Badwater: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:Elena.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

[[Image:Demitry.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

[[Image:Garrick.png|thumb|right|200px]]

* [[Elena]], Daughter of the Soil

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With difficulty (and minor injuries), they smash the three mysterious automatons.

=== Approach, Rescue ===

The snakes prove to be hollow collapsible tubes, the interior of which is coated with the foul impurity polluting the brook. The group rests, heals, collects herbs, and continues on through a long day of hiking higher into the [[Hills of Nimlith]], cleaned and collapsed snake-tubes in a saddle bag. [[Elena]] recalls a splendid campsite with a meadow, herb garden, and big trees, and the party sets that as their goal.

Near sunset, the site is spotted, though a tattered canvas tent and prone figure occupy it. Carefully, the party approaches (with mule and dog in tow). A brief investigation concludes the figure is a mapping surveyor of [[Luxor]], who died by a crushing wound to his throat. Barefoot humanoid tracks. The surveyor's journal contains a few tantalizing passages:

* "Day 3. Water foul all the way up. Not mineral. Not rot. Glows faint when stirred."

* "Day 5. Fresh fissure above the old wall-line. Cut stone inside: steps. Someone built down there."

* "Day 6. Singing at night from the crack. One voice, then many. Sounds like a roll call."

* "Day 7. Stopped by the Hollis Ranch today to warn them, strange things are afoot."

* The last entry is shaky: "Green eyes in the trees. They walked past me. Didn't look twice."

An rough-but-usable map shows the location of Gredding, the Hollis Ranch, and the "old wall-line" and the "fissure".

The party buries the deceased, [[Elena]] collects herbs and speaks with the trees, and camps for the night, getting a fresh start early towards the Hollis Ranch.

Alas, the ranch has been attacked, chickens running loose, the family dead in front of their house, throats crushed. A nearby elm tree volunteers to Elena, "''The cold ones, led by OH-FEER they took the girl.''"

The party considers what to do with the deceased. There's a tension -- follow the tracks to save the girl, or protect the victims from scavengers. A funeral pyre is hastily constructed and magically ignited by [[Demitry]].

[[Image:Liesl.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Farmer's Daughter]]

The party follows tracks of several barefoot humanoids away from the ranch and higher into the hills throughout the afternoon. Resting in the shade late in the day, they hear a woman shriek far off in the woods. They approach cautiously at first, but a second shriek throws Elena into a range and she sprints towards the sound.

[[Image:Azbeks.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Azbeks]] ]]

Three assailants are spotted, hideous skinless, withered, green-eyed figures, one holding a young blonde woman roughly by her wrist, the other two turning to face approaching Elena, drawing weapons.

The evident leader, golden rings hanging from a necklace, broadsword drawn, steps forward, appraises Elena, and grunts flatly, "Another wife for Ophir..."

Elena doesn't even slow down, conducting an effective Slam Attack on Ophir, knocking him to the ground and landing atop him, where she begins thrusting her staff into his face as he reaches for her trachea, clobbering her in the process.

Close behind, Garrick runs up and hurls his hand axe at a henchman, narrowly missing. The henchman, emotionless, returns the favor, dealing a devastating wound to Garrick's "lower abdomen". Staggering, Garrick lunges forward and dispatches his foe.

As Demitry prepares a helpful spell, his Weirdness Magnet/Faeries kicks in, and a 6' wide square hole suddenly opens beneath him. He falls and falls and falls, his voice getting ever quieter as the combat continues. Eventually he uses his staff to slow and stop is fall, dramatically inconvenienced but not harmed in the process.

Elena discards her staff for a knife and runs it into Ophir's neck, who in turn fastdraws his own blade and pushes it deep into Elena's lower back. She succumbs to the injury before Garrick can finish off the attackers.

Using a combination of magic, herbs, and battlefield medic skills, the party regroups and recovers.

The young woman, [[Liesl]] ran off as soon as she could, returning only after seeing [[Elena]] revived.

Chanting voices from further into the forest chill them as they rest.

@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 [[Image:Elena.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
 [[Image:Demitry.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
+[[Image:Garrick.png|thumb|right|200px]]
 * [[Elena]], Daughter of the Soil
@@ Line 58: / Line 59: @@
 With difficulty (and minor injuries), they smash the three mysterious automatons.
+=== Approach, Rescue ===
+The snakes prove to be hollow collapsible tubes, the interior of which is coated with the foul impurity polluting the brook. The group rests, heals, collects herbs, and continues on through a long day of hiking higher into the [[Hills of Nimlith]], cleaned and collapsed snake-tubes in a saddle bag.  [[Elena]] recalls a splendid campsite with a meadow, herb garden, and big trees, and the party sets that as their goal.
+Near sunset, the site is spotted, though a tattered canvas tent and prone figure occupy it. Carefully, the party approaches (with mule and dog in tow). A brief investigation concludes the figure is a mapping surveyor of [[Luxor]], who died by a crushing wound to his throat.  Barefoot humanoid tracks. The surveyor's journal contains a few tantalizing passages:
+* "Day 3. Water foul all the way up. Not mineral. Not rot. Glows faint when stirred."
+* "Day 5. Fresh fissure above the old wall-line. Cut stone inside: steps. Someone built down there."
+* "Day 6. Singing at night from the crack. One voice, then many. Sounds like a roll call."
+* "Day 7. Stopped by the Hollis Ranch today to warn them, strange things are afoot."
+* The last entry is shaky: "Green eyes in the trees. They walked past me. Didn't look twice."
+An rough-but-usable map shows the location of Gredding, the Hollis Ranch, and the "old wall-line" and the "fissure".
+The party buries the deceased, [[Elena]] collects herbs and speaks with the trees, and camps for the night, getting a fresh start early towards the Hollis Ranch.
+Alas, the ranch has been attacked, chickens running loose, the family dead in front of their house, throats crushed. A nearby elm tree volunteers to Elena, "''The cold ones, led by OH-FEER they took the girl.''"
+The party considers what to do with the deceased. There's a tension -- follow the tracks to save the girl, or protect the victims from scavengers. A funeral pyre is hastily constructed and magically ignited by [[Demitry]].
+[[Image:Liesl.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Farmer's Daughter]]
+The party follows tracks of several barefoot humanoids away from the ranch and higher into the hills throughout the afternoon. Resting in the shade late in the day, they hear a woman shriek far off in the woods. They approach cautiously at first, but a second shriek throws Elena into a range and she sprints towards the sound.
+[[Image:Azbeks.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Azbeks]] ]]
+Three assailants are spotted, hideous skinless, withered, green-eyed figures, one holding a young blonde woman roughly by her wrist, the other two turning to face approaching Elena, drawing weapons.
+The evident leader, golden rings hanging from a necklace, broadsword drawn, steps forward, appraises Elena, and grunts flatly, "Another wife for Ophir..."
+Elena doesn't even slow down, conducting an effective Slam Attack on Ophir, knocking him to the ground and landing atop him, where she begins thrusting her staff into his face as he reaches for her trachea, clobbering her in the process.
+Close behind, Garrick runs up and hurls his hand axe at a henchman, narrowly missing. The henchman, emotionless, returns the favor, dealing a devastating wound to Garrick's "lower abdomen". Staggering, Garrick lunges forward and dispatches his foe.
+As Demitry prepares a helpful spell, his Weirdness Magnet/Faeries kicks in, and a 6' wide square hole suddenly opens beneath him. He falls and falls and falls, his voice getting ever quieter as the combat continues. Eventually he uses his staff to slow and stop is fall, dramatically inconvenienced but not harmed in the process.
+Elena discards her staff for a knife and runs it into Ophir's neck, who in turn fastdraws his own blade and pushes it deep into Elena's lower back. She succumbs to the injury before Garrick can finish off the attackers.
+Using a combination of magic, herbs, and battlefield medic skills, the party regroups and recovers.
+The young woman, [[Liesl]] ran off as soon as she could, returning only after seeing [[Elena]] revived.
+Chanting voices from further into the forest chill them as they rest.