Soren looks like he has questions about the ring and what he's just seen Jan do and what he's pieced together from snippets of conversation but he ends up just shaking his head and getting his gear sorted.
Once the group is ready to move, QuietWalnut leads down the other side of the plateau, diving deep into the forest again. Like before a narrow path seems to open before the group to allow passage and then immediately closes as the last of the group moves along.
QuietWalnut takes a slight zig-zagging route, coming next to a small stream at one point, providing water to the mounts as requested earlier.
The water runs clear and is icy cold, making any who stop to drink as well wonder if this is fed from snow and ice from the small mountain range that Avaria spotted.
You feel like you make good time, though you only get a sense of green light coming through the leaves above so you're not fully sure how far you've come.
But, eventually QuietWalnut slows their pace and comes to a stop, holding up a branch-limb to all of you to stop as well.
She steps forward a pace and leans close to another very tall oak tree. Eyes pop open and QuietWalnut converses with this treant for a moment before turning and taking a step back to the group.
"No one has noticed our approach so far," QuietWalnut says then gestures at the oak. "StrongOak, has kept watch for a long time and has seen no one leave the clearing ahead."
As you step closer to the edge of the woods, you can see a clearing ahead. In the middle the tower ruins, covered in vines and moss, dominates. Around the base stand a small copse of what look like trees rotting from the inside out. Dark ichor runs down them like sap, and their features are slightly fuzzy as they almost appear to be emitting darkness, much like a lantern emits light.
From the direction of the rotting trees you can hear the sounds of movement, much like large animals stomping through dense brush.
Stairs rise up from behind the rotting trees to a closed door in the tower. Further up the tower, one intact window can be seen but there's no sign of light or life inside.
"Poor, I'm afraid," Ethel says to Marrin. "This Rotting Man likely maintains some form of control over these creatures, and that control would..." she pauses, "... should end upon his destruction. But the creatures themselves... the power that animates them will endure. If they have no reason to linger under the command of their master, they will likely wander off, following their own inscrutable desires. This horde will become a scattering and then eventually disperse from this place entirely."
"That could take weeks or months, however. For us, here... now... they will still be a threat to us."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Seeing the rotten trees made Avaria swallow hard. There were just two of them on the road and they were worthy adversaries, this was a small copse of them! And what was the noise? Surely whatever that was was worse than the trees.
Hearing Ethel's explanation sure didn't help matters, but what could they do? Turning up to QuietWalnut, "Are you and your friends going to help us? These rotted are very difficult to fight and we're going to need all the help we can get."
Marrin counts maybe 20 trees that appear to be rotting, oozing ichor, and radiating darkness. However, whether all of them are capable of movement and animation or not is not something she can get a read on.
QuietWalnut looks at Avaria for a long moment then appears to give both a nod of negation and affirmation.
She goes still again for a moment, making Avaria wonder if she had gone back to sleep. But QuietWalnut then gestures at StrongOak.
"StrongOak cannot take part. He must watch and if events go badly, he must report. Ironroot must know what happens."
She then opens her upper branches wide and gives Avaria a smile. "But I can help. I do not like what is happening here."
While you talk, the shuffling and brush crackling continues, but then you all hear what sounds like a buzzing.
Ula spots it first and points it out to the others.
A swarm of insects darts in and around the rotting trees. Or they were insects once. Now they look like some sort of monstrosity that should be impossible to exist. But like the rotting trees and any inhabitants of the tower, they have not spotted you yet.
"Jan," Ethel inquires, "... Did you once offer to take some of us with you inside your ring? Or do I misremember?"
She frowns, looking at the tower. "Might it be possible for us to prepare an... infiltration team, of sorts, inside the ring? Could your imp carry it inside the tower, for those inside to emerge and swiftly deal with this Rotting Man before he can assemble his undead defenses?"
"A bit like a poor-man's teleportation?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
((Jan had been intending that her trip in and out of the ring took place in one of the tents, away from prying eyes. But if Marrin wandered back outside with the ring...))
"Unfortunately all I can manage right now is myself and anything I'm carrying... and having gone in once today, I can't return until tomorrow. But yes, my elemental can carry it around with me inside... just not until tomorrow."
((She can bring up to 5 willing others in once she's 10th level.))
((The zombees are in a swarm, darting in an out of the trees - the swarm is about 10' across, and always within 5' of at least three of the rotting trees - you do all note that the zombee swarm is not the source of the other sounds you hear))
Not one that is good at planning, Avaria isn't sure what to add. "Did we want to try and have myself and someone else invisible to go after the trees and then the rest try to draw the insects away? Um.. towards them?" She rubs the back of her neck as she realizes this doesn't sound great either.
"I can maybe distract the zombees and some of the trees for a little while, but not definitely and not for very long."
She looks over to consider Quietwalnut,
"But if someone distracts them and leads them away with Quietwalnut's help? I mean, Quietwalnut made the path much easier for us so whoever would lead them with QW could probably get away. Especially if QW can make it harder to follow?"
She looks to QW, Hammerdasher and Geffroi as potential distractions.
"I think Marrin's right. We need to find a way to divide that mass of trees. Just two of them were a threat back on the trail. I think their numbers here would overwhelm us before we could kill enough to make a difference."
"If," she says, pointing at the tower for emphasis, "the Rotting Man should appear at any time during the fight, abandon all other efforts other than to put him down, swiftly. As dangerous as the trees and undead are, a wizard capable of creating this mess will be far more deadly. I'll do what I can to counter his magic, but the longer such a figure is alive on the battlefield, the worse our chances will be."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Hammerdasher hoists his shield and hammer and nods seriously at Marrin.
"We'll lead as many away as we can, lass," Hammerdasher says, then looks over at Geffroi. "All you have to do is run, lad."
Geffroi looks skeptical but eventually nods.
QuietWalnut looks down at the dwarf and the sage.
"We can trap a few for a little while but they will kill many trees trying to escape." QuietWalnut reaches out a branch and touches it to one of the nearby trees. "We must stop them quickly."
Hammerdasher actually pats QuietWalnut's trunk and hefts his hammer..
"Don't you worry. This will make short work of those rotten bits of mouldy wood." Hammerdasher says then looks back at the others and then to the 'undead' insect swarm. "But I don't know about the wee zombees."
"We found a box on a sinking ship filled with zombies and the like, Jan put it in her ring. We don't know if the box is related to the zombies or not. I suspect it was the crazy half-orc bassoon that made the zombies rather than the box, but better safe than sorry. Also, I know he wasn't a bassoon but I honestly don't recall the sailor word for whatever he happened to be."
She shrugs,
"Either way, until we know if the box is a problem, it stays put."
She looks to see if that addressed his question.
-----
"QW, You don't need to trap, just lead them away for as long as possible. No need to put the trees in danger, unless you're in danger."
To Hammerdasher she says sternly,
"That goes double for you Ithleviur, and to much lesser extent Geffroi. Don't go trying to hit those trees or the zombees unless you've got no other option. If it comes down to it, prioritize you're own escape."
Marrin looks to the others for ideas/plan additions.
"Using fire to cleanse the forest of the rotting trees is acceptable," QuietWalnut says. "We all agree on that. But we must not burn the woods down. Most of the living trees are healthy and have drunk deeply of the rains. They will not burn easily but they are can still be hurt. Sometimes sacrifices must be made but only as a last resort."
She looks to the clearing and tower.
"Burning them there would be the best," QuietWalnut says. "They're as far from the healthy trees as they can get."
Avaria feels a little sheepish and looks to Ula as she was hit the hardest the last time these things grappled the two of them. "Well, I'm not so good at ranged attacks, but.. my totem allows me to get in and get away fast as needed. I never thought to use it last time. But if those flying zombies come attacking, I can focus on those."
"Are we ready? We're losing daylight."
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Marrin looks glum at the prospect of another fight but doesn't have anything to contribute beyond,
"Best to get there before it gets dark. Maybe catch the Rotman by surprise."
She offers a shrug.
Avaria looks stern as the realization of the situation sinks in. "At least now the strange route we were taking makes sense."
Avaria checks her weapons and makes sure everything is secure. Nodding to Marrin's words, "I'm ready when you all are. Let's get this over with."
Soren looks like he has questions about the ring and what he's just seen Jan do and what he's pieced together from snippets of conversation but he ends up just shaking his head and getting his gear sorted.
Once the group is ready to move, QuietWalnut leads down the other side of the plateau, diving deep into the forest again. Like before a narrow path seems to open before the group to allow passage and then immediately closes as the last of the group moves along.
QuietWalnut takes a slight zig-zagging route, coming next to a small stream at one point, providing water to the mounts as requested earlier.
The water runs clear and is icy cold, making any who stop to drink as well wonder if this is fed from snow and ice from the small mountain range that Avaria spotted.
You feel like you make good time, though you only get a sense of green light coming through the leaves above so you're not fully sure how far you've come.
But, eventually QuietWalnut slows their pace and comes to a stop, holding up a branch-limb to all of you to stop as well.
She steps forward a pace and leans close to another very tall oak tree. Eyes pop open and QuietWalnut converses with this treant for a moment before turning and taking a step back to the group.
"No one has noticed our approach so far," QuietWalnut says then gestures at the oak. "StrongOak, has kept watch for a long time and has seen no one leave the clearing ahead."
As you step closer to the edge of the woods, you can see a clearing ahead. In the middle the tower ruins, covered in vines and moss, dominates. Around the base stand a small copse of what look like trees rotting from the inside out. Dark ichor runs down them like sap, and their features are slightly fuzzy as they almost appear to be emitting darkness, much like a lantern emits light.
From the direction of the rotting trees you can hear the sounds of movement, much like large animals stomping through dense brush.
Stairs rise up from behind the rotting trees to a closed door in the tower. Further up the tower, one intact window can be seen but there's no sign of light or life inside.
As the horses drink Marrin turns to Soren,
"You have some questions Soren? May be as good as time as any to get some answers."
----
Once there and looking at the tower Marrin whisper asks,
"What do you think the chances are that eliminating Rotman will stop all these things?"
She squints to try and get a count on the rotting trees.
Perception: 10
"Poor, I'm afraid," Ethel says to Marrin. "This Rotting Man likely maintains some form of control over these creatures, and that control would..." she pauses, "... should end upon his destruction. But the creatures themselves... the power that animates them will endure. If they have no reason to linger under the command of their master, they will likely wander off, following their own inscrutable desires. This horde will become a scattering and then eventually disperse from this place entirely."
"That could take weeks or months, however. For us, here... now... they will still be a threat to us."
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Seeing the rotten trees made Avaria swallow hard. There were just two of them on the road and they were worthy adversaries, this was a small copse of them! And what was the noise? Surely whatever that was was worse than the trees.
Hearing Ethel's explanation sure didn't help matters, but what could they do? Turning up to QuietWalnut, "Are you and your friends going to help us? These rotted are very difficult to fight and we're going to need all the help we can get."
As you traveled, Soren accepted the invitation and asked "What's in the ring? You all seem pretty wary of whatever it is."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marrin counts maybe 20 trees that appear to be rotting, oozing ichor, and radiating darkness. However, whether all of them are capable of movement and animation or not is not something she can get a read on.
QuietWalnut looks at Avaria for a long moment then appears to give both a nod of negation and affirmation.
She goes still again for a moment, making Avaria wonder if she had gone back to sleep. But QuietWalnut then gestures at StrongOak.
"StrongOak cannot take part. He must watch and if events go badly, he must report. Ironroot must know what happens."
She then opens her upper branches wide and gives Avaria a smile. "But I can help. I do not like what is happening here."
While you talk, the shuffling and brush crackling continues, but then you all hear what sounds like a buzzing.
Ula spots it first and points it out to the others.
A swarm of insects darts in and around the rotting trees. Or they were insects once. Now they look like some sort of monstrosity that should be impossible to exist. But like the rotting trees and any inhabitants of the tower, they have not spotted you yet.
"Jan," Ethel inquires, "... Did you once offer to take some of us with you inside your ring? Or do I misremember?"
She frowns, looking at the tower. "Might it be possible for us to prepare an... infiltration team, of sorts, inside the ring? Could your imp carry it inside the tower, for those inside to emerge and swiftly deal with this Rotting Man before he can assemble his undead defenses?"
"A bit like a poor-man's teleportation?"
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
((Jan had been intending that her trip in and out of the ring took place in one of the tents, away from prying eyes. But if Marrin wandered back outside with the ring...))
"Unfortunately all I can manage right now is myself and anything I'm carrying... and having gone in once today, I can't return until tomorrow. But yes, my elemental can carry it around with me inside... just not until tomorrow."
((She can bring up to 5 willing others in once she's 10th level.))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
((Marrin did stay inside the tent, Ava joined.))
She looks discouraged on hearing Ethel's explanation of the likely results of beheading the undead snake.
She'll flatly add to the sentiment with,
"Well... I count 20 rot trees. Okay, that's only two or so a piece for us. Easy."
When the zombees come around and she is absolutely thrilled.
"Woo. More nightmare fuel."
To the actual planning she'll contribute,
"I can make a couple people invisible for about ten minutes. That said, I am not sure anything here actual sees given their lack of eyeballs."
((@Thor, how close together are the zombees to each other and the trees?))
((The zombees are in a swarm, darting in an out of the trees - the swarm is about 10' across, and always within 5' of at least three of the rotting trees - you do all note that the zombee swarm is not the source of the other sounds you hear))
Not one that is good at planning, Avaria isn't sure what to add. "Did we want to try and have myself and someone else invisible to go after the trees and then the rest try to draw the insects away? Um.. towards them?" She rubs the back of her neck as she realizes this doesn't sound great either.
"I think we learned that dealing with them at range is preferred...", Jan contributes.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
"I can maybe distract the zombees and some of the trees for a little while, but not definitely and not for very long."
She looks over to consider Quietwalnut,
"But if someone distracts them and leads them away with Quietwalnut's help? I mean, Quietwalnut made the path much easier for us so whoever would lead them with QW could probably get away. Especially if QW can make it harder to follow?"
She looks to QW, Hammerdasher and Geffroi as potential distractions.
"I think Marrin's right. We need to find a way to divide that mass of trees. Just two of them were a threat back on the trail. I think their numbers here would overwhelm us before we could kill enough to make a difference."
"If," she says, pointing at the tower for emphasis, "the Rotting Man should appear at any time during the fight, abandon all other efforts other than to put him down, swiftly. As dangerous as the trees and undead are, a wizard capable of creating this mess will be far more deadly. I'll do what I can to counter his magic, but the longer such a figure is alive on the battlefield, the worse our chances will be."
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Hammerdasher hoists his shield and hammer and nods seriously at Marrin.
"We'll lead as many away as we can, lass," Hammerdasher says, then looks over at Geffroi. "All you have to do is run, lad."
Geffroi looks skeptical but eventually nods.
QuietWalnut looks down at the dwarf and the sage.
"We can trap a few for a little while but they will kill many trees trying to escape." QuietWalnut reaches out a branch and touches it to one of the nearby trees. "We must stop them quickly."
Hammerdasher actually pats QuietWalnut's trunk and hefts his hammer..
"Don't you worry. This will make short work of those rotten bits of mouldy wood." Hammerdasher says then looks back at the others and then to the 'undead' insect swarm. "But I don't know about the wee zombees."
To Soren's question earlier,
"We found a box on a sinking ship filled with zombies and the like, Jan put it in her ring. We don't know if the box is related to the zombies or not. I suspect it was the crazy half-orc bassoon that made the zombies rather than the box, but better safe than sorry. Also, I know he wasn't a bassoon but I honestly don't recall the sailor word for whatever he happened to be."
She shrugs,
"Either way, until we know if the box is a problem, it stays put."
She looks to see if that addressed his question.
-----
"QW, You don't need to trap, just lead them away for as long as possible. No need to put the trees in danger, unless you're in danger."
To Hammerdasher she says sternly,
"That goes double for you Ithleviur, and to much lesser extent Geffroi. Don't go trying to hit those trees or the zombees unless you've got no other option. If it comes down to it, prioritize you're own escape."
Marrin looks to the others for ideas/plan additions.
"Ethel, you'd cleared use of fire with Ironroot, but did they pass that on to you, QuietWalnut? We wouldn't want to alarm or offend you or StrongOak."
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Soren looks over to Jan and just nods at the ring, satisfied for the time being.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Using fire to cleanse the forest of the rotting trees is acceptable," QuietWalnut says. "We all agree on that. But we must not burn the woods down. Most of the living trees are healthy and have drunk deeply of the rains. They will not burn easily but they are can still be hurt. Sometimes sacrifices must be made but only as a last resort."
She looks to the clearing and tower.
"Burning them there would be the best," QuietWalnut says. "They're as far from the healthy trees as they can get."
Avaria feels a little sheepish and looks to Ula as she was hit the hardest the last time these things grappled the two of them. "Well, I'm not so good at ranged attacks, but.. my totem allows me to get in and get away fast as needed. I never thought to use it last time. But if those flying zombies come attacking, I can focus on those."
"Are we ready? We're losing daylight."