Session 72 - Evil in its many forms
Journal of Celerion
Finally we have entered the Secret Grove. We had to enter by swimming through water though, and not via Taedor's levitating cloak and help from Jill like last time. Taedor mumbled something about saving it for later. What rubbish. Kossuth must have been laughing.
It wasn't so bad as the others had imagined it to be inside. It was very quiet, and we found a couple of wild magic zones which freaked out the mages in the team. Eventually, I got tired of the walking around in random directions and climbed the mountain of rock in the middle of the grove for a good look around. Jill flew nearby and we almost immediately ran into a stone giant.
The giant seemed friendly enough and after some small talk offered to take us to see Ramondo. As we were walking, Taedor indicated that the giant was evil, but he didn't seem violent so nobody took much offence and besides, I think we had all had enough of stumbling around blind. His name was Trex, which probably should have tipped off those of us with more practised minds for detail, but he was not all he seemed to be.
Trex lead us to a cottage, where Ramondo greeted us. Peccable had a brief conversation in which he mentioned we had killed a hag in Westgate and a letter in her possession had led us here. Then all hell broke loose. Ramondo AND Trex turned into Hags, and the fight was on. This was what I had been waiting for, to root out the evil of the Hags.
Peccable was in fantastic form, and the Hag that was Ramondo was fried before she could say much at all. She had a couple of fire throwing friends inside the hut, but with my spring attacks and other ranged attacks, they were no match for us. Dwertern looked after the stone giant Hag.
The others were disappointed we didn't get to find out more from them, but clearly this lot were only going to cause more harm to the world.
Later when we went back to the other cottage we spied before seeing the stone giant. It was empty except for some old blood stains on the floor and seemed like any other woodsman's cottage except for a basket of very fresh fruit in one corner. No one went near it. Anything so out of place like that is bound to do us no good. Just as I was thinking this, a beautiful Nymph introduced herself at the door. We were all awestruck, not only by her beauty, but by the sheer incongruity of her being in such a strange and nasty place as this.
Then things only got stranger. Dwertern started pledging his undying love for her, and Jill was quite enamoured as well. I've not seen Jill so flittery. The Nymph called herself Glynara and wanted everyone to come out into the sunshine to share a picnic with her. I gave Peccable a questioning look and he seemed very conflicted and confused. I was close to Taedor and he was quick to give me a clear signal of 'very evil' and then everything clicked into place. Dwertern was obviously charmed. Possibly Jill as well. Peccable, Ibis and Taedor, whilst not obviously under any influence are known to me to be sometimes shy of striking without clear provocation, and there is a place for that attitude, but it certainly was not here and now. An evil Nymph offering niceties, while at the same time taking some of the team under direct influence, in this evil place was too much. I drew my kama, bounded to her far side and went in for the kill. No one else felt able to do this, but I believe that without my intervention, things would have gone very badly for us indeed.
Well, as soon has having struck, Glynara disappeared, and Dwertern started attacking me because I had tried to kill the love of his life. Before much else could be discussed we were suddenly under attack by a group of Satyrs. Everyone got busy except for Dwertern who was chasing me all around while I tried to get to Glynara's next position some 60 feet away. Jill was trying to stop the fighting. I attacked Glynara again, and again she disappeared, and I couldn't hang around for the stumpy dwarf on my tail. I joined Taedor who magically appeared off in the distance and asked if he could see the Nymph. He could, he said she was invisible, but not to worry, and then cast that great tentacles spell. I can't remember what its called, but I know first hand what its like to be trapped by it. her time was over. The others had just about finished with the satyrs when I rejoined them and Dwertern seemed to have lost his passion for cutting me. Obviously the Nymphs hold had gone.
Taedor stopped his spell and went to see if he could question an unconscious Glynara. He was too late - she was dead. Then he did the strangest thing, by getting stuck into some of the fruit she recently held in her basket. Taedor slumped, and I felt immediately vindicated for my swift pre-emptive strike. The old evil apple trick.
Peccable was able to sort him out, and now we stand around discussing the events. Some heated discussion too. Some were disappointed not to question the Nymph, others suggesting we should have waited before striking. I believe my swift action saved us from certain capture and possible death.