Side-Adventure: Marcus and Gizzy are headed home.

[Pulpatoon]

Marcus, dragging Gizzy's immobile (but faintly ticking) body, leaves the clearing and his friends, intent as they are to return down that filthy hole that seem set on killing you.

Marcus, as you head into the woods in the direction of Herebury, you pass near the cultists' campsite. You see some relatively fresh footprints, which you feel pretty certain are Abel's, as they go to the tent you guys left Wilbur in, and are then joined by a pair of dainty trotters, heading away from the camp.

As you prepare to follow Abel's path, you hear a ragged breathing coming from another tent. Looking around, you see another set of footprints heading from the Grove and into the tent. These footsteps look dragged and messy, like a person who was having trouble walking.

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus will gently lay Gizzy down and cautiously approach the tent, using the tip of his spear to open the flap slightly and from a safe distance.

[Pulpatoon]

As you lift the tent flap, there is a quick shuffle and intake of breath, and the tip of Smokey's sword slashes weakly through the air, missing your spear tip by a wide margin.

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus opens up the tent flap with his spear further quickly, looking inside at the one holding his friends sword. He barks a command roughly, "Drop the sword and come out, now" He readies himself for a spear thrust if the person decides to attack instead.

[Pulpatoon]

Inside the tent is a figure. All you see are a scramble of limbs, thin to the point of starvation and probably female, as the figure retreats to the furthest recesses of the dark tent. The sword (let's call it Brand, shall we?) is held before the figure, but the hand is unsteady and wavering. The limbs are covered in more of the incised designs you have seen on the previous cultists, but they are denser, deeper, more elaborate, and black with rot.

A voice that you feel like you might recognize, were it not so hoarse with rage, screams, "You filthy whoresons! You've done nothing! Nothing!"

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus holds his stance, "We've stopped your plans. Now you can surrender and come out or I can come in and get you. I can promise you that if you come out you won't come to harm from me." He holds his stance, ready to strike out if the woman attempts to run or attack.

Spear: [1d20+1] = 3+1 = 4, Damage: [1d6+2] = 6+2 = 8
Welp... Heres to hoping she doesn't make a run for it

[Pulpatoon]

The emaciated figure steps into the fading light. It is Larea, the daughter of a notably friendly fisherman named Lark. She was very close with Jonas, but you haven't seen her around Herebury in awhile... maybe months? Certainly weeks.

She looks almost closer to the fungus zombies from the spherical chamber than the other cultists. Her withered flesh is cut deeply, and black, hairy mold is growing within.

She holds Brand in her shaking hands and stares at you with sunken, fever-bright eyes and says, "You have stopped nothing. What have you done? Stolen the animal that would have given our creation his voice. What needs has it of a voice? Its body is strong and perfect, its spirit is sharp and unyielding. Its heart pumps with the blood of your broken gods and abandoned spirits!

"You have been but a nuisance among the roots of the Grove; mice at scurrying about the toes of a dragon. You have done nothing! You are nothing!"

She lunges at you, but she is weak and you are ready. You easily side-step her blow. However, your own spear thrust goes wide, as well.

Let's have a WIS roll,and your next action.

[MonkeyWrench]

I never like missing my WIS rolls...
Marcus Wisdom Check(WIS:10): [1d20] = 12

Marcus attempts to beat the clearly crazy girl unconscious, believing that she may be able to answer questions later.

Spear: [1d20+1] = 8+1 = 9, Damage: [1d6+2] = 4+2 = 6

I'm not sure how to exactly do this so I rolled for an attack, if you think Marcus's intent is better suited to a dex/str roll then I will roll those as well. His intent is to knock her out and bind her, maybe even mummy her with the tent fabric and drag her back to town as he carries Gizzy.

Marcus Dexterity Check(DEX:14): [1d20] = 7
Marcus Strength Check(STR:10): [1d20] = 5

[Pulpatoon]

We can treat this as a regular attack, but tally up subdual damage, if you're trying to knock her out. Unfortunately, that attack missed.

Larea swings Brand: [1d20] = 11
But you step back, away from the arc of the swing.

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus, dodging the attacks of Larea, moves in with surprising quickness and attempts once again to knock the wounded woman out with his staff, "I've had enough of this larea!"

Spear: [1d20+1] = 17+1 = 18, Damage: [1d6+2] = 3+2 = 5

bout time I had a good roll. Even in my other games my rolls have sucked...

[Pulpatoon]

The butt of your spear thunks soundly right in the center of Larea's forehead. The wasted figure crumples like a rag doll.

The campsite is silent and still. Night has fallen.

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus takes the sword from her, putting it in the other side of his belt. He grabs the tent that she was hiding in and throws it off of it's stakes before laying it down flat and rolling her body on the side, making her into a giant human burrito joint using some nearby rope to bind it all and keep enough slack for him to drag with, tying it around his waist. After all is said and down he picks Gizzy back up and heads once more for town, his new captive dragging behind him.

[Pulpatoon]

Marcus: It is a long, wearying journey through an eerie silence that makes the once-familiar forest seem strange and hostile. Your many wounds pain you and you have to rest several times, laying down your two burdens.

Eventually, you make it to town. It is closer to dawn than you would like.

Gizzy's ticking sounds stronger and more regular than it had before, and he begins to shift in his sleep as you near Herebury. Larea, on the other hand, breathes so shallowly and with such interruption that you pause several ties to check if she is dead.

Entering Herebury, the town is asleep, except for a few farmers, deputized as Night Guards at the last minute. They look aghast at the state of you, and rush to help you with Larea and Gizzy. They escort you to the Reeve's house, where you find Bris Miller and Tatter Helga, both looking exhausted, seem to have taken up the Reeve's duties.

Hot broth and bread are pressed into Marcus' hands, followed soon after by a foul tasting potion of Helga's.

Marcus Healing: [1d8] = 2
Gizzy Healing: [1d8] = 3

As Gizzy blearily sits up, Bris says, "You boys need some sleep, but before we can let you do that, what can tell us? Did you find my husband? The others? Can you shed any light on this mad night?"

Pyro! You get to play again!

[MonkeyWrench]

Woot! I'm up to 4 HP now and I saved Pyro!

Also I forget, does Marcus still have his Dragon Scale?

Before answering Marcus checks on Gizzy, making sure he's alright as he wakes up. He takes the well kept but normal sword out of his belt and lays it next to Gizzy, "Thank you for letting me borrow it my friend." Marcus says with a smile.

He then takes the magical sword out of his belt belt and lays it down on the table near his spear before answering Bris, "So much has happened... I will try to make sure I tell everything but we must go back as soon as we can to help the others at the grove! I promised them I would bring back help." He gives Bris a determined look, planting his feet, letting her know that he will be going back with or without help.

Marcus takes a deep breath before starting on recounting what all they have found out... "When we left the village we had split off into two teams initially, one to save Wilbur and the other to find out what had happened with the river. I don't know what happened with the second group all that well but we did find Wilbur. My group went along the river to find the source of the blood, we found savage and starved dogs that attacked at night at first, but then we found what we were looking for... The body of the priest that had came through town, he was dismembered with black runes carved into his torso and face. His eyes and mouth sewn shut as he was tied down with rocks in the river... The fish that ate from him became ravenous and couldn't stop eating, the effect also effected... some of the members of the party... We we able to release what we believed to be a host of trapped spirits, probably due to the runes carved into his flesh." Marcus rubs his eyes, wanting to forget the images that he saw of his friends as they gorged upon the decaying flesh of the priest, "Afterwards we tracked whoever had done this into the forest where we lost them, instead being attacked by a diseased looking bear, we put it out of it's misery and went back to town to start the search over... Our search led us to the Guardians Grove, a once sacred and peaceful place, now nothing more than a twisted and dying husk of it's former self. That's where we found... the others... All of the missing towns people..." He glances at the unconscious form of Larea, "They had the same runes carved into them and were extremely hostile... we had to kill most of them... by this point we had already lost Abel and Smokey, I still don't know where they are... But we descended down a passage leading into and under the tree... Bris, what we found down there..." Marcus shakes his head, "I've wasted enough time, we need to gather more able-bodied villagers and head back! The others need our help! We also need something to heal them from Helga, hopefully she can spare another potion for me and Gizzy and a few more for the others... Please! Time is not on our side!"

[Pulpatoon]

Bris' face drains visibly of color when you mention the state of the Grove. On mentioning Smokey and Abel, she nods and says, "Yes, they both passed through the village yesterday. Both were quiet and unresponsive. They simply packed up a few things and headed south. We were afraid it was some spiritual malaise caught from whatever it is in the woods you were facing."

When you ask after healing potions, Tatter Helga gives a short, derisive laugh. "How easy do you think those are to brew? An' they don't keep ontha' shelf, neether. You kin ask yer friends Simon 'n Abel why I ain't got the fixin's t'make more, if yer curious." After a pause, she adds, "I got one more draught. Yew two kin fight over it, or yeh cud take it back ter th' woods fer yer friends."

When Bris hears this, she says, firmly, "They're not going back to the woods! The very idea! You boys have done enough. We're all very proud of you, but it's time for you to rest. We'll gather a deputation of men from the village, and send them after the others."

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus' stubborn side begins to show as he looks at Bris, "My friends are still out there! There is no way I will stand by while they could use my help! I came back to bring help with me, not sit around like a useless child! You need me." He stands his ground, not taking no for an answer.

He looks to Helga, "Then I will take that last draught and bring it with me, I'm sure they will need it." He walks over and grabs his spear, and after a moments hesitation, he also grabs Smokeys Sword, putting it into his belt. He turns back to Bris and Helga, "Gather who the village can spare, we can't waste any more time with this, I will protect my friends." He begins to head to the door, calling to Helga as he walks, "Thank you Helga, once this is over I will personally collect whatever you need to replenish your stocks."

[Pulpatoon]

Helga cackles as Marcus storms out, "More spine than brain, that one! They'll call him a hero or a corpse, come daybreak."

The old lady pokes Gizzy. "An' howsabout yew, Boy 'O Springs? Y'gonna foller Itchy-Britches, or settle in fer a proper rest?"

[PyroArrow]

Tokioso 'Gizzy' Gizmoebius [AC: 12 HP: 5/5]:

The potion brought me back up to full Hit Points.

Do i need to rest or do I become fatigued if i continue on with Marcus? If not i will follow Marcus.

[Pulpatoon]

If both of you continue through the night without sleep (being in a near-death coma doesn't count as rest), you are in danger of being fatigued. But, both of you are particularly defined by your sense of duty to the village and your friends, so I'll allow a CON check every game-hour. Fail it, and you take -2 to all checks. Succeed, and you get another hour through sheer force of will.

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus would take those odds if it meant helping his friends.