Zaranna getting into a better position, she let off two arrows. Unfortunately, they both went wide.
Round 2:
Fel, Vei, Elyana, Cardren, Alric, Enemy (E2 Stench DC is 18 for 1 minute, Unseen to Zaranna), Zaranna
E1 -2
E2 -17
Cardren clears his throat and holds his breath as the increased stench batters his nose. He launches a flurry of blows. Next he spins, whipping his leg to kick the creature. Finally steps into the underbrush, to the side of the creature, giving the creature an escape.
The strike across Alric's face leaves his vision red as blood streaks down from rips above his eyebrow. With the world coated in a tinge of crimson, the ranger grits his teeth and prepares his blades.
Alric, close enough to his target to see how the animated foliage moves, begins to systematically try to cut it to pieces.
While the creature managed to dodge Alric's two attacks, it left itself wide open for a particularly nasty double strike. Leaving it vulnerable for more attacks and on the ground.
Elyana released another spell but despite being on the ground the Shambler still managed to dodge most of the spell.
Round 2:
Fel, Vei, Elyana, Cardren, Alric, Enemy (E1: Flat-Footed until next turn and Prone, E2: Stench DC is 18 for 9 rounds), Zaranna
E1 -24
E2 -17
The Shambler turned out to be too quick for both Vei and Cardren.
Pulling itself up from the ground, the plant creature scrambled away from the Ranger, seeming not having any issue moving through the undergrowth. It then turned around and threw something that resembled a seed pod.
The projectile went wide from its haste.
In its position between the Angel and the Monk, the Shambler frantically whipped its vine around.
It only managed to land a single blow vs Cardren.
Round 2:
Fel, Vei, Elyana, Cardren, Alric, Enemy (E1: Flat-Footed until next turn, E2: Stench DC is 18 for 9 rounds), Zaranna
E1 -24
E2 -17
Zaranna, realizing that there are two, moves to a better position.
Zaranna's arrow struck the Shambler in the 'head', dropping it permanently.
Round 3:
Fel, Vei, Elyana, Cardren, Alric, Enemy (E2: Stench DC is 18 for 8 rounds), Zaranna
E2 -17
Cardren repositions himself so that the creature is between him and Vei. He knows how difficult it is to defend oneself with two combatants on either side. Channeling his ki into his hands, Cardren attacks.
With only one shambler left Elyana chooses a different spell from her repertoire. She chanted and gestured conjuring a sticky looking vine from the air and then gestured towards the shambler. The vine shot away from her hand towards the creature spinning like a bolas.
Despite the Shambler being flanked, Vei is unable to land a solid hit.
Between Elyana's spell and Cardren's mystically infused fists, the plant creature is pummelled into oblivion. Though the smell lingers for a bit it's not nearly as bad as it was before.
Cardren clears his throat and spits against the tree. He leaves the stench’s area. While assessing his wounds, he drinks water, regaining his breath and feeling his heart return to its usual rhythm. ”Was anyone else injured? What are these? Should we bury them? Do you think they are affiliated with him?”
He hefts the weight of his waterskin, judging it, then takes another swallow. ”We’ll have to find another spring soon to replenish our water.”
No idea, but let's get going. We can stop and find water somewhere else, in case there are more of these around.
"Stinkweed Shamblers usually rise from places where large numbers of undead were created or destroyed. They tend to ambush and use their stench to disable their prey. Nasty little things." Alric says, wiping the blood from his face from where its vines had lashed out at him. Taking a knee, he gestured Cardren to come over to him.
"Here, let me see what I can do for you alright? Just going to patch you up real quick, then I'll treat myself." Pulling out a healer's kit from his backpack, the ranger quickly got to work.
After twenty minutes of cleaning wounds of the Stinkweed's thorns and dirty fibers, washing the wounds out, and patching up the worst areas with bandages, both of the men would look like walking wounded but in truth, feel that much better.
"After that fight we had back in that bastard's lair, I wanted to learn how to help people. We can't always rely on Fel and Vei to keep us up and fighting, right?" Alric says with a little grin as he stows the healer's kit upon his person once more. Standing up, he gave a nod to the others that he was ready to go.
Continuing on, the rest of the day passed without incident. As the sun began to set Alric found a perfect space to camp. A dry spot with fairly soft ground and plenty of fallen branches to make a comfortable campfire.
Elyana couldn't wait to get away from the smell of the plant monsters. They were terrible and she was more than happy to leave them behind. When they set up camp for the night Elyana looked to the others and asked, "Same watch as before?"
Cardren breathes in a very slow, controlled manner while his wounds are being treated. He watches Alric’s practiced hands. ”Thank you, Alric. You’re very good at this. I feel better...and you’re right. We have to protect ourselves. We’re no longer the weak, inexperienced children from that time. I sometimes wonder how different my life would be if I hadn’t been in Swampwood that night. I doubt I’d ever go to the monastery.” He puts his hand on Alric’s shoulder. ”Maybe I’d have become a wizard and would be here anyway, helping out the people from my cousin’s wedding.”
At camp, Cardren returns from refilling his waterskin (and anybody else’s too), when he hears Elyana’s question. ”That sounds fine to me.”
Seeing that Cardren was still injured even after Alric's ministration Elyana said, "Let me heal the last of your wounds Cardren, I think you are the only one left with an injury correct?" She chanted and gestured gathering a ball of green-gold light and then pointed at Cardren. The light turned into a stream of energy between her and him and when it touched him knitted close the last of his wounds. [b]"There, that should do it.
Alric smiles at his monk friend, nodding in agreement with him. Not everything from that dark day was a bad thing. They became stronger, more skilled, and more willing to protect that which meant something to them. Quietly, Alric would take the lead once more and guide the party through the forests until the sun began to set once more.
Finding a good campsite beside a copse of trees, Alric looks over the area to first see what kind of wildlife they could expect to see there. Once he was certain that they were safe, he'd help set up camp and collect sticks for the campfire that night.
"I think the stinkweeds may have passed through here. The tracks are all muddled and don't make sense." Alric murmured as he dropped off a bundle of sticks. "We'll take the same watches. Sound good?"
Actually Cardren, maybe you and I should swap watches. I have darkvision, so I'll see better in the middle of the night than you will. What do you think?
”Oh,” Cardren replies to Elyana after she magically heals him, ”Now, I feel as good as I usually do. Thank you.” He takes his place in the back of the group as they continue their trek.
As they discuss the night watch, Cardren replies to Zaranna, ”A good suggestion. Using darkvision during the middle of the night certainly makes sense. So, I’ll take the last watch.“
Alric's senses were particularly on point this time around.
Nothing eventful happens on the second and third shifts. Other than Alric and Cardren having strange dreams.
Suddenly to your right, you see two figures a short distance away. One is about your size and humanoid-shaped while the other is significantly larger and formless.
”Master Cardren, come quickly. It’s Laythal,” She said.
The young elf led Cardren to a crevasse, at the bottom of which lay the student Laythal.
Looking up he called out, "Master Cardren, my leg's broken."
As you started to climb down the crevasse, a strange yet familiar feeling started to come over you. Then you heard it, a tune you had not heard in decades. Haunting and mesmerizing.
As he surveys the scene, the sudden movement to his attention draws his attention. Quietly, he darts between tree to tree to try and ensure that he is unseen. From the cover of stealth, he approaches the strange figures.
The Elf tripped and fell to the ground. Rolling over to face the shadows she cries out, "Please, please let me go!"
Tears were starting to run down her cheeks as the shadowy being started to reach for her.
Cardren wakes up, still wrapped in his sleeping roll, head resting against two bundled shirts, heart beating too quickly. He exhales slowly as he feels the pulse in his neck. Listening to the others to determine if they are still asleep, he wonders if anyone else had a strange dream. The monk rolls over and continues to listen to the sounds of the night as he begins the relaxation methods to help him fall asleep that he learned when he first went to the monastery.
Rushing out from his cover, Alric drew his blades. As that shadowy reached for Shadei, he would swing his sword to cut it off at the wrist.
"Leave her alone, you bastard!" Alric growled, moving to stand between it and Shadei.
A bestial scream let out from the formless thing in front of you. Erratically, it shifted from side to side. Despite not having discernable eyes, you could feel it looking at you with an intense anger. With another shriek the shadowy thing lunged at the you.
Defending yourself with a torrent of slashes, each of which produced another sound of pain from the creature, it finally backed off into the woods and out of sight.
Shadei got to her feet, rushed over, and threw her arms about your next. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she sobbed into your shoulder.
With a silent nod the two of you rush off further into the woods. Everything soon fades to nothingness as consciousness stirs you from your sleep.
The sun rises as it always does, brining the usual sounds of birds and other animals.
Alric rises from his sleep, looking around in a moment of confusion. The forest here is familiar, welcoming, and he breathes for just a moment before sitting up from his bedroll.
"A strange dream. Must be from getting close to this." The ranger thinks as he heads off into the local foliage looking for what his snares found and what delicious morsels could be used to make their breakfast a little bit hardier and a little less stale. He returns with a few bird eggs and garlic stalks and makes eggs on the fire as everyone begins to awaken.
Zaranna wakes, rested, and begins to clean up camp so they can leave after breakfast.
Elyana rose for her part of the watch and, other than noticing that some of her companions dreams seemed to be unpleasant she didn't see or hear anything of interest. When dawn was close she stoked the fire again and got out some of her rations to eat as the others rose.
Getting ready for the day you all continue on two Ruby Hollow. The day is uneventful thereby allowing you to make great time. As the sun begins setting, Alric and Cardren begin looking for a place to camp for the night. Eventually finding one by an outcropping of rock. The ground is a bit uncomfortable, but the location is very defendable.
Keeping the same watch rotation as the previous night, Alric and Cardren don't see or hear anything during their watch other than Zaranna and Fel having a slightly fitful sleep.
This place is one that you have been to many times before. It is the place that Vei says she retreats to when she is not summoned to your realm. But something was different this time. After a few moments, you realize what is missing, Vei.
You don’t know if there is something wrong with the metal or your furnace, but the piece you are working on just will not heat up correctly. Sure it glows like it is supposed to, but when you hit it with your hammer it doesn’t feel like it is softened at all.
Zaranna assumes that piece of metal is flawed, or mixed with some other metal so that it has a different softening temperature. She quenches that one, setting it aside and selecting another piece instead. She heats it up, and attempts to hammer this one into shape.
As you begin hammering on the new piece a customer approaches your shop. An older elven woman with raven black hair streaked with grey, "Excuse me, dearie, might I purchase some nails from you?"
Zaranna finishes the shape, getting the piece ready for the next stage, and lays it carefully down on the grill over the fire to cool slowly.
Then she turns.
Hi Ma'am, what kind of nails do you need? Are you making some furniture, or building a house, or do you just need a nail to hang your coat or a picture on?
The elven woman’s demeanor changed as an unnaturally wide smile crossed her face, showing intensely sharp teeth. “Your coffin,” She replied in an ominous voice.
Wings of pure shadow sprouted from behind the woman’s back and talons extended from her fingers as she lunged at you.
There was no answer. Strange, that’s never happened before. You begin moving among the bookshelves calling out for Vei, but there was still no answer. A strange feeling of something watching starts to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.
The answer came in the form of a scuttling noise of something large from behind you. Turning around you see a spider-like thing made of rocks and dirt come rushing towards you.
Suddenly to your left a tear in reality opens up and you see Vei reaching through to grab you. The angel pulled you through the tear and into the real Great Library. She held you close, and through the link you two shared you could feel her sense of relief and fear over you.
[It's okay Fel, you're safe now.]
”Thank you for breakfast Alric,” Cardren says as he takes his share. ”I need a strong meal after last night.” He shakes his head slightly. Sitting down he continues, ”My dreams were unsettling. I hope the rest of you slept well.”