Travin mimes fangs in the corner of his mouth with his spindly fingers toward Delph as Shavaris looks away and very much giggles to himself as he stops just before she looks back.
The forest goes on forever. A few things become clear, especially for those who are familiar with what was once Faron Woods. First of all is that the forest is far more dense than it was before. There are old growth trees that are many, many feet across, a choking canopy, and twists of vines and brush beneath that made traversing some parts of the forest impossible.
The second thing is that everything that once lived here has been molded into some gross perversion of itself, of what it once was. There isn't a single creature that they see that is recognizable as what it once was. Some are generally identifiable, like the flocks of strange owls, but there are others that have become new things altogether.
One day they see a deer that is completely albino. Where its skin is visible, mostly along its neck and belly, the skin is translucent and the innards are visible and pulsating with vibrant light. Its head is adorned with two big mushrooms instead of antlers, and it completely lacked eyes as it turned its head to guage them. It flashed bright yellow once when it noticed the band, and then several more, scattered out amongst the forest, all flash a response, like fireflies communicating.
It snorts once and stamps its feet like its agitated.
Ward takes his arm to block the others and motions to turn his head down, and then speaks to the group. "Eyes down, I don't want to fight a half-dozen of these deer. If we move quickly and I can calm them down they might just let us pass. I don't know if the spores they have may be like the Myconids and I don't want to find out. " Ward says, then in Animal Speak he says to the deer. "We are just passing through, we do not wish to intrude. We will be gone as quick as we are able." Ward says
Animal Handling: 18
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
Travin takes a lantern out and undoes his robe, using the swath of material to shine and then hide the light in quick succession, hoping to disguise the group as a member of the herd.
Travin's lantern show works with splendid results. It works so well, in fact, that he manages to communicate his love interest to the deer. Two in the back immediately begin to fight, pushing each other with their mushroom antlers, while the one closest to the group stamps its hooves and begins to prance in a display meant to impress.
Ward shows a smile for the first time in a while, stifling a laugh as they get past the Shroom-Deer. "Well, I guess that way works as well my friend." Ward says to Travin. Then taking out something from his bag and putting a twig into it as the terrain around them is shown. Talking back and forth with Guilty Spark he traces out a line for them to follow. "We must have gotten turned around somewhere, probably when we switched off Falcon Crest. If we follow this way we should be able to get to the Labyrinth. " Ward says, and if all are in agreement he will being leading that way, refreshing the map every so often to see if anything has changed.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
Adam is disgusted by the state of the woods and the creatures within it. He says to no one in particular, “We’ve got to get to the Labyrinth and figure out what has happened to the land. I’ll bet my bottom gold piece that the ball juggler and his little pissing dwarf had something to do with it. In some manner. We’ll see… we’ll see..”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
With the light display over and the 'deers' passed by, left to their fighting over Travin, the little junk man chuckles, both at Ward's words of encouragement and Adams words of labyrinthian derision. He looks around his collection of peoples once more and realises that he is happy that they're all back with him.
Delphinium is unnaturally quite as he sits on Shavaris' shoulder as they travel. The fairy's glow a dim blue that clings on around them. It's very unlike them to brood as they normally go from activity to activity, event to event. Always on the move and craving life, experience and fun. Instead, Delphinium seems to be reflecting on their fuzzy memory. Missing pieces and a dread about what is happening to them. The group eventually comes across something akin to deer. The creature seems twisted like all the rest. An affront to nature yet a homage to pain. Delphinium continues to not like being here as Travin seems to find a way to prevent fighting these things. The fairy was almost sad they didn't get to fight. Of course, Travin's success seems to cause the creatures to fight each other. More pain. More hurt. It seems to be the only thing this place cares about. For a moment Delphinium wondered if anything in this place cared about life at all. Apparently, there is still some drive to impress others. Mating rituals and a competition to find a mate. That was a bit unexpected by the fairy. He didn't think there could be any form of caring in this place. He doesn't want to know how this place twists that too. He doubted there was anything natural about the cycle of life here.
As Ward mentions the Labyrinth the fairy seems to glow a bit brighter as a bit of hope of getting out of here seems on the horizon. "I hope we get there soon Ward. I don't think I can stand being here much longer."
Adam brings up the possibility that the Goblin king is involved and Delph replies "I don't think so Adam. In fact, you might want to hope not. If the magic protecting the labyrinth is not providing a safe haven... where would your people go?"
Johnathan looks in the direction Ward says the labyrinth is. Is this a magical tracking or something Ward? I thought the labyrinth would’ve had protection against such things. He listens to Adam theory on the people of the labyrinth and adds I doubt Jareth and the others are involved. This magic seems more potent than what we saw in the labyrinth. The labyrinth was more around messing with minds, the forest seems to have had a physical affect on the wildlife. Besides, the people of the labyrinth wanted to be left alone. They have no reason for doing this.
Ward looks over to Johnathan and holds up the map. "Ah no, this is different. It takes a bit of the nature I place into it and gives me a map of the area, this combined with my memory of the map I am using to navigate and Guilty Spark's assistance in navigating here. I just didn't think of how applicable this may be, I'm also watching for any large oddities, I do not want us being ambushed by something like the Myconids giant, but not so friendly as it was last time I hope you understand." Ward says, looking back down at the map to navigate.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
The forest widens out a bit after awhile. The path that they are on becomes well worn and beaten, much like a gametrail. A large tree has fallen over it at one point, blocking the path. A snarl of branches and thorns and a few large plate mushrooms make crossing it a chore, but easier than wading through the wriggling vines and patches of bramble lining the trail.
As Shavaris, Delphinium, and Adam cross the enormous tree, it shifts. The ground quakes and there is the sound of wood creaking and limbs snapping as the gargantuan tree rises to its feet. There is a moan that rumbles the sky, and souless white eyes stare down at the Dawn Guard from behind a bushy beard and equally bushy eyebrows of gently glowing spanish moss.
"For the flesh....shall bend to the will....of Deadfall." The tree says, its voice echoing throughout the canopy and into the sky itself, low and ghostly.
The Treant turns overhead, its body surveying the seven combatants scattered around its feet, and then there is a popping sound overhead. Suddenly a yellow fog falls from overhead and blankets Adam, Delphinium, and Shavaris.
At the same time, two more Treants animate nearby, stepping out of the woods where they were previously perfectly concealed as trees. One is a gnarled, hoary oak, and the other is a hemlock with a festering black wound that leaks down its front.
"The flesh...is weak....but wood...is strong." Deadfall calls down to the three it has blanketed in the yellow spores...
One of the smaller Treants step between Deadfall and the rest of the band that had not crawled over him yet.
"The flesh is weak..." It whispers...
Delphinium, Shavaris, and Adam need to make a DC 15 Constitution Save! If failed, they are stunned, and cannot reroll until the end of their next turn!
Shavaris watches as the trees start to surround them and as the yellow fog falls around her, she feels her muscles spasm and tighten up... she's stunned.
But.. only for a moment as she is able to shake it off.
"Fall for me." Deadfall commands to the hemlock, which stumbles forward. It groans something, its diseased form taking it up to the edge of the gametrail before it collapses into the midst of Dageron, Ward, Travin, and Johnathan, placing Travin and Johnathan alone at the back of the battlefield with two Treants between them and Deadfall. "Burnfor me."
A roaring campfire explodes into life amidst the dry evergreen branches of the hemlock.
"The flesh is weak..." The burning hemlock says...
Delphinium and Adam need to make a DC 15 Constitution Save! If failed, they are stunned, and cannot reroll until the end of their next turn!
"Dageron, help Johnathan and Travin. I'll deal help the others." Ward says, holding his hands together and points them into the clearing 8 GIANT B.E.A.V.E.R.S appearing in the field. "The wood is strong Deadfall. Test, Your, Strength." Ward says, stepping forward towards the Treant, and showing off the more wooden parts of his body. "We shall see who stands the test of time." Racking his shotgun with Dragonsbreath and holding up his fists at the Treant.
4 B.E.A.V.E.R.S attack Deadfall and 4 others attack the non-flaming tree.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
"The flesh is weak!" Deadfall roars. There is another popping sound as a cloud of purple dust falls from overhead and blankets the four beavers that are attacking Deadfall's ankles. Three of them begin to sway and act funny, unable to gather their wits, while the fourth begins to scream, scream in the way only a screaming beaver can scream.
Deadfall turns, its dead eyes falling on Ward before it points at him with a long, bowed finger.
"This one is not flesh, but rebels against us. It shall be destroyed."
A tangle of thorns whips up out of the ground around Ward, surrounding him on all sides with a razer sharp wall that is five feet thick and twenty feet high...
"Death to the non-flesh..." The hemlock whispers over the sound of its own crackling, burning branches...
Johnathan takes a moment to view the battle unfolding in front of him. He watches as Travin and himself are separated from the others. I’m really starting to hate the plant life here. Johnathan mutters as he rolls ups his sleeves to begin casting. Flesh may be weak, but a tree is really stupid. Johnathan points his hand at the talking tree. Go away. As Johnathan mutters these words glyphs start forming around his wrist. Strange symbols that are not like his usual spells. For the party members that saw him using the time artifact, it resembles a similar glyph pattern as the time he contacted Delph on a different plane. The glyphs start to surround Deadfall for a moment, trying to do something to it.
Action: casting banishment of Deadfall. Dc 16 charisma save or be sent to a Demi plane for 1 minute (concentration spell)
Deadfall shakes his head and the runes begin to break up in the air around him. He acts as though this is only a minor inconvenience. His focus, though, remains on Ward.
"As the flames renew the forest and killthe weak, the strong thrive." He says...and then the thorns around Ward burst into flame just like the hemlock...
Ward looks around at the flaming vines around him and laughs, a dry empty laugh escaping the vines that surround him. "To be a tree scared by a child of bark. Truly a sight to behold" Ward says, then continues to laugh as the Treant.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
DM:
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Travin mimes fangs in the corner of his mouth with his spindly fingers toward Delph as Shavaris looks away and very much giggles to himself as he stops just before she looks back.
The forest goes on forever. A few things become clear, especially for those who are familiar with what was once Faron Woods. First of all is that the forest is far more dense than it was before. There are old growth trees that are many, many feet across, a choking canopy, and twists of vines and brush beneath that made traversing some parts of the forest impossible.
The second thing is that everything that once lived here has been molded into some gross perversion of itself, of what it once was. There isn't a single creature that they see that is recognizable as what it once was. Some are generally identifiable, like the flocks of strange owls, but there are others that have become new things altogether.
One day they see a deer that is completely albino. Where its skin is visible, mostly along its neck and belly, the skin is translucent and the innards are visible and pulsating with vibrant light. Its head is adorned with two big mushrooms instead of antlers, and it completely lacked eyes as it turned its head to guage them. It flashed bright yellow once when it noticed the band, and then several more, scattered out amongst the forest, all flash a response, like fireflies communicating.
It snorts once and stamps its feet like its agitated.
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Ward takes his arm to block the others and motions to turn his head down, and then speaks to the group. "Eyes down, I don't want to fight a half-dozen of these deer. If we move quickly and I can calm them down they might just let us pass. I don't know if the spores they have may be like the Myconids and I don't want to find out. " Ward says, then in Animal Speak he says to the deer. "We are just passing through, we do not wish to intrude. We will be gone as quick as we are able." Ward says
Animal Handling: 18
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
DM:
Travin takes a lantern out and undoes his robe, using the swath of material to shine and then hide the light in quick succession, hoping to disguise the group as a member of the herd.
Travin's lantern show works with splendid results. It works so well, in fact, that he manages to communicate his love interest to the deer. Two in the back immediately begin to fight, pushing each other with their mushroom antlers, while the one closest to the group stamps its hooves and begins to prance in a display meant to impress.
None of them seem hostile to the group...
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Ward shows a smile for the first time in a while, stifling a laugh as they get past the Shroom-Deer. "Well, I guess that way works as well my friend." Ward says to Travin. Then taking out something from his bag and putting a twig into it as the terrain around them is shown. Talking back and forth with Guilty Spark he traces out a line for them to follow. "We must have gotten turned around somewhere, probably when we switched off Falcon Crest. If we follow this way we should be able to get to the Labyrinth. " Ward says, and if all are in agreement he will being leading that way, refreshing the map every so often to see if anything has changed.
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
DM:
Adam is disgusted by the state of the woods and the creatures within it. He says to no one in particular, “We’ve got to get to the Labyrinth and figure out what has happened to the land. I’ll bet my bottom gold piece that the ball juggler and his little pissing dwarf had something to do with it. In some manner. We’ll see… we’ll see..”
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
With the light display over and the 'deers' passed by, left to their fighting over Travin, the little junk man chuckles, both at Ward's words of encouragement and Adams words of labyrinthian derision. He looks around his collection of peoples once more and realises that he is happy that they're all back with him.
Delphinium is unnaturally quite as he sits on Shavaris' shoulder as they travel. The fairy's glow a dim blue that clings on around them. It's very unlike them to brood as they normally go from activity to activity, event to event. Always on the move and craving life, experience and fun. Instead, Delphinium seems to be reflecting on their fuzzy memory. Missing pieces and a dread about what is happening to them. The group eventually comes across something akin to deer. The creature seems twisted like all the rest. An affront to nature yet a homage to pain. Delphinium continues to not like being here as Travin seems to find a way to prevent fighting these things. The fairy was almost sad they didn't get to fight. Of course, Travin's success seems to cause the creatures to fight each other. More pain. More hurt. It seems to be the only thing this place cares about. For a moment Delphinium wondered if anything in this place cared about life at all. Apparently, there is still some drive to impress others. Mating rituals and a competition to find a mate. That was a bit unexpected by the fairy. He didn't think there could be any form of caring in this place. He doesn't want to know how this place twists that too. He doubted there was anything natural about the cycle of life here.
As Ward mentions the Labyrinth the fairy seems to glow a bit brighter as a bit of hope of getting out of here seems on the horizon. "I hope we get there soon Ward. I don't think I can stand being here much longer."
Adam brings up the possibility that the Goblin king is involved and Delph replies "I don't think so Adam. In fact, you might want to hope not. If the magic protecting the labyrinth is not providing a safe haven... where would your people go?"
Johnathan looks in the direction Ward says the labyrinth is. Is this a magical tracking or something Ward? I thought the labyrinth would’ve had protection against such things. He listens to Adam theory on the people of the labyrinth and adds I doubt Jareth and the others are involved. This magic seems more potent than what we saw in the labyrinth. The labyrinth was more around messing with minds, the forest seems to have had a physical affect on the wildlife. Besides, the people of the labyrinth wanted to be left alone. They have no reason for doing this.
Ward looks over to Johnathan and holds up the map. "Ah no, this is different. It takes a bit of the nature I place into it and gives me a map of the area, this combined with my memory of the map I am using to navigate and Guilty Spark's assistance in navigating here. I just didn't think of how applicable this may be, I'm also watching for any large oddities, I do not want us being ambushed by something like the Myconids giant, but not so friendly as it was last time I hope you understand." Ward says, looking back down at the map to navigate.
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
DM:
The forest widens out a bit after awhile. The path that they are on becomes well worn and beaten, much like a gametrail. A large tree has fallen over it at one point, blocking the path. A snarl of branches and thorns and a few large plate mushrooms make crossing it a chore, but easier than wading through the wriggling vines and patches of bramble lining the trail.
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
As Shavaris, Delphinium, and Adam cross the enormous tree, it shifts. The ground quakes and there is the sound of wood creaking and limbs snapping as the gargantuan tree rises to its feet. There is a moan that rumbles the sky, and souless white eyes stare down at the Dawn Guard from behind a bushy beard and equally bushy eyebrows of gently glowing spanish moss.
"For the flesh....shall bend to the will....of Deadfall." The tree says, its voice echoing throughout the canopy and into the sky itself, low and ghostly.
The Treant turns overhead, its body surveying the seven combatants scattered around its feet, and then there is a popping sound overhead. Suddenly a yellow fog falls from overhead and blankets Adam, Delphinium, and Shavaris.
At the same time, two more Treants animate nearby, stepping out of the woods where they were previously perfectly concealed as trees. One is a gnarled, hoary oak, and the other is a hemlock with a festering black wound that leaks down its front.
"The flesh...is weak....but wood...is strong." Deadfall calls down to the three it has blanketed in the yellow spores...
One of the smaller Treants step between Deadfall and the rest of the band that had not crawled over him yet.
"The flesh is weak..." It whispers...
Delphinium, Shavaris, and Adam need to make a DC 15 Constitution Save! If failed, they are stunned, and cannot reroll until the end of their next turn!
Post Order
Dungeon Master
Shavaris
Dungeon Master
Ward
Dungeon Master
Johnathan
Travin
Adam
Dageron
It is Shavaris's turn!
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Shavaris watches as the trees start to surround them and as the yellow fog falls around her, she feels her muscles spasm and tighten up... she's stunned.
But.. only for a moment as she is able to shake it off.
"Fall for me." Deadfall commands to the hemlock, which stumbles forward. It groans something, its diseased form taking it up to the edge of the gametrail before it collapses into the midst of Dageron, Ward, Travin, and Johnathan, placing Travin and Johnathan alone at the back of the battlefield with two Treants between them and Deadfall. "Burn for me."
A roaring campfire explodes into life amidst the dry evergreen branches of the hemlock.
"The flesh is weak..." The burning hemlock says...
Delphinium and Adam need to make a DC 15 Constitution Save! If failed, they are stunned, and cannot reroll until the end of their next turn!
Post Order
Dungeon Master
Shavaris
Dungeon Master
Ward
Dungeon Master
Johnathan
Travin
Delphinium
Adam
Dageron
It is Ward's turn!
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
"Dageron, help Johnathan and Travin. I'll deal help the others." Ward says, holding his hands together and points them into the clearing 8 GIANT B.E.A.V.E.R.S appearing in the field. "The wood is strong Deadfall. Test, Your, Strength." Ward says, stepping forward towards the Treant, and showing off the more wooden parts of his body. "We shall see who stands the test of time." Racking his shotgun with Dragonsbreath and holding up his fists at the Treant.
4 B.E.A.V.E.R.S attack Deadfall and 4 others attack the non-flaming tree.
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
DM:
"The flesh is weak!" Deadfall roars. There is another popping sound as a cloud of purple dust falls from overhead and blankets the four beavers that are attacking Deadfall's ankles. Three of them begin to sway and act funny, unable to gather their wits, while the fourth begins to scream, scream in the way only a screaming beaver can scream.
Deadfall turns, its dead eyes falling on Ward before it points at him with a long, bowed finger.
"This one is not flesh, but rebels against us. It shall be destroyed."
A tangle of thorns whips up out of the ground around Ward, surrounding him on all sides with a razer sharp wall that is five feet thick and twenty feet high...
"Death to the non-flesh..." The hemlock whispers over the sound of its own crackling, burning branches...
Post Order
Dungeon Master
Shavaris
Dungeon Master
Ward
Dungeon Master
Johnathan
Travin
Delphinium
Adam
Dageron
It is Johnathan's turn!
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Johnathan takes a moment to view the battle unfolding in front of him. He watches as Travin and himself are separated from the others. I’m really starting to hate the plant life here. Johnathan mutters as he rolls ups his sleeves to begin casting. Flesh may be weak, but a tree is really stupid. Johnathan points his hand at the talking tree. Go away. As Johnathan mutters these words glyphs start forming around his wrist. Strange symbols that are not like his usual spells. For the party members that saw him using the time artifact, it resembles a similar glyph pattern as the time he contacted Delph on a different plane. The glyphs start to surround Deadfall for a moment, trying to do something to it.
Action: casting banishment of Deadfall. Dc 16 charisma save or be sent to a Demi plane for 1 minute (concentration spell)
Deadfall shakes his head and the runes begin to break up in the air around him. He acts as though this is only a minor inconvenience. His focus, though, remains on Ward.
"As the flames renew the forest and kill the weak, the strong thrive." He says...and then the thorns around Ward burst into flame just like the hemlock...
Post Order
Dungeon Master
Shavaris
Dungeon Master
Ward
Dungeon Master
Johnathan
Travin
Delphinium
Adam
Dageron
It is Travin's turn!
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Ward looks around at the flaming vines around him and laughs, a dry empty laugh escaping the vines that surround him. "To be a tree scared by a child of bark. Truly a sight to behold" Ward says, then continues to laugh as the Treant.
P: The Traveling Ward: Natural Napalm Enthusiast. (AURYN: The Hunt For The Last Unicorn.)
DM: