With their victims now free of their grasp, the Wood Titans struggle against Dysis' magical storm... two of them, notably the ones that were holding onto Petracles and Aleta, cannot break free of the storm's effects, however the other two do and begin to move forward against the party, gathering their branches up in the form of fists to punch them.

One of them punches at Arthanos, but even with its branches in the form of a fist, but its' fist is parried by Arthanos' sword.  The other one moves towards Dysis and swings at her, but she is quick enough of foot to evade the Wood Titan's attack by ducking and then jumping back a short distance while she readies her sling.

Arthanos moves away from his position in-between the still immobilized tree and the one that had just attacked him, and gathers a branch from the still blazing campfire. He examines the Wood Titans, trying to determine where the best place to hit them with fire would be. It then becomes clear that if he were to get the fire inside of the Wood Titans somehow, perhaps through their 'mouths' or 'eyes' - which are indeed presented as gaping holes inside these magical trees - then they would burn up from within.


Elsewhere, Petracles readies himself and rushes to attack the Wood Titan that had been grappling him. He hacks down some of its branches, doing some damage to the giant creature.


Dysis, having jumped back from the Wood Titan that broke free from her spell, whirls a stone which strikes the Wood Titan. The stone hits the Wood Titan in its 'face', but appears to have done little damage to the immense creature.  Meanwhile, Aleta, scatters away from her position and moves behind the campfire, watching the battle unfold.


Finally, the barbarian Agmund and the group's guide gather themselves back up and each grab flaming branches from the campfire, they both wave the branches at the Wood Titan nearby Arthanos trying to drive the creature back. Agmund shouts out "We must ignite them somehow! Oil! Who has oil?!"

OOC: Some damage is done to the Wood Titans, but none to the party this round. Two of them have broken free, and are attacking Arthanos and Dysis respectively.

HP Tally

Arthanos: 12/12
Petracles: 7/13
Dysis: 8/8
Aleta: 7/10

Guide (lost 5 HP total so far)
Agmund (lost 5 HP total so far)

Dysis had gasped after barely evading the blow from the gigantic creature. Too close! She did not wish to end her days smashed flat by some peevish tree.  Even though she supposed that, on some level, it was justice for all the trees that humans felled.  However, she had no problem with prejudice for herself and her fellow mammals!

"I have three flasks!" she called out in response to Agmund.  It seemed their only hope. Weapons were going to be too slow.  And her wind magic, though it might again ensnare the two who'd gone free, wasn't going to last much longer.  Neither was it doing them any harm.

She unlimbered her pack as swiftly as she could, keeping her attention on the titan, intent upon avoiding any other swipes the thing made at her.

"Let's hope it works quick! Being hugged by burning trees is worse than what we have now. To say nothing of torching the woods around us!" she added in grim humor.  It was certainly a risk. Greater or smaller than trying to out-melee these, she couldn't say for sure.

Dysis made all three oil flasks available to those who wished to take one.

Initiative 13
Access pack, get out flasks to give to others, move as needed
This message was last edited by the player at 01:46, Mon 02 July 2012.

Aleat grabs a large stick with a glowing hot end and hides it behind her back as she tries to slip into the shadows.

(ooc- Aleta rolled 15 using 1d20+6. sneak. )

Petracles withdraws to Dysis, covering his retreat with his shield.  He takes a flask of oil and unstoppers it.
He holds the open flask between the fingers of his left hand, while holding the shield at the same time.
He then advances against the stationary Wood Titan that had originally grabbed him as he prepares to douse the creature with oil.

Coming to a conclusion, Arthanos leaps forward, swinging with his sword first to try and distract, then thrusting the flaming branch at the creatures face.


14:14, Today: Arthanos rolled 21 using 1d20+6. Attack.

Dysis hands out her flasks of oil to those who needed it. Fortunately, the two trees still immobilized by the spell hadn't broken free so the only danger the group had to deal with were the other two still moving about.

The titans who still moved attacked. The first swung at Arthanos and narrowly missed, the only damage done to the nobleman was a slight scratch on his cheek from the titan's branch. The other moved to catch up to Dysis, and rising its fist high up in the air, it slams it down upon the ground, almost causing the young sorceress to lose her footing and topple over backwards.

Arthanos then thrust the still flaming branch towards the titan's face, which seems to instinctively react to the open flame, as it pulls its head back and away from the flame - seemingly repulsed by it.

Petracles moves to Dysis' position, and once she is ready he takes one of her flasks of oil, moving as quickly as he could to the still immobilized tree, dousing its roots, body and as close up to the face as possible with the contents of the flask.

Aleta grabbed one of the flaming branches from the fire and stealthily slipped into the shadows outside of the campsite, though the flame from the burning branch did give some indication where she was. In any case, the wood titans were so busy with the rest of the party that they would probably pay her no attention as she moved around behind their position.

Finally, Agmund and the party's guide each grab the remaining two flasks of oil from Dysis' pack. On Agmund's direction, the guide moves towards the other still immobilized tree and begins to douse it with oil, while Agmund moves towards the tree that Arthanos was fighting. He nods at the nobleman, and starts to douse the tree's roots, before hucking what remained of the flask at the tree's face itself, which breaks and shatters on impact.

That had been entirely too close for comfort. Again..!    And it looked like Socratrees would surely keep trying.

Dysis slipped her wooden shield down onto her arm, and concentrated on her own defense.  What magic she had energy left for wouldn't make a difference against this.  If the other foes succumbed to the flames, then they could all gang on this last one.

But she had to survive to get there.

Init. 13 -  will do anything I can to add further to my EDC - evade, duck behind normal trees etc. 

Aleta watched for a chance to slip close to a tree with oil on it. She would move when she got an openng to silently strike. She would flame up there tree's.

(ooc- Today: Aleta rolled 20 using 1d20+5. branch. Not sure if I should add anything other tne melee)
This message was last edited by the player at 00:15, Fri 20 July 2012.

Arthanos nods back at Agmund before concentrating once again on the tree. Focusing on the area the oil flask hit, Arthanos lunges, thrusting the flaming branch forward in an effort to light the tree on fire.

20:00, Today: Arthanos rolled 9 using 1d20+6. attack with flaming branch.

WOOSH!

The application of the flaming branches to the trees has an immediate impact. Black smoke pours from the trees' gaping mouths and eyes, and something akin to a deep scream comes as the flames intensify.

One of them simply collapses, a loan moan coming from its mouth as it the fire crackles and consumes it. Dysis had just barely jumped out of the way in time to avoid being squashed.  The other one attempts to flee, however, the sudden movement of air as the wood titan moves speeds up the spread of the fire and it can only go a few steps before it too collapses to the earth

The other two wood titans are still immobilized by Dysis' spell, and thus they can do nothing but watch their brethren fall to the flames.


HP Tally

Arthanos: 12/12
Petracles: 7/13
Dysis: 8/8
Aleta: 7/10

Guide (lost 5 HP total so far)
Agmund (lost 5 HP total so far)

"Should we try and talk to them?" she says as she holds the flaming branch out. Any information might be useful.

"I understand such things are mostly mindless, created by Dryad's magic, or something similar," put in the elementalist.   "But if anyone wishes to try, then try swiftly! The magic that holds them won't last forever."

Personally, Dysis was ready to torch them.  She didn't want to risk the spell ending and having to fight these as well.  That last blow had been entirely too close for comfort.   Still, Aleta had a point. An attempt at communicating might be worth it.

"Oh, all right, I will trust you on these things, I don't know anything about wilderness stuff" she says as she puts one of the trees to the flame.

Arthanos listened to the exchange, but his gaze didn't leave the two trapped creatures.

Calling out, he says "Dysis, how long do you think you can hold them?" as he approached the last tree, flaming branch leading as he went to set the tree on fire.

"Not much longer at best. No longer at worst, if they happen to rip free!" she answered the nobleman.

And she would not have the energy to cast another spell of this magnitude, today.  But she wasn't going to advertise that -- just in case the enemy could understand.

OOC- I believe only 2 rounds left for this spell.  But MM will probably want to double check that. 

Agmund and the the guide had watched wide-eyed as the two trees had wasted away to burning ash in front of their eyes. Looking to the other trees, Agmund motions to the guide to follow him. "Quickly! Let us do the same to these two as well!" he shouts. The two rush towards the nearest tree, oil flasks in hand to pour oil on the immobilized tree.

Petracles, having grabbed the other flask of oil from Dysis, rushes forward as well to douse the other tree with whatever remained of the oil. Hopefully, the flames would have the same effect and end the threat that the wood titans posed to the party.

Seeing what the men were about, she went to find a stick, and got it burning as quickly as possible.

Then she attempted to participate in getting that blaze going.

Assuming time for all that in this round;  not going to matter really, anyway:  Dysis rolled 6 using 1d20+3. burning branch.   Fire just not her element.  Though it does cast very lovely shadows. 

Aleta throws oil on the tree as she hits it with the burning branch.

(ooc-Aleta rolled 9 using 1d20+5. attack. )

Though the heroes ready themselves and rush to light and ignite the remaining two trees, one of them breaks free from Dysis' spell! It immediately makes its way towards the approaching heroes and with a powerful swing, knocks Petracles off his feet entirely!

The nobleman flies through the air several feet, and with a sickening crunch, lands against one of the forest trees. He slumps down to the ground, unconscious.

OOC: I swear this wasn't intentional on my part, one of the Wood Titans did break free and I rolled to see who he'd attack, as well as attack/damage rolls, and it just happened to be Petracles, and quite a hit, to boot!

Anyway - per MM rules, I've rolled to see whether he died instantly or not.

22:53, Today: Maze Master, on behalf of Petracles, rolled 14 using 1d20+4. Saving Throw v. Death (Physical Vigor).  RESULT - Petracles is incapacitated, at -2 HP. If he receives another HP of damage, he will be killed.

Arthanos, Dysis and Aleta, although moving forward to meet the remaining enemy, have to wait for Agmund and the guide to get there first. The two men, although quite concerned with what had just happened to Petracles, make their way towards the still incapacitated Wood Titan and douse its roots with oil, calling out to the others to ignite it.

Dysis and Aleta find their way forward blocked off by the still mobile Wood Titan, but Arthanos is able to make his way there and succesfully ignites the oil. Quickly, Agmund, the guide, and he back off as the fire begins to take effect. It is quickly apparent enough that the Wood Titan is in great agony, but is still standing for the moment.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:11, Tue 23 Oct 2012.

"Petracles!" Arthanos cries, seeing his friend go flying. With a cry he follows the other two in, focusing on the trapped try, he helps to set it on fire before backing off. As the thing begins to flail, he speaks quickly.

"You two, keep that one busy. I'll distract the other one." he says.

Turning to the free tree, he yells loudly to draw its attention before ducking in and swiping at it with a flaming branch and then moving back.

19:27, Today: Arthanos rolled 13 using 1d20+6. Attack - Flaming Branch.

Aleta swings her burning branch at the other tree, advancing on it but keeping her eyes on any roots.

(ooc Aleta rolled 19 using 1d20+5. attack. )

The elementalist gasped as Petracles was dealt that fearsome blow.  It was enough to potentially be fatal, that was plain.

As with Arthanos, much water had gone under the bridge since she'd last seen Petracles. He was an acquaintance of childhood -- what now seemed like someone else's life to look back on.   And, the truth was, the woman she was today generally didn't form attachments, for better or worse. She had become rather contentedly aloof, cynical, after what she'd been through.  And Petracles' rather unsubtle manner was one that didn't align so well with her own.

Nonetheless, what she did was more reaction to a friend's peril, than any conscious thought. While the others dealt with the remaining creatures, Dysis dropped back to where Petracles lay like a broken doll.

As swiftly as possible, she attempted to see if he was still alive, and what she could do to keep him that way, if so.

Dysis rushed over towards where Petracles had fallen, and while at first glance it appears that Petracles had been killed by the Wood Titan's blow, especially given the bruises and blood now covering the nobleman, Dysis observed his chest moving up and down, and leaning in closer felt that he was still breathing, albeit shallowly, meaning he could still be revived.

For the moment, Dysis retrieves her water flask and allows a dribble to come out to pass onto Petracles lips. The man would need some water in him, that much was obvious, the rest would be needed to clean his wounds as soon as time allowed.

But while Dysis checked on the welfare of the heroes fallen companion, the others still were pitching their battle against two remaining Wood Titans. The tree caught up in Dysis' spell finally breaks free, just as the spell was starting to dissipate, but far from attacking the party, it attempts to flee instead. The flames at its root steadily climb higher though, and the tree can only go about 15 feet before it succumbs to the effects of the fire. A low moan of agony passes through its hollow mouth as like its fellow brethren, it falls into a pile of burnt wood and ash. After this, Agmund and Lord Joris' guide rush to aid Aleta and Arthanos.

Aleta and Arthanos valiantly squared off against the remaining Wood Titan, waving their still burning branches, which prevent the Wood Titan from overrunning them. Amazingly, Arthanos takes a blow from the Wood Titan, but apart from what would later be a painful bruise or welt, he takes no other damage, his well made Theanian armor having absorbed the blow.

Now outnumbered by the humans, the Wood Titan twists and contorts itself as the heroes wave their flaming branches and oil flasks at it. It then pauses a moment, as if listening to something on the wind, and then retreats, following the path that its now burnt ally would have taken if the fire had not consumed it. For as large a creature as it is, it moves swiftly and soon disappears, blending in with the other, (non-deadly) trees in the forests of Thena.

The battle is won! Each player earns 560 (Glory / Wisdom / Experience points)
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:01, Tue 23 Oct 2012.

Arthanos watches as the tree retreats, but waits a few more minutes to make sure it is gone. Taking the stick, he wedges it into the ground putting the fire out, then places the stick near the fire.

"We might want to keep some more ready...encase others decide to come visit." With great control, he then heads over to the Petracles and Dysis.

"How is he?" he asks, his voice quietly, his voice neutral.