"Dead orcs?" Sahar ventures as she slings her bow, returns her arrows to the quiver, and draws her curved blade. Spe speaks quietly, as if in a sacred place. "Someone is doing our job for us. Or perhaps we have allies here."
She begins to move forward to inspect the body on the pyre, but halts at Xia's words, waving her hand with a murmured prayer.
Fiona's mien lightens even as the trees grow darker, and at the sight of the dead orcs she even lets out a short sigh of relief. Unlikely to be fey, at least...
At Xiaruau's warning, she pauses, not moving forward but continuing to scan the clearing for any threats — or clues.
Assuming you each take a bit of time to 'scan' --
a) There is lingering evocation magic in the area - the aura of that has almost faded.
b) You're getting some pings from the fallen corpses - faint transformation and conjuraiton (healing)
c) You're getting a slightly stronger necromantic ping from the corpse on the pyre -- but it's fading.
...Xia, you think it's probably some sort of magic that was tied to or powered by the corpse, and so it's into its 24-hour unraveling.
d) There's an aura of transmutation coming up out of the hole - buuuut it's weird. One second, it's strong - almost overwhelming, and the next, it's almost feint -- basically, it's flickering like the light from a candle in the wind.
Fiona sees nothing hidden, nor does she think there's anything alive here save for the lot of you.
Sahar reaches down with her free hand, picks up a twig, and sets it at her lips with a whispered fajara. As the twig flares into light, she sidles carefully to the hole and tosses it in.
She gingerly peers over the edge, sword in hand, tip pointed into the hole.
Sahar approaches the hole and sees that it slopes inward -- within she sees two things:
The corpse of an orc , laying flat on his face - the patchwork of hides that made up its armour looks to have been blasted with fire or explosions. He's face-down in the dirt, and seems to be reaching toward the other item in the hole: a large acorn, roughly 18" in diameter - still half-buried in the dirt. The thing is cracked, and you see the glimpse of something metal reflecting your light spell inside the crack..... and a shimmering powder that seems to have spilled out of the crack, back to the fallen orc's outstretched hands.
Sahar beckons the others over to see what she sees, then gestures with another soft prayer.
Ok, so the acorn is moderate (transmutation), but there's magic spilling out of the crack -- like an irregular geyser of magic --- strong when it bursts out, then diffuses in the wind. It's frequent, but irregular -- and the initial burst is almost blinding.
In a lull between 'blasts', you do get a count of 6 auras on the corpse. One seems to be coming from its head, and like the pyre-corpse, seems to be fading and unraveling - but likely started out moderate. The others are all faint (not even by comparison with the bleeding acorn) - necromancy (x2), conjuration (healing) (x2), abjuration (x1).
Also, face-down hole-dude's back has lingering evocation - which would certainly explain the burns.
Sahar squints into the hole and occasionally holds her free hand up, as if to shield her face from a bright light.
"I guess that this magic would be of interest to one with a lion and hawk following him."
He nods and sends Hakar to fly upto a nearby tree-top to over look the scene. "Thank you Desert Rose."
He starts to cast a spell, as he walks into and around the opening, not touching the corpses but checking for tracks and paths of movement.
"Indeed. There seems to be some nature magic at work, which is not my strength. By the looks of it, I would guess the acorn is - or was - the source of the magic in this grove, for good or ill, I know not. It looks like the orcs wanted it. Maybe they needed it. Short of food?" Sahar shakes her head. "Guesses and more guesses, of course. My father always said I should take up the harp and become a teller of tales."
Her brow wrinkles as she watches the magic pulse within the hole. "I would not go down there without understanding what that nature magic is, and the powder. There is something metal in the acorn, too."
"Maybe we could pull the orc out and rebury that thing."
Fiona, seeing that the warning of not walking around in the clearing seems to no longer be applicable, moves up to the bodies and begins to search them, setting aside equipment which might be useful while simultaneously trying to determine cause of death.
Merlan follows along, peering at the strange, gnarled growth of the woods.
When they see the fallen orc bodies, he steps forward almost immediately to investigate, but stops on a dime at the hissed warnings.
Teh (unusually) silent Merlan follows people around sometimes seeming to be in two places at once. Peering around Lysander one moment, and from next to Sahar the next.
"Hrm. I have a theory. Or two. But I'll need more facts to make sure it's not just a magical fairy tale." Merlan interjects finally.
Only one way to tell. Excuse me!" The halfling says cheerfully, grabbing onto his hat and sliding into the hole himself.
Once situated at the bottom, he takes a deep breath, re-casts his Detect Magic with a whispered word, and focuses his concentration entirely upon the 'Magic Nut'.
EDIT- He peers closely, but makes sure not to touch it. Yet.
Feeling like you're in less immediate danger, you begin to investigate - with some examining the magics about, and others, the corpses.
First, the six orcs around the grove are clearly dead - as you look at them, you can see large, but precise wounds -- severing arteries and tendons -- at least two such cuts on each of them -- from a large and heavy blade like a falchion or greatsword -- and the second strike generally being immediately fatal -- even to an orc that might otherwise stay on its feet and fight. That is to say, they were cut down with precision, and left where they fell - clearly whomever killed them didn't search, let alone loot, the bodies....
While their gear is not terribly well-made, it is certainly functional - and there is blood on their blades, suggesting they scored at least a few hits on whatever cut them down so efficiently. In searching them, you find a sack containing two dried gourds filled with a wet sludgey mush -- the source of the magic you detected on them.... Potions, you suspect, or at least something close enough to them, if a tad less refined and a bit more... well, chewy. (And, of course, that means that whomever killed them was quick enough to do it before they got the chance to use them..) Each of the six wears a strange spiked gauntlet on their left hand, the leather of the glove poorly cured and, you realize, stained from soaking in blood, and the spikes are irregular and varied -- you suspect some of the spikes may be trophies from past victories -- as in addition to the thin spikes, there are also animal fangs, arrowheads, broken tips of daggers, and orc tusks.
Orc #1: Scale Mail (functional, but a touch of rust on the scales), a falchion, spiked gauntlet, 2 javelins, 2 throwing axes, a "potion" of cure light wounds, a "potion" of enlarge self, a bone earring (of some value?), 12 coppers.
Orc #2: Scale Mail (rusted, and damaged from the cuts under the arm, but could be magically mended), a falchion, spiked gauntlet, 4 javelins, a "potion" of cure light wounds, a "potion" of enlarge self, a sack of 8 freshwater pearls (of some value?), 3 silvers.
Orc #3: Bearhide armour (bloodsoaked, but from the beheading), a greataxe, a spiked gauntlet, 4 throwing axes, a "potion" of cure light wounds, a "potion" of enlarge self, a bone bracelet (of some value?), 8 coppers.
Orc #4: Chainmail (rusted, and missing the left leg... wait, no, it's over there, with the corpse's leg), a greataxe, spiked gauntlet, 6 shortspears, a "potion" of cure light wounds, a "potion" of enlarge self, a sack of broken shards of obsidian (of some value?), 11 silvers.
Orc #5: Scale Mail (pristine? is it possible?), a greatclub, spiked gauntlet, a hide-covered shield, a heavy mace, a "potion" of cure light wounds, a "potion" of enlarge self, a spell component sack, 4 small jet stones (of some value?), 9 gold.
Orc #6: Lamellar (horn), a warhammer, a heavy steel shield (slightly rusted), spiked gauntlet, 6 light hammers, a "potion" of cure light wounds, a "potion" of enlarge self, 11 copper, 8 silver... and a silver earring (of some value?).
The detect magic squad's study of the lucky #7 (from a distance) suggest that he was killed with alchemist's bombs... and that other than the thing losing its magic under his head, what he's got left are also likely consumables. He seems to be wearing darkleaf lamellar - damaged by the bombs. Anything more would require someone going into the pit, or figuring out a way to pull him out.
The corpse on the pyre, on the other hand, has been roasting at a low temperature -- enough that the skin has blackened and cracked - and anything that might have oozed out has since dried up. Unlike the others, he's been stripped -- it seems that he was placed on the pyre with an oil-soaked blanket, a (now)blackened greatsword, and a wooden medallion around his neck -- which was damaged in the fire, but you can still make out a hand holding a large blade as its symbol. And, unlike the others, it seems that he suffered a number of wounds - none terribly precise, but all powerful blows - before succumbing. And, from his build and the lack of tusks in his mouth (now locked in a strange smile), you'd say that he was a half-orc... and he's missing his left hand - hard to tell because of the fire, but recently, maybe even after he died.
Merlan's study of the nut causes him to realize that the strong transmutation (definitely some variation on plant growth) now has some undercurrant of necromancy, like a patch of sludge under the surface that's slowly growing bigger and bigger... and, as he does that, he just barely catches a glimpse of an aura on the thing inside the crack - and it's got that same necromantic energy. That said, what's blasting out of the crack is pure magical energy -- strong, pure, clean -- the sort of thing that could probably be captured with the right spell or device... but there's no evidence that spell was cast (at least not recently), and there's certainly no spiffy device laying about... but at the same time, there's no way that the corruption to the trees didn't take months if not years.
Lysander finds that three sets of footprints left the clearing... and backtracking, he notes that one of them did, in fact, go to each orcish body - even the one in the pit - and knelt beside each of them while the other two were preparing the pyre.
Merlan contemplates the nut thoughtfully. Turning his head to look at it from a variety of angles.
"I wonder,.. If I,... No. How about,... Nuh-uh,... Maybe if I do,... Nope. OK! If I can,...."
"I cannot believe they left so much gear behind. Perhaps it is too small for them or they cannot use it. Either way, this is good for us. I think we should bring the pack animals here and load up. We can clean and repair and assess them tonight or tomorrow, maybe sell some in Rustknoll."
"There is rope on my donkey; we can use it to haul out the last body from the pit. There is too much magic on him to leave him there!"
Sahar examines the corpses with interest much as Fiona did, dispassionately stripping them of gear as she does so and setting the goods aside to be packed.
"Somebody certainly knows how to kill orcs. Such a one might be an excellent ally in our cause." She peers up at the sun. "Unfortunately, we have a commitment to reach town. Also, there is the danger that the enemy of our enemies is not our friend... and this is a band of three - or four? - that eliminated an orc war party of seven quickly and efficiently. Trying to track them down and treat with them might put a fast end to our heroic careers. Someone in town might know more of these orc-killers. I vote we make a note of this place and move along."
Sahar calls down to Firefingers, "Are you all right down there? Can we safely gather up the materials and take them? I wanted to bury them, but the orcs thought this a prize worth sending a war party for. I now think we make certain they do not get it, and leave the dead orcs in the pit."
Merlan doffs his hat, and runs his fingers through his thick, curly hair.
"I think it's safe to drag the body up and dispose of it as you see fit." he calls up, not taking his eyes from the split magic chestnut.
"I'm not certain we should touch, much less take, this acorn. As much as I'd LOVE to examine it thoroughly, in depth, and with as many magical knick-knacks I can get my hands on! I think,... I think that it has been damaged, or diseased somehow. I'm sensing Necromantic energy, which is completely at odds with the primary and obviously life-enhancing energies. And that is probably the reason for the strange, twisted growth and rot of the woods around us."
Merlan actually does look up towards Sahar finally.
"I'd like to find and examine what we thought was an old farmhouse. If it's NOT some sort of altar or shrine to a nature Power, I'll eat my hat! Unless YOU can think of another reason for a magical, growth-enhancing acorn to be planted in the middle of a grassland plain?"
Even if we wanted to take it, it's damaged, and probably not safe to move. AND even if it WAS, I'M not sure I want whatever's infecting it to start trying to affect US!" He adds emphatically.
"Toss down a rope!" Merlan cries suddenly.
"I'll tie it to our friend here, and you can haul him out. THEN I need Sahar and Lysander down here please. We have a patient to save!"
Merlan turns back to the cracked, magic nut.
"Don't worry my little friend. The Doctor is in the hole!"
Fiona helps strip the dead, making no comment as she does so. When that's done, she frowns at the discussion of the acorn. "We need to get moving," she comments, glancing around all the while as if still wary of attack. "Whoever struck blows like that isn't someone I'd like to meet... especially if they're as sneaky as I suspect. Bring it or don't, but we can't afford to waste more time."
So saying, she moves to the edge of the clearing, kneeling to study the tracks while the others prepare to leave.
The animals do not seem to be reacting negatively to the wood, though you think there may be a few places where the trees are close enough together that the oxen might need to be careful to avoid tangling their tack and harness were you to bring them in with you.
Orc #1's Bone Earning: 12gp;
Orc #2's pearls {6gp, 8gp, 8gp, 9gp, 9gp, 12gp, 12gp, 13gp};
Orc #3's Bone Bracelet: 18gp;
Orc #4's obsidian: total value: 56gp. 14 shards. Could be used as caltrops;
Orc #5's jets: {10gp, 10gp, 12gp, 12gp} and his shield is actually a usable drum (24gp value);
Orc #6's silver earring: 32gp
Merlan fits easily into the pit, which is roughly 10' in diameter, and about 8 feet deep in the centre, where the acorn is half-exposed.
He attaches a hook, allowing you to fish the seventh orc out, and see that he has been covered in scars and marks, with bits of bone and stone poking out from under his skin. As you move him, you see a twisted mask of wood and flesh beneath him -- that thing somehow even uglier and worse than its dead owner.
Quickly looting him, you find: Lamellar (Darkleaf), a falchion, a spiked gauntlet, an obsidian dagger, 3 cold iron daggers, a bone necklace (27gp), an obsidian tusk (replacing one he lost) (22gp), a silver spigot, a hollowed human bone {scrollcase} (15gp), a quill, 80gp of residuum. He also has a leather sack filled with raw meat, slightly salted (you'd guess roughly 10 pounds of it) - most of which appears to be elk or venison.
The magic that isn't his fetish mask comes from two scrolls inside his scrollcase (Shield and False Life), and two "potions" of Cure Light Wounds. The other necromantic effect is attached to a hollowed-out horn that looks to have been blacked with an onyx cap.
You're not sure this could be repaired - it's certainly beyond your abilities at this time. You'd need to remove the metal thing inside, for one, to stop additional corruption -- but even with that, you're not sure that the current corruption isn't self-sustaining now, or that it would go away in time -- and, more, the acorn is broken and leaking magic -- its not likely fixable by mending -- in fact, this thing might be one of the single more powerful items you've seen -- at least, it probably used to be -- though that's a guess based on its current strength and how much power it must have lost.
You think that the necromantic effect is somehow allowing this item that used to provide life and strength to the trees to, instead, pull it into itself -- basically refilling the acorn with power... something that probably takes about a month or so.
Examining the orc on the pyre, it doesn't look to be a funeral ritual. You suspect that the intent was just to destroy the body - and quickly -- and if not for the corruption and rot making the wood wet and mossy, it would likely have succeeded. That said, there was certainly some respect -- while his colleagues may have taken his hand, they left his blade and his unholy symbol.... which is... there's a bit of a memor... and then, you note that a patch of pale grey on the hand isn't ash - it's part of the original color - your mind fills in the missing parts of the symbol - a pale hand holding upright a heavy blade... Szuriel, the Horseman of War.
The gauntlets don't seem particularly significant to you... but then, you're not an expert on orcs - and certainly didn't grow up learning about them out of necessity.
When Fiona, Lysander and Sahar study the tracks
The tracks that leave the clearing are between 6 and 8 hours old, you'd guess -- and they head east, and a little north -- roughly the direction of the fallen wall, you think -- though it's a little hard to get your bearings in here. Two sets of prints look quite similar to those of the fallen in terms of stride and size - though unlike these rough-hewn things, there's a metal toe to the boots of the three who walked out. The third's feet are smaller and the prints not as deep, though the stride seems just as long. Probably two orcs and a half-orc, you're guessing.
After helping the others hook the last orc body out of the pit, Merlan continues hemming and hawing over the large acorn.
"Guys. I think whatever damaged this thing changed it. I think the necromantic 'infection'? Damage? whatever, is causing this thing to steal energy. Instead of feeding the woods, this thing is taking energy FROM the woods. Causing the weird, twisted growth and rot we saw. If I'm right,... And I frequently am, Then the best thing we could do to repair the damage to these woods, outside of repairing what may very well be a minor Artifact, is to take it with us. That should allow the woods to heal, and at least grow normally again."
"And it will give me more time to study you much, much closer, my beautiful Object 'De Art Mystique" Merlan whispers to the acorn.
"Anyone have an empty bag? I need to cover and protect this thing. And keep anymore,... whateveritis, from leaking out!"
You'll need to dig it up - based on what you can see, it's probably about 4 feet long, and, as mentioned, a foot and a half in diameter (on top at least, it tapers as it goes down).
Merlan peeks his head up over the edge of the pit.
"Oh yeah, a sack, AND that 'traveler's anytool' I saw someone packing. AND someone with biceps bigger than a noodle!" he adds smiling, flapping his own arm over his head.
"I need to seal the crack, dig it up, and bag it for travel. NO problem!" The wizard says and he slides back out of sight.
Merlan digs while the others load up the oxen with the found armour, finding the work more difficult than he'd first expected -- the ground itself is somewhat springy here, almost as if it were pushing back against the shovel -- to the point that he finds himself reshaping the tool into a pick a few times to loosen the earth, allowing him to remove it.
All told, the excavation takes just over half-an-hour -- and the acorn stays upright, somehow, as Merlan digs -- until the halfling clears away the very last bit of earth touching it - passing the any-tool under the acorn, and it falls back into the pit with a thud.
Assuming you're watching the halfling work -- The magic of the acorn became less stable when it was separated from the earth.
"Hm. It's almost as if this thing wants to stay in the ground. Which makes sense really. As it seems to be a magic item for enhancing magical vegetation growth."
"Are you done yet down there?" Sahar calls into the hole. "Everything is packed except the nuts." She tosses the rope back down into the hole.
"The allies I'd hoped for turned out to be more orcs. There is no reason to linger here, and we have a commitment that we will be late for. There's no time to play in the sand-pit."
She hopes the geas of their oath will hurry the monomaniacal little man along, or at least give him diarrhea.
After Lysander helps with looking around for tracks; "Seems you are right Sahar.... but could the trio that ran be others that were ambushed?"
He moves to Xia and Merlan; "Shall we carefully remove the metal infection from the nut and heal it up?" He looks around; "Anyone have a thin pliers or tweezers?"
The nut is a large acorn, probably from a blackwood oak -- something relatively common in the woods in the southern part of the country. You seem to recall something about blackwood oak being attuned to nature magic -- at least, that some of your trainers prefered it for Shillelaghs. The outer flesh still has a greenish colour, suggesting that it is just on the edge of ripeness -- and, of course, it's about 12 times the size it should be (in each direction). That said, it looks like there's rot inside the crack, and you can see a very slight discoloration even on the surface on the crack's edge.
Merlan looks at the acorn, then up at the edge of the pit, then back to the acorn.
"Well, yeah. I mean I know that heal better if there wasn't a piece of metal inside ." he agrees.
The halfling looks longingly, and perhaps a trifle greedily, at the acorn. He weighs the cost/ratio/benefit/con analysis in his head. Then sighs.
"THIS is what I get for being the NICE guy. I could've been a burglar, but OH NO,... Hey! I need a slim dagger! smaller the better!" Merlan calls out once more. He pulls his own small dagger from his belt.
"If I can't take it, I'm dang sure not leaving it all damaged and infected like this!"
OK, so, planning to use my dexterity and the two daggers to tweezer/chopstick action the metal out of the crack.
Creative spellcasting. It may not be 'RAW/RAI' but I like creative applications of spells :)
You mentioned Merlan may be afraid of cracking the nut worse with the anytool, what if I used my wand and cast Mage armor on the nut? That would help prevent direct damage while it was active, hopefully giving me just a LITTLE more wiggle room. And/Or I can use my mage Hand cantrip to try to grab it instead of the daggers. I'll try that first, but figured it was possibly 'stuck' in the crack and beyond the Mage hand's meager STR score. :)
Also, now that the nut's no longer being fed by the forest and you've touched it, I'll need a Fort save (DC 16) to avoid taking a negative level as it finds a new source of life energy -- one roughly halfling-shaped.
** spoiler omitted **
Merlan, peeking into the crack on the nut, instinctively places one hand on the side to get better leverage & stability, and instantly tenses up, shaking. With an effort he yanks his hand away, throwing himself across the pit as he does so.
"YEEEEE-OUCH! I was NOT expecting THAT!" Merlan shouts, flapping his hand to restore feeling into it.
The halfling checks himself physically, yep, all parts still there. he shakes his head to get rid of the buzzing.
He doffs his purple hat and wipes his forehead.
"Yeah, so NEW problem. Problems. I think this thing started trying to heal around the metal fragment, making it very hard to get at. Unless one of you is skilled enough in treating weapon wounds to cut it out?"
"AND,... I'm thinking that digging this up may not have been the smartest thing I've ever done. It's magic is damaged, so it's now sucking life energy from the woods. I separated it from that source. And I think it just tried to snack on ME! Not a feeling I recommend."
Merlan pops his head up out of the pit.
"OK. We can't take it as-is. Too dangerous. It's a living thing, so I THINK that healing magic might work on it? BUT we don't want to heal it with the fragment inside. That will just make it suck all of the life out of the woods. Eventually. What we need to do is partially re-bury it so it doesn't try to feed off of us, get the fragment out, and use some healing magic on it. Even some of those chewy potions of healing might work. And then completely rebury it. WHO has experience at Healing surgery?" He asks cheerfully, as if he was talking about carving a roast turkey.
Sahar starts back as the halfling yowls, surprised that the contract apparently acted so quickly in response to her wishes. She glances at her mount to ensure the necklace is still fast around her mare's neck. And these northern barbarians laugh at me for protecting my Sharisa from the evil eye. We never know what is watching us.
She feels foolish as the mage explains. Naturally, the artifact had its defenses.
"Rebury it. What a concept. It's a shame none of the rest of us has thought of that before." Sahar is as dry as her desert home.
"And this is not a living creature. What makes you think setting a bone or stitching up wounds prepares us for repairing strong nature magic devices that we don't understand, one which just bit you? I am a healer, not an arborist!"
Voice rising in impatience, she continues, "Now get out of that hole, you infuriating little man, and let us rebury that device, or by all the gods, I will start filling the hole with you still in it!"
Merlan pops his head back up over the edge once more, eyes twinkling with mischief.
"You are lovely when your angry!" he says sweetly.
Merlan promptly holds up a stubby digit to forestall Sahar from proving otherwise.
"Think about it! This, right here, IS what's good for Lastwall! That could be the very reason FATE brought us here, today! If we rebury it without healing it, it will continue to suck the life essence out of the land. Sure, right now it's happy just twisting a few trees. But eventually it will kill everything here, and then expand, killing everything it touches. It will eventually reach to the City and towns, and eventually the entire country! We have to do this! For Lastwall!"
"And besides. In ALL of my lives, I've never met a problem I could not solve. Even if some of the solutions were final for me personally. I refuse to end that streak by giving in to an overgrown acorn!"
"I am skeptical that you understand this thing. I have no confidence in your proposed remedy. I do know that we are already late and I suspect we could deal with this later." Sahar glares into the pit at the pair of nuts.
She looks at Lysander, who has been studying the acorn. "You seem to be a man of sense. If you believe this thing must be repaired and that I can help it, I will try. The wizard seems a creature of cities and tailor shops, not of the land and nature. I will trust your judgment in this."
With that, she stalks over to her mare and leans against the warm beast, glaring out into the twisted trees.
Fiona stands from her place at the edge of the clearing, where she's been studying the tracks, and glances back at the rest of the group, chuckling softly. Ahh, I'd almost forgotten how the new recruits always bicker on their first mission...
Turning toward the others, she puts a slight edge of command into her voice. "Merlan and Lysander, make a decision and let's get going. Bury the thing or don't, but if it's attacking you we're not bringing it along. We need to move."
Sahar looks over at Xia, who also seems to be one with nature and who already said to remove the metal wedge and let the acorn heal. Maybe I am allowing my annoyance with the popinjay to interfere with good sense and ignore good advice.
Sighing, she digs through her little donkey's saddlebags and pulls out her healer's kit, examining the contents.
"I have nothing in my kit to help pull out a wedge like that. Does anyone have tools? Or maybe use the All-Tool as a crowbar and pry the thing out?" Sahar calls back to the pit.
In response to your heal check -- it looks rather like a big piece of wood. Anything you cut off is no longer part of it, and pulling it apart to access the wedge would likely do more damage. That said, there's probably an amount of force that could be applied with a lever that would widen the gap slightly - which might loosen everything enough for the thing to be fished out -- but that would take both a lever/pry and pliers (or magic, or both). Of course, if any of it's soft from rot, then that won't work - and, further, if you mess up and apply too much pressure, well.... you'll probably hear a loud snapping sound, in that case.
Then again, Merlan suggests that it can heal itself - but it's certainly not looking fleshy at the moment - though I suppose you could go down into the hole to touch it if you want to...
...although, a fair question, if you're really planning this is: is it healing itself like a living thing or is this just the reaction of a powerful magic item (which tend to be rather hard to destroy and generally can overcome or at least compensate for most damage over time.
"You truly are a desert rose, thorns and all." Lysander says softly to Sahar as he tries to pluck the metal out & heal it the nut. Covering his hands with leather gloves if needs be to take the shard of metal out.
"Oh... well then... oh dear," Sahar follows Lysander down into the pit and tries to help him remove the wedge, offering the All-Tool that Merlan has been digging with which might(?) be reshaped to help remove the thing? "But this is not flesh... how will it heal? It is not even a living plant longer, more a piece of wood. If you try to pry it, it might break. There is much magic in this thing. What will happen if you break it?"
to try to aid Lysander, reforming the All-Tool if possible.
Sahar murmurs a distressed and fervent prayer to Sarenrae that nothing terrible happens, and touches Lysander's shoulder before he starts.
"I have holy water and soap. Will holy lather help?" she offers the woodsman.
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"Do we really need to do this? I'm not a carpenter, but it looks like the metal is really wedged in there and the nut is still magical. Can't we just rebury it?"
"If you are determined to do this, maybe Merlan with his small hands and daggers can try to clear some of the nut meat from around the wedge while Lysander with his muscles and any-tool pliers can try to pull it out. I will try to help however I can."
Fiona takes up a position near the pit, but not close enough to fall in if something were to push her, and assumes a guarding stance. Her eyes scan the clearing regularly, watching for any threat.