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"If we let them get away we'll have to face them again after they warn Callius."
His dromaeosaurid races after the escaping fey and leaps at yellow with its talons out.
Cavaler sprints after them in pursuit. Splashing across a dirty stream the elf stops, knee deep in the filthy water, and fires his crossbolter at the escaping fey.
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Yellows falls to dromaeosaurids first talon swing and light magenta is killed by crossbolter. The only enemy left for Gil-Oloth is red, who thinks he's safe behind wall. Couch flyer's rifle ends his life.
Light from the sun filters into this small, misty clearing and dances off the dewy leaves of the surrounding trees. Three small birds flit about the clearing, diving in and out of the mist before landing atop a bloody corpse overrun with vines, moss, and various fungi. Two more corpses in a similar state rest just a few feet away, and a third rests in a sunken, stone-lined ruin. Trampled foliage and blood-splattered tree trunks make it obvious a violent struggle happened here. You spot a group of fey and two ghorans laughing.
A half mile from the center of the planar bloom you find a makeshift prison. There are seven cages here, though the only prisoner currently in custody is Avor, who is unconscious, heavily injured, and obviously malnourished.
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Gil-Oloth's couch gets closer to the different corpse so she could observe them.
None of them are Avor, we still have a chance to find him alive.
Her conclusion reveals to be true as they find the Starfinder imprisoned, but, even if barely, alive.
She looks around, trying to find the creature that is Mother Green puppet.
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Cavaler, will gather up the equipment, so he can return it to Avor. He distributes the items amongst the team so he isn't encumbered.
Once the team finds Avor he removes his canteen from is utility belt to offer him a drink of water and says, "Avor you're safe now; can you tell us what happened to you?"
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“As I was investigating the planar bloom in Great Gwaz, a young lady by the name of Hara caught my attention. She seemed more observant and lucid than most in the town, and her story about being the lone survivor of a monster attack seemed suspicious. I implored her to lead me into the planar bloom so I could confirm the story for myself, when I was set upon by a group of fey. I’ve been here ever since.”
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Gil-Oloth directs her couch to come closer to the cage and mechanical arms sprout from the armchairs of the couch.
The elf commands them to open the cage for her. So tiring to manipulate things... I've already exhausted all my energy in the fight.
Once Avor regains consciousness and her comrades have asked their question she turns to him and says
Glad to have you back with us. Have you been able to learn more about this place ? Have you seen it's master, a fey named Calius?
Knowing that fey are known to use subterfuge for confusing their enemies of just for fun, she stays alert.
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“The fey within this jungle are led by Calius. He’s forged a bond with a seed at the center of the planar bloom. Or, it was a seed. Now it’s a tree that siphons energy from the First World into this jungle. Calius is one of the Mother’s Thorns—a spy and assassin in the service of the Green Mother of the First World. As this jungle expands, so too does the reach of the Green Mother, and my people’s land becomes hers. I don’t know if this invasion was borne from intention or opportunity, but I do know that Calius now purposefully spreads the Green Mother’s influence, as well as his own.” he pauses for a while to catch his breath and continues
“The planar matter that crashed down here contained a literal seed of the First World that sprouted into a giant tree and is the lifeblood of this jungle. The tree has a mind of its own and is being influenced by Calius. Numerous fey, carnivorous plants, and other monsters serve him. I don’t know what’s alongside him at present, but I do know he’s rarely alone.”
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Gil-Oloth listen carefuly to Avor words.
After thinking about the implications of his discoveries she says We need to find the Seed, now the Tree, and stop Calius from using it for their own personal gain or for the Green Mother.
Maybe we will be able to find a way to stop the spread and include the Tree into the planet ecosystem? But first we need to stop Calius.
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Shokil packs up his rifle and goes to join the others.
"May be safer staying with us." he suggests to Avor.
"Safety in numbers and all that. Especially if you have been starved. Here, have some food." he adds, fishing around in his pack for a nutrient bar.
"But we need to get you out of here before you can have too many changes settle on you."
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You continue journey to the heart of jungle. Blue vines drape over the towering, moss-blanketed tree at the heart of this unnatural jungle. Golden sap drips from gaping holes in its trunk, shimmering with brilliant light and tangible energy. When you approach the Daughter Tree, Calius sits cradled in its branches, which have grown to form a throne.
“Welcome, friends! I applaud you for making it here. My name is Calius, and I welcome you with open arms into my domain. It is by the Green Mother’s mercy that we stand in this abundant and verdant jungle today, and I beseech you to lay down your worries and embrace the miracle of life that has transformed this dead and barren wasteland into a splendid display of natural beauty and serenity. I take joy in the simple pleasures
of the land and, should you choose to join me, we can work together to cultivate the seedlings that continue to appear in my lands to create a perfect utopia in this hellscape. he is clearly impressed to see you in this place
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If I'm growing berries, you may as well help yourselves Stella says to the group as they set off.
When she gets to the daughter tree she she puts her hand on it and tries to see if it is sentient. She also takes a sample of the sap.
I have to admit this is a lovely vista. Reminds me of places on Castrovel. she says. Not like the operating system she adds in her mind.
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Shokil packs up his rifle and goes to join the others.
"May be safer staying with us." he suggests to Avor.
"Safety in numbers and all that. Especially if you have been starved. Here, have some food." he adds, fishing around in his pack for a nutrient bar.
"But we need to get you out of here before you can have too many changes settle on you."
-=-=-=-
"Unfortunately, while your garden is beautiful, you are growing it where others already were. And your garden is having... unfortuante...effects." calls out Shokil.
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Failing the Fortitude save, you gain a mutation. You grow colorful grass on the tops of your arms and legs.
Disappointed by your tone, Calius commands plant creatures to attack. "You have chosen unwisely and your corpses will feed my garden." A fey from previous encounter is also present.
The Daughter Tree bonded with Calius. With Calius dead, someone else can attempt to bond with the Daughter Tree. You learn the following:
• The Daughter Tree fed off Calius’ mood. This caused the paradelons to become far more potent than they should be. With this connection severed, the paradelons remain delicious and cause mild euphoria when eaten, but nothing so powerful as currently seen in Great Gwaz.
• Calius’ desire to spread his realm caused the Daughter Tree to expand the jungle beyond the impact crater’s boundaries. With Calius dead, the jungle is unlikely to spread further.
• The Daughter Tree sprouted from a First World seed, which still rests at the core of the tree. This seed is connected to the First World and is siphoning energy from the First World to maintain the jungle. This is causing the jungle’s spread and the local mutations. As long as this seed remains connected to the First World, the jungle will thrive and everything in its vicinity or that consumes something grown inside it will become mutated.
• It’s possible to sever the First World seed’s connection to the First World, but doing so will result in the jungle slowly dying (due to Akiton’s unsuitable climate) and the Daughter Tree losing its magical properties and consciousness. This will also prevent further mutations in local flora and fauna.
Purple and green lumocanthas stride closer as double move.
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Cavaler frowns as the grass appears on his appendages. Not exactly the look I was going for...
He lets the thought pass quickly as he springs into action.
The figurine in his hand disappears and his Dromaeosaurid appears again. It immediately charges across the difficult terrain in front of it and right at the closest lumocanthas.
Cavaler, puts two hands back on his crossbolter and moves up to the edge of the difficult terrain. He aims at the lumocanthas that his Dromaeosaurid just approached and fires.
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Cavaler's Dromaeosaurid tears into the lumocanthas it is next to with its talons when it fires its laser.
It then follows up its attack with two savage bites.
Cavaler, repositions slightly to get a better view of Calius and then takes a hand off his crossbolter. He uses it to remove a spell gem from a pouch attached to his utility belt. It crumbles to dust in his hand as he directs the mystical energy in it at Calius.
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Smith grunted in pain as the enemy commander called down heavy fire on his position. So much the better, the rest of the squad might hardly know a bullet from a bayonet but at least they knew which end to point at the bad guys. He dodged left, hoping the rest of the team would take advantage of the enemies focus on himself.
Shokil rolls left and lines up another shot on Calius. But he is dead, so instead he targets the enemy in blue