Sven saw and heard nothing, but he nodded along anyways. If the others were sure, then he trusted them. All he could do is watch where Cyla walked so that he would know where was safe.
After carefully scanning her surroundings, Reilarri shrugs. "If you say so," she acknowledges Gov and Cyla's warnings. "They're probably the resident fey, if they they be, so perhaps we should say hello before the shooting starts?"
Putting away her longhammer and holding her hand up--palm out, to show it's empty--Reilarri calls to the sky and the rose hedges. "We are sorry if we alarmed you, but we are not here to seek battle! We wish to parlay, and to understand why the road crew was attacked. Again, we have no wish for violence, you have my word! My name is Reilarri Graelkyir, called Silversong by some...will you speak with us?"
After a minute or two, something emerges from the center of the faerie ring of rose-hedges. an attractive, gossamer-winged fairy emerges from the center of the wing. She walks confidently and lightly through the center path, escorted by a different sort of fairy, with green, thorny skin. Together they walk until they are just outside the border of the hedge-roses and stand.
The woman smiles brightly and cheerfully at Reilarri. In Common, she replies, "Hi!"
"Here to parley, eh? Why not come inside to meet our king? We're right about to have dinner. You could sit down with us. What do you want, anyway?"
"Well 'aint that a bonny lass!" Sven exclaimed. "Was expecting something monstrous, I was!" Then, realizing how rude he was being, his face flushed as he turned towards the fairies.
"Where's me manners? Name's Sven. A pleasure to meet ye both. Came here on word that foul play was afoot. Mayhaps the two of ye could fill us in on what's occurred back at that there camp, and why there be so many dangers waiting for unwary feet?"
With a really sweet look on her face, the fey speaker clasps her hands together and flutters her eyelashes. "I have no idea what camp you're talking about... But maybe you can come in and talk to our king, and he can sort everything out! Our king is wise and kind and powerful, and I'm sure he'll be able to solve any problem that you have."
Pleased at the strong start but with stories of fey and their mercurial moods in the back of her mind, Reilarri bows to the fey. "It would be an honor, of course. Please lead the way, Lady...?"
"What domain does your king claim mastery over? Which court is he part of? And, if it isn't too much of an imposition to ask, what is your lord's name?"
Juniper doesn't know anything about the female fey creature, but does recognize the male. The snake knows that this fey is called a thorn. Such creatures often serve as honored protectors of fey glades, and possess more strength and fighting prowess than their size suggests. He also recognizes that the fey girl is lying about her claim that she knows nothing of the camp that the group is talking about. Her lie is playful and easy, suggesting that she thinks little of the party's needs.
Heedless of Gov's questions, the fey girl turns and skips carelessly back into the rose glade. She waves her hand behind her, calling, "Come on! The Rose King wants to meet you!"
Soon, she's disappeared into the obscuring bushes.
Stayven wracks his brain for anything he might know about these fey.
He says quietly to the party, ”I suggest we accept their invitation but stay on our guard. Fey hospitality follows few of the rules one expects and can be rather...permanent if not navigated carefully.”
"Aye. Stay in sight of each other." Sven said, as he began to follow the fey.
You also recognize the male winged creature, and are familiar with all of the abilities of the grassling. These creatures are vicious in battle, though you recognize this creature has an affinity with the rose bush rather than with grass.
"Hon luggirr. Hon veitir ór kamprinn. Hon réttr gerir eigi hugsatr vér hafa œrinn þorfua."
I dance amidst the scarlet roses... how poetic... though confined space is not my forte. She says to the others, following behind them. Feeling slightly better after a rest, but still on edge from her encounter yesterday.
"Det er ikke oppmuntrende for utsiktene til fred.
Er denne prinsen av roser kjent for deg?"
Juniper doesn't know anything specific about the "king of roses".
Gov shakes his head, and puts Juniper back in his basket. He knows better than to rely on animals and plants when facing fey. Basil on the other hand... well she was magic, as opposed to merely well trained.
Reilarri sighs, trying not to show the sinking feeling she has in her stomach about how this will go. "Well we've initiated contact, so we must see this through. Be wary, I have heard that fey moods can shift in an instant."
The dwarven officer follows the sprite deeper into the grove.
Gpv will follow
1. Bugbears
2. Gov <--- You are up!
3. Reilarri <--- You are up!
4. Sven <--- You are up!
5. Cyla <--- You are up!
6. Bugbear Leader
7. Stayven
The group heads forward. Unfortunately, though they have been forgotten, the traps left by the fey did not disappear. Reilarri and Gov, walking in the front of the group, are snared around their ankles. The thorny rose vines bite deep into their skin, and then, secured by a connection to a nearby tree, pull Reilarri and Gov up into the air, upside-down, by one ankle.
Just at that same moment, a cry comes from the forest behind you. "Khruul't or shakaan, rhuun!"
Spilling out of the woods are four bugbears. The same bugbears spotted by Gov and Stayven last night, and the same ones that have been following you today. Further back in the forest is what appears to be their leader, who is holding a scimitar and crying out some sort of goblinoid battle-cry. At his call, his bugbears charge forward.
Sven held his ground and raised his shield to defend himself. As he did so, he chanted out the words to active his runes, causing them to glow with an inner light.
Cyla draws her bow and utters the phrase of an arcane spell. She moves as she does so to try and get a better angle on the leader while avoiding the snare traps.
"Bah." Escaping seems not to be a priority of the orc, instead focusing in on himself and using his standard action to give Rellari +2 on her attack rolls.
"Nice of everything unpleasant in the vale to all gather in one little patch of woods, I suppose," Reilarri glances down at the trap, but decides to ignore it.
"Send them to whatever gods they prefer, lads and lasses!" the dwarf bellows.
Cyla and Sven get ready for battle, while Reilarri and Gov enhance their compatriots with inspiring words and divine strength -- even while hanging upside-down by their ankles!
The bugbear leader on the other side of the grove maneuvers to get a better look at the party. Seeing that a human stands among them, he grins evilly. "Dalaan dar muugaan, ac akukhec ol'daan o shac hoch okluul duuraan dakhaal kokaan!" he shouts at his minions. He nocks an arrow to his bow, takes careful aim, and then lets it loose straight at Stayven. The arrow sinks into the cartographer's leg painfully.
Stayven winces at the blow before trying to cut himself free of the vines.
Stayven steps back, axe at the ready. He swings it above Gov's feet, slicing through the thorny vine that holds his half-orc companion up, freeing him from the trap. Gov topples prone to the ground, headfirst but free.
The bugbears start to charge in, two of them surrounding Cyla. The other two charge in towards Cyla's horse, grabbing at its reins and trying to drag it away from the group.
The creatures are slower than Cyla is, but one of them still manages to clip one of her illusory duplicates.
Gov remains prone, casting the spell prayer Falling on your head is never pleasant.
Moving to flank with Cyla, Sven lifted his “Toragian Hammer” and slammed it into the nearest foe’s back. The runes on the hammer flared to life as he hit, causing the blow to land with more force than was natural.
Cyla side steps as she turns and fires a barrage of arrows into the bugbear that moved above her. Trusting her armor and magic to keep her safe and for Sven to deal with that one as she focuses fully on the other threat.
Thanks Sven. She mutters, in an almost annoyed tone.
As she fires, she gives a whistle to shadow. Who breaks away from combat.
"Sven! Sven! Don't forget me!"
Gov casts divine magic from the ground, enhancing his allies' capabilities while sapping the ability of the bugbears making their direct assault on the group.
Sven and Cyla jump into action. Sven's hammer-blow sends the bugbear he faces flying through the undergrowth, knocked out in an instant. Meanwhile, Cyla's arrows (unimpeded by the opponent killed by Sven) pierce her opponent in their chest and neck. Gurgling, the bugbear falls to the ground.
Confused, Cyla's horse stamps its feet nervously about the new riders trying to jump up onto its back, and doesn't recognize Cyla's whistling as a true command.
Reilarri hangs by her feet and cries for help.
The bugbear leader shouts orders again, "Ac, daaraan hon agaan tuuc! Har dar muugaan ac haar or or daagaan!"
Then he pulls back the drawstring on his bow and looses another cruel barbed arrow at Stayven before retreating behind the rocky promontory for cover.
Shadow perks up, and trots over towards Cyla.
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Seeing another member of the party ensnared, Stayven steps over to Reilarri and cuts through the vines ensnaring her, "There you are, now let's see to those hobgoblins!"
Reilarri hits the dirt with a grunt as the air is forced from her lungs, but quickly scrambles to her feet and levels an accusing finger at the bugbear's apparent leader. "We will not be deterred by any ambush--no blade or spell or trick will turn us aside! Føler smiebrannen styrke deg!"
Stayven frees Reilarri, who jumps to her feet and blesses the party with the divine inspiration of her dwarven pantheon -- an even further push towards bravery and combat proficiency.
Undeterred by the small distance made by Cyla's horse and determined to follow the orders of their leader, the bugbears begin to beat a retreat. One of them, however, runs over to Shadow. The goblin vaults onto the horse's back, and then digs its clawed feet into the horse's sides. "Yahh!" he shouts, and the horse breaks out into a canter away from the battle.
The other bugbear compatriot simply turns and runs as fast as his legs will carry him, trying to get some distance from Sven and Cyla, whose prowess is intimidating.
Cyal steps to the side, keeping the bugbear in view before releasing several arrows at the one riding her horse. Infusing the first arrow fired with a freezing chill.
No you don't you cretin. is all she says before loosing her volley. The first arrow magically appearing and made from nearly pure energy with blue energy swirling around it. She puts her second shot and third shot into the one on foot.
She then whistles for shadow to return.
Gov stands up, and spontaneously casts an empowered cure moderate wounds from a darkness spell into Stayven, who's starting to look a bit dinged up from those arrows.
With the enemies in full blown retreat, and lacking any ranged capabilities of note, Sven shook the blood off of his hammer and took up position lest they try another assault.
With a flurry of arrows and spellcraft, Cyla eradicates the bugbear that's trying to steal her horse. The poor creature falls to the ground, frozen and pierced.
The other two bugbears flee into the forest at top speed, hollering something in Goblin at their defeat.
"Do we wish to give persuit?"
"Nay. Eyes on the prize. We're being paid to find out what's goin on the with the fey. Let's find our guide, and let the goblinoids bring word that we're nay to be fooked with."