Fantasy Hunters Inn || Find Fifi

[Gwenymoo]

Tobias shook his head, "we aint alone cal..." tobias looked up at the glowing eyes above them, "Theres some sorta fowl magic going on" he growled

 

[Lost Echo]

This took far more concentration than they wanted. They were forming a path through the dense underbrush, lifting the dirt away from the roots, high enough to make a platform for their chair, before returning it after they passed. Their trail was obvious, but the plants were no worse off than before. Urzoth preferred leaving their body to transverse the woods, but something told them not to this time. “Akela’s returning; it’s all throughout the woods. At first, she thought it was from pestle’s magic.” They paused, considering adding ‘no offense’, but realized Akela probably did mean to offend.

Urzoth ignored the chance to poke fun at Callan, more focused on this strange altar. “I can purify souls.” They told the two rookies, “I can try to do so on…Fifi,” Looking up, they added, “Or any of those, but it may disturb whatever magic is happening now.” Turning in their chair to Morgana, they asked, “Can pestle sense anything beyond mundane animals? So far, Akela hasn’t seen any true beasts or humans.”

 

[Genii]

“Magic…” Callan followed Tobias’ gaze up to the menagerie of corrupted critters. “… perfect.”

Directly behind the alter was a small sapling growing out from a crack in the stone. An insignificant thing at first glance, but Morgana (and anyone else sensitive to magic) might sense an inordinate amount of energy radiating from it.

Sneaky Pestle had caught the attention of one of the raccoons. It creepily turned its head towards the snake before following after it along the branch.

“… well… what’s the worst a little dog could do.” Callan quickly lost his patience and stepped into the clearing. “Come on pup, time ter-“

As soon as someone entered the circle, the animals leapt into action. The crows cawed and swarmed Callan and the squirrels leapt at him like little nut-eating ninjas. The raccoons slid down their respective tree trunks, before bounding across the clearing to join the attack.

Fifi didn’t move, but they added to the noise by barking and howling. Akela may have heard a few wolf-like howls in response, as well as the roar of a stag or two.

“Argh! F*ck!” Callan twirled and flapped and swung his arms around in an attempt to fight off his possessed attackers. “Little help!?”

 

[Gwenymoo]

Tobias facepalmed as Callan was mobbed "I thought yous was an expert!" He shouted as the veteran was mobbed. Sighing he leapt into the fray to try and swipe off the animals in a rather comical manner.

 

[Lost Echo]

Urzoth wanted to facepalm as well. Had the addition of Tobias really knocked Callan so off kilter? Instead, she clapped her hands together, then spread them with a roar, Kenai assisting her in her purifying magic. She let it roll over the clearing, trusting that it would not harm Tobias and Callan.

 

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Pestle whirled on the raccoon behind him, striking and twisting up, trying to constrict the woodland creature.

"Something's up with the sapling growing from that altar!" Morgana fired off a crossbow bolt at the small tree in the stone. "I call dibs! I want to investigate it!"
She recoiled and flinched from the purifying effects of Urzoth and Kenai's magic.

 

[Genii]

Callan fought monsters, not rabid squirrels. He was about to scold the rookie for being so cheeky, but a raccoon attached itself to his face. “Mm!! Mm!?”

The raccoon in Pestle’s grasp wriggled and angrily hissed as it was restrained. These animals were definitely being controlled by something, and they had no concern for themselves.

The birds turned on Tobias, pecking and scratching at him while he tried to assist Callan.

However, whatever Urzoth and Kenai did worked. Fifi stopped barking and the birds and small mammals all retreated back into the forest.

Callan was about to speak when Morgana’s crossbow bolt zipped by. It flew past Fifi (with just an inch to spare), and hit the little sapling in the rock, snapping it in two.

Nothing happened at first, then all of a sudden the altar and the ground in the clearing began to violently shake and rumble. Something wasn’t happy...

 

[Gwenymoo]

Tobias flailed angrily before it went silent for a moment.... then the earth shook. "What did you do?!?!?!?" He pointed at Morgana and then Urzoth. Before bolting up a tree like some feral child.

 

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Gwenymoo
Morgana shrugged, her expression was one of pure unapologetic glee. "I don't know! Isn't it exciting?" Her teeth flashed in a wild grin.

 

[Lost Echo]

“Freed the animals,” Urzoth replied absently, their mind racing toward a possible answer they did not like. It was with relief that Akela came up beside them, but one they didn’t think would last for long. “Anyone know any fire spells?” With Kenai still a part of them, their voice was a little gravelly. They let the grizzly manifest over them, knowing if they were right, they were going to need the extra defense, whereas Akela had the speed. Summoning all three could be a strain, so they waited to call on Marahute.

 

[Gwenymoo]

"I uhhh i can use fire!" Tobias shouted from up in the trees

 

[Genii]

Now free of his fluffy face mask, Callan unsheathed his longsword. He hoped whatever was coming could bleed.

With a loud crack and bang the altar shattered into pieces, sending stone shrapnel shooting off in all directions. In the damp earth where the rock once stood, something began climbing out.

Gnarled, root-like hands with long sharp claws, the beast was a tall humanoid tree-like monstrosity with the head of a decaying stag.

((Just a quick reveal post before I nod off. ))

 

[Lost Echo]

“We might need it.” They called back. “Try not to burn the forest down, but to be honest, if it’s what I think it is, I wouldn’t mind as long as you kill it.” To Callan, who sadly no longer had a raccoon on his face they asked, “You ever fight a Leshen?”

And then it was coming. The stone shattered, its pieces passing harmlessly through the spirits, but causing small cuts along Urzoth's face and arms. And it started to climb out.

Akela circled around behind the creature, looking for the best thing to grab.

 

[Gwenymoo]

"Uhh sure? But whats a leashee?" Tobias squinted at the plant beast, "cal get back!" Tobias dropped down infront of him and belched out blue fire at the new planty threat.

 

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Pestle began to crush the captured raccoon with his coils, moving it up towards his mouth.

Morgana shrieked with excited laughter at the sight of the Leshen. "I love this! Look at this beautiful beast!" She watched Tobias shoot fire at it
Morgana went wide around, opening her own mouth,and activated her Cockatrice Gland, her throat swelled up like a frog, and her eyes bulged briefly.

A high pressure stream of yellow-green acid shot out from her mouth, and she attempted to make it hit in time with Tobias' fire attack

 

[Genii]

“Not on this side o’ the wall!” Callan called back to Urzoth right before the altar shattered. As he turned his back on the flying rocks, he spotted Fifi and managed to grab and tuck it under his arm.

The Leshen screeched as the acid and blue fire blasted against its body. It thrust its twiggy arms out through the burning flames and two waves of spiked tree roots burst out of the ground - shooting towards the rookies.

From the edge of the clearing, the Leshen’s backup had arrived, in the form of a pack of snarling wolves and two antlered stags. They didn’t hesitate to jump straight into the fight.

One of the stags lowered its head and charged at Urzoth, attempting to ram their chair, while a few hungry looking wolves circled Callan and Fifi.

((Pestle just taking a quick lunch break. ))

 

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Morgana threw her arms up in defense as she was hit by the tree roots. If the thorns managed to pierce her rubbery flesh, she wouldn't feel it.

Pestle looked over the branch, and dropped the racoon's limp body on one of the wolves circling Callan. The zombie python slowly dropped over the branch, lowering his 10 foot body to provide a distraction for the wolves.
His lower was still wrapped around the branch.

 

[Gwenymoo]

Tobias grunted getting flung by the roots, he hissed clutching a gouged arm before it sliwly started to knit back together. "That bloody urt ya #**÷@@[!!!" He got to his feet and charged in to take a bite of the Leshy's arm

 

[Lost Echo]

Kenai turned and roared, raising his paws to catch the stag’s antlers, fighting with it to toss it aside. Urzoth was knocked to the side, but managed to use their earth magic to stay in the chair. They quickly redid the purification spell on their own, but could only unleash it in a straight line, catching a couple of animals, but not the entire clearing.

Across the clearing, Akela jumped forward, slashing at the back of the Leshen, her claws trying to cut into the roots.

 

[Genii]

There was a clonk sound as one of the wolves was bonked on the head by a falling Racoon. The animal came to its senses for a second before its eyes flickered back to a glowing red and it launched itself at the dangling python.

The stag that Kenai knocked down didn’t get up, and another was freed from its trance by Urzoth’s purification spell. It backed up, then bounded away back into the forest.

Akela and Tobias’ attacks shredded and snapped the Leshen’s charred limbs, but the forest spirit had the power to regrow them, at an unnatural speed.

“The head!” Callan yelled past the wall of gnarled roots that cut him off from Toby and Morgana. “Take its head- ouf!” He added as one of the wolves knocked him on his back.

Fifi wriggled free and tried to make a run for it.

 

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Pestle reared back and struck at the wolf, aiming right for the head, mouth agape, rows of teeth teeming with infectious bacteria.

Morgana climbed over the roots to try and find a good shot. She was no good up close, Tobias and Akela had a handle on that.
She noticed Fifi escaping from Callan and dove from the tangle of roots to tackle the Chihuahua.

 

[Gwenymoo]

"Its ed'?!? Uh ok!" Tobias drew his sword making a swipe at the skulled head while using his free hand to try and bat away the encrouching greenry

 

[Lost Echo]

Akela went to join Urzoth and Kenai on fighting the wolves. Controlled, they didn’t fit as well as a unit, which was a blessing, but there were still enough of them to cause problems. Usually, the spirit wolf would be able to communicate to them, gaining dominance, but with mindless obedience, all they could do was fight, until Urzoth managed another purifying spell.

 

[Genii]

The wolf attacking Pestle yelped and made a high pitched whine as the python struck it’s head.

Callan’s wolf made a similar sound as he jabbed it in the ribs a few times with the pommel of his sword.

Fifi the chihuahua squirmed, yapped and snapped it’s jaws at Morgana, like a furry piranha.

One by one the wolves were released from whatever spell they were under, thanks to Urzoth’s magic. As Tobias swung his sword and lopped off the creature’s head, the rest of the woodland creatures immediately turned back to normal and fled into the forest too.

The Leshen’s head bounced and rolled along the floor of the clearing and it’s wooden body froze in place - inches from swiping Tobias with its sharp clawed fingers. Even though it had been decapitated, the base of the monsters head was sprouting tiny vein-like roots as it attempted to reconnect with the forest.

“Pick it up!” Callan called from the floor. “Don’t let it take root!”

 

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Morgana held the Chihuahua gently, and used her Gorgon Eye to make eye contact with the dog. "Shh...shhh...." She intended to temporarily paralyze the dog until it would calm down."

Pestle dropped all the way to the ground and slithered up to the Leshen's head, biting onto it and raising several feet of length off the ground for someone else to take the head.