Game Thread Part 1: An Elusive Antidote - Page 5

Solid Minotaur · #61 Aug 15th, 2014, 06:49 PM

Trent took in the old cooks words and couldn't help but crack the smallest of smiles. No wonder Laurel likes him, he thought as he listened to his confessions on how the lumberyard was truly run. Trent underestimated him. Milon seemed every bit as capable as the quartet, perhaps more so if he is actually keeping the fat man in check. "Very well Milon. We shall take our leave if you are confident in handling the boss." His smile grew a little wider.

Trent went outside and began to prepare Petals for the long trip ahead of them, although not much needed to be done. He readjusted her straps and straightened the pack saddle to ensure she was comfortable. Once they were ready he said "OK, are we off then?"

LWAGNER · #62 Aug 15th, 2014, 10:08 PM

Thias rose from the table. “My apologies friend Milos.” He began.

“Our thoughts and concerns were for your safety and that of the secrets to which you have entrusted us with.” Thias shouldered his pack.

“Our thanks for defining your role here and pointing out our dereliction. You have given us both focus and direction.”

Thias began to take his leave but paused for a moment. “That being said, I believe that the blackscour is not the only pestilence that haunts the hollows. Perhaps we shall continue our…..ministry to the in firmed after this quest is complete. An operation to remove Jarlben the tumor would be beneficial to the townsfolk as well as the Forrest you obviously love.”

Thias continued in his stride to join Trent.

“Imagine the message that would convey to his masters.”

Zany · #63 Aug 15th, 2014, 10:53 PM

After a little debate about the life expectancy of Jarlben and then listening to the words of Milon the party concluded that perhaps the balance out here in the forest was a little more delicate than it first appeared. The Lumber Consortium is after all a huge concern and it's interests in and around Falcon's Hollow are only a small part of the much larger overall business. While removing a despicable character such as Jarlben Trookshavits from the picture would perhaps be gratifying in the short term it would hardly cause a ripple in the consortium's day to day affairs. Perhaps at the end of the day Milon was right in his approach, an incompetent and easily managed foreman running the main camp in this area was far more beneficial to the forest itself than a competent one would be.

There are times when personal issues have to be put aside for the greater good and perhaps this was one of those instances.
Reaching such a decision did not mean that they would have to like Trookshavits but perhaps walking a wide circle around him and letting things be was the better option for all. As Thias was quick to point out, the time for dealing with Jarlben just wasn't right. Yet.

So after packing their equipment they left the camp quietly and unnoticed to continue on their quest to find Laurels ingredients.

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The days traveling was a little slower than it had been the previous day by road, the Darkmoon was a dense and wild place. As they were passing through a particularly dark section of old gnarled trees around mid-morning they noticed the undersides of several large rocks deep in the forest were covered in rare, glowing mold.

They attempted to harvest the fragile mold without destroying it but only Griff and Arthos were DC 16 survival checksuccessful. The mold glows with the strength of a torch and once removed from its natural habitat it will continue to glow for about three days.

_________________

The forest continued to become more difficult to navigate and although the party members coped well with all the ducking, crawling and climbing to pass fallen limbs or overgrown thickets Petals wasn't finding things quite so manageable. Griff decided to walk with Petals and clear a way leaving the others free for navigation which in itself was a difficult enough task. With the thick canopy and little but trees to mark their way following the map was a huge challenge and they quickly came to appreciate Milon's comment that directions alone would not help out here.
Fortunately though they hadn't seen much of the wild things he also passed comment about, in fact the forest for the most part was eerily quiet, a situation which would undoubtedly change after night fall.

It was approaching noon and they were tired and hungry, Griff had fallen behind by several hundred meters as he battled the branches to lead Petals onward. The forest suddenly thinned and the trees gave way to smaller shrubs and bushes as they reached the upper end of Lake Droskmere where the small river Taggoret flowed into it. There was an old path of sorts here and a decrepit and ancient wooden bridge crossed the tributary.

Arthos's attention was drawn by a small shimmering blue feather caught in a low bush, curious of such a beautiful thing he wandered over to examine it further.

While the party was halted waiting for Griff and Petals to catch up and just as Arthos was studying his wonderful feather Thias heard what sounded like a small dog whining and crying. Approaching he saw not far from the edge of the lake, a fox with large ears and bright orange fur lay bleeding, its front paw caught fully in the jaws of a crude iron trap.

LWAGNER · #64 Aug 16th, 2014, 01:18 AM

Thias approached the fox cautiously. He could smell it’s fear, the pulsing blood causing the heart to beat frantically. He watched with pity at its panicked constrained movements. Not only was the attempt being made to defile the forest and harvest it to extinction, they were content with making it’s denizens casualties. Probably for the coin for its pelt. Not to survive in accordance or alongside nature, but to master it.

“Digusting.”

Thias moved slowly and 1d20+1(13)purposely, his hands open. He held his head low, keeping his eyes locked with the fox’s. “A wounded animal is ALWAYS at its most dangerous.” His mentor’s words rang through his mind.

Thias pulled off his cloak and placed it over the top of the fox. It would be easier to do this and not aggravate the fox any further if he was unable to see Thias’ actions. With the upper half of the fox covered and the leg exposed, Thias stepped down onto his cloak with his feet on either side of the fox’s body. The cloak held the fox down without injury and would allow Thias to work on freeing him.
He removed his tomahawks. With “Tooth” he held the chain in place, with “Nail” he wedged the blade into the trap’s teeth and pulled the handle counter clockwise and tried to use the span of the axe head to 1d20+2(5) force the teeth apart with its rotation. The poorly maintained trap was wrapped in rust and corrosion.

It did not move in the slightest.

“Asmodeus’ ass crack!”

PercyHux · #65 Aug 16th, 2014, 05:13 PM

The lumber camp was become a distant memory not only in Arthos's mind, but also on the ever thickening tree-covered horizon. The forest seemed to be actively trying to keep them from entering it any further; its overgrowth was knitted together in a tangle of branches and vines that was growing thicker by the foot. Trent, Thias, and Arthos made the best time of the group, as Griff was escorting the lovely lady Petals through a swath of bare earth he was creating with his gleaming falchion. The glowmold that Arthos had discovered was soft and slightly moist, so he wrapped it in a scrap of cloth and tucked it into his backpack. This may come in handy when darkness descends again.

The day wore on as the group delved further into the Darkmoon; the sounds of nature were becoming a soft background drone as their ears grew accustomed to the constant murmur of the forest. Griff and Petals had fallen behind from the group, so the trio stopped for a short rest to wait for them. Arthos took a deep breath, exhaled gently and looked around the forest wall. It really was a thing of beauty. If he wasn't careful, he may find himself breaking the shackles of society and disappearing into the green and brown of the forest to live the remainder of his life as a hermit. The solitude was not as bad as he had anticipated. You were never really alone when surrounded by the thousands of living trees and animals. The canopy was like a warm hug from Gozreh himself.

Still deep in his reverie, a bright blue glimmer of light caught his eye in a nearby bush. He approched the low wall of plants and found a small blue and white feather stuck unceremoniously into the top of the bush. It was soft and beautiful and shimmered in the low light sun-starved forest floor. What's this? Tis no ordinary feather, I sense. Perhaps Trent can determine its origins and whether they are magical in nature. He smiled at his luck and tucked the plume into his jacket pocket.

A light howl broke the "silence" of the day; Arthos followed the sound with his eyes and saw an incredibly orange fox stuck in the iron jaws of a hunter's trap. Thias had covered the frightened creature and attempted to pry open the clenching maw of the device, to no avail.

"Let me help, Thias," Arthos took his pack from his shoulder and set it onto the ground. He rummaged through it briefly and produced a short black iron crowbar that was hooked on one end. "Perhaps this will open the device more readily."

He approached the helpless creature and knelt down beside the trap. He wedge the flat end of the crowbar in between the trap's sharp teeth, trying carefully not to injure the fox any further. Thias continued to hold the covering down so the fox's struggling would be kept to a minimum. Arthos gritted his straight white teeth and tilted the bar downward to Disable Device: d20+4 = 15pry open the device.

Solid Minotaur · #66 Aug 16th, 2014, 05:45 PM

The trek through the forest was a hard one for Trent. He was used to traveling on roads and paths. Never before had he needed to wander off the beaten path and traverse though the wilds. Thias and Arthos moved with ease through the scrub, and even Griff was accustomed to the heavy growth. Griff kindly offered to lead Petals for Trent so that he could more easily navigate the dense environment.

While Trent managed to keep in tow of the bounding rangers, he was feeling the effects of fatigue. When the stream and the bridge that accompanied it came into view, it sent a wave of relief though Trent. He saw the water and could only think of dipping his face in it to cool off. However as he moved towards the water he noticed the others saw something else. A small beast trapped in an iron maw. Trent felt pity for the tiny creature. He knew the sorrow he would feel if harm came to Petals or Nail. The others moved quickly to free the fox and release it back into the wild. Unfortunately, Trent knew nothing of these sorts of things and was unable to help. He watched anxiously as the other worked and hoped for the best for the poor animal in their care.

Zany · #67 Aug 16th, 2014, 07:30 PM

The fox was panting heavily from its struggle as Thias approached, exhausted beyond care and having reached the point of hopelessness it simply watched him in despair. Who knows how long it had struggled with this nightmare, it was obvious that it wouldn't last much longer without good care though, once the will to live was gone no amount of healing would bring an animal back.

As Thias placed his cloak over the whimpering animal it seemed to relax as if accepting it's fate and awaiting the end, the scent of the half-elf's cloak smothered it as did the darkness it brought. With that darkness came a degree of peace, a withdrawal from it's predicament and a slide into deeper despair. Now it's destiny had slipped to far beyond it's control to even fight and it's tired body slumped to the ground.

Struggling with the rusted hinges and calming the fox at the same time proved too much for Thias and the trap defeated him just as it had defeated the innocent animal, for what he could only guess, must have been hours.
Arthos approached as Thias was offering what little comfort he could to the poor animal, producing a crowbar ( for what purpose he carried one was quite beyond imagining) and proceeded to pry the metal DC 15 Str (trap already triggered) but in order to keep things moving I will take the DD check.jaws apart. They didn't give much but it was enough for Thias to free the injured leg of the now limp fox.

Any sense of relief the group might have shared with the fox was soon shattered as a loud squawk and heavy rustling was heard over on the far bank of the river.
As they looked to the direction of the noise two dark black shapes leapt from the trees, swept over the water and Attack: 1d20+5 x2 (19) (19)swooped down on the nearest party member which happened to be Arthos.
Squawking loudly their talons outstretched they flapped wildly about his head Damage: 1d4-2 x 4 (2) The dice total didn't work removing the second attack from the first but it's in your favour so we will run with it.scratching his face and arm as he tried to defend himself.

Another black shape left the trees at that moment this one a lot quieter and more direct in its flight, it arced up over the water and descended towards Thias. It sailed Attack: 1d20+3 (4)high passing overhead and into the bushes behind, there was no doubt that it was an arrow though, poorly aimed luckily.
Following its course back across the river they could see a hobgoblin archer about ten feet up one of the trees and busy drawing another arrow.

A trap used as a trap and they had walked right into it, what kind of callous beast would use an innocent animal as bait!

PercyHux · #68 Aug 17th, 2014, 03:01 AM

Arthos touched two fingers to the stinging gash on his left cheek, which was growing warm with the emergence of a small ribbon of blood. His fingers came away red, and he winced from the pain. "Sonofa..." he spat at the flurry of black feathers that was circling for another attack.

He had no sooner freed the frightened canine, when a pair of rabid razorcrows launched from the treetops at the edge of the river and descended on him with incredible speed. They slashed as his face and hands as he tried to defend himself from their surprising onslaught. A couple of good nicks later, and Arthos was moving to retreat, drawing his rapier from the loop on his belt. A talon for a talon, he thought as he Attack to Razorcrow 1: (7)+2 = 9slashed at the air above him, hoping to catch one with the pointy end. His blade found only empty air, and the birds screeched as if they were laughing at his ineffectual swipe.

Drat! An errant arrow flew past him from across the riverbank, just missing Thias. Arthos squinted as he searched the treeline for the source of the new attack. He caught a glimpse of an ugly short creature holding a spent bow in the distance; it snarled and reached into a quiver at its back to load another arrow. "There, on that low branch! An archer!" Arthos shouted to his comrades, pointing into the brush with his rapier, Talon.

Solid Minotaur · #69 Aug 17th, 2014, 05:25 AM

Trent stood, shocked at the sudden assault that had fell upon the group. He certainly was not expecting a trap to be sprung on them while they themselves were disarming a trap. Rather ironic, Trent thought to himself. He watched in a suspended horror as Arthos came under attack by the pair of birds. Trent could see his friend struggling to mount a counter attack. But not only was there the birds, but Arthos pointed out a goblin deep in the scrub beyond the stream.

Trent was confident that Thias could handle the hidden archer, so he focused his efforts on the birds that were causing trouble with Arthos. He called out a quick, sharp, arcane word that simmered with power as it left his lips. At the same time he shaped his fingers and pointed with his index and middle finger at the space between the two feathered assailants. A short, sharp crack could be heard as a pair of translucent needles shot from his fingers and veered instinctively towards their respective targets, one for each of the birds, Magic Missle, bird 1 takes 3 force damage, bird 2 takes 4 force damagehitting them with an eruption of feathers.

Zany · #70 Aug 17th, 2014, 05:47 AM

Arthos's rapier slashed through the air but the chaos of the birds flapping madly about his head was too distracting and he missed both of the frenzied crows.

Trent had a better vantage position stood back as he was and his aim was clear and true. He hit the Razorcrow 2 - Deceasedleftmost bird and it instantly fell like a black rag to the floor, flapped a couple of times in nervous reflex and died.
He gave the Razorcrow 1 - Badly wounded.other bird something to think about too, there was a flurry of feathers and it faltered and spiraled to the ground where it staggered confused. It quickly began gathering itself and preparing to take to the air again badly wounded but manic in it's determination.

LWAGNER · #71 Aug 17th, 2014, 04:11 PM

No sooner than Arthos had pried the rusty trap open with a “klank”, Thias saw a flutter of black shadowy forms encircle Arthos. He heard the familiar twang of a bowstring but saw the missile it had delivered pass harmlessly into the bushes.

Thias saw movements in the bushes. A hobgoblin. It was either angry at them for letting its catch loose or the fox was bait to begin with. Either way, the hobgoblin was going to pay. Its awkward attempt at an ambush did nothing but announce his prostitution.

Arthos had drawn his blade and was fending off the winged horrors and Trent had delivered a particularly nasty spell that dispatched one bird and left the other in dire straits.

Thias dropped to one knee over the fox, drew his bow, fletched an arrow to its string, drew back and took aim. He compensated for distance and the slight breeze and let his response to the hobgoblin 1d20+4(8)fly. At the last second the hobgoblin had moved and Thias’ arrow sailed deep into the thickets.

Zany · #72 Aug 17th, 2014, 06:17 PM

The remaining crow took flight and once again 1d20+3sh15 (2)+3 ✘ Total = 5launched itself at Arthos it seemed to have no fear or thought for itself and was determined to kill or be killed. One of it's wings was badly injured though and its co-ordination was not all that it could be, launching itself at his face it instead arced off to the left missing him by a quite some distance and if the loud squawk it emitted were anything to go by, making it more angry then ever.

Across the river the hobgoblin squealed as his first trained attacker fell, obviously it was capable of some remorse even if not where foxes were concerned. It nocked another arrow and drew quickly, angrily and carelessly.
It wasn't even certain if he took aim or not as the rage of losing his bird propelled not only his actions but his 1d20+5sh13 (2)+5 ✘ Total = 7arrow it seemed. If the other one passed high over Thias' head then this one wasn't even aimed at him but may have been aimed at Trent who could tell. Whichever the case it flew over even Trent's head sailing away into the forest.

This hobgoblin was obviously a fool, what kind of idiot lays a trap and lies in wait half way up a tree without first measuring his draw and learning to place an arrow where his bait lay. Well this was one idiot for which they could be grateful, for two of his arrows at least but surely their luck couldn't hold out much longer the ugly brute was going to start hitting things other than trees soon enough.

LWAGNER · #73 Aug 17th, 2014, 07:18 PM

Thias heard the squeal of the Hobgoblin as the first of its birds fell. Perhaps he should have understood the consequences of such actions. Thankfully Thias and his friends were the ones to have stumbled across this despicable trap and not someone less equipped or inclined.

Another arrow tore through the air but as before it failed to find ant intended target. If there was such a thing at this point in the conflict. He may just be launching them in rage or as a defense to keep the party from advancing.

Thias’ hand raced to his quiver and held his breath to steady his hand. Reach, nock, draw, aim and 1d20+4(13)release. His arrow passed a hand’s breadth from the Hobgoblin’s face and stuck in a tree a few yards behind him.

PercyHux · #74 Aug 17th, 2014, 08:29 PM

The last razorcrow launched another attack at Arthos's face, but he ducked quickly causing the bird to twist sideways and tumble from the air for a split second. Arthos saw his chance to attempt another strike; he brought his Attack: (18)+2 = 20blade down with all his strength in an attempt to knock the razorcrow to the ground.

He focused his gaze on the bird's back and hoped for the best...

Zany · #75 Aug 17th, 2014, 08:42 PM

Arthos's blade sliced clean through the second bird and it fell in two halves it's open beak and glassy eyes perhaps showing surprise (if you wished to interpret it that way). While it's lower half floated away down the river.

Are you confused and wondering what is going on here? Check out this YouTube video to get the scoop.