The Pastoral Life [IC]

[DigoDragon]

On the defensive, Ellie calculates it is best to just let the debate go at this point and accept that Miyuki knows more about the woods than she does. Defiling the sanctity of the woods was not on her to do list this morning anyway, so there's no reason to think this is a personal attack.

"Alright, so a party of four, with three of us minding not to disrespect the woods. Agreed?"

[Lentrax]

As Keys speaks up, Miyuki chuckles as she taps out her pipe and then places it in a pouch she wears at her side.

None of you ever recall hearing the woman chuckle quite like that before, and her golden eyes gleam in the sunlight, as she stands up.

Have fun in the woods. I'll see you there.

She starts walking off toward her shrine, still chuckling to herself.

[JNAProductions]

You leave Charity and Faith to their family business, and see about foraging for what you need. It does take a good few hours, but you're able to find pretty much everything you need, and a little more besides!

Spoiler: Wisdom (Perception) DC 14

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As you're heading back, you notice a larger-than-usual trap set by Pelt. It's cunningly laid, and big enough for a grown deer. Or a person. It wouldn't be hard to walk around it, though disabling it might prove a touch tricky.

Spoiler: Wisdom (Nature) DC 17

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Once the tasks are done, you realize that something is up. The animals aren't behaving QUITE normally-nothing that's obvious, but they're watching you. As if they're all working together, predators and prey alike, and reporting to something. Or someone.

[DigoDragon]

Ellie juggles a conjured glass ball in one hand, but stops to take notice of the extra large trap laid out. She glances at Archimedes and then back at the trap.

"Huh. That one has got to be a record. How big a critter do you think Pelt is looking to catch?"

She walks around it, avoiding the trap with a healthy amount of caution. Yet, it has her curiosity because of its size.

[Lentrax]

Miyuki doesn't like it. Something is wrong in the forest. In her forest. Her grove even had an odd feeling to it. She darts through the trees, a white fox, dashing from bush to bush, paws pausing only long enough to get enough grip to push off and keep bounding forward.

In fact, she was going fast enough that she would not have noticed the trap in her way if not for the fact that it appears that someone else got caught in it first. She darts behind a tree and reverts to her human form before coming around and joining the others to inspect the trap, her ears twitching as they pick up on sounds humans should be thankful they cannot hear.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Not discounting Miyuki's warning, Kaytu stops to pray before crossing the tree line. "Grant us the wisdom to know when to entrust ourselves to nature's care, and when you are entrusting its care to us."

She follows behind the group, as she often does. It lets her keep an eye on everyone and make sure she doesn't lose any children. Of course, prayer or no prayer, watching a darting kitsune and thinking about tea contests makes for a distracting environment. She doesn't notice what's going on right in front of her until Ellie points it out.

"Hm? A record what?"

[JNAProductions]

Keys is walking, not a care in the world, when the trap springs.

He's balled up into a large, barbed net, cruelly cutting into his skin, but for some reason, he doesn't yell out in pain for more than a moment. In fact, he seems to be nodding off-and a close inspection reveals the barbs have some kind of goo on them. It smells faintly of cinnamon.

Spoiler: OOC

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Keys, since you're NOT a stout halfling, you don't get advantage on that save against the poison.

By the way, poisoned.
Also, take (2d4)[2] piercing damage from the barbs.

[DigoDragon]

It happened too quickly for Ellie to intervene; the trap was sprung and caught its victim. "Key!" Ellie gasps. She approaches, but stops when she sees the barbs.

"It smells like breakfast..." Ellie mutters.

She casts mage hand and studies the net to try and figure out how to release her companion.

(Is it an investigation check to work out how to release Keytu safely?): (1d20+5)[23]

[JNAProductions]

Ellie looks over the net and the trap mechanism. She's confident she can, with a little help perhaps, undo the net safely. It'll take a good couple of minutes, though.

Spoiler: OOC

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Investigation seems reasonable enough. And with that 23, you can do it.

Good thing Keys wasn't alone!

[DigoDragon]

Ellie looks over the net and the trap mechanism. She's confident she can, with a little help perhaps, undo the net safely. It'll take a good couple of minutes, though.

"Someone lend me a hand, I think I figured out how to get Keys out." Ellie will begin work to get her companion free.

[Palanan]

“…mm,” Keys manages. “Drows…ish. —Pelt…maybe…not his.”

He winces fiercely at the barbs. “…Worse’n…briars.” He plucks groggily at the metal thorns biting into his skin.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Ashkey!" Kaytu gasps when Keys is entangled. Thinking quickly, she swings her bag down from her shoulder, gets into her herb kit and puts on a pair gloves meant for working with thorny plants. Part of her wants to just yank the net down all at once, but dropping Keys to the ground now would just drive in more wounds. There's nothing else to do until he's out of there safely.

She casts Resistance on herself for good measure, then sets about disentangling the net alongside Ellie's telekinesis.

Once keys is down, she casts her other spell to ascertain what it is that has him so drowsy. She doesn't trust herself to know every cinnamon-smelling toxin off the top of her head.

[JNAProductions]

The barbs are coated in a soporific toxin. It's not deadly, at least not without a massive overdose, but the longer the victim is dealing with it, the groggier they'll get. More than a few minutes results in unconsciousness, which can last anywhere from hours to days. It's not terribly expensive, but not especially cheap either. And it's not easy to get ahold of, being illegal in most places.

[DigoDragon]

"Stay with us, Keys," Ellie says, trying to keep the halfling's attention.

She will assist Kaytu in pulling out the barbs with her Mage Hand spell. "Once we get these barbs off 'im, we could take him to my place to patch him up. I don't know what Pelt was thinking setting this trap."

[Lentrax]

The same thing I have. Miyuki says, watching the others work.

Something is wrong out here. The woods. They are quiet.

[Palanan]

Once Keys is free of the last barbs, he will dozily murmur, "Anny'un else hurt?"

He slumps, bleeding from tiny cuts all over, barely able to move. "Real pity...can't cast...Find Traps...."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Homeostasis," says Kaytu as she pulls Keys to his feet. She brushes away the remaining barbs as his body heals and pushes them out of the the bleeding wounds. It's her second spell for the day. "I'm just thankful we were all here to see it. The injuries themselves are not a big deal, but the poison is serious. It will probably take days to sleep it off."

She takes Ashkey by the shoulder and half-carries him to Ellie's place.

[Palanan]

"...'aita minnut," Keys manages as Kaytu takes his slight weight. "Trap...trap wi' us...show ev'ryun...."

He waves vaguely at the trap, or what's left of it, and makes broad, uncoordinated swings of his hand, as if gathering up the remnants to take with them.

.

[DigoDragon]

"Here, let me carry that for you." Ellie will use mage had to carry the remains of the trap and bring it back. If this wasn't Pelt's doing, then there's another, less scrupulous, hunter about. "I can probably study the poison on the bards to fashion something to get the poison out of you sooner."

She will walk the group back to her cottage. She is a bit more on alert now, worried about what else could surprise the group.

[Palanan]

"Are we there yet?" Keys mumbles through a soporific haze.

[JNAProductions]

You are obliged to tell Keys no, because you aren't there yet. But the remaining time spent traveling back isn't too eventful-you return to Feypass unmolested.

Julia is the first one to spot you on your return. "Hello! How was..." she starts, but sees you two supporting Keys heavily. She rushes over, and asks "Everything okay? Is Keys hurt? What happened?"

[Palanan]

"Pelt," Keys manages, "...trap. Worse'n ever."

[DigoDragon]

Ellie gestures to the recovered remains. "Keys has the unfortunate experience of stepping on a trap laced with a poison of some sort. Keys will be alright; just need to work the poison out of his system, but we do need to find out who set the trap in the first place."

"You happen to know where Pelt is?"

[JNAProductions]

Julia shakes her head. "No, I haven't seen him recently. Which is usually a good thing. Here, let me help support him..." she says, stooping down slightly to lend Keys her shoulder. One of her munchkins approaches, the boy, with a look of concern.

"Is everything okay, mom?" he asks.

"We're fine, sweetie, don't worry. But could you fetch some water for Mr. Keys? I'm sure he could use some," she tells him. He nods, and rushes off to the well.

You all find a good spot to set Keys down, and give him some water that Julia's kid got. You do some investigating and find from Merut that Pelt's been skulking about recently.

"He seemed to have some big idea," Merut says grumpily. "Gleam in his eye-you know the type. Some big plan that would rake in the money."

[Palanan]

“Won’ do enny’un good,” Keys murmurs from the cot. “Get—town t’gether, show…show all ’s trap. Let’m see. Pelt—stop’m. Has’t…stop.”

[DigoDragon]

"We're getting to that, Keys. Gotta get you better though." Ellie wrinkles her nose. She addresses her companions. "Should we split up? I can see about helping Keys purge the poison, but it will take some time regardless. Someone else of our group can talk to Pelt about this trap and see if this really is his idea."

[Lentrax]

Something is wrong in the woods. In my woods.

Miyuki, once again in her fox form, is searching for anything that may lead her to an answer of any kind.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Nature: (1d20+1)[13]
Perception: (1d20+3)[23]

[JNAProductions]

Spoiler: OOC

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For the Keys group, not 100% sure what I should post. Lemme know in the OOC what you'd like to see.

Miyuki starts to try to find the source of the oddity. She heads deeper into the forest, moving as a fox should, but she can feel the eyes of the other animals on her. She might look like them-but for the moment, she is not one of them.

Her investigation leads her to a small ring of flowers-perfectly arranged in a circle. In the center, there is a faint shimmer, like a slight mist from rainfall. The animals of the forest come near here, stand still for a bit, and then wander off, seemingly content.

[Lentrax]

What is this?

Miyuki edges closer to the ring, but she doesn't touch it.

[JNAProductions]

The sheen in the air smells... Interesting. Vibrant. Tempting, even. And it glitters with such beautiful colors...

Spoiler: OOC

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As you edge closer, give me a Wisdom Save at DC 11. With advantage, since you're not entering the ring.

On a failure, enter it and go through the shimmer in the air.