Random Banter D&D 3.5e Campaign IC, Thread II

[TheWombatOfDoom]

After healing the Samaran, Lucas turns to face the beast, only to watch it collapse from its injuries. He nods to Natasha's thanks, and listens to the conversation as it unfolds, not really having anything to add to the conversation. Lucas was just relieved no one incurred any further injury.

---

As they take a break by the ruined building, Alphonse points out the flowers. Lucas steps forward and puts himself between the flowers and the rest of the group, on guard in case anything should occur.

[AtlanteanTroll]

Dame Felicia did say there were Fae in the forest. The plant may be sinister, but that doesn't mean we're in danger. It could be naturally occurring. Just burn it down.

[Cuthalion]

Béla shrugs at Alphonse. Don't remember what that was or what it's called, sorry.

[Amidus Drexel]

Hilltop

Felicia looks over at the bright yellow flowers, and then back you skeptically. "Oo-kay. Sure. Don't get too caught up burning them today - we'll never make it to the village. A patch this small isn't really dangerous unless you're dumb enough to take a nap in it." Once she's got a fire lit, she lights a torch, and hands it to Alphonse. "All yours, flower-hater." She then fills a small pot with water and oatmeal, and sets it on the coals.

With lunch underway, Felicia leans back and rests next to the cart. "So, adventurers, huh? What made you pick up that life?" She looks over at Lucas. "Sorry, I don't think I caught your name."

Spoiler: Niro

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A thin, reedy voice murmurs to you, Kill the one with the iron necklace. Your blade yearns to. You don't trust her, do you?

Your eyes are instinctively drawn to Felicia's vulnerable position on the ground.

[LaZodiac]

Alphonse methodically cuts off every Fae Blossom and tosses them into the fire, not taking his eye off any of them for a second. "Dame Felicia I'll have you know that Padrig himself sent fae to the castle to kill the Princess and her son. Given this is a land riff with fae, and these flowers, I can never be too careless. I'm sure more than a couple redcaps are more than eager to bloody their hat in me." Alphonse explains. He's eager to tell Felicia of his story, but he decides to let the others speak first, focusing on the eradication of the vampiric plant life.

[AtlanteanTroll]

Niro watches as Al gathers and burns the Fae Blossoms. His eyes become lost in the fire for a second, before he starts, looking at Natasha. Who's there?

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Lucas turns to Felicia and offers his hand for her to shake. "I'm Father Lucas Espenshade, Cleric of Aeribrar. In another life I ran a brew house - Espenshade's Easery, before I took up this white robe. Though, I generally haven't kept it as immaculately white as some of my fold", he says through a grin. "I would say eventually I was called to get out into the world rather than tinker away at a tavern. I love to brew to this day, don't get me wrong, but polishing glasses and counters isn't all I believe I'm destined for. Even when I ran the tavern I would go on long stints looking for ingredients for new brews. I guess to summarize, I generally found that an adventure often would be more rewarding than the reward. So here I am."

[Teddy]

To be fair, Alphonse, back at the palace, they had pixies distributing them. The flowers themselves can't really move very much.

Tass sits down by the fire and out of her haversack she picks a chunk of dried meat as well some nuts-and-dried-berry cakes wrapped up in waterproof cloth. She starts cutting thin slices off the meat while answering Felicia's question.

I'm Tass, from the Porling Forests up north in the unclaimed lands. I know the ins and outs of water and cold, but there are so many aspects of nature yet for me to find. Take this forest, the very air is saturated with the spirit of nature. I can feel its ebbs and flows when we're walking, but the real attraction is where its wellsprings spring forth. Life in such a rich area like this... Tass gestures toward the trees with her off hand. ... tends to be very strong and vivid, with its own quirks and peculiarities impossible to nurture elsewhere, but those wellsprings are what causes life itself to change form.

[LaZodiac]

"You say that, but the ones that latched into General Holtti escaped the ever watchful eye of Sir Niro and Sir Bela. So now that's a concern." Alphonse says, his tone making it clear he's just ribbin' them and not actually upset. Though it's still a problem. He sits at the fire, awaiting food, and decides now to pontificate about his various adventures. "I was delivered to a monastery at birth, a bastard child of the Lennox family. They worshipped dragons, and so I learned their ways. I send money back to them to help out, which is my primary goal for going out into the world...though I had wanted to find my birth family. And thanks to this lot we did!" he gestures towards his friends with a big smile.

[AtlanteanTroll]

Niro stands. Commandingly, Enough of this small talk! I believe there to be fae in our presence. Can any of you spellcasters reveal the invisible?

[Cuthalion]

I do. Béla quickly digs through his components pouch before pulling out two pinches of powder and casting the spell. He glances around.

[Amidus Drexel]

Hilltop

"Padrig? Padrig who?" Felicia raises an eyebrow. "Oh, redcaps are nasty, but you usually only have to kill one to drive them off. They've got this thing about numbers... I forget what the rule is. Point is, you get the wrong amount of them in one place and they all freak out."

Natasha gives Niro a suspicious look. "Arre you imagining things, Ligurrian?"

--
Felicia leans forward and shakes Lucas's hand firmly. "Well met, Mister Espenshade." She listens to the rest of your stories with attention, only speaking up after Alphonse finishes his. "Is there a rebellion going on?"

Spoiler: Bela

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You see a little pixie watching from the bushes on the other side of the path - it ducks out of sight when it notices you looking in its direction.

You also see a trail of translucent, evenly-spaced mushrooms leading off the path and into the woods to the west.

Spoiler: Knowledge (nature) DC 22

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Redcaps have an aversion to even numbers - typically grouping together in 3s or 5s. They also refuse to bathe in moving water.

[LaZodiac]

"Ah, right, I forget myself, it is not common knowledge. Padrig Yates is an attempted usurper. He's staging quite the rebellion, and tried to assassinate the Princess and her son with all manner of nasty fae creatures, and a succubus that'd plagued us for quite some time. I slew it valiantly with the assistance of Sir Niro here. He launched me towards the foul foe, and together we slew it where it stood." Alphonse says. He then reaches to his side as if to grab something, then stops. "Oh bother I forgot to actually find a taxidermist to make me up a mock head as a trophy. Ah...darn my forgetful mind."

[AtlanteanTroll]

I do not imagine things. Turning to Al, I do believe I landed the finishing blow, so technically, I slew the demon with your assistance. Gesturing to the group at hand, sincerely "We" certainly works, though. Nasty demon he ... she? Was.

[LaZodiac]

"Technically, Sir Niro, that was my fifth fight with the creature. It was only your second, so you were the assistant" Alphonse counters, running a hand over his face to show the cross scar on his cheek. "In our first battle he gave me the first part of this, and in the last the second. This, the guisarme, and later a mock up of their head will be my trophies, where for you it will simply be another notch on your shield. One I appreciate being there, mind you. 'We' is the appropriate term. Though I've a feeling we may she it again some day...assuming my knowledge of infernal creatures are correct." he turns to Lucas. "Pere Lucas, a question. How does one permanently destroy a creature of Hell?"

[Amidus Drexel]

Hilltop

"Padrig Yates? I think I've met him before. Tall blonde guy with a blackleaf addiction?" Felicia shifts forward and stirs the oatmeal. "I guess Uncle Victor will want to hear about that. Not that I expect House Wren to do anything. We play nice with the royals now, but it wasn't always that way. There's still a lot of bad blood, from my grandfather's time."

Spoiler: Lucas

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You've not learned much about this sort of thing, but Aeribrar's teaching covers demons in some ways - you couldn't speak for other sorts of fiends. The only way to permanently kill a demon is to go down to Hell and kill them there - otherwise, they reform after some time. How much time, you don't know.

[Cuthalion]

Béla glances over at Tass, speaking quietly but speedily in Nordic.

Det er en piksel i buskene der borte og en slags sti av rare usynlige sopp.

Spoiler: thisisprobablybadlywordedandungrammaticalbutidon'tspeaknorwegian

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There's a pixie in the bushes over there and some kind of trail of weird invisible mushrooms.

He looks at Niro and bobs his head sideways towards the pixie.

Spoiler: oh and

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i'm taking ten on knowledge nature even though i'm pretty sure i knew that from before

so 26 and all

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Lucas considers Alphonse's question. "I am not certain on all creatures from Hell, but I am familiar with demons. To kill a demon permanently, you must destroy it within the abyss otherwise it will eventually come back. How long it takes for them to return I assume might have to do with how powerful they are, but I don't know for certain. I'm not sure if all creatures of Hell function the same way, but I suppose its reasonable to assume. Ultimately, its always wiser to consider the worst case scenario..."

[Amidus Drexel]

Hilltop

"What's that?" Felicia looks at Bela suspiciously, and her hand instinctively moves towards her knives.

Spoiler: Tass

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You've not encountered something like this before - the only invisible fungus you're aware of are called Phantom Fungus, and they're typically about human-size, hostile, and not arranged in a trail.

If the mushrooms form a circle, they could be part of a fairy ring - albeit a particularly large one. Usually those mushrooms aren't invisible, though.

Spoiler: Niro

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She's alert now. You lost your surprise. Your skills wane with disuse, old man.

Spoiler: Sense Motive DC 13

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Felicia understood Bela, but she's trying to act like she didn't.

[LaZodiac]

"Oh, no worries Dame Felicia. I'm sure he'll tell us. He just prefers to talk with the more...discerning of us. I must admit I am one to launch myself head long into danger." Alphonse pontificates, putting away his longsword, though it's clear even he's a bit tense.

[Teddy]

Tass replies to Béla but throws and obvious glance over at Felicia.

Vad gör den, är svamparna i ring, och är älvan vid svamparna?

Spoiler: Nordic

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What is it doing, are the mushrooms in a circle, and is the pixie by the mushrooms?

Spoiler: OOC

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What does Tass know about fairy circles?

Knowledge (nature): (1d20+17)[35]

[AtlanteanTroll]

Niro stands erect, at his full height of 6 foot, 9 inches*, and draws a javelin. Old? I will crush you under my foot, you dirty fairy. I've slain your kind before, and I've outwitted them more than once. He clenches the Farspeaker's Pendant of Portable Door in his off hand.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Intimidate:(1d20+10)[21]

* OOC: 2.05 meters, for you crazy metric fans.

[Amidus Drexel]

Forest Path

A flute calls out with a soft melody from the west - it's soft and distant, although difficult to pinpoint over the noise of the river.

Felicia looks up at Niro. "I know you're all gung-ho, but I wouldn't run off after whatever fairy is bugging you. You might not find the path again."

Spoiler: Tass

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Fairy rings are circles of mushrooms - usually the work of fey. Entering a fairy ring is almost always bad luck, though if you're wearing a lot of iron and don't stay long, you might escape the fairys' attention.

Your mentors always told you to stay away from the ones in the Porling forest; sometimes people would step in and dance for weeks before they could be pulled out. Many die of dehydration or exhaustion before they can be saved, and the ones that do return say all manner of things about their experiences. A common thread among all the stories you've heard is that time flows differently in fairy rings - some experience only hours when weeks pass on the outside; others report aeons passing for them in the space of only a few days.

The flutist is at least 60ft away, though probably not much further. It sounds like it's made of wood.

Spoiler: Niro

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Tread lightly, fairy-slayer.

Spoiler: Bela

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The pixie pokes its head out from the bush again, and flits to the other side of the road - he's now over on the same side as the ruined foundations.

[AtlanteanTroll]

Niro pounds his chest with the clenched fist holding the pendant, which makes a loud, echoing noise. They will come to me. FIGHT ME, FAIRIES!

Spoiler: Rolls

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Intimidate: (1d20+10)[11]

[Teddy]

You haven't had enough of fighting people for inscrutable reasons yet?

[AtlanteanTroll]

Pointing with his javelin, I have had enough of senseless violence, which is why this fairy must be disposed of. It urges me to Dame Felicia. I refuse.

Whispering, almost inaudibly, in Laceusian.

Spoiler: Laceusian

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If I wanted to fight the fairy, it would be dead by now. I am hoping to scare it away.

[Amidus Drexel]

Hilltop

As the words leave your lips, there is a great cracking sound, and vines shoot out of the nearby undergrowth, filling the path and much of the forest! A ring of mushrooms sprouts around Niro, and nine black, cloaked figures descend from above.

A tenth figure steps out of the brush to the west - this one a tall, thin creature wearing bark-coloured garb over pasty-white skin. Long, delicate fingers fly gracefully across the flute it holds to its face, and its yellow, mantis-like eyes bore deep into yours. As it approaches, the creature changes the tune - now a catchy little ditty that you pick up very quickly. It's hard not to hum and sing along, even though you don't know the words.

OOC: Can I get reflex saves (DC 14) to avoid the entangle effect, and will saves (DC 22) from everyone (for reasons unrelated to the vines)? I'll update after I have the results of everyone's saves.

Spoiler: Alphonse

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Cook's guisarme twitches, wherever you have it stashed, eager for blood.

OOC: If you drop whatever weapon you have in hand (if you're wielding anything at the moment), you can draw the guisarme as a free action and get that +7 initiative. You'll also get +2 damage the first round of combat.

Spoiler: Knowledge (nature) DC 18

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This creature is a banshrae, a wicked fey that can play music to bewilder and harm mortals.

Spoiler: Knowledge (nature) DC 23

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Banshraes are powerful combatants that can play their flutes while fighting. They can use those flutes to fire clouds of darts, and like most fey, they are vulnerable to cold iron. Fey lords sometimes use banshraes as messengers.

Spoiler: Knowledge (nature) DC 28

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A banshrae can sometimes cause a target struck by a special dart to spontaneously spew forth a swarm of locusts. It can also afflict an unlucky soul with a curse that draws the ire of others.

Spoiler: Knowledge (religion) DC 15

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These are wraiths, incorporeal undead born of evil and darkness.

Spoiler: Knowledge (religion) DC 20

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Wraiths have a corrupting touch that drains life. Animals are terrified of them, panicking when they draw near.

You notice that Lingon doesn't seem to be affected.

Spoiler: Knowledge (religion) DC 25

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Any creature slain by a wraith's draining touch rises as a wraith just seconds later, as its soul is ripped from its lifeless body. Wraiths are utterly powerless in natural sunlight, and flee it when at all possible.

It's pretty sunny out right now. And without much leaf cover (it is the middle of winter), most of that midday sun is filtering down to the road.

Spoiler: Those of you that fail your will saves

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You're too busy trying to sing along with the flute to do such frivolous things as talk, move silently, or cast spells with verbal components - I'll let you know when the effect ends.

Spoiler: Initiative

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???: (1d20+11)[28]
Alph: (1d20+6)[16]
Bela: (1d20+3)[17]
Tass: (1d20+1)[20]
Niro: (1d20+1)[14]
Lucas: (1d20)[3]

???: (1d20)[12] + x [??]
???: (1d20)[6] + x [??]

[LaZodiac]

Alphonse leaps to his feet, cold-iron long sword already drawn after dealing with those Fae Blossoms. He attempts to evade the vines with some quick foot work. He narrows his vision, taking on an eerie sort of calm, focused towards the flute holding fey creature before them. Alphonse is able to avoid the vines, striking a fabulous pose with his sword, and begins singing in a soft tone about how he's going to slay the hell out of some fey.

Spoiler: Rolls and stuff. FINALLY, A STEELY GLANCE

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Reflex Save: (1d20+5)[16]

Alphonse initiates a Duel of Wills with the flute haver. If he submits to my unnerving gaze he takes -1 to attack me for the first round and -2 to initiative. If he ignores my challenge I make a Concentration check and if I beat 15 I get +1 to my attack rolls on him for a round. If he accepts he rolls intimidate vs my concentration roll, and the winner gets +1 to attack and DAMAGE rolls for the encounter! The loser also takes -1 to attacking and damaging the winner, also for the encounter.

Concentration Check if needed: (1d20+13)[32] vs their

[Cuthalion]

La donna è mobile
Qual piuma al vento,
muta d'accento
e di pensiero.

Sempre un amabile,
leggiadro viso,
in pianto o in riso,
è menzognero.

Béla sings quietly to himself along with the melody as the vines wrap around his legs.

[Amidus Drexel]

Hilltop

The fey meets Alphonse's unnerving gaze with a chilling stare, but after a few moments, it moves its focus in apparent defeat.

The flutist nimbly tiptoes through the undergrowth at an amazing speed, stopping just outside the ring of mushrooms surrounding Niro. It points at you, and the image of a green leaf sprouts on each of your adamantine wrists. You feel angry eyes watching your every move.

OOC: The fey accepted the challenge, and despite a truly impressive intimidate roll, it just had no chance of winning. Alphonse, you get +1 attack and damage vs. the flutist for the encounter. (and it'll have -1/-1 against you). The flutist moves to H6 and does something to Niro, who should make a will save. Tass, you're up!