[IC] Nature will gradually erase...

The damage is piling on the two abberations as the party continues to fight. Neither go down, but the one steadily being surrounded by the party looks very weak, at this point. Trembling all over, it still lunges to bite at Darach when he moves too close.

Spoiler: AoO on Darach

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Attack:[roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Then Mercuira's arrow, bolstered by Jarome's song, digs deep into its skin, and it lets out a pained shriek. The other Destrachan, though it looks better than its companion, seems to take heed of this. Bloodthirsty as the creatures are, they're clever enough to try and get out when the odds are against them. After being hit both by Daedalus and Hastur, it lashes out with its claws - at the giant serpent, this time - before fleeing into the woods.

Spoiler: Attacks on Mallow

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Attack:[roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Attack:[roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

Spoiler: AoO

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For Hastur and Mallow as it attempts to retreat into the woods. It acted first, so you get this AoO regardless of whether you pass the next save or not.

Completely surrounded, the remaining Destrachan opens its gaping maw and lets out an unearthly shriek.

Spoiler: Destructive Harmonics

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Everyone needs to make a Fortitude Save, DC 19. If you fail, you are stunned for 1 round and deafened for [roll6] rounds.
Jarome gets the sonic resist bonus, of course.

Reeling back from the two hits he's now taken, Mallow still lunges after the Destrachan with his pointed fangs as it retreats.

Spoiler: Attack

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Attack: [roll0] (Look at me remembering the flanking bonus!)
Damage: [roll1]

Spoiler: Fort Save

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[roll2]

Spoiler: This only matters if he passes the Fort Save

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Failed his save.
He's going to move between Mercuira and the Destrachan, and cast Cure Light Wounds. Since Mercuira stepped back to shoot,
he's now 10 feet away from the Destrachan and will attempt casting defensively...
[roll3]
If that's higher than 17, Mercuira gains [roll4] HP. Of course, this is only if he passes the Fort Save.

Immediately after striking out at the retreating Destrachan, Mallow is caught completely unaware as the second one unleashes the horrendous noise, and the large serpand curls in on itself, eyes closed and hissing at nothing in particular.

Hastur swings his sword across the body of the creature while his master cries out in pain and grabs his ears, resolutely continuing to chop at the beast of the forest no matter what it throws his way.

Spoiler: OOC

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Attack of opportunity, this time with all bonuses included- [roll0] and [roll1]. Daedalus is stunned,
so he won't be firing his pathetic crossbow this turn. This is for the attack of opportunity.

Darach begins to move to Mercuira as the creature begins its unearthly howl. He tries to grit his teeth and press on, but it becomes too much for him. His axe falls from his hands, he tears his helmet off and clamps his hands to his ears, letting out a roar of pain of his own.

Taicho clutches the sides of his head and lets out a long whistle of pain. Bending over and trying to refocus on the beast.

As one of the creatures turns tail and flees, the other lets out a loud shriek - but Mercuira grins through her pain as she aims an arrow straight at its...noisy parts. "Ahhh...reminds me of mother's Ear-Piercing Scream."

Spoiler: ooc

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you know the drill by now

attack [roll0]
damage [roll1]

Mercuira's arrow flies true and lands directly in the creature's throat. It silences suddenly, and falls to the ground, twitching a couple times before going still - dead. Of course, those doubled over in pain from the scream cannot hear that it has stopped - all they hear for about the next minute is a painful ringing, but they can at least move.

Spoiler: Experience

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2500 exp. for everyone! This should mean all of you level up!

Spoiler: ooc

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Yay, finally get some magics. Should we do it immediately or on next rest?

As the creature finally falls, Mercuira staggers and drops to her knees, the adrenaline finally running out as blood continues to run from her wounds and the faint glow in her eyes returns...

Darach shakes his head to clear it, recovering his axe and watching to see if the other creature returns. As the ringing subsides and he begins to be able to hear himself think again, he goes toward Mercuira to offer some healing, but stops short. I don't think her eyes were glowing before... Still, he goes over and casts a healing spell, keeping a watchful eye out just in case. He is surprised to find the magic flowing through his fingers to be slightly more potent than he's used to.

Spoiler: OOC

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I know what's going on OOC, but IC Darach is a bit freaked out :smalltongue:

Here's that Cure Light Wounds I promised you: [roll0]
I'm guessing I can go ahead and apply my higher caster level? Otherwise it'd be one less hp.

As her wounds close up somewhat, Mercuira staggers back to her feet, the glow subsiding once again. "Thanks...I feel...strange..." Then, as if by instinct, her hands moving on their own and her mouth uttering words she's never heard before, Mercuira wills into existence a ball of light in her hands. She doesn't say more, but the grin on her face and the glint in her eyes show clearly her joy.

Spoiler: ooc

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Dancing Lights, of course.

WE STILL HAVE TO FIND CORRIN! HE MAY BE WOUNDED AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE! Daedalus is obviously still deafened, shouting at full volume but seeming unaware that he is doing so. Hastur pats him on the shoulder and empathizes with him to help calm him down. We should check the area immediately. Once the druid has recovered they may able to assist us in finding this friendly summoner.

Spoiler: OOC

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Will level up tomorrow!

It takes Mallow a moment to gather his wits, and then another moment for him to turn back from his serpentine form - before he does, he's looking into the treeline again, eyes glowing faintly and tongue flicking a few times to taste the air. But then he's back to his humanoid form, and he's about to speak when suddenly strange figures are stepping out from the treeline. The tiefling's posture shifts, guarded and wary, but curious.
"Neither dead nor alive," he reports to the group as the strange humanoid creatures - three of them, two appearing female and one male - step out. "...constructs. Of course, they're constructs..."
One of the females, who has a wickedly sharp axe at her hip - not drawn - steps forward. "We were preparing to offer our aid in your fight, but it seems that you all had it under control. Very admirable. Those beasts have been stalking the borders of the sanctuary for far too long. Perhaps you have taught them a lesson. For this, we are grateful. Now, I must ask you - what are you doing in this place? We have noticed that Creators do not typically venture off the roads - as you have seen, it means danger in most cases."

Spoiler: Constructs

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https://img.fireden.net/tg/image/145...3775622249.jpg

Spoiler: OOC

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You can roll history, religion, or engineering for these.

Jarome works his jaw to make his ears pop as the ringing slowly subsides from them. He hopes that that screech hasn't done any permanent harm to his hearing. When the constructs step forward, he looks at them with intense curiosity and steps forward to stand beside Mallow. "Greetings. You are right, we normally stick to the well traveled roads, but the creatures we just fought have injured one of our companions that was flying above the forest. He landed in this area, and we thought at first those creatures had taken him. Have you instead found him?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Knowledge (History) - [roll0]
Jarome uses Lore Master to take 10 for Knowledge (Religion) for a result of 17
Jarome uses Lore Master to take 20 for Knowledge (Engineering) for a result of 27

Spoiler: Knowledge Rolls

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Spoiler: Engineering

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With at least a 10, you all can confirm that these are constructs. With a 15 you can clearly see that they are composed primarily of wood, and based on their build, quite a bit of magic, as well. With a 20, you can also judge that by their manner of speech and behavior (how they address you, differentiate between you and other creatures, and made judgement on the proceedings of combat to decide whether or not to intervene), they have some sentience, and are not simply programmed to do one thing, but rather act independently. This is not to say that they do not have a master who built them, but that they do have their own capabilities in logic, reasoning, and decision-making. With a 25, you can distinguish these creatures not simply as wooden constructs, but a specific construct called Wyrwood, which were built by the ancient civilization. Based on the aging of these constructs, however, these are very new versions of the build, either that or they have remained in very good condition.

Spoiler: Religion

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With a 15, you can see and recognize these creatures have various symbols carved into their bodies, but the most prominent is the image of a full moon on the chest. The full moon could be a symbol of Ta'lab, or if you're misjudging and it is an eclipsed moon, instead, it may be the symbol of Ruda. But as you peer even closer, these orbs in their chests may in fact not be a moon at all, because it is constantly spinning - and, ah, there is an hourglass inside. So perhaps this is so perhaps it is a representation of Hubal, instead? They also have Nuha's name written across their bodies several times. With a 20, you immediately pick up on the fact that these creatures referred to 'Creators.' It does not take an educated leap to figure out they are talking about you, but they may also be referring to the Star gods, in whose image you all were created. Therefore, it is not immediately clear if they were built by the Star Gods themselves or by the ancient civilization. Either way, they are addressing you with high respect. With at least a 25, you pick up on the fact that the symbol which is being puzzled over, the ever-turning hourglass, does not, in fact, match exactly the symbol of any one deity that you have ever heard of, so it is either unknown to you or is in fact an amalgamation of the different deities you recognize.

Spoiler: History

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With at least a 10 in history, you realize that there have been stories of 'wooden people' living in the depths of the forests for a very long time. With a 15, you know that constructs like this have not been built since before the expansion of the forest. Blueprints and knowledge of how to create a construct out of such a delicate material as wood, to be shaped so beautifully and with such intelligence, was lost long ago. These specific 'wooden people' are often said to be guardians of ancient ruins and old bastions of civilization. With a 20,
you know that these constructs are called Wyrwoods, and were created by the ancient people of the old cities. Based on the fact that they addressed you as 'Creators' they recognize you as descendants of the ancient civilization. With a 25, you know that these constructs were specifically designed not to take on the roles of protectors, but to aid in researching ancient mysteries of the stars and to aid their creators in the developments of new technology. Since the fall of the civilization and the loss of their masters, however, you are not entire certain what role they have taken on, and your best guess is based on your knowledge of the 'wood people' being protectors.

You honor us with your presence, Guardians. My friend summarizes our situation quite well- we are looking for a fellow of ours who was attacked by the monsters we encountered. He may not have been able to protect himself after his fall, and your stewardship,
if given, would have been most appreciated. We did not expect to encounter the Sanctuary so soon, but we were invited by several creatures who spend time there. We did not catch their names, but they are known as Voonith, and wished us to meet them in two days to guide us to this Sanctuary of yours. We mean no ill intent, only to continue looking for a monstrous threat to our community that has led to the deaths of several... Creators... like ourselves. Daedalus can't contain his excitement in getting a chance to talk to creatures such as these, but manages to speak in even tones and try to treat them with all due respect. Hastur, on the other hand, peers over the constructs with naked curiosity and turns to Daedalus. These creatures are very interesting, my friend. Perhaps you will have time to study them soon and... Daedalus rapidly slaps a hand over Hastur's mouth, who gives a grunt of dissatisfaction but takes the point, remaining silent after biting Daedalus' hand, causing him to wince and draw it away in a hurry.

Darach is surprised by the sudden appearance of the creatures, but it's clear enough they have no hostile intent. He notes the symbol on the chest of the strange creatures--Hopefully they are creatures of Ta'lab, rather than Ruda, he thinks to himself as Daedalus and Jarome address them. Daedalus' apparent excitement seems to support the nagging in the back of his head that he should know more about the newcomers than he can recall at the moment. He will find out soon enough, more than likely. "The one we are looking for is a human, with red hair. Has a rune of some sort on his forehead. We do not know how badly he was injured."

"The Voonith said they would guide you here?" the one that has been speaking questions. "You must have made quite the large impression, indeed, for that to be the case. You must please, then, come to the Sanctuary. We can guide you there," she says.
Another steps forward, putting out his hands in a universal soothing manner. "You speak of one who has fallen from the sky, with hair the color of the sun. We did, indeed, find him. There are four of us guardians at the Sanctuary, and the other of our number took him to the Resurrectory. His injuries were severe, but the Sanctuary is not far, and our friend is fleet of foot. He will be sustained," the man says.
Mallow lets out a huge breath of relief. "Oh... praise the Heavens..."

Darach also breathes a sigh of relief. "Lead on, then. In case something else out here decides we look tasty." He hefts his axe over his shoulder and moves to follow them. "I do not have much energy left for spells, but I should be able to get Corrin conscious, at least. Jarome, you still have that wand, yes? We could use that if his injuries are too severe."

Daedalus is evidently relieved by the news that Corrin will recover, sighing happily and patting Hastur on the back with his wounded hand.
Thank you so much for taking care of him and his companion. We'd just met, but I feel a distinct kinship with him as a member of my magical order. I for one would be happy to join you in your Sanctuary, though I must say that it has been a trying day for all of us.
This has not been our first combat, and I've expended most of my spells for the day. Is it possible we will be able to rest once we are there and have seen to our friend's well being? I do not mean to intrude or impress ourselves on you, it is just that I think I speak for all of us when I say we are all very tired.

Taicho follows behind Darach an Daedaulus. These are fascinating creatures indeed. If the others deem tem trustworthy Taicho remains quiet. Taking in all that he hears and sees.

The fact that these constructs seem surprise that the Voonith invited him and his companions to the sanctuary piques his interest however. He wonders if they were lucky today. Corrin's fall suggests otherwise.

How long will it take us to reach our friend and are there others like the creatures we just fought that we should look out for?

Mercuira follows along mostly silently - her wounds, while somewhat healed by Darach's magic, still make it slightly painful for her to move. Hopefully this Sanctuary place is safe for us...creators. She has no idea what the constructs are, so she can only go off the others, and they seem to trust them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by theasl

Mercuira follows along mostly silently - her wounds, while somewhat healed by Darach's magic, still make it slightly painful for her to move. Hopefully this Sanctuary place is safe for us...creators. She has no idea what the constructs are, so she can only go off the others, and they seem to trust them.

---

Come, my friend. Let us lean on each other and share in the glory of wounded victory. Hastur offers the half-elf and arm, a warm and friendly smile on his face. There is no sign of alternative motive in his eyes, he just seems concerned for a wounded comrade. He was used to Daedalus taking the lead when it came to obscure knowledge and social engagement, preferring to fall back and live his own life.

"Thanks." Mercuira accepts Hastur's help gladly. Perhaps the genie wasn't so bad after all - certainly useful in a fight, as they've all seen.

"There will be no danger, so long as you stay with us," the female who seems to be in charge states, as her two companions go around to cover the rear of the group. "If you will follow me, I will take you to the Sanctuary. You may rest there, of course." She doesn't wait very long before starting off through the woods, though she keeps her pace slow so that the group can keep up with her.

Jarome walks in the center of the group as he processes and assembles what he knows of their escorts. Finally he begins to quietly relate his conclusions to the others.

"These constructs are known as Wyrwoods. They were created by the ancient civilization, meant to aid their researchers in discovering the mysteries of the stars and helping to develop new technologies, beyond anything we know today. They are no simple constructs, made of wood and magic in equal parts. They possess sentience and are capable of independent action, they do not need to be commanded at every turn. They were not meant as protectors, but I believe since the Forest expanded, they have taken up that role from themselves. Certainly there are many old tales of 'wooden people' who live in the depths of the forest, guarding ancient ruins and old bastions of civilization. I believe that this Sanctuary is one of those bastions. As for the religious symbols, I believe they are of Nuha, Goddess of Technology and Hubal, God of Time and Knowledge, both gods from the Old Pantheon from before the fall. One thing of note... while Wyrwoods are ancient, these four are not. Either they are relatively newly created, or somehow have been very well preserved."

At the question about his wand, he nods to Darach. "When we find Corrin, I can expand the rest of my magical energy in healing spells and use the wand to finish healing everyone injured in fighting those horrible beasts."

As Jarome describes the constructs, Darach stops short and sharply takes in a breath. "Wyrwood..." he mutters. "Of course, I should have known... stupid..." He quickly catches up with the party, eyes gleaming with... excitement? There's a nervous energy about him, and he looks as if he is about to speak several times, but stops short. "Constructs of the Star People themselves... The things they may remember..."

Spoiler: OOC

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Darach has some serious internal fangirling going on right now. He's trying to keep it contained. Somewhat poorly, but still.

Wyrwoods? So that's what they're called? Mercuira had heard stories of the legendary creations of the old civilizations, but like so many other things, the details were thought to have been lost to time...or perhaps not, considering that there are, as Jarome thinks, newly built ones leading the way to this Sanctuary place. Then she has a thought. Maybe they could have an idea of what she's been looking for? Well, got to wait until they're safe and all healed up before they can worry about that.

Daedalus eagerly follows, trying to keep his questions down in his throat for now. He'd ruined more than one much smaller opportunity by being a blabber mouth. Hastur silently walks along with Mercuira on his arm, wary despite the promises of safety.

The Wyrwood lead the party on through the wood, which seems to get thicker and thicker, pressing in around the party as they travel on. However, just when it seems like the forest isn't going to allow any farther progress, it suddenly opens up into a clearing. Shining in the sunlight are a series of ruined buildings, constructed from mithril and silver. Most of the ingots that were once used like bricks are on the ground - there is, however, one intact building, that looks like it's a cross between a research facility and a temple, with beautiful, gleaming spires as well as glass tubes poking out here and there, circulating the building. There is a strange, transparent but red-tinted gel that appears to be flowing through these tubes. Several Voonith poke their heads out of ruins nearby, but it seems the Ressurectory - as the Wyrwoods called it earlier - is kept exclusively for their use, for when they lead you inside, there does not seem to be anything else in there.
"Here you may rest," the female speaks. "The summoner is sleeping farther in, at the sacred place. We usually do not allow outsiders to visit it, however, under the circumstance that the boy needs healing, we will allow one of you to come back with us," she says.
Mallow looks like he wants to go, but he hesitates, and turns his attention to Jarome. "You said you had a healing wand?" he questions. "...unless you're willing to let me borrow it, it might be best if you go get little Vec."

Spoiler: So you get the general idea, it looks in general shape something like this. But shinier

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https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets...jpg?1459359638

Taicho stops and takes in the view. To think some places like this survive. He lets his mouth hang open for just a bit too long to be considered polite and looks around. Seeing the bricks on the ground he is tempted but stops himself from pocketing one. But some souvenir of this place would be wonderful, to remind him that it was no dream.

How are we ever to repay such kindness? He questions aloud when they are brought to a place of rest. Still awestruck at his surroundings and the Wyrwoods themselves. He may stare a bit awkwardly as they move or visibly resist tracing his hands across some of the surfaces, all in all he looks like a child. Eyes full of wonder.