Eremoz pulls a Handaxe from his belt. “I will be ready to help, but…” He looks at his chain mail and numerous weapons hanging from his belt. ”I’m not the most quiet with my current equipment.”
Drexon spends a moment to focus and then creeps forward towards the sword and pouch, stopping 30ft away and reaching out with his spectral hand rather than getting too close himself.
He attempts to gently remove the sword and pouch without bothering the plant creature.
Drexon creeps slowly toward the mound of plants. His steps leave no sound, but he cannot get the feeling that this plant creature is somehow watching his movement. As he nears the creature, the smell becomes bad enough that he has to stop and cover his mouth and nose. He dares not approach further and casts out a spectral hand to grab what he comes here for. For a moment, he has to freeze when the creature jerks upward, but thankfully Cob appears to be distracting it by fluttering his wings as he moves in a wide circle around the creature. Slowly but surely, Drexon collects the ornate sword and the coin pouch before he returns to the others with Cob.
Examining the loots, you can see that the sword is a swordsword. There is nothing special about the blade, but the scabbard is meticulously decorated with jewellery. The coin pouch is larger than expected when Drexon pulls it out from the muddy ground. It is filled with an assortment of bronze and copper coins amounting to 127 bronze and 11 copper. Inside the pouch is also a bottle of perfume that Cob recognizes to be an expensive one used by high society performers and worth about 25 copper.
Drexon looks at the haul with a little disappointment.
"I could have sworn I saw mostly copper", he says a little disgruntled. "Well, at least we came off better than that chap", he adds pointing at the corpse that is still being consumed.
"Shall we move on whilst your spell is active", he then suggests to Amber.
You give the corpse flower a wide berth as you go through its territory. With Amber's spell and your careful approach, you also manage to bypass several dried-up husks of humanoids that have plants growing from within its body. Amber calls them the drones of the corpse flower. These drones seem to be an extension of the corpse flower's sense.
After another hour of travel, the air becomes thick with a sweet scent. The trees start to look more alive, albeit still having the same greying and dried-up bark. Some of them are bleeding golden sap, giving them gold-like veins. The ground is getting firmer the farther you travel, but it is also a little bit warmer.
"Don't mind the sap," Amber warns, "but collect some if you want. This is Geta, an ingredient to make the Luck Potion. It only grows in an Archfey's demesne, a byproduct of the Archfey's claiming ritual. The potion usually costs 200 copper up to 10 silver a dose, but that's because Geta is a very difficult material to get. Archfeys don't like someone taking something out of their demesne. But, if you have this and can find a trusted brewer, you can cut the cost to only about 25 copper, maybe 50 copper at the most per bottle. You will need a litre for two bottles of potion."
"I guess we would be foolish to miss this opportunity. Does anyone have a container we can use to collect that amount?", he asks of the others.
Digging in his pack, all he comes up with are the bottles of mead and cider he bought, still full. "Unless you fancy stopping for a drink?", he suggests with a grin.
After filling the thermos with Geta, you continue your journey toward Saikhan. Coming into the fourth hour of the journey, the trees are getting more vibrant and sparser. The ground turns firmer and drier. You can almost smell the salty scent of the coast in the air. You can almost see the coastal city in the distance. It appears to be built on a hill or a cliffside.
Suddenly, Amber falls backwards and yells in pain. A black arrow has pierced her shoulder. If she hadn't moved a little bit sideways after a stumble, it would have pierced her chest near her heart. Drexon, Cob, and Eremoz, you barely see the shadow of a figure moving behind a tree about 500 maybe 600 feet away to the northeast. The sound of a horse's neigh echoes from tree to tree followed by a flicker of red in the direction where the figure disappears.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"He went for her on purpose to try and claim the mire," Cob says, ducking down
Trusting Drexon to make sure Amber is okay, Cob moves as quietly as he can between trees, bushes, ridges, or whatever is there to get closer to the archer.
Eremoz ducks down and tears some strips of cloth from his spare clothes. Rushing over to Drexon and Amber, he attempts to wrap the arrow in order to stabilize it.
"It's not deep," Amber says with a grunt. "Pull it out and I can heal it."
Cob, you move through the underbrush and dash around thick trees in the direction where you see the figure last, but you cannot see them anywhere. Still, you slowly continue in the same direction with the hope that the figure reappears again.
A voice, deep and filled with confusion echoes through the forest. "Strange," the voice says. The words appear to be whispered from every tree around the group. "That yell was from a woman. I was not briefed that a woman would be in the group. On that note, you seem to be missing your fifth party member."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"I can cast the same spell as before," Amber says. "The previous one must have run out."
Amber pulls out another handful of ash and crushed leaves before sprinkling it toward herself, Drexon, and Eremoz. Unfortunately, she cannot see Cob to do the same to him.
Another arrow flies through the air. It is still coming from the northeast, but the point of origin seems to have changed. This time, it is coming toward Eremoz. Casting your eyes toward the source, you are treated to a rather familiar sight of a horse wreathed in fire coming into being out of thin air. Nearly blurring into the background, you see a dark, cowled figure sitting atop the flaming Nightmare hovering about a few inches above the ground. A gnarled bow is on their hand, poised ready to shoot another arrow.
"No matter," the voice echoes through the forest again. "My task is simple. To keep you here. However, I am not without personal morals and honour. Let us make this fun, shall we? How about a wager? I have ten more arrows. If you can outlast them, I will let you go to Saikhan without any more harm. If one of you falls, your quest to Saikhan is forfeit and you will have to turn back to wherever you come from."
Mysterious Figure Movement: 90 ft on a Nightmare Mysterious Figure Bonus Action: Ethereal Stride Mysterious Figure Longbow Attack: 25 Damage: 11 to Eremoz
{{I think it's time to roll another initiative. The mysterious figure is currently visible due northeast about 550 ft away from Eremoz, Drexon, and Amber, but about 500 ft away from Cob.}}
Eremoz pulls a Handaxe from his belt. “I will be ready to help, but…” He looks at his chain mail and numerous weapons hanging from his belt. ”I’m not the most quiet with my current equipment.”
Drexon spends a moment to focus and then creeps forward towards the sword and pouch, stopping 30ft away and reaching out with his spectral hand rather than getting too close himself.
He attempts to gently remove the sword and pouch without bothering the plant creature.
Stealth (with guidance): 5+4+4+10=23
Cob stays quiet but gets ready to help Drexon if things go bad.
He tries out the effects of the new spell to start circumventing the shambling mound of leaves.
Stealth: (10+3+10)= 23
Drexon creeps slowly toward the mound of plants. His steps leave no sound, but he cannot get the feeling that this plant creature is somehow watching his movement. As he nears the creature, the smell becomes bad enough that he has to stop and cover his mouth and nose. He dares not approach further and casts out a spectral hand to grab what he comes here for. For a moment, he has to freeze when the creature jerks upward, but thankfully Cob appears to be distracting it by fluttering his wings as he moves in a wide circle around the creature. Slowly but surely, Drexon collects the ornate sword and the coin pouch before he returns to the others with Cob.
Examining the loots, you can see that the sword is a swordsword. There is nothing special about the blade, but the scabbard is meticulously decorated with jewellery. The coin pouch is larger than expected when Drexon pulls it out from the muddy ground. It is filled with an assortment of bronze and copper coins amounting to 127 bronze and 11 copper. Inside the pouch is also a bottle of perfume that Cob recognizes to be an expensive one used by high society performers and worth about 25 copper.
Drexon looks at the haul with a little disappointment.
"I could have sworn I saw mostly copper", he says a little disgruntled. "Well, at least we came off better than that chap", he adds pointing at the corpse that is still being consumed.
"Shall we move on whilst your spell is active", he then suggests to Amber.
Cob looks back at the plant creature.
"Somebody with some money came this way," Cob ventures. "Running from something or someone."
He watches the creature for a moment longer before adjusting his pack, ready to keep moving.
Eremoz slowly lowers his handaxe. “Let’s keep pushing.”
You give the corpse flower a wide berth as you go through its territory. With Amber's spell and your careful approach, you also manage to bypass several dried-up husks of humanoids that have plants growing from within its body. Amber calls them the drones of the corpse flower. These drones seem to be an extension of the corpse flower's sense.
After another hour of travel, the air becomes thick with a sweet scent. The trees start to look more alive, albeit still having the same greying and dried-up bark. Some of them are bleeding golden sap, giving them gold-like veins. The ground is getting firmer the farther you travel, but it is also a little bit warmer.
"Don't mind the sap," Amber warns, "but collect some if you want. This is Geta, an ingredient to make the Luck Potion. It only grows in an Archfey's demesne, a byproduct of the Archfey's claiming ritual. The potion usually costs 200 copper up to 10 silver a dose, but that's because Geta is a very difficult material to get. Archfeys don't like someone taking something out of their demesne. But, if you have this and can find a trusted brewer, you can cut the cost to only about 25 copper, maybe 50 copper at the most per bottle. You will need a litre for two bottles of potion."
Drexon looks at the golden sap and nods his head.
"I guess we would be foolish to miss this opportunity. Does anyone have a container we can use to collect that amount?", he asks of the others.
Digging in his pack, all he comes up with are the bottles of mead and cider he bought, still full. "Unless you fancy stopping for a drink?", he suggests with a grin.
Cob looks around in his pack and eventually pulls out a thermos he had completely forgotten he still had.
”This held the soup we got from the chef on the train. Guess I forgot to get rid of it. It should hold some of this sap.”
Cob opens the container and then proceeds to try and let as much sap as possible drip inside.
Drexon will make sure the thermos is clean before Cob adds the sap.
”That is perfect”, he says as he puts away his bottles.
After filling the thermos with Geta, you continue your journey toward Saikhan. Coming into the fourth hour of the journey, the trees are getting more vibrant and sparser. The ground turns firmer and drier. You can almost smell the salty scent of the coast in the air. You can almost see the coastal city in the distance. It appears to be built on a hill or a cliffside.
Suddenly, Amber falls backwards and yells in pain. A black arrow has pierced her shoulder. If she hadn't moved a little bit sideways after a stumble, it would have pierced her chest near her heart. Drexon, Cob, and Eremoz, you barely see the shadow of a figure moving behind a tree about 500 maybe 600 feet away to the northeast. The sound of a horse's neigh echoes from tree to tree followed by a flicker of red in the direction where the figure disappears.
Seeing Amber hit with the arrow and the perpetrator so far away, all Drexon can think to do is duck down and try and help Amber move towards cover.
"Take cover", he calls to the others.
Stealth: 2+4=6
"He went for her on purpose to try and claim the mire," Cob says, ducking down
Trusting Drexon to make sure Amber is okay, Cob moves as quietly as he can between trees, bushes, ridges, or whatever is there to get closer to the archer.
Stealth: 16
(Dashing if possible as well)
Eremoz ducks down and tears some strips of cloth from his spare clothes. Rushing over to Drexon and Amber, he attempts to wrap the arrow in order to stabilize it.
Medicine: 13
”We can’t afford this fight right now.”
"It's not deep," Amber says with a grunt. "Pull it out and I can heal it."
Cob, you move through the underbrush and dash around thick trees in the direction where you see the figure last, but you cannot see them anywhere. Still, you slowly continue in the same direction with the hope that the figure reappears again.
A voice, deep and filled with confusion echoes through the forest. "Strange," the voice says. The words appear to be whispered from every tree around the group. "That yell was from a woman. I was not briefed that a woman would be in the group. On that note, you seem to be missing your fifth party member."
As Drexon notices Cob looking to sneak off towards the unknown archer, he instigates a telepathic link so they can keep in contact.
"So it is us they are after, not the Umbra", he says in a whisper but also telepathically to Cob.
He looks at Amber, "Do you have any more concealing magic? With the range they have with that bow, we don't stand a chance without being hidden".
He then takes measures to protect himself.
Cob continues in the direction he last saw the archer, ignoring the fact the trees seem to echo the words of their opponent.
"I can cast the same spell as before," Amber says. "The previous one must have run out."
Amber pulls out another handful of ash and crushed leaves before sprinkling it toward herself, Drexon, and Eremoz. Unfortunately, she cannot see Cob to do the same to him.
Another arrow flies through the air. It is still coming from the northeast, but the point of origin seems to have changed. This time, it is coming toward Eremoz. Casting your eyes toward the source, you are treated to a rather familiar sight of a horse wreathed in fire coming into being out of thin air. Nearly blurring into the background, you see a dark, cowled figure sitting atop the flaming Nightmare hovering about a few inches above the ground. A gnarled bow is on their hand, poised ready to shoot another arrow.
"No matter," the voice echoes through the forest again. "My task is simple. To keep you here. However, I am not without personal morals and honour. Let us make this fun, shall we? How about a wager? I have ten more arrows. If you can outlast them, I will let you go to Saikhan without any more harm. If one of you falls, your quest to Saikhan is forfeit and you will have to turn back to wherever you come from."
{{I think it's time to roll another initiative. The mysterious figure is currently visible due northeast about 550 ft away from Eremoz, Drexon, and Amber, but about 500 ft away from Cob.}}
Eremoz initiative: 22