Park stays with Rajuna. When they approach the barn and see how badly damaged it is he refreshes his dancing lights cantrip and sends it into the building.
"I'm not sure about going in there. The building doesn't look all that stable. A sneeze might bring the whole thing down!"
When Mila warns of movement he watches. "Maybe let them come to us? But try to stay quiet so we don't disturb the sleeping stirges...."
Rajuna looks more closely at the corpses after Mila's warning. Still not seeing whatever faint motion she perceived, he hunkers down as the archer puts an arrow in one of the not-quite-dead.
Unfortunately for Mila and the gang, the objects are not stationary. Her arrow flies into the closest one and it makes a strange, wet squelching sound as it hits the flesh of whatever the things actually are. It doesn't pierce as deep as she is used to for bodies, somehow the tip is pushed aside.
Their trap sprung, the three 'things' jump up off the ground obviously dispelling the illusion that they are mere corpses. Now that you're close enough (and they're standing) you can see that they're horrific fungus-covered corpses, covered in the same black mushrooms that were on the ooze. Seems as if it's even more dangerous than you thought.
The three mushroom-infected things all scream loudly as the mushrooms on their skin flare up in all sorts of strange patterns, combining their lights form an eerie pulsing glow that attracts the sight of anyone living that can see it (so, everyone).
Init
Round 1
21- Zhandar
12- Rajuna and Mila
11- Park
6- Them
Raj prepares to attack the creatures… and then stares at them dumbfounded.
Stunning Fist (4): x
Ki Pool (4): xxx
Shuriken (16): xxx
MW Shuriken (12):
Scabbard of Vigor (1):
Wand of Mage Armor (50): xx
Effects:
AoOs (6/rnd) – Constant
*Uncanny Dodge – Constant
Mage Armor – 4 hours
Cat’s Grace -- + 4 DEX = +2 to HIT, +2 DAM – 4 mins
Tears to Wine – 40 mins
Park grabs his chakram in one hand, a dagger in the other.... then stands there, staring at the monsters.
Birdie chirps, and holds on to Park's shoulder.
"What are you two lookin--"
Mila flinches back from the eerie light patterns, then shakes off the after-images with a little growl. "Great, how do I..."
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Zhandar's eyes widen as she realizes what they are facing, and she quickly casts a spell with the hope of blinding them while diminishing the effects of their lights.
she would want to know first off how to break the fascination and second... uh DR I guess?
unless what she learns suggests this isn't a good strategy, like that they have blindsight or something like that.
Mila frowns at the creature, knowing her arrows will be blunted. Looking between Raj and Park, she grabs Park's shoulder and shakes him vigorously.
"Park! They gotta be cut with a knife to hurt 'em right! Snap outta it!"
"Raj!" she says urgently, shaking his shoulder. "Beware, they can also sense us with eyes that see vibrations instead of sight!"
The three funghouls (yes that's what they're called, I didn't name them) trudge forward towards the group and as soon as they get within 15 feet you get a waft of the disgusting stench they bring with them, you feel like you want to vomit.
They then lash out with their fungus-infected limbs, large claws swinging towards you.
Init
Round 2
21- Zhandar
12- Rajuna
12- Mila
11- Park
6- Them
Zhandar ends Raj’s fascination just in time to avoid the creature’s claws… and lose his breakfast at the stench coming from it. Fortunately, he heard Mila’s warning, so he spits the bile from his mouth and steps between the creatures while drawing the butterfly sword from his thigh sheath. It was a tactical choice to flank the monster but Raj secretly hoped the stench would be less if he was upwind. He slashes at the monster’s back.
Stunning Fist (4): x
Ki Pool (4): xxx
Shuriken (16): xxx
MW Shuriken (12):
Scabbard of Vigor (1):
Wand of Mage Armor (50): xx
Effects:
AoOs (6/rnd) – Constant
*Uncanny Dodge – Constant
Mage Armor – 4 hours
Cat’s Grace -- + 4 DEX = +2 to HIT, +2 DAM – 4 mins
Tears to Wine – 40 mins
Sickened -- The character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
Released from the fascination Park is overwhelmed by the stench of the creatures, then takes a hit from one of them..... He hacks trying unsuccessfully to clear the taste from his mouth, then swings at the creature in front of him.
"They -- HWURGH!"
Mila gags as she tries to speak and instead catches a whiff of them. She staggers backward. With one hand clapped over her mouth to hopefully keep from vomiting, she reaches for her pendant of Erastil with the other (dropping her bow in the process).
They smell like death. And where there is death, the staglord brings life... hopefully.
Rajuna hits the blue funghoul and Park joins in, but their combined attack doesn't finish it off. Luckily, Mila's channeling of her gods' power overwhelms the last remaining strength of it and it explodes into a large spray of both fungal matter and burning acid.
Init
Round 2
21- Zhandar
12- Rajuna
12- Mila
11- Park
6- Them (damage: green 3, red 1)
Zhandar is also overcome by the stench, and takes the full brunt of the acidic explosion. They cannot let up, though, she knows, so she takes a step back, draws a vaporous potion of cure moderate wounds, and hurls it at the ground beneath the closest fungus-zombie .
The funghoul takes a significant amount of damage, but not as much as Zhandar would have expected. Resilient things, these funghouls.
The two still alive (well, as alive as these things can be considered anyway) lash out at the closest targets, Rajuna and Zhandar.
Init
Round 3
21- Zhandar
12- Rajuna
12- Mila
11- Park
6- Them (damage: green 11, red 1)
Wanting to run back to where the air was clear Park focuses on beating these disgusting things to the ground.
Raj slides behind the funghoul and delivers a slash across its spine just as Zhandar stops flanking the monster.
Stunning Fist (4): x
Ki Pool (4): xxx
Shuriken (16): xxx
MW Shuriken (12):
Scabbard of Vigor (1):
Wand of Mage Armor (50): xx
Effects:
AoOs (6/rnd) – Constant
*Uncanny Dodge – Constant
Mage Armor – 4 hours
Cat’s Grace -- + 4 DEX = +2 to HIT, +2 DAM – 4 mins
Tears to Wine – 40 mins
Sickened -- The character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
Zhandar throws another vaporous potion at the feet of the funghoul.
Stepping back, Mila sends more arrows at the ghoul with the reddish mushrooms growing all over him. Her arrows will be somewhat blunted, she knows, but her supply of "livin' energy" from Erastil is not unlimited and she has a sense the night will require more healing before the end of it.
Unfortunately Park is so distracted by the foul stench that his attack swings wide. Zhandar and Rajuna meanwhile, don't suffer from the same issue and their strikes hit the green funghoul taking it down finally. It also explodes, throwing its acidic blood (?) out at those next to it.
Mila's arrow hits it, but its toughened skin protects whatever insides still exist and it doesn't do as much damage. It follows the source of the arrow almost blindly, moving to claw at Mila.
Init
Round 4
21- Zhandar
12- Rajuna
12- Mila
11- Park
6- Them (damage: red 7)
Raj circles around and slashes at the monster, distracting it and setting a flank for Park.
Stunning Fist (4): x
Ki Pool (4): xxx
Shuriken (16): xxx
MW Shuriken (12):
Scabbard of Vigor (1):
Wand of Mage Armor (50): xx
Effects:
AoOs (6/rnd) – Constant
*Uncanny Dodge – Constant
Mage Armor – 4 hours
Cat’s Grace -- + 4 DEX = +2 to HIT, +2 DAM – 4 mins
Tears to Wine – 40 mins
Sickened -- The character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
Park steps up and slashes at the last monster. Hopefully they can put it down and step out of this stink!
Zhandar draws again and tosses another vaporous potion at the feet of the remaining ghoul.
Grimacing that the creature has closed with her, Mila takes a step back and once more sends arrows in its direction. This time she pulls the bow with as much force as she can muster, sacrificing accuracy for power.
Even if the last funghoul resists Zhandar's magic, the combined damage is enough to take the single remaining one down. It, too, explodes in a cloud of the nasty black fungus.
That unpleasant business done, you all get the chance to finally take in your surroundings: the barn is clearly as rotted as just about everything else in this town.
Raj manages to avoid the splash of explosive gore yet again. After the flesh stops raining down, the rogue searches the barn, finding a gold necklace, a fine mace, and a fine pearl. He looks at the mace closely, ”Got a Lepidstadt symbol. This looks like a lawman’s truncheon to me. Might have been Elias’.”
Park wipes off some of the mess. "Well, that was disgusting. What is that stuff?"
He glances around at the group. "Who's hurt? Besides me I mean."
Only the pearl detects as magical (the mace is just masterwork and the necklace is just jewelry), and Park and Mila both take a look at it without any success in the identification department. Luckily Zhandar has seen these things somewhere before, and is able to point it out as a pearl of power (1st level).
Park heals himself while the others examine the items found.
The thief leaves it to the others to dole out the gear while he investigates the rest of the barn.
"I'm not hurt any," Mila confirms, looking at Park's injuries with concern. But he has it well in hand with the wand, it seems.
Mila wraps her arms around herself a bit sadly as she watches Raj retrieve the items. "Yeah.... prolly. Poor fella. Don't suppose no one's ever glad to see the tax man come, but he still didn't deserve this place."
Shaking her head, Mila sighs. "Is there more in the barn we ain't seen yet? --gosh, I hope none of these bodies were Elias."
Cue a second glance down at the corpses they just dispatched.
Zhandar says "That's a pearl of power, a very useful magical item for prepared spellcasters like Mia and me."
gosh, I hope none of these bodies were Elias.
"Decide who holds it and let's get moving. Maybe they are baiting a trap with Kendra or maybe they plan to stuff her full of corn husks. Time isn't on our side."
Once the decision is made, Raj leads on.
"Whoever can use the pearl better can take it. Anything we find is like that. The better we work as a whole team, the better chance we have to finish things alive."
"Oh wow. I think you'd get more use of it than me, Miss Zhandar," Mila says, awkwardly leaning into a bit more formality with the devi -- tiefling. "I mean, you were the one who even knew what it was, and also you use all sorta spells and potions and things, more'n'I do."
Zhandar nods absently. "I'll gladly hold on to it and use it when I think necessary; just be aware that if we need to recover a spell that Mia has prepared and cast, she can always make use of it instead."
The small building north of the flayleaf field is in fact an outhouse. Whether you'd like to brave what lays inside is completely up to you.
Avoiding the disgusting pond and the rotting carcass of the cow inside it, you make your way towards the maze surrounded by walls of corn that has somehow still grown exceptionally well, in some places reaching nearly eight feet tall. Amongst the corn you see both small patches of pallid fungi and sheets of old webbing alongside the normal weeds.
The maze seems fairly simple to navigate, with three ways to go being evident just from looking at the wide corridors in front of you.
Raj halts at the edge of the maze, glancing at the webbing. ”We’ve been led by the nose to this point. I’m not sure we should keep doing that. If I recall the map correctly, we should be able to parallel the road right here, go past a neighbor’s house and be on the mayor’s doorstep. Nothing saying this maze even has an exit on that side. Or maybe these lunatics are doing something to Kendra in this unnatural maze… in which case, we should head directly to the heart of it.”
Mila frowns, rubbing her chin.
"I kinda agree we're bein'... responsive. I don't like the idea of goin' through a maze and takin' more time to wind through, when Kendra's missing... and there's webs. Spiders in there maybe.... Park, can Birdie fly up a bit and see if there's anything in the maze worth goin' to?"
"And even if we DO have to go in-- why should we run through the maze? You can trample corn down. Or cut it. Raj has that sword strapped to his back... But I mean, we ain't got to run the maze the way they planned it. If we do even have to go in."
The trail you followed from your camp, presumably left by Kendra, did lead into the maze. It is quite likely you'll find her at the center of said maze, as the cultist you captured at the spider barn did say their ritual stuff happens here, not at the mayor's manor.
"Good point Mila. Birdie? Please fly up about thirty or forty feet and have a look at this corn maze. See if you notice anything big, a building or such. Then come back."
"Maybe, if Kendra's in there, there's signs which path they dragged her down."
Mila sets to looking the soil over for recent signs of passage.
Birdie can't describe in words what she sees, but Park gets a feeling of relief followed quickly by intense fear and worry as she reaches the top of her reconnaissance mission.
Mila is able to pick the trail you first found leaving your camp, heading directly deeper into the disgusting wet corn maze.