A Few Flowers More (Inactive)

Game Master Luke_Parry

For the four of you, the past several months have been a welcome reprieve from your duties as guardians in the Verduran Forest. Each you is a leshy, a spirit of nature that walks in a body woven of plants and magic. But you are no ordinary leshys—while the weakest leshy spirits require assistance to maintain their tiny bodies, and the stronger typically content themselves with guarding a particular patch of land, you have made a name for themselves across the Verduran Forest and beyond. The four of you have worked together against danger in the past, and today, you’ve gathered together to swap tales of what has happened since last your paths crossed. Yet before you can begin your long-anticipated reunion, a large bat swoops down from the treetops above, carrying a parcel of colorful fabric. In the blink of an eye, it drops the parcel to the ground before flying off as quickly as it came.

Investigating the parcel reveals a letter.

Most esteemed and well-sprouted heroes of the Wildwood,

Warmest Regards,
Stella

Bottlespeaker slaps the side of their head.

"I remember Stella! She is one of those batty-sprites, isn't she? I remember her being pretty kind and welcoming..."

Popcorn nods.

"That's right. Stella has a broad network of friends and is typically well-informed about current events. Her home is never empty; she is a respected pillar of the local sprite community, known for looking after its youngest members. In addition to adopting numerous children over the years, she provides a safe home for any child whose parents are away on dangerous adventures or otherwise unavailable to look after them properly. If she needs our help, we should definitely look into it!"

Fluff Fang grins toothily.

"If she needs our help, sounds like there might be a story... I would like to investigate!

Reaching Rings nods thoughtfully.

"...That, and there might be some interesting treasure involved, as well! Let's go!"

Heading to Stella's place...

A gray-furred nyktera woman opens the door, greeting you with a smile. “Oh good, you’re here! Please, come in, come in and have a seat, have a seat and enjoy some snacks.” Though she stands just over a foot tall, the table she gestures toward has a smattering of seats for taller people as well. The spread on the table is an eclectic one, with vials of bottled sunlight, various colorful drinks, and a bowl of rotten vegetation. A chorus of chirping voices carries down from the rafters high above, where a group of young nykteras cluster together, hanging upside down just above a safety net. Their voices blend together, and the pitch often veers too high for a leshy’s ear to hear.

“As much as I’d love to have a long, friendly chat with you, I’m afraid there’s trouble brewing. 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. That’s got the fey worked up something fierce. So I’m asking you, heroes of the forest: please figure out what’s going on. The druids of the Wildwood Lodge worked things out between fey and humans with a big fancy treaty where nobody would step on each other’s toes, but these new plants could shake things up. Where do you think they could have come from?”

A Nature check to Recall Knowledge might help here.

Reaching Rings has a think...

Nature: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13.

"Have any particular Fey been causing problems, recently?"

Popcorn also has a bit of a think.

Nature: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25.

"Have the humans been causing problems for any of you, too?"

Reaching Rings isn't sure, but Popcorn has heard that plants growing at great speed can be a side effect of a breach into the First World, the plane from which many fey originate. Regionally, such breaches sometimes occur in the deepest parts of the Verduran Forest, but they’re unheard of this close to the forest’s edge.

Stella shrugs.

"“You know, I heard it was gremlins that were getting worked-up, but gremlins aren’t usually too common around here.”

Popcorn grunts.

"Could it be a breach to the First World?"

Stella nods, excitedly.

“I wondered that too, but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. A breach all the way out here, can you imagine? If it is, though, it could be disastrous! Look into it, won't you?”

Fluff Fang smiles toothily.

"Sounds like a worthy adventure! Let's seek out the truth!"

Bottlespeaker laughs dryly.

"Ha. Just don't be *too* reckless - I have to patch you up, afterwards!"

Following Stella’s directions takes about half a day. As you get closer to the camp, you notice more and more unusual plants, which tend to be larger and more colorful than the native flora. You also spot alien‑looking wildlife, including a blue and green striped creature that looks vaguely like a six-legged deer.

When you arrive at the camp, it’s strangely quiet, with no signs of humans
anywhere...

Nestled in the center of a tranquil forest clearing is a camp that looks both new and ruined. A collections of tents has been set up around an extinguished campfire, close by 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 Stealths forward to explore...

Stealth: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16.
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11.

Reaching Rings attempts to be stealthy, but is caught completely by surprise when a tiny, ugly, purple-skinned humanoid pops out of a hole in the wall of the shack and hits them with a bright red claw made of scrap metal!

Ripclaw: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14, for 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (8) - 2 = 6 damage.

It then disappears back inside the hole it came out of.

Bottlespeaker: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29.
Fluff Fang: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13.
Popcorn: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26.
Reaching Rings: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25.
Claw: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22.

A Tiny Menace, Round 1:
Bottlespeaker (-)
Popcorn (-)
Reaching Rings (-)
Claw (-, -, -, -)
Fluff Fang (-)

Everyone apart from Fluff Fang is up!

Bottlespeaker moves forward, and readies to Strike if the creature puts in an appearance again.

+1 Striking Staff: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12, for 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 2) + 3 = 8 Bludgeoning damage.

Popcorn also moves forward and readies a swing!

+1 Striking War Flail: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31, for 4d10 + 8 ⇒ (6, 2, 4, 10) + 8 = 30 Bludgeoning damage.

Caught by surprise, Reaching Rings readies to skewer the creature if it comes out again!

+1 Striking Rapier: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14, for 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (5, 2) + 4 = 11 Piercing damage.

Not one, but *four* of the tiny varmints creep out of various holes in the shack, and attempt to Strike!

Bottlespeaker and Reaching Rings miss, but Popcorn literally flattens the fourth creature, leaving nothing but a pair of over-sized boots rolling away.

The remaining three attempt to claw their targets...

Ripclaw(Bottlespeaker): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17, for 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 = 3 damage.
Ripclaw (Reaching Rings): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15, for 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 2 damage.
Ripclaw (Popcorn): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11, for 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (2) - 2 = 0 damage.

...then rush back inside their tiny burrows.

A Tiny Menace, Round 1/2:
Bottlespeaker (-)
Popcorn (-)
Reaching Rings (-)
Claw (-, -, -)
Fluff Fang (-)

Party is up!

Fluff Fang lets out a Courageous Anthem!

Once again, Bottlespeaker readies a Strike.

+1 Striking Staff: 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 10 + 1 = 31, for 4d4 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (2, 3, 4, 3) + 6 + 2 = 20 Bludgeoning damage.

Following-up on their previous success, Popcorn attempts to pop another of the little menaces!

+1 Striking War Flail: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 1 = 28, for 2d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (10, 10) + 4 + 1 = 25 Bludgeoning damage.

Reaching Rings also readies a Strike.

+1 Striking Rapier: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 11 + 1 = 22, for 2d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (6, 2) + 4 + 1 = 13 Piercing damage.

Fluff Fang inspires her friends!

Bottlespeaker squashes one of the creatures when it appears.

Popcorn (with a 50 point crit!) turns the unfortunate creature she targets into a red-splattered crater.

By contrast, Reaching Ring's strike is more surgical, heavily wounding the final creature, which screams, and runs away!

Combat over.

Fluff Fang grins.

"Good job, everyone! That went quite smoothly! The little vermin had no idea whom they were tangling with!"

She then moves to explore.

Fluff Fang does not find much of interest...

...although Bottlespeaker *does* stop her from stepping onto a trap just inside the door of the shack!

Thievery to disable.

Reaching Rings pulls out their tools, and attempts to disable the trap.

Thievery: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30.

Reaching Rings removes the trap, as if it was never there in the first place.

Searching the shack reveals no trace of the humans supposedly here; just crates of collected plants, as well as lightweight wood and twine racks where plants can be hung to dry.

Basically making it a bit like an abattoir for leshy...

Tracking down where these creatures came from...

Survival to follow their tracks; Nature to follow ley lines.

Bottlespeaker, an old hand at tracking, attempts to find where the creatures came from.

Survival: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29.

Fluff Fang is confident that Bottlespeaker knows what they are doing!

Also, not trained in either of those skills :-P

Bottlespeaker knows *exactly* which way to go; to them, it is like following a four-lane highway.

Critical success!

After 15 minutes of travelling...

Branches coil around a glowing violet portal which bathes its surroundings in surreal light. Plants and fungi in a rainbow of colors sprout from the ground, competing for space between the trees in a chaotic frenzy.

In front of the gate is a humanoid fey with an enormous bushy red moustache, wearing a red cap and shin-high iron boots.

"Oi! What do you lot think you are doing? This is Carl the Cobbler's turf! You'll pay for your insolence with your lives!"

At his words, two more of the little purple-skinned fey pop out of the portal, and the trio move to attack.

Bottlespeaker: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28.
Fluff Fang: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20.
Popcorn: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19.
Reaching Rings: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25.
Claw: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22.
Carl: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25.

Once More Into The Breach, Round 1:
Bottlespeaker (-)
Carl (-)
Reaching Rings (-)
Claw (-, -)
Fluff Fang (-)
Popcorn (-)

Bottlespeaker is up!

Bottlespeaker Strides forward, and promptly smacks Carl twice!

+1 Striking Staff: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24, for 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (1, 3) + 3 = 7 damage.
+1 Striking Staff: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21, for 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 1) + 3 = 7 damage.

Carl is hit twice, but most of his wounds heal immediately.

"Oi! You think you can hit *ME*!? Bugger off!"

Carl responds by trying to slice-and-dice Bottlespeaker with a halberd!

Halberd: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34, for 1d10 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13*2 = 26 damage.
Halberd: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18, for 1d10 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17 damage.
Halberd: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21, for 1d10 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13 damage.

Once More Into The Breach, Round 1:
Bottlespeaker (-39)
Carl (-4)
Reaching Rings (-)
Claw (-, -)
Fluff Fang (-)
Popcorn (-)

Reaching Rings is up!

Reaching Rings scuttles around for a flank on Carl, and stabs him with their rapier!

+1 Striking Rapier: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30, for 2d6 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (1, 6) + 4 + (6) = 17 piercing damage.
+1 Striking Rapier: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8, for 2d6 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (1, 2) + 4 + (6) = 13 piercing damage.

Thanks to the distraction provided by Bottlespeaker, Reaching Rings manages to deal a truly devastating strike.

Carl curses, and narrows his eyes.

"Alright, mate! You've put yourself on the top of me shit list!"

He then growls at the two tiny purple fey.

"Oi! Stop being useless, and distract this f!#%er!"

The two small creatures move to flank Reaching Rings...

Pincer Claw: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27, for 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (3) - 2 = 1 damage.
Pincer Claw: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7, for 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (8) - 2 = 6 damage.
Pincer Claw: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18, for 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 2 damage.
Pincer Claw: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9, for 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (7) - 2 = 5 damage.

...but they barely manage to scratch them.

Once More Into The Breach, Round 1/2:
Bottlespeaker (-39)
Carl (-38)
Reaching Rings (-)
Claw (-, -)
Fluff Fang (-)
Popcorn (-)

Fluff Fang, Popcorn, and Bottlespeaker are up!

"Oh no!"

Fluff Fang casts Soothe on Bottlespeaker.

Soothe: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 healing.

They then belt out a Courageous Anthem!

+1 to hit/damage.

With an angry roar, Popcorn rushes forward, and starts swinging!

+1 War Flail: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 11 + 1 = 18, for 2d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (9, 7) + 4 + 1 = 21 damage.
+1 War Flail: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 6 + 1 = 21, for 2d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (7, 9) + 4 + 1 = 21 damage.

Bottlespeaker deftly smacks at Carl twice!

+1 Striking Staff: 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 10 + 1 = 25, for 2d4 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2, 4) + 3 + 1 = 10 damage.
+1 Striking Staff: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 5 + 1 = 22, for 2d4 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2, 1) + 3 + 1 = 7 damage.

They then Raise their Shield.

Fluff Fang heals Bottlespeaker's wounds (slightly), then belts out an inspiring song.

Popcorn's first swing misses, but the second connects with devastating accuracy, leaving Carl barely standing.

Bottlespeaker then finishes the job, sending Carl crashing to the ground!

Once More Into The Breach, Round 2:
Bottlespeaker (-33)
Reaching Rings (-)
Claw (-, -)
Fluff Fang (-)
Popcorn (-)

Reaching Rings is up!

With the main threat down, Reaching Rings turns their attention to the small fry!

+1 Striking Rapier: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21, for 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (5, 4) + 4 = 13 damage.
+1 Striking Rapier: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23, for 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (5, 4) + 4 = 13 damage.
+1 Striking Rapier: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17, for 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (5, 6) + 4 = 15 damage.

With two quick jabs, Reaching Rings eviscerate the first small purple fey, and then deals a grievous injury to the final foe with their last attack.

Heavily wounded, and seeing both of its allies down, the final fey screeches, and leaps back through the portal!

Combat over!

The sudden cessation of combat causes quiet to descend upon the grove... leaving only the portal shimmering in the middle.

It will take a Nature check to close it.

Bottlespeaker, still smarting from their injuries, nonetheless gamely attempts to close the portal.

Nature: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29.

That is a critical success!

With a simple wave of their hand, Bottlespeaker disrupts the flow of First World energy, causing the portal to fade away.

With the trouble found (and dealt with), and the portal closed, our heroes are free to celebrate their victory with friends and admirersin any way they see fit. They can enjoy a well‑earned rest... at least, until the Verduran Forest has need for the heroes once again!