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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Softwind" data-source="post: 1381816" data-attributes="member: 13893">Lots of death, followed by a small saladSession 35 (Nov 03)  With much of the night still to pass, the Companions bed down again. Genoa casts Nature’s Rampart, enshrouding the party in an easily defensible barrier of moats and earthworks. Thus reassured, she settles into a patch of somewhat dry leaves, and slips into sleep. Daladariel stays up, both to finish out his interrupted shift, and because he nervously anticipates the next ‘tree attack’. His incessant muttering of “the trees, the trees. They’re out there, the trees,” keeps Skylar from dropping into reverie, so she contents herself by taking watch with the distraught mage.  “Rather nervous fellow, isn’t he?” her battleaxe comments. “Hush, Grim. Leave the poor man alone. He’s not used to the adventuring life, yet. Give him some time, I’m sure he’ll grow accustomed to the things we take for granted.” “Yer assumin’ he lives long enough…” “That’s enough, Grim! Now hush, and let me listen. We don’t want any more surprises.” To her surprise, the axe falls silent.  “Skylar?” “Yes, Daladariel?” “You see that movement over there?” Skylar looks into the night, the direction the wizard points. “Rather dark. Hard to see anything. What did you see?” Without answering, the wizard loads his crossbow with a bolt, and casts “Light” upon it. In the glow of the enchanted projectile, he sees Skylar’s eyebrow raise, as she indicates the crossbow. “Erm, Gotien, my master, suggested there are times that magic will not be the answer. He taught me some basics with this weapon. It seems as good a time as any to use it. Now, let’s lighten up the area.” He fires the bolt into a tree some distance away, the golden glow it emits revealing a patch of ground and undergrowth. “There *was* something there, I swear to you.” “I believe you. In this place, anything is possible. Trees walking, vegetables eating you….” She rubs at the faint scars on her leg. “I’ll be glad when this is done, and we can get back to a normal forest.” “I much prefer a library myself… Wait! There!” With a few quick syllables, he launches a sickly green bolt of energy, striking a darker shadow lingering near the light-enchanted bolt. At the shadows inhuman shriek, he shouts a warning to the sleeping party, and prepares to cast again. Genoa, awoken by the first casting, and prepared to tackle the mage again if he launched another fire-based spell into the woods, damp or no damp, instead turns her attention to rousing her party upon hearing the mage’s cry of alarm. As she moves from person to person, Skylar fires several arrows into the darkness, hearing a satisfying Thunk as they hit her target. Brynn calls the animals to himself, and runs with them to engage the enemy, now revealed in the flickering light. Before he can reach this latest threat, the air fills with an orange mist that sears at his throat and burns his eyes and nose. Brynn coughs, sucking in more of the tainted air, and narrowly avoids collapsing into a retching ball. His dwarven constitution fights to purge him of the toxin, as he pulls in more with each breath. The animals fare no better, rubbing at tearing eyes, crying piteously with discomfort. Loyal to their friends, however, they stay by Brynn’s side, and follow him as he makes his way to the source of the cloud. “Plants, plants, it’s always PLANTS in this place…” The orange cloud briefly parts before him, and he sees the source of the nauseating gas. A floating squid shaped mobile compost heap is the first thing that comes to mind. Brynn isn’t sure if the stench emanating from its location is the smell of the forest-turned-swamp, the orange gas, or the creature itself.  “Either way,” he grunts, “Time to take out the trash.” With a yell, and a barely suppressed cough from the intake of the gas, he brings his long sword and short sword into play, slashing the creature several times. Taking their cue from him, both animals leap into the fray. Under the combined assault of all three, the creature is killed. Stepping back, as the orange mist dissipates; Brynn can see the arrow shafts and acid marks marring the surface of the creature. “A joint effort. Ah well, we still did our fair share, didn’t we lads?” He scratches Karazak behind his ears. And his world becomes painful again, as a green cloud overtakes his position. Whereas before, the gas merely irritated sensitive parts, this cloud sizzles with menace as it starts dissolving soft materials. Exposed skin, leather, cloth – even his beard begins to fail against this attack. “Not. Me. BEARD!” he shouts. “Now ye’ve made me mad!” Using the pain of his dissolving skin to fuel his anger, he casts one of his few spells to form a wall of wind, giving him respite from the acid. The animals, blinded by the pain, stumble about, crying for surcease from the pain. At the camp, Daladariel casts Invisibility upon himself, gibbering about walking plants. Tombit rushes to a nearby tree and scales it, hiding behind the wilted leaves. Genoa casts Gust of Wind, and directs it to clear a pathway to the creature in the distance; a creature with every appearance of being a giant Venus flytrap. While she clears some of the area, those around her are not so lucky, as the cloud continues to spread, engulfing the party members, subjecting them to the acid. Athena stumbles away from the direction of the creature, and manages to leave the cloud as well. Daladariel is not so lucky in escape, and becomes badly injured by it, finding healing potions just in time. Eyes squeezed mostly shut, Tombit spends a few moments burying his prized treasures – the “boogieman” hair, his cat hat, and his bone dice - in a convenient spot of mud before making his way out of the acid cloud. By following the cries of the animals, Skylar locates Brynn’s Wall of Air, and in so doing, is able to lead the animals to its relative safety as well. She spots Brynn just as he steps back into the noxious fumes, heading for their source. From outside the perimeter of the cloud, Genoa casts a Wall of Wind as well, stretching it towards the creature, providing a corridor of clean air. Through the mists, she sees Brynn stagger into the area, straighten up, and move quickly in the direction the Maneater was last seen. Upon his heels, Karazak follows, his once-proud coat mottled by acid burns. “Wind’s messin’ up my direction sense. You know where it is, boy?”The mountain lion puts his nose in the air, sniffing the wind, but is unable to reliably track the scent of the monstrous plant creature. He growls in frustration, and looks to Brynn for directions. The ranger strokes the cat’s head, in sympathy and understanding. “That’s alright, boy, you tried. We’ll just have tae do this by trial-n-error.” Further words are forestalled when Genoa steps into the corridor, followed by Timber. “This end’s getting’ kinda crowded, methinks.” The druid nods agreement. “Best I figure, the creature is still that way*” She points. “My Wall will last a bit longer. Let’s use it to find that thing!” “Cough, cough. I agree.” Daladariel staggers, almost tripping, into the cleared space, his clothing (or what’s left of it) hanging in rags about his body. The mage’s skin is ruddy red, and in some places bleeding sluggishly. Brynn has to move quick to get under him as he almost faints. “Hey there, lad, don’ be doing that noo. Genoa, can you? Ah, Athena. ATHENA. Quick, the mage needs your help!” Athena, herself not looking too well, lays hands upon the wizard, and watches in satisfaction as his color improves, and his acid-induced abrasions heal. Daladariel regains his feet, with a quick “Thank you” to both cleric and ranger. The winds whip away the last of his robe, leaving him bare to the world. He makes no note of this as he scans the area, looking for a target to cast on. He doesn’t have to wait long before vines reach out from the cloud beyond, into the clear area, and wrap themselves around his waist, and around Brynn and Genoa.</blockquote>

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