Surprised by the vegepygmy cutting off her path of escape Tam zigs diagonally away from her pursuers and cuts straight across the open space to end up near Yaron.
Yaron's ongoing poetry shifts slightly as his voice is filled with pain, but he grits his teeth and fires an arrow at the plant-creature fighting Russet.
for
I assume these are trees and we can go underneath them.
Round 5 completed_________________________________________
Faerieth takes a step away from her attacker, quickly casting a spell to infuse her staff with primal power
Sebastion followed taking a quick snapping bite at the goblin between himself and his master; but missed..
Darry spun about between the two vegepygmies and chopped his axe at the one between him and Sebastion. He managed to hit it, but the grazing damage just removed a bunch of leaves from its head, leaving it alive and kicking.
Tam zigs diagonally away from her pursuers and cuts straight across the open space to end up near Yaron.
Yaron's fires an arrow at the plant-creature fighting Russet. (#4) His shot hits the vegepygmy dead center, splintering it into kindling. It falls dead.
(npc) Arlen hustled around to flank #12 and attack.
x3 critical
He hacked it town without mercy.
(npc) Russed lunged at the vegepygmy #11.
He tore it up and killed it.
Vegepygmy #1 charged up to Tamarantha to spear her.
for a possible piercing damage.
Vegepygmy #2 charged up to Yaron to spear him.
for a possible piercing damage.
Tree creature stepped forward, grabbed a fruit off of is branches, then threw a fastball at Tamarantha.
for a possible bludgeoning damage.
Round 6_________________________________________
Players take their turn in order of posting, enemies will go last.
Faerieth quickly races over to Yaron, bringing her empowered staff crashing down onto the vegepygmy with splintering force.
Tired of being pursued Tamarantha turns and attacks the vegepygmy who has been chasing her.
Yaron takes a step back into open space, pleased to be free of his vegeshadow. He raises his bow to ensure if can't follow when he sees Faerith strike it down -- causing the bard to shift his aim to the tree creature - loosing an arrow.
"The tree creature is resistant to your arrows and to Faerieth's staff. To truly harm it you must chop it down or burn it to the ground, it is extremely vulnerable to fire."
He whistled shrilly, pratically leaping into the saddle as his mount moved close. He dug his heels into Sebastions side and guided him torwards the tree with his knees. He took a savage hack at the monster with his battleaxe when he closed with it.
Yaron nods, "Don't really have a fiery bow. Wish I did."
Round 6 completed_________________________________________
Faerieth quickly races over to Yaron, bringing her empowered staff crashing down onto the vegepygmy with splintering force. It flies into splinters, dead.
Tired of being pursued Tamarantha turns and attacks the vegepygmy who has been chasing her.
Her sickle hits the vegepygmy, injuring it.
Yaron takes a step back into open space. He raises his bow to ensure if can't follow when he sees Faerith strike it down -- causing the bard to shift his aim to the tree creature - loosing an arrow.
His arrow strikes deep in a dark spot on its bole, releasing a golden brown sap. The tree creature staggered as if in pain.
Darry whistled shrilly, practically leaping into the saddle as his mount moved close. He dug his heels into Sebastions side and guided him torwards the tree with his knees. He took a savage hack at the monster with his battleaxe when he closed with it. He swung hard, but missed.
(npc) Arlen and Russet moved out of the shrubbery and towards the tree creature.
Vegepygmy #1 tried to spear Tamarantha.
for a possible piercing damage.
The tree creature swung out at Darry with a knobby branch.
for a possible bludgeoning damage.
It swung another branch at Sebastion.
for a possible bludgeoning damage.
Round 7_________________________________________
Players take their turn in order of posting, enemies will go last.
He cried out in obvious pain barely able to keep his seat when the tree creature slammed into him with its might branchy fist.
"Son of a hairy halfling that hurt!"
He coughed out ducking lower as Sebastion leapt a bit more to the left snapping at the monsterous branches. He shifted his grip on his axe and tried to cut into it as well.
As the red-haired elf warns of the tree creature's resistances, Faerin switches her staff to her left hand, quickly drawing out one of her concoctions and drinking it, feeling the warmth of it fill her.
Tamarantha slices at the vegepygmy assaulting her with her sickle and grins in grim satisfaction as the blade cuts deep, drawing sap and ichor from the wound.
And Tamarantha's slash cuts the vegepygmy down hard.
Round 7 completed_________________________________________
Darry ducking lower as Sebastion leapt a bit more to the left snapping at the monsterous branches. He shifted his grip on his axe and tried to cut into it as well.
Darry’s axe bit, but Sebastion could not get a bite on it.
As the red-haired elf warns of the tree creature's resistances, Faerin switches her staff to her left hand, quickly drawing out one of her concoctions and drinking it, feeling the warmth of it fill her.
Drink concoction of Firebelly
Tamarantha slices at the vegepygmy assaulting her with her sickle and grins in grim satisfaction as the blade cuts deep, drawing sap and ichor from the wound. The blade passed all the way through the vegepygmy, putting him down hard.
(npc) Yaron fired at the sawed off tree again, but missed.
(npc) Russet ran up to the tree creature and tried to charge it, but missed.
(npc) Arlen came up and attacked with his blade, but missed.
The tree creature swung out at Arlen with a knobby branch.
for a possible bludgeoning damage.
It swung another branch at Russet.
for a possible bludgeoning damage.
Round 8_________________________________________
Players take their turn in order of posting, enemies will go last.
Faerin hustles around the large tree to get into a better position to attack the tree creature from behind.
Guiding Sebastion with his knees he shifted their postion more to the south.
"Surround it, keep it distracted bring it down!"
He called out to the others. Sebastion bit at the tree monster in response.
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Yaron ponders a moment, then decides there's nothing he can do but fire off another shot, hoping the bow's magic will allow it to work.
Tamarantha begins weaving a spell around Arlen chanting "Dilata Persona" as her magic causes the Cavalier to grow to the size of a giant.
Round 8 completed_________________________________________
Faerieth hustles around the large tree to get into a better position to attack the tree creature from behind. Double move.
Darry Swiftfoot Guiding Sebastion with his knees he shifted their postion more to the south.
Sebastion took a mouthful of bark, but couldn’t trip the thing.
Yaron ponders a moment, then decides there's nothing he can do but fire off another shot, hoping the bow's magic will allow it to work.
Yaron’s shot hit dead center of the tree-man, more sap flowed. It flailed around in agony.
Tamarantha begins weaving a spell around Arlen chanting "Dilata Persona" as her magic causes the Cavalier to grow to the size of a giant.
Russet attacked, but missed.
Arlen attacked, and finally shattered the main trunk of the tree-man, already critically injured by Yaron’s arrows.
This battle is over.
In the southern edge of the clearing, there's a little open area in the tree line covered in Yellow Musk vines. Inside there is a large form wrapped up in the vines you can't quite see what it could be.
Yaron stops his terrible poetry, "Glad that's over, I was running out of things to say."
He panted as the creature fell apart almost quite literally.
"Alright then."
He spun Sebastion to face the red haired elf.
"Beggin you pardon miss, thanks for the help by the way, but uh... Who the bloody ell are you?"
He asked still panting from the action with the tree monsters.
"Well met." Faerieth says to the red-headed eleven woman gratefully. "We can worry about introductions in a bit, we should check out that area with the yellow musk vines before we relax too much."
Approaching cautiously, you see a number of small and medium forms and one large one, all wrapped up by vines and yellow musk flowers.
Yaron nods, "A very warm welcome, indeed -- and, might I say, excellent timing."
Approaching the flowers, Faerieth stands 15 ft away. Taking a deep breath, she leans forward, exhaling a jet of flame that washes over the deadly flowers.
Faerieth with her breath of fire caused the more dangerous blossoms to combust, releasing the yellow pollen before it too is consumed.
With that, and other energy producing actions by her companions (including torches), the dangerous growths are eliminated.
At this point you can see several humanoid bodies entwined by spiney vine growth.
You count a couple humans, three hobgoblins and one large figure that looks like a male centaur. All with their armor and equipment intact. You can see that they all have miniature vegepygmies partially emerged from their bodies before they were killed (no threat now).
Though expecting the worst, Faerieth checks the bodies for any signs of life.
Yaron winces at the revealed corpses, and the evidence that they were used to birth the plant-monsters, then shakes his head, "At least they got some hobgoblins," he sighs. Then, he casts detect magic, looking for any treasures on the corpses.
"Anyone know the horseman? If it's got family near we should send a note maybe?"
He looked to the new elf lass and Faerieth mostly.
"Forgive me, my name is Tamarantha. Tamarantha Callandriil, but my friends call me Tam. I live, well lived, just outside Phaendar. I've seen most of you around town during market day but never felt the need to make introductions...until now"
Yaron nods at Tamarantha, "Well met. I am Yaron, and was in town to visit my father before... well, all of this."
"I thought you looked familiar. I am Faerieth, I was sort if the town herbalist before everything went to hell. Now...well, I guess we're all just trying our best to keep our community alive, and one step ahead of the hobgoblins." the druidess says solemnly. "Your help, and knowledge were invaluable."
" I suppose we should harvest whatever gear we can from their bodies, at this point every little bit helps. And resupply what we can from the orchard." she says to the others.
One body was a middle aged man, bald with a dark beard.
He was armed with a masterwork longbow (+2 str), 33 arrows, 2 blunt arrows, 3 incendiary arrows, 5 barbed arrows, leather armor and two hand axes.
He had a backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a flint and steel, a small box of ten tindertwigs, a mess kit, a 50' rope, torches (10), trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin. He also had a pouch with 61 crowns, 3 gold sovereigns and a divine scroll of hold animal (CL 3)
Another body was a dark skinned elf with long white hair. He had masterwork studded leather armor, two masterwork alchemical silver scimitars, and a cold iron boot dagger.
He also had a backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a flint and steel, a mess kit, a 50' spidersilk rope, trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin.
He also had a belt pouch with 41 crowns, 170 silver pennies, 30 coppers, and a tigereye gemstone (13crowns). He also had a potion/oil of purify food and drink and an arcane scroll of comprehend languages (CL 1).
The three hobgoblins all had:
Three sets of basic hobgoblin equipment:
*Studded Leather Armor
*Ironfang Legion uniform
*Light Steel Shield
*Longsword
*Dagger
*Longbow with 20 arrows
*20 silver pennies, 30 copper farthings
The hobgoblins already carry the spoils of some looting:
One traveller's masterwork backpack (UE) stuffed with
A divine scroll containing the spells calm animals, cure light wounds, and magic stone (CL1)
and, all collected together; dried goat meat, sheep’s cheese, and a jug of sheep’s milk worth a total of 5 Provision Points.
The dead centaur is a handsome looking fellow with dark hair, beard and dappled coat. He had ordinary merchants clothing, but was wearing a masterwork chain shirt under it.
For weapons he only had a staff, a sling and a brass knife.
He carried 6 doses of oil of taggit in a large glass bottle, as well as a large money pouch with 375 freshly minted silver crowns with Ironfang Legion stamps.
He also carried a rough map to some place marked a couple of miles along the main road east, then branched off on a smaller trail to the north and east of the logging thorp of Gristledown you had already visited.
He also had a package sealed with parchment and wax, an Ironfang Legion official courier pouch. The package contains a note...
My emissary approaches you as
a sign of respect, but by now you
have seen my soldiers move unchecked
across this green and fertile land.
The Ironfang Legion means to make
all of Nirmathas a home to those the
humans would hunt, and turn those
same humans into our servants and
prey. You would be wise to join our
alliance. There is no room for neutral
parties when war is all around you,
and only one side in this conflict will
offer you strength and shelter.
As a sign of the protection the
Legion offers, kindly accept this
token of my generosity. Take your time
in making your decision, but I trust
you will come to the conclusion that
provides your small and vulnerable tribe
a future.
Kindest regards,
General Azaersi
... and an amulet of natural armor +2.
Sighing, Faerieth sets herself to the grim task of retrieving any useful items and equipment from the bodies, learning what they could of them as she goes through the process. Coming to the centaur's belongings she stares at the silver coins in the money pouch, puzzled at the fresh minting of the Ironfang Legion.
Was this some sort of payment for a service? Was the centaur in league with the hobgoblins?
Getting to the note with the package, her stomach sinks as she reads through it. "Blight! The hobgoblins were trying to sway the centaurs into allying with them!" she says holding up the note for anyone else who wanted to read it.
Yaron says, "Because we needed more enemies, clearly. I guess we could hope it's just a matter of the hobbies hiring mercenaries?"
"Though it looks like the message...and the payment never made it to them." Faerieth reasons.
You also find a small figurine of a cat on the body of the elf. It is made of white marble and radiates magic.
"Well this looks interesting, definitely magical!" Faerieth says picking up the white marble figurine.
"Oh cute! When you speak the command word, this figurine turns into a housecat." Faerieth says with a momentary smile.
"The more I read this though, the more I think it might not be the centaurs this was meant for. 'The Children of Stone' might refer to a Troglodyte tribe that calls themselves that." Faerieth says as she looks over the note.
"Centaurs prefer grasslands and open plains. This area is densely forested and hilly with lots of caves that troglodytes might live in."