Dream Fiend
Log Info
- Title: Dream Fiend
- Emitter: Ravenstongue
- Characters: Dirk, Dolan, Eztli, Razen, Slixvah, Zyla
- Place: Eldwyn Forest
- Time: November 27th, 2022
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Players =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Dirk 4'11" 295 Lb Mountain Dwarf Male
A rugged old dwarf, dressed for the outdoors.
Dolan 5'10" 174 Lb Human Male
Brown-haired human with scars down his face.
Eztli 4'6" 140 Lb Sith-Makar Female
A two-toned, short sith-makar.
Razen 6'9" 258 Lb Half-Orc Male
A large half-orc in well loved scale mail
Slixvah 5'8" 130 Lb Eaglefolk Female
A rust red and white Eglarin covered in ribbons and shawls.
Zyla 7'5" 310 Lb Giantborn Female
Massive woman in simple clothing and robes
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ravenstongue 5'0" 99 Lb Half-Elf Female
Short half-elf girl with violet eyes and black hair.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
- Somewhere in the Eldwyn Forest, high noon.
It's early winter in Alexandros, but that doesn't mean the world is safe from demons simply because it's getting cold. The Explorer's Guild brief was very clear about what's happening: for the last two weeks, scouts patrolling this portion of the Eldwyn have spotted what appears to be a man with batlike wings and horns flying about in the woods. However, this entity keeps escaping from scouts, shrugging off attacks and slipping away into the trees like he'd never been there at all.
That's, of course, where the group of adventurers come in. You all have been given directions to the part of the Eldwyn where this creature has been spotted the most, and a helpful sylvanori scout has led you in the right direction before heading back to his post. The wind blows at random through the trees as the group finds themselves off the path of the major trade roads.
There's plenty of sunlight--for now. But the hunt needs to start sooner rather than later, lest the hunt continue into the dark.
GAME: Razen rolls survival+5: (14)+12+5: 31
Zyla is not usually bothered by the weather all that much. Its the giantblood in her. She needed the work though, and so that found her going to the guild and looking for something to pass the time and earn some funds. She is happy for the job, a demon might actually be challenging. She doesn't really talk that much at least at the moment, trudging along with the others as they hit the path and she glances around as those better at tracking and pathfinding go to work, at least she hopes there is someone along like that.
The brief alone was enough to have Dolan's undivided attention. He'd presented himself promptly, dressed in layers for the weather are prepared for winter travel if needed. He's thus far been quiet, focused, and allowed nobody to stand on his right side, turning his head to view each person in turn.
When they get to the point of getting off of the road, he pauses. "Anyone know these woods?"
At what point did the jobs she take end up being so dangerous?
Slixvah, the outrageously dressed with many ribbons and robe, rust red egalrin woman scratches the side of her neck in thought with a wand that has a feather charm dangling off the hilt of it. "Sooo... what's tha deal wit' airship food?" she jokes, doing her best to allay her nerves. "Sorry Dolan sugar. Ain't been here much."
She steps past him, wing brushing his shoulder as those shifting winds flip to the opposite direction for a beat. "Insurance," she smiles after humming a soft incantation.
<OOC> Slixvah uses Hex: Ward on Dolan. +2 deflection to AC and +2 resistance to saves. Goes away upon getting hit or failing a save.
There's a tall, half-ourch man with the group, keeping his peace for the most part aside from a cheerful greeting and the giving of his first name upon meeting. Though he knows no one in this group, and the fact that he's been pretty quiet, he doesn't seem uncomfortable. No, if one looks into his eyes they can easily see the eagerness there. He's looking up a lot, tracking through the boughs for any sign of this flying fellow. "There's some claw marks on the trees. High up."
His voice is deep and rugged, and he looks down long enough to get a good solid look at his companions. "I could probably track it that way."
Dirk is, of course, traveling along with the party. -Someone- has to keep the tallfolk out of trouble when tracking dangerous quarry through the woods, and who better than one of Alexandria's finest rangers? He trundles along with the others, whistling a cheerful marching tune as he lumbers along. Perched atop his shoulder, his little white-faced owl Lulu hoo-hoots the response to each call. It's serious business they're on, but there's no reason not to keep the heart light and the spirit merry! When they reach the edge of the wood, he unlimbers his thunderbelcher from his shoulder and tips back the brim of his tricorne. "Right, let's see if we can find our demon beastie." He considers. "Is it cold iron or silver shot that demons hate? I can never keep the hell-fuckers straight." Pause. "Hey, I'm a poet an' didn't even know it! Hah!" Lulu head-tilts and click-clacks her beak at her master. "Hoo." She seems suitably unimpressed.
GAME: Dirk rolls survival+4+4: (17)+13+4+4: 38
Just what the city needed, more evil forces waiting to do whatever it was they planned with the city that was already recovering from so much trouble. Best to nip that problem before it got worse, hopefully. And at least the weather was nice.
"The deal with airship food is that they pack so little to maintain altitude. No variance in what they serves." The small makari trudging through the snow shrugs. "If they can't land to restock, it's all dried meat and grain. Better than a ship at least, so there's that going for it."
"We're probably close to where the reports are coming in from, you're right, Slix." They nod before similarly warding themself. "You think you can track it? That's probably better than randomly stumbling into the thing, isn't it?"
GAME: Dolan rolls knowledge/the planes: (8)+8: 16 <OOC> Dolan says, "Add 5, so 23"
"Keep singing like that and it'll find us first, Dirk." The words from Dolan are absent, and said with a cheeky grin that says that he isn't really angry. "Thanks," he adds at the brush of wings across his shoulders. "Cold iron. Thinking we might be dealing with an incubus. Ladies, keep your minds sharp."
"Think you can track it? That'd be good. Lead on."
GAME: Dolan rolls stealth: (9)+-2: 7 GAME: Dirk rolls Stealth+4: (17)+15+4: 36 GAME: Slixvah rolls stealth: (16)+2: 18 GAME: Zyla rolls stealth: (6)+14: 20
Zyla moves along following the trackers and trying to keep her steps light and silent as she moves.
GAME: Razen rolls stealth: (13)+-4: 9
Slix rolls her eyes playfully at Eztli. "'tis a joke, cutie," she snickers, shaking her head at the other antics from the group. The note of cold iron is filed away for later.
The bird woman looks up to the oruch, craning her head, then down at Dirk, sighing in relief before her brows knit together from the Redeemer. "... I will be sure to look respectfully," she hums towards him.
She twirls the wand in her hand, tap-taps her beak, then stoops to pick up a flower on the ground. "Sorry, I dende htsi givro," she chants softly. The flower wilts into dust, and her eyes shimmer a dull green.
GAME: Slixvah casts False Life. Caster Level: 6 DC: 17 GAME: Slixvah rolls 1d10+witch: (7)+6: 13 GAME: Slixvah used a Wand of Mage Armor. GAME: Eztli casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16
Dirk rumbles a low chuckle at Dolan and snaps his fingers. "Ahh, couldn't get lucky an' it be a succubus, could we? She'd be powerless tae resist my mansome charms. We'd have 'er dealt with in no time!" He puffs up his burly chest, preening his majestic white beard. Who could possibly resist? Lulu headtilts in the other direction. "Hoo." That has the old snowbeard's whiskers bristly, and he harrumphs. "Well nobody asked -you-," he grumbles.
But even as he banters, he's scanning the forest floor, sweeping his fingertips across the fall foliage. After a moment, he plucks up a stick from the ground. "This is fresh," he says, brushing his thumb over the broken wood. He scans his gaze up to the tree from whence the wood dropped, and flits over to the next. "Think I've got 'im." He taps a gem on his bandolier, changing the pattern of faintly glowing jewels. Now the magicked item will feed his thunderbelcher cold iron shot. He racks the slide with a satisfying CHK-CHAK! "Right. Let's bag us a demon," he growls.
Razen nods to the others, seemingly unconcerned by any uncertainty. He flashes a curious look at Dolan though. "What's an Incubus anyways? That the ladies should keep their minds sharp? Does it eat women more often than men?" He unlimbers his weapon as he walks, and clinks and jingles. Maybe he's trying to keep bears away with all the metal on his form. But between the spiked chain wrapped around his waist and the jingling of the heavy flail in his hand... he's not very quiet.
"It'll mess with your mind, my friend." As they walk, Dolan is still not allowing anyone to his right, although freely to his left, and the gem inset where his right eye should be glows dully in dappled sunshine as it reflects sunlight in places. "The male version of a succubus."
The tracking takes a bit of time. Some move stealthier than others, which is the nature of going out on adventuring contracts. Not everyone can be a shadow.
Surprisingly, though, it doesn't take long before the sound of laughter can be heard from the trees. There's a slight turn in the forest 'path' that your group treads, and it looks like it might be a clearing of some sort up ahead--which is where the laughter is coming from.
"Weird joke, and I just don't want to think too much about bad food and airships for a while." The small makari sighs, letting their focus go back to the task at hand. "What's that about keeping my mind sharp?" They ask of Dolan, before they shake their head. "I couldn't care less about what they've got dangling between their legs, save for it being something to kick if it comes down to it. Which is to say, if I've got eyes for them, then everyone's equally at risk, aren't they?"
"And, might be time to test that theory, hopefully not. We should just kill the thing before it gets out of hand, and it's back where it came from, right?"
Zyla cocks her head to the side and then looks at the others as she does hear the sounds and slows down, now definitely is the time to be a bit more silent if possible.
"Succubi are those ones that try to seduce you right?" Razen seems curious and interested in turn, but when he hears the sound of laughing he goes completely serious and stops for a moment. Coughs. Looks at his allies and then girds himself before marching none-too-stealthily toward the clearing. Sneaking around just... isn't his style.
Slix sighs, rubbing her face as they go along. "... mess wit'cha head and not tha good kind of e-"
Some snow falls off a branch, sullying her attempt at a joke. At least she chuckles from Dirk.
Along the way, she pulls out a wand of light oak, with a some shoelaces tied together at the end, acting like a wrist lanyard. She's about to note something, but is cut off from Eztli's remark, as she's just quietly snorting.
And she's not the only one laughing. Slix ceases, more focused now as she takes out a dagger in her other hand. "... someone's gigglin' and I didn't even get ta crack a joke."
"Yessum, Razen. Succubi and incubi, not just seduce ya, but try and get what appeals ta ya the most. Just be ready. Keep ya mind sharp."
Dolan's about to explain further, but shuts right up when the laughter echoes through the trees. "This is too damned easy," he mutters. "Bet me this is a trap. Look sharp. These guys don't just sit out in the woods waiting for a bite."
Well, there's a sight that's in the clearing, all right. There's a stone table of sorts, perhaps a piece of art or a monument made by someone and then left quietly to the the woods for them to claim. Seated at the stone table are three humanoid individuals. One of them is a handsome man, his skin a dusky earth-tone in stark contrast to his yellow eyes. His dark hair is medium-length, the occasional wave falling into his handsomely-curved face. The horns that curl out of his head, and the bat wings that jut out of his back, however, are obvious signs of his demonic appearance.
However, it appears he has two great reasons to be distracted. The two other people at this table are lovely women with skin of wood and hair of flowers and vines. Their nature-borne beauty, however, is clearly being altered, as the wood of their skin looks... /wrong/, as the occasional pulse of red lines skitter across the flesh, and their eyes are the same yellow of the incubus. The ladies are giggling at the incubus.
And the incubus looks very pleased with himself... Until, of course, he spots the adventurers. "Really? You had to come and spoil /my/ fun?" He balks.
He takes flight into the air with a huff, drawing a scimitar from his belt.
GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+5: aliased to Ranged+1-3+5: (16)+12+1+-3+5: 31 GAME: Dirk rolls Dmg: aliased to 1d12+1+6: (1)+1+6: 8
Dirk's eyes get wide as he spies the incubus in all his infernal majesty. But the sight of the two wood-women being fouled and tainted by that hellish influence sets the old snowbeard's whiskers to a furious bristle. He bares his teeth as he trundles forward, planting himself and swinging up his thunderbelcher. "Aye, 'fraid so, ye sheepfucker!" he growls as he draws his bead. "Next time, maybe pick somewhere -else- tae spread yer filthy shit!" He pulls back on the trigger. CHK-BOOM! The cold iron bullet flies true, scoring a most palpable hit on the hellish himbo.
GAME: Razen rolls Reflex: (12)+1: 13 GAME: Slixvah rolls reflex: (3)+4: 7 GAME: Zyla rolls reflex: (8)+8: 16 GAME: Dolan rolls reflex+2: (13)+4+2: 19 GAME: Eztli rolls reflex: (3)+6: 9 GAME: Dirk rolls Reflex+2: (4)+10+2: 16
One of the bespelled women screams in anger as she sees Dirk shooting at her beloved man. Her yellow eyes flash in rage. "No! You CAN'T!" she growls, and she conjures up entangling vines from the earth.
GAME: Eztli rolls escape artist +5: (10)+7+5: 22
Eztli finds herself caught up in several vines, and after a moment of struggling with them, takes one hand, and tears through the plant matter at the base, wrenching herself free and jumping out of the area so they could run past the edge of the spell's effect.
"He's just using you, you know? Probably controlling your mind too. They don't care about you, they're just making you think that so they can get what they want." The small sorceress growls.
"Yep. Regular old party poopers," Dolan snarls as he nimbly dodges a reaching vine and steps on another one, then takes off at a jog, picking his way through the field. "I'll spoil any of your fucking parties, anytime, anywhere, in the name of Daeus Sunlord!"
As he emerges from the entangling vine field, he flicks the leather harness holding his blade to his back onto the ground and holds the massive weapon up in both hands. "Holy Knight, let Your light be the bane of demonkind!" The blade flashes sunlight down it as he reverses into a ready stance.
GAME: Slixvah rolls intelligence+5: (8)+5+5: 18
Slixvah gets wrapped up into the ground, her almost fumbling with her weapons before her feathers on her wings unravel in a coil on the ground. Then whip like a broken tow line on a boat. Vines crack and snack, Slix breaking free with a grunt as her wings beat once. Twice. Building into the air somewhat before she glides over to a tree and skids to a halt behind it. Feathers flow around the side on the forest wind's gale. "Ugh, ladies!" she croons over towards the table in the woods. "Get a hold of yourselves!"
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 1d20+16: (8)+16: 24 GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 1d6+9: (5)+9: 14 <OOC> Slixvah says, "hex ward is popped and gone (if thats a hit)"
The incubus rolls his eyes as Dolan reveals himself to be a follower of Daeus. "Ad/dorable/," he huffs. "Ah well. At least your kind are my second-favorite playthings--"
He grunts as he takes flight into the air and brings his scimitar down to bear into the inquisitor with a vicious grin, yellow eyes flashing brightly. "Pity about your face, though--you must have been a looker once!"
<OOC> Zyla says, "abundant step to 7,11 and stunning fist attack on the incubus." GAME: Zyla spends ONE point of KI POOL. GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed+2: aliased to Melee+1+1+2: (16)+14+1+1+2: 34 <OOC> Zyla says, "the save dc is 18" GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 1d20+12: (11)+12: 23 GAME: Zyla rolls first: aliased to 2d8+10+1: (11)+10+1: 22
Zyla looks at the terrain around her and then over at the others and smiles a little, she focuses her ki and then steps forward, vanishing as she starts her step. She finishes the step right behind the Incubus flanking with Dirk as she lets loose with a powerful punch, trying to stun the incubus at the same time. She hits soundly, and while it causes damage, it doesn't seem to have quite the stunning effect that the giantborn was going for.
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 1d20+10: (14)+10: 24
The other beautiful woman is similarly filled with rage as the combat begins, yellow eyes glowing brightly. "Don't you dare touch him!" she yells, stepping backwards as a nature-wound bow appears in her arms. An arrow is loosed at Zyla, but it goes wide of the giantborn--rage doesn't always make for good shooting.
Razen trudges through the plants, moving as fast as he can whilst the plants grow up into existance around him and try to catch him up. They don't have much luck catching the half-oruch, but he's wary of them nonetheless. The heavy flail jingles in his hand as he sets his eyes on the demon intently. "NO!" He yells ferociously at the creature as it attacks Dolan and hefts himself the last few yards to bellow in the demon's face. "FIGHT ME! Face me in honorable combat fiend!"
He pounds his chest with his free hand and his eyes are lit with furious fevor. "Fight me!" He's very intent on this particular point.
GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+5: aliased to Ranged+1-3+5: (3)+12+1+-3+5: 18 GAME: Dirk rolls Dmg: aliased to 1d12+1+6: (12)+1+6: 19 GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 1d20+16: (8)+16: 24 GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 1d6+9: (3)+9: 12
Dirk grunts as he hops from foot to foot, deftly evading the briars and vines as they writhe around his legs. "Gah! Away wi' you, Ol' Man Bramble! You should not be waking!" he grunts. He turns to pick his way out of the tangle, but that opens him up to the incubus. He twists away from the scimitar, but the blade lands on his pauldron, sliding off the curve and cutting a slash in his arm. "HRAAGGH!" His eyes blaze with dwarven fury as he stomps his foot to root himself. Up comes his thunderbelcher. CHK-BOOM! The bullet PYANGs into the incubus, landing a more solid hit! He whistles sharply through his teeth, three quick blasts. "Lulu! Flank 'im!" he calls. Lulu wings off his shoulder with a mighty hoot, baring her talons and fluttering menacingly. She makes an excellent distraction for Razen to take advantage of!
GAME: Zyla rolls will: (13)+7: 20
The beautiful woman who conjured the entangling vines huffs again, stepping backwards to escape the melee. Her yellow eyes catch Zyla, and she smirks a little. "Why don't you just walk away?" she sweetly croons, her words carrying a magical weight... That are resisted.
GAME: Eztli rolls 1d20+6+5: (15)+6+5: 26 GAME: Eztli rolls 4d6+4+1: (10)+4+1: 15 GAME: Eztli casts Scorching Ray. Caster Level: 6 DC: 17
Eztli ducks behind the others off to one side, and the small makari conjures a flaming lance in one hand, sending it shooting off at the demon, only to find most of the flames dissipating harmlessly in the process. "Figures." She grumbles to herself. "That thing isn't going to get burnt by much, be careful!"
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1+5+2: (8)+9+5+2: 24 GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+5+2+2d6+2: (11)+5+2+(3)+2: 23 <OOC> Dolan says, "Bother, add +4 to that for PA/FF."
"Better than the creature that gave it to me," Dolan snarls, seemingly unfazed, reversing the sunlit blade and bringing it across. He grits his teeth against the stinging of claws across his side. "He got sent back to the hells, and you'll fucking join him. The Knight judge you for your crimes!"
GAME: Slixvah casts Heroism. Caster Level: 6 DC: 18
Slix surveys the field from her spot in cover, watching as some folks take a few nicks from the blade being flashed. Spying that Dolan is- "Holy shit balls, buddy," she whispers to herself- that, a ribbon-like wing flings out towards him brushes against his back, and pulls out a white thread from seemingly nothing as she yanks it towards herself.
The witch grabs the string and ties it into a bowtie. "Oyu nanaw eb, het eryv ebts, ikel on eno vear swa!" she sing songs in a chant before releasing it. The thread whips back to him.
It feels like it's gotten to the exciting part of the book.
Finishing that, the birdwoman ducks out from behind cover and flies over to the table. Showing off a spin, she flares her wings out to sudden stop atop the table. "Heya ladies!" she coos, kicking whatever was on the surface off, if anything. Long, ribbon like feathers waft threateningly in the air, able to reach almost everyone in the fray. "Why don'tcha break up wit' 'im? He's bad taste, yeah?"
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 1d20+16: (1)+16: 17 (EPIC FAIL)
The incubus gnashes his teeth, growling as he now finds himself almost surrounded. Breathing heavily from Dolan's strike, the demonic entity lashes out at the nearest easy prey he can find--
Only for his strike to go wide of Lulu, the scimitar finding only air.
GAME: Zyla spends ONE point of KI POOL. GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed+2: aliased to Melee+1+1+2: (10)+14+1+1+2: 28 GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed+2: aliased to Melee+1+1+2: (4)+14+1+1+2: 22 GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed+2: aliased to Melee+1+1+2: (14)+14+1+1+2: 32 GAME: Zyla rolls unarmed+2-5: aliased to Melee+1+1+2-5: (7)+14+1+1+2+-5: 20 GAME: Zyla rolls hammer1: aliased to 4d8+10+1: (23)+10+1: 34 GAME: Zyla rolls rest: aliased to 2d8+7+1: (11)+7+1: 19 GAME: Zyla rolls rest: aliased to 2d8+7+1: (14)+7+1: 22
Zyla growls. "He challenged you to honorable combat, and you went after the Owl? How dare you! You have no honor and you really shouldn't have done that. Might have let the others fight you if you hadn't done that. Now it is my turn, face my fists." she moves to the right slightly and then focuses her ki. She brings both hands together and slams them down hard onto the incubus and then slams a left, and then a right, and another left, though the last fist misses. Her blows slammed hard and she pants a little as she watches the incubus go down and then start to fade.
GAME: Dirk rolls Reflex+2: (7)+10+2: 19 GAME: Dolan rolls reflex+2: (14)+4+2: 20 GAME: Eztli rolls reflex: (17)+6: 23 GAME: Slixvah rolls reflex: (11)+4: 15 GAME: Razen rolls reflex: (20)+1: 21 (CRITICAL SUCCESS) GAME: Zyla rolls reflex: (14)+8: 22 GAME: Slixvah rolls feather slap: aliased to intelligence+BAB: (14)+5+3: 22 GAME: Slixvah rolls 1d3+7: (1)+7: 8
One of the women wails inconsolably as her yellow eyes behold the incubus fading out of reality. "No! NO! Why did you take him from me!?" Not even Slixvah's slap returns her to reality as she conjures up a bed of grasping vines below the feet of the adventurers.
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+11: (13)+11: 24 GAME: Razen rolls 1d4+4: (2)+4: 6
The half-ourch watches the demon fade from existance with utter disappointment. He hefts a sigh and looks at his heavy flail. "Too slow this time." The words of one who has gotten to the fight and found that it is already done. The flail jingles, almost sounding melencoloy. Then he looks up as the plants begin to twist and turn yet again, diving forward and glaring at the two women left in the wake of the demon. "MAGIC!"
The enemy.
He strides forward quickly, letting lose with a punch to the woman closest to him. "Wake up! He wasn't that good looking even!" He utters irritably, and forgetting that he's wearing spiked gauntlets. Thankfully the blow doesn't hurt her too badly; not even as badly as he was expecting such a blow to hurt her. Eyes narrow.
GAME: Dirk rolls Knowledge/Nature: (17)+14: 31 GAME: Dirk rolls Knowledge/The Planes: (18)+3: 21
Dirk relaxes his stance as the incubus is literally punched out of existence. He pumps his fist with a thunderous whoop. "WOO-HAH! AYE, BACK TAE HELL WI' YE, PRETTY BOY!" He limbers his thunderbelcher over his shoulder and puffs up his chest with dwarven pride. He lifts his other hand, curling it into a fist and blowing a hoot through it. Lulu hoots back and wings her way back to her master's shoulder. She too puffs up her breast feathers. "Hoo! Hoo-hoo-oo!" Dirk nods his head with a chuckle. "Aye, I -did- see! Ye were verra brave, lass!"
He turns to the others, looking ready to share in their victory. But that's when he sees Rezan punching one of the ladies. The old snowbeard's jaw drops. For a moment, he's aghast. But then, his face turns red under the snowy white of his beard, which once again bristles with fury. He stomps forward. "YOU STUPID STINKIN' BAG O' TROLL-PLOP! WHAT THE -FUCK- IS WRONG WI' YE?!" he roars. He gesticulates furiously towards the two. "These lasses are -dryads-! They're creatures o' the wood! They need our -help-, not a punch in the gob! Dana's flowery -teats-, I should give -you- a knuckle sammich an' see how -you- like it!" Lulu narrows her eyes as Dirk goes on his rant. She draws herself up tall and skinny, turning her body into profile and becoming an Evil Hissing Thing That Hisses Like Evil. In short, a vampire owl. She is Not Amused.
The dryad that Razen punches recoils a little, her stony expression that she wore when she saw the incubus fade out of reality shifting to a more melancholy one. Yellow eyes well up with tears as she looks at Dirk. "No," she answers in a hushed voice. "I deserve that. We deserve that. We've abandoned our trees. We've become... like /this./"
She gestures to the lines of red that crackle through her wood-like skin. "An oath that was sworn, a connection as ancient as the earth, abandoned because of lust and silvered words. I... I am ashamed. Casuarina, if you intend to fight them, you will do it alone."
Zyla turns and glances around a little, and cocks her head to the side, and just watches for a moment.
"Demons have had a damned long time to perfect their craft." Dolan lowers his blade, then rests the blade over one armored shoulder, pressing the other hand to his bleeding side. He takes a few steps towards the dryad pair, and the others. "Thanks, Slixvah. Your spells are pretty good. Didn't know you could do that." He nods respect to the egalrin. "If we're at each other's throats, who wins? Sure as all the green garden hells, not these ladies." He turns his whole head to survey each of them in turn, pausing on each one.
He seems to be looking for something specific, but finally nods satisfaction. "They aren't completely corrupted. You want to ruin a demon's day? Set something right. Make it how it should be. Undo their work."
Dirk points a finger over at Dolan. "See? -He- gets it!" he growls. The old ranger is still steamed.
Slixvah sighs in relief as the demon fades, her turning her attention to-
The Hunter is giving a tirade to Razen. One that Slix is wholly at fault too. She side eyes the one she slapped and gives a quiet, apologetic curtsey before crossing her arms. Only to puff out her chest in pride from Dolan's praise. Watch out! That ego is inflating! "Thanks sugar! I can do a looot more too," she croons. "But yeah. Like the handsome lad here said, ain't over honies."
The ribbon-like feathers on her wings continue to waft. She's still on the table.
Razen bristles at Dirk's comment, his vision turning red around the edges briefly, but Dolan's calm tone reminds him that the other man is his ally not his enemy. The dryad's own words help too, and after a few long calming breaths he nods to Dolan and reattaches his flail to his hip. A not-so-subtle reminder to those that might think him too martially-brained that he could have used the heavy weapon rather than his fist. "I don't know much about cleansing demon-taint, but I'll do what I can." A short look at Dirk. "I hate demons."
Eztli, who was getting ready to tear into the incubus, but is instead is left with a quickly vanishing corpse and two dryads.
"Dirk, I understand you're angry, but you really should stop with your accusing real quick. If they actually wanted to harm them, then they have a flail, you know?" The small makari sighs. "But that's what those fiends do, like the others are saying, don't hold it against yourselves too much. I'm sure that the druids at the circle can help you out, I'm sure."
Casuarina, the dryad who had tried to entangle the group again in her rage, sighs heavily. The vines she had summoned wilted back down into the earth, now only a minor tripping hazard rather than a major issue. She stares at Slixvah for a moment with those yellow eyes of hers, like she's considering what she would have done if the other dryad hadn't spoken to reason... but the group exchanges words, and her attention returns to the other dryad. "What do we do then, Rubra?"
Rubra's melancholy expression lifts, albeit slightly, as she looks at the group, considering everyone's words. At the mention of the circle, the sorrow melts away into realization. "The druids!" she exclaims, looking at Rubra. "Yes, the scaled one is right."
She looks at Dolan in particular, and it seems the tears are replaced with ones of gratitude, as she offers him a small smile. "The holy man says we are not fully lost, after all."
Rubra reaches out to take Razen's hand--the one that had punched her. "And thank you," she says. "For helping me. Despair is a powerful thing. All of you are forever in my debt."
"Our debt," Casuarina adds with a little huff. This one has a bit of pride to her, even with all of her demonic corruption. But... even with her pride, she sighs and pouts. "We would appreciate an escort. So that we are not attacked by our kin and other forest guardians."
Dirk harrumphs. Slowly, his whiskers stop bristling, and he squares his shoulders. "On that much, you an' I agree, laddie," he says. "I'm sorry I got cross wi' ye. I'm a creature o' the wood, same as these poor lasses are. Takes a lot tae get me dander up, but hurtin' the woods, well... that's one sure-fire way tae do it." Sensing her master relaxing, Lulu also returns to her petite owlish form. She rustles her wings and click-clacks her beak as she looks up at Rezan. Head-tilt left. Head-tilt right. "Hoo. Hoo-oo." Dirk leans his head towards his companion. "No, lassie, I don't want ye tae huck an owl pellet on 'im," he says in a quiet undertone.
Instead of owlish wrath, he turns his attention to the dryads. Without hesitation, he steps forward. "I'll go wi' ye, lasses," he says. "Whatever I can do tae help make ye whole again, I'll do it. Blessed Dana an' Holy Gilead witness me." He doffs his tricorne and sweeps a low, courtly bow. "Dirk Stormgrip, at yer service, an' yer family's." Lulu tips forward as well. She can be such a polite owl when she puts her mind to it!
Zyla nods her head and smiles now, "Glad we could help free you from his clutches and start you on the path to recovery."
"Be happy to," Dolan answers, flashing a cheeky grin at both of the dryads that is ragged around the edges and turning his gaze towards Razen. "I hate 'em, too. Sending them back where they belong is only half of fighting the Hells and its minions. Undoing their work's the other half. Come on, let's make sure this bastard didn't do any permanent harm. Just - give me a minute."
He pauses, sets the blade down in the grass, and sorts through his belt pouch with hands that have come away bloody. He seems to find what he is looking for, which is a small vial with a clear glass stopper. This he removes and, with careful hands, dribbles the contents into the wound at his side, gritting his teeth against the sting.
Razen has the grace to look mildly embarrassed by the dryad's polite gratitude towards him. Even if his punch had done exactly what he intended it to do - and woken her up from herself - he'd still punched her. By all rights he knew things could have turned out differently, very differently. He presses his much larger hand around hers and nods to Dirk. "Yes, let us get you to the druids. So that you can be cleansed and returned to your kin."
He turns away and notices Dolan healing himself and blinks. "You were wounded? Demons can have nasty tricks up their sleeves, it's wise of you to cleanse it." He nods as if he has at least some familiarity with demons, which might seem contrary to his earlier curiosity. "You must regale me friend, now that we have shared combat, with the tale of your mighty scar!"
Slixvah watches the yellow eyes with a curious, if almost challenging gaze. There's a grin in the eyes, and she gives a bow. "It'd be my pleasure to escort the two of you to the druids," she twitters in a sing-songy tongue. <Sylvan>
A glance to Eztli, she winks at her before hopping down off the table with a twirl. "Good idea cutie."
She cracks her knuckles, and holds up both her now white-glowing hands, seeing Dolan patching himself up. "Alright lovlies, if ya got a boo boo, come here! Let lil' ol' Slix fix ya right dandy!"
Seeing as Razen is speaking of demon-slaying, she adds, "Oh, Dolan's a flippin' beast wit' tha demons." Totally not putting a shine on that Redeemer title.
"It is a place to start, at the very least." The small makari nods to the two dryads. "And the most likely solution, outside of consulting the temples in Alexandria. If that is necessary, then I am sure that the druids will be able to get you in contact with them.
"I'm alright, but others might need healing. Thankfully things didn't get two bad, you never know with creatures like that."
"It's a good thing we had people knowing what to do with fiends around, for certain. I should prepare myself though, I run into some again. Fire didn't seem particularly helpful, but that's a problem for another day. For now, we should get these dryads back to the circle, and I feel like I should go along with everyone."
Wounds are tended to. No demonic taint will take hold of anyone today, beyond what has already been wrought to the dryads, and the walk back through the forest goes without incident, although the two dryads look nervously in the direction of the trees from time to time. Not that anyone can spot anything in them, but then again, the dryads probably know better.
Once the adventurers reach the Druid Grove, the dryads offer their goodbyes to the party. They turn to the druids and wear uncertain expressions, but Rubra puts her hand on Casuarina's arm, and they walk together.
While their wood-like skin may bear the marks of demonic corruption... just like a piece of clothing, wounds don't have to be worn forever. The healing can now begin.