A Fistful of Flowers + A Few Flowers More (Inactive)

Game Master Delta Arena

The Leshys bow and nod gratefully at bottlespeaker. They also wave when they see Twinsprout, clearly enjoying the presence of another tiny Leshy.

The smaller leshys return to the Verduran Forest, back to their normal lives. They go back to playing and enjoying each others company. You remain on your guard for signs of trouble for a few days, to make sure everyone is safe, until news of Lady Meliosa being outcast by her peers reaches the forest. Word travels fast that Leshys are sentient, and her rumours whither away. With that, it is time for the heroes of the forest to relax.

Several quiet months pass, healing the fear that had grown for the leshys in the forest and giving each of you some time to relax and live your own lives. Today, the four of you gather to swap tales of what has happened since you crossed paths with Lady Meliosa and her leshys.

How did each of you spend the last few months?

After hearing that Lady Meliosa is no longer a threat, and that the people of her town are now respecting leshys as sentient creatures, Reaching Rings returns to the northern Verduran forest, near Wispil where his druid Briboribix was from. Although they spend some time each day in quiet contemplation and solitary philosophy, to know the world through their mind, the fungus also continues Briboribix’s quest to mediate between the natural and ‘civilized’ worlds.

Most recently Rings investigated a flurry of thefts from homes on the fringe of the gnome logging town. After first suspecting angry fey, they discovered that, in fact, gnomes were responsible, and teamed up with some locals to catch the thieves once and for all. With that escapade to share, Rings is happy to reconnect with their old friends.

Fluff fang has grown closer by traveling with their new friend Bottlespeaker, together they mentor the smaller leshys around the forest.

Fluff Fangs tales of life in Taldor were so exciting that they went on a whirlwind tour of the country with Bottlespeaker and their small leshy admirers before returning to the Verduran Forest.

Popcorn has traveled outside the forest, experimenting with new recipes and meeting other chefs. Her new friend Agna, a dwarven chef from Otari, has taught her the recipe for capsaicin tonic.

Bottlespeaker enjoyed traveling around with his friends and learning about the different creatures throughout Taldor. His particularly favorite experience was learning about the creatures of the ocean and beach which he had never had a chance to encounter before accompanying Fluff Fang on his travels.

As Bottlespeaker wraps up his tale of octopuses and jelly fish, a large bat interrupts your jolly gathering. The bat swoops down from the treetops, carrying a parcel of colourful fabric, and dropping in on the ground. As suddenly as it appears, the bat flies away, far into the treetops.

The small parcel contains a letter wrapped around a stone. Written in quick and angular Sylvan, the message reads:
Most esteemed and well-sprouted heroes of the Wildwood, word has reached my ears that you have returned to this corner of the Verduran Forest. And not a moment too soon. There’s something strange afoot, and matters are likely to get dangerous around here soon if someone doesn’t put a stop
to it. But it would be exceedingly rude of me to burden you with a request without offering you hospitality first. When you can, please come meet me at my home.
Warmest Regards,
Stella

”Oh, it’s Stella the nyktera! She always knows what’s up. Let’s pay her a visit.”

Reaching Rings takes their time reading and re-reading the letter. “Strange and stranger. I theorize that we are about to embark upon another adventure. Let us visit your Stella indeed. Is she always so kind and gracious?”

"I brought the little leshys over the other day. They had so much fun with her kids and her snacks she gave us were so delightful. It took so much work especially since we're plants."

Fluff Fang pulls out their rapier and brandishes it in the air against an imaginary foe. "This sounds like the beginning of a new fantastic adventure; danger and intrigue and all that, you can count me in!"

After a few more flourishes, Fluff Fang sheaths their weapon.

You walk a little more than an hour led by Bottlespeaker until you make it to a grove of giant trees. All the trees in the grove are connected to each other, forming one huge living space within and around the trees.

After knocking on the door a grey-furred nyktera opens the door and greets you with a smile.
”Oh good, you’re here! Please, come in and have a sit, enjoy some snacks. Make yourselves comfortable.”
At the table she points to, there are seats for peoples of all sizes, from the smallest of pixies, to the largest of arboreals. Vials of bottled sunlight, bowls of both fresh and rotten vegetation, and a variety of colourful drinks are set on the table.

A chorus of chirping voices carries down from the rafters, where a group of young nykteras cluster together, hanging upside down above a safety net. Their voices blend together, and the pitch is often too high for leshys to hear.

”As much as I’d love to hava a long, fiendly chat with you, I’m afraid there’s troubles brewing,” says Stella. ”My ears tell me that there have been some rather unusual plants cropping up in the woods to the east, and they’ve been spreading unnaturally fast. To make matters worse, humans have noticed the new plants and established a camp to harvest them, putting the treaty between the Verduran forest and Taldor at risk. The fey are worked up something fierce because of it. So I’m asking you, heroes of the forest, to please figure out what’s going on. The Wildwood Lodge is doing their best to keep the treaty so that nobody steps on the other’s toes, but these new plants could shake everything up. Where do you think these plants could have come from?”

Reaching Rings eagerly devours the rotten vegetation presented by their host. “It’s so perfectly spoiled!” they compliment and praise Stella on the food. “Do you have a recipe you could share with Popcorn? She’s a great cook, but she hasn’t learned how to ripen food properly yet.”

When the conversation turns to more serious matters, the fungus gladly begins theorizing. “There are of course many possibilities. The new plants might have been transported through a heretofore unknown aiudara, or they could be the result of an incorrectly calibrated summoning ritual that has gone awry, or they may be alien invaders from another planet in disguise. There are of course spells and rituals that can accelerate the growth of plants—I think Briboribix knew of one—but it might be best to test these hypotheses by gathering evidence from the site itself.”

Popcorn joins Reaching Rings in speculation. "Could they be from the First World? Or the Elemental Plane of Wood? Or could they be..."

Reaching Rings
Upon hearing Popcorn’s suggestion, you realize that it is likely that the accelerated growth is caused by the influence of the First World. After all, breaches to the First World have been known to occur in the deepest parts of the forest, and they tend to have that side effect. However, this would be the first time one of them happens so close to the forest’s edge.

Popcorn
”I wondered that too, but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions,” says Stella. ”I mean, there are lots of fey-folk, like me, in the forest.

"Fey creatures have been perfectly fine allies and friends of the forest. But if these plants are not native to the region it can cause drastic ecological damage to the forest. We must ensure that these plants are dealt with in a responsible matter"

“A brilliant deduction Popcorn!” Reaching Rings praises their friend. “The rapid growth of these new plants is indubitably caused by some breach to the First World. We should journey to investigate quickly—the First World can be notoriously unstable and the situation might develop more rapidly than we would like. But how would one close such a breach, if such a thing is possible?” The fungus ponders the problem, then turns to Stella. “Have you any further information to share about the plants, or the fey, or the humans, or a possible breach?”

Bottlespeaker
”Some of us are... but we are not all the same. We can be as different as those native to the material plane, perhaps even more.”

Rings
”You know, I heard it was gremlins, but gremlins aren’t usually too common around here. Other than that, I can point you in the direction of the human camp. It should be about half a day from here, to the southeast.”

For a breach to remain open sustained from a single ley line, it would have needed to ‘seed’ itself to the material plane. Essentially, the portal would be using flora to anchor itself on both planes. Someone with sufficient knowledge of nature should be able to identify the anchor at the site of the breach to root it out.

Reaching Rings nods. “I conjecture that finding and uprooting whatever is anchoring the breach would be sufficient to destabilize the portal and remove its influence upon the Verduran Forest. Let us proceed and put theory into practice.” The fungus prepares to follow Stella’s lead. “There would be dire consequences if this situation between humans and gremlins continues to escalate.”

Ready to move on to the human camp and investigate the new plants!

"I am thrilled to begin the investigation. Sounds like we have several promising leads, only thing left is to get started!"

Fluff fang begins to idly dance in place, maybe not even aware their anticipation is showing.

"Thank you Stella for the snacks and a tale most interesting, I'm keen to find out more about what ails the forest."

Reaching Rings
Gremlins are generally cruel tricksters and saboteurs. Nearly all of them delight in ruining or breaking things, whether it’s something physical or something intangible, like alliances or relationships. They take the greatest joy in watching complex creations collapse, preferably if they nudge it to do so.
There are different species of gremlins, with the larger ones being prone to denigrating, bullying, or even slaughtering the smaller ones. Mitflits being particular targets for this cruelty. Unfortunately, with so many different types of gremlins, it is difficult to generalize about what would calm them down.
However, some belief that hanging tiny bells made of semiprecious metals can protect the objects or places the bells are affixed to. Whether this is true or just superstition is difficult to tell, but a lot of gremlins seem to believe this superstition, erring on the side of caution.

Fluff Fang
”Oh, thank you! All of you. I knew that the forest could count of you to look into this matter. There is no trail to the camp, but if you go southeast from here you’ll soon find signs of the unusual flora. Just follow the signs and you’ll soon the encampment.” She pauses for a moment before adding, ”I know you don’t need it but, good luck. And thank you.”

***

After a couple hours walking, you start seeing some unusual plants. These plants are larger and more colourful than the native flora, and it becomes more and more common as you continue walking. After about eight hours, you also start seeing some alien looking fauna, like a six-legged, blue and green striped deer. Although less common than the strange plants, the alien looking animals also become more common as you make your way to the camp.

You sleep through the night halfway to the camp, continuing your journey early the following morning. Before noon, you arrive at a tranquil forest clearing. Nestled in this clearing is a camp that looks both new and ruined at the same time. A collection of tents has been set up around an extinguished campfire, close to a small but sturdy log cabin. Several of the tents are rent with jagged holes, and haphazard chunks are missing from the cabin’s walls. The area is quiet, save for a soft breeze rustling through the trees.

Reaching Rings spends much of the journey hypothesizing aloud about the strange plants and animals, sharing snippets of assorted information, like “I hypothesize that the presence of caeruleumeviridishexacervidae is due to the increased magnanovisflora, which is generally considered a preferred food source and perhaps even a delicacy for the animals due to the plethora of saloric enzymes.”

At the camp itself, the fungus becomes quiet, matching their surroundings. “Indubitably this is a mystery for us to solve. Humans are known to leave their camps unattended, but the poor structural integrity of both their tents and cabin imply that something is amiss. Termites are a mundane solution, but the proximity to the breach may suggest otherwise.” Rings examines the campfire, trying to determine how long it’s been out, then cautiously sneaks towards a ragged tent to investigate.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

Judging by the state of the tents and the ashes in the campfire, it seems like the tents were abandoned two, maybe three, days ago.

The flora and fauna are clearly from the first world. The intensity of the colours, the larger than natural leaves, the extra limbs on the animals, touches of luminescence, they are definitely not from the material plane. Fortunately they are not poisonous or aggressive, yet they are invasive and will naturally compete for the resources of the local fauna and flora.

“My theory is confirmed—the tents were abandoned at least two days ago.” Reaching Rings inspects the inside of the ripped up tent for clues, then heads inside the log cabin to investigate further.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23
I’ve moved Rings token to the cabin under the assumption that nothing untoward happens inside the tent first. If I’m incorrect, please reposition Rings as needed.

"Well this isn't good. The forrest is completely overrun with invasive species. We have to fix this. "

As you approach the log cabin you become more and more cautious. At the entrance of the cabin there is a large trapdoor, and several hushed clanking noises give away something moving inside. It is obvious coming up close that whoever is guarding the place, and doesn’t want uninvited visitors.

The four creatures inside are hostile and ready to attack. Rings, you can pull back before they do so, but they know you are there. Everyone else, feel free to place your token by the tents. I have marked the trapdoor in red on the map.

"We have to take care of these Fey. I think they are the ones who chased out the humans in the camp.," Bottlespeaker whispers to Reaching Rings.

“Indubitably,” Rings whispers back to Bottlespeaker, “but let us attempt to salvage the situation without sapshed first.” The fungus remains respectfully outside the cabin but, inspired by Briboribix’s quest, does not attempt to hide. Instead it addresses the creatures openly.

“We are here to save the forest. What happened here?”

Please roll Recall Knowledge (with Dubious Knowledge) for basic info about the creatures; I’m not sure which skill to use. Rings has +8 Nature.

Fluff Fang will move up alongside Bottlespeaker and will call out to the creatures after Reaching Rings.

"We mean you no harm, lest that's what you have in store for us. Aid us in our quest to save the forest and we'll leave you be."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

Reaching Rings
One of the gremlins says something to the other in an odd language that none of you are able to understand.

Fluff Fang
Unable to understand you, the jinkins decide to hush.

Three of the Jinkins are now hidden. The Green Jinkin is still observed

I have corrected the size of the Jinkins on the map, as they are tiny rather than small.

"I think your attempt at diplomacy spooked them a bit. Shall we continue trying to ask them what they are doing here?

Popcorn feels like fighting the jinkins, but she restrains herself for now.

Reaching Rings shakes their head. “Most certainly continued conversation is pointless, despite Fluff Fang’s eloquence, as neither side can understand the other. We should proceed carefully in treating with these creatures, for they have a decidedly vile reputation.” The fungus shares all they know about the jinkins.

“I hypothesize that this trapdoor might well cover one of their infamous pit traps. Perhaps there is a victim below who might be able to translate. I shall endeavor to investigate.” Rings carefully examines the trapdoor, looking in particular for any traps, and if safe, attempts to open it. “Popcorn, be ready. The jinkins might perceive this action unfavorably, in which case your particular brand of ‘diplomacy’ will be essential.”

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

Can I do another Recall Knowledge (Nature +8) to know about jinkins special attacks or abilities?

Popcorn moves closer to the log cabin entrance. "Is it OK for me to draw my weapon yet?"

Reaching Rings
You don’t notice anything that could hint at the nature of the trapdoor.

Popcorn
Yes, it is. I’ll assume you draw it before initiative...

...With that said:

Bottlespeaker’s Initiative: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20
Fluff Fangs’ Initiative: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
Popcorn’s Initiative: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
Reaching Rings’ Initiative: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

You can all take your turns.

“Of course,” Reaching Rings replies to Popcorn. Indeed, the fungus is already holding a rapier in one hand as a precaution, though the blade is lowered and nonthreatening. “But beware of the jinkins’ primal magic.”

Not seeing any traps on the trapdoor, Rings attempts to open it, but waits for all their teammates to get into position and act first.

Delay to after all the other PCs, so they have a chance to act first before being affected by …
Interact* (open trapdoor)
I’d like to hold Rings’ two remaining actions until I see what the other PCs do first.

Rings
Are you interacting or are you delaying? Delay needs to be used at the beginning of the turn.

One Action: Move
Two and Three: Ray of Frost Green attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
damage: 3d4 ⇒ (2, 4, 3) = 9

Bottlespeaker moves up to the fey and fires a ray of cold towards the one enemy he could see. "Listen we gave you a chance. We can't let you continue harassing the humans," he says with a sigh.

"We're fighting now? Great!"

Popcorn is surrounded by a fiery aura, enters the cabin (moving diagonally to avoid the trapdoor), and swings her flail at the green gremlin.

Strike: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20
damage (B): 2d10 + 4 ⇒ (8, 3) + 4 = 15
damage (fire): 4 = 4

Rage, Stride, Strike

Sorry for not being clear. I’m delaying to after Popcorn and Bottlespeaker. Given their actions, I won’t interact.

“I suppose conflict with an inherently sadistic race of murderous gremlins is inevitable, though regrettable,” Reaching Rings muses as they stride after Popcorn to join the attack. With a quick thrust of their rapier, the fungus tries to turn the nearest jinkin into a shishkabob, then scans the area for the other three that have hidden themselves.

Attack (rapier): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20Damage (piercing): 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (5, 5) + 4 = 14

Stride*, Strike*, Seek*

bottlespeaker
With masterful precision, you shoot a beam of frost that hits the jinkin straight on the chest.

Popcorn
Slowed down by the beam of frost, the jinkin in not fast enough to avoid a devastating strike from your flail. Crushed, frostbitten and burnt, the jinkin falls to the ground.

Rings
I’ll invert your last two actions.
You approach the fallen jinkin and peek around the boxes. Visible from there, you can see the three other jinkins hiding behind. They are now Observed to you.

Seeing than the next jinkin is close enough, you reach out with your rapier and pierce through the creature’s body.

I’ll wait until tomorrow for Fluff Fang to reply before taking the jinkins’ turns.

Fluff Fang will move into the room, Drawing their rapier and being Inpsiring Courage for their allies.

"Only a few to go, we got this!

Inspire Courage: You and all allies in the area gain a +1 status bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, and saves against fear effects

Sorry for the delay, I was without internet for a few days

Fluff Fang
Fluff fang strides into the room filled with confidence, not caring for the trapdoor under their feet. The trapdoor opens up, much to their dismay, and they fall twenty feet into a pit filled with standing knives.

piercing damage: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 3) = 5

Fortunately for them, they are light and flutter downwards in such a way that the impact of the fall itself does not hurt them.

This would happen during your first action. Would you still like to use inspire courage or would you like to change your last two actions after the fall?

The pit is now fully visible to everyone.

Fluff fang will continue to inspire courage and then try to climb out of the pit, or stand up to get ready to climb next turn if they're prone from falling on the spikes

"Oof! I totally meant to do that."

Athletics to Climb: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

I think it's just a +1 bonus from Fluff Fang's Strength, it's not listed on the adventure sheet

Fluff Fang
Even from the depths of the pit, fluff fang encourages their allies to continue without fear.

Velm (Red jinkin)
Without hesitation, Velm moves to face Popcorn, and attacks with a metallic pincer claw that is strapped to his hand.

The claw digs into Popcorn’s vines. you are grabbed

AB: Stride*, Strike plus grab**

Yellow and Blue jinkins
Following Velm’s example, they rush towards Reaching Rings, with each of the jinkins attempting to dig their pincer claws into them.

But Rings laughs in the face of danger, nimbly dodging the attacks from both gremlins.

AB:Stride*, strike plus grab**

You can all take your turns.

With a flurry of sweeping slashes and precise stabs, Reaching Rings attacks the jinkin grappling Popcorn, all while avoiding the blows of its comrades in a deadly dance with death.

1st Attack + Inspire Courage: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 11 + 1 = 17 Damage (piercing + sneak attack + Inspire Courage): 3d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2, 4, 6) + 4 + 1 = 17
2nd Attack + Inspire Courage: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 6 + 1 = 20 2nd Damage: 3d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3, 1, 5) + 4 + 1 = 14
3rd Attack + Inspire Courage: 1d20 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 + 1 = 5 3rd Damage: 3d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (6, 2, 5) + 4 + 1 = 18
Strike*x3 against red w/flanking

Fluff Fang will continue to inspire courage while attempting to climb out of the pit.

"Keep up the good work! I'm alright!"

Athletics-Climb-1: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
Athletics-Climb-2: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

Inspire Courage: You and all allies in the area gain a +1 status bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, and saves against fear effects

Popcorn turns her flail to the remaining jinkins, prioritizing Velm (in the unlikely event that Velm is still alive), then whichever jinkin appears most injured.

Strike: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 11 + 1 = 15
damage (B): 2d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (7, 6) + 4 + 1 = 18
damage (fire): 4 = 4
Strike: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 1 = 12
damage (B): 2d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2, 9) + 4 + 1 = 16
damage (fire): 4 = 4
Strike: 1d20 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 + 1 = 12
damage (B): 2d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2, 9) + 4 + 1 = 16
damage (fire): 4 = 4

Strike*, Strike*, Strike*
HP: 68/68, plus 4 temporary.

Rings
With swift movements you manage to cut into the jinkin. The first movement leaves a deep mark on it, while the second one finishes the job. You are not actually flanking any of the jinkins, but the two first strikes still hit and deal enough damage to take it down.

Fluff Fang
The jinkins took great care when making the pit, they make sure that the walls were too slippery for you to get out so easily. Your song, however, continues to carry over and inspire your friends.

Popcorn
You fling your flail wildly, not expecting the jinkin to be as nimble as it is. Every time, it moved away from your blows.

I’ll wait until tomorrow for bottlespeaker.

Jinkins
Continuing their assault on Rings, the gremlins keep clawing at them.

With Rings fibres grasped on blue’s pincers, they pull hard to rip out part of the leshy.
piercing damage: 1d8 ⇒ 5

He laughs gleefully as he sees Rings’ pain.

The other gremlin is not so lucky, as Rings manages to slip away. So he keeps trying to grab the leshy.

Before retreating into a whole in the wall and exiting the cabin.

AB: Blue: Strike*, Grab*, Rip Flesh* Yellow: Strike*x2, stride*

You can all take your turns