Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Softwind" data-source="post: 1368148" data-attributes="member: 13893">Turnip – Root of EvilSession 34 (Oct 03)  [Part one]“All right.  So we’re in th’ middle of a forest turned swamp.  Strange creatures wander th’ woods, and all normal animals are notable in their absence.  The weather is too hot and wet for this time o’ year, and has been for months, accordin’ to th’ folk in town.  The townsfolk are starvin’ but too stubborn tae leave the area. And…“ Brynn lets the word linger in the air, “We have a hermit who may, er may not, be a druid, and may, er may not, be causin’ all this.”  He looks over the gathered party members.  “So where we go from here?”  The Companions look at each other, thinking their own thoughts.  Athena pipes up, “We need to find out whatever is causing this, and right it, somehow.  It’s your teaching that tells me that.” She nods at Brynn, her mentor in the ways of the ranger.  “It’s just a matter of figuring out where to start.”Brynn turns to Genoa.  “This is in yer area of expertice.  Since yer a druid, you might know this.  Can a druid cause all this?” His gesture takes in the sky and forest.“Yyyyyeessss.  Yes, I’d say that it would be within a druid’s power to alter the weather.  Perhaps even call these creatures here.  But,” her voice quavers, almost wailing, “I don’t know wwhhyyyy.  It goes against all I know and hold dear.  All that the man who adopted me, and whom I called father, stood for…” She lapses into silence.  Brynn lays a comforting hand on her shoulder.  “Genoa,” he asks, quieter, “Can you track a druid, if he or she has been in these woods?”“No.”“No?” Brynn is surprised.  “Why not?”“The very same reason you could not track me, if I chose not to leave marks of my passage.  A druid is attuned to all that is natural around her.  If she wishes to leave no trace, she does not.  The same goes for this hermit, whom I believe is a druid as well.  I have seen no evidence of his being here, but his touch is evident on these woods.  That touch is faltering though, as if nothing strengthens it any longer.  Almost as if he has left this area…” She lapses into silence.“Hunh.  Okay.  We’ll just have to hope we stumble onto where he holed up then.”“If I may,” Daladariel raises his hand.  “I speak for myself, and perhaps others here, when I request rest.  At least some time to refresh my mind, and memorize spells used recently.”“Ah, of course, of course.  My apologies, Mage.  Okay, we rest now, and think of how to locate this druid.”  Brynn sets the perimeter for his Alarm spell, and resting his back against a tree, sets watch.  Daladariel lays down to rest, secure in the knowledge that he is watched over.  The hours pass uneventfully, albeit uncomfortably in the heat and humidity.  While she waits, Genoa decides to cast Speak with Plants, in the hope that the trees may have seen something noteworthy.  Brynn and the animals watch as a noise like wind through leaves comes from her mouth, and a similar sound comes from the tree she speaks to, even as no breeze disturbs the plants.  She whispers “Thank you,” and casts Increased Growth upon the area, to speed recovery.She returns to Brynn’s side, and discusses what she has learned.  Tombit, Skylar and Athena wander over to listen, while the elven mage remains in his reverie.  Genoa describes the impressions she gathered from the local plant life, of a figure that takes up residence some distance from here, tending the trees.  The trees had not seen this man in some time, but gave Genoa a direction to direct her searches.  The Companions mull this over, and wait on the wizard to “awaken”.He does so soon, and after refreshing his mind and memorizing spells, indicates readiness to continue. He is filled in on what Genoa has learned, as the party moves southward.  They come up on a rutted road, made by woodcutters and trappers, and follow it some distance before Brynn halts the party.  The dwarf points to marks in the moist soil, his finger following the trail left by something that moved into the shelter of nearby trees – the trail branching at some point, and separating to both sides of the road.Brynn holds his finger up to his lips, indicating silence, and moves quietly forward, eyes focused on the point where the trail separates.  He follows one branch as it disappears at the base of a tree.  Looking closer, he realizes the tree has two trunks.  He motions for Genoa to join him, and as she does, he whispers, “Can you Speak with Plants that second trunk?” he points.“Aye.”  Again, the wind-through-leaves sound.  In a moment, the druid’s face is lined in panic.  “All it is interested in is food.”  “And?”  “And, we’re on the menu!”“Wha-?” The rangers further words are cut off as a vine lashes out and latches around his waist, jerking him from his feet and drawing him in.His party rushes in, attempting to free him and fight off whatever has got a hold of him.  Tombit shimmies up a tree, to look for others that might be hiding in the area.  Athena and Skylar reach the creature, just in time to be attacked by it.  Athena feels her arms pinned to her side, and being lifted into the air.  Skylar receives the broadside of a wooden tendril, knocking her back a step.“Oh no you don’t!” Tombit yells, as he fires his crossbow into the main body of the creature. His small bolts seem to have minimal affect on the creature as it continues to crush the cleric in its grasp.  “Well, crap!”  He looks around frantically, trying to find anything that might help, and spies a second creature crossing the road towards them.  “Double crap.  Incoming!” he shouts to those below.“I’m on it… er, as soon as this thing lets go a’ me!” Brynn grunts, trying to bring his blades to bear on his captor.  He succeeds in driving the points into a joint between tendril and trunk, causing the appendage to spasm and dropping him the short distance to the forest floor.  He nimbly ducks beneath the counter-strikes as he heads off the second creature.  He passes Daladariel, who is casting Magic Missile, sending four arcane projectiles towards the first target.  The impact allows Athena to free her arm wielding the mace, and she puts it to good use, smashing it against the creature.The plant beast turns towards Daladariel, Athena still in its grasp.  Tombit shrugs, and leaps from the tree, landing with claws outstretched.  A quick slash, and he leaps off its “back”, landing in the mire, tumbling aside, dodging the return attack.  Daladariel is not as successful, as he is grappled by the creature, his wind being crushed from him.  “Hurnh! Get *wheeze* this *wheeze* off me!”  Suddenly, a dire wolf appears in front of him, and flashing a wolfy grin, proceeds to do just that; grasping the offending limb in her jaws, the druid-turned-wolf prys it from around the mage.   “Blech,” Genoa tries to spit out the taste of the sap coating her mouth.  She gives the plant creature a dirty look.“Okay, Grim, here’s your chance.  Yaaah!” Skylar screams as she brings the axe down upon the crown of the second creature, that thus-far Brynn had held at bay.  As the blade bites deep, a colorful flash momentarily illuminates the creature, and its tendrils go limp.  Panting, Brynn looks over at Skylar.  “Is it dead?”“I’m not sure.”  The elven archer looks at her axe.  “What’d you do?” She only receives a feeling of smugness as her reply.  Skylar looks back at Brynn, and shrugs.  “Beats me.”  She is forestalled by the appearance of Athena at her side, a grim look on her face.  Open-handed, the cleric touches the plant creature, and intones the words of a spell.  “That’s a healing spell,” Skylar thinks, then reconsiders. “No, that’s a healing spell, backwards… an anti-healing spell?  Can she *do*that??”  As the plant creature topples over, killed by the spell, Skylar admits the possibility that Athena can, indeed, “do that.”</blockquote>

Verification