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| Left to Right: Goliath, Podricka, Grimjohn, Honoria, Vicaver, Fang, and Echo |
Through the dim light and twisted boughs of trees, dark buildings began to appear through the soft morning mist. The tall blonde bearded ranger in the lead suddenly halted, lifting a hand to signal that the rest of the silent group should stop. A soft subvocalized growl reverberated from the gigantic brown dog at his side as both of their focused upon the village.
"What is it?" whispered Vicaver, his surcoat of grey-blue cloth and gleaming steel shield at odds with his companions, eyes clearly scanning the treeline for some sign of what had spooked his companion.
Stepping past the soldier, Honoria muttered a soft prayer and touched the simple silver holy symbol of her order rest just under her heavier winter garb "It's not what he see's... it's what he doesn't. There should be movement. Voices. Livestock. There's..."
"...Nothing. " agreed the final member of the ranger band, a young hedge witch clad in the leather skins of the deer. She closed her eyes, looking within for a moment before blanching, the movement causing the dull red pseudodragon upon her shoulder to hiss and flutter is clear agitation.
"Keep quiet. We have a ranger to find." grunted Grimjohn before unshouldering his bow.
This wasn't going to go well.
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| Our intrepid explorers have found themselves in a small, nameless village deep in the woods while looking for the lost Ranger Aventine. |
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| The grim band of rangers surrounding the village stump (joined by Echo's Pseudodragon Iri) as they realize they aren't quite alone! |
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| The twisted undead forms of the former villagers and grotesque giant rats are here... |
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| ... and on all sides! |
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| The first event has the large two story building collapsing, narrowly missing a nearby undead villager. |
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| Echo and Iri fight off a gaggle of rats with first the ranger killing one... |
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| ...then Iri killing the next... |
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| ...before the brave pseudodragon is pulled out of the sky by it's neck! |
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| Another rat manages to take down Goliath near the center tree just before Podricka can save him, striking the rat down soon after. |
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| Ranger Honoria picks the lock into one of the buildings, discovering a clue token to reveal strange spider-like tracks all over. |
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| Uh-oh! The dead are following her. She'll squeeze out a window in just a moment to give the undead the slip. |
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| The rat who killed Iri manages to overwhelm Podricka with a natural 20, before luckily succumbing to a magical bolt from a vengeful Echo. |
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| In the T-shaped building, Grimjohn opens the door before tangling successfully with the undead villager within. |
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| Using 'Blend into Shadows' Honoria allows most of the horde to head towards the rest of her team while rushing towards the final clue token. |
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| The Rangers with Varryn the Merchant stare down the oncoming horde... |
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| ... just in time for Echo to throw down smoke to confuse the dead and give the rangers time to head inside, Vicaver and his loyal Fang taking up a rearguard. |
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| Good news? The horde turn to head to the nearest clue marker as the smoke obscured the team's line of sight from them. Bad news? That meant they were all coming towards Honoria! |
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| Finding the last clue, Honoria sadly identifies the lost ranger's body by his beautiful sword- soon after winning the scenario. |
Found a Potion of Toughness
Goliath- Alive, but diseased
Podricka- Alive, but with Psychological Scars
Iri- Dead, torn apart by a giant rat.
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Scenario 2: Infest Trees
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| Following the tracks, the party finds themselves in the deepwoods. |
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| "This doesn't feel quite right" mutters Honoria, passing a skill test and removing one of the spiders lying in wait. |
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| A good thing too! The forest was crawling with them.~ |
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| The four web-covered Nest Trees. Ignore the strange warp incursion happening right behind the edge of the 'world'. |
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| The forest floor is covered in web cocoons holding the poor villagers- some might be alive! |
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| The first cocoon indeed has a survivor, the Merchant's wife from the village. |
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| Poor Goliath! The next cocoon held a reanimated villager who quickly dispatched the diseased dog. |
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| Podricka and Honoria cut down the abomination even as Grimjohn saves... the Merchant? He must've gone back into the woods looking for his wife! |
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| Vicaver, Fang, and Echo defeat several spiders and another reanimated villager. |
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| Right before reaching the Nest Trees, Grimjohn finds himself covered in webs for the round before breaking free! |
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| Podricka is charged with escorting the Merchant and his wife to safety. |
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| Just as the end of the scenario was looming, another Nest Tree (and it's giant spider) reveals itself. |
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| Between Grimjohn and Honoria, the last two trees are burnt down! |
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| Threat contained for now, the entire band and the two survivors make their way back to their base with the terrible news of Aventine's fate. |
Harvested a dose of Farlight Leaf.
Found a Philtre of Fairy Dust
Saved two townsfolk.
Goliath- Alive, just knocked out.
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Podricka heaved a great sigh as she trudged through the heavy undergrowth towards where she knew the old realm road would begin to take form within the hour. She had been overjoyed at first when in the heat of combat against those wretched eight-legged beasties she had been given the honorable task of protecting the survivors and leading them to safety.
Then?
They had started talking. Honestly, it was more that they had started bickering. Husband and wife they may be, but did they have to bicker here? Now, with the smoke of those infested tree's filling the air with that sickly sweet corruption? What she could tell, it was all Indrian's (the puffing, red-faced merchant) fault that they were even in this mess. That she told him they should have pushed on to a proper Inn. He responded by offering Podricka a handful of gold to put her back in a cocoon so he could have a moment's rest.
She would have fought a hundred spiders before being subjected to this again. Maybe even a... a rat! Maybe not. In any case, she was going to have words with Honoria when they reconvened at the campsite.
Next time SHE could watch the townsfolk...
