Week 51
TL;DR - Demon kitties, dreamscapes and lessons learned
Zer0 completes his update just in time for a fight, in a place called the Foulwind Cavern. Magic is a bit iffy due to its location.
— COMBAT BEGINS —
Initiative: Crimson (22), Shebrum (19), TL (16), Zer0 (3), Jaxzon (3)
Iliqua looks a bit out of sorts, struggling against the drugs.
Crimson looks at the party with malice, and uses an ability requiring a Con save - everyone but TL fails, meaning movement is at zero. Crimson moves to attack Jaxzon and misses twice.
Shebrum asks if killing Crimson is going to upset Jaxzon, but he says go for it. He throws his psychic dagger and hits once (20) and a second time (7). A failed Con save means he is still stuck.
TL moves around Crimson to try and flank, a first attack hits (7), the second critically hits (9). A bonus action attack misses, flurry of blows misses and hits (9).
Zer0 can’t move so holds his action in case Crimson comes closer. A successful Con save allows him to move again.
Jaxzon casts Hex on Crimson, then punches it and hits once (14) and a smite does nothing as Crimson is immune to radiant. Crimson is, however, rooted to the ground. A second attack critically hits (17). Jaxzon fails his Con save.
— ROUND TWO —
Crimson breathes on the party, Jaxzon fails due to being rooted, Zer0 critically fails the Dex save, Shebrum passes by using a psionic die and takes no damage. Everyone else takes 57(!). A swipe with a claw critically misses Jaxzon.
Shebrum moves around the glass boulder and throws a dagger, missing once and hitting with a second (25).
TL asks if Jaxzon needs healing, which he answers with a definite yes. She moves next to him and heals (20).
Zer0 moves to flank with TL and takes a couple of swings, hitting twice (32), then uses second wind to heal (11).
Jaxzon uses Wrathful Smite and hits Crimson (13), who fails the save and becomes frightened. A second attack also hits (14). A Con save allows Jaxzon to move again.
— ROUND THREE —
Crimson tries to move, and gets hit from Zer0 (20) and Jaxzon (10), who fails to save from the rooting and goes nowhere. A couple of swipes miss, the second one due to Jaxzon casting Shield - WILD MAGIC ALERT! His shield turns to a shield shaped block of ice, which falls and shatters.
Shebrum moves around and leaps the crevasse to end up behind Crimson. A hit (22) and a critical hit (12) follows.
TL misses twice and hits twice (19).
Iliqua wakes up and finds out he can’t move, and elects to throw a dagger which misses. Casting firebolt misses. A Con save follows and movement is regained.
Zer0 takea couple of swings, missing once and hitting (13).
Jaxzon tries to punch Crimson, hitting critically (14), and again (17), killing Crimson and regaining 4 hp.
— COMBAT ENDS —
TL heals Jaxzon (25) and Zer0 twice (46).
TL asks Jaxzon where he went and what Crimson was - he answers that his new patron summoned him, then returned him with a test.
The party considers if a rest is warranted, but it is decided that doing so is too dangerous. Jaxzon uses Lay on Hands to heal up a little.
Zer0 heads up the walking order, TL second, Shebrum third, Iliqua fourth and Jaxzon last.
On the way, a couple of the wind effects come through but they are avoided. Up ahead a large amount of trees is seen, covered by dangling vines that block sight along the path.
Iliqua wonders if going near the trees might be dangerous due to the winds, but the party aren’t convinced. Zer0 tries to cut through the vines, but feels that just moving them out of the way is better.
Zer0 makes it through an area that has no vines. Iliqua comes through next, out of order.
Shebrum emerges into a orchard with bone white trees and blue sky overhead, followed by Jaxzon.
TL can’t be seen in either area.
Zer0 and Iliqua look around trying to find the rest of the party. A discussion between the two ends up with both continuing forward, occasionally calling out names. A few minutes later the sound of a river is heard, a bridge over it and a man sitting nearby.
The man appears somewhat elderly and covered with weapons. Zer0 checks him out, trying to guage the quality of his weapons. On getting closer, the man turns and greets the two, offering a chance to rest and introducing himself as Claude, Weaponmaster from Ebbonheim.
Jaxzon pulls out his spyglass and checks out the buildings - most of the run down or disused. Jaxzon tells Shebrum that they should head towards the buildings. Shebrum agrees purely because he can’t see. Picking a leaf seems like it turns to something that seems like blood - smell, sight, and feel.
Jaxzon swings his axe at a tree, which seems like it’s made of bone instead of wood. He continues and soon topples the “tree”, the leaves also turning to blood when they hit the ground.
Shebrum checks out the root structure, noting that it looks more like veins, creeping him out.
Jaxzon heads off to the nearest building, Shebrum follows a short distance behind. A sense of relief washes over Shebrum, noting that his sight seems to be returning.
Jaxzon calls out, but only hears an echo of his voice. The building looks like it hasn’t been used in quite some time.
Claude asks how their journey has been, Iliqua quickly recounts everything quickly.
Iliqua asks Claude where he’s from - “I’m a wanderer, I haven’t had what you might call a home for a while. This place is called the Forest of Revelations, at least that’s what I call it.”
Claude offers to aid the party with advice on how to handle their journey - from an old man who has seen too much already.
Jaxzon and Shebrum enter the shack, checking the furniture, noting that some of the wood is rotting and falling apart. They find documentation that describes the last months of a dying area, and the author deciding to “plant his family”.
Checking out the rest of the building - one room looks like it might have been comfortable with the remnants of wallpaper, a small bed against a wall and a large mirror. A walk-in closet with a slightly open door. Shebrum looks at the mirror and sees Tolman - a redheaded man with a snake wrapped around his waist.
He checks out the reflection of the room behind Tolman, seeing what it might have been in the past - a typical children’s bedroom. Tolman walks out of eyesight. Jaxzon checks out the mirror but doesn’t see that same things.
Shebrum says he wants to try stepping through the mirror, Jaxzon convinces him to check the wardrobe first. They find rotting clothing and a note in the corner - the child’s father is going crazy, refusing to eat and locking their mother in her room.
Jaxzon doesn’t think it’ll work, but Shebrum tries it anyway - and walks through, then stumbles with visions of digging and blood. He looks out the windows to see lush fields and a full orchard.
Jaxzon tries to touch the mirror and does so, unable to follow Shebrum.
Shebrum explores the rest of the house, and Jaxzon can hear footsteps but can’t see anyone. He follows the footsteps, noting that doors open by themselves. Shebrum sees a large bedroom with a large bed, and chest at its foot and a blood covered shovel on it.
A large door has chains to Shebrum, but nothing to Jaxzon. Jaxzon opens the chest and finds a note detailing the memory of the mother, the father and daughter have gone insane, not eating food. She had started locking herself away.
Shebrum continues through the house, with Jaxzon again following the sounds and finds another mirror - Jaxzon tries to tackle Shebrum but again hits the mirror and bounces off. Shebrum tries throwing a dagger, but it disappears soon after crossing the boundary.
Shebrum steps through the mirror, pushing Jaxzon out of the way, then collapses to the ground.
Claude spars with Iliqua and Zer0, trying to impart some knowledge. After a while Claude stops and rests against the bridge. “It seems like you are both have made progress along your relevant paths. Iliqua, you should search out the way of the elements to improve. I will show you a neat trick, however.” And he disarms him and teaches him the trick.
To Zer0 “Your sword is the key to your path, but you need to temper it and bring it closer”
He unsheaths his greatsword and shows him how to hold his attack and get a greater amount of power out of the next attack (2d6 to 2d12 damage).
Claude bows to Iliqua and Zer0, who return the bow, the heads off into the forest. They converse briefly, then head across the bridge toward another set of vine covered trees.
Shebrum is flooded with memories of the father, snapping and killing his family. The father then casts some kind of dark magic to pull the souls of them out and molds them into trees (skill called Soul Meld)
Jaxzon feels his patron start to seep into the area, and feels like there is something in the bedside table. Opening it, he finds a cracked wedding ring. Seeing it, he senses that it represents someone elses broken oath, and feels like his patron is urging him to collect it. Picking it up, he is overcome with an urge to crush the ring - doing so gives him two rings with the Ceremony spell attached.
Leaving the house and walking along the path, they see more vine covered trees. The “tree” that Jaxzon cut down has healed.
Both parts of the party emerge from the vines to find TL waiting for them. She mentions that she didn’t have the same effect of going through the vines.
The party continue up out of the valley, Iliqua sets up the tower and the party rests for the night.