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Story Hour
The Thorns of Winter -(updated 8/1/2023)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nthal" data-source="post: 8269114" data-attributes="member: 6971069"><p><h2 style="text-align: center"></h2> <h2 style="text-align: center">Caught between a rock…5/9/2021</h2><p></p><p></p><p>The cat finished washing its face and stood again. It seemed to be surveying the band looking at each one, vocalizing in soft trills as it did so. Then it moved back to the entrance to their hidden cave and waited patiently for someone to mov. When none of the group made a move, it flexed its wings and paced in front of them, with the sound of a low growl.</p><p></p><p>“What is it doing?” Doxx whispered.</p><p></p><p>“I think it can hear you,” Sage remarked.</p><p></p><p>In a normal voice, “Well it can’t understand us, so what is it doing?”</p><p></p><p>“I think it wants us to follow it,” Adrissa said kneeling down. The cat responded and trotted over and immediately bunted her on the knee, purring as it did so.</p><p></p><p>“I think it <strong><em>can </em></strong>understand us.” Bookshelf said rubbing his chin. “I remember that familiars can certainly understand their master…or mistress in this case. But most of them are…well normal beasts. I have never heard of a winged cat though.”</p><p></p><p>At the utterance ‘dumb beasts’ the cat turned and looked at Bookshelf, flattened its ears and growled. It then finished nuzzling Adrissa’s legs, and then scampered towards the entrance again.</p><p></p><p>“Well, whether it does understand us, I am not a fan of following it in the dark,” The Blade said. “It’s not that I don’t trust it outright, but I don’t trust it because it can’t answer questions.”</p><p></p><p>Rosa had been quiet for a little bit murmuring under her breath. She then moved forward toward the cat and then addressed it, “So…you’re Myrai’s familiar? Right?”</p><p></p><p>The cat trilled in response. The others had heard a cat meow before, but the strange sound it made wasn’t familiar to most of them. But to Rosa the trilling was far more informative.</p><p></p><p>“His name is Gossamer,” Rosa said. “And I’m to tell the slender warforged that it indeed can understand us…all of us.”</p><p></p><p>“That’s interesting—,” started Bookshelf before Sage interrupted, “—Pardon did it actually say warforged?</p><p></p><p>Rosa nodded, “It did actually…that’s a first. Usually when an animal refers to a warforged, they called it something like ‘tree thing person” or ‘rock thing person.’ But if this one understands language, it must have heard the term. It’s very smart.”</p><p></p><p>The cat gave a plaintive meow followed by more trilling.</p><p></p><p>“Its…species is called ‘tressym’ and…it does it wants us to follow him. It appears that Myrai is trapped, by a pair of Vegepygmies.”</p><p></p><p>“It said that?” Doxx said in a light tone of disbelief.</p><p></p><p>“Yes…it actually said vegepygmies. And…while she was not exactly safe when he left, and she’s…not well.” Rosa continued as the cat vocalized with other sounds.</p><p></p><p>“Blind?” Mobad asked, looking at the cat with interest.</p><p></p><p>“No…yes…more than that, she’s sick somehow. Exhausted?” Rosa chuckled a moment, “And Gossamer is not a healer so asking him for an opinion is pointless.”</p><p></p><p>The Blade nodded, “Of course it points out the obvious. It may not be a cat, but it has a lot in common.”</p><p></p><p>Rosa blushed a moment, “Well…it seems that tressym can breed with cats, but he would like you to please stay on topic and follow him.”</p><p></p><p>The Blade shrugged, “Well, we know that there are only two of them, that shouldn’t be a problem. Even if they are big ones.”</p><p></p><p>Gossamer trilled again and Rosa then said, “Yes he can count, yes two of them, and yes they are big ones.”</p><p></p><p>Sage fastened his armblade onto his arm. “Well then, this sounds like a bad fairy tale, but let’s go save the girl.” And the group crawled out of the cave with Doxx in the rear muttering, “Oh like its going to be that straightforward.”</p><p></p><p>Outside, the low hanging clouds were lit up of with the dim light of the moons, lcasting everything in a dim shadowy light. Streams of lightning coursed through the air every few moments, with the occasional rumble of thunder. The wind was blowing again, now cool and damp in the night air, and the tree branches, many still bare of leaves, clattered together. Gossamer now leapt up into the air, and his wings caught the air; with his rear legs and tail trailing straight behind him, and his front paws tucked under its chest, as it meowed again.</p><p></p><p>“He says, she maybe a half day travel ahead, by the edge of the stream by a large finger of rock,” Rosa told the group.</p><p></p><p>“I know that place!” Adrissa said excitedly and she looked at Gossamer who was swooping around them in the air. “The rock is what, bigger than him? “and pointed at the juggernaut Sage, “And has three smaller ones surrounding its base? Right?”</p><p></p><p>Rosa smiled at the sounds of the cat’s purr, “He says that’s the place.”</p><p></p><p>“Come on then,” Adrissa said as she and the cat led them along the stream.</p><p></p><p>“Great; now we are following a girl and a cat,” Doxx muttered.</p><p></p><p>Sage looked at the old woman, “You want to lead?”</p><p></p><p>Doxx scrunched their face like they had bit into a sour lemon. “If I did, you all would <strong><em>still </em></strong>follow them.”</p><p></p><p>Despite the dim conditions, the travel along the creek was eased by Adrissa’s knowledge of the area. While they knew that it would be a while before they reached the stone, they hurried as best they could. As they continued, it was clear that Adrissa knew the land very well. This was her backyard in a way, and her familiarity was a comfort to the group, who were worried enough about patrols. Having Adrissa lead the way allowed them to focus on other threats that might be lurking the darkness. However, none appeared, and they found themselves climbing up a small rise when they heard a dull pounding sound ahead of them. Causing the tressym to trill again.</p><p></p><p>“The rock is on the other side, and it sounds like they are still pounding it.” Rosa whispered to the group.</p><p></p><p>“Its going to be hard to fight in the dark,” Sage noted.</p><p></p><p>“I will take care of lighting the field,” Bookshelf said, letting his unlit driftglobe loose to fly in the air above him.</p><p></p><p>“Well then,” Sage said as he adjusted his shield, and walked up the side with his barrier in front of him, and his arm blade at the ready. The others followed in the juggernaut’s wake, each preparing their weapons in anticipation of combat. Once they crested the top of the rise, they could finally see the rock.</p><p></p><p>It stood in the center of a clearing, a gray finger of stone, easily twice the height of Sage, with three smaller stones clustered at the base, and a scattering of rock and moss at the base. Lighting coursing through the sky illuminated the rock, casting flashing shadows in all directions. Circling the stone were a pair of Vegepygmies, but if the term was inappropriate to the hulks before, it was even less now. The pair that stalked the stone would easily tower over Sage, and their prodigious bulk were easily twice of the hulks they faced before.</p><p></p><p>“By the Sovereigns,” Doxx muttered, “How big do these things get?”</p><p></p><p>“Where is Myrai Gossamer?” Rosa asked, and a single silent meow was the answer, causing Rosa to pull herself short before saying, “Inside…the stone?”</p><p></p><p>Adrissa turned and looked at the group, “That doesn’t make sense; that stone is…well solid stone.”</p><p></p><p>Rosa listened to the tressym’s chattering sound and looked at the warforged, “She used magic to enter it somehow. And just as she finished, the pair charged her and the stone. But it should be almost up.”</p><p></p><p>“Can you talk to Myrai now?” Bookshelf asked. After a quiet moment, a single low meow was the response.</p><p></p><p>"She’s alive but she’s…not making sense,” Rosa responded after conferring with Gossamer.</p><p></p><p>“Doesn’t matter,” Mobad said clutching his axe in his meaty hands. “They bleed, we freeze and burn, we can kill them.” And without waiting the orc started to run down to the clearing. After a quick glance at each other, Sage, Adrissa and Doxx followed the charging orc, with Rosa and The Blade close behind. As he built up speed the orc bellowed and burst into the clearing. Using a nearby stone for leverage he heaved his bulk into the air and gripped his axe with both hand intending to cut the colossal vegepygmie into two.</p><p></p><p>The axe found its mark, and cut down into the thing’s chest, spraying Mobad with an acrid smelling substance. The orc roared in pain, as he swung again in time with Sage who ignited his armblade and cut across the back of the monstrosity’s legs, and then flinging the flame against the second one, who pounded futilely against Sage’s shield. The juggernaut looked small compared to their bulk, but stood resolutely against the pounding, as flickers of magic surrounded him. But he growled as Mobad’s second cut sprayed them both with caustic fluid.</p><p></p><p>“Their blood is laced with something,” Sage yelled as the sudden light of the driftglobe illuminated the rock. As he yelled, Doxx swung their staff and struck his opponent, causing another spray of fluid to erupt and covering the trio. “Well beating it doesn’t help,” the old woman said between her teeth, clenched in pain.</p><p></p><p>“Then cut them down fast!” Adrissa yelled, slashing at the colossus’ legs with a pair of short swords, cutting deep into their calves as she continued to run past. The cuts sprayed everywhere, and Adrissa screamed as she was covered with the sickly green fluid. And likewise the others winced as well as the caustic mist covered them. As she ran, she was struck by a claw like appendage, causing her to stumble and almost lose her footing.</p><p></p><p>“Maybe if we puncture it!” The Blade said, and he fired a pair of arrows into one of them. Both sank deep into the flesh of the vegecolossus, and again more fluid sprayed forth, drenching Sage, Doxx and Mobad, all of whom grunted as the liquid burned flesh, metal and wood alike. Adrissa was just out of range of the deluge, and she rolled away keeping it that way.</p><p></p><p>“I don’t think that helped,” Rosa said her hands moving. Around Sage a warm green light appeared, and some of the burns from the acid started to dissipate. At the same time a warm yellow light surrounded Adrissa, her wounds closing.</p><p></p><p>Sage yelled. “We need to separate them and keep your distance.”</p><p></p><p>Bookshelf heedless of the danger continued his chant, and then with a snap of their fingers, hurled a white ball of snow and ice toward the monstrous pair. It detonated into a blast of ice and rime covering both. As it did so, the frozen fibrous flesh fell away, and hurled slush like streams of liquid on Sage, Doxx and Mobad again, while Adrissa rolled and scrambled farther out of range.</p><p></p><p>“Stop that, or I break you!” Mobad roared, as he glared at the slender warforged in the distance. Seething he moved from the stone, and pulled a short slender shaft with a iron tip and flung it at his foe, while Sage too backed up away from his own. Each of them responded to their respective assailant and pursued, with only the sound of their heavy footsteps on the earth. Running by the pair, Doxx then spun and flames erupted from his hands and he seared it, without getting within its reach. He continued to run and got in front of Mobad.</p><p></p><p>Adrissa grimaced and dropped her sword, and drew her bow, firing an arrow deep into the flank of Mobad’s opponent. Another arrow from The Blade sank deep into it, as she shot again, as did The Blade. But the colossal vegepygmie turned, and charged at the small girl, lifting both fists into the air and brought them down upon her, and she collapsed onto the forest floor. It then turned and leaned down and chomped on Mobad on the clavicle, but Mobad wrested free from the jaws of the thing with a grunt and the sound of snapping bone.</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile Sage’s opponent was having far more difficulty getting around the juggernaut’s defenses, as his shield and his magical barriers made it difficult to strike him. Sage then yelled to the rest, “Focus the other one down, I will hold this one.” As he said that, the colossus finally made a sound; a rushing of air and what sounded like creaking wood and splintering. From its mouth erupted a stream of bile and it shook its head to scatter the liquid everywhere. Sage found himself drenched in the poisonous brew, and wavered a moment under the onslaught, before clanging his armblade against his shield. “I am Sage Redoubt, and I will not falter!” the juggernaut yelled in return, before swinging his a flaming blade once again.</p><p></p><p>Bookshelf created one of their frosty beams of light, and it hit Mobad’s colossus square in its back, causing more frozen flesh to slough off. “I don’t have a lot for this situation.” The warforged said mournfully.</p><p></p><p>“Well, my hands are full,” As she waved a hand, and a green mist formed around Adrissa, who shuddered and coughed. And then with a bit more effort a yellow light touched Mobad, causing his wounds to close. “I can’t heal them all at once. And every time we hit them, they hurt us.”</p><p></p><p>The Blade stopped a moment, and then notched an arrow that he had retrieved from the caverns under the Tannoch Ranch. “Well…perhaps a well-aimed shot will do.” And he let loose an arrow, just as Mobad pulled himself out of claw range. The arrow disappeared into the bulk, and there came the sound of a muffled crack. The colossus arched backwards and then lost its balance, landing with a loud thump onto the ground, flat on its back. Mobad wasted no time and leapt on top of the fallen vegecolossus and started to hack away. He ignored the sprays of caustic fluid, as he chopped and hacked with his axed deeply into its torso, almost cleaving it into two.</p><p></p><p>Doxx, then ran back towards Sage, and whirled her staff around her. Then with a flourish, a gout of flames erupted from its tip, igniting the second one into a conflagration of mold and rot. From behind him, Adrissa launched more arrows into its back, as did The Blade. It started to turn to face one of the archers, when Sage pointed his armblade at the overgrown pygmy. Slots opened from his arm, and three siberys dragonshard crystals appeared, and started to spin around his forearm. From the spinning crystals, five bluish white missiles streaked at his foe, each one striking it unerringly in the back. As it turned back to face the juggernaut, a single beam of frosty white light struck the monstrosity, in an already gaping wound. It stepped haltingly towards Sage, and then turned to face the direction that Bookshelf stood. After it took a second step forward it then collapsed and ceased to move as it lay on the earth.</p><p></p><p>Adrissa, sat on the ground and clutched herself in pain and started to cry. Rosa ran forward and touched her, casting some healing magic saying, “You’re fine…you’ll feel better in a moment.”</p><p></p><p>“Like Dolurrh she will!” Doxx stomped over angrily. “You shouldn’t just jump into a fight! At all! What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?”</p><p></p><p>“Doxx—” Rosa started to say, when Adrissa retorted.</p><p></p><p>“—So what? What are you going to do? Tell my dad?” she stood up and confronted the old woman, who backed up in surprise. “You think that shipping me off to Denning is somehow going to make things safe for me?” as she jabbed a finger into the chest of the old woman. “These things killed my friends…<strong><em>skinned</em></strong> my father. And you! You burned down my house, and have the gall to tell me what to do? So what if I die?!? I’ll be out of your ugly face then. Isn’t that what you want? So, shove it and leave me alone!”</p><p></p><p>Bookshelf came up behind Rosa and looked at the girl who looked like she was going to murder Doxx, with that finger stabbing the old woman’s chest. It then made a grinding noise in its throat, getting Adrissa and Doxx’s attention. “I burned down your house. Not Doxx. Sorry.” It said simply as it stood there with its arms limply at its side.</p><p></p><p>Adrissa’s eyes were still full of fury, glared at the warforged and was about to speak, when she bowed her head, and her shoulders slumped. She then said, “I…I understand.” She then turned to look at Doxx and said, “Just leave me alone.” and she stomped over to a tree and leaned against it and slid down and sat on the ground, her head laying on her knees.</p><p></p><p>Rosa stood, and nudged Doxx, “Leave her be. She has enough issues, without you becoming another one. Just let her work it out; and we’ll keep her safe.”</p><p></p><p>Doxx sighed and shrugged, as Mobad, Sage and The Blade approached. “I feel wrong.” Mobad said looking somehow green over his gray complexion.</p><p></p><p>“Those plants are poisonous,” Sage said. “More alarming is that they even exist. Riders, hulks, and …bigger hulks? What else did they make in those warrens?”</p><p></p><p>“Don’t forget mind controlling plants,” The Blade pointed out and asked. “These things are going to be a major problem if they get to a city. These two could easily wipe out city guards. Even professional soldiers.”</p><p></p><p>“All the more reason to get to Denning fast.” Doxx said emphatically.</p><p></p><p>“Well then,” Rosa said, turning to the tressym. “So…how do we get to Myrai?”</p><p></p><p>The cat was trilling again at Rosa when Bookshelf stood in front of the finger of stone. Spreading its arms apart, it started to mutter and then it clapped its hands together. A pulse of energy flashed away from the stone, like a bubble underwater that suddenly appeared, expanded and popped. With that final burst, a form was flung out of the stone and the sound of metal on metal clattered onto the ground.</p><p></p><p>They all rushed to the fallen form, and Doxx gently rolled over the figure onto her back. She lay there breathing shallowly as Rosa knelt next her. She was of medium height, and was dressed in a form fitting bronze breastplate, with a simple layered pattern etched into it. Her leggings were made of leather pieces, stitched together in a random pattern, colored in reds, browns and blacks. Around her waist was a rapier and pouches, while in one arm she had a shield, and the other a dark steel rod topped with a purple stone. Her hair was colored like metallic gold, but it was matted and was covered in dried blood, that clung tightly around her head. Her face was striking, but a quick glance told Rosa, she was not in good health. Her face was almost devoid of color, and her eyes were sunken into their sockets, and her cheeks were hollow. But the one bit of color on her face were the thick rivulets of blood that dripped from the corners of her closed eyes.</p><p></p><p>As she lay there, Gossamer flew down and landed on her breastplate, and then he started to nuzzle her face. The woman didn’t respond as the tressym kept nuzzling. He then turned and looked at the group and gave a single sad mournful meow.</p><p></p><p><strong>Session notes:</strong></p><p>Vegepygmie chiefs and thornies weren't enough. No we needed bigger ones! And more dangerous ones. But that said, the characters were now starting to have a better feel for each other, especially my daughter who played Adrissa.</p><p></p><p>The only technical error was that Rosa should not have been able to talk to a familiar at all, as the find familiar spell changes their type to a "fey, fiend or celestial." But it was ignored. Otherwise I have this image of Gossamer trying to do charades or draw a message in the dirt to terrible results.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nthal, post: 8269114, member: 6971069"] [HEADING=1][CENTER] Caught between a rock…5/9/2021[/CENTER][/HEADING] The cat finished washing its face and stood again. It seemed to be surveying the band looking at each one, vocalizing in soft trills as it did so. Then it moved back to the entrance to their hidden cave and waited patiently for someone to mov. When none of the group made a move, it flexed its wings and paced in front of them, with the sound of a low growl. “What is it doing?” Doxx whispered. “I think it can hear you,” Sage remarked. In a normal voice, “Well it can’t understand us, so what is it doing?” “I think it wants us to follow it,” Adrissa said kneeling down. The cat responded and trotted over and immediately bunted her on the knee, purring as it did so. “I think it [B][I]can [/I][/B]understand us.” Bookshelf said rubbing his chin. “I remember that familiars can certainly understand their master…or mistress in this case. But most of them are…well normal beasts. I have never heard of a winged cat though.” At the utterance ‘dumb beasts’ the cat turned and looked at Bookshelf, flattened its ears and growled. It then finished nuzzling Adrissa’s legs, and then scampered towards the entrance again. “Well, whether it does understand us, I am not a fan of following it in the dark,” The Blade said. “It’s not that I don’t trust it outright, but I don’t trust it because it can’t answer questions.” Rosa had been quiet for a little bit murmuring under her breath. She then moved forward toward the cat and then addressed it, “So…you’re Myrai’s familiar? Right?” The cat trilled in response. The others had heard a cat meow before, but the strange sound it made wasn’t familiar to most of them. But to Rosa the trilling was far more informative. “His name is Gossamer,” Rosa said. “And I’m to tell the slender warforged that it indeed can understand us…all of us.” “That’s interesting—,” started Bookshelf before Sage interrupted, “—Pardon did it actually say warforged? Rosa nodded, “It did actually…that’s a first. Usually when an animal refers to a warforged, they called it something like ‘tree thing person” or ‘rock thing person.’ But if this one understands language, it must have heard the term. It’s very smart.” The cat gave a plaintive meow followed by more trilling. “Its…species is called ‘tressym’ and…it does it wants us to follow him. It appears that Myrai is trapped, by a pair of Vegepygmies.” “It said that?” Doxx said in a light tone of disbelief. “Yes…it actually said vegepygmies. And…while she was not exactly safe when he left, and she’s…not well.” Rosa continued as the cat vocalized with other sounds. “Blind?” Mobad asked, looking at the cat with interest. “No…yes…more than that, she’s sick somehow. Exhausted?” Rosa chuckled a moment, “And Gossamer is not a healer so asking him for an opinion is pointless.” The Blade nodded, “Of course it points out the obvious. It may not be a cat, but it has a lot in common.” Rosa blushed a moment, “Well…it seems that tressym can breed with cats, but he would like you to please stay on topic and follow him.” The Blade shrugged, “Well, we know that there are only two of them, that shouldn’t be a problem. Even if they are big ones.” Gossamer trilled again and Rosa then said, “Yes he can count, yes two of them, and yes they are big ones.” Sage fastened his armblade onto his arm. “Well then, this sounds like a bad fairy tale, but let’s go save the girl.” And the group crawled out of the cave with Doxx in the rear muttering, “Oh like its going to be that straightforward.” Outside, the low hanging clouds were lit up of with the dim light of the moons, lcasting everything in a dim shadowy light. Streams of lightning coursed through the air every few moments, with the occasional rumble of thunder. The wind was blowing again, now cool and damp in the night air, and the tree branches, many still bare of leaves, clattered together. Gossamer now leapt up into the air, and his wings caught the air; with his rear legs and tail trailing straight behind him, and his front paws tucked under its chest, as it meowed again. “He says, she maybe a half day travel ahead, by the edge of the stream by a large finger of rock,” Rosa told the group. “I know that place!” Adrissa said excitedly and she looked at Gossamer who was swooping around them in the air. “The rock is what, bigger than him? “and pointed at the juggernaut Sage, “And has three smaller ones surrounding its base? Right?” Rosa smiled at the sounds of the cat’s purr, “He says that’s the place.” “Come on then,” Adrissa said as she and the cat led them along the stream. “Great; now we are following a girl and a cat,” Doxx muttered. Sage looked at the old woman, “You want to lead?” Doxx scrunched their face like they had bit into a sour lemon. “If I did, you all would [B][I]still [/I][/B]follow them.” Despite the dim conditions, the travel along the creek was eased by Adrissa’s knowledge of the area. While they knew that it would be a while before they reached the stone, they hurried as best they could. As they continued, it was clear that Adrissa knew the land very well. This was her backyard in a way, and her familiarity was a comfort to the group, who were worried enough about patrols. Having Adrissa lead the way allowed them to focus on other threats that might be lurking the darkness. However, none appeared, and they found themselves climbing up a small rise when they heard a dull pounding sound ahead of them. Causing the tressym to trill again. “The rock is on the other side, and it sounds like they are still pounding it.” Rosa whispered to the group. “Its going to be hard to fight in the dark,” Sage noted. “I will take care of lighting the field,” Bookshelf said, letting his unlit driftglobe loose to fly in the air above him. “Well then,” Sage said as he adjusted his shield, and walked up the side with his barrier in front of him, and his arm blade at the ready. The others followed in the juggernaut’s wake, each preparing their weapons in anticipation of combat. Once they crested the top of the rise, they could finally see the rock. It stood in the center of a clearing, a gray finger of stone, easily twice the height of Sage, with three smaller stones clustered at the base, and a scattering of rock and moss at the base. Lighting coursing through the sky illuminated the rock, casting flashing shadows in all directions. Circling the stone were a pair of Vegepygmies, but if the term was inappropriate to the hulks before, it was even less now. The pair that stalked the stone would easily tower over Sage, and their prodigious bulk were easily twice of the hulks they faced before. “By the Sovereigns,” Doxx muttered, “How big do these things get?” “Where is Myrai Gossamer?” Rosa asked, and a single silent meow was the answer, causing Rosa to pull herself short before saying, “Inside…the stone?” Adrissa turned and looked at the group, “That doesn’t make sense; that stone is…well solid stone.” Rosa listened to the tressym’s chattering sound and looked at the warforged, “She used magic to enter it somehow. And just as she finished, the pair charged her and the stone. But it should be almost up.” “Can you talk to Myrai now?” Bookshelf asked. After a quiet moment, a single low meow was the response. "She’s alive but she’s…not making sense,” Rosa responded after conferring with Gossamer. “Doesn’t matter,” Mobad said clutching his axe in his meaty hands. “They bleed, we freeze and burn, we can kill them.” And without waiting the orc started to run down to the clearing. After a quick glance at each other, Sage, Adrissa and Doxx followed the charging orc, with Rosa and The Blade close behind. As he built up speed the orc bellowed and burst into the clearing. Using a nearby stone for leverage he heaved his bulk into the air and gripped his axe with both hand intending to cut the colossal vegepygmie into two. The axe found its mark, and cut down into the thing’s chest, spraying Mobad with an acrid smelling substance. The orc roared in pain, as he swung again in time with Sage who ignited his armblade and cut across the back of the monstrosity’s legs, and then flinging the flame against the second one, who pounded futilely against Sage’s shield. The juggernaut looked small compared to their bulk, but stood resolutely against the pounding, as flickers of magic surrounded him. But he growled as Mobad’s second cut sprayed them both with caustic fluid. “Their blood is laced with something,” Sage yelled as the sudden light of the driftglobe illuminated the rock. As he yelled, Doxx swung their staff and struck his opponent, causing another spray of fluid to erupt and covering the trio. “Well beating it doesn’t help,” the old woman said between her teeth, clenched in pain. “Then cut them down fast!” Adrissa yelled, slashing at the colossus’ legs with a pair of short swords, cutting deep into their calves as she continued to run past. The cuts sprayed everywhere, and Adrissa screamed as she was covered with the sickly green fluid. And likewise the others winced as well as the caustic mist covered them. As she ran, she was struck by a claw like appendage, causing her to stumble and almost lose her footing. “Maybe if we puncture it!” The Blade said, and he fired a pair of arrows into one of them. Both sank deep into the flesh of the vegecolossus, and again more fluid sprayed forth, drenching Sage, Doxx and Mobad, all of whom grunted as the liquid burned flesh, metal and wood alike. Adrissa was just out of range of the deluge, and she rolled away keeping it that way. “I don’t think that helped,” Rosa said her hands moving. Around Sage a warm green light appeared, and some of the burns from the acid started to dissipate. At the same time a warm yellow light surrounded Adrissa, her wounds closing. Sage yelled. “We need to separate them and keep your distance.” Bookshelf heedless of the danger continued his chant, and then with a snap of their fingers, hurled a white ball of snow and ice toward the monstrous pair. It detonated into a blast of ice and rime covering both. As it did so, the frozen fibrous flesh fell away, and hurled slush like streams of liquid on Sage, Doxx and Mobad again, while Adrissa rolled and scrambled farther out of range. “Stop that, or I break you!” Mobad roared, as he glared at the slender warforged in the distance. Seething he moved from the stone, and pulled a short slender shaft with a iron tip and flung it at his foe, while Sage too backed up away from his own. Each of them responded to their respective assailant and pursued, with only the sound of their heavy footsteps on the earth. Running by the pair, Doxx then spun and flames erupted from his hands and he seared it, without getting within its reach. He continued to run and got in front of Mobad. Adrissa grimaced and dropped her sword, and drew her bow, firing an arrow deep into the flank of Mobad’s opponent. Another arrow from The Blade sank deep into it, as she shot again, as did The Blade. But the colossal vegepygmie turned, and charged at the small girl, lifting both fists into the air and brought them down upon her, and she collapsed onto the forest floor. It then turned and leaned down and chomped on Mobad on the clavicle, but Mobad wrested free from the jaws of the thing with a grunt and the sound of snapping bone. Meanwhile Sage’s opponent was having far more difficulty getting around the juggernaut’s defenses, as his shield and his magical barriers made it difficult to strike him. Sage then yelled to the rest, “Focus the other one down, I will hold this one.” As he said that, the colossus finally made a sound; a rushing of air and what sounded like creaking wood and splintering. From its mouth erupted a stream of bile and it shook its head to scatter the liquid everywhere. Sage found himself drenched in the poisonous brew, and wavered a moment under the onslaught, before clanging his armblade against his shield. “I am Sage Redoubt, and I will not falter!” the juggernaut yelled in return, before swinging his a flaming blade once again. Bookshelf created one of their frosty beams of light, and it hit Mobad’s colossus square in its back, causing more frozen flesh to slough off. “I don’t have a lot for this situation.” The warforged said mournfully. “Well, my hands are full,” As she waved a hand, and a green mist formed around Adrissa, who shuddered and coughed. And then with a bit more effort a yellow light touched Mobad, causing his wounds to close. “I can’t heal them all at once. And every time we hit them, they hurt us.” The Blade stopped a moment, and then notched an arrow that he had retrieved from the caverns under the Tannoch Ranch. “Well…perhaps a well-aimed shot will do.” And he let loose an arrow, just as Mobad pulled himself out of claw range. The arrow disappeared into the bulk, and there came the sound of a muffled crack. The colossus arched backwards and then lost its balance, landing with a loud thump onto the ground, flat on its back. Mobad wasted no time and leapt on top of the fallen vegecolossus and started to hack away. He ignored the sprays of caustic fluid, as he chopped and hacked with his axed deeply into its torso, almost cleaving it into two. Doxx, then ran back towards Sage, and whirled her staff around her. Then with a flourish, a gout of flames erupted from its tip, igniting the second one into a conflagration of mold and rot. From behind him, Adrissa launched more arrows into its back, as did The Blade. It started to turn to face one of the archers, when Sage pointed his armblade at the overgrown pygmy. Slots opened from his arm, and three siberys dragonshard crystals appeared, and started to spin around his forearm. From the spinning crystals, five bluish white missiles streaked at his foe, each one striking it unerringly in the back. As it turned back to face the juggernaut, a single beam of frosty white light struck the monstrosity, in an already gaping wound. It stepped haltingly towards Sage, and then turned to face the direction that Bookshelf stood. After it took a second step forward it then collapsed and ceased to move as it lay on the earth. Adrissa, sat on the ground and clutched herself in pain and started to cry. Rosa ran forward and touched her, casting some healing magic saying, “You’re fine…you’ll feel better in a moment.” “Like Dolurrh she will!” Doxx stomped over angrily. “You shouldn’t just jump into a fight! At all! What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?” “Doxx—” Rosa started to say, when Adrissa retorted. “—So what? What are you going to do? Tell my dad?” she stood up and confronted the old woman, who backed up in surprise. “You think that shipping me off to Denning is somehow going to make things safe for me?” as she jabbed a finger into the chest of the old woman. “These things killed my friends…[B][I]skinned[/I][/B] my father. And you! You burned down my house, and have the gall to tell me what to do? So what if I die?!? I’ll be out of your ugly face then. Isn’t that what you want? So, shove it and leave me alone!” Bookshelf came up behind Rosa and looked at the girl who looked like she was going to murder Doxx, with that finger stabbing the old woman’s chest. It then made a grinding noise in its throat, getting Adrissa and Doxx’s attention. “I burned down your house. Not Doxx. Sorry.” It said simply as it stood there with its arms limply at its side. Adrissa’s eyes were still full of fury, glared at the warforged and was about to speak, when she bowed her head, and her shoulders slumped. She then said, “I…I understand.” She then turned to look at Doxx and said, “Just leave me alone.” and she stomped over to a tree and leaned against it and slid down and sat on the ground, her head laying on her knees. Rosa stood, and nudged Doxx, “Leave her be. She has enough issues, without you becoming another one. Just let her work it out; and we’ll keep her safe.” Doxx sighed and shrugged, as Mobad, Sage and The Blade approached. “I feel wrong.” Mobad said looking somehow green over his gray complexion. “Those plants are poisonous,” Sage said. “More alarming is that they even exist. Riders, hulks, and …bigger hulks? What else did they make in those warrens?” “Don’t forget mind controlling plants,” The Blade pointed out and asked. “These things are going to be a major problem if they get to a city. These two could easily wipe out city guards. Even professional soldiers.” “All the more reason to get to Denning fast.” Doxx said emphatically. “Well then,” Rosa said, turning to the tressym. “So…how do we get to Myrai?” The cat was trilling again at Rosa when Bookshelf stood in front of the finger of stone. Spreading its arms apart, it started to mutter and then it clapped its hands together. A pulse of energy flashed away from the stone, like a bubble underwater that suddenly appeared, expanded and popped. With that final burst, a form was flung out of the stone and the sound of metal on metal clattered onto the ground. They all rushed to the fallen form, and Doxx gently rolled over the figure onto her back. She lay there breathing shallowly as Rosa knelt next her. She was of medium height, and was dressed in a form fitting bronze breastplate, with a simple layered pattern etched into it. Her leggings were made of leather pieces, stitched together in a random pattern, colored in reds, browns and blacks. Around her waist was a rapier and pouches, while in one arm she had a shield, and the other a dark steel rod topped with a purple stone. Her hair was colored like metallic gold, but it was matted and was covered in dried blood, that clung tightly around her head. Her face was striking, but a quick glance told Rosa, she was not in good health. Her face was almost devoid of color, and her eyes were sunken into their sockets, and her cheeks were hollow. But the one bit of color on her face were the thick rivulets of blood that dripped from the corners of her closed eyes. As she lay there, Gossamer flew down and landed on her breastplate, and then he started to nuzzle her face. The woman didn’t respond as the tressym kept nuzzling. He then turned and looked at the group and gave a single sad mournful meow. [B]Session notes:[/B] Vegepygmie chiefs and thornies weren't enough. No we needed bigger ones! And more dangerous ones. But that said, the characters were now starting to have a better feel for each other, especially my daughter who played Adrissa. The only technical error was that Rosa should not have been able to talk to a familiar at all, as the find familiar spell changes their type to a "fey, fiend or celestial." But it was ignored. Otherwise I have this image of Gossamer trying to do charades or draw a message in the dirt to terrible results. [/QUOTE]
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The Thorns of Winter -(updated 8/1/2023)
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