PrP: Noises from the Felwood
Emitter: Ga'Elian Players: Raethon (Wiz6), Sora (Ftr3; couldn't stick around for combat), Jokul (Ftr6), Halena (Clr4)
Foes: 4 fiendish dire wolves (all killed), 1 werewolf (human Ftr2; scared into fleeing, but open to legwork)
Scene Teaser: Travelers from the outlying areas along Kultari Road have reported an increase in the spooky noises near the road as they've passed the Felwood. Noises that have sped them on their way. The Guild is sending a party to check it out and possibly deal with any threats that are encroaching too closely to the road.
It's Korday, Daeshen 08 11:42:46 1018. The full moon is up. The tide is high and rising. Chilly rain falls from a grey sky. It's bleak and raw. The wind blows from the east.
H02: The Felwood
Over the past few weeks, reports of scary sounds from the Felwood have been heard more and more in the bars, taverns, shops, and even the temples od Alexandria. Finally, a representative of the government of Alexandros took action, by asking the Explorer's Guild to send a team to push the threat back away from the road a bit. Others have refused this job, not knowing what the unnatural black rift in the skies above the wood may cause, nor what manner of monsters threaten the nearby road.
As the scene opens, the band of intrepid adventurers is just at the point on the road where the Felwood is nearest.
Asked by the Temple of Daeus to take on this task as a training exercise, Halena's made the journey with the group, looking rather less comfortable in arms and armor than many others ... and yet with a look of set determination. As they get closer, though, she's left staring at the Felwood's evil with wide eyes and set lips. "So this is the Felwood. I see why it's called that."
Sora is humming a little to herself. The smaller lass looks around and shrugs, "Have seen darker places, travelled around a bit, but it is one of the darker." She does keep a hand on the hilt of her greatsword, mostly to help keep it from dragging but also to make it easier to draw.
With the rumors spreading, Raethon walks up along side of Halena and stamps his staff on the ground. "It gets worse when you get in there, Sunguard." He then looks to Sora. "I would recommend that you not keep your sword in it's scabbard. Underestimating the Felwood is dangerous. I've heard reports that one Oruch, who went in there to combat a threat, was changed back to his pre-adom mentality. Travel with caution." he says stepping towards the front to listen......
"That," rumbles a baritone from the very rear of the grouping, the word pronounced further by the stomp of a mithral boot through a small fallen tree branch and onto the ground. The expression that Jokul, clad in full plate of mithril and with his trademark SWORD propped over his shoulder, sports does *not* fit the overall loom of the forest. For his lips have spread wide to bare out his teeth in an all-too-eager grin. "--Just sounds promising, doesn't it?"
Very different ideas, he has.
GAME: Jokul rolls perception: (5)+6: 11
GAME: Halena rolls perception: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Raethon rolls perception: (10)+10: 20
GAME: Sora rolls perception: (19)+5: 24
"It promises many things, but a picnic in the forest isn't one of them. Watch yourself." Halena turns her back on the forest to face the swordsman, folding her arms across her chest. "And if you run in before you think, you're going to get hurt."
Ga'Elian paged (Raethon, Sora) with 'You both can smell something sickly rotten. You're not close enough for it to threaten nausia, but you two clearly notice it. Enough to identify a general direction.'
Ga'Elian paged Sora with 'In addition, you hear a faint sound of something feeding.'
Sora cocks her head to the side and does pull her greatsword out. She wrinkles her nose, "Something, smells." she says and then blinks and cocks her head to the side, "I..hear something...animal probably." she says softly.
Raethon sniffs the air and makes a face. "That way." he points with his staff. "And the Sunguard has a point, Jokul. We're not going to keep you from your fight, but stay with us." He makes a bit of a face. "I smell corpses...." he then looks to Sora. "Lead the way."
The indicated direction leads clearly into the woods. The trees are black and twisted as much metaphorically as physically.
"That depends entirely on how things go down," Jokul states in complete deadpan while idly rubbing something or the other off the slant of the oversized blade he bears. Sora's words bring his head perking up a bit, but-- it lasts only for a second or so. "If it turns out to just be a wolf, I'm going to be mighty disappointed."
Sora nods and shakes her head and turns towards where she hears the sound and heads that way, she doesn't like leading into the unknown but oh well.
Raethon says, "In here, nothing is ever 'just a wolf', Jokul." he says starting in that direction with Sora."
"Bah," Jokul scoffs out and flicks his free hand sidewards through the air dismissively before he moves on to follow after the other three to the general direction of the woods.
Halena turns to take up slack, trailing behind the others and peering intently into the darkness.
As you enter the woods, the light becomes significantly dimmer. The going is slow as you wend your way through thick underbrush trying to follow a stench. Eventually, though, and perhaps with a few minor scratches from thorns along the way, you get to a spot where there is a half-eaten, half-rotten horse, complete with tack, bridle, saddle, etc. It bears no obvious markings. Scratched into the bark of the tree next to it is a symbol.
(This isn't very far from the entrance to the woods, as the crow flies, but you all did kinda take a circuitous path to get here.)
At the back of the group, Halena is the last to spot the half-eaten horse, but when she does, she makes a creatively descriptive face. Having targeted the top of the wizard's staff with a light spell earlier in their journey, she now uses that light to peer at the symbol carved into the tree.
At the back of the group, Halena is the last to spot the half-eaten horse, but when she does, she makes a creatively descriptive face. Having journeyed largely in the dimness to this point, stumbled a few times, and torn her robes more than once, she now digs around in herr bacsk to get a better look at the symbol carved into the tree.
GAME: Halena rolls knowledge/religion: (4)+9: 13
Ga'Elian paged Halena with 'Scrawled roughly, but it has the characteristic elements of the unholy symbol of Caracoroth.'
Raethon is largely looking about, and mainly to look at the symbol upon the tree. "the horse was domesticated, so something targeted them, I think...."
GAME: Raethon rolls perception: (5)+10: 15
GAME: Raethon rolls knowledge/religion: (9)+14: 23
"So where is the source of the sound then?" Jokul wonders out loud in a mutter, while his eyes sweep slowly from side to side.
Ga'Elian paged Raethon with 'Scrawled roughly, but it has the characteristic elements of the unholy symbol of Caracoroth, and interestingly enough, the symbol looks to have been rendered in a style characteristic of writings in the Infernal tongue. Also, you notice tracks leading away from the horse, as if its rider had stumbled away on his own two feet.'
GAME: Jokul rolls perception: (13)+6: 19
"Caracoroth," Halena's expression twists in anger. "The Devourer." She steps away, and finally she draws her own blade, looking around.
"Scratch that out." Rae says pointing to the symbol. yes, that was an order. "Symbol of the god of destruction. This is going to be worse than I thought." he says looking to Halena, then looks down towards the ground. "Tracks leading off in that direction. Can any of you track? I can't."
Ga'Elian paged Jokul with 'In a direction oblique to where Raethon indicated, you hear a guttural panting and see in the shadows three pairs of red glowing dots.'
"I have a rudimentary understanding of how to do it," Jokul murmurs while he's stepping towards the tree, for the express purpose of bringing out a dagger with his free hand and carving a gash along it's bark over the symbol. "But might not need that." His green eyes flick sidelong to the way indicated by Rae. "Something's close."
At the mention of something being close, Halena pulls the sun disk from inside her armor and holds it in her free haand, then lets it dangle to display clearly. "Holy Father, defend us from the evil which lurks in this place!" She makes a gesture, then reaches out to touch Jokul's shoulder.
GAME: Halena casts Protection From Evil. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ATTENTION -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ga'Elian has dropped a TIMESTOP!
Please +init, then cease all roleplay and actions immediately and wait for Ga'Elian to instruct you further.
For in-combat commands, type: +thelp.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
GAME: Jokul rolls initiative: 14 + 3 = 17
GAME: Halena rolls initiative: 4 + 1 = 5
GAME: Raethon rolls initiative: 15 + 7 = 22
Out of the woods, a snarling growl precedes the emergence of a pack of BIG wolves, with glowing red eyes.
GAME: Raethon refreshes spells.
GAME: Raethon casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16
GAME: Raethon casts Web. Caster Level: 6 DC: 17
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+6: (2)+6: 8
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+6: (15)+6: 21
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+6: (14)+6: 20
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+10: (9)+10: 19
GAME: Raethon rolls knowledge/nature: (12)+14: 26
Ga'Elian paged Raethon with 'Dire wolves, AND likely extra-planar. Roll Know/the planes with a +2 to learn more, if you wish.'
GAME: Raethon rolls knowledge/the planes: (16)+14: 30
Ga'Elian paged Raethon with 'Fiendish dire wolves'
From afar, Raethon has an abjurer btw....can I be 'prepared' for them? Like be resistance against fire? it's only 5 off of damage.
Ga'Elian paged Raethon with 'Sure'
Seeing the wolves, Rae's first reaction is to try and ensnare them with a web spell. Unfortuantely, only one is caught as the rest jump out of the way. Rae does, however, study them.....and shakes his head. "I knew I prepared the right defense. They're fiendish dire wolves, and they're likely the ones that killed the horse. Let's take them out."
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 21.
It is now Wolf3's turn! Jokul is next!
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+6: (19)+6: 25 (Refl vs Web)
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+7: (19)+7: 26
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d8+6+5: (5)+6+5: 16
GAME: Ga'Elian damaged Raethon for 16 points. 20 remaining.
One of the beasts springs out of the woods right at the wizard, smiting him with unholy fury.
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 17.
It is now Jokul's turn! Wolf1 is next!
GAME: Note Flat-footed on Jokul ended.
GAME: Jokul used a SWORD.
GAME: Jokul rolls melee+1+1+1: (15)+10+1+1+1: 28
GAME: Jokul rolls 2d6+16: (8)+16: 24
"Wolves," comes up the growl of the Aesir, and right in time with the claws of a wolf smashing into the wizard, his boot smashes down onto the ground nearby, with his sword hoisted high into the air and-- down right after, in a mighty swing that cuts through the beast and sends dirt flying into the sides when it hits the ground. "Of course it had to be *wolves*."
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 16.
It is now Wolf1's turn! Wolf4 is next!
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+6: (15)+6: 21 (Refl vs Web)
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+7: (10)+7: 17
A second wolf jumps to attack, but hits nobody.
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 7.
It is now Wolf4's turn! Wolf2 is next!
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+6: (1)+6: 7 (EPIC FAIL)
The first two wolves succeed in navigating a bit of the web, the third gets stuck, just like the other one.
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 5.
It is now Wolf2's turn! Halena is next!
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+6: (14)+6: 20 (Refl vs Web)
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+4: (2)+4: 6 (Str vs Web)
The fourth wolf fails to free itself from the web, but keep snarling maliciously.
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 5.
It is now Halena's turn! WW is next!
GAME: Note Flat-footed on Halena ended.
GAME: Halena casts Divine Favor. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14
Frozen for a moment, Halena is the last to move, but after a split second gathers her wits and raises her sun-disk once more. "Grant me the power to destroy this evil!" she shouts, then raises the disk to her lips and lets it fall back to her chest, a sunlight white-gold aura briefly surrounding her before fading into her skin. That done, she narrowly sidesteps the edge of the web to close on the severely wounded one. She doesn't appear to have spotted the wolf-man thing, not having the vision for it.
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 24.
It is now WW's turn! Raethon is next!
Away, still in the trees, those with vision to see further in the shadows of these fell trees might notice that a hybrid wolf/man creature flees deeper into the woods.
GAME: WW removed from initiative list.
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 22.
It is now Raethon's turn! Wolf3 is next!
GAME: Raethon casts Haste. Caster Level: 6 DC: 18
Rae winces at being bitten by the wolf, and he steps back as Jokul, then Halena takes over. he's not a melee sort anyways. Saying a few spidery words, Rae stamps his staff on the ground as he steps back to bring an arcane circle under the three of them to speed them up. "I think we might have a werewolf here too." he says looking to the side. "I have to be more careful with my spells if someone's in my face guys......"
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 21.
It is now Wolf3's turn! Jokul is next!
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+7: (7)+7: 14
The wolf in the party's midst tries to attack Jokul, but fails miserably.
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 17.
It is now Jokul's turn! Wolf1 is next!
GAME: Jokul rolls melee+1+1+1: (8)+10+1+1+1: 21
GAME: Jokul rolls melee+1+1+1-2-5: (16)+10+1+1+1+-2+-5: 22
GAME: Jokul rolls melee+1+1+1-2: (4)+10+1+1+1+-2: 15
GAME: Jokul rolls 2d6+16: (9)+16: 25
GAME: Jokul rolls 2d6+16: (10)+16: 26
GAME: Jokul rolls 2d6+16: (4)+16: 20
GAME: Wolf3 removed from initiative list.
"Then try to get behind me!" Jokul growls over to Rae, right before he stomps towards the wolf nearest him, and-- turns into a sudden whirlwind of steeel swishing vertically, horizontally and diagonally again in an apparent effort to cut the wolf up into several pieces.
It more or less works as intended, too, as it turns out, what with the blood spraying everywhere.
He seems to be GRINNING now, too. Maybe the fact that Rae mentioned a WEREWOLF has something to do with that.
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 16.
It is now Wolf1's turn! Wolf4 is next!
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+6: (16)+6: 22 (Refl vs Web)
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+7: (14)+7: 21
Another wolf clears the webbing and jumps at Jokul, but misses as the fighter demolishes the other wolf.
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 7.
It is now Wolf4's turn! Wolf2 is next!
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+6: (8)+6: 14 (Refl vs Web)
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+4: (10)+: 14 (Str vs Web)
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 7.
It is now Wolf2's turn! Halena is next!
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+6: (9)+6: 15 (Refl vs Web)
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+4: (10)+: 14 (Str vs Web)
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 5.
It is now Halena's turn! Raethon is next!
GAME: Halena rolls 1d20+6+1+2: (13)+6+1+2: 22
GAME: Halena rolls 1d20+6+1+2: (18)+6+1+2: 27
GAME: Halena rolls 1d8+3+2: (8)+3+2: 13
GAME: Halena rolls 1d8+3+2: (6)+3+2: 11
Blood sprays everywhere, and Halena turns her head away for just a moment to keep it out of her eyes as Jokul rips one to shreds -- but now he's got another, Before he can move to take it out, Halena turns her attention to that one, slashing at it with two quick, righteousness-infused blows. "You do not belong here!" she shouts.
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 22.
It is now Raethon's turn! Jokul is next!
GAME: Raethon casts Ear-Piercing Scream. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d20+7: (16)+7: 23
GAME: Raethon rolls 3d6: (10): 10
Rae keps away from the wolf as it breasks through. "It kinda jumped on top of me, Jokul.....plus the little butt sniffer keeps following......well not anymore." And, as Jokul and Halena have it occupied, Rae takes a deep breath and lets out a scream that only the wolf can hear........and it bursts the wolf's eardrums.
GAME: Ga'Elian advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 17.
It is now Jokul's turn! Wolf1 is next!
GAME: Jokul rolls melee+1+1+1: (10)+10+1+1+1: 23
GAME: Jokul rolls melee+1+1+1: (13)+10+1+1+1: 26
GAME: Jokul rolls 2d6+16: (8)+16: 24
GAME: Jokul rolls 2d6+16: (8)+16: 24
"Then--" With a stomp, Jokul turns himself around a wolf in a sidestep, and immediately brings himself into a spin from that motion to bring his sword cutting horizontally through the beast, and then through the neck again just for good measure to chop the head off. "Problem solved. Now stay behind me from now on and you'll be good."
GAME: Ga'Elian removes the timestop.
Timestop by Ga'Elian has left.
GAME: You remove the timestop.
<OOC> Ga'Elian concedes the coups-de-grâce in the interest of time, allowing the party to dispatch the two fiendish dire wolves that are caught in Raethon's Web, by merely posing the fact.
Seeing Jokul leave another bleeding mess on the floor of the forest, only grim satisfaction is written across Halena's set face, and she stalks over to the one he left behind and, just in case, finishes the job of removing head from body with a single hard stroke.
"Well?!" Jokul barks out to the woods, and even spreads his arms out briefly while he stalks his way towards the webbing left behind by Rae. "Where's this werewolf you were talking about? I thought this was gonna get *fun*!" Clearly disappointed, the Æsir lets out a sharp grunt and takes his frustations out on the wolf left in the webbing, by way of slamming his oversized blade down straight through the animal's head with extreme prejudice. "*Boring*."
Raethon looks off to the distance. "well....we know the reason for the sounds now. Now we just have to find it." He then makes a face. "no more threats here though....and the werewolf ran." He then looks to Jokul. "After we rest up, we'll start searching. I was hit pretty hard though."
Moving around the site, as you all are, you encounter the late horse's late rider. He is an Arvek Nar, clad in chainmail, and wearing a sword, still in the scabbard (ordinary longsword). Laying across him, though, is a masterwork spear, the alchemical silver head broken off the shaft, and severely damaged, as if a giant had smashed the spearhead with a boulder. There is a big section where the silver has been broken off of the underlying steel. The rider bears no identifying marks.
At that, Halen looks up, frowning suddenly. "Yes, you were. Hold still." Stabbing her longsword into the corpse of the misbegotten wolf-creature -- hold that for a minute -- she strides over to him and examines the deep bites and claw wounds, then lays one gentle hand just over the worst of it, clasping the sun-disk in the other hand.
GAME: Halena casts Bull's Strength. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15 (Spontaneous for CMW)
GAME: Halena rolls 2d8+4: (14)+4: 18 (Heals Raethon back to full)