Orcupines, Part 2

Log Info

• Title: Orcupines, part 2
• Emitter: Cryosanthia
• Characters: Kira, Rocky, Sabina, Lanier, Braelnoir
• Place: PROne, The Felwood
• Time: Thursday, June 25, 2020, 4:23 PM
• Summary: The battle with the Black-Eyed orcs continues, Braelnoir and Rocky struggle to land blows, while Kira wrestles the youngest orc, the one she hopes might be curable to the ground while receiving injuries from quills for her troubles. Nearby, Lanier and Sabina have come upon a trail of destruction and followed it to where they can hear signs of this battle, but they also discover a sixth orc, an armless female, that was unable to climb the slope with her family. Lanier and Spud take her on in a pincer attack, swiftly downing her, but getting quills for their trouble, and Lanier feeling the sickening effects of the plague take hold. Braelnoir, is her raging frenzy, slices the orc she is fighting in half, while Sabina heals the group, discovering that Braelnoir is plague infected too, as she throws up a disgusting ooze which then slimes itself on Kira. Braelnoir comes out of her frenzy, assists Kira with tying the orc up, the ooze is defeated, and the party searches for the Witchcrow that Kira grabbed earlier. They are unable to find it, but do find the one that had been hit by the tanglefoot bag has returned. Lanier shoots several arrows into it, but the bird flies off. Finally Braelnoir discovers her scythe, magically nailed to the rocks at the bottom of the waterfall. Lanier puts it all together, a careful trap was planned, Braelnoir was brought to this spot, and the orcs led here also, and the bait was her scythe, something she would be willing to fight to the death to get and something the orcs might have been able to give if luck or numbers had been slightly different. The group returns to Alexandria with one howling, Black-Eyed Prisoner who is more than a handfull, and a very angry Witchcrow struggles to free itself from it's bindings once it is sure it is alone.
• APL: 7, Rocky 2, Braelnoir 7, Kira 14, Lanier 7, Sabina 5 (2 New Party Members)
• CR: 11 (Revised)
• Encounters: +2400 XP
  • WitchCrow, CR3, 800XP (+1 Total crows 2)
  • Black-Eyed Orcs, CR5, 1600XP (+1 Total orcs 6 Barbarian 4 Orc with Howler Template, 72 HP)
  • Unfavourable Terrain: Trees, Light Underbrush, Slope, causing limited range, AC penalties and movement restrictions
  • Small Plaque Ooze.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=
Kira         5'0"     120 Lb     Human             Female    Blonde woman in simple robes with an eye patch.
Rocky        6'8"     460 Lb     Sith-Makar        Male      A grey Sith in armor, bit like a statue.
Sabina       5'4"     130 Lb     Human             Female    Tsuran woman of dark hair and green eyes
Lanier       6'0"     245 Lb     Human             Male      Young, lean and strong Acanian wearing hide clothing.
Braelnoir    5'11"    146 Lb     Human             Female    A tall, pale Acanian woman, branded in silver.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'9"     267 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

Previously

Braelnoir's nemesis, a raven-sized witchcrow, called her out in the Alexandrian market, then proceeded to lead her deep into the Felwood. The Korite was accompanied by Rocky and Kira, who were determined to help. Meanwhile, crows gathered. The witchcrow kept taunting Braelnoir into an obvious ambush, the party decided to wait. This was prudent as they were charged by several Black-Eyed Orcs, covered in glittery, dark quills, insane and in a rage. A rough battle ensued, with Brealnoir being taken to the edge of her limits. Healed by Kira, moments from death, her blood boils and she erupts in a draconic rage. The crows swarm in and attack, but swiftly perish to the party's attacks and the defensive quills of the orcs. Bloody, covered in dying birds, footing is hard to keep and Braelnoir feels a sickness take hold. Kira successfully catches the malevolent crow, who begs for Mercy, as the party brings the number of their foes down to two.

Although they are barely holding on themselves...

Now

The two orcs continue to attack Braelnoir. Rocky attempts to distrat them.

GAME: Rocky rolls intimidate: (3)+2: 5
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "2 orcs on Brael"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+12: (4)+12: 16
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+2: (13)+2: 15
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+12: (2)+12: 14
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+2: (15)+2: 17
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+2: (2)+2: 4
GAME: Braelnoir rolls reflex: (6)+4: 10
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Okay, at 6 quills now"
GAME: Braelnoir rolls fort: (1)+10: 11 (EPIC FAIL)

One orc is cleaved in half, dropping and sliding down the slope, adding to the slick and bloody mess of this battlefield.

The two remaining ones continue their attack, gnashing at Braelnoir while dead and dying crows lie impaled and flopping on their quills. Their gory mouths miss, but as the last one rears back, a black spire stabs the korrite, breaking off in her and prompting another nauseated wave to flood through her.

GAME: Kira rolls athletics: (8)+11: 19

Kira nabbed the bird, but the idea that it was somehow in charge, or truly sentient, was dashed when she realized its words were just repeated. Mimicked. Something. Still, she can't just let it go. Someone will need to figure out what to do with it, to keep it from assaulting Brae or others again. She pulls a bunch of twine rope from her robe and wraps the creature up before setting it down.

Now... back up the slope she goes, doing her best to not slip even as she moves rather quickly through the undergrowth and up the hill. "Please, stop this..." she pleads, mostly to the oruchs that are still biting and poking away.

GAME: Rocky rolls weapon3+2: (5)+5+2: 12

The witchcrow squawks as it is tied up and dropped. Then it goes silent.

Rocky growls, moving to attack, but the sith's balance isn't the best, and his attack goes wide. Not the most intimidating effort.

Nearby...

The forest is a first home to rangers, and anyone close to the land will have noticed changes. The Felwood is spreading, the warning given by the Treants at their moot to the Green Wardens is true, and evident. The land is infected, flora and fauna are becoming corrupted. A pleasant expedition to show of wilderness wonders turns dark as the closeness of the changes to Alexandria becomes obvious. More than that, there is evidence of some beast, or group, rampaging and leaving destruction and corpses in its wake. A good ranger would investigate immediately, and companions pressed to accompany, 'just in case'. So the trail of devastation is followed, the trained eye able to tell the more recent damage and direction of travel.

Then, the quality of woodland carnage changes, from complete to more hap-hazard, as if in pursuit of something. Hurry to follow this fainter, yet still ravaged trail, it heads into a ravine and up a stream. The bottom of this small valley is marshy, choked with underbrush when it isn't, slippery and steep. Ahead there are sounds of battle and it's obvious this is the trail of one side of it. Breaking through some foliage, it suddenly opens into a small waterfall, with steep sides and a few stripped trees.

Several things are immediately apparent. This is a natural kill-box. There is a black scythe, lying on the rocks beneath the waterfall. There is an orc, attempting to scale the walls. She is a bloody mess, armless, raging, covered in black, glittering spines and bashing herself against the rock wall. She jumps, attempting to climb out, join the battle which is raging out of sight, up the hill, but her lack of arms hampers her. However, it seems the battle has come to her.

She turns and screams and the ranger and his friend.

GAME: Lanier rolls MWAttackPA: aliased to 1d20+Melee+1-2: (20)+11+1+-2: 30 (THREAT)
GAME: Lanier rolls MWAttackPA: aliased to 1d20+Melee+1-2: (1)+11+1+-2: 11 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+11-2: (2)+11+-2: 11
GAME: Lanier rolls 2d6+2d6+2H_Str+2H_PA: aliased to 2d6+2d6+6+6: (8)+(9)+6+6: 29
GAME: Black-Eyed Orcs damaged Lanier for 4 points. 56 HP remaining.
GAME: Lanier rolls Reflex: (1)+10: 11 (EPIC FAIL)

As they come upon the waterfall, Lanier is about to reach for the bow, but then continues higher and takes the hilt of his sword in his hand. He draws it, calling out, "Spud, go!" Like lightning, the two bound away from Sabina and towards the orc. The dire wolf takes the longer way around, so Lanier makes it first, his great sword cleaving down and into the orc. A moment later, Spud attempts to sink teeth into the calf of the orc, but misses.

This is for the better, as Lanier recoils almost immediately, a quick sticking out of his arm. The Ranger looks at it with wide eyes, his skin turning almost green as his stomach turns. He blinks once, and then looks towards the armless orc with curiousity.

Sabina watches Lanier and Spud go to work agains the strange orc. She raises a hand and opens her mouth to say something but then tsks as they're already gone. Hearing the sounds of further battle she speaks out a quick prayer to Tarien, "Father of travelers guide my feet." And she /moves/ along the path, bounding over obsticles and ignoring troublesome spots in her way, she whips up the path and skids to a stop roughly twenty feet from the battleline, recognizing at least some of those fighting and assesing their wounds. "Oh.. poop."

GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon12-4: (4)+14+-4: 14
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon12-9: (4)+14+-9: 9

Battered, slashed and bitten, Braelnoir fights as if possessed, inhuman rage twisting her features into a hideous mask of fury. Her greatsword, no doubt meant to replace her scythe, is caked in blood and feathers, as is the woman herself, the sanguine veneer as much from herself as her targets, which a wan, sickly pallor shown through the gaps between crimson and armor. Her eyes are mad, the pupils drawn into reptillian slits and a gutteral yowl accompanies her every wild,frenzied swing.

<OOC> Orc on Lanier
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+12: (8)+12: 20
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+2: (15)+2: 17

The female orc snarls at Lanier. Her mouth is a mess of broken teeth, far worse than even rough oruchs like to keep them. Her lips are shredded. Her arms seem to be torn from their sockets, taken off or caught on something till she freed herself. Her eyes are black, dark glittering pools, empty of awareness. She looks in some ways like a zombie, and smells worse. Most unsettling is the way the quills grow out of the scratches and wounds. Not exactly healing, but piercing her skin causes these to grow, rapidly. She throws herself at the ranger, biting, bashing at him with her body. Neither teeth nor quills land, but the ferocity is shocking.

<OOC> two on Braelnoir
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+12: (4)+12: 16
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+2: (1)+2: 3 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+12: (6)+12: 18
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+2: (1)+2: 3 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d8+6: (2)+6: 8
GAME: Black-Eyed Orcs damaged Braelnoir for 8 points. 17 HP remaining.
GAME: Black-Eyed Orcs damaged Braelnoir for 4 points. 13 HP remaining.

Snarling, snapping, the two orc brothers continue to focus on Braelnoir, snapping and flailing. Their jaws are their weapons, their quill bestewn bodies more an incidental danger. Raging, relentless, they tear at her, the youngest orc managing to land another vicious bite.

GAME: Kira rolls cmb: (17)+20: 37
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3
GAME: Black-Eyed Orcs damaged Kira for 3 points. 66 HP remaining.
GAME: Kira rolls reflex: (10)+19: 29
GAME: Kira rolls cmb+7+5: (7)+20+7+5: 39
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3
GAME: Black-Eyed Orcs damaged Kira for 3 points. 63 HP remaining.
GAME: Kira rolls reflex: (5)+19: 24

Kira is getting really worried for Brae and Rocky, especially as the orcs keep biting. She is still concerned for the younger, too, though. All of them, really, but the youngest seemed the one most likely to not already be lost to ... the ooze. She grabs him, avoiding the quills as best she's able, but still getting jabbed by them. First, when she gets hold, and again as she pulls him off-balance and to the ground.

GAME: Rocky rolls weapon3+2: (10)+5+2: 17
GAME: Rocky rolls damage3: aliased to 1d8+3: (5)+3: 8
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "take a nice chunk out of it. Quills rake across you, but break on your natural armour"

Rocky glances at the younger orcupine is pulled down, but keeps his attention on the elder, stabbing with his blade at at last connecting. A couple mutant quills poke back, but Rocky lives up to his name, his stone like hard hard to pierce.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 2d6: (5): 5 (Sabina's Channel)
GAME: Sabina damaged Rocky for -5 points. 16 HP remaining.
GAME: Sabina damaged Kira for -5 points. 68 HP remaining.
GAME: Sabina damaged Braelnoir for -5 points. 18 HP remaining.

Biting at her lip as she watches the violence unfold and half dances, half moves about the spot where she stands tryng to get to the best position to catch all the friendly folk in a good spot. Spotting her chance she lifts her holy symbol and calls apon Tarien. "Lord of laughter please help those here find their smiles again." A silvery burst of healing energy comes forth and washes over them all. but when Brae vomits out a ooze she shrieks. "I said smiles not ooze!"

Amidst the silvermaned warrior's empassioned flailings, she staggers slightly as the holy warmth washes over her body, and her almost inhuman yowl is choked with a hideous, burbling retching. Tar, all the worse for it's fervent animation flails freely from her gaping lips as if to match her frenzy before gravity and inertia tears it free of her in stringy gluelike stages.

GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+11+2: (8)+11+2: 21
GAME: Lanier rolls 2d6+10: (4)+10: 14
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+12: (7)+12: 19
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2
GAME: Black-Eyed Orcs damaged Lanier's companion for 2 points. 49 HP remaining.
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+7: (9)+7: 16 (Spud's)
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Melee+1-2+2: (17)+11+1+-2+2: 29
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Melee+1-2+2-5: (6)+11+1+-2+2+-5: 13
GAME: Lanier rolls 2d6+2H_Str-2: aliased to 2d6+6-2: (8)+6+-2: 12
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (4)+1: 5
GAME: Black-Eyed Orcs damaged Lanier for 5 points. 51 HP remaining.
GAME: Lanier rolls Reflex-2: (8)+10+-2: 16

Lanier falters another step back, his hand breaking away from the sword for a moment to grab his stomach. Lanier gnashes his teeth, a roar boiling up from within him. Spud leaps forward after the orc, grabbing the orc by the calf, and getting gashes in the process. Lanier, takes up the sword once again, swinging down to to cut into the orc yet again. His follow up shot misses, but the fierceness is still painted all over the Ranger's face.

While this is still somewhat going according to plan, the Witchcrow is not happy.

GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon12-2: (19)+14+-2: 31 (THREAT)
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon12-2: (9)+14+-2: 21 (Confirmed)
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 4d6+18+12-4: (16)+18+12+-4: 42
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2
GAME: Black-Eyed Orcs damaged Braelnoir for 2 points. 16 HP remaining.
GAME: Braelnoir rolls reflex: (9)+4: 13
<OOC> 7 quills

The Korite is in a special place at the moment, abd, either due to frustration fuelling her rage, or the fact that she just jettisonned asoftball sized blob that's rolling stickily down along her breastplate increaased her reaction time, she sheers the orc through the ball of his shoulder, her blade emerging on the other side having partially split his femur to embed itself in the treacherous soil. Shrouded fully in a stucky red veneer, she roars and swivels her skit eyed gaze to find a new target, her body pierced over a half dozen times by the strange black quills, though the impact or her stroke has forcefully dislodged her oily passenger.

<OOC> 1-10 Kira, 11-19 Rocky, 20, Sabina
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20: (6): 6
GAME: Kira rolls fort: (4)+20: 24

The sticky mass of tar that erupted from Braelnoir's throat coalesces into a tiny ooze. Unmistakable to anyone who has seen a plague ooze before. Shaken off her by her violence, it lands on the ground, seeking new targets. And Kira is right there, holding down one of the orcs. It blorps and smears itself along her shin.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+10: (13)+10: 23

The pinned orc struggles, unable to free itself.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+12: (10)+12: 22
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+2: (9)+2: 11
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d8+6: (6)+6: 12
GAME: Black-Eyed Orcs damaged Lanier for 12 points. 39 HP remaining.

Down by the waterfall, the deadly belly-buck dance continues, with the female orc throwing herself at Lanier and snapping madly. Despite the earlier wounds from spud and his blade, she's still up, still fighting, and as her teeth sink into the ranger's shoulder, still dangerous.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3
GAME: Black-Eyed Orcs damaged Kira for 3 points. 65 HP remaining.
GAME: Kira rolls reflex: (5)+19: 24

Kira maintains her hold on the orc, and starts tying him up.

Rocky sees the ooze... but has no idea what to do about it or it's larger meaning. So the fighter focuses on what he knows, combat, and heads towards the sounds of it, struggeling along the slope and undergrowth.

GAME: Sabina casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14
GAME: Sabina rolls 1d8+3: (7)+3: 10
GAME: Sabina damaged Rocky for -10 points. 26 HP remaining.

Sabina continues to gnaw on her bottom lip but moves to intercept Rocky as he runs past. Holy symbol still out and in hand she says another quick prayer. "Tarien hear my plea. Assist this warrior on his way. Ease his wounds." She taps him as he passes, trasfering silver energies that scrub away bloody wounds from his body.

GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+11+2: (5)+11+2: 18
GAME: Lanier rolls 2d6+11: (8)+11: 19
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+12: (12)+12: 24 (Trip)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (4)+1: 5
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10 (Spud Reflex)
GAME: Black-Eyed Orcs damaged Lanier's companion for 5 points. 44 HP remaining.

Leaning forward as he completes his most recent swing, Lanier shouts at the armless orc, snarling even as Spud comes around to leap, catching the orcupine at the throat and taking her down to the ground. He spins away, with Lanier coming up behind to bring the greatsword up above his hand. He drives it through the torso of the orcupine, twisting the sword with a growl as his attacker expires. He pulls the greatsword, taking a step away with a frown, "Spud, come here."

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+17: (17)+17: 34 (Witchcrow's vanish and hide in the underbrush)

The Witchcrow vanishes into the underbrush.

Brae's roiling hate sights its next target and drives her toward Kira and her captive, the gory greatblade trailing soil, vegetation and viscera as the rager stalks that way. Her breath draws in through her teeth in a shrill hiss and she brings the blade up for an overhead chop.

Something behind the glittering fury in her eyes seems to finally draw rein, as if in realization of what she's about to do. The tip of the blade chuffs into the underbrush beside her and the warrior sags wearily, a reflexive clutching to the weapon for support keeps her from sinking all the way to her knees.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+7: (8)+7: 15

The bound orc struggles, muscles straining, but the rope holds. Barely. It may not hold much longer, the orc's quills are sharp, and everywhere. It's sheer luck it hasn't managed to slice them.

Meanwhile, the ooze slides up Kira's leg. She has cuts everywhere from the Orc's quills, any one of those might be how it forces its way into her, or nose, or eyes. Her mouth if she dares open it.

GAME: Kira rolls fort: (19)+20: 39
GAME: Kira rolls melee: (18)+17: 35

Kira slaps at the ooze sliding all over herself, destroying it.

GAME: Rocky rolls perception: (9)+3: 12
GAME: Rocky rolls athletics: (3)+1: 4

Rocky slows, then halts as the combat below ends. Turning, sith starts back up the slope again, slipping a little, only to pause with a glance to the previously occupied underbrush. "...black parrot gone."

Bina stands there torn, unsure what to do. Get close and try to subdue the already partialyl subdued orc? But the quils. Adn the sounds of combat behind her are gone. She dare not cast a spell without knowing who is or isn't sick and so she ends up standing there, ready for trouble heading towards her.

GAME: Lanier rolls Knowledge/Arcana: (9)+4: 13
GAME: Lanier rolls Knowledge/Dungeoneering: (14)+8: 22
GAME: Lanier rolls Athletics: (1)+11: 12 (EPIC FAIL)

There's a scythe on the rock below the waterfall. It's nailed to the rock in two places. Adamantine pitons, one through the blade, one through the haft. By the look of those nails, they might be a minor magic item, called a 'stubborn nail'. Easily pushes into something, can't be removed.

Lanier looks over Spud, frowning and then nodding his head, "You're alright." He turns, looking towards the Scythe. He reaches down, attempts to pull it up, but has no success. After a cursory examination, he leaves it be and begins walking up the hill. He makes it a few steps up, then his footing fails him, which causes him to backslide a few feet. He stops at the bottom of the hill, grunting before he takes a deep breath to continue his climb.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3
GAME: Black-Eyed Orcs damaged Braelnoir for 3 points. 13 HP remaining.
GAME: Braelnoir rolls reflex: (3)+4: 7
<OOC> 8 quills

Seeing the aftermath of... oooooh, boy, she doesn't feel so hot. Brae sees the wiggling slime get smooshed by Kira and her eyes widen, "Shit!" She lets go of the sword and, knowing the woan's... sensibilities on the matter, reaches into one of the pouches of her bandolier and withdraws a tightly bundled span of spidersilk rope. In short order, despite the obvious unsteadiness of her hands is able to help the Sentinel get the sickly orc securely bound, "Shit... sorry, luv... ya'lright..?" she pants tiredly before looking about for, "Where's... that fuckin' bird...?"

Bina looks around,watching everyone start to congregate together again. She puts a hand to chest and sighs as the combat appears to be over. "Goodness but you all look frightful. I would try to heal you all but I don't know who may be sick and who is free of the plauge." She steps closer to the others and then blinks. "Bird?" She looks at Lord Emp on her shoulder. "You mean Emp?"

Rocky chuffs tiredly. "Bird gone." He glances to Bina, and shakes his head. "Black bird. Talk badly." To make certain, the heavy lizard picks his way over to where he saw the raven last, for a closer look.

GAME: Lanier rolls Athletics: (4)+11: 15
GAME: Lanier rolls Perception: (5)+12: 17
GAME: Sabina rolls perception: (20)+5: 25
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+6: (18)+6: 24 (Spud's Perception)
GAME: Braelnoir rolls perception: (2)+5: 7
GAME: Rocky rolls perception: (10)+3: 13

Lanier takes a step back, then rushes forward, his feet nimbly and errorlessly (this time) picking his way across each tier and jagged outcropping until he makes it up the hill. He turns his head, pulling his hand, "Come on, Spud!" He then turns, walking towards the others. Spud catches up a moment later, the dire wolf falling into step with the Ranger, "Is everyone alright?"

Bina sighs and winces as she spies so many quills sticking out of people. "Can we.. do something about those? It just hurts to look at. And I can take those that are clear of the plauge over to the side and try to heal them. And those that do have the plauge I could.. heal and run. Because there will be oozes."

The orc continues to struggle. The ropes hold. He stares with blind, blackened eyes. He howls, almost continually, an eerie and unsettling noise that carries, speaks of pain, inevitability. He slides a little on the slope, the friction lessened by his own blood.

Around him, the last of the crows finish twitching. There are little bird bodies everywhere.

His family lies still, some in rent in terrible ways by the silver warrior's blade. They too slip a little down the slope, their blood greasing the way. Perhaps most disturbing, their quills keep growing with their skin shrinking around them, slowly turning into a bush of black spines, like some land urchin.

As the adrenaline of battle fades, some wounds, those with quills deep in them become more noticeable as they itch, and the feelings of naseau spread.

The Witchcrow can't be found. Also, the ropes Kira used to tie it up aren't found either.

GAME: Lanier rolls Heal-2: (9)+12+-2: 19
GAME: Lanier rolls Knowledge/Geography: (3)+8: 11

As he rejoins the rest of the others, Lanier takes a look at Sabina and then shakes his head, "No, let me take them out. Can't be much different than removing porcupine quill." He turns his arm over, looking at the remnant of quill. He unshoulders his healing kit, opening up the satchel to begin going through the equipment until he finds what are essentially large tweezers. He also removes a cloth and unfolds it on the ground. He takes a knee, looking at the quill for a moment before he grabs into it with the tweezers and pulls quickly in a straight line away from his arm. He grunts, rolling his eyes for a moment and then looking down at the quill. He drops it onto the cloth for safe disposal later, then looks towards Braelnoir. He tilts his head, stating, "We should get this over with as quickly as possible."

Kira catches her breath, looking to Brae with concern. "Oh my, you look..." she stops and changes what may have been 'terrible' to "very injured. Let me help you... remove the quills, and bind your wounds." The last is to clarify, after seeing the ooze upwardly chucked, and then again from far too close.

Rocky moves to a position slightly uphil of the main group, and settles down into a pacient crouch, watching the area with weapon close at hand. Just keeping a lookout, just in case.

Brae's current countenance is... well, she's caked in blood and feathers, almost half the red stuff is hers own, and she's got 8 black shards poking out of her. On the upside, the silver claws have assumed something like her normal fingernails, leaving an array of holes in the fingers of her spiked gauntlet and her eyes are back to normal. She takes another couple of breaths to get steady, then in a familiar voice, if not her appearance, the woman nods, "Yeah...already don't feel s'good... think I puked one a'those things up....."

There is a Witchcrow, the one Kira hit with the tanglefoot bag. It's covered in tar, spider webs and leaves. It's about 50' up a tree above the party and the orc, watching.

GAME: Kira rolls heal+2: (2)+18+2: 22
GAME: Kira rolls heal+2: (19)+18+2: 39

"I'm sorry," Kira offers to Brae, whether of her condition or her needing to pluck out the quills, she doesn't clarify. "We can get everyone cured once we return to the city." She plucks, trying to minimize the discomfort as much as possible.

Lanier shakes his head, "I wasn't feeling too good either. It passes quickly once the quills are out." He then adds, "Good to hear your voice again, Brae." He adds, "Kira, put the quills in this cloth and I'll burn them later. I'd rather not let any of the infection get out further into the wild." He then whistles, "Come here, Spud." The dire wolf obliges him, and Lanier takes his tweezers and begins hunting for that quill he knows is there, "You better not bite me..."

Bina hovers nearby as the quills are removed one by one. Perhaps she's learning something? Hard to say. Still she's interested in what's going ona and she winces when Brae speaks of throwing up an ooze. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were sick. I channeled a bit of the devine to try and heal everyone. It made you throw one of those things up." She gives Brae a sorrowful look.

GAME: Lanier rolls Heal: (10)+12: 22

Braelnoir nods and fixes the sort of gallows' smile one would expect of a far flung veteran and she says softly, "S'alright, luv, ain't made o'glass, do whatcha gotta." That said, she goes clutch at the tough fabric of her trousers to keep them from intervening as her assorted prickings are dealt with. Each one brings a little huff through her nose, or a clench of her jaw. "Been -hnng!- a while, Lan, how ya been?" She looks over to "Sabby, hey, don't take no fault in that, luv, I wasn't sick a'fore we fought those poor bastards." She looks at the holes in her borrowed gauntlet, then magically they close over. "What happened? S'there anyone else around?"

Rocky chuffs softly. "Bird iss back, watching. Iss high in tree. Thiss one think iss maybe besst not let it know we know."

Kira does her best to be quick and efficient along with painless... as possible. She nods to Lanier and carefully sets the quills on the cloth of quill collection. "There. That's all of them..." When Brae asks about others, she looks to the heavily-bound young(er) oruch and her lips purse. "Just that one. I thought we might be able to cure him... He seemed to react when I spoke, before, unlike the others..."

Her musing is interrupted by Rocky announcing the witchcrow, but manages to not immediately look up and over. "I hope it is done with... whatever it was trying to do."

Bina looks around and starts counting orcs. "Um.. I'm not a tracker or a ranger or.. even that good with nature things but there's only a handfull of orcs here. And the broken and ravages section of woods we came from kinda sugjests there are more orcs out there. A lot more."

Lanier latches on to the quill burried into Spud's jaw line, frowning, "This isn't going to feel good, pal, but you'll feel better afterwords." He slips into an easy Sildanyari, speaking soothing words until very suddenly Lanier pulls on the quill and backs away. Spud, for all his time spent with the ranger, attempts to take Lanier's head off. The expectation of the retribution has left the ranger forewarned and forearmed however, "Spud, settle." As he turns, he drops the quill on his cloth as well, "Settle..."

As Spud calms down, he turns back towards Braelnoir and nods, "I've been okay. Staying alive in spite of the heat." He gestures over his shoulder, back the way they came, "Found your scythe. I'll need help pulling it off the rock it's nailed to."

"It ain't." Brae murmurs, "It's gettin' told by it's owner how ta yank my chain." She claps Kira's shoulder as the last quill is removed, then she shrugs, "Heard it mention m'scythe? Think a bird'd know t'dig on me like that alone?" A sigh, then, "Anyone think they can snag that bird alive? Probably hafta do it quick before the rest o'them orcs come back." She pushes herself upright with the sword and looks to their captive, "We can drag'm back if ya wanna try an' cure him, luv, just expect he'll give us-" she breaks off with Lanier's imput "What? Where?"

Kira smiles to Brae. "I'm glad I could help..." her smile dims as she nods abot the oruch, then a blink and an energizing of mood at Lanier's mention of the scythe. "Oh! That's wonderful news! We should get it before more arrive, or ... the strange bird does something else unpleasant." She stands up and looks between Lanier and Braelnoir.

GAME: Lanier rolls Survival+5: (20)+12+5: 37

"Down by the waterfall. It's nailed to a rock." Lanier then looks towards Sabina, "There were six." He then goes on to explain, "We caught the trail midway, but the general path led me to believe these six just slowly emerged from their origin and took their time absolutely destroying everything in their path on their way deeper into the Felwood. It wasn't a fast journey, but it was a destructive one." He then looks towards Kira, "There won't be anymore." He narrows his eyes, "Depending on which tree it's in, I might be able to put a few arrows through it before it can fly off."

There is a Witchcrow, high in a tree, just like the granitescale sith said. It's not easy to see, especially if one is pretending not to look at it. There's a good chance it's noticed it has been noticed. It's got leaves stuck to it, and its feathers stick out in directions. It is the crow hit by the tanglefoot bag.

Rocky nods. "Sstraight up, near top of tree. Thiss One could not throw a rock sso far, but maybe an arrow."

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (2)+6: 8 (Helper Witchcrow Sense Motive to tell it's about to be attacked)

"I'd prefer it alive, but pissin' in Ghisha's soup killin' it works fer me, too." Brae replies, "Better do't fast before it starts makin' with it's mojo again." She ventures toward the path down, "Scythe's probably a trap, too, but I ain't gonna leave it fer her."

Kira is saddened to hear that there are no others, despite the fact that it's unlikely any of the others could be saved. "You're wounded, Brae. I can get your scythe for you, if you like..." Or assist, at the least, as she moves with the other woman as she heads for the path.

Bina blinkblinks at all the information being passed arout. Yet still she readies herself to move at a moment's notice. "I may be able to catch the bird before it hits the ground? Maybe. If Tarien is with me. That is if Lanier hits it."

GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged-2: (9)+11+-2: 18
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged-2: (19)+11+-2: 28
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged-2: (12)+11+-2: 21
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged-7: (4)+11+-7: 8
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d8+4: (1)+4: 5
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d8+4: (3)+4: 7
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d8+4: (3)+4: 7
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2 (Witchcrow Mirror Image, 2 Images)
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged-2: (1)+11+-2: 10 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged-2: (19)+11+-2: 28
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged-2: (20)+11+-2: 29 (THREAT)
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged-2: (18)+11+-2: 27 (Confirmed)
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged-2-5: (10)+11+-2+-5: 14
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "3 images, roll 1d3, 3 is the real witchcrow, then roll 1d2, and 2 is the real Witchcrow"
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d3: (1): 1 (hits image)
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d2: (1): 1 (hits image)

Lanier starts packing up the healers kit. As he does, he nods, "Wait, Braelnoir. I'll come with you. It's nailed down--" He trails off, nodding to Kira, "Thanks." He then finishes packing up the satchel then returns to a standing position. Like lightning, Lanier unshoulders the bow. He eyes the bird, and draws an arrow from the quiver on his belt. He nocks the arrow, draws it back, and looses it like lightning. Three others arrows follow, each hitting the bird with varying levels of success. As it takes off and mirrors itself, Lanier curses, firing another succession of arrows before the bird disappears.

Bina takes off like an arrow shot from Lanier's bow, feet moving like Kira's on a quick run as she moves over grasses and rock, around trees. Her eyes half on the crows and half on the lands about her as she goes.

GAME: Sabina rolls ranged-8: (3)+4+-8: -1

Almost under the bird, Sabina pulls a dagger adn takes a stumbling stumbling throw at the thing just after Lanier's last arrow. The dagger flips up and into a branch before even getting near the animal and Bina is forced to sidestep the falling dagger or get beaned herself. "Gah!"

Meanwhile, for Braelnoir and Kira...

It's straight down the slope to where the scythe is located. At the bottom of the ravine, once clear of the foliage, there is a small waterfall that makes a natural kill box. It has the side where the water falls, two steep rock faces, a flat bottom, then the ravine continues out of it.

Right in the middle of the stream, sitting on the rocks at the bottom of the waterfall, is the scythe. Braelnoir's scythe. Ghishha's former scythe. It isn't hard to get down to it, it isn't an illusion. It hasn't been there long.

It is nailed to the rock. Two adamantine spikes pin it down, one through the blade, one through the shaft. These aren't immediately obvious until right on top of it, the water and the reflections of the light disguise them.

The Witchcrow was calling to Brealnoir from here.

GAME: Braelnoir rolls perception: (3)+5: 8
GAME: Braelnoir rolls strength: (15)+3+2: 20
GAME: Braelnoir rolls strength: (20)+3: 23

Brae 's expression is... conflicted as she sees her long favored weapon, absent these past weeks once more. Debased for -her- taking any claim over it, compromized by the... where the hell did the bitch get those? Noir's hand lifts to brush her hair back over her ear, jostling the skeleton into a jig from her ear with only a softly murmured, "Rol..." before she ventures forward, poking about the area warily, even scanning the high ground before she latches onto the spike driven through the blade and, with Kira's help, she manages to get it loose. THen, newly emboldened by this success, impulsively siezes the one driven throguh the shaft and, with a groan, pries it free, where the two nails turn regress to common iron, "Th'hell...?"

Lanier picks up his satchel and moves along to the top of the hill above the ravine. At the exclamation involving the nails, Lanier calls out, "They're called stubborn nails, and the mage that created them is a son of a witch." He looks across the ravine, his lips frowning, "Braelnoir, who got here first? You or the orcs?" He glances back towards the forest, then calls out, "Spud!" He gestures towards the forest and calls, "Stay with Sabina." Dutifully, the dire wolf does indeed run off towards the woods, looking for the Tarienite cleric.

The remaining orc continues to struggle. Those ropes are tight. There are a lot of ropes. He won't get away. If only he'd stop howling, that agonizing scream, a pause for breath, the scream again, a long howl of rage. It carries, and it sinks into the bones.

And beside him, his family leaks.

And down in the ravine, there is the torn apart body of a sixth orc, who also has the family resemblence.

There isn't a lot of visibility because of the trees and undergrowth, and the trees are twisted in the Felwood way, looking gnarly with lots of knots and strange things growing on them.

Bina spends a moment to find her dagger and retrieve it. And about that time Spud comes troting up to her. She smiles at the wolf, petting that aggitated Emp on her shoulder and chuckling. "Hi Spud." She wisely doesn't touch the wolf but takes her time getting back to the others. Eyes peeled for the crow or more trouble.

There is a few moments of solence as Brae is reunited with her weapon, in many respects an old friend that has seen her through many horrific engagements, almost an extension of herself, and most definately representative of several turning points in her life. She'll put some money into a wizard to make sure there's none of the witch's mojo infuses it, but for now, she turns her attention to Lanier, "That tracks, Ghisha's a witch. All my info has her still bein' dead, but someone had to drive tose things in place." She sighs, "The bird brought us here, it was tryin' ta lure us down here, then another bird led the orcs up to us." She looks at the ravaged body and shakes her head, "We should get rolling before his screamin' brings something else down on us."

Lanier asks again, "Who was here first? You or the orcs?" He then points, "From up here, it's a little easier to see. I wasn't sure, but the orcs look like they were driven from their original path deeper into the Fernwood and were sent here."

Braelnoir shakes her head some, "They were down here when we got t'the top of the hill." she replies, scooping up the pitons for later use before turning to Lanier again. "Wasn't us that did fer these two." she remarks with an absent gesture back to the butchered orcs, "What's on yer mind, luv? This a bigger thing yer trackin' down?"

Lanier crosses his arms across his chest, looking down into the ravine, then to the path of destruction that leads to the ravine. He goes back and forth until he simply shakes his head, "These orcs weren't going to come this way. They were forced this way by the bird, who lured you here with the scythe." He then adds, "I'm just contemplating the level of planning that had to go into this." He frowns, shaking his head, he adds, "That's very concerning."

"She was an officer in Bludgun... old business." Brae says with another sigh and runs her hand back through her hair again, "This's a conversation long overdue, now that I got fixed up. We get things settled back in town, we can get some grub an' proper drink an talk it through."

Now that Brael has her scythe, Kira returns her attantion to the oruch. Yes, this means climbing back up the ravine, but they'd need to go that way anyhow.

As for the bound one, himself, Kira sees to adding an extra rope or three as drag lines. He's too big for her to carry, and carrying would just endanger the carrier, so... he gets to slide. Maybe she can even get a couple stout branches in there to make a sort of travois.

She finally looks to Lanier at the mention of a likely trap. "The bird did seem very smart, even if it wasn't very good with words... but we should get back. I still hope that the healers or mages can cure him."

It's difficult but not impossible to get the Black-Eyed Orc back to Alexandria. The travois to carry him provides enough distance to be safe from the quills and is easy enough to assemble. Getting it through the trees and underbrush takes more work, it's slow going, with the orc howling every step. Something might answer, something might be drawn to that. Binding his mouth is too difficult a task, too dangerous. It's a matter of enduring the howling.

Back at Alexandria, convincing the gate guards to let him in takes some work, but it's accomplished. Heavy assurances from Sentinel Kira, Rocky's size, and Braelnoir's raw injuries go a long way towards that. The group looks like they can handle anything. However, the howling is a problem until someone with a silence spell shows up.

And back in the Felwood near the waterfall, time passes. It gets later and later, growing dark. When even a creature of the Felwood might worry about what ventures out at night, there is movement. In a small, deep, dark hole a Witchcrow decides it is safe enough to make some noise, struggles and tries to peck it's way out of the ropes. And its hatred for Braelnoir burns almost as bright as hers does for it.

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "here's a good idea for the size of the Witchcrow, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfsnHVaScjg"