Last Stand of the Dorinthians (Chapter 3 - The Imperials)

[Kobold Stew]

Danica stands there, listening to the description. When she worked as a messenger, her habit had always been to avoid forest spirits and fey--give them room, and they don't bother you had been her cautious assessment.

She stands there with a cool wind blowing past, her rat poking its nose out of a small pocket in her backpack.

"I don't suppose we want to just go around all this...?" she asks with a smile across her face.

 

[Fenris]

"Not as long as there are Dorinthians in there, no" replies Dartis to Danica.


"Barok, is the way into the valley easily on the far side? In any case I think that may be an easier way in. If the malevolence is less or absent from that side as you sensed, we may get farther into the valley with less risk." suggests Dartis

 

[hafrogman]

Ventus watched and waited in silence for Barok's return. When the Dorinthian came back to the group, Ventus was able to breathe a little easier. If he had fallen prey to the music's lure, it would have been difficult to earn any trust. As it was, Ventus was relieved that the song and the woman and her tree were all still as he had seen them. He had half begun to doubt his own sanity.

He listens to the Dorinthians discussing the approach, and the description of the second glade piques his interest.

"It is good that at least one captive still remains. It means that she has not simply killed them all since I was here last. The second area seems of interest. Tell me, was it surrounded by the same strange grass as the other tree? The song is bait to draw prey near, but it seemed as if the grass itself is what was holding your kinsmen captive."

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Barok remembers seeing grass, but not as tall and wild as that in the first glade.

 

[Kobold Stew]

"I don't suppose anyone has any beeswax we could use in our ears? Or perhaps when we get to the top we should tie ourselves together? Spells like these often work to reduce the will of an individual--as a group, we might be okay."

Danica shrugs as she says this -- she is guessing, but wants to be helpful.

 

[Nephtys]

ooc: Did Barok find an easier way in?

"We can't fight this creature all bound up together. But blocking our ears might work I suppose, the enchantment felt stronger the closer I got to the singing. Guess I should have tried holding my hands over my ears, we can try that once we get up there and decide then wether we want to stuff mud into our ears.
But I think we should take a closer look at the other glade, if this thing has enemies or disappointed relatives it could be helpful to us. And if they too turn out to be hostile to men at least their lawn looked less feral."

 

[Kobold Stew]

Danica nods, her eyebrows thrust up in mock despair. How does one attack killer grass? she wonders.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Barok leads the party the long way down the hill, around the base of the raised earth, and up and over a smaller hill away from the twisted grove. Only a third of a mile from the grove with the trapped Dorinthians lies another grove, this one with three large oak trees in the middle, the tallest being the center one. The grass is wild and comes up to your ankles, but doesn't seem threatening. You are about 100 feet from the oaks when you see a mountain lion rise up from where it was resting at the base of the trees and pace back and forth, watching you warily and with a surprising amount of intelligence.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Danica notices the large cat, and anticipates a charge, and starts to walk towards it. She leaves her crossbow at her hip, but she extends the pinky of her left hand, the rest of which is in a fist. She will walk up to fifty feet.

[OOC: readied action, if the mountain lion should charge or attack, cast ray of enfeeblement.]

 

[Fenris]

Dartis starts to reach for his bow, but the strange actions of the puma, along with the light of intelligence in its eye makes him hold for a moment. His martial urges push him to draw, yet he fights it, telling himslef that here thye were dealing with fey and fairies. He wished they had Alexander with them.

As Danica advances, Dartis keeps a careful watch on her, the puma and the large oaks.