On the western side of the village are a number of wooden cabins, strangely shaped with no windows and only a slim access door to the interior. These are bee hives and home to thousands of giant bees that nest here and among other man made or natural structures in the surrounding forest.
Druid Clive oversees the harvesting of the honeycomb and royal jelly. Under his management, the honey is used to manufacture various healing potions, salves, edible preserves and of course, honey mead.
He is aided by several junior acolytes, all of the Herne faith and by three repatriated wooden golems, shaped as caricature gnomes, known as Gnolems. (Ash, Birch & Conker).
Presently the hives are under a quarantine as the bees are suffering from a virus thought to have originated from the desecration of a sacred grove and the infection of guardian Treants who carried the Impurax pestilence with them.
Characters dealing with the hives or on any of the environmental quests and assisting the druids should post their roleplay actions and questions here.
Attachments
Giant bees
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He urges the others in the direction of the bee hives. When they arrive, he flags an attending druid. "Excuse me, I must consult with Brother Clive immediately. Please tell him it is Moriartus."
Jorly notices others taking the lead on finding out more information. Since that is under control, he'll begin by helping to set up whatever shelter is available amongst the group and help make the wounded comfortable.
After his conversation with Leomane, Hake leaves to explore the small village. One thing that stands out is a group of people, apparently adventurers, heading towards some odd structures. Curiosity piqued, Hake follows along to find out what's going on.
"Hello! Hello?" He strides to catch up to the strangers. "Good day to you my... Blessed St Ygg! Look at the size of those bees!" Hake stops dead, afraid to make any sudden movement.
The group enter the settlement in the early evening. A long and arduous last few miles, dragging the injured and the deceased.
Druid Clive receives Moriartus and Dougal, having met both before and communed by raven-post courier with the mage on occasion. He is introduced to Cadeweed , Jorly and Raven.
Unlike in Helix where the injured explorers are left to recuperate in hostel rooms, the welcome here is much more personal. Any attacks in the frontier are taken as personal issues; where one suffers, so may all. So the druids can gather around and minister healing to restore to health those who are injured. One acolyte fetches the local St Ygg minister Curate Leomane and he arrives with itinerant militant priest, Perseverance Hake.
The group can share their testimony. The logging camp used by Hobgoblins (?), well at least one was found, dying in the main cabin. It causes alarm but nomadic groups traverse the forest so their presence is not unusual.
The strange encounter with the Undead Flock. Now this is unusual and equally alarming. "I have heard of beasts resurrected that stalk the Moors, but never a distinct group as this. Perhaps their grave disturbed and they rise to graze again. To what purpose I don't understand." There is some debate but little conclusion reached. Up until now, there has been no incidents from the fall out of the Red Fang defeat. The Bugbears lepers helped, the village on the other side of the ridge visited by patrol.
The group are offered basic accommodation within the Long House, a utility cabin which serves as a communal meeting place. It is functional and safe.
You have also arrived on the eve of celebrations for the date is the Summer Solstice. As such, festivities are in full swing which includes various events as Maypole dancing, some archery practice and campfire story telling. Moriartus can even try his hand again at performing his lyrics scripted for the tribute performed at the Brazen Strumpet.
everyone. Festival action. Please enter an event. You can script a song or poem, themed around Light, the Sun, the Solstice, hunting. Write a few verses and post a [4d6] vs Charisma. Wooing the crowd gains some XP bonus and the biggest Ham hock bone from the hog roast.
You can enter the archery or coconut shy event. Roll me [1d20][1d20-2][1d20-5] modified by Dex bonus three times. I will calculate how many hits vs AC10 and if you become festival top-gun and earn an enhanced bit of kit and bonus XP
Tightrope walk across a silk line stretched above the crowd (and a muddy fall). Roll me a [4d6][4d6+1][4d6+2] vs Dex. Success earns some kudos and XP.
Expedition : as well as above out of expedition activity. You can also ask more questions of Clive and Leomane and if course, recruit Hake to your team.
actions please
Last edited by Spearmint on Thu Jan 05, 2023 1:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Tomfoolery!" snorts Hake at the idea of the tightrope competition. He is almost as dismissive of the archery & coconut shy activities until reason strikes him. "St Ygg would wish us all to keep up our martial skills in a place where we could be attacked at any time." He joins the line for the coconut shy.
He recites his recently penned tribute that fell quite flat upon the uncultured inhabitants of Helix. It was plainly obvious that those of the Crooked Yew are decidely even less cultured, though.
Spearmint wrote: ↑Sun Jan 01, 2023 11:47 pm
The group enter the settlement in the early evening. A long and arduous last few miles, dragging the injured and the deceased.
Druid Clive receives Moriartus and Dougal, having met both before and communed by raven-post courier with the mage on occasion. He is introduced to Jorly and Raven.
Not sure why Cadeweed did not get to meet with the Druid?
Spearmint wrote: ↑Sun Jan 01, 2023 11:47 pmeveryone. Festival action. Please enter an event. You can script a song or poem, themed around Light, the Sun, the Solstice, hunting. Write a few verses and post a [4d6] vs Charisma. Wooing the crowd gains some XP bonus and the biggest Ham hock bone from the hog roast.
You can enter the archery or coconut shy event. Roll me [1d20][1d20-2][1d20-5] modified by Dex bonus three times. I will calculate how many hits vs AC10 and if you become festival top-gun and earn an enhanced bit of kit and bonus XP
Tightrope walk across a silk line stretched above the crowd (and a muddy fall). Roll me a [4d6][4d6+1][4d6+2] vs Dex. Success earns some kudos and XP.
Poem
When everything is in darkness
And you feel all alone,
When the zombies do not stop
And you can't make it home,
When it feels all is lost
And you just want to run,
The skeletons can't run forever.
Just call for the light. 4d6 Check against CHR (8) - [_4d6]=(1+4+5+3)=13
Hake steps up to perform his poem upon the theme of "Light".
The Light of Crooked Yew
Heavily influenced *cough cough* by Kublai Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"In Crooked Yew did St Ygg
A stately chapel to himself decree
Where Light most holy of all things began
And brought it's blessings unto Man
Causing all the cursed dark to flee
So twice two hundred yards of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round
And there fell Light upon great hives
Filled with many a honey-making bee
And here a dolmen as ancient as the hills
As Light shines upon the greenery
But lo! that dark relentless shadow which wanted
Upon Crooked Yew to fall like a black cover
A savage thing, unholy and rejected
Shall fall beneath a rising Light undaunted
From St Ygg's hand as you shall all discover"
Moriartus consults with the pair of clergymen. "Brother Leomane, Brother Clive, thank you for attending to our wounded and dead. I must admit having feared the worst when we encountered that undead satyr so close to the village. Katka's defeat was a remarkable accomplishment, but his superior, this Prophet as the bugbears called him, is ultimately behind the Red Fang's recruitment and remains a threat. He may be responsible for those abominations."
"Our current mission, however, is cleansing the evil corruption infecting the sacred grove of Sylvanus by the cult of Impurax. Brother Clive, have you learned anything else about the scions and bonsai trees? I had hoped they would be of use in repairing the damage. I was also not expecting to face the undead and we are already a man down. Brother Leomane, perhaps there is a cleric willing to join us in this effort?"
The group have rathered mixed triumphs at the festival events. It has been a long day after all and you have already tried your hand by fighting off the undead flock.
Jorly falls in the return leg of the tightrope, as does Cadeweed who falters with an unbalanced step. Dougal shows them how to do it, nimbly barefoot stepping the length of cord and for those directly below, demonstrating what a Highlander does or doesn't wear under his kilt.
Perseverance Hake gathers the crowd, artfully spinning a parable of plagiarised and embellished prose. It is thoughtful and provocative, causing listeners to debate its meaning. Raven scripts a few ribald and humourous verses, some Elven wit that denigrates the Duchy, the established church and of course, the dwarves.
Moriartus can't hit for toffee. Not many of them can, sling stones and arrows zipping by the coconuts or falling short of bullseye on the goblin silhouette targets.
For taking part, each character gains +50xp. Dougal, victorious in the tightrope gets a new 50'ft Silk rope and is told that the rope is enhanced with magic and will tie itself as a knit or loop upon command. The magic is good for three uses.
After judging various entrants, Hake proves to be minstrel as well as minister and for his verses is given the Crooked Yew laureate, a laurel wreath to wear as a crown. While wearing it, it will add a bonus to Wisdom saving throws and the enchantment is good for a couple of days. (Until sunset, the day after tomorrow).
actions please adjust +50xp on your sheets, I will amend my public record.
Moriartus talks with Leomane & Clive.
The cleric gives an introduction to Hake and you share your mission's endeavour and the historic expeditions that lead you to this point. Hake, ask any questions if you want.
"The Bonsai are from ancient cuttings, a diorama of a pure creation. I believe these grafting scions may carry an anti-virus, an antidote to disease and my hope is they may be grafted into the Treants themselves."
The druid talks regarding his studies, incomplete hypothesis but suggestive that the virus afflicting the Treants may be reversible. It might not be as simple as just casting a 'Cure Disease' (which he is able to do) or trying to Dispel Magic. But his hope is that these artefacts taken from the Barrow of the Green Man have been perhaps divinely held in reserve for such a time as this.
As far as the Red Fang Bugbears go, the initial fundamentalist conversion of the tribes has been halted though some tribes-folk still adhere to the resurgent faith, drawn by its grim appeal. But no dominant shaman has risen to replace the deceased Katka, so the influence of the Set cult has been lessened. He believes the Prophet to be a religious figure, a necromancer priest, probably dwelling with a faction of cultists somewhere in the Barrowmaze labyrinths.
Hunnicot, a ranger from the Auld Guard, a troop of rangers who once scouted on behalf of the Duchy during conflict times, can draw a map which leads to the Troglodyte Caves, a section of the Blackened Forest that borders the Barrow Moor. These caves were routinely visited by the druids for a large hive of giant bees used the caves and they could harvest lots of honeycomb.
It is thought this hive might have been affected the most seriously with the apiary virus. Clive would like to know how the Hive Queen is and how the Hive thrives. If you will go there, he will equip you with a specific lotion of Royal Jelly that the Queen will feed upon, which he hopes may cure any disease she might be afflicted with.
"The Barrowmaze, you say? That certainly agrees with what we've learned. Cultists of Orcus are excavating somewhere in the Moor, likely in the Barrowmaze itself. The harpy's lair was in an area frequented by them. What are they searching for and is this Prophet of Set looking for the same thing? Is the cult of Impurax also involved?" He shakes his head and sighs, lighting a new cigar. The questions were rhetorical, of course.
"We will certainly go to the Troglodyte Caves and check the hive. Thank you for researching the scions, as well. As the treants move quite slowly, perhaps it is not too late to save them from this disease." He exhales a long plume of smoke and appears to assess Hake briefly. "Mr. Hake. Excellent. We could certainly use your help, sir. A full share of any treasures, if that interests you? I leave no man behind, either. My colleagues can attest to that fact."
