Strike It Down

The Felwood Camp is becoming a bustling hive of activity. The palisades are slowly becoming proper walls, the structures being made more and more permanent as opposed to mere tents and canvas tarps. Elves of the Mythwood and irregular Alexandrian adventurers are present, as are official soldiers from Alexandros proper.

All in all, the idea of doing 'something' about the Felwood is becoming a more palpable reality.

Recently, a group of adventurers was dispatched into the Felwood, where they claimed they saw a spire in the distance by report. This was confirmed by others, but the spire has been made unapproachable by hostile vegetation, a thing that actually exists.

Worse, something followed the second group back and has been stalking the patrols sent out, causing a massive disruption and their withdrawal until a group can deal with it.

Guess where you come in?

Captain Eldraz is a veteran soldier of Alexandros, one eyed and cantankerous, but also efficient with his job.

"You have access to anything you need. Once you're beyond the palisades, you'll draw its attention eventually. We think it might be another one of those opal-powered beasts, so .. we can't say for sure what it is, beyond likely something to do with the hostile trees near that sighted-spire. Might be some kind of corrupted elementals again."

The word demonic had certainly gotten Dolan's attention. The fee for it had also gotten his attention. After a brief discussion with Andelena, he'd made the decision to sign up.

They could, after all, use the money.

That puts him here, looking around the walls that are replacing the palisade he'd spent most of a day setting down with his own hands - it seems like a lifetime ago. This place has changed in that time, and he stares around him appreciatively - at least, until the soldier shows up.

He turns his regard towards his fellow one-eyed man, watching him intently. "How many of those have there been?" he asks.

The access Murder needed was food, it seems, as she gnaws on something of the meat jerky kind the whole time the Captain is speaking. Her feet sway back and forth casually.

"So, th'priority seems t'be the beast stalking yer patrols." She pauses while Dolan speaks, and gestures to him while chewing, his is a good question.

So if we kill the beast or beasts, are we to attempt to clear the hostile vegetation? Just want t'know what we're being paid t'do, exactly."

Eyes narrowing as she looks towards the gates, Lysa hooks her thumbs into her belt. She has her sword on her back angled for a right hand draw, and worn over the other shoulder is the handle for her large heavy flail. After all, a blade is not the best to use for all enemies. She unhooks her thumbs and reaches for her helmet, lifting it up over her head to draw it down and affix it into place.

"I am having the ability to absorb damage for another if that is becoming necessary."

But that done, she turns and rolls her neck, warming up a bit for what is to come. "I am being happy being bait if that is becoming needed." she adds.

Pelka begins to reach into compartments on his belt and bandolier. Eventually he withdraws two devices that he affixes to his chest and forearm respectively, where they emit a glow and a faint hum. "I'll go with you! he offers in a slightly shrill voice. "I can get us away in a hurry if we need."

GAME: Pelka casts Magic Vestment. Caster Level: 8 DC: 16
GAME: Pelka casts Greater Magic Weapon. Caster Level: 8 DC: 17

"A few of them now," replies Eldraz to Dolan's question. "Enough that we know it means something. A wizard investigated it and found out it contained fel essence used to imbue other creatures with demonic powers in some way. It wasn't a good thing, that's for sure. He got possessed by the energy himself when he tried to destroy it. So any more opals like that, we bring 'em back and hand 'em over for safe keeping until a better way to dispose of them can be found."

"So, we'll send you along the same path the others were sent. We're hoping, prepasred, you'll be able to lure out whatever this is and deal with it. How can we help?"

Dolan considers that, scratching at his jawline, although his demeanor is locked right now in a razor focus. "I understand. Does this thing leave tracks that can be followed, and what do they look like? I've faced one of these gem things before, yeah? If it works on a demon, it'll work on those things. If we know what the tracks look like, we can get an idea of what we're dealing with and maybe where to find it."

"Possibly," answers Captain Eldraz.

"But we haven't been able to discern them on account of it coming to *us*. Not really giving us a chacne to try to track *it*."

He pinches the bridge of his nose. "We haven't found them on the limited work we've been able to do while it's out there."

Murder swallows down a painfully large piece of jerky, and nods to Dolan's suggestion. "A good plan to start with... oh, hmm." She looks to Dolan and the others. "I too will offer myself up as bait. I have a few tricks up my sleeves which should keep me safe enough for now."

Glancing over to Murder, Lysa bobs her head in the affirmative. "If you are to be being bait with me, then please be being allowing me to be being augmenting your durability."

She pops her neck once and adds, "The spell is being known as Shield Other."

Dirk listens to the briefing with a dour scowl. He's busily loading cold iron rounds into his thunderbelcher, his beard bristling around the stem of his pipe that he holds clamped in his mouth. His petite owl Lulu sits atop his shoulder, her golden-eyed gaze riveted on the captain as he delivers the briefing. "Plant... -demons-," he grunts around a billow of pipe smoke. "Well. I know how tae handle summat like -that-." He racks the slide of his weapon with a satisfying CHK-CHAK. Dolan is given a firm nod. "If it leaves tracks, I can track it," he says. "I'm gettin' good at huntin' the hell-fuckers. An' the Felwood might be a cursed forest--but it's -still- a forest. That makes it -my- stompin' grounds. Isn't that right, Lulu?" The little owl on his shoulder puffs up her feathers and gives a fierce little "Hoo-oo!"

Dolan turns his full gaze towards Dirk, grinning easily. "I believe it, Dirk. Got the feeling tracking it very far won't be necessary. We go out there and it'll find us, from the sound of it," he observes. Lysa and Murder get a different look from him. "I know that spell. Make sure you give her the focus ring for it before we go."

He turns then back to Eldraz, nodding. "I think that's about all I have. A sense for evil should show it quick enough, but that's limited range."

"That seems to be the case," Eldraz says, scratching above his good eye.

"It's bottled us up but good. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be expanding its reach beyond the Felwood. Just *in* the trees."

Turning her eyes towards Dolan, Lysa lifts a single brow. "It is not being the first time that I have been being casting this. But I am being thanking you for the reminder." she adds.

That said, she unclips one of the two rings attached to her left hand. That ring is held out towards Murder. And then the casting begins.

GAME: Lysa casts Shield Other. Caster Level: 7 DC: 16

The Goblin nods to Lysa, "I know the personal version of the spell, I have a few scrolls of it, however, it is severely limited in time. So I'll take your casting since it will probably last longer." She nods to Dolan, accepting the ring from Lysa. "Please remind me to return it," she says softly.

Murder stretches then, and quickly jerks her head left and right, the vertebrae in her neck popping loudly.

Pelka casts a dubious look at the nearest trees. "I never did like these woods," he admits. Then he glances around the others. "So who's going to be bait and who's the trap?" He hesitates. "That's the expression, right? Well never mind, we all get the idea."

"I and Murder will both be being bait and trap." says Lysa as she turns and starts walking towards the gates, "Please be being staying near me." she says to Murder. "Very near. Or the spell will be being ending early."

She reaches up and slides her four and a half foot sword from its scabbard, hefting it and giving it a twirl to prep her wrist.

Dolan watches the motion of the bastard sword and Lysa's movements with it, then turns his back on her. "I've got nothing else. Let's go find this thing."

Dirk takes ahold of his pipe, knocking the ashes from the bowl and tucking it into his hip satchel. He lifts his thunderbelcher and hefts it over his shoulder with a firm nod. "Aye, let's to it." Lulu ruffles her feathers and hoots, earning her a glance from her master. "No, I don't think a salad made o' demon plant would be tasty. Since when do you eat salad anyway?"

Murder pulls a smaller version of Lysa's weapon, though ancient, and bearing years of use and abuse. Its blade is still keen, lovingly cared for by the Goblin. "Understood. Stay close to you."

She looks to the others. "I must warn you that I use fire. I will try to be spare with it in this forest, it doesn't work well on demons, but it may prove helpful with the annoying vegetation.

GAME: Lysa rolls perception: (3)+9: 12
GAME: Dolan rolls perception+3: (19)+16+3: 38
GAME: Dirk rolls perception+2: (14)+16+2: 32
GAME: Murder rolls perception: (9)+16: 25
GAME: Pelka rolls perception: (6)+20: 26
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+17: (18)+17: 35
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+13: (6)+13: 19

It doesn't take long.

They weren't kidding when they said that basically any trip to the Felwood at this point attracted whatever it was attention. Dolan and Dirk are the only two to see it coming, this sudden lunge of a tree branch towards Dirk, aiming to spike or spear him. He's only able to avoid it with the narrowest of turns of his body. The tree then uproots itself and takes a ... step on its root towards him.

Yes, the tree itself is alive.

And attacking.

"It's the tree!" is all Dolan can get out before the tree's lashing out with a branch, catching Dirk entirely too quickly. Working on an assumption, he whirls on it, is longsword rasping from its sheath. "Tricksy little shit, aren't ya. Well, light of the Holy knight be your bane, demon-cursed thing!"

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+11: (6)+11: 17
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+17: (4)+17: 21
GAME: Pelka rolls 10: (7)+10: 17

Dirk yelps as the demon tree lashes out at him. "HEEK!" He swings his thunderbelcher like a club as he does his best to skitter away from it. "GAH! LEAVE OFF, YE SHITBIRD SHRUB!"

GAME: Murder rolls reflexes: (2)+7: 9
GAME: Dirk rolls Reflex: (10)+11: 21

Pelka unclips his wrench from his forearm as the tree reveals itself. He flaps his wings rapidly and lifts into the air. He tries to swig the wrench but the trees branches lash out at him at the same time and his blow turns instead into an inadvertent parry. "It's not in the trees...it IS the trees!" he squawks.

GAME: Pelka rolls reflex: (18)+11: 29
GAME: Pelka rolls fly: (14)+12: 26
GAME: Lysa rolls weapon12: (12)+12: 24
GAME: Dolan rolls reflex: (20)+5: 25 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+13: (7)+13: 20
GAME: Dolan casts Flames of the Faithful. Caster Level: 8 DC: 15

You know, the tree looks more gnarled, blackened, and twisted with every second. You can observe as that blackness courses through it as it runs towards you, over you, thrashing with its branches and striking you as it goes over, maximizing its range. Staying JUST close enough for it to attack you, but JUST far enough that it's a little harder for you to do the same.

You hear two groaning creaks, as two other trees nearby begin to stir.

GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+2: aliased to Ranged+1-3+2: (1)+14+1+-3+2: 15 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+2: aliased to Ranged+1-3+2: (5)+14+1+-3+2: 19
GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+2-5: aliased to Ranged+1-3+2-5: (8)+14+1+-3+2+-5: 17
GAME: Dirk rolls dmg+2+2d6: aliased to 1d12+1+6+2+2d6: (8)+1+6+2+(5): 22
GAME: Dirk rolls dmg+2+2d6: aliased to 1d12+1+6+2+2d6: (6)+1+6+2+(11): 26
GAME: Dirk rolls Knowledge/The Planes+2: (7)+3+2: 12

Dolan fairly throws himself to the ground and rolls aside as the tree tramples over him, branches scraping, but he rolls to his feet and flexes his shoulder carefully. It held! Relieved and grinning, Dolan reaches for the stylized platinum dragon around his neck. "Let's see how you like the Knight's holy flame." He murmurs a prayer, and white-hot fire ripples down the blade in his hand. "The Knight judges your sorry demonic ass, and I am the instrument of his justice. Get over here."

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+17: (17)+17: 34
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+(: (8)+(: 8
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+9: (11)+9: 20
GAME: Lysa rolls weapon12+4: (1)+12+4: 17 (EPIC FAIL)

Dirk grinds his teeth against the pain of his injury as he swings up his thunderbelcher. "Want a piece o' -me-, ye sheepfuckin' twig? HAVE SOME O' THIS!" he roars. Beautiful gold filigree in the shape of curling ivies flares with light along the stock of his weapon, and glowing dwarven runes sweep down the barrel. The muzzle-flash strobes like brilliant sunlight, and two blessed bullets slam into the evil arboreal's bark. BOOM! BOOM! "I got -plenty- o' these, ye shit!" he snarls. He racks the slide, ejecting two still faintly-glowing shells that hiss and smoke as they pop out of the chamber.

GAME: Murder casts Fireball. Caster Level: 10 DC: 16
GAME: Murder rolls 10d6: (29): 29
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+3: (13)+3: 16

Okay. Bracing herself, Lysa switches to a half-sword grip as the tree surges over her. She gets bowled over however, knocking her aim off. And then even as the creature rams into her and pushes past, she turns to charge towards it. Her armor is being battered, and her helmet's faceplate crashes into her nose even as she lifts the sword and brings it down.... catching it in the branch of a -normal- tree that just so happens to be right there. Her eyes flicker up and she growls, "Seriously?" She asks the universe.

GAME: Pelka rolls 10: (9)+10: 19

The Goblin pulls herself up out of the suspiciously foot-shaped hole she finds herself in, and scuttles away on her hands and knees. Feeling safer a short distance from the tree, she stands. She growls in Gobbo-talk, her fingers moving in an intricate pattern. Gesturing above the tree's... head?, a small glowing bead sips out from her fingertip. The bead reaches a spot above the demon-tree, and explodes, expanding into an impressive fireball.

Sadly, the tree does not seem as impressively damaged by the flames. "Okay... demon creature confirmed!"

GAME: Pelka rolls 1d6+4+3d6: (1)+4+(12): 17
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+9: (12)+9: 21
GAME: Lysa rolls weapon12+4: (4)+12+4: 20

Pelka flaps his wings franticly to avoid the evil tree's charge - partially. He leaves a few drops of blood and perhaps feathers behind, but evades the worst of it. Pelka reattaches his wrench on its holder on his lower arm. No sooner are his taloned hands free than his large clunky deathray is filling them. He flies higher now, levels the weapon and sends an electric

Seeing Pelka flying up, the creature clearly does not like that. It raises a rock with its root, casually throwing it into its branches where it leans back swaying like a great wind has taken hold of it and then hurls the boulder it just scooped up right at Pelka, who is narrowly able to get out of the way only with the aid of their defensive magics.

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+17: (9)+17: 26
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+9: (5)+9: 14
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon4+2: (19)+13+2: 34 (THREAT)
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon4+2: (11)+13+2: 26
GAME: Dolan rolls 1d8+4+2+1d8+4+2+2d6+1d6+1d10: (8)+4+2+(1)+4+2+(7)+(4)+(2): 34
GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+2: aliased to Ranged+1-3+2: (18)+14+1+-3+2: 32
GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+2-5: aliased to Ranged+1-3+2-5: (16)+14+1+-3+2+-5: 25
GAME: Dirk rolls dmg+2+2d6: aliased to 1d12+1+6+2+2d6: (8)+1+6+2+(11): 28
GAME: Dirk rolls dmg+2+2d6: aliased to 1d12+1+6+2+2d6: (7)+1+6+2+(7): 23
GAME: Lysa rolls 4d6: (20): 20
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+17: (10)+17: 27
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+9: (4)+9: 13
GAME: Lysa rolls weapon12+6: (17)+12+6: 35
GAME: Lysa rolls 2d10+22: (7)+22: 29

Predictably, the evil treant pays Dolan no mind. Very well, he will simply be required to get its attention. He charges in, a branch lashing painfully across his midsection. That'll leave a bruise later, but it barely disrupts his forward momentum as he slams, blade-first, into the tree. The white flames on the blade explode in a rush as he makes contact, leaving a deep, burnt gash in the trunk that drips - something nasty. Definitely not sap. Wouldn't want to put that on one's pancakes.

Dirk sets a foot back, firming up his stance as he scowls down the sights of his thunderbelcher. "There's a lad, keep it distracted," he growls softly as Dolan goes in to engage. As the demonic arboreal's attention is diverted, he pulls back on the trigger once more. CHK-BOOM! BOOM! Two more blessed bullets slam into the thing, blasting out faintly glowing craters in the demon-tree's bark. "YARRRGH! BACK TAE HELL WI' YE!" he bellows.

Okay, this is getting old. Lysa's sword clatters against the tree bark once more as the creature moves away. Golden light begins pouring from her eyes, flowing down over her body to restore her health to a degree even as she surges forward. She gets struck once more, and then lifts her sword to bat away one branch, swings to bat another away. This leaves the trunk open. And so she grunts with the effort it takes as she rips her sword's glowing blade into the trunk of the creature... holy power clashing with the fiendish power of the being.

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+13: (4)+13: 17
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+13: (12)+13: 25
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+9: (8)+9: 17
GAME: Pelka rolls fly: (10)+12: 22

The Gobbo glances around, trying to find a means to hurt the beast, if fire is going to be ... less effective. Seeing Lysa taking a solid thump, Murder pulls out a potion from a pouch on her belt. Muttering a keyword, a see-through hand appears, taking up the potion to deliver it into Lysa's waiting hands.

GAME: Pelka rolls 8+4: (18)+8+4: 30
GAME: Pelka casts Haste. Caster Level: 8 DC: 17
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+13: (10)+13: 23
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+13: (18)+13: 31

Pelka is swatted by a clump of branches nearly as large as Pelka himself. He is knocked backwards. Then he spreads his wings and manages to turn the movement into a swooping dive towards the rest of the party. He throws a small sundial-shaped contraption to the ground in the middle of the party. Light flashes and suddenly the Alexandrians are moving a little faster than before. Including Pelka as he beats his wings furiously and rises back to his earlier altitude.

Apparently, this thing can give life to other trees, and it has. Two of them, now animated are moving in on Pelka and Dirk from behind. Pelka is nearly swatted from the sky by the great branches of the twisted felwood trees, but Dirk is able to get out of the way just barely.

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+9: (12)+9: 21
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+9: (6)+9: 15

Still backing into the trees, the creature puts some space, just a step, between itself and Dolan and then bears its branches against him in wicked smashing crashes that spear and wound.

It's ... looking less than happy, the blackening of its trunk accelerating.

GAME: Dolan rolls weapon4+1+2: (1)+13+1+2: 17 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon4+1+2-5: (2)+13+1+2+-5: 13
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon4+1+2: (4)+13+1+2: 20
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon4+1+2: (17)+13+1+2: 33
GAME: Dolan rolls 1d8+4+1+2+2d6+1d6: (4)+4+1+2+(6)+(3): 20
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+13: (17)+13: 30
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+9: (10)+9: 19
GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+2: aliased to Ranged+1-3+2: (6)+14+1+-3+2: 20
GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+2: aliased to Ranged+1-3+2: (13)+14+1+-3+2: 27
GAME: Dirk rolls Shoot+2-5: aliased to Ranged+1-3+2-5: (2)+14+1+-3+2+-5: 11
GAME: Dirk rolls dmg+2+2d6: aliased to 1d12+1+6+2+2d6: (4)+1+6+2+(7): 20
GAME: Dirk rolls dmg+2+2d6: aliased to 1d12+1+6+2+2d6: (10)+1+6+2+(9): 28
GAME: Dirk rolls dmg+2+2d6: aliased to 1d12+1+6+2+2d6: (8)+1+6+2+(9): 26

That disrupted Dolan's rhythm, for sure. Now bleeding freely in several places - and with wood splinters in them - he scowls and takes the blade in both hands. "Holy Knight, heal the instrument of Your judgment, and give him strength to fight on," he says, then applies the blade - vigorously. Unfortunately, his body is having none of that, and only the final blow lands, almost by sheer luck.

It still hurts.

GAME: Lysa rolls 4d6: (17): 17
GAME: Lysa rolls weapon12+7: (3)+12+7: 22
GAME: Lysa rolls weapon12+7: (19)+12+7: 38 (THREAT)
GAME: Lysa rolls weapon12+7: (7)+12+7: 26
GAME: Lysa rolls weapon12+2: (3)+12+2: 17

Dirk grins up at Pelka as accelerating magicks take ahold of him. "Thanks, laddie!" he calls. Moving with preternatural swiftness, he swings up his thunderbelcher. It's then that Lulu twists her head around and flutters her wings in a panic. "Hoo! Hoo hoo!" she hoots, before drawing herself up tall and skinny. She narrows her eyes and hisses at the animated tree that steps up behind Dirk. But he's deep in the zone. CHK-BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! He fires off three more rapid-fire rounds, shearing great gouges out of the demonic tree. "HAH! HOW'S THAT TASTE, YE ROTTIN' HYAAAAGH!" His taunt is cut short by a massive beam swinging out and cracking into his back, sending him staggering forward and down onto one knee. He grits his teeth against the pain, clapping a hand to the small of his back as he glares over his shoulder. "Ohh I'm makin' -matchsticks- out o' -you-!" he snarls furiously.

GAME: Lysa rolls 3d10+66: (25)+66: 91

Things are getting desperate, and Lysa is hurt. The potion is handed to her, but she grimaces. "I am being thanking you, but... no time for that." She rolls her neck and feels time seem to slow down. She knows this feeling.. and a smile comes over her face as she whips into motion. Forward strike, back strike, and then a wind up fore that last one.. kaboom.

The trees is struck with a thunderous crack, it's enough to send it toppling forward like ... like a fallingh tree, really.

As everyone scatters out of the way, the other two trees stop t heir advance.

... the tree erupts in black flame. That's not normal. You can see something at its core, though -- something generating it.

... an opal. You could almost reach in and get it ... if you want the evidence...

GAME: Murder rolls will: (3)+4: 7
GAME: Murder rolls will: (9)+4: 13
GAME: Murder rolls reflex: (2)+7: 9

Pelka stops flapping his wings and instead spreads them to catch the air. He glides down. His skill at flying - and landing - has grown over the years until its instinct, and he's able to devote most of his attention to the demonic tree as he touches down gently. "I see something inside! It's an opal!"

GAME: Murder rolls reflex: (13)+7: 20
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 10d6: (36): 36

The Goblin impulsively reaches in for the Gem as it starts to be extruded and consumed by fire. There's a burst of black flames that engulf the Goblin, and for a brief moment she screams. The scream is cut off suddenly, replaced by laughter. A dull red glow burns in her eyes, the laughter rising to a crescendo. "YOU WILL ALL BURN!" Turning, she blasts the already dead demon-tree, scorching it to a withered lump, evil coal burning in an evil flame.

Then she turns towards Dirk. "YOU ARE NEXT!"

GAME: Dolan casts Cast Out. Caster Level: 8 DC: 16

Dirk slowly gets to his feet, grunting as he puts weight on his poor injured back. The old snowbeard is just not having the best of days. "Hurrk! Ow! Piss up my -arse-, that hurts!" he grunts. He looks up and around at his comrades. "Everyone all right?" But then there's Murder going for the opal. His eyes get wide. "Lassie -wait-!" He takes a step forward and immediately regrets it. His back seizes up, making him stagger. "HGGNKK!" For a moment, he's frozen, just long enough for the gobbo to grab that cursed opal. Then she makes that hateful pronouncement. His face turns white as his beard. Even Lulu seems disturbed by it. She turns her narrow-eyed gaze on the gobber and hisses, click-clacking her beak. "Piss up my arse," the old dwarf whimpers.

"Damn it, I should have told you not to touch it with your bare hands." Dropping his blade with weary fingers to the forest floor, Dolan strides over towards the goblin without hesitation, reaching for the dragon pendant he wears without hesitation. "Holy Knight, let me be the instrument of Your compassion as well as your justice, and drive this evil creature from her!"

The last part of the spell is said in a shout, and the free hand shoots out towards Murder's forehead. There's a flash of bright white-gold light that sends Murder sprawling back into the undergrowth of the forest floor.

He's left staring down at her, waiting to see if it worked.

GAME: Dolan rolls 2d8+8: (9)+8: 17

GAME: Dolan rolls 1d20+8: (16)+8: 24

Pelka's beak falls open. He clicks it shut. Then he raises his deathray halfway to firing position. Uneasily. Hesitantly. "She - she - she...touch it? That's what happens when you /touch/ them?" He can't quite keep the shrill frok his voice.

At first, Lysa was starting to reach for the opal. She paused as she reached into her pouch for a cloth to grab it with. But that pause let Murder get to it first. She blinks a bit, taken aback by the Gobbo's reaction. Then she reaches for a dagger and advances, fully intending to disarm the gobbo of the stone, but not touching it herself.

The Goblin lays still, smoke and steaming rising from her. For several long moments, nothing. Without much warning, she suddenly sits up, coughing. "Owfuckgodsdamnitwhatthefuckwasthat?!", she says, quickly and loudly. Giving her head a shake, she peers at Dolan. "T.thanks! That fucking hurt!"

"I am being having a handy haversack if anyone thinks it may be being safe to be being putting it in there." Lysa suggests as she steps back, not wanting to look like she was about to stab Murder

"Sorry," Dolan offers down to Murder with a sheepish grin. In that moment, the inquisitor is gone, replaced with a slightly aw shucks man. "That one hurts, and I can't help it, but it kicks a possessing presence out of you," he explains. "Don't touch the opal with your bare hands. Wrap it in something. That's what we did with the first one we found. Now, are you okay? I have some healing."

As Lysa approaches, he whirls, and puts himself between Murder and the Sunblade. "Easy. That was just a possession, Sunblade. I've driven it out."

Nodding her head, Lysa remarks, "My plan was to be being prying the sphere from her hand. The dagger was to be being preventing my hand from touching it. Now, can we be being storing or transporting it within a haversack?"

Dirk rubs his lower back, still wincing in pain. "I want nae part o' that filthy thing," he grunts. "Those stones are evil." Lulu peers at the stone and click-clicks her beak. "Hoo!" she hoots, hopping from foot to foot on Dirk's shoulder. "Aye, you said it, lassie," he says in agreement. He nods to Dolan. "Aye, wrap it in summat. Dinnae let it touch yer bare skin."

Murder offers up her hand, to show it is scorched black and slightly withered by the fiery assault of the gem. "No, you needn't apologize. That was my mistake, and my fault. You were only doing what you needed to do. Hey, it hurt, but we're all still alive, so I say we count ourselves lucky. Normally fire doesn't get to me... not any more anyways."

The Gobbo stands up on shaky legs that threaten to give out. "I would accept healing, please, I wish to be able to walk back to camp."

Pelka edges his way around Murder, Dolan and Lysa. He gives them a wide berth and turning slightly as he passes so that he's never quite got his back to Murder. He only comes to a stop when he's next to the remains of the tree. Inspecting, but careful not to touch.