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Good Job, Mike!

Congo Rats to the Top 4! I voted for each one of you! (Wait a minute... doh!) just kidding :) You guys deserve to be here... go forth and be awesome!

Twisted into large effigies of the elves that died to stop Treerazer, these horrid willow trees wander the Tanglebriar seeking a way for their master to escape its exile.

Witchbole Willow CR 7
XP 3,200
CE Large Plant
Init -1 Senses low-light vision, Perception +9

----- Defense -----
AC 21, touch 9, flat-footed 21 ( -1 Dex, +12 natural)
hp 85 (10d8+40); fast healing 5
Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +7
Defensive Abilities camouflage DR 10/slashing Immune plant traits
Weaknesses vulnerability to fire

----- Offense -----
Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams +14 (1d6+8/19-20 plus grab)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7)
3/day-dimension door

----- Statistics -----
Str 26, Dex 8, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +7; CMB +16 (+20 to grapple); CMD 25
Feats Alertness, Improved Critical (slam), Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (slam)
Skills Perception +9, Stealth +1 (+15 in forests) Racial Modifiers +14 Stealth in forests
Languages Common, Sylvan (cannot speak)
SQ thornburst

----- Ecology -----
Environment any forest
Organization solitary or grove (2 – 7)
Treasure standard

----- Special Abilities -----
Camouflage (Ex) Since the witchbole willow appears as any other willow tree when it is still, a DC 18 Perception check is required to notice the plant before it attack. Anyone with ranks in Survival or Knowledge (nature) can use either of those skills to notice the plant.

Thornburst (Ex) Once per week the plant can emit a burst of thorns coated with a toxic sap in a 30’ radius. Any foes within the radius must make a DC 19 Fort save or suffer the exhausted condition. This ability does not affect plants.

The witchbole willow is a foul plant that uses the corrupted bones of elven heroes to stalk the lands. Sent to test the wards and guards used to prevent Treerazer’s escape from its containment, the plants roam the Tanglebriar and attack all that cross their paths. Although primarily found in the southern forests of Kyonin, the willows have begun to spread out farther afield for some purpose.

As the living fortress shambles through the forest, the bones of long dead elves rain down to the forest carpet. These bones, steeped in the foul influence of Treerazer and the dead elves’ own link to the Sovyrian Stone, draw the trees around them, greatly accelerating the growth of the foliage. Within a week, a faintly humanoid, albeit large, shape can be discerned. Within two weeks, the willow begins to move and looks like a horribly warped effigy of an elf.

Most troublesome to the warders of Kyonin is the witchbole willow’s ability to dimension door, giving Treerazer a possible mechanism for escape from the elves' cordon. This ability seems to tie to the elves’ affinity with the ancient artifact that allowed the elves passage to their mysterious retreat Sovyrian.

While the plants neither care for nor collect treasure, the bones that make up their dark cores are the remains of the some of the elves’ mightiest champions during the terrible times of Treerazer’s rampage. The bones themselves are valuable to certain alchemists and crafters on the black market, though possession of them for any other purpose than delivering them to a temple for purification carries heavy civil penalties. There is also a chance some bit of treasure is embedded deep in the bole of the tree. When determining treasure, roll normally. Any results other than magic items or treasure that would typically be worn (such as jewelry) is the approximate reward for returning the bones to a temple or government agency.

Congrats Steve.. this is a great item.

This Vardo's rockin'

The Foulgrip Rangers
Alignment: CE
Headquarters: Ndele Gap, Nex
Leader: Bebtu Gig
Structure Frontier Outlaw Band
Scope: National
Resources: Small keep in nortwest hills and livestock

The Foulgrip Rangers wander the western wastes of Nex, hunting the strange creatures that roam the area and the occasional caravan as well. The Foulgrip Rangers, now composed of around fifty gnoll rangers and gunslingers, are led by Bebtu Gig and her pack of leucrotta. Nothing survives once the Foulgrip Rangers track it down. A fusillade of bullets, the yipping charge of a score of gnolls and the powerful bites of the pack of leucrotta make short work of their prey.

Structure and Leadership
The Foulgrip Gnoll Tribe was slowly dying away, eaten piece by piece from starvation and the strange and horrible abominations that wander the wasted land. At the behest of their last dying shaman, the tribe sacrificed the last of their captured food to Lamashtu and awaited death. Two days later Bebtu Gig and her three consorts arrived at their small border keep. Bebtu taught the remaining warriors how to lure and track monsters for food. Under her iron grip the tribe has flourished, hunting prey for gold and charging a protection fee to any travelers through the Ndele Gap.

Goals
Although unknown to the gnolls in the tribe, Bebtu was not sent by Lamashtu to save them. Bebtu is convinced that the secret of the power behind the fleshforges of Nex is the missing fourth Hide of Lawm, an ancient and terrible rite that harnesses the power and fertility of Lamashtu. Her plan is to plumb the secrets at the Well of Lies, a powerful scrying pool. At the moment she and her Rangers are too weak to assault the powerful guardians of the well. But one day the rangers will make their move.

Public Perception
All that travel through the wastelands of Nex are warned of the Foulgrip Rangers. Many who had thought to purchase their protection have never been heard from again. Although the council in Quantium is concerned, they do have to acknowledge that the Rangers help keep the population of the wasteland monsters down.

Thanks all, I really appreciate the comments! After reading some of the other items in my copious spare time I'm convinced that I will have to really buckle down to be competitive.

CHIMAERIC MANTLE
Aura strong abjuration; CL 17th
Slot neck; Price 128,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description
This high collar offers continual magical protection in the form of a deflection bonus of +3. Once per day, the wearer may activate the collar to prevent all alignment-based or racial based bonuses to attack, damage or other effects from affecting the wearer for five consecutive rounds. This applies to the additional damage and effects such as bane, anarchic, axiomatic, and other enchantments, class abilities such as favored enemy bonuses or a paladin’s smite ability, and racial traits such as the gnomish Hatred bonus vs. reptilian and goblinoid subtypes. The collar will not prevent bonuses from any non-alignment or non-race specific damage or effects from affecting the wearer as normal. So a +1 goblin-bane longsword would still be treated as a +1 longsword, but would not receive the +2 to attack and +2d6 damage bonuses when attacking a goblin wearing and activating this collar.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, forbiddance, shield of faith; Cost 64,000 gp