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With a clear shot at the dart-throwing creature, Oscre leaves his acid to keep corroding their bloodseeker and hucks a couple bombs at it! While it does so, he yells at the second blue-skinned critter.
plus 1 splash (only applies to Gwebble) plus 1 persistent fire
plus 1 splash (only applies to Gwebble)
As the Bloodsucker burns with acid it scuttles it's legs into a better sucking position just as Manny tries whipping at it, dodging the slash , and wriggling the rest of the acid from it's thorax ...
...Brayka reels as the poison corrupts his vital functions and his spirit is crushed under a foul curse upon his ability to retaliate, despair consuming the courage that Manny instills within his heart , as he struggles to rally for his fallen comrade...
...Meanwhile the party surrounds Gwibble who says "Mosquito, Obey your, uh, Witch, yeah, Kill that Elf! Kill it!" and spins to be assaulted on all sides. Flanked by a goblin and a broom , Oscre glances the feckle fey with fire from his first flask, catching his robes aflame before glancing menacingly at his minion, who cowers a little ; Nikebei doubles down the gnome's efforts with a mental dagger, glancing the tiny gremlin , and drawing a... from the scrollcase across his belt instead...
...Is that Quintus laughing in the distance?!?...
...
...
Looking again, it's not a Doll. It's the scroll you intended to draw... Your mind is playing more tricks!
Brayka, fatigued (13/21) (-2 stabby, -3 stabby, -3 poison) Poisoned (Stage One; Stage Two incoming...) and "Baned" (-1 status to attacks)
Gwibble (AC 16) Strange Aura (-4 sweep, -2 buzz, -3 fire) persistent fire (1)
Sucky (AC 18) (-3 punch, +3 engorged, -7 whip, -8 acid, -1 splash, +3 engorge, +6 engorge, +6 engorge, -3 acid)
Polychromatic (-2 buzz, -2 mental) frightened 1
Nikebei, fatigued
Oscre, fatigued
Manny, fatigued
Kappa, fatigued
...
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“Can’t let this bloodsucker eat the whole party,” growls Brayka, visions of his pending failure seizing his mind. His muscles spasm in his gut.
[◆]The flail whistles its war song again, descending towards Bloodsucker.
[◆]And again. .
[◆]Brayka’s shield snaps into position Raise Shield.
Brayka grimaces with foes on both sides and poison destroying his innards. “Cayden, hold a place for me in your tavern.”
Reactions prepared:
Shield Block - preferential
Liberating Step for Manny if Gwibbly or Polychromatic go nuts on him and there is a reaction left.
Endra vomits as Brayka - whirling like a stumbling Cayden himself - crashes his flail into the Bloodsucker - then into the Witch - connecting squarely with both, but reeling as the poison continues to corrupt his body ...
...But loosing the Bloodsucker's reverse-spiked proboscis from Endra's body snaps it's seal - sending a gore of even more blood spluttering out, as Endra re-enters the vicious spiral towards death!...
...Gwibble seizes his opportunity - as Brayka's despair worsens under the fey's foul aura, it exploits the goblin's negative thoughts and compromised position with an opportune strike - which Brayka reacts to partially block - then another - dropping the sturdy goblin to the ground, before creepily scuttling up the wall (5 feet above ground level) to flank Manny "My Pet - Let us Collect this third Pink-haired Trophy!" trying to put the fire out on it's clothes , and commanding it's minion into action from a diagonally vertical flank...
...The creature obeys and steps around Manny, slashing furiously - and - striking once and dampening the courageous bards mood!...
...As the four remaining PCs counterattack!
...
Brayka, fatigued (3/21) (-2 stabby, -3 stabby, -3 poison, -8 poison, -2 slash, -6 slash) "Baned" (-1 status to attacks)
Gwibble (AC 16) Strange Aura (-4 sweep, -2 buzz, -3 fire, -12 blunt, -1 fire)
Sucky (AC 18) (-3 punch, +3 engorged, -7 whip, -8 acid, -1 splash, +3 engorge, +6 engorge, +6 engorge, -3 acid, -14 blunt)
Polychromatic (-2 buzz, -2 mental) frightened 1
Nikebei, fatigued
Oscre, fatigued
Manny, fatigued (-9 slash)
Kappa, fatigued
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As Nikebei stares blankly at the doll hiding in his scroll case, he blinks and sees the words of a spell appear out of the body of the straw doll, the words burn into his eyes. He repeats the words and he feels the power of the occult fill him. He points at Gwibble as with a quiet sonic boom, a force greater than Nikebei heads towards the witch, then another, then another. Then the doll shrivels up before his eyes and falls in a heap of dust on the floor. He stares at the floor, whilst his legs feel like jelly as he regains control of his mind once more.
As Manny's strikes once again fail to hit home, the wizard Kappa blasts the tiny fey into oblivion, and directs his broom to sweep away at the wall-scuttling "witch" - when Nikebei, realizing he had not in fact drawn a Doll (!!!), speaks a few arcane words to energize the scroll, and blasts Gwibble off the wall completely!...
Kappa for Blasting the Polychromatic Fey as well as Monitoring the group's "Light Situation"
Oscre hustles over to his fallen comrade, and administers a rousing elixir...
...Meanwhile, Endra writhes on the floor, on the very brink of death!...
In her fog, the "young" elf feels her deity reach out to her, as Endra's life flashes before her eyes. Her childhood, how she took up the bow, how she came to love the wilderness, moment by moment, staring into the eyes of her deity, on the verge of release from the mortal world...
Endra's breathing is slowed and barely perceptible as she lies unconscious on the cave floor. Brayka jolts to life with the alchemical shot - his last memory taking down the Bloodsucker (and nearly Gwibble!) before succumbing to vicious poison and counterattack. He notes his body feeling bolstered by the elixir, the poison seemingly run it's course through him. He is prone - and dropped his flail and shield - but otherwise able to fully act...
Endra (0/15 HP) fatigued, Stable, Wounded 1, Drained, but Persistent Bleed 1
Brayka (2/21 HP), fatigued, Stable, Wounded 1
Nikebei, fatigued
Oscre, fatigued
Manny, fatigued (-9 slash)
Kappa, fatigued
...Gwibble looks as if to stir , but only manages to point his crookedly nailed finger at Brayka as his last breath exits his body with his spirit...
The PCs, utterly exhausted, are quickly able to determine that there are no further threats in the Witch's Cave, and someone suggests to bed down here for the night, which against their better judgement, the PCs find themselves in reluctant agreement. Dr. Kwon volunteers to to keep watch the first half of the night herself, and too, can offer her own assistance with the PC's wounds . Soon enough, the last PC finds slumber before the morning sun rises...
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Manny breathes a sigh of relief. "Endra. Brayka. I'm supposed to die heroically first, remember?" He helps everyone up. "If only I had better aim..."
He takes a minute to inspect the gremlins, to confirm they are dead. He makes sure to search Gwibble. Was this really the witch? Or another bluff?
Once they goblins are beaten, Manny exhales and looks outside of the cave. "Nighttime. I don't know about ya'll, but I don't want to walk around here at night. Let's rest up and see you in the morning."
"By the way, doc. You owe me a drink. But I will take some medicinal work, if you've got it."
Manny spends the evening telling Doctor Kwon about the many benefits of the Pathfinder Society. Hopefully while getting some treatment of his slash wounds.
Apparently he said the magic words, or Doctor Kwon knew exactly what and where to patch him.
Manny falls right asleep with a content smile on his face.
...After getting patched up by Dr. Kwon , Manny searches around for a live fey ... ... and it turns out one of them has survived! But, it looks as though it's out cold, and could wake up anytime within the next few minutes to next few hours...
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Nikebei suggests that they take anything they can find from the nasty Gwibble and his accomplices. "You sure there's nothing further inside that will come out and get us. If we had someone sneaky, they could just make sure." he asks with trepidation.
He wanders towards the exit of the cave and looks out, into the darkness remembering his times being alone, fending for himself in the forests, hiding from the world. Strange world he ponders, and not seeing the doll again, he lets out a breath of satisfaction before moving inside and falling asleep.
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Brayka’s eyes snap firmly open, one green, one blue. He gazes up at Oscre and a grin splits his face from whole ear to missing ear.
“Oscre, I feared I’d never see you again. I’d give you a hug, but, well...” Brayka gestures to the multiple colors and textures of viscera, body fluids and vomit that festoon his once golden armor from crown to toe.
Brayka successively:
Perhaps irritatingly overprotects the party while using his darkvision to help finish scouting the cave
Racks his Nature Lore to recall what he can about Gwibbly, the fey and that poison.
Helps tie up “Prune” for return to Shimmerford and ... justice(?)
Leaves the looting to the skilled and unharmed so he can instead assist Dr. Kwon in patching up the team using his “Lay on Hands” power...including getting himself patched.
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Endra blinks awake, and then bolts upright grasping at her abdomen where the sucker's proboscis pierced her. All she feels now is a scar after what she assumes is largely magical healing.
Then, she looks up to see that there is no longer any chaos, which for her was peaking only moments ago, that she can remember. She sighs heavily.
Thank you everyone. Did we suffer any other significant casualties or near misses? I will learn from this experience... This isn't just chasing troublemakers through the woods anymore.
She seems embarrassed and self-conscious at this point.
She looks up at Nikebei, addressing his concern. Yes, I would be willing to sneak around, but not alone, not after... that. If I can get a "buddy" we can carefully, very carefully clear the rest of this cavern and rest peacefully.
Afterward, Endra proceeds to simply rest through the night before they return to the inn.
Defying the sheer exhaustion in their bodies - but not before Dr. Kwon pats down Manny's wounds with rubbing alcohol (and taking a swig herself) while Brayka entertains him with "spirited" stories - Endra and Nikebei scour the entire premises to make absolutely absolutely absolutely sure that they are absolutely absolutely alone, and nearly confirm as much. Kappa leads the party then who begin trying to piece together the clues around the cave to put together a story, and finding out this:...
Finding shovels and picks in the back, as well as raw materials for making and preserving Dolls, in addition to garbage piles, food and bone scraps, refuse, torn rags, and all manner of clutter that appears to be stolen from Shimmerford, it quickly becomes apparent that this lair has been in operation for a very long time. Months, certainly. Years perhaps. Decades? Possibly. Examining the body of the Barbed Bloodsucker reveals it as natural to the animal kingdom - if a "mere" pest - it's relationship to Gwibble as that of Peaches to Dr. Kwon. Somebody mentions that Mitflits can magically speak with animals, further explaining the union. The whole process takes about an hour of exploration, and when somebody else points out one more observation: This abode looks to be the lair of between 10 and 20 creatures!
...
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“I agree, Endra. Swarmed at night by a dozen sneaky opponents who have darkvision... That ends badly for us.”
Brayka ponders.
“Shimmerford must know what we’ve discovered. We have bodies for proof. They can send for help to Smine and Tyford. I’ll stay to see Shimmerford freed from this bedevilment. The smithy might provide cold iron. They can also make gremlin bells for the town.”
Brayka tugs at his remaining ear for a moment, staring off. He then puts forth. “I don’t want to run into these things in the forest at night while we’re in shambles. They can harry us to death. We fortify and refresh here? We can find the best place for ranged defense and set light sources out. That would give the longest well lit shots for us. Also, we could set traps, or things like caltrops?”
Brayka glances hopefully at the party.
“Friends, your thoughts?”
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Manny takes a deep breath. "Let's take watches, then. No way will we be able to deal with 15 of those blue buggers in the middle of the night. But if this guy was the ringleader, we've dealt them a serious blow. They may not be able to recruit so many bloodsuckers."
"Let's rest up and head back to Shimmerford. They need to know. Simine needs to know." Manny smiles and relaxes a bit at the bandages. "I'm just glad they weren't vampires."
I'm still not strong enough for that. Eh, Shylye?
...It is in this moment that "Prune" decides to wake up struggling against the bonds Brayka wrapped it in and says "Gwibble! GWIBBLE! " and after yelling a bit begins boasting, looking at Endra "You first! We take you then we scare you then we cook you then we eat you. Ha! Mighty leader kill kill you good!" it seems confident in it's assertions of violence!...
...Speaking of poison, and materials, the party was able to determine it to be Black Adder Venom (which is utterly spent), and all the gremlins left behind was a pile of tiny shortswords and darts...
...
Brayka to ?
Endra to ?
Kappa to Discover (Nature) (fail)
Manny to ?
Nikebei to ?
Oscre to ?
...
You glean this tiny fey has a sick little mind, and could be swayed by use of gory descriptions to either threaten or endear it to it's speaker!
You glean that this creature has been bullied by Gwibble with such frequency, it is inured against "regular" Intimidation.
You glean that this creature has an inflated ego, and that use of flattery would be particularly effective.
...
Kappa struggles to find a psychological context within which to interact with the wretched creature when it blurts "You in House of Gwibble! Cook as we please. Soon Gwibble come. GWIIIBLE!" it screeches defiantly!
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You got a lucky jump on me before... that won't happen again.
She levels a gaze at Prune, but ignores any further interactions from him, trying to observe him for any revealing weaknesses.
Knowing that others might return before her group can flee the scene, Endra draws her bow and keeps an arrow pressed across its frame.
Endra, too, finds the creature incredibly hard to read, as it mocks her incessantly "Lucky! Lucky elf says. GWIBBLE YOU HEAR THAT!? You make lots noise. We hide. You die. Is easy!" even as Endra turns a deaf ear to it...
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Brayka whispers to Manny, Nikebei and Oscre.
“I’ll need you to play ‘good guardsman.’”
Brayka takes a moment to pray to Cayden Cailean. Then he shows Gwibble’s body to Prune.
“My friends here have convinced me not to do the same thing to you, Prune. They say you can answer our questions. I’m not so sure. I think we should just kill you. Can you answer our questions, Prune?”
Brayka puts on his meanest face, which elicits the following response: "Ha! You think Fake Gwibble scare me! GWIBBLE LOOK!! Goblin use MAGIC for TRICKSES! Ha! You not scare Pruney. Nope! Pruney cook you soon. First chew these ropes!" ecstatically, as if trying to annoy the champion to his breaking point!
The creature then begins gnawing at the binding rope, cocking it's head into an unnatural position, furiously tearing with sharp spindly teeth!