For Faolan's turn, he looks around wildly, thinking - what can he do? He's out of big tricks and he doubts a sword's much use against a tree!
His eyes fall on the stranger - Altair, bleeding, who has plenty of fire to bring something like that down.
In a moment of desperation - or hope, perhaps, that Altair will be able to keep it at bay long enough for Faolan to think up a plan - he casts Healing Word on the other man.
Healing Dima for a total of 7 hit points.
He'll hold his movement for now.
<.>
Halfway up the tree, a hand brushes bark, settles with a press, and a voice speaks softly: "Shhh, shhh. Wouldn't you like to go back to sleep? Don't you feel nicer with your roots in the ground?"
A mere moment later, above the crashing sounds and movements, a voice emanates booming from within the trees branches—
”What is WRONG with all of you?
”I was sleeping? Do you UNDERSTAND this much? I! Was sleeping!
”For what PURPOSE have you brought it on yourselves to wake me UP? You absolute DUNCE.”
The unseen tiefling has cast Thaumaturgy, and end their turn clinging to the branches, being very, very annoyed with the man who woke their sleeping spot.
<.>
The unexpected booming voice emanating across the clearing has brought a momentary halt to the action; Faolan, Wythall. and Wythall's attacker (now at a disadvantage with Wythall atop him) freeze, all three staring at the tree.
More than one of them thinks the tree is speaking. Faolan's hands are still held up in the aftermath of his healing spell.
Almost immediately, the action resumes: the lanky man uses the opportunity to headbutt Wythall.
<.>
There was hardly time to appreciate the sudden blast of thunder (oh, but it was exhilarating magic!). There was hardly time to register the reappearance of the man of shoeless grins, or the fact that the newcomer looks VERY FAMILIAR and sounds MORE FAMILIAR STILL, and if it were any other time that voice alone might bring on a sudden headache.
There's hardly time to appreciate the fact that he's just been healed by the hooded stranger, the alternate Altair, though Dima does take a moment to revel in the image of eyes almost aglow before—
Before the tree. Fucking. Speaks??
It might not be the tree.
It. Might. Be the tree.
And Dmitri Aubric Voronin, in a moment of calculated brilliance, points vehemently toward Wythall and calls out, very informatively: "You can thank that yolk-brained practitioner for disturbing you. I'm sure we'd all prefer you continue with your nap."
Then, shifting his finger to the tree - just in case? - he Messages in Common: ’Can you hear me?’
He's also going to take this opportunity to move ten feet to the side— Brushing a hand against 'Altair's as he moves in a gesture that is very, very like a gentle 'follow me' tug.
The tree is momentarily hesitant in its plodding steps as the voice comes roaring from its branches. Stopping where it is, it begins to shake itself, limbs flailing and sweeping dangerously. It's seemingly aware there is something humanoid far too close to its trunk.
Rin, make an athletics check.
[ATH: 22]
Rin manages to hang on just fine, and for the moment they evade any limbs that might swing a little too close to their head.
<.>
The voice from the tree DOES loudly exclaim “RUDE”, however.
<.>
Annnd we are back at the top of the round, which is Faolan -
Who at the moment has no idea what to do, but 'Altair' has given his hand a small (nice?) (kind?) ((not unpleasant??)) tug, and the man seems to know what he's doing - more than Faolan does, at any rate. He follows, his gaze cutting from the tree to the wrestlers to the tree once more.
He'll hold his action.
<.>
The voice from the tree echoes again: ”Oh, this is NONSENSE.”
If the tree isn't going to be reasonable, and if no one is going to stop whatever the tree is up to, Rin is going to attempt to scramble-leap from its branches to the ground, though first they’ll take a stab at the tree with one of their shortswords.
[ATTK: 7, miss. The tree's thrashing makes it impossible to land a decent hit; their blade glances off the bark and the tree doesn't notice the attack attempt at all. ]
A string of Infernal curses sound loudly from the branches, and Rin will now attempt their scramble!
[ATHL: 17. They land unscathed save for maybe a hair out of place.]
Whatever movement they have left, they're using to move back and in the non murder thumb direction! While fixing the out of place hair back into their cloak.
<.>
Wythall, now at a disadvantage and bleeding from the nose, has been distracted from his combat by the tiefling leaping to the ground. (Above him, so has Sen, who is looking oddly at Rin, one hand pulled back with a knife's butt threatening to land a blow to Wythall's head.)
He begins to wriggle with more intent, reaching and shouting, “Get away from my tree!” as he struggles to break free from Sen's hold.
Faolan whips around ("YOUR tree?") and acts suddenly, releasing Altair's hand (how long was he holding...?) and using the remainder of his movement to run at Wythall and Sen, drawing his scimitar as he rushes them.
And he's going to attempt to bring an attack down on Wythall's upper torso / head / neck area. Wythall is pinned and prone beneath Sen, so Faolan gets advantage., amd—
Faolan catches Wythall in the shoulder for four points of slashing damage; the man screams, but continues his struggle to free himself.
<.>
(There was a hand twined with his own, and he feels its lingered impression even as he tracks the scene unfolding, even as he reacts.)
Having determined that the tree was not in fact speaking, and seeing that 'Altair' (a little, little flex of his hand as he thinks the name) and the all-too-familiar loudmouth have Wythall in hand, Dima is going to move within ten feet of the tree and cast Burning Hands in an upward cone, figuring that if he can't take down the fucking thing, he can at least set it aflame.
<.>
The tree begins to burn, sustaining first 11, then 22 points of fire damage. There's a sound like a roar, branches flailing, the roots stomping wildly as it attempts to shake off the fire.
Behind Dima, Wythall is shouting crazed protests.
It would seem the tree is vulnerable to fire damage.
The tree is, however, still standing. And it is now said tree's turn.
Enraged, it 'turns' toward Dima and Rin and throws itself forward, the wide spread of its limbs hurtling towards the ground.
Rin and Dima each sustain seven points of bludgeoning damage and learn a very important lesson about the reach of the tree.
Which is 10ft.
[note: When Fae healed him, Dima got a few extra, temporary hit points. Which is very good because otherwise he would be very unconscious oops.]
Seeing the tree first burst into flames, then throw itself at his allies, Faolan feels a clench of panic in his chest. He turns back to Wythall and draws his dagger, now wielding both blades.
Fae gets two attacks with dual wield; first one hits. Second one bARELY hits
[FAE HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS.]
As Sen grapples the writhing man and pins him to the ground, Faolan stabs deep into the man's chest with his scimitar; for good measure, he draws a clean line across Wythall's throat with his dagger.
As the man falls still, so does the tree. After a moment or two, the only noises in the clearing is the combined sounds of the four survivors' breathing and the crackling of fire as the now-still tree continues to burn.
Faolan straightens and begins wiping the blood from his blades on the hem of his tunic as he turns back to look for the two survivors of the tree's onslaught.
no subject
[Awakened Tree: 3
Faolan: 15
Sen: 8, holding
Wythall: 12, holding
Dima: 4
Rin: 15]
For Faolan's turn, he looks around wildly, thinking - what can he do? He's out of big tricks and he doubts a sword's much use against a tree!
His eyes fall on the stranger - Altair, bleeding, who has plenty of fire to bring something like that down.
In a moment of desperation - or hope, perhaps, that Altair will be able to keep it at bay long enough for Faolan to think up a plan - he casts Healing Word on the other man.
Healing Dima for a total of 7 hit points.
He'll hold his movement for now.
<.>
Halfway up the tree, a hand brushes bark, settles with a press, and a voice speaks softly: "Shhh, shhh. Wouldn't you like to go back to sleep? Don't you feel nicer with your roots in the ground?"
A mere moment later, above the crashing sounds and movements, a voice emanates booming from within the trees branches—
”What is WRONG with all of you?
”I was sleeping? Do you UNDERSTAND this much? I! Was sleeping!
”For what PURPOSE have you brought it on yourselves to wake me UP? You absolute DUNCE.”
The unseen tiefling has cast Thaumaturgy, and end their turn clinging to the branches, being very, very annoyed with the man who woke their sleeping spot.
<.>
The unexpected booming voice emanating across the clearing has brought a momentary halt to the action; Faolan, Wythall. and Wythall's attacker (now at a disadvantage with Wythall atop him) freeze, all three staring at the tree.
More than one of them thinks the tree is speaking. Faolan's hands are still held up in the aftermath of his healing spell.
Almost immediately, the action resumes: the lanky man uses the opportunity to headbutt Wythall.
<.>
There was hardly time to appreciate the sudden blast of thunder (oh, but it was exhilarating magic!). There was hardly time to register the reappearance of the man of shoeless grins, or the fact that the newcomer looks VERY FAMILIAR and sounds MORE FAMILIAR STILL, and if it were any other time that voice alone might bring on a sudden headache.
There's hardly time to appreciate the fact that he's just been healed by the hooded stranger, the alternate Altair, though Dima does take a moment to revel in the image of eyes almost aglow before—
Before the tree. Fucking. Speaks??
It might not be the tree.
It. Might. Be the tree.
And Dmitri Aubric Voronin, in a moment of calculated brilliance, points vehemently toward Wythall and calls out, very informatively: "You can thank that yolk-brained practitioner for disturbing you. I'm sure we'd all prefer you continue with your nap."
Then, shifting his finger to the tree - just in case? - he Messages in Common: ’Can you hear me?’
He's also going to take this opportunity to move ten feet to the side— Brushing a hand against 'Altair's as he moves in a gesture that is very, very like a gentle 'follow me' tug.
The tree is momentarily hesitant in its plodding steps as the voice comes roaring from its branches. Stopping where it is, it begins to shake itself, limbs flailing and sweeping dangerously. It's seemingly aware there is something humanoid far too close to its trunk.
Rin, make an athletics check.
[ATH: 22]
Rin manages to hang on just fine, and for the moment they evade any limbs that might swing a little too close to their head.
<.>
The voice from the tree DOES loudly exclaim “RUDE”, however.
<.>
Annnd we are back at the top of the round, which is Faolan -
Who at the moment has no idea what to do, but 'Altair' has given his hand a small (nice?) (kind?) ((not unpleasant??)) tug, and the man seems to know what he's doing - more than Faolan does, at any rate. He follows, his gaze cutting from the tree to the wrestlers to the tree once more.
He'll hold his action.
<.>
The voice from the tree echoes again: ”Oh, this is NONSENSE.”
If the tree isn't going to be reasonable, and if no one is going to stop whatever the tree is up to, Rin is going to attempt to scramble-leap from its branches to the ground, though first they’ll take a stab at the tree with one of their shortswords.
[ATTK: 7, miss. The tree's thrashing makes it impossible to land a decent hit; their blade glances off the bark and the tree doesn't notice the attack attempt at all. ]
A string of Infernal curses sound loudly from the branches, and Rin will now attempt their scramble!
[ATHL: 17. They land unscathed save for maybe a hair out of place.]
Whatever movement they have left, they're using to move back and in the non murder thumb direction! While fixing the out of place hair back into their cloak.
<.>
Wythall, now at a disadvantage and bleeding from the nose, has been distracted from his combat by the tiefling leaping to the ground. (Above him, so has Sen, who is looking oddly at Rin, one hand pulled back with a knife's butt threatening to land a blow to Wythall's head.)
He begins to wriggle with more intent, reaching and shouting, “Get away from my tree!” as he struggles to break free from Sen's hold.
Faolan whips around ("YOUR tree?") and acts suddenly, releasing Altair's hand (how long was he holding...?) and using the remainder of his movement to run at Wythall and Sen, drawing his scimitar as he rushes them.
And he's going to attempt to bring an attack down on Wythall's upper torso / head / neck area. Wythall is pinned and prone beneath Sen, so Faolan gets advantage., amd—
Faolan catches Wythall in the shoulder for four points of slashing damage; the man screams, but continues his struggle to free himself.
<.>
(There was a hand twined with his own, and he feels its lingered impression even as he tracks the scene unfolding, even as he reacts.)
Having determined that the tree was not in fact speaking, and seeing that 'Altair' (a little, little flex of his hand as he thinks the name) and the all-too-familiar loudmouth have Wythall in hand, Dima is going to move within ten feet of the tree and cast Burning Hands in an upward cone, figuring that if he can't take down the fucking thing, he can at least set it aflame.
<.>
The tree begins to burn, sustaining first 11, then 22 points of fire damage. There's a sound like a roar, branches flailing, the roots stomping wildly as it attempts to shake off the fire.
Behind Dima, Wythall is shouting crazed protests.
It would seem the tree is vulnerable to fire damage.
The tree is, however, still standing. And it is now said tree's turn.
Enraged, it 'turns' toward Dima and Rin and throws itself forward, the wide spread of its limbs hurtling towards the ground.
Rin and Dima each sustain seven points of bludgeoning damage and learn a very important lesson about the reach of the tree.
Which is 10ft.
[note: When Fae healed him, Dima got a few extra, temporary hit points. Which is very good because otherwise he would be very unconscious oops.]
Seeing the tree first burst into flames, then throw itself at his allies, Faolan feels a clench of panic in his chest. He turns back to Wythall and draws his dagger, now wielding both blades.
Fae gets two attacks with dual wield; first one hits. Second one bARELY hits
[FAE HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS.]
As Sen grapples the writhing man and pins him to the ground, Faolan stabs deep into the man's chest with his scimitar; for good measure, he draws a clean line across Wythall's throat with his dagger.
As the man falls still, so does the tree. After a moment or two, the only noises in the clearing is the combined sounds of the four survivors' breathing and the crackling of fire as the now-still tree continues to burn.
Faolan straightens and begins wiping the blood from his blades on the hem of his tunic as he turns back to look for the two survivors of the tree's onslaught.
<.>