knocking you aside before it pursues the fair maiden who turns a horror stricken face upon you and screams again.
You know that few things generally bring deer to blows like this. Few things except a nearby doe or two or three. You draw in another deep breath, searching for the scent. It is getting easier and easier to ignore the dripping sweet smell of the big purple flowers, but it still takes a few moments to pick up the smell of the female deer. But you do, because that is what mighty hunters do.
There under the trees, hidden in the shade of the wood. Two helpless does grazing quietly, even easier and better prey to fill your rumbling stomach.
The big cat slowly turns to head towards the does. Should be easy to grab one, while the bucks are distracted. He begins to move towards the easier prey.
Stealth
The gnome screams in pain as the water washes his face. "Grandmother's snakes multiply and spit acid like the hydra! Hydra snakes! It burns!" He grabs his face in pain trying the wipe the acid away and curls into the fetal position waiting to be eaten.
Scramsax sprays Ibrox with nearly a full skins worth of water. At first the gnome rolls around on the ground screaming and yowling like a housecat getting a bath. But the shock of the water seems to do the trick.
After a few moments the soaked warlock opens his eyes to find the snakes gone and his skin not turned into bubbling goo. Although still a bit light-headed and blurry eyed, the hallucinations seemed to have subsided, at least for now.
Out in the meadow, Aterro's resounding slap of Trevor's face still rings in the air. But it also seems to be enough to drive the visions from Trevor's mind as the visage of the angry ghost knight is replaced with the visage of the angry cleric of Thor.
Where the maiden once danced and screamed in terror, a giant bee hovers. Its multifaceted eyes turned toward the two humans, its stinger twitching reflexively after nearly being grabbed in an embrace by one of the offending meadow intruders. But rather than attacking it merely turns and moves away further into the meadow and the dense patch of the big purple flowers.
It is at this moment when there is a series of cracks and crackles of last summer's dry flower stalks snapping. All eyes are quickly drawn to the big mountain cat stalking back along the meadows edge. Vrindel-cats tail tip twitches back and forth as he creeps ever closer to the halfling and recovering gnome. His ears prick forward as his muscles bunch for a killing leap. If not for those dried flower stalks there might not have been enough time for anyone to react. As it is, it is clearly only moments before the big cat is going to strike.
"Heh. I'm not yer grandma. Does she have a mustache like this?" he inquires jestfully just before the snapping flower stalks.
Raising to the balls of his feet he bounces this way and that before jumping for cover...
Ahhh! The exhausted gnome reacts to imminent death. "Ibrox," he says in a stern voice causing a big bush to rapidly grow between Vrindel-cat and the two small morsels of gnome and halfling.
Trevor blinks and looks at Aterro, pausing for a long moment to collect his thoughts and emotions. With a puzzled and absent voice, he says: "Thanks..."
Noticing the big cat, he runs at it and tackles it!
"BAD!"
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Unlike a normal deer this one crashes into you, but your fast reflexes soon reverse the situation and what could have been a lost meal and day of hunger now looks like a day of feasting as the deer ends up prone, under your massive poised claws....
Ibrox's illusionary shrub gives the gnome and Scramsax just enough time to scramble out of immediate danger of the big hunting cat who cuts forth with an angry yowl. Throwing caution to wind, Trevor launches his unarmored body toward the big cat. Unfortunately, he doesn't see the deep mole hole in his path that catches his foot just as the knight tries to make his tackle. His caught foot throws everything off. Instead of grappling the big mountain cat, he ends up sliding into it. The two tumble and twist in a flurry of flailing fur and limbs. In the end, the cat's reflexes prove the quicker and it ends up standing atop the prone knight with one large clawed paw ready to swipe...
A brave and noble sacrifice. I've never known a stag to throw their lives away so that their mates might live. I should let him stand and have a fighting chance... but no. His heart will give me strength. I'll eat it first.
CON Save
CON Save Advantage (Whispers of the Ancestors)
But then sudden thoughts came into his mind as he started to swing his mighty paw. Troll blooded individuals in archaic clothing. They looked so familiar. They were looking at him disapproval clear on their faces, and shaking their heads no...
Vrindel Cat looked down to see the dear fade and the form of Trevor take its place. The cat immediately jumped off the fallen knight, and looked towards the clearing with the other buck tail twitching in agitation, then he looked towards the two smaller does, and found only Scramsax, and Ibrox. He let out a ear piercing howl of frustration, and turned back to the trail, slinking away as though nothing untoward had occured.
"Please don't eat me..." Trevor manages, looking at a complete set of fangs and claws from below.
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Pulling Ibrox aside a second in hushed tones "Hey mate. I know true friends among us shorties are few and far between. But are you guys always like this together? I mean, I see a pretty meadow...first thing I think: where's a shady spot to rest me load. The first thing is not: transform into a black furred death engine and stalk everyone. It's not: slip off me breeches and get slapped by an older man. Know what I'm saying?"
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"Yikes, those bees are huge! They're bigger than me." The cheerful gnome eyes those beautiful purple flowers.He waves his hand and makes himself really stinky and hopefully uninteresting to bees and colossal bees.
"Trevor! Stop goofing around with Vrindel and...put your armor back on!
Vrindel, what are you sniffing at? Have you found something we must know?" Aterro asks, never having seen anything amiss with the druid.
Now that things are a bit less...insane, the WarCleric takes pause to look about the idyllic meadow as his mind chews on what has happened here.
"Hmmmmmm."
"It must have been the Effildawnan blooms. Those brightly colored purple flowers in the meadow are very rare and prized by herbalists and alchemists for their sleep inducing qualities. They are usually only found in forests and glades further south. With the right recipes, the blossoms can also be used to generate a highly potent and sometimes lethal hallucinogen. The manufacturing of such substances is banned by most guilds and governments, but those who are willing to risk the consequences often pay handsomely for the rare pollen of the Effildawnan flowers."
"I thought we were far enough away to be affected." The gnome slumps to the ground exhausted and feeling a little guilty.
His little pointy halfling ears actually seemed to twitch visibly at Ibrox's words 'pay handsomely'. Fear got shoved aside, if it ever really existed...the thief was heavy into devising the heist.
"Pollen, eh? That can be sieved, no? Like tea leaves too big for a finely woven cloth. Masks, I mean...over the nose and mouth so the pollen can't catch us with our pants down. Surely the bees wouldn't miss one little flower...or maybe smoke 'em out first, some o' that yesteryears stalks is dry as tinder. Aye. That'd do nicely..." so he plots, tapping his fingers together.
Having mostly regained his senses, Vrindel-cat continues to keep to the trees, circling the meadow to where he finally picks up what appears to be the trail of the sailors. At this point the forest thins a bit, as does the heavy undergrowth, leaving easy to walk on paths of grass to follow. The big meadow with its purple flowers and sweet scents is left behind, but it is still easy to see and hear the occasional bee traveling back and forth to and from the meadow.
"Am I crazy, or are those giant bees following us?" Scram ponders to no one in particular.
Wow. That cloud looks like Aterro with his Thorspear. The cheerful gnome day dreams.