[Continued] - Lug/A Rescue Mission - 28 April, 1 VC

[Zhym]

It couldn't have been HEAVY RAIN?

[Zhym]

"Actually," says Lug, "Maybe we oughtta get a better look at where we are. Could someone climb a tree and tell if there's a way out of the forest?"

[AleBelly]

"Sure" replies Varas. He removes his backpack, hitches it to Mustard and looks for the tallest, sturdy tree he can find.

Skill check [1d100] = 51

[Keehnelf]

May 6, 1 VC - 3:00pm

Varas climbs a likely-looking tree and discovers that the fire got well ahead of the group overnight. All around the compass from the northeast to the southwest he see huge billows of smoke rising from the level of the canopy, and the sky glows bright red to the east where the whole of the forest seems to have become one bright ember.

He guesses that the only path that will keep them ahead of the fire's movement is northwest, and they will have to make quick time to have a chance at outpacing it. Judging by the smoke, the fire has reached over a mile west of their current position.

[Zhym]

"Damn!" says Lug. "We're in a tight spot! Let's get out of here, now!"

He leads the way northwest as fast as the party can manage.

So much for wrapping this thread up in time to join the festivities in Vaul.

[Zorroroaster]

George Clooney, exit stage left.

[Keehnelf]

May 6, 1 VC - 6:10pm

The party heads a bit north of west, hoping to get far enough, fast enough to circle around the advancing flames and make their final approach to Vaul. After a couple of hours, Varas makes another survey and determines that they are making progress but it will require them to quick-march through the forest through the night in order to get ahead of the flames at their current rate of encroachment.

Knowing they otherwise not make it before they are encircled, the party continues onward, rushing headlong through the undergrowth with the threat of death all around them.

They are caught a bit off-guard when they stumble out of the forest into a broad clearing, dominated in the middle by a massive and ancient gnarled oak. The grass of the clearing is covered with a thick bed of wildflowers and a small rock-lined pool lies on one side of the clearing. The area is oddly calm and quiet feeling, compared with the crash and tumult of their advance through the thicket. A lone bird even calls out sweetly from the higher branches of the oak tree.

Lug immediately recognizes the spot: the tree-witch's clearing.

[Zorroroaster]

Dog growls lowly. Marge nods her head.

"I don't like it much either, pup."

[Zhym]

"Hey, it's my girlfriend's house!" says Lug. "She's totally hot, too. A real babe. A babe in the woods—get it? Get it?" He looks around with a grin to see if anyone appreciates his joke. "Really into me, too. Invited me into her tree, if you know what I mean! I had to leave, but she gave me a lock of her hair to remember her by." He holds the pouch hanging around his neck.

He turns a bit more serious, then spews his story. "Okay, well, we call her a 'tree witch' for a reason. Last time we were here, it was just me, Orrin, and Lars—rest his soul. We were taking turns carrying Naila, who was out cold from some battle or other. There were two angry wolves by the tree, then this lady showed up, as naked as person with no clothes on. The wolves made like they were attacking her. We went to help her, but she jumped right into the tree. We beat the wolves, but then the naked lady came out and betwitched me. She was taking me to the tree for some happy time when Orin and Lars made her stop. Partly by whacking me on the head. Probably for the best, too, 'cause I don't know what happy time means for ladies that live in trees. Anyway, Lars, he was a clever one, he got her to give us some stuff in exchange for us not totally killing her dead. That's where I got the lock of hair."

He finally exhales. "She's got a bunch of treasure, or at least it looked like she did, but she's also dangerous. I'm tempted to try to get some of that treasure, because other than the beehive here and a few coins from goblins, this mission's been a total bust. We spent more money hiring mercenaries than we've made on this trip—no offense, mercenaries, you been great. So, anyway, some treasure would be good. But we can't stay here long with the fires and the tree witch is dangerous. Might be enough of us to take her, though."

"What do you wanna do?"

[Marullus]

Niles raises an eyebrow. "So, your request is to murder her for her gold?"

He allows a pregnant pause, glancing at the smoke in the distance which they hurry to flank. "Seems better, perhaps, to offer to carry a sapling for her, too, or something that will help her escape the coming fire which will surely kill her. You can simply bargain for the gold to save her life. Seems a bit more decent, in the end."

[Zhym]

"I ain't requesting nothing," says Lug. "I'm asking for opinions. And if you'd been with Orrin and Lars and me, you'd know better than to suggest doing favors for her. She was trying to bewitch us from the moment we met her, before even a 'Hi there.' Don't think she's innocent cause she's pretty and naked. 'Sides, she's got a big clearing here. She'll be fine, if you're worried about her."

Lug gives Niles a long look, then comes to a decision. "Orrin and Lars probably got all that could be gotten anyway. Let's get out of here. We'll go around the tree. Stay away from it and out of the clearing, everyone. And if she pops out from behind that tree, remember that she's dangerous."

"Oh, and if I start wandering toward the tree for no good reason, someone please put me to sleep or hit me over the head or something. Thanks."

[Keehnelf]

I have to admit, of all the possibilities that reared their heads for me when this encounter came up, probably the only one that I didn't consider was "let's try and get some more money out of that tree." That is awesome, and why leaving things open-ended is so much better than trying to force specific interactions.

Thanks, guys. Between this and the Orrin/Bertram argument, you are a real hoot today.

[AleBelly]

"What is it with these lands and enchanted trees?" Varas asks, annoyed. His nerves are on edge from having to constantly calm his horse.

"I believe what you're telling me, Lug. Why don't we just set this damned thing on fire or chop it down so it doesn't happen to the next person?"

[Zhym]

"Because Niles would make sad eyes," jokes Lug, with a friendly wink to Niles that he hopes shows that there are no hard feelings. "Also, I dunno what that witch can do. If we attack the tree, she'll get really pissed. And we don't have time for that. 'Sides, maybe it's enchanted against burning or something. Probably got really old for a reason."

"I still say we leave it alone, go around, and try to find a way out of this damned fire."

[AleBelly]

"But, treasure" protests Varas. "Besides, this could be a safe place to wait out the fires. And she's a nasty person. Magical, to boot. In my book, she has our gold!"

[Zhym]

"C'mon Varas," says Lug as they skirt the clearing. "There'll be gold somewhere else. Besides, she eats up fools like us."

[AleBelly]

Lug's refusal to play ball does nothing to improve the thief's dour mood. "Yeah, there will be gold somewhere else. And someone else will have a reason that we shouldn't take any of it. Pah!" he snorts, and travels with the rest of the group in silence.

[Keehnelf]

May 7, 1 VC - 1:20am

The party continues west-northwest through the forest, skirting the enchanted tree and leaving the tree-witch behind with it. As dark settles over the forest, leaving only the half-shrouded moon and the dim glow of flame in the distance to light the night, the harried group hardly stops to eat before rushing on into the gloomy undergrowth. Half the night passes with period checks against the progress of the fire, and finds that they are slowly gaining on the forward edge of the conflagration.

A while after midnight, the party stumbles over the edge of a deep, wide gully populated by low shrubs and weeds and is surprised to see large shadows moving below them among the underbrush. A trio of giant spiders are moving somewhat perpendicular to the party's course about forty feet ahead, heading north away from the fire.

Please deduct one day's rations apiece.

[Zhym]

Lug puts up a hand in the universal signal for "wait."

"Poison and no treasure," he whispers. "Not worth the bother. Plus, my bow'd break if I attacked." He readies his bow in case the spiders attack, but makes no move unless they do. If the spiders continue on, Lug will start moving again when the spiders are safely gone.

Attack roll, if needed:
Symurgwyl (Longbow +1/+2) (THAC0 18): [1d20+2] = 6+2 = 8, Dmg: [1d8+2] = 5+2 = 7

Keep on going, big spiders.

[Marullus]

Ferris the wolfhound growls low in his throat; Niles stays him with a hand on the back of the neck. "I could put them to sleep, if need be," whispers Niles, his scrawny frame now haggard beyond reasonability. "But without being able to stop, to rest, to sleep... it will be the last spell I cast. We must beat the fire. We must have relief soon."