As Leiko fires a well-aimed shot into the swarm of faeries, the bullet strikes true, but despite the force behind it, the creatures resist the damage due to their resilience against her weapon.
Onyinyo, using his mirror, teleports behind Thunder Rolling and conjures a cloud of acid, which hisses and sizzles as it burns through the swarm. The acid splash is extremely effective and damages the tooth faeries, as well as lightly grazing Thunder and Edra with a splash of burning acid.
Thunder Rolling tries swatting at the faeries but misses both of his strikes as the tiny creatures nimbly dart around his swings.
Osiris charges in with his blade, landing two solid blows on the faeries. However, to his dismay, the strikes seem ineffective, as the faeries remain untouched by his physical attacks, their magical resistance absorbing the impact.
Edra unleashes cold blasts from his kinetically charged fists. His freezing attacks find purchase, damaging the faeries significantly. But before he can retreat, the faeries turn their attention to him, swarming his face and desperately trying to pry a tooth from his mouth.
The faeries bite and claw at Edra, inflicting and putting him at risk of losing a tooth in their frenzied attack.
21
Onyino peers into the faerie cloud, trying to suss out the best way to destroy them.
◈
Unable to determine anything more effective than acid, he blasts it again!
◈◈ for
Thunder continued swatting at the pests, Not happy about defeating the swarm one tiny faerie at a time, but determined nonetheless.
Leiko continues to miss her shots, the flying pests proving too much for her. Thunder also struggles to land a blow, missing three times. Enyo does get a solid attack off and you can tell the end is near for the flying creatures.
Edra deftly dodges the fae trying to extract his tooth, managing to escape unscathed.
He pivots and blasts the would-be dentists with a bout of icy-cold and finishes them off for good.
Here and there among the teeth in the statue are a few molars made of gold. These grisly mementos are worth 4 gp altogether. A closed door leads east.
Onyinyo rubs his jaw as the tooth fairy collapses, "glad that didn't try for my teeth!" He helps the others collect the asks if anyone needs to heal up before moving to examine the door.
"Blasted fae. Wouldn't hold still long enough to hit. Maybe if I asked nicely, nature would make my blows explode cold or something."
Thunder Rolling helped heal anyone who needed it, then when they were ready, he headed for the door.
He waited for everyone to signal they were ready, then opened it.
"Couldn't hit them with a shot or a swing. Annoying pest for sure. Everyone ok?" Leiko waits to assure everyone is in good health, before following Thunder into the next room.
As Thunder Rolling opens the door, the sight that greets the party is unsettling. The room beyond is a grand banquet hall with a twisted, macabre atmosphere. A long wooden dining table runs through the center of the chamber, its dark wood worn and stained from countless feasts. Above, the twenty-foot-high ceilings create an expansive, cavernous feel that echoes with the faintest sounds.
The walls are lined with niches, each containing a humanoid skull filled with glowing larvae that wriggle and pulse like lanterns, casting eerie, flickering light across the room. To the south, a crude pantry is stocked with large slabs of meat, arranged haphazardly on wooden shelves. The meat is of questionable origin, and a foul odor hangs heavily in the air.
In the middle of the room, standing near the dining table, is a fearsome figure-a centaur clad in a scarred black breastplate. Her upper body is muscular and scarred, and she wears a horse skull as a helm, its hollow eyes staring blankly forward. Draped around her shoulders is a cloak made of magical, carnivorous leaves that snap and writhe as if eager to bite. The centaur’s menacing gaze fixes on the party, and she tightens her grip on a long, blood-streaked spear. Behind her floats a tiny grotesque floating orb covered in metal shards with a single malevolent eye.
The centaur fixes her gaze on you, her voice laced with contempt. "So, you’ve come this far. Kaneepo will be pleased to see you fall." The orb's chains rattle menacingly as it floats closer. She sneers and level her spear in your direction. "Your journey ends in this hall, beneath my hooves!"
Thunder Rolling sneered at the centaur. "Our journey has barely begun, centaur. Of all of Nature's creations, you should know that one thing can look much like another if you aren't careful. We come to talk to Kaneepo to convince him to stop this madness against Nature, not too kill him. Though kill him we will is we must. Make the smart choice and put away your need to fight, before my companions and I take your life as payment for your folly.
Shrugging, Thunder moved forward and struck the ball with a 2-handed blow, like the ball and stick games he played as a child.
Thunder quickly moves into the room, circling around the large centaur to strike the flying orb. He lashes out, but the sharp flying object is harder to strike that he anticipates and he misses.
The centaur whirls to strike Thunder who has moved past her. She slams a hoof into his back and then swings her longsword at him twice. The blade misses, but Thunder feels the solid blow of the hoof in his lower back.
The small orb begins spinning and whirls past Thunder, its many sharp blades slicing him as it moves past him and flies over the table out of his reach.
.
Kaneepo has twisted your mind. Let us repair it! Leiko shouts out as she fires off a round towards the Centaur, reloads and the moves in to flank.
◈
◈Reload
◈Stride
Distracted by the flying orb, her shot misses far and wide.
Thunder rolled to the side with the hoof blow, avoiding the sword strikes. As Leiko moved in to flank, Thunder also rotated, putting the centaur directly between them. His macuahuitl flew in a great swing as he threw everything he had into the blow.
Edra walks up, head down. Flame and water alike begin to encircle him as he approaches the creature, letting out a deep breath of steam. Edra wastes no time and immediately starts to unleash a flurry of elemental blasts onto the creature. ◈ ◈
Enyo identifies the flying orb as an Augur, a type of velstrac. A creature that expect and appreciate pains. It's immune cold damage and weak to good and silver. Enyo also knows that the centaur has no known weaknesses.
Leiko's power blast flies wide, missing the centaur.
Thunder's great axe slams into the centaur and deals a deep, damaging blow.
Edra's first blast connects, but his second one misses.
The centaur swings her sword into Leiko, critically injuring the gunslinger. Her second and third strikes are directed at the nearby Edra, but only one strikes him.
The orb focuses on Enyo, casting a spell of harm on him!
26
Thunder placed the stern gaze of Nature herself on the centaur, causing her blow against Leiko to falter, even if just a bit. He took advantage of that and the flank to continue to pound the centaur in the back, using the sharp obsidian edges of his macahuitl to cut deeply.
Leiko winces in agony as she is struck hard by the centaur. Some of the damage mitigated by Thunder, but still enough to remind of that this is a serious foe.
Leiko regains her thoughts, and takes aim point blank back at the centaur in front of her, letting off a wicked blast. She then reloads and swings her rifle to attempt to smack the centaur as well..
◈
◈ Reload
◈
Thunder's first attack misses, but he lands a solid strike with his second. The centaur is starting to shake, showing signs of nearly succumbing to her wounds. Leiko fires a shot and misses, leaving the centaur still standing.
Onyinyo cries out in pain, turning his attention to the orb. He turns to it as he ponders the best way to use his new found knowledge.
◈
He grabs a silver coin from his purse, forming three darts which he sends flying toward the orb.
◈◈ for
Edra scowls at the sight of his blasts dealing no damage compared the vicious gash its sword has left across his chest. Well that didn't work out very well, I haven't tried altering my water type before, let's give it a try! . The water in Edra's hands change from a blueish clear color to a darker green color that's bubbling and steaming. Acid bubbling, surrounding his hands, Edra takes a fist full of acid straight to the centaur's stomach and follows it up with a quick jab. ◈◈ ◈
Enyo fires a barrage of metal projectiles towards the orb, but the flying creature is elusive and manages to evade them.
Edra switches up attacks and delivers a massive acid-infused blow that topples the centaur, sending it falling to the ground, taking it out of the fight.
The metallic stares at Enyo with an unnerving gaze and then attacks him again, once more casting a spell of harm on him.
With the centaur down, Thunder leaped over the table and brought his club around in a vicious swing, aiming to knock the orb out of the air.
Edra now smirking at the power of the acid quickly realizes it’s too early to celebrate and fires a barrage of acidic bursts towards the orb. ◈ ◈ ◈
Onyinyo's mind bends a bit at the horrifying sight the orb shows him. He flails about with his weapon, trying to get it away from him before he raises his arm and casts shield!
◈ for
◈ for
◈ Cast Shield
The metal orb doesn't stand a chance and explodes into dozens of smaller pieces that collapse too the ground, ending the encounter!
After a cursory search, you decide there isn't much of interest here and move onward. A door leads west and north. The western door is silent, but there are some mutterings and other faint, obscure sounds coming from the north.
Thunder points to his ears, indicating the hears the voices beyond the door to the north, then waits for everyone else to indicate they are ready before opening the door wide.
Thunder throws open the heavy wooden door, and observes an expansive, two-story library unlike any they have seen before. The air is thick with the scent of old parchment and the faint glow of luminescent insects. Ladders connect the floor to three separate balconies, and books, scrolls, and scattered pages are crammed into shelves carved from the living wood of the massive tree that holds this room. The shelves twist and weave in organic patterns, and piles of disorganized texts create a chaotic maze throughout the room.
Overhead, a firefly chandelier hangs from the domed ceiling, thirty feet above, casting a soft, shifting glow that dances across the cluttered room. Shadows play tricks on the eyes, hinting at movement where none exists. The library is flanked by four doors: two to the east, one to the west, and the door they just entered from the south.
Suddenly, a seven-foot tall figure emerges from behind one of the freestanding bookshelves. Its appearance is both startling and captivating, her carapace shimmering in intricate patterns that reflect the firefly light. Her four arms distract you from the multifaceted eyes that flick over and assess you. In one hand, she clutches an ornate quill that seems to pulse with an otherworldly glow, ready to defend the sacred knowledge and art within these walls.
Her voice, clicking and resonant, echoes through the chamber. "Trespassers in the domain of Kaneepo... I cannot let your disruption go unanswered." She shifts her stance, her segmented limbs moving gracefully as she positions herself for an attack.
The strange creature moves quicker than you expect and closes the distance to Thunder in the blink of an eye. With one of her large, free hands, she slashes Thunder twice across the chest with extremely sharp claws!
Thunder Rolling winced at the damage, saying "Thunder Rolling was going to give you a chance to talk, lady, but not any more."
He retaliated with the butt of his club, shoving her back into the room to make room for everyone else.
Onyinyo stays toward the back, regretting that he didn't take a moment to heal up.
he tries to determine what the guardian is before firing off some needle farts.
◈
◈◈ for
"Kaneepo manipulates you! We cannot let your deeds go unpunished!" Leiko shouts back as she fires off a round at the creature. In the tight corridors she then reloads and sets up a defensive position in the back.
◈
◈ Reload
◈ Parry (+2 AC)
Uhhhh what she said!! Edra shouts as he hurls 2 chunks of ice around thunder at the creature. ◈◈ ◈
Thunder tries to shove the strange creature backwards, but he can't get the footing to make any room, so he tries again. His second attempt is more effective and the creature stumbles backwards five feet.
Enyo fails to recall a vulnerability to exploit for this creature, so he sends a volley of metallic objects towards it. Unfortunately when Thunder shoves it, the darts all end up missing.
Leiko tries a shot through the crowded corridor, but can't find a clear shot and misses.
Edra is luckier however, and his ice chunks both manage to miss his allies and slam into the chittering beast.
The creature steps forward and swipes a claw at Thunder, missing. Calculating how it missed, it times its second strike perfectly and critically injures the champion.
15
The mwangian reeled from the heavy blow, then used the momentum to come back with a titanic swing. Then, seeing that he was blocking his companions' access to this foe, he stepped back a bit.
Onyinyo fires off more needles before casting shield.
◈◈ for
◈ Shield
Edra keeps throwing ice chunks at the creature since he doesn't find a compelling enough reason to approach it. ◈◈ ◈
The crew puts together an impressive offensive round!
Thunder lands a powerful strike on the strange creature and created an opening that Leiko charged into, also landing a point-blank shot into teh creature.
Enyo's needles land and then Edra critically badlly injures the creature with a freezing cold blast!
Near death, the four arm creature raises its arms and surrenders "Wait! No! I give up! I don't care for the fight!"
Thunder Rolling held up his arm in a gesture for the others to stop their assault.
"We wanted no fight, either, but you gave us little choice. Now that the battle is going against you, you decide to stop? What cowardice is this?"
"Why are you helping this Kaneepoo person poison the forest? What are you up to? What is this place?"
If the creature was going to give them a chance to ask questions, Thunder was going to take advantage of it, but he still held his club ready for a killing blow.
"Kaneepo? You’ve stepped into a story far darker than you realize. The Slim is no ordinary fey. They are... a shadow that hungers, a nightmare that persists even after waking. Kaneepo is older than any of you could comprehend, born from the cracks and betrayals of a broken realm. Their home is here in the Thinlands, where reality frays, and nothing is as it seems."
She tilts her head, her compound eyes gleaming faintly in the library’s firefly light. "They are... not just a being, but a force. Kaneepo thrives on fear, on the despair of mortals lost in the dark. Even here, in this room, they are watching. Do you feel it? The weight of their gaze? The Slim knows you are coming, and they are prepared. They always are."
When Thunder presses her further about Kaneepo’s motives, she hesitates, her voice shifting into a softer, almost conspiratorial tone. "Kaneepo cares little for your world, save for how it can be twisted to reflect their own broken vision. Bolan... poor Bolan... was just another pawn. Kaneepo promised him vengeance, power, and purpose. But they never cared about his rebellion. They only wanted the Shadewither Key, to spread their reach and let the Thinlands grow."
When asked about how to stop Kaneepo, she emits a dry, rasping laugh. "Stop them? If it were so simple, I would have painted that story long ago. Kaneepo is not something you fight with swords and spells alone. They are a being of cunning and patience. But if you’re determined... Kaneepo is bound to the Thinlands, tied to its roots, its shadows. They are the Thinlands, and the Thinlands are them. Find the heart of their domain, and perhaps you’ll find their weakness. But be warned: no one leaves Kaneepo’s grasp unscarred."
"No one."
Onyinyo peers at the creature, trying to learn anything new and failing horribly.
"Where is this heart? Tell us and we can free others from his grasp."
The Chronicler’s antennae twitch nervously, her eyes darting from Thunder to the rest of the party. Her mandibles click as if she's chewing on the weight of her next words.
"Yes, the heart. Every story has one, and for Kaneepo, it beats in the deepest chamber of this court, the Hollow Grove."
She shifts her many legs, her eyes narrowing. "It’s not so simple as go there and smash it. The Hollow Grove is a place where the Thinlands fold in on themselves. Paths that were straight will twist. Trails that were clear will vanish. Kaneepo's magic binds the land to their will, and you’ll feel it long before you see it—the weight of it, the wrongness of it. It's like walking through a dream that knows you’re dreaming it."
"He likely is sitting on his throne in the throne room, east of here. Twirling his Shadewither key in his fingers, plotting devious destruction."
Onyinyo absorbs what the Chronicler says, wondering how trustworthy they are. Satisfied (or not), he moves past the creature and points at the doors, "Want to check these out Edra? Thunder and Leiko can keep an eye on our new ... her."
Onyinyo will explore the other rooms with Edra, hopefully without issue.
Edra leads the group east where the sharp smell of blood and antiseptic fills the air like a coppery fog, and the faint creak of leather straps echoes as the door swings shut behind them.
At the center of the chamber, the party's eyes are drawn to the grotesque centerpiece — an operating table, its surface stained dark with dried blood. Leather restraints dangle loosely from its sides like the limp arms of a defeated beast. A gutter encircles its edge, clearly designed to collect whatever might run off. The table looks recently used, its surface freshly scarred by deep incisions.
To the east, a line of surgical tools stands in pristine, unnerving order on a polished rack. The glint of steel catches the dim light, each blade, hook, and saw perfectly arranged by size and shape. The clean precision of it contrasts sharply with the gruesome state of the operating table, like a surgeon’s instruments awaiting their next subject.
The walls are lined with countless anatomical diagrams, some of them showing grotesque modifications to humanoid figures. Limbs stretched unnaturally long. Faces peeled back to reveal layers of bone and sinew. But one drawing stands out — an Oaksteward with a wooden septum piercing. It’s an image that strikes a chord of familiarity. It's Varna. The realization settles over the party like a cold fog. Their fate, it seems, had already been decided and sketched out on this wall.
Just as they take it all in, the sharp clack of movement echoes from deeper in the room. Something shifted. It was subtle, deliberate. A shadow at the edge of their vision flickers, not in rhythm with the hanging firefly chandelier’s light. The faint scent of clove and decaying leaves wafts from the far side of the room.
“You...” a voice cuts through the silence, smooth as silk but laced with venom. “Kaneepo chooses you over me?” The sound is everywhere and nowhere at once. It seeps from the shadows themselves, a voice heavy with indignation and jealousy. “I have carved and perfected each vessel. I have shaped them into worthy forms. But you? You arrive with your crude flesh and your blunt tools, and you think yourselves heirs?”
A flicker of movement — there one moment, gone the next. The shape of a figure, slim and elegant, blurs from one side of the room to the other like a reflection on a broken mirror. Her mask flashes into view. Black stripes on white. A cruel smile twisted in shadowy grace.
“You are not heirs,” she hisses, her form appearing on the opposite side of the room, balanced on the arm of the operating table, crouched like a predator. Her eyes narrow with scorn. “You are projects. And I will see you undone.”
Her name becomes clear as she draws a dagger from her coat — Leiko. Her long, flowing surgeon’s coat billows around her like smoke. Her eyes gleam with a cruel intelligence as her hands twirl the dagger with ease. Her posture is poised and ready, a creature built for precision and speed. The black stripes on her mask match the pattern of Kaneepo's markings — a deliberate imitation, a desperate declaration of belonging.
“You don’t deserve this place.” she snarls, her hands shifting subtly. “But I will make you worthy of it… piece by piece.”
She flies over Edra and lashes out at him twice with a dagger, missing once but critically striking him the other time!
Thunder Rolling was prepared to talk before escalating, but he had learned long ago that you can't reason with crazy. The best bet was to make this woman - was it a woman? - submit, and then try and talk with her. To that end, he ran around behind her and swiped with the blunt portion of his macuahuitl.
Onyinyo watches the shade move across the room and raises an eyebrow, "what the hell? He tries to figure out what it is before advancing and swinging.
◈
◈ Move
◈ for
Leiko, not distracted so much by the name as much as she is by how difficult it is to focus on this target, strides in and attempts to take a shot.
◈Stride
◈
◈Reload