Prys his axe from the snake and gives it a wipe of bile. Jaden walks toward Hors, feeling the warmth from his magic as he holds the small cat in his hands. He gives him a pat on the back just as the cat's skin seems to close and knit it's self
"Good job Hors. You did well, hit that snake creature hard. Effan will be happy you saved his kitten too"
Jaden looks up and sees the snake's last meals. He walks to the tree, drops his gear, and gets to climbing up to cut them down. Knowing they might need to get there last rites, he lowers them to the ground.
No hollow, forms hang in the upper branches. The feline was at -6.Oooohhhh. That'll teach me to post in a non-caffeinated state!
Cat is good.
I think hell works as non-screened.
- S%~# <- it happens
- B+&@% <- my mother
- B#*#+@~! <- it happens in Pamplona
- A&%~~!~ <- what you bury a donkey in
- Cock <- the infamous "obscene head gesture"
Keegan is beyond pissed off. Dropping all pretense of being the nice guy, he sees fit to direct his rage at the nearest party member. Which, in this case, happens to be Jaden.
His eyes glowing a fiendish red, Keegan's face locks itself into a rictus grin, spittle flying from between his teeth, landing steaming on the ground. Curiously, in his fit of rage, Keegan's accent seems to let up quite a bit.
"Oh, you do think you can stop me, can you? Oh, you think you can just block away this one? You think you can steal this one's kill? Do you? Mine, he was! MINE!"
Keegan's hand strays dangerously close to his hunting knife.
With the death of the Tatzylwyrm, Effan's rage looses its focus. Bereft of the violent impulse and psychically wounded through his connection with Catharine, he sits heavily on the ground, inert.
With Hosz' healing, Effan stirs and looks around. Oblivious to all else, he hurries over to Catharine and examines her closely.
He looks at Hosz and mumbles , "I never knew ... thank you. " Then remembering someething of dignity, he first draws himself erect, then bows low. "Hosz Ferryman, if ever you need my service ask, and it shall be given."
Jaden turns to Keegan, staying very passive. Not makeing any sudden moves, or needless agresive.
"Keegan, are we still on the job? Are you saying you do not want to finsh a job? That is not very bussness like of you. "
Jaden not wanting to come to arms with the scout, lets Keegan vent hopping his words alone will keep it from happening. Jaden knows his axe is outside of his reach, and his crossbow would not be eought to stop a morringstar. He waits for Keegans move.
"Keegan, we have been here before. How many times have you wanted to skin Big Boss for messing up your nice neat maps with writeing. You know there will be more worms shortly. No need to burn out here."
Jaden turns to Keegan, staying very passive. Not makeing any sudden moves, or needless agresive.
"Keegan, are we still on the job? Are you saying you do not want to finsh a job? That is not very bussness like of you. "
Jaden not wanting to come to arms with the scout, lets Keegan vent hopping his words alone will keep it from happening. Jaden knows his axe is outside of his reach, and his crossbow would not be eought to stop a morringstar. He waits for Keegans move.
"Keegan, we have been here before. How many times have you wanted to skin Big Boss for messing up your nice neat maps with writeing. You know there will be more worms shortly. No need to burn out here."
"Don't mess about, Thorm," Keegan snarls, drawing his knife. He draws the blade across his tongue, still grinning horribly.
He spits blood onto Jaden's boots.
"You stole me kill. Never again."
He turns his back, striding toward the tree.
Effan looks up from Catharine, the argument between Keegan and Jaden finally penetrating his consciousness. He approaches Jaden quietly, "What's his problem?"
Effan looks up from Catharine, the argument between Keegan and Jaden finally penetrating his consciousness. He approaches Jaden quietly, "What's his problem?"
Jaden gives a simple smile, and speaks as if he just came from a bar.
"Bussness talk, Keegan want to know how i keep my hair so soft. Now if you would pardom me, i need to see a snake about a tree."
Jaden gives a nod and walks toward the tree.
Climbing the tree is pretty easy considering how big it is and the going is easy for Jaden. Some of the branches are big enough to put whole other trees to shame, and the entire tree is so big that there is absolutely no movement either from his weight on the branches or from the wind. Coming upon the bodies he can see there are three hanging from crooks in the branches and that they are garbed in the attire common for hunters in the wood. Their bodies have been almost totally stripped of flesh but most of their gear remains intact. There was a story back in The Hollow about several hunters that went missing a few months back. Could be them? Looking down Jaden sees a drop of roughly 60 feet and a mild vertigo sets in but quickly passes.
Getting the bodies down takes a while, with the last one being lowered to the ground just as the sun dips below the horizon.
Checking out the bodies' gear---
*A heavy crossbow
*A light crossbow
*27 quarrels
*A short sword
*A cutlass (slashing shortsword)
*2 daggers
*A suit of padded armor
*2 suits of leather armor(1 is ruined by obvious clawing and chewing)
*A shortbow made in a laminate fashion with darkwood, oak and yew layers used in the lamination process (masterwork composite Shortbow (+1 str bonus)
*A signet ring with the image of a flaming hawk (worth 5gp)
*3 pouches containing a total of 9 gp, 12 sp, 3 cp and a small leather wrapped piece of wood carved to look like a heart(no value).
*A haversack containing 8 days worth of rations.
Faldor watches the argument making mental notes about the play out and the reaction by both for future occasions.
Eyes widening a bit with the haul that was just laid out.
"Keegan?"
Hozs is shocked and prepares to cast a calm animals spell. Jadens conversation and the fact that he does not have the spell prepared change his mind. It is not a large task to change his mind after all. It never even occurs to him it would probably not work on a person. "the kill is still there. You can eat your share if that is what you are worried about. Natures rules don't stop us from sharing."
Hozs pats Effan on the head. And Miss Cat's too. "Come on Miss Squeeker, lets climb." Hozs takes a while to commune with the ancient tree. "uhmmm... Jaden you want help with.... oh your done." Hozs goes back to bark-grappling, collecting as much of the needed moss as he can find.
Effan will help Jaden and Hozs anyway he can. Then he sits with Catharine and motions Faldor over. He says quietly to his fellow gnome, "Wonder what the longshanks will want to do with this gear? It shouldn't go to waste. That small crossbow's a better weapon than my sling. And Mary could certainly use some of the coin...."
Hozs collects most of the mature moss, leaving just enough behind for it to thrive and regrow quickly. You have more than enough of the moss according to Laural's book....
An eyebrow raised in Keegan's direction, Raph says nothing.
With a nod to his companion gnome, "I believe you are right. Effan this gear should be put into better hands so we don't have the chance of ending up as the 'danglers' did."
With that Faldor brushes himself off as he stands and walks to the longshanks, "Any chance for a good split? I don't believe it helped them but should be able to help us out. I doubt this will be are worse adversary."
Jaden lays the last of the dead to qround, leaveing them with what was not useable or of anyuse to the group. Before covering them with drit, he leaves two peaces for the boat man, so they might find some rest. Jaden looks over the equipment, and takes a few to top up his clips (3) and a few rations.
"Raph, there is a nice ring here, it has hawk on it i think, you want it?"
Before leaveing the pile, Jaden sees the shortbow. He notes how masterfully it is made. He takes it, but has a good use for it.
Jaden lays the last of the dead to qround, leaveing them with what was not useable or of anyuse to the group. Before covering them with drit, he leaves two peaces for the boat man, so they might find some rest. Jaden looks over the equipment, and takes a few to top up his clips (3) and a few rations.
"Raph, there is a nice ring here, it has hawk on it i think, you want it?"
Before leaveing the pile, Jaden sees the shortbow. He notes how masterfully it is made. He takes it, but has a good use for it.
Keegan makes a sour face, beginning to rummage through the goods.
A battered cutlass catches his eye. He immediately snatches it up, shoving it into his belt with the longsword.
"I does like to be prepared, see?"
After a moment, he extricates the longsword and peers down the length of the dented blade.
Moving to the side of the tree, he scoops a shallow hole, burying the battered sword.
"Coming back later, I am."
"Can we stay in the tree tonight? cause I really think it would be fun to sleep in this tree tonight. hmmm... maybe thats what them hunters thought." Hozs nervously twitches his ears at the thought of the danglers, and the tizzy worm. "Uhmmm..." does natures law of killing only what you intend to eat count? "Well I suppose we can share it with the foragers." Taking a dagger he thanks the Tizzy worm for its sacrifice and cuts a piece of flank for Miss Squeaker, Yip a Yap, and Mrs Cat hrun, if they want some. "anyone else?"
You guys manage to get a good campsite established, Hozs and a few of the others manage to have a good nights sleep in the lower boughs of the ancient darkwood, feeling surprisingly safe in it's woody arms.
The dark of night passes with relatively few interruptions.....an owl flys overhead at one point, startling Jaden on his watch, a badger can be heard burrowing through the underbrush just outside of camp in the deep hours of the night before it works it's way to the east, a wolf's howl can be heard off in the distance a couple hours before dawn....
Then the lightening of the sky begins and soon it is dawn. A light dew coats everything with a fresh dampness that is soon enough gone as the sun rises progressively higher.
It's morning.
Raph snatches the signet ring. "Interesting... I wonder who it belongs to."
Effan begins to unload his voluminous pack, laying out his tiny tent and sleeping gear, but Hozs' notion to sleep in the tree is oddly inviting. He repacks the tent.
To help ascend the tree he pulls out a length of finely-made thin rope. Hissing and swaying oddly, he throws the rope over a branch to help himself climb up. The balance of the rope he uses to make a safety line for the treebound slumberers.
Munching a cold breakfast of dried fruit and hardtack, Effan asks, "Does anyone want that light crossbow? I could have used it 'gainst those crows, so if anyone doesn't want it.... And we should take the coin. I know many in town that could use some, especially folk who can't work 'cause they're sick."
"Which way to the wood-witches' ?"
Keegan finds a soft patch of sphagnum moss, and quickly monopolizes it, curling up into a little ball and falling instantly asleep. During the night, he twitches disconcertingly.
He stretches, his chain shirt making a soft clanking noise. After a meager breakfast of some jerky of indeterminate origin, he makes his way over to the rest of the group.
Grinning, he moves towards Jaden, tossing his dagger.
"Let's go, shall we?"
Humming to himself, he begins to stride lazily toward the clearing's edge.
There must be some way out of here" said the joker to the thief
"There's too much confusion", I can't get no relief
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth.
"No reason to get excited", the thief he kindly spoke
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late".
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.
"Let's go, shall we?"
Humming to himself, he begins to stride lazily toward the clearing's edge.
Effan shrugs into his pack, staggers back two steps, then follows the sharp-toothed, ill-smelling man. He pauses at the clearing's edge to look back at the tree and to wait for Hozs.
"What does the wind blow us this morning, Hozs?"
Jaden sleeps the night, takeing his turn at watch early,throwing a pot on for water just as the sun is riseing. Jaden leaves the shortbow with Keegan's new sword, hopeing he will take the offering. Jaden know he will need his allies, and can't afford the infighting now.
"Water in hot, come get it if you want somthing warm." Jaden sits down, and has some of the his rats with his with his comrads
Reply to Keegan, "I think it is about time to go, you lead us and i hope you got everything that you want to keep." Looking to see if he did find the bow Jaden left for him
Reply to Keegan, "I think it is about time to go, you lead us and i hope you got everything that you want to keep." Looking to see if he did find the bow Jaden left for him
"Keep the arrow-chucker, droogy."
Keegan seems to have forgotten about the previous day. Or, more likely, he just doesn't care.
Hozs enjoys the night like none he ever has in Falcon's Hollow. In the morning he tries some of the rations from the danglers. "Yip a Yap you are welcome to tag along with us if you want, but we are going to the witches next I think. Uhmm are we going to the witches next?"
In the morning Hozs and his Miss Squeaker go through their katas, drawing his focus and centering his spirit* under the Ancient's boughs.
Once packed the horse driver makes his best guess as to the direction of the gingerbread house. Taking a long last look at the tree, he follows the rest of the group.
Night: Faldor holds out a rope from his pack and closes his eyes and lets it go. Flying up it ties itself to a branch and with a bit of effort Faldor makes his way to the top. As Faldor figured the rest would be far more tired then he would so taking first watch Faldor takes the cahnce to begin composing a song about what they have encountered so far.
Morning: Looking through the rations he finds something worth breaking his fast with and shares it with Jahn.
"I believe he has a map that should help us.... Though I can never remember how to find north without a road at my feet."
Raph snatches the signet ring. "Interesting... I wonder who it belongs to."
Possibly.
Knowledge Local DC 15-
Raph can't seem to think of who it belongs to.
In the morning, Raph's stomach grumbles mightily. "Urgh.. Perchance, does anyone have anything to eat? I didn't know this was going to be an overnight affair..."
Jaden throws one of the rations to Raph
"This one is not to bad. I heated it up for you, it is not fine food, but it will fill you."
The team suppliments their rations with a couple of Wyrm steaks that would fetch quite a price in a fancy establishment, then they pack up their campsite and proceed to move on. Taking a westward tack, they hope to reach the Hag's Hut sometime today.
Within an hour of leaving the camp area the group is stumbling through some thick overgrowth and not making very good time. The party happens upon a dead tree with a thick, dried multicolored stain coating the trunk. Moving around to the other side of the dead tree reveals three Fairy-type of creatures, pinned to the tree's trunk and drained of all blood judging by their appearance. Their bodies seem to have taken on the form of gnarled wood and become one with the dead tree.
Keegan and Effan both identify the Fairies as Keld Piskies. Why they are here and in this state is a mystery.
"Oh, the wonderful sights I see with you."
Faldor eyes the fey bodies and gives them a small prayer. A feeling as his parents may have just died washes over him but is put out of his mind knowing there noeses or no where near the size of his families.
Raph squints in disgust. "Oh, my..."
Effan staggers back from the sight. "Who would do this?"
He thinks for a bit, then concentrates hard, muttering under his breath and staring slowly around the site.
Effan staggers back from the sight. "Who would do this?"
He thinks for a bit, then concentrates hard, muttering under his breath and staring slowly around the site.
There is a residual magic aura in the area but it is extremely faint and isn't enough to get an idea of the spell or even school involved. Faldor seems to recall a piece of song....
a feyfolk's blood, cold and dead
upon a brick of purest lead
when mixed with reagents, herbs and mold
produce a brick of finest gold.....
The rest of the song is lost to age and a certain young lassy who distracted the fine bard with her sultry advances....
Faldor begins to hum after his little prayer but his eyes alight, "I believe someone bled them for a folk-tale recipe for gold. The treasure lust of some people."
...The fey in general usually like to dissipate into the air, earth and water naturally when they pass but these have been transmuted to become part of the tree. As such they are not really in any form that can be separated from the dead tree.[/ooc]
...
Is the tree recently dead or does it seem to be related to the fey deaths?
Hozs does not like the looks of this. "Miss Squeeker, help me scout the area?"
...The fey in general usually like to dissipate into the air, earth and water naturally when they pass but these have been transmuted to become part of the tree. As such they are not really in any form that can be separated from the dead tree.[/ooc]
...Is the tree recently dead or does it seem to be related to the fey deaths?
Hozs does not like the looks of this. "Miss Squeeker, help me scout the area?"
The tree looks to have died from the defiled fey blood and subsequent spiking of them into the tree....
You could try cutting them out and burning the wood to release them into nature, burying them would be a much, much longer process of renewal as the wood would need to decompose fully to release the feys' spirit energy but would eventually do the trick also...
"uhmmm. I do not have an axe, but we should help the wee folk die." Hozs pulls out his carving knife and begins to free the... uhmmm corpses?
"Gah. This is a waste of time. We should hurry lest the town be reduced to a haunted ruin while we are away."
"Hors, I know you want to help the wood fok find rest, but if we do not hurry, we will be laying more to the dirt."
Effan tries to help Hozs by tugging at the little bodies, apologizing to them and explaining that he only means to free them. He quickly gives up. "Hozs, it's hopeless. They're part of the tree now. The others are right. We must hurry on."
"May I please see the map for a moment?"
The numbers on the map are as follows:
1. is the Main Logging camp
2. is the suspected location of the Eldest Tree
3. is the Ulizmila's Hut (the witch)
4. is the old dwarven ruins
The numbers on the map are as follows:
1. is the Main Logging camp
2. is the suspected location of the Eldest Tree
3. is the Ulizmila's Hut (the witch)
4. is the old dwarven ruins
So are you guys moving on or sticking around to try to work on the Dead Fey Tree?
"Hozs-- Galdor, Jaden and Raphel are right. We can come back for the fey. And we've got to hurry for the sake of the Hollow."