Derrikk's arrow strikes true, and Celery nips at the halfling, slowing her movement.
~+~Combat Round 2~+~
Junebug
Red
Papillon
Orm (Will save)
Blue (-4, -5 ft move)
Derrickk (-5, filth fever)
--Celery (-5, filth fever)
Battlefield Conditions: inspire courage: +1 to attacks, damage, and saves against fear effects
The halfling looks shocked at the other womans accusations, "Bend and yoke nature? Is that really … is that really what I have been doing?" She looks down at her hands and her starry blue gown and quickly shakes her head. "Lunar mother, hear my prayer, bless this party if you dare!" She casts bless, she will move to encompass herself and Orm.
Though the rats seem to avoid some of Thelonious's damage, it seems that area effects are very effective at damaging them. They also take their bleed damage.
Orm resists the influence of the halfling's spell, but he is still somewhat shaken by the experience. (Frightened 1)
The rat swarm moves over to cover Orm, and innumerable rodents nibble at him.
: Bless isn't going to stack with inspire courage. Would you like to do something else instead?
~+~Combat Round 2~+~
Junebug
Red (-6, bleed 1)
Papillon
Orm (-15, filth fever, Frightened 1)
Blue (-4, -5 ft move)
Derrickk (-5, filth fever)
--Celery (-5, filth fever)
Battlefield Conditions: Inspire courage: +1 to attacks, damage, and saves against fear effects
Map
Turns out, a creature made of plant matter is terrified of rats swarming all over him.
Orm flees the rats, but is not willing to let this crazed halfling get away. He strides to her, flanks with Celery, and unleashes a flurry of blows, and then move again to get away from the swarm.
Flurry of blows, Falling Stone!
extra dmg due to forceful property
~+~Combat Round 2~+~
Junebug
Red (-6, bleed 1)
Papillon
Orm (-15, filth fever, Frightened 1)
Blue (-4, -5 ft move)
Derrickk (-5, filth fever)
--Celery (-5, filth fever)
Battlefield Conditions: Inspire courage: +1 to attacks, damage, and saves against fear effects
She will throw her star instead.
Sorry at work.
The halfling retreats toward her loyal swarm of rats, though not very quickly due to the lingering effects of Celery's bite.
She launches a bolt of fire at Derrikk, scorching the ranger.
for
~+~Combat Round 2~+~
Junebug
Red (-6, bleed 1)
Papillon
Orm (-13, filth fever)
Blue (-4)
Derrickk (-13, filth fever)
--Celery (-5, filth fever)
Battlefield Conditions: Inspire courage: +1 to attacks, damage, and saves against fear effects
Derrikk returns fire, and one of his arrows finds its mark.
~+~Combat Round 3~+~
Junebug
Red (-6, bleed 1)
Papillon
Orm (-13, filth fever)
Blue (-21)
Derrickk (-13, filth fever)
--Celery (-5, filth fever)
Battlefield Conditions: Inspire courage: +1 to attacks, damage, and saves against fear effects
The blast of negative energy roils through the mass of rats, killing most of them. Those few remaining scamper off into the underbush outside the camp.
"My babies!" the halfling exclaims.
~+~Combat Round 3~+~
Junebug
Red
Papillon
Orm (-13, filth fever)
Blue (-21)
Derrickk (-13, filth fever)
--Celery (-5, filth fever)
Battlefield Conditions: Inspire courage: +1 to attacks, damage, and saves against fear effects
Seeing the rats disperse, Orm runs back to the murderer and flurries.
Flurry of blows, Falling Stone!
extra dmg due to forceful property
Things turn in favor of the circus performers: Both of Orm's mighty blows strike true, and the halfling woman crumples to the ground.
A quick examination of her person reveals that she's not carrying much in the way of supplies. She has what you recognize as the key to the ringmaster's wagon, a sickle inscribed with runes, a staff hung with a dreamcatcher and some carved baubles, and the armor on her back.
Heedless of any remaining danger, Odvi Kanbali runs up to you in the battle's aftermath. "What happened?! Who is that? Why was she in our wagon?" Her father Roman is trailing behind her, trying to catch up.
The small and flustered halfling runs over to the starknife she missed with, and picks it up. With her head down low, she waddles up to the middle of the group, and washes them over with another prayer, this one silent. "Today is not my day, but come tomorrow, luck come our way."
She will then do her best to stabilise the unconscious villain who attacked them. "I have no use for such a weapon, perhaps you could weild it better, my friend." She goes over to Celery and pats the animal, "Thanks to you and Orm, we are still here! Thank you."
As Odvi and her father run up to the group, she takes a step back to let them examine the scene. "This woman, she jumped out of the wagon spouting all sorts of crazy things. She believed our circus was causing environmental trauma to the lands around Abberton. That humanity is a plague on the natural world, and she deemed it her responsibility to cleanse it." She lets them take it all in before continuing, "By the looks of it, she had Myron's keys on her - perhaps she is responsible for his death. She commanded those rats, it wouldn't surprise me if she could command a swarm of snake as well."
"What do you think, should we tie her up and question her?"
The halfling woman looks pretty rough around the edges. She looks as if she has been living off the land for some time, based on the condition of her clothes, but she doesn't have any supplies with her.
A quick look around the Kanbali wagon doesn't reveal anything beyond the family's belongings.
Roman catches up to his daughter and hears your description of the situation. "I wonder how long she has been lurking around the circus. I'm going to tell everyone to stay near the fire until you can make sure things are safe around here." Roman is treating your group with deference, after seeing you run a successful circus and take care of this dangerous threat that was lurking in his home. "So what should we do with her?"
"I do not know about talking with her, but we should investigate the forest beyond where we saw the rat tracks. There may be more surprises in the woods around us, and we seem to be best suited for dealing with these threats."
Roman ventures into his wagon for a moment and returns holding two small glass containers. "Here. This should help you get patched up. We went through these like water when we worked for Mistress Dusklight--we hardly use them any more. Maralee will make some to the next time we are setting up for a performance."
The two vials turn out to be minor elixirs of life.
"Torn between the urgency of finding other threats, and the possibility that interviewing this halfling could give us important information."
You can tell that Orm is quite divided and looking for a more decisive person to lead him.
You head toward the forest path where you spotted the rat tracks.
"So what should we do with her?"
Madame P listens to her allies first, before adding her bit. She turns to Roman, "She is stable. For now, can you keep her bound while we explore the forest around our circus. Keep watch in case she wakes up, and make sure to keep everyone else away untill we return."
She thanks them for the healing potions, and moves to Derrik to help treat his wounds.
"I would save that potion if I were you, Derrikk, we might need it later. Who knows what's out there in the forest. Now, a little rest and we shall go."
Out my the forest, the halfling trails behind the group, but when they stop to look at the rat tracks, her keen senses come through.
Examining the tracks, you can see that the swarm of rats passed through here several times.
Orm, you spot a tripwire on the path. It looks to be attached to a branch studded with nasty-looking thorns that's bent back next to the walkway. You could go around it, but if you want to remove it, it would probably make things safer for the other members of the circus.
"Anyone have experience taking traps apart safely? I would not want a fellow performer to be hurt."
|
Derrikk bends down to begin working on it.
"Hmm, it looks like there may be a chance of me setting the trap off on myself while I try to disable it, maybe we should avoid it and set it off from a safe distance with a long stick. Then I can just chop the offending branch off and toss it to the side."
You spring the trip without incident, then continue following the trail of the rats through the woods.
Not much farther on, the trail opens into a small clearing—no more than a widening in the path through the thick woods—which contains a small pile of leaves a few feet in diameter with a thin blanket. Next to the leaves
rests a small backpack emblazoned with a green patch. The stream burbles merrily nearby.
The backpack also contains a few handfuls of tasty nuts and a green feather with a golden shaft--some sort of rune is inscribed on it.
Identify Magic DC 15 (Any Tradition)
Feather Token (Holly Bush)
Level 2; Price 6 gp
When this feather is activated, it immediately transforms into a living holly bush, filling a single square. This bush can provide standard cover. In addition, the bush has 2d4 bright-red berries. While holly berries are usually poisonous, these berries are infused with beneficial magic. You can pick and eat a berry as an Interact action to recover 1 Hit Point. Once plucked from the bush, a berry becomes non- magical after a few seconds, so it doesn’t heal you if you don’t eat it within the span of your Interact action.
If activated on soil, the plant continues to grow and thrive (although it doesn’t produce any more healing berries). If activated elsewhere, it withers and dies within 1d4 days.
Orm opens the backpack, and shows the map and goods to the others, hoping someone else knows what the feather is.
"We should go to these other labelled areas to make sure there aren't more enraged animals or traps this mad halfling set." Orchard or Mill, next, whichever is closer?