The leshy strikes, sharp leaves leaving red wounds and its mouth-like appendage getting his shoulder before he knocks it away. Dario takes a step back, feeling a wave of nausea run through his whole being. He shakes the dizzy feeling even as he begins to sweat heavier.
"I'm really starting to hate the jungle..." He mutters before dodging another strike. Rolling on the ground, he takes a moment to try and retch before taking a shot at the monster before him.
The shot hits a narrow section of the leshy, not amounting to much, but Dario presses forward. Fighting a plant that could bend and move unlike a beast or man was more difficult than he imagined. He flips his blade and aims for the stem, delivering a crucial blow against the creature.
The leshy standing before Joran sees the strike coming, and its eyes go comically, cartoonishly wide and it balls itself up, rolling like a tumbleweed to the side before the flail can crash into it.
It immediately counterattacked, going at Joran with everything it had, a flurry of green, but the big man sidestepped or parried each bite.
The four of you take some time to inspect the unfortunate porters who made the mistake of signing a contract with Gerhard Pendergrast. They make disturbingly lifelike statues, and you are careful not to tip them over while inspecting them -- no one wants to wake up from being petrified only to find out their arm broke off.
** spoiler omitted **
It's possible the Ekujae could help, but they still can't approach this area without going blind. Each statue weighs about 12 bulk, so unless you can carry all six, it may be best to simply mark your maps and come back later.
As for the totem, you recall the burnt remains of a similar one near Huntergate -- the Ekujae set it aflame after they repelled the cultists.
** spoiler omitted **
DC28 #1
DC28 #2
DC22 #1
DC22 #2
Cevendyl seems to pray briefly ... and then shares what he knows about petrification magic, and the totem still being active.
"Guba, we're going to have a chat about how to identify friends," hisses Lisi.
He moves a hand and rocks fall on the flytrap leshy near Joran.
He then strides, glowering, to the other side of the leshy.
"Guba, move this way," he says, his baleful glare fixed on the flytrap.
Dario feels the poison seeping into his veins. Smaller less sentient versions of these things dissolved their prey, which, he imagined, was easier to do if they didn't put up much of a fight. Well Dario wasn't going to let nausea stop him from cutting this shrub to pieces.
He trimmed the top of the hedge, then shot it point blank in the torso. An animal would likely have died from such a wound, but he watched a bit of sap trickle out of the leshy. It had a hole clean through it but still remained a threat.
The other leshy fared better against Lisi. The druid rained down rocks upon it, and it let it's 'neck' go completely loose, each fist sized stone rolling off the curved head part without doing much beyond superficial damage.
Guba trilled out a sound and fluffed all its leaves as if to say "Well they were friendly to me!"
Shadow made sure her injured sister was clear of the danger, and she rushed back in, growling and snarling at the bad plant who tried to eat Rocco. Lisi had been teaching the wargs about pack hunting, and Shadow knew how to flank. She moved across from Dario and waited for his attacked, then leapt in to bite at the distracted leshy's legs, spitting out the mouthful of vegetation in disgust. That was the food her food eats.
Luckily for Shadow, the leshy was far more concerned by Dario than a juvenile warglet. It attacked him in another flurry of swings. Unluckily for Dario, the first one hit him solidly, the spiny teeth much more solid and painful than their small, houseplant sized cousins.
Cevendyl seems to pray briefly ... and then shares what he knows about petrification magic, and the totem still being active.
Catalina listens intently to Cev, looking grim. "Helping will be difficult, then. But not impossible," Catalina says, hands on her hips. She moves to go dig around in whatever else Gerhard left behind, being careful in her search in case the buffoon had any other active magical items laying around in his things.
Seeing that Dario is taking quite a bit of harm, Caiten ◆moves within spellcasting range. He ◆pulls out his whip and stops long enough to ◆assist Joran in attacking this leaf creature.
Caiten cracks his whip at the leshy, trying to distract it from noticing the attack from Joran.
Grinning at how deftly he was to avoid the many attacks from the leshy, "Nice try, plant boy, but not quite. My turn." Bringing his warflail up high, he brings it down hard toward the plant in rapid succession in an attempt to smash it back into the ground.
= 28
Joran beat the leshy into compost , its body erupting into a large patch of small, harmless flytrap plants that spread across a large patch of the jungle floor nearby.
-----------------
Unfortunately, Gerhard took his pack with him. All that remains are some mundane camping equipment and rations courtesy of the porters, and the ten foot tall pillar, lying on the litter.
"We really do need to focus on neutralizing these pillars: they are the key to returning the Ekujae to protecting these lands.
Cev is clearly feeling intense about the evil magic
Yasami inspects the totem while Cev talks.
"Well, it seems that mister squeaky damaged the red gem in the middle, and stopped it. So that might be a way to go forward. We should try it on the next one we see."
She looks at the statues again. "As for these - well, I am inclined to just burn the totem and see what happens, but still think we should have Caiten or Sulee look at it first. See whether either of them gets an idea regarding reversing the effects. And THEN we can burn it." she shrugs "Just brainstorming here, really. No idea."
She glances over at Oren, eyebrows raised, and nods respectfully to him. "I have a lot to learn from your glaring abilities!"
"Honestly, I didn't expect that to work until he walked off. Thanks though!" Oren nods in agreement with Yasami and Cev. "Yeah. I can smash these totems with Foehammer, but Caiten or Sulee know a lot more about magic than I do. They should get a look at it first."
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"Well, sounds like we should head back for now..." Catalina proposes, glancing around at the clearing. "Bring Caiten and Sulee here. Get some rest. Hopefully, they're alright without us."
Lisi moves forward, releasing another blast of electricity.
"Nicely done, Joran; you should consider gardening," he quips over his shoulder.
Lisi moves forward, releasing another blast of electricity.
[dice=Electric Arc]3d4 + 4
"Nicely done, Joran; you should consider gardening," he quips over his shoulder.
Looking to be in serious thought, Joran angles his head to the left and then to the right, as if pondering it from different perspectives. Eventually, he slowly bobs his head several times in succession, thinking the druid's suggestion is a solid one. "I may very well do just that, Lis. I wouldn't mind tending a garden. Could be fun. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, buddy!"
The mouth of the voracious plant finds purchase again, sending in another dose of poison and burning his flesh. Dario knocks it off of him but writhes from the pain, retching again to try and clear his system of it.
It finally seems to clear his mind as he spits out the last of a foul-tasting liquid, turning his angry gaze upon it.
"You know...I got a friend who loves trees. I've been trying to be considerate of where we get our wood for the citadel, how it'll affect things, everything. You though? I don't have the patience for!" Dario's statement ends with a dodge from the mouth, putting him alongside the leshy where he opens fire again.
He follows up that shot with another slash, aiming to cut the plant down and give him enough space to reload quickly.
The thin bolt of lightning from Lisi zaps the leshy, causing a momentary spasm that provides Dario with the opening he needs. Another point blank shot, carefully aimed to sail over Shadow's head, puts a hole right through the plant creature's head -- if it had brains, they'd be splattered all over the place. Instead, the thing remains standing, turning to flee, as Dario's melee strike removes the mutilated head entirely.
Shadow immediately bites into the dead plant, growling and ripping and tearing in an adorable preview of the dangerous creature she's going to grow up to be.
All is quiet in the clearing, and a regretful Guba stands, frond-like arms behind them, glowing eye cast downwards in apology and embarrassment.
Caiten hurries over to assist as Dario and Shadow finish off the plant creature. Seeing that the thing is no longer moving, he targets Rocco with the healing wand that he pulled out while moving over.
"Lisi, would you be able to use your healing berries for Dario?"
Catalina walks with the rest of the reluctant fan club, providing moral support to Oren as he drags the totem along back to their "base camp." "It's too bad he got away with his other things," Catalina laments, fidgeting with one of the many rings on her fingers as she walks along. "Ugh, that man. He is a thorn in the side of legitimate researchers. He and everyone like him."
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"Yeah, now he's my problem as well." Yasamina grumbles through her teeth as she helps push the totem "Well, hopefully not. But you never know. My hope is that the man is so vain that he forgot my name by now."
"Renali, please make a note on the location. Mentally or on a map. We will probably come back here to try to help those porters."
"He is the type," Catalina says apologetically, frowning. "I am very sorry about that. I am not used to traveling with other people."
"Fake names are fine. Just not THAT one. Keep that in mind, and we'll be good."
She pauses for a few seconds, then adds "On the other hand... I -MIGHT- have overreacted. You don't know my history. With that said, I do apologise."
"Understood," Catalina replies, glancing sidelong at the other woman. "My go-to is usually Katya. It's a common nickname for 'Catalina' in Ustalav. Not so much outside of it. My 'real' nickname is Lina."
"Think nothing of it," Catalina says, waving off the apology with a small smile. "I am no stranger to a painful history."
---
When they arrive back at the camp, Catalina surveys the other part of the group with raised eyebrows, obviously concerned. "I see you all had some excitement as well?"
Caiten looks at the two vine creatures. "Well, at least we don't need to worry about these two attacking us while we sleep tonight. I am going back to camp. I still have a raft to finish."
When they arrive back at the camp, Catalina surveys the other part of the group with raised eyebrows, obviously concerned. "I see you all had some excitement as well?"
"We found some plant creatures. They were friendly enough to Guba, but attacked the rest of us. They have been deal with."
"How did your explorations go?"
Catalina smiles wryly and gestures to the pillar that Oren is dragging along with them. "We found one of those pillars that the Ekujae talked about...and an annoying little man named Gerhard Pendergrast," She pauses for a moment and grimaces, almost snarling with annoyance.
"All his servants are petrified and the pillar is the cause. The man managed to break it a bit so it won't activate on us, but we were hoping you could take a look at it, Caiten." She pauses again, glancing at the elven champion.
"He punched Cevendyll in the face, too."
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"He punched Cevendyll in the face, too."
Caiten looks over at Cevendyll with a bit of concern. When he sees no injuries there or to the rest of you he asks, "So did you leave Gerhard's body with the petrified servants then?"
He comes over and inspects the totem.
"It appears that the enchantment on the totem is still active. It has just been ... blinded, perhaps is a good analogy. Maybe with enough study we could adjust the totem itself to reverse the petrification effect that it causes."
"In any case, if we find more of these totems, it seems that breaking the crystals on them will prevent them from actively attacking specific targets. I can't be sure that this is a valid assumption to make for all totems like this though. But it is a reasonable course of action to try."
"He was no threat. Stupid, misguided, and a moral cesspit, yes. But not dangerous." Yasamina jokes.
"He walked away. I would appreciate if we could turn those statues back to their standard selves. I hope Oren didn't pull it back here for nothing. Should we cover it in the meantime?"
"What's the range on the petrifying aura, though, Caiten? Maybe we can hit them with an arrow from afar. Oh! or a bullet. Sorry, Dario."
He kneels by Guba. "Tomorrow, we're going to get you talking. This got faintly ridiculous."
"The little mustache man shot it, so we at least know bullets will damage it," Catalina says, fidgeting with her rings.
"Speaking of," She says, turning her attention to Dario, moving to speak with the gunslinger. "He had a weapon like ours, but the barrel was quite long. He had no sense of safety with it either, kept pointing it 'accidentally' everywhere." The thaumaturge sneers slightly, still annoyed over the whole incident. "I've never seen that kind of weapon before."
"He was no threat. Stupid, misguided, and a moral cesspit, yes. But not dangerous." Yasamina jokes.
"He walked away. I would appreciate if we could turn those statues back to their standard selves. I hope Oren didn't pull it back here for nothing. Should we cover it in the meantime?"
"We also learned that it will most often be best NOT to call the swashbuckler MINA."
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Catalina glares at the half-elf for a moment, face flushing with embarrassment. "Not sure why it was necessary to bring that up..." She mutters, suddenly focusing on her fingers and adjusting the many shiny, detailed rings that decorated her pale, shimmering digits with a sharp, scowling focus.
"Well...ah...very well, then. Did this gun toting mustachioed moron seem like the type who would come back around to trouble us?"
Lisi ponders petrification. [b]"That's a powerful effect to remediate. It's beyond me and Caiten at the moment. The Ekujae might have a spell. And the best thing to do for stone is to wrap it in burlap, ideally with plaster.
After the leshy is taken down, Dario spins his pistol in hand and then holsters it and the blade in hand. He then turns, takes a few steps, and then sits down on the ground.
"Oh, I'm starting to hate plants. No offense, Guba." The gunslinger says, cuts up and still recovering from the digestive poison that had run through his system.
The three goodberries soothe the burn in his throat and in his limbs, rejuvenating him enough to offer a hand out to Lisi so that the druid could help him off of the dirty jungle ground.
"A scary totem and an a&*!@%$. Sounds like quite the venture. Guba here found some local relatives; not friendly." Dario said, moving over to sit down beside the cracked totem. "We're almost done making the raft. Just need to tie down some more vine to keep it secure."
Yasami gives Cevendyll a look. Not quite like the one Catalina was subjected to earlier, but still...
"Yes - I would be very appreciative if you would not call me that." she half-grumbles "Thanks everyone, for acknowledging the fact."
Then she looks at Dario. "Now - you look like you've been collecting scars again. Let's have a look at that burned skin."
She comes closer as she reaches for her medicine kit. She looks at the burns.
"Acid, really? I will need a moment here, lady and gentlemen."
Returning to the raft and adding a few final touches, Caiten and Dario ensure the thing is, if not seaworthy, unlikely to sink in the wide lazy river that flows before you. Taking the ten foot pillar with you is another matter...
The river crossing is a bit tense. You're a large group, and the raft is large enough to stay afloat with you all atop it, but balancing the weight takes some time, and any big movements cause the thing to tip disconcertingly.
Joran gets to see a few crocodiles, though none trouble your vessel. They lurk with their eyes peeking above the water, a few sunning themselves on the banks of the river once the morning sun rises.
You secure your raft up on the shore in order to return for it later, and venture further south, not far now from where the Elephant people reside, according to the Ekujae's maps.
You smell the smoke before you see the village.
The forest ahead bears the scorch marks of a vicious, recent fire. Charred bark scars the roots of the trees, and small patches of undergrowth have been reduced to twigs.
The focus of the fire seems to have been several small huts in a large clearing — all of these structures have burnt to the ground, leaving only charred timbers behind. A single stone well stands in the middle of the burned-out village. Near the well lie two almost unrecognizable corpses that appear to have been trampled by a large creature.
It's not hard to guess which creatures, as you see two incredibly agitated female elephants nervously stomping the ground in the center of the village, unaware of your presence thus far.
Later in that first day, Caiten decides that the raft is good enough for now. "It isn't my best work, but we are short on time and materials."
He looks over at the totem pillar for a moment. "I think we should leave that here. Hidden, preferably. While its active attack may be disabled, it may still have the passive area attack of blinding Ekujae. I don't want to carry it into an Ekujae village."
During the raft trip, Sulee growls and barks tauntingly at the crocodiles from the safety of the raft.
As they approach the village, however, she is one of the first to notice and comment, "I smell smoke. That doesn't smell good. Not campfire smoke."
▸ Speech
▸ Manual Dexterity
▸ Independent
▸ Scent
▸ Restorative Familiar
Walking into the village clearing, Caiten sees the burned huts. "That is not good in any of the scenarios that I can come up with."
He scans quickly around the village. He decides to leave the angry elephants for Lisi to decide how to handle.
Hexes
◆ Stoke the Heart
↺ Phase Familiar
◆ Needle of Vengeance
Cantrips
◆ Shield
◆◆ Haunting Hymn
◆◆ Stabilize
◆ Guidance
◆◆ Divine Lance
1st
◆◆ Fear
◆◆ Command
◆◆ Heal
2nd
Heal H+1
◆◆ Phantom Pain H+1
◆◆ Resist Energy
3rd
◆◆ Heal H+2
◆◆ Behold the Weave
Catalina sits unsteadily on the raft, feeling rather unsteady on the craft between her height and the number of people sitting on the thing. The thaumaturge scans the village at Sulee's proclamation, frowning deeply.
"I can't imagine the elephants are the cause..." She states uneasily, scanning their surroundings for some hint of what may have caused the fire.
Catalina works with the environment around them to try to shuffle things around and hide the totem so that it won't get stolen by a certain pompous man or anyone like him.
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"I got into a fight with an angry tree. Fought better than you'd imagine." Dario said with a little smirk on his face before letting Yasamina look over his wounds. He winced and grumped a little as stingers were removed and calming ointments were placed, but he eventually was feeling much better after the skilled woman's treatment. "Thank you, I feel as right as rain." The sarcasm was strong in his voice but his thanks was earnest. Beaten up, bandaged, but far more moveable now.
Dario leaves the discussion about the totem to the those skilled in spellcraft. He had been studying from Caiten about magical items and their properties but he still didn't feel confident trying to be an expert on it. He would offer the engineering side of things though, explaining the delicate balance that was made so that the raft could carry them across, be moveable, and still float.
That night, he slept away the last of the damage and in the morning, felt far more refreshed and able. The burns from the leshy's acid was barely there, the sharp leaf blades having healed almost completely. Gathering his supplies, he would coordinate who went where on the raft before they began the trek across the river.
They made their way along the paths that the elves had given them, moving towards where the Elephant People supposedly were. Yet when the smell of smoke hit his nose, Dario's pace immediately picked up. He knew the smell of burnt supplies and burnt bodies, too many patrols to find bodies lingering in the sands.
Dario draws his blade and pistol as he approaches the burnt village, his eyes flickering around the site. It was a favorite tactic of ogres to ambush a caravan and leave survivors to entrap rescuers. It was a cruel tactic and one that was all too often successful.
"Stay alert. Trouble could still be lurking nearby." Dario whispered to his companions, watching their flanks and the canopies of the jungle for their possible assailants.
"Stay low," says Lisi. "Something may have turned the elephants against their keepers, or it's as Catalina said."
"I can scout from the skies as an insect," he offers quietly. "No one will bother shooting at a dragonfly."
Noticing the crocs, a wide grin forms. "There they are! I have got to get me one of those."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I can't imagine the elephants are the cause..." She states uneasily, scanning their surroundings for some hint of what may have caused the fire.
With his focus upon the burnt village and the large land mammals, "Yeah, no way the elephants did this."
"I can scout from the skies as an insect," he offers quietly. "No one will bother shooting at a dragonfly."
Drawing his flail, he looks over at Lis. "What are you waiting for, buddy? Get to dragonflying." He grins, throwing him a wink before returning his focus to the burnt village.
Lisi and Catalina hear a faint voice calling for help. It sounds as though it's coming from one of the huts, behind where the elephants now stand.
None of you see any sign of ambushers lurking nearby. The two bodies, as you peer and try to make out details from here, are covered in fur. Though they have been mangled by angry elephants, you recognize they were once charau-ka.
"Someone is alive," Catalina says, tensing up at the realization. "I can hear them." She points at the huts past the elephants, indicating the source of the faint sound.
"We need to avoid killing the elephants," The thaumaturge remarks, taking note of the trampled, mangled bodies of the charau-ka who had likely been part of whatever attack had demolished the village. Catalina worried the remaining villagers would likely be unwilling to work with them should their patron animals be harmed. "Lisi. How would you suggest we get around without provoking them?"
She carefully draws her implements and esoterica, following the others' lead, and creeps alongside them, her body wound up like a spring, ready to strike at the first sign of attack.
"Perhaps do both at the same time. Lisi, can you see about calming the elephants with Joran, Oren, and Cevendyll as backup. Dario, Yasami, and I can attempt to sneak past to find the trapped survivors. Catalina, if you have the stealth for it, you can accompany us as well. Sulee, you stay with Joran. You will likely be safer there."
Catalina nods and moves stealthily with Dario, Yasami and Caiten to try to find the trapped survivors.
Nodding, "You got it, Caiten." Turning to his team, "C'mon, team, let's see what we can do about these elephants."
Joran takes the lead and heads out toward the creatures.
Dario nods at the suggestion the group splits its efforts; try to rescue the survivors while the more durable and sociable members dealt with the large, angry elephants. He moves amidst the destruction, following behind Yasami with his weapons ready just in case.
"I think I'm better suited to some elephant calming than some flying about," says Lisi.
Lisi racks his brain about elephants, but he doesn't know that much about them.
He approaches the elephants, hands held high. "We are not here to harm you in any way," he says in the deepest voice he can manage. "We just want to help."