Idari ignores the two disgusting oozes. He seems to be Determined Dash to his new boo!
I'm a 1 girl kinda elf. Besides your girlfriends are not my type.
|
Alkabah assesses the situation and seeing the oozes being passed up and allies too near to safely cast anymore spells to deter them decides to body block for them instead.
"Lady divinity grant me your strength throw wide the gates of the cosmos so that they may know our glory!"
The core of Alkabah begins to expand to encompass it's entire being before growing into a large living walking constellation filled with blazing hot stars that radiate their energy throughout the chamber.
The significantly larger vaguely humanoid shaped Alkabah raises a palm towards one of the oozes and unleashes a whip crack of celestial plasma.
The celestial being burbles menacingly.
The barbarian winks at Alkabah!
HP 136/136, piercing resistance 2
AC 33 (34 with buckler raised)
Fort +19, Ref +21, Will +20; +2 vs. disease and poisons; +1 vs. inhaled threats
Hero points: 2
Prepared tactics: Strike Hard!, Shields Up, Buckle-Cut, Stupefying Raid
Effects:
Oh, neat, I'm a frog. I wonder if anyone can understand me if I tell them what happened!
"Ribbit! Ribbit ribbit "
He concentrates on returning to his own form, event though it's very neat being a frog. I wonder if I can hold my breath for longer. I'm smaller, but I think frogs are good at that.
He returns to his normal form. "You guys, I was a frog! I thought I'd need a princess to return me to me, but I did it all by myself!"
Now that the demons are intermingled with the heroes, Blooms in Darkness shifts tactics with a snarl at the greatest foe, moving from unceasing cold to the relentless zeal of Divine Wrath!
Alkabah transforms into a cosmic being, burning one of the oozes and setting it ablaze. The demon ignores Blooms' divine wrath but both oozes take some damage from it. Raneshi's magic boots allow her to easily run up the side of the massive puffball to get to the demon, smacking it with her cold iron mace! Idari likewise climbs up determinedly and delivers a powerful slash, the fiend now gravely wounded. Takarias is able to return himself to his normal form.
Hissing and snarling, the misshapen fungal demon attacks Idari with teeth and claws! Idari dodges, only taking one hit.
The oozes climb back up the side of the puffball to try to stop Idari and Raneshi. Idari takes another hit but Raneshi wards off their attacks with her shield.
Disgusted, but determined the Barbarian ignores the Oozes in favor of the Fungal demon!
Someone got a breath mint!
The Ilverani Elf slices and dices!
And just to see it fall!
The irony is of course not lost of the currently prone on the ground Elf....
HP 136/136, piercing resistance 2
AC 33 (34 with buckler raised)
Fort +19, Ref +21, Will +20; +2 vs. disease and poisons; +1 vs. inhaled threats
Hero points: 2
Prepared tactics: Strike Hard!, Shields Up, Buckle-Cut, Stupefying Raid
Effects:
"Oh, you almost flew, Idari! Try again! And Raneshi, you've got this!" Takarias urges.
Raneshi once again pulls her shield in place, then swings at the demon with her glowing mace at the demon.
for
for
A failure of wrath does not drive Blooms in Darkness to lose faith. It only shows that more cleansing is required!.
Alkabah sets the other ooze aflame but misses with their second attack. This time, the fungal demon succumbs fully to Blooms' divine wrath while the oozes resist. Raneshi finishes off the demon with a blow from her mace and a blast of flame from her rune! Takarias and Idari turn their attention to the already wounded and blinded oozes, and in short order, they are destroyed as well.
With the enemies defeated, you can make your way into the entrance of the giant fungal puffball. All surfaces of the spherical chamber within are covered in thick, tangled sheets of spiky fungal filaments interspersed with oily, dripping mushroom-like growths or hanging sheets of mold that looks like puffy cobwebs. Thick, fibrous cords extend from dozens of points on the inner walls to anchor a pulsing nodule of fungal matter in the middle of the twenty-foot-diameter room.
Takarias waits a beat to see if Alkabah can prune the fungal ball. If not, he prepares some arrows to burn it away.
"You can do it, Alkabah!" he eggs on the conrasu.
Takarias realizes he can help!
|
|
Alkabah in it's cosmic form begins chanting in the aeonic tongue. As much as the gurgling of stars and beings beyond this world can be considered speech. Given a modestly humanoid form it is much easier to read the frustration and strain in the Cosmic-Conrasu's body language as it struggles to purge the foul energy from the fungal heart. But with aid from Takarias and a rising fervor it seems to be working.
Idari points out a few soft spots in the disgusting fungal heart.
Alkabah works to exorcise the demonic energy, but falters slightly partway through. A sinister voice fills all of your minds, speaking in the Chthonian tongue: "And so my whelp has failed, yet you have not found salvation—you have doomed Kyonin to fall. Will you be the first to die, or shall you linger long enough to see all you hold dear become mine?"
You immediately recognize the voice--Treerazer! The fungal heart starts to clench as if beating like a real heart, but before it can unleash its toxic spores, Alkabah successfully banishes the remaining Abyssal taint! The heart withers and crumbles to dust, and immediately, the Jeharlu spore beings to slowly decay, melting away beneath your feet. A minute later, the slurry dries to a sticky green film, and on the floor under where the fungal heart was suspended lies a small mound of dark-colored dust: two doses of major black ash.
As you emerge out of the temple of Calistria, you can see that all of the fungus across Greengold is beginning to collapse and rot away as well!
"Alkabah! You did it!" Takarias congratulates his companion.
He looks around at the disintegrating fungus, before looking back at the other elves (and conrasu). "It didn't sound like Treerazer is done..."
"No, and we've seen his direct influence here," Raneshi agrees. "We'll have to brief the local authorities, and get word to the queen, herself!"
|
|
Floating back to the ground, the cosmic energies fade and shrink and coalesce back into the solid form of Alkabah who's core looks slightly dimmer than it did before.
"Demons are rarely done even when defeated."
It turns to look at the damage done under the receding vines and fungus, "However we have earned a reprieve, however brief."
In the hours that follow, all the fungus around the city collapses and rots away. While the smell is intolerable for a time, the townsfolk band together to clean it up and begin the process of repairing the damage caused by the blossoming. It’ll take time, but they hold hope that Greengold will recover fully–though it should soon become apparent that time may not be a luxury anyone in Kyonin has.
Dalamian contacts you soon after your triumph and invites you back to Vynoren Estate, where you are joined by the Nalora, who alone escaped the destruction of the temple of Calistria and has spent the past several days in Greengold’s streets, tending to the wounded or sickened and working tirelessly to hold their spirits together. They thank the you for your heroism and offer their magic free of charge to help you recover. They also offer you two potent treasures that they were able to flee with and which long resided in a secret vault within the temple. These treasures are two weapons—Castrovel’s Beacon and Morning Glow. Once wielded by previous worshippers of Calistria who fought against Treerazer when the elves first returned from Castrovel so many centuries ago, they were then donated to the temple for safekeeping should need for them rise again.
After that, Dalamian grows more serious as she informs you that what’s happened in Greengold is not an isolated incident. Word of your actions in Greengold and your efforts to destroy the Jeharlu Spore has been sent to Queen Telandia, allowing her the precious time needed to mobilize other heroes throughout Kyonin. The discovery of spores growing in or near several other settlements is disheartening, but your actions have allowed Kyonin’s forces to destroy these unbloomed Jeharlu Spores before they could do nearly as much damage as the one in Greengold did.
Even so, reports are coming in from throughout Kyonin of similar upheavals of fungal infestation, and while the full scope of the disaster is not yet apparent, armies of demons, corrupted fey, blighted monsters, and fungal horrors are on the march, surging out of Tanglebriar to overwhelm dozens of border forts and watchtowers. Dalamian informs you that Queen Telandia has officially bestowed you all with the title “Heroes of Kyonin.” She tells you that you will have a few days to recover, but that some time very soon, the queen herself intends to visit you here in Greengold. In her latest communication with Dalamian, she indicated that war with Tanglebriar seems assured, and that she has a special mission for you to undertake if Kyonin is to prevail against Treerazer’s forces.
At the same time, Dalamian offers an apology to Alzarius for any implication in the plot. The Razmiri delegate in turn forgives her for any slight, explaining that it was the right choice to make, and that he is just glad he was cleared of any culpability in the end. Alzarius thanks you for your friendship and support, and while he says he must soon return to Xer to begin organizing support for Kyonin, he grants you a parting gift: his snowcaster’s staff. Alzarius explains the staff’s history, telling them it was carried by his heroic ancestor, and that he can conceive of no greater honor for her memory than to know her staff is now in the hands of a new generation of heroes fighting for the survival of elvenkind!
Idari exhales as Alkabah successfully banishes the remaining Abyssal taint! The heart withers and crumbles to dust, and immediately, the Jeharlu spore beings to slowly decay, melting away beneath his face.
Standing back up, dusting off his pants, the Barbarian sighs.
That was just for starters.
Later at the Vynoren Estate, Idari relaxes a bit after have bathed, eaten, bathed and dressed for this summons. He graciously greets Dalamian and Nalora.
Idari Lucien, Twightlight Speaker of the Ilverani elves.
The tall Ilverani Elf's blue eyes stare longingly at Morning Glow.
I would be honored to carry Morning Glow.
Idari does nod in recognition of the Queen's favor and the elf pauses to extend his hand to Alzarius as he departs.
The barbarian winks at his company.
Treerazer. Finally.
"Of course we'll held stop Treerazer!" Takarias says. He thanks Alzarius but urges him to keep the staff -- "it's a family heirloom!"
"A worthy blade," Raneshi admires the craftsmanship. "I've never seen technique like this."
Raneshi takes a few swipes with the rapier, literally carving runes of magic in the air around her, then letting them dissipate with an audible "pop."
"Let even beauty be our weapon as we scour the land; Treerazer must burn."
Part 2: The Secret of Deathstalk Tower
Chapter 4: The Putrid and the Vile
Several days pass as you rest and recover. Soon enough, though, Dalamian sends word that Queen Telandia has arrived and awaits you at Vynoren Estate.
The queen greets you and bids you to sit as she smooths her skirts. "First, let me thank you again for your accomplishments here in Greengold. The other delegates of the Encarthan Alliance have since returned to their homelands to spread the news of Treerazer's aggression, but they have promised their support. Without your aid, we would be alone in this war and Greengold would have been lost before the war even truly began. For this, Kyonin owes you a debt of gratitude, but I fear that our need of your heroism is far from over. Just yesterday, news came from the town of Riverspire of something horrific!"
At various points during this adventure and the next, you’ll come across War Interludes. These describe key battles and developments over the course of the Spore War, but the resolution of these battles is contingent on how successful the PCs have been in their own efforts to resist and hinder Treerazer’s war machine. At the end of the previous adventure, and periodically during the rest of this Adventure Path, the PCs can earn Triumph Points. During the campaign, they may hear news about battles and events taking place elsewhere in Kyonin as the war progresses. By spending Triumph Points, the party can influence the outcomes of these conflicts.
You begin with 6 Triumph Points, one for each of the delegates you convinced to sign the Encarthan Alliance. Each time a War Interlude occurs, the party must decide whether they wish to spend a point to ensure Kyonin’s victory in the interlude, or whether they want to save the point for later. Inform the PCs that any Triumph Points left unspent at the end of the Spore War Adventure Path will influence both Kyonin and Tanglebriar’s overall state after the war ends, but also emphasize that letting too many interludes pass by without victory could result in their facing growing penalties and disadvantages. In most cases, spending a Triumph Point earns the PCs significant XP, representing their growing fame and legend, but some War Interludes can result in additional penalties or benefits depending on how the interlude plays out.
WAR INTERLUDE 1: THE LOSS OF RIVERSPIRE
The town of Riverspire in southern Kyonin has fallen! An army of demons and fungal creatures attacked late at night, seeking to slaughter all who dwelled within it and expand Tanglebriar’s borders further to the northwest. Some of the townsfolk managed to escape north along the riverbanks, but now corruption has started seeping into the river waters as well, endangering all who dwell downriver.
Spend 0 Triumph Points: Riverspire is overwhelmed, and most of its citizens are killed or captured after Treerazer’s army occupies the settlement.
Spend 1 Triumph Point: Riverspire sustains significant damage and is still captured by Treerazer’s army, but the citizens are evacuated safely, along with a fair amount of the town’s resources.
"The news is dire. Thank the Sovyrian that we were able to prevent this in Greengold," Raneshi mutters as she reads over reports from Riverspire.
"Victory builds on victories. Save what can be saved and let that triumph grow."
"Of course we have to save them!" Takarias exclaims.
The Twightlight Speaker frowns at the reading of the news from Riverspire. The Ilverani Elf is grateful that the majority of its people and product escaped the horde.
Good thing the messages got out in time!
"Indeed," Queen Telandia says. "Thanks to your advance warning, we were able to get the citizens and resources out of Riverspire in time. Our success there gives us a chance to strike back at Tanglebriar while the proverbial iron is hot.
"Though our armies stand against Treerazer’s war machine, you have proven that your skills and talents work best as surgical strikes. To that end, I’ve come to you directly: we need you to secure the aid of an expert who understands how supernatural energies from the Outer Rifts can corrupt this world. I speak of Aravashnial, a veteran of the Fifth Mendevian Crusade that sealed the Worldwound and a master of the ways of the Riftwarden.
"A few years ago, he approached us and offered to share his experience in fighting demons with us, and recently, he and a small group of Ekujae researchers set out to investigate the Darkblight in Southern Fangwood on the far side of Lake Encarthan. Aravashnial hoped that studying the blight that was defeated in Fangwood toward the end of the Ironfang Invasion might reveal information that could aid our own efforts against Tanglebriar—research that has now become more important than ever. Yet something has happened. My attempts to contact him and call him and his researchers home have failed. This timing cannot be coincidental; I fear something has befallen him. And so, I ask you to travel to Fangwood, locate his camp, and return him to Kyonin should he still live. If, as I fear, something awful has happened to him… simply discover what you can and report to us with haste."
"An excellent plan, your majesty," Raneshi compliments with a nod of her head. "It will also be good to see my people again."
The tall Ilverani Elf bows in acceptance of the Queen's request.
We shall not fail.
"Of course! Let's go!" Takarias says, hefting his bow as he immediately is ready to depart.
Queen Telandia tells you that both sending and scrying have failed to yield results, and that even pinpoint failed to give her any information about Arvashnial's location. When she cast pinpoint a second time, however, now targeting his spellbook, What Doors We Open (which he allowed her to peruse for a time when he first came to Kyonin a few years ago), she got a result: Aravashnial’s spellbook is located in the ruins of Elkhaven Lodge in Southern Fangwood in Nirmathas.
Before you head out, the queen has one more thing to offer you. Because you're heroes fighting for Kyonin, she’s able to deploy supplies to aid you in your work, but doing so costs resources that would otherwise have gone to support troops or bolster defense of the nation’s settlements. Still, keeping you in the fight and well-supplied is important.
Queen Telandia entrusts you with a greater pendant of the occult, instructing you that you can use the pendant’s ability to send a dream message to make a request for a supply drop. Within the next 12 hours, she will cast pinpoint to locate the person who sent the dream message, then send a carrier out to deliver the supply drop.
The queen hands you the first supply drop for free: a type I spacious pouch containing two greater bottled catharsis elixirs, four greater healing potions, two panaceas, four ration tonics, and two greater surging serum elixirs.
"You are very gracious, Queen Telandia," Raneshi thanks the monarch. "We are pretty self-sufficient, but appreciate the offer of support. Could you teleport us to the target area?"
Idari's blue eyes laugh at Raneshi's humor. The Ilverani Elf bows low again to the Queen ready to depart....
Once you are ready, Queen Telandia uses her magic to teleport with you to Elkhaven Lodge. Elkhaven Lodge is located on the far side of Lake Encarthan from Kyonin, in the eastern reaches of the Southern Fangwood Forest. It sits in the shadow of a local landmark of upthrust granite called Deadeye’s Tower. The queen must return to Kyonin at once to continue to attend to her other responsibilities, but she arranges a time to teleport back to the lodge tomorrow.
Fangwood is, like much of Kyonin, a dense forest, yet it differs from Kyonin’s Fierani Forest in that Fangwood is only sporadically inhabited by people. Much of the woodland remains wilderness, and many of those who dwell inside it do so out of necessity, living lives as fugitives or freedom fighters. The region of woodland around Elkhaven Lodge and Deadeye’s Tower is one of the last remaining holdouts of Darkblight, a corruption similar to what engulfs Tanglebriar. Aravashnial and his Ekujae assistants came here to study the blight for this reason, both to examine terrain like Tanglebriar’s without the risk of going there in person, but also to study the methods by which the Darkblight was defeated during the later stages of the Ironfang Invasion not a decade earlier.
You appear deep in the woods, but a climb up a tree is all you need to get your bearings and spot the looming escarpment of Deadeye’s Tower a few miles away—an unmistakable landmark to head toward. As you draw near the lodge, following an overgrown trail, you can hear the unmistakable sounds of battle, monstrous roars, and terrified cries for help coming from close by!
"No time to spare," Raneshi hefts her new rapier and readies her shield. "Let's go find some trouble."
"Aravashnial is fortunate the queen holds him in such esteem."
Idari's posture speaks volumes as the barbarian unsheathes Morning Glow and races in the direction of the ruckus!
Takarias rushes after his companions, bow out.
"Hold on, help is coming!" he calls.
You race down the trail towards the sounds. The stony facade of Deadeye’s Tower looms to the south, a sheer cliffside that rises nearly a thousand feet into the air. The overgrown trail leads into something of a clearing, within which the ruins of an ancient lodge and its five stone outbuildings slump over grounds infected with mold, sloppy with mud, and reeking of a sickened swamp. A newer trail leads to the west, where a small cluster of three tents and a campfire are visible through the infested undergrowth.
The air in the area smells foul—a mix of rotten vegetation, decaying flesh, and a sickly-sweet syrupy stink that might be the most unpleasant scent of all.
A half-dozen men and women in the livery of the Chernasardo Rangers are holed up in one of the ruined outbuildings while a pair of long-necked antlered beasts are preparing to attack them. Spread among the beasts are six humanoid figures, elven men and women clad in leather armor and armed with bow and blade who move with an unnerving set of spasmodic jerks and contorted lurches. These elves are encrusted with growths of fungus, many of which erupt from their flesh or dangle from limbs in ragged, moist filaments of mold.
|
|
Hearing the innocent in need and seeing the cluster of beasts and elven amalgamations assaulting the ruined building Alkabah wastes no time. Raising it's many arms into the air presenting it's holy symbol to the foe the very star flickers with rage and with a surge of divine wrath a plasma tendril as if from a solar flare whips the land.
Raneshi advances on the enemies, then traces fours runes in the air; they quickly fly from her side, making everything within 20 feet of her a bit sparkly and rune-covered. With hardly a thought, she traces another rune, and fire crawls across the sides of the enemies.
Blooms in Darkness retches, but takes a moment to fortify before opening a fiery blossom to tear its way across the battlefield before the leshy's allies draw too close.
The Ilverani Elf becomes a bit Rage(y), as he takes Morning Glow to work! Idari Strides to a long-necked antlered beast!
The enemies reel from the dual blasts of Blooms' fireball and Alkabah's sunburst. As Raneshi traces runes on all the foes, Idari rushes at the nearest catoblepas, slashing it twice.
Blooms' flames flare up again, and the most injured of the spore thralls suddenly dies in an explosion of toxic green spores that washes over Idari!
The catoblepas Idari attacked returns the favor, goring with its antlers. The other one moves into melee range of the elf but then exhales a wide cone of horrid fumes on the whole party!
The fungal elves mark Idari as their target and open fire!
From their position of cover, the Chernasardo rangers fire their bows at the rearmost spore thralls. Two of the fungal elves explode into green spores, fortunately far enough away from any of you to harm you.
Raneshi raises her shield, then concentrates, causing the rune on all of the creatures to flare to life! She makes a follow-up strike with her new rapier, just to try it out.
for plus
[ooc]Traced Runes: Atryl (on shield, as damaging rune)
Engraved Runes:
Raneshi: holtrik, esvadir, kojastri (electricity)