Dragon of Icespire Peak ***CLOSED***

(OOC: Tabesha'l vaguely recalls a few lessons on wild magic, but because such mutations of the Weave are usually found within those of sorcerous origin, it was not covered in any extensive detail, at least not such that she remembers anything noteworthy as it pertains to the affliction of the silver dragonborn.)

The Petunia nods.

(OOC: posting Barric's riposte on his behalf. His superiority die (d8) roll is included in the calculation for the damage roll in the string below.)

BARRIC REACTION - Riposte Attack: 10 vs. AC ?? (Mimic), dealing 10 piercing damage on a hit.

(Attack failed to hit mimic)

Vadernul looks over to Vaxis.  “I knew you had the heart of a fern!”  He takes a second in the chaos to connect with the plant and get a hint of what’s going through Vaxis’s mind.

(Vaxis is furious and a bit embarrased. A few choice words are going through his mind.)

Seeing the mimic release Vadernul, Ando will move around to the side so that he's behind the mimic now focused on Barric and attack! 

"Mielikki bless my strike!" 

Longsword Attack: 21 Damage: 11

Divine Smite, 1st level (if attack successful): 7

In one fluid motion, Connak draws another arrow and fires it at the mimic.

Longbow Attack: 9 Damage: 18

Ando's longsword slashes through the mimic, with radiant energy erupting from the hilt and traveling down the blade into the fearsome creature. Unsure whether the paladin's strike was enough to finish off their foe, Connak fires off another arrow. As the divine light slowly fades from the mimic's body, so does it's life force and it topples over in defeat.

(END OF COMBAT)

Vadernul just plops on the ground in a long sitting position with his hammer and shield at his side.  His head leans back against the wall.  “That was not a lever...... that’s wasn’t great.”  As he closes his eyes for a moment.

Connak relaxes somewhat as he says, "I don't understand these gnomes.  Why would they let us roam free in their home if it is trapped like this?"

Barric sheathes one of his blades, but keeps the other at the ready, peering down.

"They are not right in the head. Perhaps it is something in the air. Let us not linger here any longer than necessary."

Seeing the potted plant where Vaxis was a moment ago, and watching Tabesha'l studying it intently, Barric wipes his brow nervously.

"That is er...fixable, right?"

Tabesha'l sets her piercing, luminous blue eyes on the fighter and gives him an enigmatic smile.

" I daresay the wild magic in this gnomish stronghold may be erratic, but I would not trust it contains enough power to actually curse poor Vaxis for all eternity. Only beings of extremely magical or divine nature would be able to do this..."

She paces over to the potted plant and picks it up carefully, holding it in the crook of her arm like a newborn babe and smiling tenderly to it, before adding: " ... furthermore I would not believe our dear paladin's dragon god would let such a zealous member of its brethren end his days trapped in a clay pot. Which reminds me... "

Very gently, she lays the plant on the ground again, this time nearer the rest of their group, uncorks her water canteen and lets a few drops trickle down onto its roots. The soil inside the pot absorbs it greedily.

"There. That should relieve thy discomfort somewhat, friend Vaxis ! As for this creature," she points at the body of the mimic, " I would very much like to examine it in detail. Their nature is both horrific and fascinating. If only one could achieve an understanding of how their bodies have acquired their polimorphic abilities..." She trails off, apparently absorbed in her own thoughts.

As Tabesha'l sits the clay pot down gently, she notices that the upper-most portion of the plant body has sprouted a small, silver fin-like structure...quite similar to the draconic cleric's prominent head vane. A second or two later, a blossom pops open revealing a starburst of shiny metallic scales instead of tender flower petals. If it were possible for a potted plant to look thoroughly displeased, this one would be an ideal specimen.

The mimic's corpse exhibits several large holes and lacerations, the result of Barric and Ando's repeated flurry of strikes. The oversized purple "tongue" is nearly as big as the rest of the creature, and drips with a viscous fluid that is extremely adherent to the touch and stings on contact with bare flesh. Looking into the throat of the creature, Tabesha'l sees something horrific: the partially-digested head of a small, roughly "gnome-like" humanoid...

At the touch of the water, Petunia-Vaxis almost seems to quiver excitedly. It likes the water!

The petunia nods.

“Whoa-kay, there buddy.  I got you.”  Vadernul puts his thumb over one of his water skins to sprinkle a little bit more water before picking up the pot and looking to the rest of the group.  “Let us know when y’all ready to go.  I think I won’t lead, if we leave right away I will drink that health potion and stay back to protect this fella here.”  He is having a hard time hiding his smile of glee at the situation.  

Connak nods, saying "Then let me scout ahead."

Stealth: 20

Perception: 16

Ando, seeing plant-Vaxis for the first time, closes his eyes and offers a prayer. "My Lady of the Forest, if it please you, can my healing power restore my companion?"

Arcana (to see if Lay on Hands will have any effect on Vaxis): 15

 Hearing Vadernul mention a healing potion, Ando will turn to him. "How badly are you hurt friend? I have some healing I can offer if you need it."

In the meantime, Tabesha'l has taken out a small stiletto out of a leather pouch half-hidden beneath her cloak and stares intently at the dead mimic, her eyes still full of questions.

" Friend Barric !" she calls out to the ex-soldier standing nearby, " ...would thee be so kind at to keep the body steady as I extract its appendix and clear the stomach passage ? It seems to have already made at least one victim before our arrival, and from what I gather the remains haven't been entirely processed through its digestive system yet. Methinks we should be able to learn something..."

She bends over the cadaver and starts slicing expertly around and down the creature's gullet and lower jaw.

** Proceeding with Autopsy, hoping she gets help holding the body still... Medicine 17 **

Connak recedes into a shadowy corner and remains keenly observant as the rest of the party examines the mimic carcass, puzzles over Vaxis' curious condition and heals their wounds. He notices no immediate threats, hidden or otherwise but he can hear the sound of two distinctly different gnomish voices coming down the hallway to the north.

Ando tries his best to determine if his divine powers might be able to return the dragonborn cleric to his original state, but he fails to find a method by which his healing hands would be of any assistance. Just as the fleets from his mind, he notices an elongated bulb of the sentient plant part down the middle...revealing a row of pearlescent white pointed teeth and a distinctly draconic forked-tongue. (OOC: Vaxis now has the ability to speak normally.

Slicing carefully through the mimic's remains, Tabesha'l finds the partially digested corpses of not one, but TWO gnomes dressed in similar garb as that worn by Pog. Their flesh is horribly scarred, resulting from the creature's highly acidic salivary glands and digestive fluids.

Looking at the corpses being dragged out of the carcass of the mimic, Connak says, "Well, that is tragic.  They must be missed by someone.  We should let someone know.  I can hear voices this way (points to the north), but I'd rather go back and speak with Pog, as I'd rather not run into more crazy ones."