“My music is never ‘off’,” Shayne says with obviously mock affront.
“Here, we can leave it to chance,” Shayne says while pulling a coin from a pouch. Tossing the coin in the air and catching it, Shayne peeks at it then announced “This way!” and begins marching off towards the path on his left...
(not sure of map or position but it really doesn’t matter, Shayne just randomly chose a direction, the coin was plain on both sides...)
Alyna shrugged and followed - as charming as it was around here, they needed to move. (Not to mention it could be equally charming where they were heading)
Firelight gleams up ahead, its source hidden by the trees.
Noises like moving water, and a distant crackle as of a bonfire...
And then Shayne emerges from cover along the bank of a rushing stream of crystal-blue waters. Directly across the stream rises a grassy hill that overtops the trees of the far bank, and on the top of the hill stands a lofty and lonely oak, the right side engulfed in flame and the left side arrayed with spring foliage. As Shayne watches, the flames do not spread even an inch from the burning side to the unburnt side. Nor do any of the charred limbs fall from the flaming half.
"Well, if that isn't half off?" Xylys seems bemused by the sight. "I don't think we're anywhere near where we started, in fact I'd say we're perilously close to being lost forever. Shayne, you remember how we came here, right?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
“Back on the path we took here to the clearing, the from the clearing we take the path that got overgrown when we weren’t looking and that takes us to the hill with the were-crickets and maybe going in the ring brings us back home..,” Shayne explained,
“Sound right, Eric?”
“But first, I’d like a good look at the tree that half blossoms fire!” Shayne heads towards the tree, assuming the rushing stream seems passable.
Shayne wades across the knee-deep, cold stream and tramps uphill toward the half-burning, half-green oak.
As he approaches, he feels the fire's heat, and much more intensely than expected, but this increased heat hits himonly on his right side. He climbs higher, drawing near the strange tree. Sweat drips down into his right eye. His right hand feels as if blisters might form on the fingers.
Alyna was right - they did came to something incredible! Flames looked too real, so she did not come too close, but crossed the stream and walked around the strange vegetation keeping the safe distance.
Alyna was studying the grass on the hill - is there something different about it? How come the flames hurt people but not plants? - when the horn sung. She still could not shake the memory about wild-hunt and horn was very much in line with the stories. She looked in the sound direction and (just in case) stepped closer to the brook. "Shayne, you may be better get down here too," again, just in case, called Alyna.
"Well, now I've seen everything."Eric has seen many trees burn in his days in the woods. Whether by nature's hand or man's, a burning tree can be both a good thing or bad. "It seems to me that this place is one of two extremes."Echoing Alyna's words he too shouts out to Shayne "I would step back. Those flames may well be as mystical as the were-crickets. Choose caution." He turns his head towards the sound of the horn, looking for its source.
"Interesting..." Shayne says, waving his hand a bit in pain. Shayne turns so that his left side is closest to the tree and idles towards it slowly... Looking to see if the fire and pain still only affect his right hand side, despite it being further away than his left.
"Interesting..." Shayne says, waving his hand a bit in pain. Shayne turns so that his left side is closest to the tree and idles towards it slowly... Looking to see if the fire and pain still only affect his right hand side, despite it being further away than his left.
"Stupid tree!" Shayne complains loudly. "So stupid it probably doesn't even belong here! Look like it meant to go to the fire place but took the wrong root!" Shayne casts Vicious Mockery on the tree, Wis Save vs DC 13 or it takes 4 psychic damage.
"Stupid tree!" Shayne complains loudly. "So stupid it probably doesn't even belong here! Look like it meant to go to the fire place but took the wrong root!" Shayne casts Vicious Mockery on the tree, Wis Save vs DC 13 or it takes 4 psychic damage.
The tree appears unaffected by Shayne's mockery.
The bard's shirt catches on fire, but only on his right side.
(Another point of fire/heat damage, for a total of 3)
(ha, I guess I never did state that he stepped back... But oh well.)
Shayne, while putting out his shirt, sidles over to the non-burning side of the tree and waits a moment to see what happens. He'll also mutter "Flame all you want, I guarantee a burning bush will still end up more famous than you!" casting [spell[Vicious Mockery[/spell] again for 1 psychic damage.
(Shayne takes 1 point of fire damage for each round he remains near the tree. In the equivalent of three rounds he went up the hill, investigated the scene, tested his idea about the heat affecting a certain side of his body, and cast a spell. This isn't combat, so he doesn't need to roll initiative. The tree doesn't appear to be doing anything at all, except burning one one side and remaining green and untouched by flames on the other. )
(ha, I guess I never did state that he stepped back... But oh well.)
Shayne, while putting out his shirt, sidles over to the non-burning side of the tree and waits a moment to see what happens. He'll also mutter "Flame all you want, I guarantee a burning bush will still end up more famous than you!" casting Vicious Mockery again for 3 psychic damage.
Either the tree cannot hear him, has no mind, or it's just not falling victim to Shayne's magically enhanced insults.
Standing on the non-burning side, well away from the flames but still up on the hill, does Shayne no good at all. Now his right boot heats up enough that it feels as if his toes are blistering.
(1 more point, for a total of 4 points fire damage taken thus far).
(Yes, you didn't state that he moved back. He can do that now if you like, though. A PC can move and cast. Or cast and move. If he does move back, how far downhill will he go? Off the hill entirely? To the stream? Into the woods? Just a few paces? Let me know.)
Shayne's amused and annoyed by the tree... But will not let it win. So he steps up, stabs one of his daggers into the non-flaming side of the tree, then walks away leaving the dagger embedded as deep as he could into the tree. Shayne will wander back to the rest of the non-enflamed party.
“My music is never ‘off’,” Shayne says with obviously mock affront.
“Here, we can leave it to chance,” Shayne says while pulling a coin from a pouch. Tossing the coin in the air and catching it, Shayne peeks at it then announced “This way!” and begins marching off towards the path on his left...
(not sure of map or position but it really doesn’t matter, Shayne just randomly chose a direction, the coin was plain on both sides...)
Alyna shrugged and followed - as charming as it was around here, they needed to move. (Not to mention it could be equally charming where they were heading)
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Shayne hikes up the trail to his left.
Firelight gleams up ahead, its source hidden by the trees.
Noises like moving water, and a distant crackle as of a bonfire...
And then Shayne emerges from cover along the bank of a rushing stream of crystal-blue waters. Directly across the stream rises a grassy hill that overtops the trees of the far bank, and on the top of the hill stands a lofty and lonely oak, the right side engulfed in flame and the left side arrayed with spring foliage. As Shayne watches, the flames do not spread even an inch from the burning side to the unburnt side. Nor do any of the charred limbs fall from the flaming half.
"Well, if that isn't half off?" Xylys seems bemused by the sight. "I don't think we're anywhere near where we started, in fact I'd say we're perilously close to being lost forever. Shayne, you remember how we came here, right?"
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
“Back on the path we took here to the clearing, the from the clearing we take the path that got overgrown when we weren’t looking and that takes us to the hill with the were-crickets and maybe going in the ring brings us back home..,” Shayne explained,
“Sound right, Eric?”
“But first, I’d like a good look at the tree that half blossoms fire!” Shayne heads towards the tree, assuming the rushing stream seems passable.
Shayne wades across the knee-deep, cold stream and tramps uphill toward the half-burning, half-green oak.
As he approaches, he feels the fire's heat, and much more intensely than expected, but this increased heat hits him only on his right side. He climbs higher, drawing near the strange tree. Sweat drips down into his right eye. His right hand feels as if blisters might form on the fingers.
(1 point fire damage)
Alyna was right - they did came to something incredible! Flames looked too real, so she did not come too close, but crossed the stream and walked around the strange vegetation keeping the safe distance.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Keeping father back than Shayne, downhill, Alyna experiences no discomfort or pain from heat.
She sees that the flames not only remain restricted to the burning half of the tree, but that none of the grass on the hillside has been scorched.
A horn-blast sounds in the night, coming from somewhere in the dark forest beyond the hill of the half-burning tree. Everyone in the party hears it.
Alyna was studying the grass on the hill - is there something different about it? How come the flames hurt people but not plants? - when the horn sung. She still could not shake the memory about wild-hunt and horn was very much in line with the stories. She looked in the sound direction and (just in case) stepped closer to the brook. "Shayne, you may be better get down here too," again, just in case, called Alyna.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
"Well, now I've seen everything." Eric has seen many trees burn in his days in the woods. Whether by nature's hand or man's, a burning tree can be both a good thing or bad. "It seems to me that this place is one of two extremes." Echoing Alyna's words he too shouts out to Shayne "I would step back. Those flames may well be as mystical as the were-crickets. Choose caution." He turns his head towards the sound of the horn, looking for its source.
"Interesting..." Shayne says, waving his hand a bit in pain. Shayne turns so that his left side is closest to the tree and idles towards it slowly... Looking to see if the fire and pain still only affect his right hand side, despite it being further away than his left.
The pain still affects only his right hand side.
And it gets a bit worse.
Blisters start to form.
(1 additional point fire damage inflicted)
"Stupid tree!" Shayne complains loudly. "So stupid it probably doesn't even belong here! Look like it meant to go to the fire place but took the wrong root!" Shayne casts Vicious Mockery on the tree, Wis Save vs DC 13 or it takes 4 psychic damage.
The tree appears unaffected by Shayne's mockery.
The bard's shirt catches on fire, but only on his right side.
(Another point of fire/heat damage, for a total of 3)
(ha, I guess I never did state that he stepped back... But oh well.)
Shayne, while putting out his shirt, sidles over to the non-burning side of the tree and waits a moment to see what happens. He'll also mutter "Flame all you want, I guarantee a burning bush will still end up more famous than you!" casting [spell[Vicious Mockery[/spell] again for 1 psychic damage.
(Shayne takes 1 point of fire damage for each round he remains near the tree. In the equivalent of three rounds he went up the hill, investigated the scene, tested his idea about the heat affecting a certain side of his body, and cast a spell. This isn't combat, so he doesn't need to roll initiative. The tree doesn't appear to be doing anything at all, except burning one one side and remaining green and untouched by flames on the other. )
Either the tree cannot hear him, has no mind, or it's just not falling victim to Shayne's magically enhanced insults.
Standing on the non-burning side, well away from the flames but still up on the hill, does Shayne no good at all. Now his right boot heats up enough that it feels as if his toes are blistering.
(1 more point, for a total of 4 points fire damage taken thus far).
(Yes, you didn't state that he moved back. He can do that now if you like, though. A PC can move and cast. Or cast and move. If he does move back, how far downhill will he go? Off the hill entirely? To the stream? Into the woods? Just a few paces? Let me know.)
Shayne's amused and annoyed by the tree... But will not let it win. So he steps up, stabs one of his daggers into the non-flaming side of the tree, then walks away leaving the dagger embedded as deep as he could into the tree. Shayne will wander back to the rest of the non-enflamed party.
(Could Alyna see the stubbing from under the hill near the stream?)
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice