Under his breath, Cyril whispers to Ed. "We should leave the area as soon as possible!"
The wizard climbs on the intelligent dog's back and scratched his ears.
Off Ed runs, out of the canyon, along the forest and back to where the scent trail started... or ended. Then he starts moving into the forest.
Ed loses the trail. Then starts to head North. Soon you hear a stream. You see a 60 wide stream separating a hill with a cottage from the forest. Smoke trails out of the stone chimney.
"Ed, let's slowly approach", Cyril suggests. "Keep in view of the window."
"So straight across, you want me to swim straight across to the hill and cottage?"
"Only if you think you can make it safely, Ed", Cyril cautions.
Ed moves slowly to not make too much noise and slowly walks and eventually swims then walks again to get to the other side. On the other side he whispers, "I am going to shake you go scout out that cottage."
"Yes. Of course."
Cyril quickly gets out of range of Ed's shaking, and discreetly walks toward the cabin.
Cyril begins to sneak towards the cabin up the hill. He is able to get to the cabin and smells a sweet fruit pie cooling on the windowsill.
Cyril sends a message to Ed.
Cyril hears a female humming inside of the cottage. As you get near the front door the humming stops, and you hear, "Welcome Traveler! Come on in."
Cyril feels a spell of some kind wash over him. It wasn't a spell...
Opening the door you find a beautiful silver haired half elf.
"Why don't you come in and have a seat."
"You are most kind", Cyril answers. The wizard sits down, having faith in Ed's excellent perception to hear of any signs of trouble.
Her voice is musical, obviously enchanted. A low sultry whisper, "Would you like some pie or something more appetizing?"
Projecting the illusion of being charmed, Cyril's mind raced to identify the enchantress.
She doesn't appear to be a spirit naga..
..nor a siren, possibly fey..
..jade dragons are often seen in more deeper woodlands, but the stream outside might be close enough to her biome, perhaps a solar or sovereign dragon...
..Or she could be who she genuinely elven..
"Why not save the pie for dessert", Cyril smiles, his hand outstretched to his host.
She comes to sit on your lap and locks her lips with you. Her arms around your neck and her fingers move through your hair.
Panicking, Cyril holds his hand close to the succubus's body and snaps his fingers, summoning The Mistress Blade, in hopes the magical weapon will form inside the demon woman's torso.
Round 1
Cyril escapes slipping out from under her.
She falls to the ground and looks up hurt but does not pursue you.
Round 1
Lord Cyril backs up against the wall of the small cottage and summons The Mistress Blade into his hand.
"Ed! Demon!" The wizard shouts out the window.
Round 1
He barks and asks, "Demon?! I can't fit into the cottage, you want me to make a hole?!"
Round 2
The lady still looks hurt and asks, "What are you doing?" She weaves the spell into her words.
"Demon?! I can't fit into the cottage, you want me to make a hole?!"
"Yes, please!"
Round 2
The lady still looks hurt and asks, "What are you doing?" She weaves the spell into her words.
Round 2
"The safest option", the wizard remarks. But the attack goes wild, despite the cramped condition.
Round 2
The large dog begins to smash into the wall. Surprisingly coming into the cottage like the Koolaide Guy!
Round 3
She takes a step away from you and is gone...
Round 3
"DAMN! She's gone! She used Greater Teleport." Cyril groaned.
The wizard begins to look around the ruined cottage. If the wizard finds the pie that was cooling on the window sill, Cyril will take it to Ed. "What do you think? Poisoned?"
The noble casts detect magic to see if the succubus left anything arcane.
The cottage looks like a simple non-magical cottage. Likely not her true lair.
He replies from the hole he made then backs out, "If she made it most likely. Demon is an evil outsider and is likely immune to poison, right? I wouldn't trust anything she made."
"Good dog!" Cyril smiles. The noble throws the pie against the nearest wall to destroy it.
The wizard pets the intelligent dog. "Well? Shall we follow the river down? Maybe find another settlement? I'm beginning to run out of ideas quite frankly."
"So do you think she was the scent I found? Do we need to track the dryad down? I dont know... wait I smell three scents, the woman, the demon, and Saronis? I wonder where he is... any trap doors?" Ed asks, and points out. He sniffs around and claws the floor.
Lord Cyril begins to assist Ed in looking for any secret doors.
Moving back the carpets reveal an iron trap door.
"By The Mistress! Good catch, Ed!" Lord Cyril congratulated his friend. The investigative wizard pulls at the door.
The door doesn't budge. You also notice a latch on the door making it very hard to open... Even after moving the latch you find it heavy...
Removing the latch, Cyril tries to open the trap door again.
It barely lifts open.... but then it falls back into place.
It takes another three rounds of trying to lift it far enough for Ed to push one of the carpets to catch it from fully closing again.
"Why..has my..greatest..nemesis...being DOORS!" The noble struggles to left the trap door as Ed shifts a carpet in the lip.
The wizard grunts loudly as he struggles with the door.
As Cyril lifts again Ed helps out and lifts it with ease.
Cyril takes out a copper piece and casts light it, then drops it down the hole.
There is no ladder. It drops into a hundred to 80 deep chamber, into water. The water is illuminated well. So it's likely not very deep.
"Oh dear", Cyril says, as he examines the well. "I will jump in if there's anyone to save."
The wizard calls down the well, looking for any water rippling.
He turns into his terrier form and jumps in! Once dogpaddling he barks and says, "I can smell Saronis over this way!"
"Saronis!!" Cyril exclaimed, as he jumped in.
Cyril finds that the water is deep enough that he does not take fall damage. He swims after the dog and soon can't see anything. Then you feel something move by in the water.
"Ed! ED!" Cyril calls out.
Without a coin in hand, the wizard casts light on his signet ring to look for his allies.
"I am over here."
With the spell Cyril can see Ed swimming ahead.
"Where is he?" Cyril asked, as the wizard kept his head above water.
The wizard followed Ed as best he could.