The scarecrow is jolted backward from Sylyra, more straw flying as the druid's shillelagh pushes it away. Auriel's halberd lunges straight through the construct; it slumps down lifelessly, pinned to the wall. Hex's next arrow and Carl's blast miss their targets. Uragum's icy blast slams into the cabin wall, but explodes, shredding most of a needle blight apart. In response, the goliath takes the impact of a needle that slices through his arcane deflection.

Round 3 Order:
Pipyap
Needle Blights
Players <=====

Placement:
Four needle blights remain.
All combatants are within movement range.

Health:
One needle blight is grievously wounded.

Auriel is lightly wounded.
Hex is lightly wounded.
Sylyra is lightly wounded.
Uragum is lightly wounded.

Ammunition:
Hex has used 2 arrows.

Without so much as a second thought, the paladin frees the halberd from the wall and uses that very motion to try to land a powerful blow on any needle blight that appears unharmed. From wall to ground, he seems intent on cutting down not only the enemies, but also the wood of Serelis' cabin.

Seeing the imp is doing nothing after he's gone invisible, Auriel exclaims "Pipyap, won't you be a little useful and help us!?"

Attack: 14 (+3) / Damage: 14

Sylyra turns, spinning his staff again as if he were leading a parade. He slams the nearest blight, attempting to prune the vicious weed.

Shillelagh attack: 11 Damage: 12

Feeling the needles pierce his rocky skin, he swiped his hand across it knocking them off of his skin.  He turned toward the one that he'd nearly killed and raised his fist.  Frost began to cover the blight.  As the magic works to take hold he hollers out, "This would go much quicker with fire.  Just saying."

Action: Frostbite spell on the nearly dead blight, DC 14 Con save or take 5 cold damage.  If it fails, also disadvantage on weapon attacks.  Not sure the needles are weapon attacks but just in case.

Reaction: Arcane defense if applicable

Carl pops his head up from behind the table and points his hand at one of the uninjured needle blights, a mote of force, shooting out towards him.  Afterwards, he sees cover behind the table.  “Thas it, keep it comin..”

Eldritch blast : 14 to hit for 13 points of force damage.  

Hex shoots off another arrow at the weakest looking blight, hoping to prune the bunch.

Action: Longbow Attack - 8  Damage - 11   Colossus Slayer - 1

One needle blight collapses beneath the swing of Auriel's halberd, crashing to the ground in a pile of twigs and branches. A second explodes, struck by an intense eldritch blast from Carlthuzad. Sylyra and Hex strike down a third, while the fourth begins to freeze, icing over as Uragum clenches his fist, sending the cold arcane energy through the plant.

Almost as soon as the combat began, the cabin is silent. Pipyap suddenly reappears from his invisibility, flying in midair and stabbing the limp scarecrow with his stinger.

"Okay...we need to find those villagers," Serelis says, pulling a needle from his shirt.

OOC: Each character has received 80 XP for defending Serelis's cabin from the scarecrow and needle blights.

"We haven't even left your cabin, and we're already being attacked?" Sylyra asks, turning to stare hard at Serelis. "Is this what we're facing? How are we going to survive?" He looks at the others. "Do we really think we're going to find them alive? Any of them?"

Carl shrugs and looks at Auriel, then Serelis.  “He’s got a point.  Not seein that any of ‘em would have a chance…”

Seeing Pipyap stab the already dead scarecrow, Auriel rolls his eyes and says, "What would we do without you!"

Then he turns to look at the others, shaking the remaining needles still stuck in one of his arms. "And what do you propose we do? Turn our backs, return to Phlan and keep on with or daily lives? You are right, these folk might be dead already. But even if that's the case, do you think that will be the end of it? Think about the rest of the people in Kabel's Hill, what we saw when we arrived at the inn. They want their own back, and people tend to do the unthinkable for those they love. So, we have what? Six people missing now? How many more will there be next week if no one stops whatever is happening in this forest? How long until this turns into something greater that reaches even Phlan itself?"

The eladrin shakes his head. "If the farmers are dead, I say let's prevent at least the Pact from suffering the same fate. But", and Auriel looks at Serelis, "Carl and Sylyra do have a point. Is it possible to reach Greenhall safely from whoever animated that scarecrow of yours? I take it there is, or you wouldn't have agreed to guide us."

Regarding the scarecrow he adds, "Should we take a look at it, try to investigate what or who animated it?". The eladrin will try to do this, and will also take a look in the garden in case he sees anything out of the ordinary.

Hex chuckles at the sight of Pipyap stabbing the already dead scarecrow and gives him light scritches on top of his head. "Yeah, you get 'im, boss."

She glances at Sylyra and Carl as they begin to voice their doubt before looking down at the scarecrow and nudging it with her foot. "Well, the other villagers might still be alive. Rerk was after all. Whatever the case, Auriel is right. We can't just give up. At the very least, we need to find Halvin. He's the reason this all started in the first place."

Sylyra rolls his eyes, but does not fight the argument. He mumbles under his breath something about pigheaded paladins and certain death. As Auriel goes outside, Sylyra does as well, looking around Serelis's land for anything — tracks or similar — that might indicate why and how they were attacked. He also keeps an eye out for any animals he might question using his speech of the woods to find out of they saw anything.

Auriel chuckles slightly at Sylyra's muttered comment. He replies, "Pigheaded? Well, I guess I've been called worse."

"Whether they are dead or alive, I have served as a guide in this forest for many years without ever being assaulted by my very own scarecrow. Whatever has been done has properly angered the denizens of this forest, and Auriel is correct; how long before another resident of Kabel's Hill or a surrounding town attempts to solve this mystery on their own?" Serelis says.

"Hey, watch it, lady," Pipyap smacks Hex's hand away when she scratches his head. "And he had it comin'." The imp stabs again at the scarecrow, its form rapidly falling apart from all the lost straw.

Looking around, Auriel and Sylyra see no evidence of any tampering with the scarecrow or the surrounding shrubbery. Speaking with a few small animals nearby, Sylyra is able to learn little more - a bird saw "the plants turn into men", and a squirrel saw "the thin man smash the door", but no other indication of anything that started that animation.

Despite having her hand smacked away, Hex laughs and leaves the imp to his stabbing. She heads outside after Auriel and Sylyra, leaning by the door and watching was they search. Before they finish, she turns her attention to Serelis. "Well, you better start getting ready for the journey. Or at least arm yourself before another scarecrow tries to kill us."

While the others are talking and arguing and coming to an agreement.  Uragum moves over to the blight creatures.  He starts to inspect them and see if they carry any clues to what the heck is going on.   He begins to poke and prod the creatures looking for pockets and holds hope these things aren't just running around naked.

"How come we never find footprints or anything? Are they that good at hiding or are we not looking were we are supposed to be looking?", Auriel says, a little frustrated after neither him nor Sylyra find anything to report. "Any luck with those blights?", he asks Uragum.

When Hex remarks that Serelis should start getting prepared, the eladrin adds, "And we should tend to our wounds in the meantime. Except Carl, we've all taken some damage. We shouldn't venture deeper into the forest like this. Serelis said he needed an hour, so let's use that time to patch up." 

“Righ.  You’re righ, of course.  Let me help ya, maybe there’s some clue outside, some trail perhaps.  I’m comin witcha.”  Carl gently turns the table back over, trying his best to set it aright, picking out any thorns that may have lodged in the table and awkwardly tries to “straighten up.”  He nods and asks Squirt Mudbottom to help him.  Afterward, Carl steps outside and joins the others, looking for any clues.  

What's left of the needle blights is barely recognizable as more than twigs and branches. Investigating outside reveals little more, as Carl finds only the markings left in the garden and path outside the house made by the scarecrow and blights, that seem to begin and end in Serelis's clearing. With these few clues, Uragum is at least able to determine that the constructs were magically animated from Serelis's garden by something or someone, though there is no indication of what could have caused the animation.

It takes a little over an hour for Serelis to be ready, as he spends some time cleaning glass and branches from his cabin. He sighs wistfully as he slings his bow over his shoulder when finally ready to leave. "Those windows are going to be mighty hard to replace," he says. "Touch little, and fight less. Attack only in self-defense, and even then be cautious. The fey are obviously quite angry. Unless you want Phlan to lose a valuable ally, let us not aggrieve them any further."

OOC: Characters have gained the benefits of a short rest. If you would like to roll any hit dice, please do so in your next post.

OOC: Used 2 hit dice to heal up to full.

Sylyra thanks the small animals and relays to the others that he learned nothing new from the creatures. Resting, he mulls over their situation and how it seems to be a lose-lose situation. He is frustrated.

When it comes time to set off, he asks Serelis if it may be less offensive to the temperamental fey if he were to wildshape into an animal form such as a black bear.