Circling the Fel
Log Info
- Title: Circling the Fel
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Place: The Felwood
- Summary: The party tracks down and eliminates an ooze in the Felwood. They discover a black opal with a foreboding aura, which they decide to take back to the Guild.
Good news, everyone!
You've got a contract through the Guild to do a little scouting work near to where the camp onm the edge of the Felwood is being esetablished. The Felwood, a cursed and plague by evii woods, borders the elvish realm of the Mythwood. Recently, one of their scouts discovered an unusual set of tracks and, while unable to follow it at the time, direcfted it to their friends in Alexandria and now following up has landed directly in your laps.
You've located the ribbon left tied to the tree where the trail was indicated to start, and sure enough, you find some unusual signs of passage, odd looking streaaks of grey and black ooze in the earth. Lovely.
Having made his way out after taking the contract, Ous smiles as he settles into his surroundings. It wasn't his mountains, but it was woodlands, and tha beat the city anyday. It especially beat the sewers.
Finding the ribbon, the ranger begins to cast around, checking out the sign and looking all around for indications of what, or who made them.
A contract near Felwood? Aelwyn would much prefer one in the city - but on the other hand, he would also prefer one far away from the sewers as possible after his latest few excursions for the Guild. Red ribbons gently flutter around his cleansed glaive, as he looks around the the woods; mostly content to stay in the middle of the pack.
"This one better not stink." The ruddy sith-makar states. A moment later, he adds, "The slimy quarrel, this one means."
Mounted atop Thunder, Lucius takes a final moment to appreciate the dark, sprawling forest around them before hopping down for a closer look at the trail. "Hmm." He looks at the others, pointing at the ooze. "Would any of you have seen something like this before?" As if in response to his rider, Thunder shakes his head, dark mane fluttering around his neck.
kneeling nect to the slime, Ous lowers himself down until he's almost laying on the ground. face close to the trail, the Aesir born ranger sniffs lightly. touching the tip of a finger to the slime, he looks at the fingertip for a moment before wiping it in the grass. Turning his head to look along the trail at nearly groudn level, he speaks softly to himself. "Every trail's got a silver lining..."
Finally Ous stands up once more, pointing to the trail. "Aye'd wager it's an ooze. Bugger's been tainted by the area. No' a good thing Aye'm thinkin'"
"Sludge and creatures within? This one has seen enough for one decade, Rider." The sith-makar lets out with a low sigh. Watching Ous wipe at the trail, he keeps looking on with his bright orange eyes. "This one supposes the tracks at the very least make it easier to find the creature."
Lucius nods rapidly. "Then I say we follow the trail and get to the bottom of this creature's identity. Let's not spend more time here than we need. To be honest, I'm not sure if I like the feel of this forest." He taps the end of his lance against the ground as he scans the nearby area once more.
Honestly? A contract is exactly what Jacob needed. These past few days have been strange to say the least and he's been needing a change of pace. A cleric's work is never done! He approaches atop his horse, hands entangled in the reins of his horse as if to help him stay mounted.
His lance rests in his hand, a shield on his back, his form glistening softly with armor. "Not that I'm aware of." He remarks to Lucius. "We may be entering a trap...or at least,we may be hunted by entering these strange grounds."
GAME: Aelwyn rolls survival: (11)+1: 12 GAME: Lucius rolls Survival: (9)+6: 15 GAME: Jacob rolls Survival: (6)+4: 10 GAME: Ous rolls survival+6: (7)+8+6: 21
The good news is thawt you're able to follow the trail now that you know what to look for. It's not just the obviousd slime and sludge, though you occasionally find it and it marks that you're on the right path for sure, but also the streaks of vegetation eaten away, a stone smoothed by acid, the singed bark of a tree as you head deeper towards the cursed woods edges.
You can feel it, you know, this sort of omnipresent chill, a feeling of being watched, a sense that something present *hates*. A sort of sixth sense of impending disaster hangs over you the whole way, even if nothing happens.
It's just the Felwood. It's cursed, and people not being paid a horde of shiny gold coins probably would be more easily turned away by these feelings, especially unprepared.
But you ARE beind paid. A lot.
Looking at the Group of mounted adventurers, Ous grins through the thick beard. Emerald green eyes dancing as Jacob mentions a trap, the ranger nods as the grins gets wider. "We might at that!" He honestly seemed way too excited about that prospect. Looking back to the tracks, the ranger begins to follow them. the oppressing nature of the place was either starting to unhinge the man, or he had a really weird sense of fun.
Aelwyn tilts his head towards Ous. The ranger was not particularly helping with the unease. "And they always say the woods are good for one's health." He rumbles in a bit of amusement, but the Dragoon had been in dark woods before - and in a sense, they are easier to deal with that a crowded street where anything can happen at any moment, behind a friendly face.
On the other hand, it was a dark and cursed woods. "Will this be something that will eat our weapons?" He asks from Ous.
Upon hearing Aelwyn's question, a look of alarm flits across Luke's expression. "Is that what oozes do?" he wonders aloud, looking down at the lance in his hands. "I would wish to prevent that from happening, if at all possible."
As the party continues onward, Luke chews on his lip and frowns. "Something isn't adding up," he murmurs. "If memory serves, our instructions were to investigate these tracks. But aren't we heading away from the camp and deeper into the Felwood? I wouldn't have expected this to be anyone's direct concern." He shrugs, his train of thought appearing to hit a dead end for now.
Still followeing the trail, Ous nods at Aelwyn's question. "Let's just say, ye dinnnae want tae be throwing anything at the creature that ye don't want tae lose. Different flavor of this kind of bogle...but I didnae lose me finger when I tested it, so...maybe?" Pausing from time to time to look back the way they came, Ous only spends a portion of the time watching the actual trail. the rest is watching the surroundings, even looking up. "Funny story, Aye once spent 3 days tracking a man through woods like this. Well...not exactly like this, this place is Eff-off creepy. but through woods like this. Aye was so interested in the trail, I didnae notice that the man was standing 10 feet in front of me until he nearly lopped me skull from me shoulders."
Aelwyn looks at Lucius, and he exposes his teeth at the rider. "This one has javelins to spear, lest the Rider lose the hold of that magnificent pole. Though is it not difficult weapon to bear in these woods? Need a hand?" Tail sway.
The ruddy sith-makar turns towards Ous, then. "This one is not certain if that story helps to ease the tension, Tracker. How further away is our quarrel?"
Ous's grin is almost disheartening, yet Jacob has no choice but to smile back at the other man. Heterochromatic eyes meet the emerald greens of Ous's own and a chuckle escapes his lips. "I suppose so." He smiles, and he looks towards Luke with a frown on his face. "I suppose it could be. But, even still, we have to find out. We have a job to do." He remarks, before he turns his eyes to Ous. "We could do greatly with the stories, Ous. It may help pass this feeling of dread." He turns to Aelwyn, nodding at his question and turning to the party tracker.
Funny Ous should talk about being so focused on the trail! It's started raining.
... just on him, though. A steady drizzle of goo from the tree above him.
Because of *course* it is.
Looking back to Aelwyn, Ous pauses for a moment as the Sith asks him how far it is to their quarry. Looking up through the trees at the sky, the Ranger raises a finger to his mouth, licks a finger and raises it to the breeze for a moment then looks back to the Sith. "10 minutes, give or take."
Grinning at Jacob once more, he Big aesir born man begins following the trail once more. "Someone watch our back trail Aye dinnae want some Tatty-Bogle trying tae sneak up me arse." Just as he speaks, the ooze strts to fall on him. feeling it hitting him, the Ranger dives for clear ground. "Like that!"
"Perhaps not, Aelwyn, I have no choice but to agree with you there." Lucius grins. "I appreciate your offer, but I think I feel safer with these weapons in my own hands, regardless of the conditions." He turns around to dip his head toward Jacob. "More than a job, even. Sometimes I think I'm just too curious for my own good." Thunder snorts gently, even as he continues putting one hoof in front of the other, and Lucius rubs the warhorse's mane with his free hand.
At the sudden precipitation, both rider and horse come to an immediate halt. Lucius rises in his saddle and squints at the forest canopy, only for the tip of his lance to catch a few low-hanging branches. "Oh for gods' sake." He disentangles the weapon and plunges it into ground beside him where it quivers for a few seconds before coming to rest. Then he resumes his observation of the overhead branches, hoping to better understand the source of the raining ooze.
Aelwyn lets out a disappointed click of his teeth at Lucius, "Tch; this one has to admit such a large arm does raise desires to know how holding such feels." He gives his tail a sway and a wide grin. "Perhaps whence these woods are bygones, and the warmth of a good meal in an inn is all that is left?"
The Dragoon returns to look at Ous... licking his finger? He takes in a deep breath, as he suppresses a shudder. Then his own tongue flicks out at the sight of those droplets. "Ten minutes? Readjust the nose, Tracker." His teeth exposed, he pulls out his glaive in both hands and begins to retreat with the others, glancing up at the trees.
"I suppose that'll be me-" Though before Jacob can finish talking about it, it starts raining some kind of strange ooze starts to fall on Ous!
"By Serriel!" He exclaims, though a looks up at the branches with a darkened gaze. "Seems the Felwood wants nothing to do with the likes of us...or your stories are that terrible." He smirks.
More seriously now: "Are you alright?"
"It always manages to bite us when we least expect." He tells Lucius. Then he's dismounting, taking up his Lance.
The trees in the Felwood's edge are dark and tall, imposijng and menacing. Twisted just enough to be the kind of thing you'd imagine seeing in a nightmare about being lost in the woods.
Looking up, one can see it, now. Something in the trees. Perhaps it was watching you. It's oozy, that's for sure, but it's giggling. Because it has mouths that emerge and recede into its memranous flesh. The giggling becomes a cackle, and then a screeching that can only be described as 'unearthly'.
It sloughs off the tree, landing in a squalid sounding sploosh where Ous was standing mere moments ago.
The sounds its making, they ALMOST make a kind of sense that hurt your ears. Indecipherable, yet discomftingly familiar.
GAME: Lucius rolls melee+4+1-2: (9)+7+4+1+-2: 19 GAME: Lucius rolls lance+4+4: aliased to 1d8+Strength+4+4: (3)+3+4+4: 14
At the ooze's appearance, Lucius plucks the tip of his lance from the ground. Without waiting for any further confirmation, he aims toward the target and charges. The lance tears through its body, shearing away a reasonable chunk of gruesome matter. "Not bad," Lucius grunts, pulling back his weapon as far as possible from the remaining ooze's cackling mouths.
GAME: Ous rolls weapon9: (1)+6: 7 (EPIC FAIL)
Diving out of the way, Ous backs up quickly as he sees the thing and slips the bow from his back. Reaching behind him, he slips an arrow from the quiver, slots it in place as he pulls the string, and releases. It was a thing of beauty. the motions were practiced and muscle memory from thouands of draws were in play. Too bad the arrow was backwards and instead of knocking an arrow, the bowstring slaps the side of a broadhead and sends the arrow pinwheeling off to the right somewhere.
"It's a fecking globbering toother! Wait! nae. it's a Gibbering mouther! Stay back. the bugggers spit acid!, an' they can turn th' ground tae quicksand! Something Aye dinnnae drae about it though...it's a weird one!"
GAME: Jacob rolls Ranged: (13)+5: 18 GAME: Jacob rolls Ranged: (15)+5: 20 GAME: Jacob rolls Ranged: (2)+5: 7 GAME: Jacob rolls 1d6+1: (3)+1: 4 GAME: Jacob rolls 1d6+1: (4)+1: 5
"I'm prone to just calling it an ooze monster!" Jacob remarks as the creature of cackling, mouthy ooze makes its presence known. The revelation that it spits acid makes Jacob kneel down and pick up three stones, whispering something in Celestial before they glow with an eerie aura. He throws them at the slime, only two finding their mark and bursting on contact! "If we can hurt it we can take it down!"
GAME: Jacob rolls Will: (15)+7: 22 GAME: Lucius rolls Will: (12)+3: 15 GAME: Ous rolls will: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Lucius rolls 1d20+1: (18)+1: 19 GAME: Aelwyn rolls will: (10)+2: 12
It starts to ... make a sound. A horrible, horrible sound. Indescribably awful. Even juswt hearing it seems to leave one disoriented. While some are able to push back this effect, others are not so fortunate. It's seeping in, making the world spin, makiing the trees taller and more twiseted. Reality itself seems to be shifting under foot, much like the ground beneath Lucius and his steed which is suddenly much more muddy, pulling at the pair of them and making it all but impossible for them to pull off another violent charge like they did mere seconds ago.
GAME: Aelwyn rolls 1d100: (88): 88 GAME: Aelwyn rolls weapon10: (15)+8: 23 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d2: (2): 2 GAME: Aelwyn rolls damage10: aliased to 1d10+3: (10)+3: 13
Aelwyn hears the awful... sound. "Ssh-! This isn't... just an ooze!" He grits through his teeth, trying to stay focused with his glaive held high. The others could see him losing definitely track of his surroundings. Yet with his typical flair, he dances near with the ribbons of his glaive flaring - and with great finesse, he chunks the blade deep into his quarry.
Unfortunately, the quarry the blade chunked into, was Jacob.
GAME: Lucius rolls melee+1: (3)+7+1: 11 GAME: Lucius rolls 1d20+3+2: (16)+3+2: 21 GAME: Lucius rolls 2d6+4: (5)+4: 9
Luke has barely a second to react to Ous' warning before it comes to pass. The sound of metal on metal rings out behind him, but he has other things on his plate now. Thunder stumbles as the ground suddenly shifts beneath his hooves, but he fortunately stays upright and the two retaliate in unison. The lance misses wide, but Thunder's strike creates two large cavities approximately where the target's eyes would have been, if it had them.
It does have eyes.
Sometimes. They come and go.
GAME: Ous rolls 1d100: (42): 42
"If we can hurt it, we can take it down." Ous mutters under his breath. "Nae shit! If it has rythm, we could dance a fecking waltz wit' it too." Speaking a bit louder, he calls out "Aye would call it a feckin' Ooze monster too if I didn't know it was a Gibbering Mouther! meaning th' bastards have magic an' spit acid!"
It's about this point that things start to go weird for Ous. Eyes going wide the ranger looks around muttering "Oh shite...Tell me I didnae get me mushrooms confused at supper time. This is nae th' time for expandin' mae spiritual horizons..."
Taking a deep breath, Ous seems to calm himself for a moment before he waves to the tohers. "It's ok. Ay'm ok!...Yes Aye am! An how would ye know? Ye's a damned 15 foot tall pine cone! I dinnae have tae listen tae a word ye say! Oh ye think so? what just because ye've got one of them thunderbelcher thingies? Aye realy tough wit' that ye are!" It doesn't get better from there...
GAME: Jacob rolls Weapon2: (8)+5: 13
- CHK!*
Aelwyn's Glaive pierces Jacob and the Cleric takes a deep inhalation of air in a gasp, eyes watering lightly from the pain. Yet, he doesn't fall.
You must awaken!" Jacob tells Ous and Aelwyn, his Lance moving past Aelwyn to try and strike the beast, but misses.
GAME: Ous rolls will: (17)+3: 20 GAME: Aelwyn rolls will: (15)+2: 17
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+7: (14)+7: 21 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+7: (2)+7: 9 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+7: (11)+7: 18 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+7: (5)+7: 12 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d4: (1): 1 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+7: (10)+7: 17
It flows up onto Lucius and his steed, stretching to an impossible degree as eyes and hands emerge from its mass and many mouths attempt to glom onto the warrior.
Fortunately, it doesn't find much purchase. Despite its ability to flow into every nook and cranny, the armor he's wearinmg serves to protect him for now.
The cackling, eldritch gibbering is still continuing and as horrible as it is to hear it, it does seem to be waning in impact.
GAME: Aelwyn rolls weapon10: (14)+8: 22 GAME: Aelwyn rolls damage10: aliased to 1d10+3: (7)+3: 10
"Fall, beast-" Aelwyn starts his taunt and then slowly his confusion addled realizes what he has done. Snarling in annoyed frustration, he looks towards Jacob to make sure the other is fine. "Cleric, are you alright!" He calls out, but the other seemed to be, so the Dragoon turns to look at the other side of the bottle. "Do not breathe in, Rider! The pain will be easier." The Dragoon calls out to Lucius as he focuses his attention towards the real enemy - the sounds.
And the slime as well.
GAME: Lucius rolls melee+1: (19)+7+1: 27 GAME: Lucius rolls 1d20+3+2: (2)+3+2: 7 GAME: Lucius rolls lance+4: aliased to 1d8+Strength+4: (3)+3+4: 10
Luke's eyes widen as the ooze surges toward him, and by twisting away he somehow avoids most of what could have been. Then relief, as his fellow adventurers join the fray. "Aren't you a tricky thing?! Very well, let's try again." His lance finds the ooze once more, but at the last second Thunder shies away and barely nudges the ooze before dropping back to all fours.
GAME: Ous rolls weapon11-4: (10)+9+-4: 15 GAME: Ous rolls weapon1-2: (15)+7+-2: 20 GAME: Ous rolls damage1: aliased to 1d6+4: (3)+4: 7
Growling as he comes back to his senses, Ous swings his bow over his shoulder and slips his axes from his belt. "I dinnae have time tae argue wit' ye! Shoot me in th' back if ye're going tae!"
Turning towards the ooze trying to eat his team mate, Ous run forward, swinging his axes at the thing.
GAME: Jacob rolls Weapon0: (13)+5: 18 GAME: Jacob casts Inflict Moderate Wounds. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15 GAME: Jacob rolls 2d8+4: (12)+4: 16
"Hnnnnhh...I'm alright."
Physical weaponry did very little to this mass of ooze, evil, and teeth. So, casting aside his Lance, Jacob rests his hand on his holy emblem for a moment before his eyes snap open.
He rushes forward, leaping towards the ooze beast with his palm open and hand outstretched. In a bold move, he touches the slime's surface and immediately holy energy and divine magic surge outward from him, purging and cleansing the evil filth from this poor creature as wounds are dealt to it with extreme prejudice. In seconds, the creature melts...with Jacob's hand still stealing from where it had melted.
Popping, crackling, sizzling away.
... until all that's left is a gem. A black opal at its core that just does *not* generate the beset feelings when one looks at it.
Lucius does a double take as Jacob appears to obliterate the ooze by his mere touch. "Wow," he breathes, "that was awesome Jacob!" Thunder instinctively retreats from the dribbling remnants, and Lucius dismounts as soon as they reach more solid ground. Brushing off the last few drops of ooze from his armor, he grins at the others. "Is everyone okay? Hey, at least it couldn't manage to eat any of us — or our weapons for that matter." A quick glance down at the lance gripped tightly in both hands, just to double check.
Only then does he notice the black opal left behind. "Hmm." After a brief hesitation and a look to see if any of the others will try to stop him, he reaches out for the gem with one hand.
Aelwyn's just glad that the sounds all over. Walking closer the others with the glaive leant against his shoulder, he slightly exhales. "Impressive." The ruddy sith-makar compliments. "This one owes the other a drink or several." His glaive looks in on, innocent.
The Dragoon bows his head towards Lucius, giving a toothier grin. "It did not, though this one for a moment thought it would have taken Rider and his formidable mount." The black opal gets a glance from him, but when Lucius reaches out for it he steps forward, "That may not be wise to take."
Looking at teh gem, Ous considers it for a moment and shakes his head. "Nope. Nae touching that. Did something like that recently...Wasnae th' best decision of me life."
Looking at Jacob Ous grins as he pulls a pouch from beneath his hide shirt and removes the makings to roll a cigarette. "That was a slick piece of work there holy man! Aye'm impressed!"
Cigarette rolled, the ranger removes a small tinder box and touches the end of the cigarette to a small glowing ember. "Ye all fight good. Aye'm goin' back tae camp though..." Turning without aother word, Ous heads off towards the trees, pauses, turns 180 degrees and starts walking again. "This way."
The creature was slain and the work finished! Though Jacob turns to look at the gem left behind, his stomach turning in knots as if it wasn't supposed to be there. "That-"
Then the others are speaking of their amazement for what was accomplished and Hacob flushes, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Thank you. Serriel blesses me greatly from time to time." He laughs. "Is anyone hurt? I can heal as needed."
He pats Aelwyn's shoulder as he drew near. "Be careful with that." he tells Lucius as he saw him reaching for the gem.?He starts to move, smiling warmly at Lucius. "You did most of the work my friend. Come, we should return."
"Thank you, Jacob." Despite his intentions, Lucius can't completely hide the disappointment in his voice as his friends' better judgement prevails. He reluctantly withdraws his hand. "I felt the risk of touching it was acceptable, but you're right." His gaze lingers on the opal. "Wouldn't it be a good idea to find a way to transport it back to the Guild without touching it? Oh, what if it's a shard of Animus?" he blurts out. A thoughtless remark, but upon realizing the hypothesis he'd uttered, Lucius blinks and regards the gem anew.
Aelwyn glances at Lucius, and then back at the gem. "This one does not see an issue wrapping it in leather and taking it to a distance away from the camp." The ruddy sith-makar says, "If it is... a shard, it is safer closer to those with the knowledge than it is here, next to the remnants of that creature."