"Hold on," Valthur cautions, grabbing Marklin by the arm. "I hear it, too. Sounds like someone's raising an alarm. You can't see it, but there's a rope ladder over there. I bet Liamm's dog people have turned this rotten tree trunk into a fortress. Get ready for some pointed sticks coming our way!" Figuring the first attacks may come at a range, he stows his sword in favor of a hand axe and takes a few steps back toward the entrance while scanning high and low for an ambush.

16:44, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 1 using 1d6 with rolls of 1.  hear noise.

"Quickly, Liamm," Eoni encouraged the boy as she plucked and held out two of the moonsong for his satchel.  "Take what you need and we'll run for it."

If Valthur was right, they would soon be under siege and she would much rather escape into the wood than be trapped in this ancient sarcophagi.

Eoni and Liamm walk into the hollow of the tree and head directly toward the large mound of Moonsong mushrooms, their path faintly illuminated by the strange purplish glow. Valthur and Marklin skirt along the right half of the tree, headed ostensibly toward the crude rope ladder only presently visible to Valthur. Marklin has a hard enough time seeing 5 to 10 feet ahead of him, let alone clear across the tree's interior (some 60 feet distant) to make out anything by a shadowy bank of darkness. Aldara, Sarah and Yhus remain near the entrance to the tree, still peering within trying to get a better sense for what lies within before entering.

Eoni and Liamm make their way to the Moonsong mound and the Cleric of Avandra reaches into the fungal bloom to retrieve two large caps. Liamm has his specimen satchel at the ready, but the transfer is interrupted by a chorus of high-frequency chirps, now audible to everyone, coming from the mushroom mound itself!

Then the party hears what sounds like a volley of tiny twangs. Two small needles strike Eoni in the arm, though only one manages to puncture through her clothing. The other stings, just enough to let her know something is quite displeased by her willy-nilly grabbing of caps!

OOC: Eoni is struck for 1 point of damage. Eoni and Liamm are 0 to 5 feet distant from the mushroom mound. Marklin and Valthur are 15-20 feet to the east of the mound and about 40 feet distant from the rope ladder, which lies to the northeast. Aldara, Sarah, and Yhus are about 20 feet southeast of the mushroom mound.

Everyone please make a Spot check (d6) to see if any of you see what just attacked Eoni. a 1 is a success, except for Valthur, who will succeed on a 1 or 2.

Please keep in mind, though of you who don't have infravision can maybe see 5 to 10 feet ahead of you.

?????
AC: 5
HP: 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1


PC             AC    HP   9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3  Notes:
Aldara         8    4/4  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni           8    5/6  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Marklin        6    8/8  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Sarah          6    4/4  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Valthur        4    9/9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Yhus           6    7/7  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20


[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14

]

OOC: Surprise round complete. Round 1 begins. PCs are up first; however nobody can see any enemies at the moment, pending results of your spot check.

19:30, Today: Marklin rolled 3 using 1d6 with rolls of 3.  Spot check roll.

"Ouch!" Eoni blurted, feeling something bite into her arm.  She finished dumping the mushrooms into the satchel.

"Liam! Back!" she ordered.  "There's something in the mushrooms!"

She scooped up her fallen staff and followed suit, warily backing away from the mound.

Eoni Daflin rolled 2 using 1d6 with rolls of 2.  Spot Moonsong defenders.
Fighting Retreat 15'

"Woman, what goes on, that you are yelling?" shouted Marklin while he strained his eyes to see in the Stygian shroud.

17:14, Today: Aldara rolled 2 using 1d6 ((2)).

Straining to hear anything at all, much less see anything, Aldara cautiously draws another dagger.  Then, Eoni yelps, and she readies it for hurling.  She has just as easy a time of seeing anything, and opts to wait until whatever it is that attacked the priestess makes itself visible.

Depending on the number present, there may be negotiations made.

Sarah stays where she is; she can see nothing as it is, and she is reluctant to go further.

However, she reaches into her backpack and pulls out some candles and flint and steel.

19:52, Today: Sarah rolled 2 using 1d6 with rolls of 2.  Spot Check.  In the Dark.  At Distance (1).

Liamm feels one of the small missiles go whizzing by his ear and then he hears Eoni cry out in alarm.

"Gah!," he shrieks. "Are you alright Ma'am?" he adds in, his voice shaky and panicked.

Like others, he does not see where the vollley came from, other than the general vicinity of the mushroom field. Seeing Eoni retreat, he follows suit and remains by the Cleric's side.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:07, Sun 18 Sept 2016.

"Get back to the entry," Valthur cries, straining to see what exactly is making all the noise.

01:03, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  spot check - what's in the mushrooms???
Fighting retreat (20'? 5')
This message was last edited by the player at 02:06, Tue 20 Sept 2016.

Yhus gazes into the gloom trying to determine who, or what, just attacked his companions. Like everyone else, he is unable to spot anything.

OOC: DM post

12:56, Today: DM Pawn, on behalf of Yhus the Musing, rolled 5 using 1d6 with rolls of 5.  spot.
This message was last updated by the GM at 22:59, Sun 18 Sept 2016.

Eoni and Liamm have backed away from the mushroom mound while the rest of the party struggles to see in the faintly lit interior. What is clear is something was quite disagreeable to trespassers and not afraid to show their displeasure.

Sarah has retrieved some tools that will perhaps shed light on the situation, but for the moment, the strange tree is cast in a faint purplish glow.

An agitated chorus of cricket-like chirping echoes in the tree followed by a high-pitched rebuke, louder than the others:

"Chirrt-t-t-chirrp-t-ty-Chirrtipty-Chirr!!!"

This is followed by a chorus of what can only be described as "me toos".

The chirps seem to all come from the mound itself.


OOC: Eoni, Liamm, Marklin and Valthur are ~20 feet east of the mushroom mound. Aldara, Sarah, and Yhus are about 20 feet southeast of the mushroom mound.

Chirpity Chirping Needle Hurlers
AC: 5
HP: 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1


PC             AC    HP   9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3  Notes:
Aldara         8    4/4  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni           8    5/6  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Marklin        6    8/8  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Sarah          6    4/4  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Valthur        4    9/9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Yhus           6    7/7  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20


[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14

]

OOC: Round 2, PCs are UP!

Still unable to see, Sarah endeavors to light a candle.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:15, Sun 18 Sept 2016.

The flame sputters and then catches aflame on the candle, providing dim illumination throughout the tree's interior. Better than before certainly, but still shadowy in parts.

 Marklin slowly started to back away towards the light at the entrance. He swept his spear before him,just in case an enemy was closing.

Eoni shoos Liamm behind her and continues backing away from the mound.

"Outside," she whispered urgently.  "Back outside."

OOC: Continues her 15' fighting retreat towards the entrance with Liamm.

Seeing that the entrants are trying to exit, Sarah stays where she is and holds the candle aloft in case they lost sight of the entrance.

Just the same, Aldara, too, stays put, but keeps a dagger ready to throw just in case a strange chittering thing decides to get too friendly.

This message was deleted by the player at 01:46, Mon 19 Sept 2016.

Liamm quickly breaks for the exit once Eoni indicates it's time to leave, all too eager to be out of the strange place.

Valthur continues to edge his way back toward the entrance, but his armor keeps him from moving as quickly as the rest of the party. As he backpedals, he scans for anything that might be a threat hidden in the mound.

Continue fighting retreat (5'). Ready to throw axe if he sees any threatening dog people.

 Marklin slowly continued his retiring towards the entrance.

The party retreats from the tree and all make it back outside, fortunately with no hail of tiny needles at their backs. Once back outside the tree, animated and celebratory chirping erupts inside the tree.

Apparently something is quite pleased with it or themselves.

Liamm catches his breath from the brief but exhilirating experience and opens one of the three leather satchels he brought for this expedition.

Peering inside at the three Moonsong mushrooms he glumly comments, "We didn't get much of them..."

Each satchel is quite large, the intent being to fill each of these with the required specimen. Three Moonsongs is a far cry from a full specimen bag. But how to get more when the mushroom dwellers clearly don't want the party to have any?

Slightly shaken by their hasty retreat from the unknown threat in the midnight innards of the tree, Yhus frees with a trembling hand one of the torches he has lashed to his pack and sets it alight with the flame from Sarah’s candle.

Taking his study club in the other, the youth readies himself beside the entrance and looks to the others, hoping he appears more confident than he feels and offering up a silent prayer to Pelor.