Estelle decides to cut the barrier again, so an escape could be made if needed.
, and her side she cuts open.
Daniel slashes at the wooden wolf again.
But his aim is somewhat off, the blade gliding off its natural wooden hide.
, the beast makes a bite at Estelle, who hacked at its barrier.
Thankfully its bite too misses.
----------
Severa & Strom
Strom tries to find a way back to his companions inside the wall of vines.
"Sage, find a way in!"
Severa steps back and to the side so she can see through the hole Estelle cut into the wall and casts a spell. A large, flaming, fire elemental appears just past the wolf. The flames flicker on its body, giving off a sound like a crackling fire.
Strom tries to find a way back to his companions inside the wall of vines.
"Sage, find a way in!"
[dice=Strom Perception]1d20+6
[dice=Sage Perception]1d20+5
Strom and Sage hear Estelle making a short sound of excitement, as she had hacked open a few feet of passage. They make their way back to their initial position with haste.
Severa conjures a mirage of a fire elemental.
==============================================
Wood wolf guardian, round 3
Astella
Estelle-bot, Daniel
-------------------
Wood wolf guardian (-3)
-------------------
Severa & Strom
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Estelle swings her greatsword at the beast.
She misses, but does Daniel?
Daniel
Daniel swings his sword at the wooden wolf.
He strikes a solid blow, for 10 dmg, causing splinters to fly where he hit it. The beast growls in response.
The wooden beast throws its head back, letting out an unnatural howl.
----------------------------------
Severa & Strom
Strom takes his chain-flail in hand and swings it at the vines where Astella has started to make a hole.
"Once we get you out of there somebody in this town has some explaining to do!"
Strom's bashing deals slightly less than expected, against the thick vines. , but the spot he and Astella are hitting at now shows patches they can glimpse through.
Severa, somewhat disappointed the wooden wolf ignores her illusionary elemental, nonetheless keeps concentrating. If the two companions inside would need to retreat, her illusion will be the distraction.
===================================
Wood wolf guardian, round 4
Astella
Estelle-bot, Daniel
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Wood wolf guardian (-13)
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Severa & Strom
Astella keeps slashing.
Just a few thinner vines remain, a last hit will get Astella and Strom through.
Astella and Daniel are unsettled for 1 round.
Strom is shaken for 2 rounds.
Estelle-bot swings her sword.
& Daniel
-----------------------
Wooden wolf
-----------------------
Severa & Strom
Astella cuts through the last of the vines, and steps through.
Astella cuts through the last of the vines, and steps through.
Daniel swings his sword against the wooden wolf again.
, this time though, his sword merely chips away at the natural hide.
The wooden wolf guardian (-16) makes a bite against Daniel.
The teeth sink firmly in Daniel's right leg. Moreover, as the wolf bit him, vines and roots spring up from the ground, wrapping themselves around Daniel's arms and legs.
-------------------------
Severa & Strom
Strom is about to shout for Danielle to follow Astella out of the wall when he sees the man get tangled in vines.
He does what he can from outside the barrier, casting a summon spell to bring for a wolf to fight the one inside.
Cast Summon Nature's Ally II (Wolf)
Severa maintains illusion.
Strom's summoned wolf's teeth come close and, were this a regular specimen, they would have. The natural exterior prevented a proper biting just now.
===============
Wood wolf guardian, round 5
Astella
Estelle-bot, Daniel
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Wood wolf guardian (-16)
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Severa & Strom
Astella double-moves over to the cart to see if there is any clue there about what is going on.
Astella runs past the ongoing melee, to arrive at what appears to be a ransacked cart of goods. But it isn't completely empty, a cloth the size of a small towel covers something up.
Estelle-bot & Daniel
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Wood wolf guardian (-16)
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Severa & Strom
Daniel is firmly held in place by the vines.
The duo's attacks slide off the hard exterior, and the wolf makes another bite, this time against Estelle.
It utterly fails, for some reason. Perhaps fate intervenes, perhaps something else, in any case she isn't hit.
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Severa & Strom
Hesitant to send Sage into the fray, Strom continues to focus on his summoned wolf, hoping to either take out the guardian or create an opportunity for Daniel to escape.
"Hang in there!"
Much like its larger counterpart, the wolf's attack is poorly executed, its target left unharmed.
Severa
Severa leaves the illusion to continue on its own and throws blinding glitter over the wolf.
The eyes of the guardian are harassed by sparkles covering its eyes.
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Wood wolf guardian, round 6
Astella
Estelle-bot, Daniel
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Wood wolf guardian (-16, blinded)
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Severa & Strom
This cart has a remainder of vegetables, some of it squashed, some turning past expiry condition.
However there are some signs of something carved into the wood, which some of the rotting veggies have rolled onto.
It looks like some sort of druidic sign carving.
Though to non druids, it is just a mysterious carving.
(pass)
(pass)
Astella doesn't see anything that solves the mystery of why people are attacking them when they just came to help, so frustrated, she casts gravity bow because it looks like she doesn't have anyone to convince that they are really not the bad guys.
Both hit with their attacks, dealing 15 dmg together.
The wolf guardian (-31) makes a bite against Estelle.
It misses, and does not shake off the sparkles in its eyes.
-----------------------
Severa & Strom
With those inside the bramble wall scoring hits on the alpha, Strom figures it must be nearly done. He keeps directing his summons to attack.
With the battle seemingly in hand, Severa looks around for magic to try to figure out this wolf and hedge.
Strom's summoned wolf bites at the wooden wolf's leg, but the rough exterior makes it difficult to get a hold. It then fades away.
Severa gets conjuration vibes from the hedge, as she was kind of expecting already. The wolf has a faint hint of transmutation.
========================================
Wood wolf guardian, round 7
Astella
Estelle-bot, Daniel
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Wood wolf guardian (-31, blinded)
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Severa & Strom
Astella, having cast gravity bow, takes a shot at the wooden guardian.
Her arrow hits a soft spot in the back of its head. The strong form of the guardian shakes, and it falls onto its side.
The hedge remains, but steadily seems to dry and shrivel with the demise of the guardian. Estelle channels to heal Daniel's wounds.
----------------------------------------
A little less than half a minute later, the townie returns, accompanied with a group of other people. Elves, dwarves, half-elves, all armed with simple weapons such as spears, shortbows, clubs, daggers. The ones that stands out most, though, are a male elf in green vestments and holding a simple treebranch quarterstaff. The elf, a redhead half-elf woman in hunting attire, and a stocky muscular dwarf with auburn hair and a mismatch of armor pieces.
His complexion is pale, as if very tired.
Murmers go around... "They killed the guardian."
"Who are they? What is their affiliation?"
"Evacuation is going to have to be rushed now, damnit."
The druid initially completely ignores you, as it approaches the fallen wolf, and kneels near it.
"Ysbryd, diolch yn ostyngedig ichi am ateb fy mhl am warcheidiaeth. Dychwelwch i'r cyfanwaith mwy eto."
"Ysbryd, diolch yn ostyngedig ichi am ateb fy mhl am warcheidiaeth. Dychwelwch i'r cyfanwaith mwy eto."
As he rises from whatever he was mumbling, the wolf's form rapidly breaks down as dead wood does over time, and a faint breeze can be felt.
The druid is not looking too well based on his complexion, but nonetheless is the first to address you.
"Strangers, who are you. You have come at a most inopportune moment for Fairbrooke. The defeat of the guardian expedites this, moreso."
"Spirit, I humbly thank you for answering my plea for guardianship. Return to the greater whole again."
We are the new owners of the castle near Welnin. We were on our way there when we heard of attacks in this area. We came to help, and called and came after you to try to explain, and figure out what is going on. Your guardian trapped some of us, and no one would answer us, so we fought our way out. If you don't need any help, we are glad to be on our way, but I'm not sure why you sent a guardian after us in the first place.
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It take a lot to push Strom to anger, but this event did the trick. He stares daggers at the other druid.
"Inopportune? Inopportune! You bloody fool, we came at the most opportune moment possible, and you pissed away the miracle of our arrival by attacking us. Now you have the intolerable manners to blame us for worsening your plight! Whatever your bad luck, you've made it for yourselves. Do we look like goblins to you? Did we not arrive expressing our offer of charity? Did we have weapons drawn? And for our affability you trap and try to kill us. Explain yourself, now, or risk mah intemperance.'
Where Astella presents the situation you found yourselves in upon arrival, the elf is about to answer. Were he not interrupted by an angry Strom.
Frowns and signs of being insulted are immediately visible across the group of Fairbrooke residents.
But it is the dwarf who seems even spicier in his reaction to Strom's accusations. So much so, that even Sage hides behind Strom's legs, and Strom's own anger briefly blown away as the fury of his fellow Avlee dwarf stepping forward with axe in hand, makes him shaken for the next 3 rounds.
"Keep yer mouth shut, ye arrogant greenhorn.
Bring it upon ourselves? Spoken like a true ignorant kid. Bah, oy augh' te bend ye over a knee and whip yer ass till ye respect yer elders! My 'intemperance' is much worse than yers."
The redhead makes a quick remark to him.
"Mac, pipe it, come on. That guy's words spring from ignorance.
But you are right, he shouldn't insult people right off the bat."
Finally the druid speaks again, though he does look sternly at Strom, before looking back towards Astella with a neutral but open air.
"You misunderstand. None would answer, because none -could- answer. For what remains of our people here, were in the middle of a funeral at the chapel at the other side of our settlement." He looks over at the townie with a frown. "While it's good you told them to stay back and get us, it would seem you didn't specify the reason they should stay at a distance. The guardian's passing was not needed."
The townie rubs his neck apologetic. "Sorry elder...."
The elf continues. "The guardian was not sent after you. The guardian was here to fend off any goblins passing through this particular area, in case they would launch an attack again. Against their numbers that time, there is only so much that can effectively be done at the same time. We are not weak, but an organized surprise attack catches even the trained off guard."
The redhead takes up the word.
"See, the problem is they could attack anytime, or not anymore at all. These weren't stupid raiders, they were coordinated and knew when to draw back. If you want to help, they must be taken out of commission, or weakened so much that they leave the lands completely."
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Strom is incredulous and does not back down. "Do we look like an organized surprise attack to you? Ignorant?! Greenhorn?! You don't know one damn thing about any of us. How dare you speak to us like that after attacking us unprovoked! Put your axe away you old fool!
"Are you telling us that you leave your entire town defenseless for every time someone dies? And this nest of bramble with a wolf spirit is all you can muster to its defense?
"This town needs us a whole lot more than we need you, so Ah'll give you one last chance to compose yourself and apologize he points a finger at the dwarf druid SOB that disrespected him or Ah hit the road and don't look back, and you can go back to fending off the raiders or figuring out where to make your next settlement."
Strom is incredulous and does not back down. "Do we look like an organized surprise attack to you? Ignorant?! Greenhorn?! You don't know one damn thing about any of us. How dare you speak to us like that after attacking us unprovoked! Put your axe away you old fool!
"Are you telling us that you leave your entire town defenseless for every time someone dies? And this nest of bramble with a wolf spirit is all you can muster to its defense?
"This town needs us a whole lot more than we need you, so Ah'll give you one last chance to compose yourself and apologize he points a finger at the dwarf druid SOB that disrespected him or Ah hit the road and don't look back, and you can go back to fending off the raiders or figuring out where to make your next settlement."
The other dwarf refuses Strom's further passionate rebuff, putting more doubt in his mind instead with wide eyes and an iron grip on his axe.
"Yer daft. Ye'r suddenly coming in, slay the guardian supposed te protect us, and you demand apology from-us-? We come from a mass funeral. Then leave fer all i care."
The redhead shakes her head.
"Dwarf, please apologize to the elder, and then -this knucklehead-", she knocks him over the head with her bow, "Will say he's sorry for the tone he's taking up against you in return. And then we can all just have a normal conversation, eh? Mac doesn't speak for all of us."
The elf: "Half the settlement evacuated already. Either towards Avlee or Fairhaven. Do not misunderstand, we are not asking you to fight our battle. If you can help alongside us, that would be greatly appreciated. A possible plan could be a provoked ambush, to whittle their numbers."
Estelle seems to make a better sounding argument, with a result of 20.
"First you attack us, then you insult us, then you demand we go do your fighting for you, and now you tell mah to apologize? The lot of you have lost yer minds! Surely your troubles are well-earned and Ah'll not be party to it."
With a scratch behind the ears, Strom reassures Sage and the two of them promptly leave the settlement, never to return.
Severa is rather surprised by how quickly things are devolving and looks around at the others "Um... well... I was rather annoyed by the guardian wolf and we did not know what was going on. But I believe we can work past our differences."
With almost the entire party trying to work things out, the air clears up, though Strom and Sage turn around, about to head towards Fairbrooke's exit.
The old elf looks right at the townie. "Apologize to them, that includes the dwarf and his cat."
"Huh?"
The redhead shoves him towards the party. "You caused the mess by neglection, you take responsibility for it."
You guys see all the townsfolk look intensely at the guy.
He dtumbles in his words at first, being flushed with shame.
"I'm sorry, for you know, not properly going into detail why you needed to stay back. And sir dwarf...erm, yes, that was my error, the elder druid did not mean people harm."
The elf adds to this, much to the townie's further uncomfortable position...
"And you will personally be responsible for making sure our guests have what they need during their stay."
Strom knows the elder druid speaks to him, as only they know the secret speech.
"If you can find the peace to look past the hothead smith, and would be open to a stay, i have an offer for you. Druid to druid.
With the guardian's early passing away, a part of the town's defense is gone. I could commune for another spirit to take up its vigil, but i would require the aid of a fellow druid. Those normally here are, of all times, visiting their circles this week. In return, i will teach you something no druid in Avlee could teach you."
Strom stops and turns, his demeanor changed. "A little kindness and courtesy, that's all that was needed. Very well."
Strom stops and turns, his demeanor changed. "A little kindness and courtesy, that's all that was needed. Very well."
** spoiler omitted **
"That is what we all want for, young man."
As in the background the rest talk with the townsfolk, the druid takes Strom for a walk.
As expected, the architecture and feel of the place is very much Avlee, save of course they are not part of it.
"With the true culprit of our mutual predicament clear, and him put to a task to make amends for his lack in actions, parts of your grievances were misplaced towards the wrong people, wouldn't you say?"
He gives a look at you, as a patient mentor would towards a group of druid initiates, one without attitude behind it, before looking back ahead.
"Past experiences teach that careful consideration and a calm mind make seeing the bigger picture early easier. Much of past conflicts, minor or great, follow from misunderstandings and misdirections. Were it past leaders had better judgements, these lands wouldn't be as ravaged by war as they currently are."
"As to the commune with the spirits for a renewed vigil, it will take us two the rest of the day. Normally we'd be with 4. The commune involves a few steps. First, we must craft a vessel for the spirit. Second, we commune to ask a spirit to aid the community by serving as a temporary guardian. Third, we perform the ritual to grow the vessel to its full size."
He smiles faintly.
"And the reason this is not found anywhere in Avlee, is because it is tied to my bloodline, literally. And i have no surviving relatives. A pact, an ancestor made with the spirit of Flora. Do you see that tree over there?", and he points to an ancient looking tree, mighty and tall. "That used to be Eleanor Fairwind, my mother, archdruid to the spirit of flora. My ancestor has root somewhere in western Avlee, and all her descendants eventually become one with the spirit's domain, as ancient watchers of our communities. She has been here for many many years."
Severa nods and smiles as the air clears. "Very good. I would be happy to discuss your goblin problem more, in addition to how we can help with it."
"That is what we all want for, young man."
As in the background the rest talk with the townsfolk, the druid takes Strom for a walk.
As expected, the architecture and feel of the place is very much Avlee, save of course they are not part of it."With the true culprit of our mutual predicament clear, and him put to a task to make amends for his lack in actions, parts of your grievances were misplaced towards the wrong people, wouldn't you say?"
Clearly this older druid doesn't get out much. His manner is obnoxious. "Ah would say that in absence of leadership, the malcontents will have their way.
"Ah have chosen to stay and help. Would you continue to litigate this settled matter? What is the wisdom in that? Ah fought in the last war and lost mah brother to it; Ah'll receive no lecture on the nature of grievances. If we are here to work then Ah'd like to get to it and be on mah way."