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The tracks are hard to follow, but Kidron is able to keep a close eye on them, the tracks however become very obscure deep into the woods, and eventually fade away, making them untraceable.
As you look around in the unknown area, the Pathfinders find themselves in an unusual clearing where a large muddy pond lies in the center of it, barely lit by a few rays that penetrate the mist and tree line. While the pond might seem identical to the others around you, you notice unusual movements in the water, light reflections of the surface. Upon closer inspection, it seems to be teeming with unseasonable life—the water
is squirming with mosquito larvae. On the other end on the pond, near the shore, a man with fine brown hair and white clothing lies supine on the ground. The person is on the shore of the pond with his head and torso floating in the water, and his clothes are inexplicably pristine despite the mud.
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As Kidron approaches him, the man lays lifeless and passed out among the few insects crawling around and over him. When the paladins hand touches the body, he begins to slightly move and suddenly coughs up a wet lungful of drowned insects and stirs.
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After Sunshine treats the man, he awakens screaming gibberish loudly before coming to his senses. "Who... Who.. are ...you? What... where am I? His gaze and manner of speech suggest some serious confusion. It becomes obvious he is not from the river kingdoms but came to investigate the plague much like yourselves. But any memory beyond arriving at the town seems to be lost, the last things he can remember are terrifying red eyes staring from a darkness, and a tree, a tree that lies not very far from where you currently are, but could get tricky to navigate towards.
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"It looks like he needs to be treated further, or else he will succumb back to his miserable state. We can't just leave him here in this situation." Sunshine tells the others.
"If we should press on, we need somebody in the town who can help this man so that he can fully recover before we leave him."
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The path back to town becomes rather easy after all the trekking experienced by the Pathfinders. In town however, you find yourselves at a wits end as the blue hair gnome Galia greets you and the injured person. Medical professionals have left Shimmerford, and it would be a risk to leave the injured Andor in the hands of the gnome.
After a quick break amongst the loud incessant buzzing and swarms of mosquitos, you quickly return back to the misty woods to investigate the supposed red eyes mentioned by the adventurer riddled with the unknown disease. Kimmo leads the way as he recalls vividly every detail of the path. Awaiting you at the site, is a scene mimicking a crime, pieces of clothes of red are scattered and torn, some hanging among the trees and some left of the ground. trinkets like water bottles, boots, belts are spread across the small area of interest. There are drawings of a runic nature among the trees barely visible by the faint light descending from the treetops.
that suggesting the victim was dragged off and up into a tree. You may follow these tracks with a Survival check.
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Even though slightly obscured, he tracks are relatively easy to follow as the team begins to become accustomed to the growth. Not too far, a few minutes into the trail, a cry of help in the sound of a painful howl is heard. Rushing quickly to the scene, you notice a familiar animal, Peaches the dog slightly bleeding and surrounded by three oversized mosquitoes .
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"Be careful to approach the dog and help her, it might think we are attacking them if we quickly approach her. We must assure her that we are trying to help her."
Sunshine carefully approaches the dog with Upuan while talking to her. "Don't worry, we are here to help you get away from those bugs." she tells the dog and commands her legchair to give her some nice cover.
She also protects his companion with her magical aura.
◆ Command an Animal (◆ Stride, ◆ Support - +1 to AC for Sunshine from lesser cover of Support)
◆ Calm Down
◆ Protect Companion for Upuan (+1 to AC)
↺ Life Block for Upuan, triggered if he takes 10 or more damage
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Kimmo blade knocks one of the mosquitoes with perfect accuracy, however the creature seems to be fairly resilient as it remains flying while injured. Peaches observing the opening, attempts to finish the Barbarians attack with a few lunges of her own, but the dog is barely able to keep her vision straight after losing the amount of blood she already has.
The mosquito like animals attempt to grab on to Peaches, and as two of them successfully attach themselves they begin to suck the blood of the poor pup. Peaches looks visibly agitated and unnerved, reacting on instinct the dog will likely lash out at anything near it again.
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Peaches -8
Mosquitoes(?) B -15 R +4, G +4
Gros
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Kidron with quick succession masterfully maneuvers his sword to strike the insects with perfect precision to protect Peaches from losing life, and then finished off the already injured mosquito.
Gros creates an electric arc that would cause some considerable damage to the enemy, nearly taking out another mosquito, as it barely is able to stay attached to the puppy.
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"Oh no! Get away from the dog, you sucking insects! You are hurting her!" she yells to the mosquito-like creatures.
She taps Upuan to get close to Red and give her some cover as well. She then draws out her club and bonks Red!
vs Red
B damage
◆ Command an Animal (◆ Stride, ◆ Support - +1 to AC for Sunshine from lesser cover of Support)
◆ Interact to draw weapon
◆ Strike
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With relative ease, Sunshine and Kimmo swiftly swat away the pesky insects that have latched onto Peaches, providing her with much-needed relief from her tormentors. The dog, though injured, musters up a little ounce strength to softly tug at the clothing of her nearest ally, even before any healing, as if pleading for them to follow her.
With a sense of urgency, you dash alongside the wounded animal, pushing deeper into the mysterious, misty, dimly lit woods in search of Haru, the wandering traveling scholar. Not far ahead, Haru's body lies unconscious among some shrubs. Her body bears the marks of attacks from the very same creatures that had assailed Peaches, identified as bloodseekers. A single mosquito remains barely attached to Haru and poses pose little challenge for your skilled hands as you swiftly remove them from the scene with your weapons.
After a much-needed period of rest, Haru gradually emerges from her trance-like state, regaining enough strength to engage in conversation. She recounts fragments of her time in the woods, revealing the existence of a hidden secret door concealed beneath a carpet of fallen leaves. Vague memories stir within her, hinting at the presence of something sinister beyond that door. Realizing her helpless state, Haru asks of you to take some of her belongings, understanding that you may require it more than she does. Among the items bestowed upon you are two vials of holy water, and two vials of moderate alchemist fire.
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The entrance descending down into the cavern was well worn that the stones made out to be natural steps. Kimmo's torch cast flickering shadows on the rough and damp stone walls, revealing glimpses of the winding path that lay ahead. The sound of your footsteps break the eerie silence but as you moved deeper into, the echoes of whispers filled the cold air.
Senses heightened and alert, the Pathfinders meticulously scanned every corner looking for signs of danger and magic, but the cave seemed fairly unusual. However, not too far into the journey, Legchair and Sunshine catch sight of a hostile creature, another barbed bloodseeker! In the darkness unbeknownst to most of the party except for Gros, hiding behind the overgrown Mosquito monster, stands a small blue creature standing a bit over two feet tall, with beady eyes, a pointed nose and ears and a wicked grin filled with sharp teeth armed with a weapon ready to attack.
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