Vexas wakes up and studies his spellbook. He chooses to flex a little bit from preparing maximum touches of the sea. He feels they may need a bit of flexibility today as they head up into the mountains.
Otherwise he has a normal breakfast and does his stretches. He suspects there will be a lot of walking.
The main question is spell prep for Malakar and what to do with Razor. Carry Companion is a possibility to have him with you, otherwise he will just remain in the water until Malakar comes back.
Although it doesn't give her sore feet or any localized aches or pains, all the swimming is still exhausting for Fenna. Being able to breath underwater doesn't make it any less work to move around in it. By the time she can lay down to sleep, she's totally drained. She sleeps hard, and for as long as her companions will tolerate before waking her.
She's ready to go after a quick few morsels to eat though.
Brannart wakes and gingerly tries to move.
Malakar is unable to help Brannart at all.
The warrior gets up and dons his spare buckler. "Hope this doesn't get shredded also today, but better it than me."
Malakar leaves Razor in the cove as you make your way inland.
After about two hours of hiking, you come to a remarkable sight.
A high, earthen ridge covered in scrubby vegetation soon gives way to a steep descent thick with tall, ancient oak trees of a strange, bone-white coloration. The vibrant, scarlet foliage of these trees gives the impression that the entire forest is aflame. At the center of the bowl-shaped valley stands a massive white tree with bowed branches like those of a weeping willow, but feathered with long, vibrant, red leaves.
The outer edges of the forest consist of a steep incline leading down from the ridge. A few hundred feet down, the canopy grows thick and dark. Sunlight shining through the red foliage casts a strange light across the floor of the forest, and birds flit through the branches.
Since Brannart doesn't seem much better than he was the day before, Fenna uses the wand of healing on him a couple of times before they start hiking in the morning.
Fenna takes a drink of water as she looks down into the valley. While the unusual and vivid colors of the trees are beautiful in their strangeness, Fenna is learning to not be optimistic about what that could mean for them.
"Weird. Looks like trouble. Because everything on this island does."
Brannart thanks Fenna for the healing and he does indeed look much better.
Fenna looks at the giant willow-like tree in the center of the valley. It's about a mile away, but it's large enough that she can make out some details, and she starts to come to a troubling conclusion.
The pattern of the leaves, the... the animal carcasses hanging in its branches, it looks like...
The standard yellow musk creeper is a hideous plant that grows in haunted graveyards, grisly battlefields, and other places where death hangs heavy in the air and thick in the soil. The yellow musk creeper’s method of procreation is singularly frightful. It slays the living, infests them with its seeds and pollen, then animates them as zombies.
Fenna eyes wander to the largest of the trees and stay there. She squints at it with her head slightly cocked as she thinks for a few moments since it seems familiar. Then she has it.
"Crap. Take a good close look at that tree biggest tree in the center. See all the carcasses hanging in it? It's carnivorous, a predator."
"Huh, they picked some island, this is the second time we have encountered killer plants. Gozreh be praised nature is beautiful and scary!" Malakar says honestly impressed by the tree. "So what do we think, is the tree a guardian for the witch? Should we go around or through?" Malakar says cracking is knuckles after his last question.
Vexas squints and tries to focus on the large tree.
Is it far enough away from others? Perhaps we can burn it from afar. Maybe not before we encounter the witch, as that would alert her to our presence. But I don't like the idea of it remaining and infecting beings.
As to bringing Razor along, I did mention the Carry Companion spell, which is only 2nd level for you. It's a very solid option. Hosteling armor is also an option down the road.
While the shark is an apex predator generally speaking, this AP has much more dangerous things in the water around the island of Ancorato. Elder Maw, for example. No, I am not going to spring encounters on Razor solo at this time, but your PC should consider the risk. That's not me being devious, that's the AP saying what lives in the water here.
Treat Deadly Wounds is a basic function of the Heal skill, in the Core Rulebook. I've never heard of any campaign not allowing it, and it's a great way to save on wand charges or spell slots if the party is not in a rush. I did bot you for the check as you saw.
Everybody happy with their position on the map?
@Malakar: Maybe you're thinking about the Heal skill unlocks? Those came in with unchained, and made non-magical healing much more worthwhile. There are also a couple of relatively newer feats that work with non-magical healing too.
Before those things came along, you really couldn't get by using the Heal skill alone. Now with the new stuff you totally can if someone makes those investments.
As you look around, four shambling humanoid shapes lurch into view!
Fenna, Sho, and Malakar recognize these as a variant of the Yellow Musk Zombie. They are plant creatures, not undead, but like zombies they are resistant to piercing and bludgeoning weapons.
Round 1
Vexas
Malakar
Brannart
Zombies
Fenna
Sho
Vexas steps to the front of the group and sets his feed for their advance.
Lets see what these things have...
Malakar steps forward drawing his Scimitar as part of the move. Than he casts barkskin to raise his AC.
Brannart sees Vexas eagerly moving to the front lines.
"Are you sure?"
Perhaps catching a look from Vexas, he moves in front and readies to strike, while preserving a clear line of fire.
The zombies, seeing prey, rush to the attack, moving with a swiftness you did not expect.
One charges Brannart, but is swiftly cut down by two strikes from his weapon.
Another charges in, taking a blow from the ranseur but it is still up. Vexas hits it, and it staggers. It manages to throw a feeble strike against Brannart's armor before collapsing.
A third one moves in, but it did not have a direct charge lane, so it cannot attack. It too is stabbed as it moves up.
Finally, the last one moves up to Malakar.
Round 1
Vexas
Malakar
Brannart
Zombies
Fenna
Sho
Fenna takes a couple of steps forward, putting herself directly behind Malakar and beside Vexas. She thrusts her spear forward, aiming for the plant zombie in front of Brannart.
Both Fenna and Sho fail to connect, the plant zombies being fast enough to dodge their strikes.
Round 2
Vexas
Malakar
Brannart
Zombies
Fenna
Sho
Malakar slices at the creature in front of him.
A little unnerved as they approach, Vexas backs up while drawing his rapier.
With a flick of his wrist, his sword flies forward and plunges into one of the plant zombies. He rotates his wrist again, but in the opposite direction, and the blade pulls free and returns to his hand.
Brannart drops his rapier, draws his longsword, and slashes at his foe.
Malakar and Vexas wound one, although the rapier barely registers.
Brannart dispatches his foe.
The remaining zombie strikes at Malakar, ineptly.
The halfling looks at his blade and frowns. It's as if it went right through the shambling zombie. He sheaths it and incants another ray of frost at it.
Fenna is not having a good day.
Brannart finishes off the last zombie with a powerful strike, then sheathes his sword and picks up his ranseur.
The deceased plant-zombies have no treasure or items. It is hard to tell how long ago they were reanimated, although you can tell that they were originally human or something very close to it.
Leaving them behind, you proceed further. A well-trodden trail develops, clearly used by these zombies while searching for prey. Sho estimates that there are probably at least eight such zombies in total, possibly ten or twelve.
As you proceed, this stretch of the forest is littered with skeletal remains. Rib cages, skulls, and grasping limbs are entwined with deep red vines and bone-white roots, some covered in black moss and concealed by lush scarlet vegetation.
As you round a bend, you see a horrific sight in the underbrush.
A large wiry figure is restrained to the ground by a network of thorny vines. Blood seeps from its limbs and down the vines.
Fenna recognizes the creature as a Scrag, an aquatic troll.
Sho spots Leechvines among the thorny vines restraining the troll. These are a Hazard (in PF terms). They can grab creatures that touch them and drain them of their blood; while they cannot be easily slain, creatures can try to break free or be cut free.
Malakar and Sho spot something else under the soil in front of the troll. It seems vine-like, not quite like the Leechvines but something similar... although in some odd way unlike any plants they know of. And it seems animate.
The troll moans and says something, but none of you understand. The tone implies that he is asking for help, but without speaking Giant you cannot be sure.
Does anyone know if there's such a thing as a good troll? This feels like a "no good deed goes unpunished" scenario...
Vexas grimaces as he straddles the morally grey fence. He is currently not feeling motivated to intervene.
Fenna is horrified by the troll's situation. She always had a loathing for spiders, seeing insects struggle in a web as the spider wraps them to suck dry. This seems very much the same to her.
"Do you think this is how the zombies are made?"
In her estimation, the troll is probably too weakened to pose a threat to them if they helped. It might also work out well for them if a troll can be sort of befriended, or at least agree to live and let live in return for the favor.
"I think it's a really awful way to go. We should try to help if we can."
Fenna edges a little closer and sees if she can use the tip of her very extended spear to check around the troll for things like vines reacting to the touch or movement, hissing, or who knows what kind of nastiness.
Vexas' wariness gives way to anxiety as Fenna approaches.
Okay, but you have to be really sure it won't turn on us after...
"I kept a scroll that Vexas should be able to use that will allow us to understand the Troll but we couldn't speak back at least not in words. I don't like to see any creature suffer, but we also do not know if it would be a threat once free. Legends of common trolls are many that they eat people and pillage and steal. Is this variety the same? Maybe we leave it with a knife and an alchemist's fire. If it can get free with the knife so be it if not it can choose to end its suffering with the aid of the fire."
Vexas accepts the scroll, clears his throat, and reads the draconic runes off of it so that they activate and disappear from the page.
He then listens to the cries of the troll.
Fenna is horrified by the troll's situation. She always had a loathing for spiders, seeing insects struggle in a web as the spider wraps them to suck dry. This seems very much the same to her.
Fenna notices that the troll's wounds are healing, even as the vines make new ones. It is possible that it could suffer here for a long, long time.
With her Perception check, she also spots the thing under the ground in front of the troll. She taps the ground and brings the spear back before the vines can grab it, but she can tell something by the jerky movements of the vine - the thing under the ground is an undead plant known as a Leechroot. It too can grab foes, just as the Leechvines can.
Barkskin does not add to CMD, so Malakar's CMD is 20. For reference, Malakar could summon a CR 2 Crocodile with Summon Nature's Ally III and that has a +11 to Grapple.
Brannart has 27 CMD against Grapple (+5 of that from Human Fighter FCB).
Both Fenna and Vexas have Grease, which if cast on armor can give anybody a +10 CMD against Grapple, and getting into the 30s is indeed pretty solid at this level. Fenna also has Liberating Command if someone does happen to get Grappled.
You have several options here. However, getting close enough to chop away the vines will expose you to their Grab attempts. Burning them from a distance carries the risk of killing the troll.
Vexas accepts the scroll, clears his throat, and reads the draconic runes off of it so that they activate and disappear from the page.
He then listens to the cries of the troll.
"Help! Free me! Curse that hag. We were fools to trust her. Free me! Days, many days. The pain!"
When Fenna realizes what's really happening, she feels sick. It also causes her to make up her mind definitively.
"It's not actually killing him! His regeneration is making up for the slow work of the vines. It's just torture that won't end until something else kills him. We have to get him out."
Vexas eyes widen in horror, and he relays the trolls cries to the group ending with an emphasis on "many days." A shudder.
Okay we need to know who this hag is. I'm not sure how we'll communicate when we free it... but this is torture.
|
Sho was ready to let the troll succumb to the plant. Prey and predator are part of life in the jungle. And while the plant is busy trying to eat a regenerating troll, it makes no other victim and is sustained.
But the rest of the group has other ideas, and soon it seems the troll might have precious infos. But will they be able to understand the troll's answer if the spell fades off too quickly?
Being pragmatic, as the troll might be in pain but in no immediate threat of dying, the guide urges Vexas to continues his inquiries
We must know what he's talking about, then we will free the troll, unless you are sure we can do it quickly.
"I can go in and try to cut him free," says Brannart, "as I have extensive training against grappling.
But in terms of getting more information from him... we can't ask him anything, can we? Vexas, your spell just lets you understand Giant but not speak it?
I myself would be in favor of freeing it in the name of Cayden Cailean, even if we can't get any information from it. This seems a horrific fate."
Fenna will explain the rather complex situation with the plants to Brannart, then Grease him up.
Yes, unfortunately only understand it, not speak it back he concedes.
Brannart accepts Fenna's spell.
He moves through the underbrush, taking a circuitous route to avoid the Leechroot under the ground as best as he can. However, the Leechvines are everywhere in the brush.
They reach out and grab at him, and would have caught him but for Fenna's spell.
He slashes at the vines with his sword, freeing the troll.
The vines grab at Brannart and the troll again on the way out.
The troll is grabbed once more by Leechvine, but breaks free with a desperate effort.
Brannart hacks a path through the underbrush, so that the rest of you can bypass the vines (and the buried Leechroot) to continue on.
The troll attempts to speak with you. "You not mean fish-people. And not the others they bring to hag."
Vexas can nod enough perhaps to keep the troll talking a little bit.
"You go hag tower? Why? Only death."
It is unlikely that the troll is going to be able to understand much in the way of sign language (not that smart and not that patient), so after some frustration he takes off a necklace and hands it to you.
"If you go hag tower, need this to pass danger. I never go back so I not need it."
It is another Necklace of Air Adaptation.
"I go. Leave this place forever."
Vexas is still wary of the troll, but seeing as how it is helping with information and the necklace, he's happy to let it walk off and never see it again.
The alleged workings of the necklace intrigue him and he trying to inspect it closely.
He notes an interesting issue.
Just one of these for all of us...
Just one of these for all of us...
The Locathah community now has the various ones that the party found, and would likely be willing to give them back to you for a time. But, you don't know the nature of the danger or how these Necklaces will help, so it might or might not be worth taking the journey back there.
If only some of you spoke Giant...
Continuing on, you enter a deeper part of the forest.
Ancient trees loom twenty feet overhead, their dense foliage allowing little illumination to spill down onto the forest floor. The ground is mostly bare of vegetation here, and the crumbling remains of ancient stone walls and toppled pillars indicate the presence of civilization at some point in the ancient past. Some of the trees here grow up and around partially intact stone structures, while others seem to erupt forth from the stones themselves. Two large heaps of vegetation, dead leaves, branches, and stones are assembled into an enormous nest lightly spackled with dried gore.
Sho finds curious tracks in the dirt. They seem to belong to a Medium creature that has both hooves and talons.
Do you wish to go investigate the nest?
Map is up.
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Fenna tries to communicate their purpose to the troll using motions since they can't speak to him verbally. She decides on a simple message to try conveying to him: "We're killing the fish people. Now we're going to find their boss the hag and kill her as well."
Fenna can think of no reason at all why they might need necklaces to help them breathe air. She chalks up his gesture to ignorance on his part.
If Sho brings up the tracks, Fenna's opinion is to ignore them if possible and keep going.
Once Sho points out the tracks, Vexas quips
Then we know which direction to not go, right?