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Karando tells what he experienced as he glances warily around.
Xathos ask Karando for more details on the statues. From the description Xathos thinks they are Spirit Guardian Statues mindless constructs which the caravan triggered some how. He knows that the construct has armor that absorbs damage, but once it gets broken the statue is easier to hit..
Hamarel disagrees, he thinks they are living trees carved in the shape of statues by evil oni and that they feed off the dead by growing roots into the fallen.
Fumbus, Sylvia, Hamarel and Xoathos all agree the Fox headed creature is a Kitsune, a race of crafty shape-changing humanoids common throughout Tiean, including the Forest of Spirits.
statues
Kitsune.
Karando - Investigate nature +5
Xathos: - Investigation Occultism +3
Fumbus: - Perception +3
Hamarel: - detect magic
Celister: - perception +6
Sylvia: - perception +7
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"...There was a very similar effect in Tanglebriar, I swear. Treerazer may not have polluted Tian Xia yet, but oni are too close to his ilk. We must eliminate these 'statues' with all haste." Hamarel continues arguing even as the team moves out once more. Xathos may have proven him wrong, and the statues are likely problems either way, but he doesn't quit.
Fumbus, Sylvia, Hamarel and Xoathos all agree the Fox headed creature is a Kitsune, a race of crafty shape-changing humanoids common throughout Tiean, including the Forest of Spirits.
"Let's keep eye out for fox that, er, changes shape to not look like fox." Fumbus suggests.
"Fumbus, can you get the yaks moving again?"
"Does yak fur burn?" the goblin replies rhetorically.
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Xathos addresses the party and shares what he thinks he knows.
"I zink zese are ztatues which means zey reseest damage up to a point. Ze more zou do, ze better zou are. Once zey take zo much damage, zey break much easier. Zey may be reseestant to ze majicks, zo keep zat in mind. We zall find out zoon enough I zink."
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Karando takes the lead feeling like the spirit within is guiding him along the best path him to the lost caravan.
Celister agrees
Hamarel continues to expound upon the Treerazer.
Fumbus gets the Yaks moving as visions of burning Yaks dance in his head. He is interrupted as one of the Yaks long blue tongue licks the Goblin’s head from the neck to the top leaving a dripping mess.
Xathos lectures the group on statues strengths and weakness as the group traviles.
Strangely the path Karando chooses seem to be clear of snow banks and other obstacles that have been slowing your wagon.
Your group eventually catches up the the lost caravan. The caravan’s members exhausted and wary retreat into their wagons when they see you, except for two people wh call out from a guarded position on the center wagon ”We are Lin Po and Ti Lan, Who are you?”
(Village: You gain +1 bonus to attack rolls against foes with cover. But, you also feel more insular and take a -2 circumstance penalty to Charisma-based skill checks. For the rest of the scenario.)
Karando - Investigate nature +5
Xathos: - Investigation Occultism +3
Fumbus: - Perception +3
Hamarel: - detect magic
Celister: - perception +6
Sylvia: - perception +7
Sylvia adjusts her glasses "We've been sent to rescue you by Amara Li."
Hamarel perks up. "Fellow Pathfinders! Worry not, we're here to help. I don't have a wayfinder, but I was given this nice personalized lid..."
"Pathfinder!" Fumbus echoes with obvious pride.
Sylvia adjusts her glasses "We've been sent to rescue you by Amara Li."
"Longshanks supposed to be at town of Sakakabe two weeks ago. But not show." Fumbus elaborates. "Pathfinders sent to figure out what happened. Now that longshanks found, Fumbus hope you tell us."
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Hamarel greets the fellow pathfinders showing his personalized engraved wayfinder lid.
Looking relieved Ti elbows Lin with a knowing look and a chuckle at the wayfinder lid, ”Yes, the Society spares no expense in rewarding it’s initiates. You are truly Pathfinders.”
Sylvia mentions Amara Li name.
Fumbus notes with pride the Pathfinders and asks for an explanation.
Celister agrees with Fumbus but speaks more eloquently.
Lin Po steps out looking much relieved ”Thank to Amara Li and you we may yet finish our journey. It feels like we have been going in circles for weeks. I hope you know the way out, the forest keeps changing the path and slowing us down. We have tried backtracking only to find the path we took the day before has closed up and vanished. Also he have been harried by statues. I think they are forest protectors, but I don’t know why have attacked up. We keep driving them off, but they keep coming back. It is maddening.”
Lin looks down at his feet ”I’m am afraid The Venture Captain will be disappointed in us, during one of the attacks some of the most valuable artifacts went missing.”
Lin pulls a bundle out from the wagons, ”We have some spare weapons if you need them, just in case the statues attack again.”
He unwraps the bundle showing three weapons a composite shortbow with 10 arrows, a greataxe, and a greatclub.
Note weapons count as 3 treasure bundles.
(Village: You gain +1 bonus to attack rolls against foes with cover. But, you also feel more insular and take a -2 circumstance penalty to Charisma-based skill checks. For the rest of the scenario.)
Karando - Investigate nature +5
Xathos: - Investigation Occultism +3
Fumbus: - Perception +3
Hamarel: - detect magic
Celister: - perception +6
Sylvia: - perception +7
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"Perhaps we could retrieve the items, if you could direct us to where they were lost." Karando asks the caravaners.
"There's no shame in having trouble with a difficult mission. Unexpected difficulties can arrive for anyone. Venture-captain Li would not have sent us if she didn't care about your mission."
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Celister looks down at the greataxe and greatclub and faintly scoffs.
I’ll take the elegance of a sword over the roughness of an axe or a club any day.
The elf listens to the two Pathfinders with intent. He folds his arms as he looks Lin in the eye.
”I think the better question is why in Elysium’s name did you not stick to traveling the main path of the Spirit Road?”
Sylvia adjusts her glasses and awaits the answer to the 64,000gp question.
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Xathos ask the Pathfinders about the statues and items taken.
Lin shakes his head, ” The statues are non-living creatures. They are simple things of carved stone or wood. The villagers place them all along the road as forest guardians. I’ve never seen them move on their own, the spirit of the forest must be responsible. Many items were taken among them a magical Bonsai tree and a cold iron katana.”
Karando offers to retrieve the items.
Lin looks hopefull, ” Yes that would most helpful. “
Celister asks why the Pathfinders left the main road.
The Pathfinder sighs, ” One of the relics the Bonsai tree spoke to us, it told us of a shorter path through the forest, but then it was stolen from us. ”
Sylvia listens to the conversation.
It is about this time that you hear a crashing sound as five small statues move through the underbrush rushing towards the wagons and you.
average is 11.
(Village: You gain +1 bonus to attack rolls against foes with cover. But, you also feel more insular and take a -2 circumstance penalty to Charisma-based skill checks. For the rest of the scenario.)
Karando - Investigate nature +5
Xathos: - Investigation Occultism +3
Fumbus: - Perception +3
Hamarel: - detect magic
Celister: - perception +6
Sylvia: - perception +7
Statues
Orange:
Cyan:
Purple:
Blue:
Green:
Fumbus is distracted. Having stopped to probe the contents of one of his nostrils with a finger, the alchemist brings his latest discovery to his mouth for potential identification by taste.
Sylvia also takes a moment to consider the statues.
Sylvia then casts Guidance on Fumbus before diving for cover beneath the wagon.
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Celister burys his face in his hands at his companions’ actions—or lack thereof.
”Fine. Fine,” he says as he unsheathes the weapon on his back . ”I’m not usually one to come first, but I’m also not one to ignore a bit of action.”
With that last euphemistic comment, Celister powers his way through the undergrowth of the Forest of Spirits and swings his sword at the nearest statue!
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Karando is looking into the trees.
Fumbus is distracted.
Xathos climbs onto the nearest wagon to get a good look at the statues. From his crafting skill, he knows these are Lesser Guardian Statues they are immune to bleed, death effects, disease, doomed, drained, fatigued, healing, mental, necromancy, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poison, sickened, unconscious.
Sylvia considers the statues as well. At first glance, they seem to be non-living constructs but philosophical what is meant by being alive if it moves and reacts to the outside world is it no different than a living thing? She gives Fumbus a bit of magical guidance.
Hamarel calls out the cowardly statues as he enter mountain stance and readies an attack.
Celister quips euphemistically and suddenly charges the cyan statue. Hitting it hard with his Falchion and chipping away bits of its stone, but due to its hardness not all of the damage gets through.
Ti hands Lin Po a crossbow and the pathfinder fires it hitting the Orange statue.
The Cyan statue strikes back at Celister connecting with the first slam, but missing with the two following slams.
The other statues slowly move in on the heroes.
Hamarel takes his readied action and strikes at orange statue twice only to have his fist bounce of its armored surface harmlessly.
Cyan vs Celister
to hit
2nd
to hit
3rd
to hit
Karando absorbs some of the spirit's personality he gains its increased agility and 5ft bonus to speed, but also a fear of the forest at the beginning of each encounter make a DC 5 flat check or be frightened 1 for first round.
(Village effects on everyone: You gain +1 bonus to attack rolls against foes with cover. But, you also feel more insular and take a -2 circumstance penalty to Charisma-based skill checks. For the rest of the scenario.)[/spoiler]
Karando -
Xathos: -
Fumbus: - (Guidance)
Hamarel: -
Celister: +4 dam
Sylvia: -
Statues
Orange: +5 dam
Cyan: +9 dam
Purple:
Blue:
Green:
Sylvia ponders for a moment before realizing she's lost in thought and fires off her necromantic ray at the approaching green statue.
Sylvia then further protects herself with the shield spell.
Feeling the touch of the wizard, Fumbus looks up from his recent find to see the cause of the commotion, then feels sees the monk punching creatures of stone.
"Look like longshanks got statue here. Fumbus get others." he says, moving past the back of the horses toward the two he sees through the brush.
Retrieving a vial of acid from his bandolier, the goblin tosses it at the statue before him.
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Sylvia using her magic to fire a sickening ray at the green statue, but it misses.
Karando scrambles across the wagon and swings at the green statue, but his longsword bounces off its armor surface.
Hamarel gives Lin a look as he punches repeatedly and enfectualy at the statue.
Xathos moves forward as he uses his magic to cause an electric arc to bounce between two statues. The Cyan one seems to take no damage while the orange one pops and smokes as the sparks dance across its body.
Fumbus moves past the horses, before tossing it at the blue statue hitting it squarely still the acid seems to have a lessened effect as it tries to burn through the hard outer surface.
Celister swings at the statue. His first brings it down, he moves into flank on orange statue and attacks again, but misses
Lin fires a bolt at the blue statue damaging it.
Orange bashes at Hamarel hitting him once with a stony fist.
Green slams its fist at Karando repeatedly, and misses repeatedly.
Blue moves up to Fumbus attacking him twice without landing a blow on the dodgy goblin.
Purple moves up slamming Fumbus once with his fist.
The acid on the blue statue continues to sizzle burning deeper into it.
BOT Celister vs Cyan status
to hit
2nd
to hit
Orange vs Hamarel
to hit
2nd
to hit
3rd
to hit
Green vs Karando
to hit
2nd
to hit
3rd
to hit
Blue vs Fumbus
to hit
2nd
to hit
Purple vs Fumbus
to hit
Karando absorbs some of the spirit's personality he gains its increased agility and 5ft bonus to speed, but also a fear of the forest at the beginning of each encounter make a DC 5 flat check or be frightened 1 for first round.
(Village effects on everyone: You gain +1 bonus to attack rolls against foes with cover. But, you also feel more insular and take a -2 circumstance penalty to Charisma-based skill checks. For the rest of the scenario.)[/spoiler]
Karando
Xathos:
Fumbus: +4 dam
Hamarel: +5 dam
Celister: 4 dam
Sylvia:
Statues (All damage is reduced by hardness 2)
Orange: 5+3 = 8 dam (Armor Broken)
Cyan: 9+11 = 19 dam (* dead *)
Purple: +0 dam
Blue: +0+0+5+2 = 7 dam (persistent acid damage)
Green:
Preferring not to get hit again, Fumbus ducks back into the brush, tossing a second vial of acid at the purple statue.
He then hops into the cart.
"Out of acid." he shrugs.
Sylvia crawls under the wagon before flinging some acid over at the purple statue.
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Fumbus retreats from the statues.
Both statues react by following Fumbus but get slowed by the undergrowth and the goblin gets away before throwing his last acid flask hitting the purple statue.
Hamarel continues to pound his fist on the Orange statue. His first blow finishes off the statue and he strides over the crumbling remains.
Sylvia throws acid at the purple statue hitting it with the burning liquid. It sizzles and hisses as it burns the foe.
Karando uses his shield to bash the statue, hitting it hard enough and accurately enough to not only get through the armor but to leave it with broken armor as well.
Celister moves in his rage and charges at purple hitting it hard enough to shatter it into little pieces.
Xathos again uses his magic to create an electric arc between the green and purple statues. Electric arc of light dance across both statues. The Green one crumbles from the damage.
Lin’s crossbow bolt hit the remaining purple statue and causes a small chip to fly off.
The mindless purple statue turns on Hamarel striking at the monk repeatedly, but is unable to land a blow on the monk as he dodges every blow.
Fumbus’ acid continues to sizzles and burns the purple statue with its protective armor ruined.
Purple vs Hamarel
to hit
2nd
to hit
3rd
to hit
Karando absorbs some of the spirit's personality he gains its increased agility and 5ft bonus to speed, but also a fear of the forest at the beginning of each encounter make a DC 5 flat check or be frightened 1 for first round.
(Village effects on everyone: You gain +1 bonus to attack rolls against foes with cover. But, you also feel more insular and take a -2 circumstance penalty to Charisma-based skill checks. For the rest of the scenario.)[/spoiler]
Karando
Xathos:
Fumbus: 4 dam
Hamarel: 5 dam
Celister: 4 dam
Sylvia:
Statues (All damage is reduced by hardness 2)
Orange: 8+9 = 17 dam (* dead *)
Cyan: 19 dam (* dead *)
Purple: +0+5+4+1+1 = 11 dam (persistent acid damage d6; Armor damaged)
Blue: 7+0+12= 19 dam (* dead *)
Green: +14+4 = 18 dam ( * dead * )
With Karando having the situation firmly in hand Sylvia remains under the wagon for now, taking further cover while casting the shield spell.
Additionally if Karando doesn't take it down Sylvia will provide Celister with a Guidance.
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Karando scrambles across the wagons and bashes the statue with his shield sending chips flying. The statue staggers for a moment before half of it slides off and the both parts fall to the ground, unmoving.
Sylvia watches from safety under the wagon.
Hamarel watches the statue ready to pummel it if it moves.
Celister stands ready too.
Xathos grabs a bottle of Sangria and pours a celebratory glass.
Lin puts his crossbow away, ”Thank you for your much appreciated help!”
Karando absorbs some of the spirit's personality he gains its increased agility and 5ft bonus to speed, but also a fear of the forest at the beginning of each encounter make a DC 5 flat check or be frightened 1 for first round.
(Village effects on everyone: You gain +1 bonus to attack rolls against foes with cover. But, you also feel more insular and take a -2 circumstance penalty to Charisma-based skill checks. For the rest of the scenario.)[/spoiler]
Karando
Xathos:
Fumbus: 4 dam
Hamarel: 5 dam
Celister: 4 dam
Sylvia:
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"Well, hopefully that takes care of the statues, though I'm still not sure why the guardians would have attacked you. Perhaps there was something flawed in their creation."
Karando will offer to heal everyone over the course of the next half hour, but request that anyone who wants healing make something beautiful or useful--he's going to be creating some "forest guardians" out of wood and other objects he found in the forest, to stand in for those they just destroyed.