No Fun In The Woods

Log Info

• Title: No Fun In The Woods
  
• GM: Whirlpool
• Characters: Thoth, Victor, Aelwyn, Eztli, Magpie
  
• Location: The Felwoods
  
• Summary: A group of Adventurers journey into the Felwoods to find a missing group of combat veterans.

GAME: Thoth refreshes spells.

GAME: Victor refreshes spells.

The Mythwood's elves have humbly requested assistance from Alexandria's guild of explorers on a particular matter. You see, the Spires of Linneia belong to the Mythwood elves. Having been constructed in the days after the Sundering as a means to try to harvest mana to allow for the return of magic, they were lost during the Demon Wars when the Felwood was born. Now, with the Felwood's curse seemingly weakening and its expansion being reversed, the Spires can again be accessed and efforts are being made to reclaim the Temple of Eluna at the heart of them. This is the kind of thing thawt Alexandrian adventurers are known for dealing with.

Of course, there is *another* thing adventures are known for doing to ancient structures full of potential treasures and relics.

"...lost track of them about halfway to the spire. No one gave them permission to travel there. We believe it likely they consider themselves on a 'salvage' mission."

The elf who gave you your instructions was quite clear about that. They have a general direction they were going, but had to pull back. The danger level was too high, even for the wardens, when compared to a group of heavily armed, magical-equipment bearing adventurers. The hope is that you'll be able to catch up with them and get them to give up on what seems likely to be their plan, or otherwise find out what they're doing. Seems they were spotted travelling into the Mythwood and tracked despite their best efforts to avoid drawing attention.

You're starting off substantially behind them, given the time it took to assemble you at the Felwood campsite, but you do at least have an idea where they were spotted last, their direction, and the general idea that they have no idea they were trailed. Not much is known about the group beyond that they're contracted with the Guild of Explorers, generally, and are led by a woman named Jani Tamplimor, an veteran warrior.

GAME: Thoth casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16

GAME: Eztli casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 9 DC: 16

Speaking of magical equipment, Victor's armor seems to be retractable, collapsing with a clatter into a thick amulet he wears. He had to 'remove' the heavy plate armor just to keep up with the others, although apparently this makes him uneasy, as he keeps unfolding it again whenever the pace slows enough to allow him to wear it again without falling behind. "Do any of you know this Jani? Or any of the missing guild members?" he asks when he has a chance.

GAME: Thoth rolls Knowledge/History: (4)+12: 16

GAME: Aelwyn rolls knowledge/local: (3)+3: 6

It was a pleasant change of pace to not be the foolish adventuring party for once, or was it still foolish to chase after an unknown quantity of other adventurers into an equally unknown and questionable cursed forest? Well, at least they had been there a few times in the past, but there wasn't a lot of confidence gained from prior excursions.

Eztli was off to one side as the others finished their preparations, and the small makari caught back up. "Not sure if I do, anyone else got a clue on them?"

Aelwyn had plenty of personal experience with Felwood by now - so Mythwood was a pleasant change. The once brilliant autumn scales of his were far more subdued and dark and he had thick leather wrappings around his core - and only few ribbons remained upon his horns. It was not only the woods that were changing. The Dragoon was even wearing a leather cloak and a piece of armor!

"Hmmh. Seems certain things never change." The not-so-ruddy sith-makar rumbles with an amused flick of his tail. His magical glaive with its magical flame flickered besides him as he made his way along the woods. "This one does not, but this one is always open to making new relations." He flashes his teeth at Victor with a playful roll of his tail.

For her preparations, Magpie has... apparently wrapped herself in a thick blanket, her outermost layer of her robes spread out on the ground in front of her. Fresh glue has been applied to the backs of *many* scrolls, each carefully pasted onto the inner lining of the jacketry. When the last mystical parchment is smoothed out, she throws the clothing on, shifting here and there to the crackle of damp-then-dry paper, to get properly comfortable.

"...Gotta say," she says, cinching her belt closed, "Never been in a *race* like this against our own people. Think there's gonna be hard feelings at the Guildhall? Cos it's not *their* fault they picked a dodgy job..."

Thoth, a small little War Golem with bird like qualities, is finding itself rather lost in a place such as this. A place of such evil close by luckily does not affect it as it might affect someone more closely bound to a Deity, but such great evil does not go beyond the thing's notice.

Almost instinctively, it casts a spell of protection over itself upon arriving in the camp, and proceeds to carefully listen to the elf's constructions. A general direction, high danger. Luckily, it has gotten itself repaired up recently. Though its wings remain in shambles as always.

Upon starting the trek into the woods, the little avian remarks; "This one fears it is bad at navigating natural settings such as this, or tracking. This one requests one of the Others taketh the lead." Its archaic sense of language seems to be slowly starting to move closer to the Tradespeak spoken more actively these days.

At the request about Jani Tamplimor, the clicks its beak. "This one believes their name was in the Record of Sendor War. This would define her as what you consider a 'Veteran', for one of her species."

"Can't tell you about hard feelings. Not my area," replies the elf, shrugging his shoudlers and flicking his long black hiar over his shoulders. One of the Mythwood wardens, he clearly bears the scars of his mantle, ugly and jagged and angry things that appear on the bared flesh of his shoulders. The cold doesn't bother him in the slightest.

"Two humans, one of them being Jani, a dwarf, and a pair of identical goblins. Best of luck to you."

GAME: Victor casts Endure Elements. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16

GAME: Victor casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16

Victor nods in understanding to Thoth. A little insight is better than none, he reasons. "I have some knowledge of woodscraft, but if anyone else would like to lead feel free." Then he turns towards the path, and starts down it.

"This one is not much help in the woods either," Aelwyn admits, "A shame these jaunts never seem to take within the city walls." Even then, it felt good to be out of the city for a while. The cold streets had began to feel heavy. Heavier than they should have.

"Should not be any difficult emotions. A job for coin is a job for coin." The draconian remarks to Magpie, "But this one does some playful wrestling will be all that needs to be done for today." He flashes his teeth at the others; and his tail makes another playful coil, before the Dragoon continues to head deeper into the forest with the others.

"Welp... Guess we'll find out," Magpie mutters to herself, scrolls crinkling as she shakes out her sleeves. "Let's get on with it, then!"

If absolutely nothing else, the gnome always seems game to cause chaos, panic, and general diuers alarums upon any the job says are in their way.

"Getting feedback'll be a new thing, though... Wonder if this becomes a thing, I can make a survey form... 'Please rate the effectiveness of each school of magic from one fireball to five...'"

"Understood. This one will depart." It considers the scars on the warden's body and clothing. Considering how in a ways, it is lucky that it can be 'repaired'. Mending humans, biologicals always seems to... difficult. Scars similar to places where its own metal body has had different metals infused to replace old wounds.

A consideration it leaves to wane as it turns and begins to step into The Dark that is the Felwood alongside the others.

At Magpie's remarks, it raises its hand showing three fingers. "This one can only cast Three Fireballs today. Will this affect this one's rating?"

"Well, it sounds like they might know what they're doing. Is that reassuring? Not really sure if it is or not. But that means we really shouldn't be loitering, I guess." Eztli sighs. "I'm not good in the woods, but hey, if we're lucky, we might not need to be stealthy to begin with, right? Just gotta find their trail and keep on it."

"I hope they'll be amicable, I don't really have much for non amicable work personally." Eztli sighs. "Lets get going, then, the sooner we're on the way the better, right?"

GAME: Aelwyn rolls survival: (10)+1: 11

GAME: Eztli rolls survival: (5)+1: 6

GAME: Thoth rolls Survivor: (16)+Survivor: 16

GAME: Magpie rolls survival: (20)+2: 22

GAME: Thoth rolls Survival: (1)+1: 2 (EPIC FAIL)

GAME: Victor rolls Survival: (12)+8: 20

Well, it's not exactly easy going.

For one, it's cold. For two, it's started to snow. That's already hampering your visibility? Three, the Felwood is ... creepy, to say the leaset. The atmosphere here is oppressive, and while you can see the silvery light of the moon reflecting off the spires of Linneia in the distance, these slender and tapered elven spires that are the source of the commotion, you don't exactly have a lot of light yourselves to go on as it starts to darken almost immediately upon your entry into the forest. It's not even a natural darkening. It's the curse.

Still, for the most part, Magpie is able to make sure alongside Victor that you maintain your sense of direction. This is easier said than done, so it's really something that you begin to notice the signs of the passdage of the other group. Footprints, for example, left in the snow. Given that it's snowing now, you're in luck that you'vec caught wind of these before they're buried.

Thoth is doing its best it can. Though it is not good at 'Survival' per-se, it does sometimes note; "We have been at this exact tree" or the likes if they possibly get turned around. It's got a pretty good brain for remembering things.

As they get closer to snow-marked steps, it chirps a bit and continues to follow the crew in chase of these war-veterans.

Snow. Snow. Felwood and snow. Aelwyn already had began to regret this journey after all, quietly biting down a hiss with each of his steps that he takes into that white pain. The blade of his glaive, with its flames flickering, was hold close besides his own neck for the little warmth it provided. "Tch, these damn woods." The draconian occasionally brushes the lumps hidden under the snow in front of him with the end of his polearm, as he mindlessly followed on after the others.

When the footsteps are found, there's an immense relief in the sith-makar, who instantly perks up. Maybe there will be a campfire?

Victor marches along, his size and weight causing each step to sink into the snow and leave a marvelous footprint behind. "I've never been here in winter," he comments. "Although, I'm given to understand the woods have been changing of late." He adds after a bit, "For the better."

Eztli is easily distracted by certain circumstances. Where one lizard sulks, the other immediately perks up, and Eztli is looking all around, and at nowhere particularly helpful. "I hope this snow keeps up, do you think it'll stick? Maybe enough to build some snowmen or go skiing on the way back?" They wonder out loud. "Oh! There are footprints now? Perfect, let's keep going and find them, in case they didn't prepare for the snow. I don't if it normally snows here, but I can speak from experience that cursed areas aren't particularly good in the winter. If we find any lodges, we should probably just stay clear, you know?"

It seems to be sticking.

You're drawn away further into the Felwood. Mist and snow coil around your feet, blowing past you in quick and bitter flurries. The howl of the wind grows more ominous by the moment as you travel deeper.

You move away from the light of the spires towards a flickering image in the distance, a fourth spire that remains yet unlit, and find yourself getting inexorable closer to it, even if you can't seem to get a bead on the spire's exact position. It seems to be bouncing about on the horizon. That is, apparently, a thing they do. Seems like they're heading this way too.

"That's odd," Victor comments, peering at the fourth spire. "Perhaps it's some sort of illusion. When we get closer we may be able to learn more." He glances away and around. "Still no sign of our counterparts...counterparty?"

"Footprints," Magpie murmurs, shivering in a way that has nothing at all to do with the cold. "So... the last time I was in spooky woods that liked to be tricky, it got *really* bad. So like... if anything with hair and teeth and claws and wants to drink bones pops up behind you? Please, like, scream *real* loud or something? Brrr..."

But there's nothing for it, really. The tracks will go where the tracks go, and if the forest *is* making the search for the Spires more difficult, they'll probably get more headway by following their competitors, than the Spires.

"...So I say we follow the tracks," she says aloud, rolling one shoulder in kind of a nervous gesture. "If it turns outwe gotta cut them down from some webs or whatnot, maybe they'll be grateful enough to go home?"

Thoth agrees, "Follow the tracks." It agrees, proceeding onwards. Taking note of the Spire bouncing across the horizon. It hard heard of this particular phenomenon, but it has little in the way of magics to interact with that. So instead, it follows further.

Aelwyn has been chasing spires before, and he wasn't too happy about it. Especially in the snow. And... "This one shall never understand her and Silver and this mess." He rumbles through shivered teeth. He was partly considering biting the blade of his weapon just to feel the warmth of the sun again. Or a warmth.

"Things change here. Do not touch anything that looks like food." There's a brief pause. "Or do not touch anything, now that this one thinks about it."

"Unless we're feeling really, really lucky, I think following the tracks is the best idea for the time being." Eztli nods along with the others. "Hopefully they didn't run into any giant room mimics either, or mind controlling black crystals. We should get them out of here for their own sakes, really."

"What's not to like? I could frolic and dance in the snow for hours, it's so cool and comfortable, Aelwyn." The small makari laughs. "I could just bury myself in some of it and have a nap, but now is not the time and certainly not the place for this."

GAME: Aelwyn rolls perception: (10)+1: 11

GAME: Eztli rolls perception: (6)+5: 11

GAME: Magpie rolls perception: (12)+10: 22

GAME: Thoth rolls Perception+3: (8)+6+3: 17

GAME: Thoth rolls 10+3: (5)+10+3: 18

GAME: Victor rolls perception: (2)+8: 10

The forest grows more twisted by the moment, but you're able to navigate it and avoid the brambles and briars that seem to want to close around you. Magpie and Thoth lead the way here, and are able to guide the rest of the group ultimately.

Finally, you find a small structure. It looks old, elven...

... there's a very large pile of burnt vegetation sitting in front of it, still smoldering. The structure is squat and looks to have been broken into, recently, given the fact that doorway is wide open.

You don't hear anything from inside just yet.

Victor dons his armor as he approaches, in the hopes of reducing the chances if anyone is inside, they'll hear the sound. He approaches the door slowly, occasionally casting glances at the others to see what they're doing. He intends to go right up to the door and peer inside...

With Victor intent on marching right up to the entrance to have a look, Magpie unlimbers her little crossbow, and keeps a moderate distance behind the warrior, eyes wide as dinner-plates. Visions of wendigo are still flashing behind her eyes, but... That's probably not a thing *here,* right?

...Right?

"Caaaarefuuuul," she murmurs, in case anyone else is feeling twice as brave as she is at the moment.

Aelwyn opens his mouth, closes it, then opens it again, mouthing 'How?' in very stiff jaw movements to the dancing Eztli. The flat of his blade is laid across his skull then. Warm.

When they finally see the structure though, Aelwyn starts to still. "... do not assume anything." He reminds everyone quietly, before the approach. "Even the buildings themselves can be mimics." His glaive is pulled out and held at the ready.

GAME: Thoth rolls Perception+3: (2)+6+3: 11

GAME: Thoth rolls 10+3+2: (16)+10+3+2: 31

Coming upon the small structure, Ra is already flying overhead. Thoth's familiar, released from the cage within its chest, lets out a little caw as it spots the burnt vegitation. It then slowly circles a bit lower.

Thoth, approaching ahead with Magpie, clicks its beak a few times. "This one believes we have found something. But no signs of the group we seek." It remarks.

It then looks up and seems to caw-caw at Ra. It chirps back at Thoth, and rises back up and starts looking for signs of the missing party from where they are at.

"Another building? Well, it could have been put here by the forest here by the forest." Eztli shrugs as people get closer to investigate. "Something scorced the ground here, was it the adventurers we're looking for, or something attacking them?"

"He, wait up, don't just head in there suddenly? Like Aelwyn said, this building could try to eat you, or there could be crystals on the ground that posess you, or the plants could poison you and cause you to hallucinate we're all evil, a lot of things." The small makari suddenly points out, scurrying a bit close to the door as she tries to warn against it.

Thoth continues to chirp and caw at the Owl, which in turn chirps back. Eventually, Thoth looks to the group; "Ra does not see any mimics, monsters, or danger. It does not spot the party we seek. Perhaps they went inside after burning the vegitation." It offers as a suggestion.

It does seem like they went in there -- and burnt a whole bunch of vegetation off the place first.

The spire contiues to flicker slightly in the distance.

"That seems to be a logical conclusion..." Victor says from where he stopped. Several paces short of the door. "But that means we should go in after them, shouldn't we?" He looks at the others, particularly the Sith. "We won't get to the bottom of this unless we do..."

"...And this might end up being some kind of side entrance to the place," Magpie notes. "So... yeah, let's go after the doofuses, just to make sure they don't get stuck in anything that sticks back."

"Hmmh." Aelwyn looks towards the vegetation and then the building, before returning his gaze towards Victor. "Usually this one would recommend setting it all on fire, but," The ruddy sith-makar takes in a deep breath. "This time perhaps not."

The Dragoon glances towards the rest then. "Do we have any way to see inside before we step in? Perhaps avoid stepping into a trap or several?" A glance towards Thoth. "Little bird?"

Thoth shakes its head. "This one recommends someone sturdy step in first, and the rest will follow. This is standard Adventuring practices when a group is devoid of someone good at taking care of traps."

"Well, I guess there's nothing left to do but go in there now, we should just go for it, then." Eztli finally relents. "Maybe they're holed up in there and trying to be quiet, if that's the case, I'll just have to hope they don't ambush us when we go in there."

"I don't know if I've got anything I can do to look inside, but if Thoth's got something handy, we've got time to be careful for the time being, I'd say. Or, not." Eztli offers, and sighs, falling into step behind the others.

GAME: Thoth casts Dancing Lights. Caster Level: 5 DC: 17

As the group begins to step inside, Thoth begins to cast a twosome of spells onto itself, just in case they're about to step into trouble. It suddenly begins to shrink to smaller-than-Magpie size as a shimmering shield envelops its body.

GAME: Thoth casts Shield. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16

GAME: Thoth casts Reduce Person. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16

Aelwyn lets out a breath, but he nods his head then. Looking at as Thoth becomes the smollest. There was at least that. "Then let us." He says, and picks up his glaive. He heads off towards the entrance, standing after Victor.

In you go.

With Victor taking point, you cautiously push into the interior. It looks like it's been gone through already once before, rifled through even. An empty weapon rack sits beyond a smooth, white stone counter. Everything else is covered in dust and vines sprouting throiugh cracks in the stone floor. A lever sits behind the counter that looks to have been pulled recently, given its state compared to the reset of the place.

ALl in all, it definitely has the signs of having been thoroughly checked over and likely looted.

GAME: Aelwyn rolls perception: (10)+1: 11

GAME: Magpie rolls perception: (2)+10: 12

GAME: Thoth rolls Perception+3: (14)+6+3: 23

GAME: Thoth rolls 10+3+2: (2)+10+3+2: 17

GAME: Victor rolls perception: (7)+8: 15

Ra ends up landing next to Thoth, and hippity-hopping alongside it. Sometimes spreading its wings to ensure it keeps its balance. After all, Owls aren't exactly the best walkers in the world. It is looking around, turning its head fully from time to time.

They spot the lever having been racked.

"This one believes those we seek were here, and have since left. This one is uncertain of the purposes of this lever and device." It looks to the others, who have more experience with the Felwood and its guard-stations.

GAME: Eztli rolls perception: (14)+5: 19

Eztli takes a peak inside, and the small makari sighs. "I don't know what this lever is for, it's hard to say, but this looks like one of those guardhouses from before, if I had to guess. Not that I like guessing in places like this." The sorceress answers. "Might mean this place leads into one of the spires maybe? In which case, we should keep moving, unless we should investigate that lever more?"

GAME: Magpie rolls use magic device: (2)+11: 13

GAME: Magpie rolls spellcraft: (14)+13: 27

"Already on it," Magpie says, toddling toward the lever and crouching in front of it for a few long moments.

"...Well that's a problem," she says. "Lever looks to be connected to the Spire, and it's 'open.' So uh... We should probably pick up the pace."

GAME: Eztli casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 9 DC: 15

Ra eventually begins to hippity-hop around a specific spot. Hip hop. Caw.

Thoth looks down and chirps at the magical beast familiar for a bit, until Thoth addresses the rest of the group; "There was fighting in this place." It begins, before adding; "Based on the footwork, this one believes it was a veteran fighter battling another. Whatever they battled, they came out victorious, this one believes."

"Mutiny?" Aelwyn ventures to guess, looking at the spot Thoth indicated. "Tch, this does not seem good." He clicks his tongue annoyedly. "This one agrees, we should head out and 'pick up the pace'." The draconian rumbles. "It feels as if they did not simply come to loot."

Victor has been standing to one side, examining the counter and a few other spots on the floor. At the additional details from the others he comes over to look. "Or one of them may have had a change of heart," Victor guesses. He turns towards the door. "There's only one way to know for certain."

"Hard to say what was going on right here, and I don't know how much time we've got to look based on what you're all saying." Eztli offers, stopping to snap her fingers and peer at one of the corners. "Whatever happened here, there's magic being used, by them or someone else. As someone well versed in magical fire, those scorch marks aren't natural. Might be from our group or whatever they're fighting."

"So, lets head for the spire! I don't think they left, so only one way from here."

Off to the spire, then.

... which is easier said than done. It seems to be flickering around in place, and you're having a hard time getting closer -- and then ... suddenly it *stops* flickering and it's like the entire forest shudders.

Like a howl if shadowy dismay rises.

Like the darkness all around you grows more intense.

/Angry/.

"So uh..." Magpie says, huffing as her tiny little legs are forced to work harder than they're probably supposed to, "...I've never looked into this Spire thingy. Is, uh... Is the Felwood *supposed* to get mad if someone fiddles with it?"

"This one does not know. But this one believes it may be reacting to something further away from us." Thoth offers to Magpie as it moves along. Taking mental note of how long some of its spells are going to last still.

"I don't know, I know the forest doesn't like it when people are activating the spires, usually." Eztli notes, wincing a bit with the spire seeming to grow even more oppressive. "Keep up the pace, we need to figure out what these people are doing, drag them away if we have to? Maybe we can fix this spire while we're here, but that's secondary, we can always come back, assuming things aren't too messed up."

Aelwyn walks on after the rest - and when the darkness stills, the draconian raises his eyes. And glares.

"Rarely anything good has come from these spires. Let us keep up with the pace, yes." The slightly taller sith-makar suggests, making his way along near the front, after Victor.

Victor says, “Perhaps it's something Jani and her party did that is causing the spire to...ah, to become emotional." He nods vaguely at Eztli. "If they're here for loot-" a concept Victor is familiar with, of course, having been part of the Guild for some time now. "-they might not realize the harm they could be doing, to the forst and even eventually to themselves and the other adventurers who come after them.”

GAME: Aelwyn rolls survival: (3)+1: 4

GAME: Victor rolls survival: (6)+8: 14

GAME: Thoth rolls Survival: (2)+1: 3

GAME: Magpie rolls survival: (5)+2: 7

GAME: Eztli rolls survivalk: (6)+survivalk: 6

... it takes longer than you'd like. It gets darker. Much darker. The forest is writthing around you. It's not a visible thing you can see, but you can FEEL it.

...eventually, you reach the foot of the spire and the doors are /open/, leading to a spiral staricase up into the abyss.

... you hear clanking sounds.

Victor slows to a stop. He tilts his head to one side and turns it, the universal sign of trying to listen. Then he steels himself. "Time to prepare ourselves, for a fight." he suggests.

Ra caws as they get closer to the Spire after all this time. The darkness making it even difficult for the Dancing Lights that Thoth put out throughout their journey to penetrate into. It then clicks its beak and warns; "Ra hears a metalic sound up above." Before pointing upwards to the spire. "This one believes we have found our quary."

Huff puff puff huff puff huff huff puff...

Arcanists are *not* naturally athletically inclined. At least, not *this* arcanist.

Fetching up against the doorway of the spire, Magpie struggles to regain her breath... Only to have it catch in her throat as the forest *snarls* into her hindbrain, and the sound of clanking rings out ahead. "Fighting... yeah... fighting... Let's go kick some ass."

Her crossbow comes up to rest against her shoulder, and a thought strikes. "...*Whose* ass, specifically?"

Eztli takes a moment to catch her breath at the base, having to crane her neck upwards high to attempt to see what they were dealing with. "I don't like that sound. Foolish or not, we're foolish too, and that means heading in to help them, right?" Eztli huffs. "Come on, get your second wind in you and go up, it's just a few steps, right? Gods, I wish I could keep some wings out long enough to be helpful here."

Aelwyn bared his teeth as they neared; his glaive held out. "This one agrees." Though Magpie raises a very good question, before he looks up at the spire. "Whomever is not trying to kick our collective asses?" The ruddy sith-makar suggests.

...you head inside the Spire, moving thorugh it's golden doors and staring up at the top. A spiral staircase is wrapped around the interior, a set of metal steps inscribed with glowing musical notes. At the top, you can see some kind of mechanism from down here, and a great bluish colored glow. You can hear talking.

"...almost got it, pry it loose and we'll hit the motherlode. Everything we need."

"Damn right, just a little further... HOLD ON."

You see a goblin, from below, being lifted up onto the contraption that sits hanging down from the ceiling.

Yep. They're doing some damage, all right.