Alaric turns into a dinosaur and prepares Shredder.
It's clear you aren't falling for it, so it casts aside the attempts at ambush. A bear-shaped beast emerges from the pond. A squat simian who walks on all fours, with a long tail that ends in a clawed hand. It hisses, ready for blood.
It swims west and lashes out from the water.
It catches LT with a claw, but isn't able to hold him down.
Enemy
Tere
Thran
Shredder (Barkskin)
LT
Radagast
Kavor
Alaric
Thran encourages everyone to attack the beast, while signalling the captured Pathfinders. One of them, a young human, readies his bow to strike when someone else does in a show of Allied Offense.
Kavor opens fire but the energy thuds into a pond.
Shredder moves in to attack!
Tere risks running around the creature and gets a claw to the face for his trouble.
Tere ducks just in time to protect his face, but the claw digs into his back and drags him over the water.
Shredder bites the creature and the Pathfinder in the back takes this as a cue and fires an arrow, dealing an extra damage and lowering its defenses.
LT decides to surround the thing and finds it is quick enough to claw at him.
LT evades the blow, then returns one of his own.
Suddenly able to flank it, Radagast barely breaks through its natural armor.
It decides LT is the greatest threat and freely drops Tere into the water before turning its attention to the barbarian.
LT is caught within its grip.
Tere (8 damage, Grappled, Standard Action Only)
Enemy (57 damage)
Tere (8 damage)
Thran
Shredder (Barkskin)
LT (23 damage, Grappled)
Radagast
Kavor
Alaric
Happy to see his dino-buddy doing the same, Shredder also shreds into the thing.
Two dinosaurs bite and shred into the beast holding LT. Near death, it seems to correct its defenses and hitpoints, but it may not be enough. One decent blow could finish it off now.
damage so far.
Tere is dropped in the water, just north of everyone else.
LT is in the monster's grip, but he manages to hold the thing in place. Kavor chose to stick a magical guise during this, but now he's switches to the attack. With LT in control of the grapple, the monster can't do much but watch the axe sink into its hide. Its death cry sounds like a human man wailing, then silence.
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You search the ruins and find the archer who aided you. His body is covered with claw marks, and he is busy untying the gag around him. His moans sounds just like the creature's noises. He must have just escaped.
"Thank you for saving us." Now able to speak, he coughs. "Have you seen my daughter around here? We got separated on the way here, she said she was going to chase some glowing balls of light. I heard her crying a few minutes later and when I tried to follow her that... thing ambushed us." He looks to the other two Pathfinders, unconscious. "If you hadn't interrupted it, I fear for the worst."
You return to Medda with another group of Pathfinders. "Good work. You and the other Pathfinders have found everyone. The medics are taking care of anyone wounded or poisoned. And we are planning burial rites for the fallen, so this forest does not curse them."
"We are preparing to attack the heart of the blight, but it will take a little more time. You are free to rest."
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I hand my wand to one of the nice people to use on me please and thank you. Recovering from fatigue while being healed.
(used 27/50 charges)
(used 28/50 charges)
(used 29/50 charges)
(used 30/50 charges)
(used 31/50 charges)
(used 32/50 charges)
"Did I hear it was nap time? Every warrior deserves a little nap time after a glorious battle. That was a particularly good one. Did you all see how I grabbed him by the tail and held on while Kavor delivered the killing blow. Oh yes, that was one to remember for the camp fire stories."
You decide to enter the forest again and see if you can find Grimpfkin. It isn't too hard, as you soon smell some kind of smoked herb and lots of giggling from a nearby grove.
"Oh jeez, right before it was really gonna get fun. Get out of here. We'll talk later, promise!" Grimpfkin emerges from the opposite direction of someone else and laughs. "Man, you guys have great timing." He coughs and you smell the burnt herbs. "Lemme guess: You want to try my test of speed. You got it."
Grimpfkin nods approvingly, hops atop a mossy rock, and flings the contents of his mug into the air. Before it reaches the ground, the fizzing ale transforms into a bird and takes flight off into the woods, leaving a faintly sparkling trail.
He looks on with surprised approval before clapping his hands at you and exclaiming, “What are you waiting for? Catch it, and the prize is yours. Just, ah, no flying or teleporting—it’s a challenge, remember?” He laughs for a bit before turning deadly serious. "Because I'll know if you're cheating." Back to his happy self. "Alright then. Have fun!"
The glittering trail leads across a wide ravine that cuts through the forest. The ravine has several old logs set across it, and a slowly flowing creek runs along the bottom.
The trail ends at a tall cliff that splits the forest, and the glittering trail leads up the rock face. Several thick vines descend from above, but each vine bears several long thorns.
The trail zigzags through a large thicket that winds about like a primal hedge maze. Some of the plants seem to move on their own, reaching towards warmth.
A ruined two-story building rises out of the forest, hugged by dense, thorny thickets on both sides. The front wall, ceiling, and floors have long since collapsed. Several support columns rise from the cellar, and the remains of a staircase up to the second floor look far too weak to support weight. The back door leads to clearer terrain, where the trail continues.
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Ravine vs DC20 fail
Cliffside vs DC20 fail
Overgrown Maze vs DC24 fail "stupid plants always tripping me up."
Ruins vs DC18 pass
"This is so hard, where did that crazy bird fly off to. A better speed test would have been to see how fast we could fill that bird with arrows and saved us all a lot of time running through the woods. Now after all that exercise, I really need a nap."
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Before getting started, Radgast casts Guidance.
At the Ravine, Radagast tentatively tests the logs, just (barely) finding some that are relatively stable.
At the Cliffside, he easily identifies which vines don't have thorns.
Likewise, maneuvering through the Maze proves to be child's play.
Finally, in the Ruins, with a snarl, Radagast topples a column to make an improvised ramp.
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Since he is without his armor, Kavor Doan might actually be okay at swimming and climbing. Although not great. He gives chase to the bird.
The dwarf casts True Strike and anchors his grappling hook in a distant tree:
Then at the cliff, he does his best to climb, but comes up a bit short:
In the bramble maze, he relies on his axe to hack a path through without any trouble:
Finally, in the ruins, he tries to push over a column to serve as a bridge. Had he focused his mind on Strength rather than Dexterity today he'd have been able to do it:
Detect Magic, Read Magic, Mage Hand, Disrupt Undead,
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Tere leaps from log to log across the ravine, easily keeping his balance.
The thorny vines present a rather greater challenge to the elf, though.
Scratched and bleeding, he's unable to hack his way past the overgrown maze, slowing him down still more.
He ends up falling repeatedly while trying to get through the ruins.
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Ravine
Alaric is paying more attention to Shredder romping around than his is picking out the fastest route.
Cliffside
Alaric manages to grab all the wrong places, and has to spend time pulling thorns out.
Overgrown Maze
Finally Alaric makes progress! He easily navigates the maze.
Ruins
The deinonychus shoves his way into the wall, pushing it over.
You all have no problem with the logs.
"Those things are slippery, trust me." Grimpfkin subconsciously rubs his behind as you pass.
The cliffside slows you down significantly.
"You'd better hurry up, that bird isn't gonna wait." Grimpfkin is walking up the cliff alongside you.
Most of you get through the maze.
"AMAZING work. Keep it up!"
You either get through the ruins or you demolish your way through.
"Imagine you did that to the maze. That's my usual plan. Anyway, I'll see you at the finish line."
”Wow, you got here so fast!” Grimpfkin congratulates you. ”Well, drink up.”
He uses his magic to shape part of the stump into a set of mugs, and he knocks his own mug against the stump, the bird splits into equal parts, turning back into ale that fills each mug. He toasts to you and invite you to drink.
"This is the most fun I've had in a while. I hope you had fun!" Grimpfkin drinks some more. "But it's time for me to go. The queen of this forest got mad at me a few weeks ago she can't take a joke so I was on my way out when all of you Pathfinders showed up. Good luck on... uh, whatever you're doing." With that Grimpfkin waves you goodbye before disappearing into a tree.
"Waiting is the most boring part, am I right?"
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It is difficult to tell how much time has passed through the smothering canopy as Medda addresses the regrouped Pathfinder and Twinhorn forces. “The ancient battlefield is just beyond those trees. There, Ivvora and her comrades scattered an undead army, but the necromantic taint never left this land. Instead, the plants and animals have gradually absorbed the evil, encouraged by someone calling herself Mother Bloodleaf.
“We must strike as one, simultaneously attacking the corruption’s heart as well as the seedpods spread out around the swamp. Their destruction will unleash harmful energies, so we of the Twinhorn following shall head toward the center to ritually disperse that energy to keep it from festering anew! Each team should follow its Twinhorn mystic to an intended target, and from there, three blasts of a horn shall signal our attack. May Vildeis bless us as she did Ivvora before us!”
Medda, the Twinhorns, and the Pathfinders spread out and make their way through the woods to their striking positions. When all are in position, three blasts of a war-horn echo across the heavily forested battleground. As the Pathfinders rush toward their targets, startled figures with purple glowing eyes hurry toward the seedpods and the enormous dark flower at the heart of the swamp. A shriek carries over the battleground. “What treachery is this? My minions have fallen without so much as warning me? No matter, I shall rip out any trespassers’ souls and feed them to the blight!”
The ancient battleground has turned into a fetid swamp that fills the air with the scent of death and decay. Rusted weapons jut out from the patches of solid land. Here and there, skeletal remains and grimacing skulls clad in ruined iron peek out from the glowing mire. A seedpod pulsing with purplish energy grows on an islet across the swamp.
Several creatures hiss as you approach the seedpod. All of them have faint glowing purple eyes and flowers growing from their flesh.
The spirit guardians come to greet you as you approach the blight. "We have created some portals for you that could get you close to the seedpod. Simply step through this tree and you'll reappear in the other tree."
The spirits fly ahead and harry the enemy. Two boars and a pile of plants shuffle along, led by a goblin covered in mud. The spirits encircle the quarry, trying to slow them down.
The Goblin and the Yellow-tinted boar ignore the distraction, but the others are staggered.
Grimpfkin's charms wash over you as you prepare to attack the seedpod.
Greater Charm of Luck: This functions as the Charm of Luck, but the PC can roll twice when rerolling the d20 and take the higher result.
You try to identify the creatures guarding the seedpod.
The seedpod is a 5-foot-diameter hardened husk surrounding a large kernel that pulses with purple light. You know it will require some force to break it open.
LT
Alaric
Kavor
Shredder
Radagast
Tere
Thran
Goblin
Yellow Boar
Green Boar (Staggered)
Plant (Staggered)