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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 556548" data-attributes="member: 1210">Into the Spicewoods!Heading into the Spicewoods the party finds that their visibility is limited by the thick foliage.  The heady scents of the place are almost overpowering.  The dappled sunlight that penetrates the boughs seems mild and cool, and the air is kept still by the thick branches on all sides.  Shrubs and small plants are everywhere and the flowers of summer add splashes of color periodically as the group advances.The first location they know was attacked is some six miles inside the boundaries of the forest, due north from town.  The group heads that direction, alert for signs of trouble.  They find themselves at a zone that has been cleared of vegetation.  A few stumps remain at ground level, cut evenly.  “Stupid Law,” mutters the L.  There’s no sign of the formians, however.“You know,” Angel suggests, “we could try to summon some formians and see if they know anything helpful.”“Yeah, right,” Lester answers.  “And I’ll bet as soon as we did the other ones would know we’re coming.”The group starts to head towards the other location.  They’ve only gone about a half mile when they spot two huge plants that seem oddly symmetrical, with every leaf in a perfect pattern- and they’re moving.  Lester turns to the Mayor.  “Here,” he says, handing over one of his swords.  “As long as this is in your hand, you can fly- it’s the Airsword.”  Then he channels the powers of elemental earth and an arm of rock and earth springs into being at his side, where the one he’s missing should be.  The party attacks, being suspicious of anything that looks too orderly under the circumstances.  Lester’s wings lift him up as he tosses a fireball at the plants, Horbin fires a searing light towards them, and Zeebo takes to the air with the sword, firing a ball of flame from the wand of fireballs that the group looted from Cluma.  Angel rushes forward, taking a smashing blow from one of the plants as he does so, and hacks mightily at it.  Lester dives at one of the plants, dodging its attack as he moves through its reach, slashing with Felix Optima Maxima.  The discordant sound of his chaotic energy rings around them as he hits his lawful foe.  Angel stands his ground and hews at the enemy, batting aside its counterstrikes.  Lester isn’t so lucky- the perfect plant creature slams into him and grabs him, trying to draw him into its substance.  Horbin fires another blast of light at the plants, then screams, “They’re regenerating!”  He follows this with a roaring column of white flame, striking down from above, then invokes Dexter’s favor on himself and moves in with his mace.  Zeebo wobbles up a little higher in the air, unused to the sword’s mode of flight.  He casts a slow spell at the thrashing plants, but to no avail- they seem able to resist his magic.  He curses inwardly, moves up some more, and hurls magical arrows dripping acid once, twice, thrice... all for naught.  His magic can’t penetrate their resistance!  Meanwhile, Lester struggles free of the creature’s maw, cutting at it with Felix Optima Maxima.  It grabs him again immediately, and again he manages to fight free.  Then he strikes a mighty blow, the familiar sound of his chaotic energy echoing through the woods, and the first plant shudders to a halt- but Horbin can see it’s still moving.  Lester swoops in to aid Angel, who is standing stoutly and swinging like a woodcutter with her curved falchion, and even as the warrior of chaos moves in the one on Angel falls.  But almost immediately it repairs itself enough to attack again.  With a snarl, the fiery Coila-worshiper smashes it down again.  “Stay down!” he shouts at it.Zeebo lands and starts frantically building a fire, then glances at the one that Horbin hit with a flame strike and sees that the fire damage, too, is regenerating.  He curses aloud, then notes that where the cleric has joined the fight with his mace he seems to be doing more irreparable damage.  Blunt damage, the mayor realizes, and moves in to aid Horbin.  Soon the plants are smashed to pieces, destroyed beyond repair.  Wiping the sweat from their brows, the group looks at each other.  They have fought their first battle together from start to finish and it bodes well for their success.   But by now dusk is falling; it’s time to head back to Ifthonia for a good night’s sleep and to meet back up with Sybele and Orbius.</blockquote>

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