Remembering that we were told there were rooms in the church with doors still intact, providing the hunters with some semblance of safety, I scanned the church for signs of these rooms. Assuming the hunters were here, it was likely they would be holed up in one of these rooms.

I was able to spot two doors, one on either side of the staircase below the central platform. I made my way carefully through the ruins of the church so as to not trip over any plants or broken pieces of the church itself.

Starting with the door on my left, I knocked on the door and called out, My name is Althaea. Thorin sent my companions and myself to look for you when you did not return to Vertigo. Once I have said out loud who I am and why I am there, I try to open the door. I would rather not run off into the forest to find out later the bodies of the hunters were lying in these rooms from the start.

I repeat myself at the door on the right to cover all bases.

Perception: 14 (9+5)
This message was last edited by the player at 16:20, Mon 03 Aug 2020.

Sand:

You notice on the front of the altar, on the sides of each of pews that are standing, and some that are broken on the floor, have the symbol of a tree on them, similar to the one that grows in the center platform on the stairs.  It is unfamiliar to you though.

Althaea:

You hear some shuffling around on the inside, then from the other side of the door, you hear a voice from the inside of the left door, How can we be so sure you know Thorin?  What else can you tell us about V...where we come from, if you've truly been there?"

I smiled, at least these people were smart enough to not trust us implicitly just because I said we were sent here.

Well, for starters, Sebastian is a whiny aristocrat and we do not get along. Jacob is the weaponsmith and is terrible at talking to women. Rory runs the bar in the Better Times and Corsica is way overworked. She does have a way with that tray of hers though. Alicia dresses strangely but is a sweetheart. You have a double fence for added protection and have turned a waterfall near the entrance into a well. Any other questions for me?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:22, Mon 03 Aug 2020.

The man opens the door slightly, takes a peek at you to ensure you're what you say you are, then rushes you in.

Quickly now, while it's still safe.  You had us at Sebastian is whiny, by the way."

He quickly closes the door behind you, locking it, and standing there you see 3 other hunters. Judging by the descriptions you were given, you are talking with Darcassan, one of the Elven males.  The other 3 here are Aleena, Elinaora, and the Halfling Gizmo.

In the center of the room, there is a recessed center with a stone well, which you can only really tell because one side is missing a couple stone blocks and a hole can be seen going down.  Peeking out the hole, you can see a tendril of razorvine creeping its way out; a gold bowl sits over the well, currently holding a clear liquid, about three quarters full.

On each of the walls to your left, right, as well as straight in front of you, there are long benches sitting up against them, the longest being on the back wall. The back wall itself seems to have sustained some sort of damage as there are cracks running through it on mostly the left side.  On the bench to the left, there is a pile of neatly stacked simple white towels, each embroidered with a tree.  There are roughly 30 of them.

In the ceiling above you, some of the roots from the tree found on the center platform above, can be seen growing through the roof of this room, stretching out and through the ceiling almost to the doorway.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 03:18, Tue 04 Aug 2020.

It seems Althaea has found someone. She did not seem threatened when she was pulled inside. I will wait and guard out here until she calls for us. They obviously feel threatened right now and it is better to let them adjust at their own pace rather than confronting them all at once.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:37, Mon 03 Aug 2020.

I looked between the four of them, taking in their expressions and the speed in which Darcassan locked the door behind me, and knew something terrible must have happened to them.

I put my hand on Darcassan's shoulder and led him over to one of the benches, Please sit, Darcassan, and start at the beginning. What has befallen Althidon and Elias?

Well, we've been hunting here for months now and the day before yesterday, while we started to make camp here, building a fire and whatnot, Elias, Elinaora, and Gizmo did a perimeter search of the area, just to make sure there wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

When the three of them were searching the area, about 10 minutes North of here, they were quite surprised to find a beautiful grove, nestled among a copse of trees, considering we've all scouted the area many times before and had never seen such a thing in this place.

Inside the grove, there was a beautiful ring of pink, blue, and white flowers growing, in a perfect circle, with small wooden stumps and makeshift benches for sitting on, circling the ring of flowers.

It was a couple hours before sunset when they returned, and when they did, soon after, clouds started to roll in, even though none of us were expecting any rain.  We can usually feel that sort of thing, just from being outside all the time.  Anyways, gray clouds covered the sky, the wind picked up, so we started to pack up our bags and head inside here for shelter.  The wind continued to pick up, getting stronger and stronger, and then that's when we saw it, coming out of the tree right above us. It was a....

Giltris, Sand, and Thorn:  Each of you notice that the wind has started to pick up a bit outside, as gray clouds roll in above you.

That does not look good; monsters I can handle bad weather not so much. As the clouds close it I move towards the door Althaea went through and ready my weapons and continue looking for any threats.

I listened to Darcassan as he began his tale. As he described the grove his companions stumbled across, my stomach dropped. A faerie circle, here of all places. Each fey has its own particular set of rules that govern their circles. Should you break those rules, even unknowingly, there is little in the way of protection from their wrath. Not that it is comforting to know why the Razorvine and mutated Elkthrawn were here, but I understand how they came to be here. The worst part was, I did not know which fey controlled the grove. If it was an ally of my Mother's, I could perhaps negotiate on their behalf to be spared further punishment.

As my initial shock wore off, Darcassan continued his story. He described an odd change in the weather before odd happenings with the tree. I look up at its roots while Darcassan speaks and I notice that ever-so-slightly they seem to be writhing like tendrils as if they had come to life. Remembering the haunted looks on their faces, I chose not to mention it to them yet. I needed to hear when comes out of the tree first.

What came out of the tree, Darcassan? I need to know in order to help you out of this place. I was trying to hide my own discomfort when speaking to them now. My voice was soft so not to spook them; however, it did not have the same soothing quality it normally possessed. It was all I could do to not sound fearful myself.

History: 15 (13+2)
Perception: 17 (12+5)
Insight: 13 (10+3)

It was hard to miss the huge tree growing in the middle of the remains, and Sand noticed that the tree motif was repeated at numerous places in the temple. He did not however recognize what it meant. Maybe Andraste would, so he approached the alert paladin, noting in passing that Althaea was ushered in one the rooms, but without being alarmed. Keeping an eye on the door, in case he needed to intervene, he asked.

Sand wonders who was worshipped here. The tree motif is repeated throughout the ruin but Sand not know what it means. Does Giltris know?

The wind picked up and big storm clouds were rapidly forming over the location. Clacker clacked his mandible nervously, Scamp hooted before flying off to scout around the ruin, as Sand asked him to do. There was some electricity in the air, everyone was feeling on edge and Sand opened his mystical senses, to try to determine if anything magical was happening, fully alert.

Perception 23
Arcana 6

As the wind grew in power, even larger trees were beginning to tremble with its raw force.  The loose dirt from the graves now blew across the ground, small bushes that had sprouted forth in the middle of the church now bent back and forth, the wind constantly changing its direction as it whistled through a couple of the church's broken windows.

It was at this point that those outside noticed, 4 more of the graves emptying themselves out, as if something from within was digging its way out; the wind, blowing the expelled dirt away as it flew up in the air.  Writing slowly started to appear on each of the four graves as if from an invisible force, leaving a bloody red color that when finished, clearly spelled the names of Sand, Andraste, Thorn, and Althaea.

Inside the room, the howling wind could now be heard through the cracks of the door.

Oh no, it's happening again.  Everyone grab some of the towels.  Hold them over your ears!  Quickly! Darcassan said.

Sand opened his senses to what was around him, but he just couldn't place where the magical energy was coming from, but he was most certain, it was magical in nature.

That is a bit dramatic. Let it come, this time I am ready. With the cloth still over her mouth I begin singing a joyous hymn over the sound of the wind and ready myself for whatever comes next.

When Althaea runs out of the room telling us to cover our ears, I take the proffered towel and quickly tie it around my head to cover my ears before resuming my watch.

Summary:
Continually take the Dodge action until I say otherwise.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:23, Wed 05 Aug 2020.

What is happening again, Darcassan? My companions are outside, so tell me quickly.

I grabbed one of the towels and held it over my ears. Grabbing three others, I ran to the door and opened it while yelling to Sand, Thorn, and Giltris, Hold these against your ears. The hunters tell me it is necessary.

What sort of a foe creates graves for those it seeks to kill? Thorn could only suppose this to be a misguided intimidation tactic. If so, all it had accomplished was elevating its victims’ importance by implying they deserved such consideration. Personally, she had always expected that decomposing wherever she fell was the best case scenario for one as such as herself. And her prospects deteriorated considerably from there.

And what sort of hunters brought so many towels on a brief foraging expedition? Clearly, nature wasn’t the only thing run amok here. Still, at least some of them had managed to survive, so perhaps their madness lent them a degree of insight into the situation. Or was caused by it. Until she understood the peril well enough to make her own judgement, wisdom dictated that she at least consider theirs. Ready to vanish into the whirlwind of debris at the first sign of trouble, Thorn moved away from the tree to a defensible location where she could observe it, took her towel from her pack, secured it around her head and drew her chakrams.

Stealth Check: 11
This message was last edited by the player at 23:19, Tue 04 Aug 2020.

Althaea ran outside bearing towels, telling the group to cover their ears quickly. As she passed beside Sand and threw him a towel, he looked at her, confused. He knew he could hear, but he didn’t know how, had never took time to study how that was happening with him… another thing the construct’s creators had neglected.

Sand had no ears to cover.

Looking at his companions tying the towels  around their heads, he decided to do the same thing, unsure if it would make any difference with him. This task done, he chose a easily defensible position, from where both he and Clacker could support Andraste, with line of sight on Thorn’s position, if she needed help. Scamp started circling their position, ready to annoy anyone who would try to attack them.

Scamp perception 19, 12 Advantage
Sand takes dodge action until a target appears

From the depths of the graves and seemingly propelled by the gale like winds, pools of darkness fly through the air, bouncing from shadow to shadow at lightning speed, closing the gap quickly.

One slips itself underneath the door where the hunters and Althaea lie in wait, the smokey darkness coalescing into a humanoid shaped form.

Two more rush at Giltris head on, before splitting at the last second, their glowing red eyes focused with hatred.

One flies up to the large construct, ready to strike with wispy, but deadly looking elongated claws.

From the dark, back left corner of the church, three more of the creatures emerge, dashing out to aid their other brethren.

Another one heads towards Giltris, bolting towards its closest target and two more surround Sand and Clacker, hoping to overwhelm and confuse them.



7 creatures in total

Sand saw the wispy creatures rise from the tombs and had he been able too, would probably have goosebumps. Some distant memory rose up as he saw them and the way to fight them... where did that information came from, he didn't know, but he trusted it enough to share it right away, yelling to his companions.

Sand knows those dead things, use magic to really hurt, they don't like magical divine light!

Muttering that he didn't like dead things, he commanded the owl to distract the first creature to approach him and stabbed it with his spear. Clacker jumped in and protected Sand from the first blow, striking with his mandibles.

Scamp uses the help action
Sand strikes 19, 16 (advantage) for 9 magical damage
Clacker uses reaction to cause disadvantage to first attacker.
Clacker uses Sand bonus action to strike and misses, with a 7.
Free action, yell to pass info on the shadows.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:23, Wed 05 Aug 2020.

Seeing the smoke-like darkness slip underneath the locked door and coalesce into a vaguely human shape unnerved me. It was not completely alive though, it was much more like a skeleton was being held together by smoke. There was no empty space between the bones, but an opaque substance that I could not completely define.

I pull out my rapier and mentally prepare for the fight ahead. It looked like a tough one. I play a haunting melody on my pan flute before whispering an echoing melody, that if played consecutively would send a bravest of souls on the run.

I look briefly over to Giltris and see three more of the creatures surrounding her and farther back another three surround Sand. I could see Thorn hiding poorly in the greenery currently able to avoid the attention of these monsters. I felt that even though Giltris would likely be better in the fight, but I still focused my energy briefly on the space between all of them, Never let these creatures instill fear in you. Fear has a way of creeping into the mind and leading us to make poor or rash decisions. Fight! I turn back to the creature in front of me and steel myself.

Item Interaction: Pull out rapier
Action: Cast Dissonant Whispers on creature in front of me. Wisdom save: DC13 Damage: 12
Bonus Action: Use Mantle of Inspiration targeting Giltris, Sand, and Thorn. Each of you gain 5 temp HP and can immediately use your reactions to move up to your speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks.

Conditional Reaction: If the creature fails the wisdom save and has to move away from me, I shall attack it with my rapier. 6 to hit (1+5....fail)
This message was last edited by the player at 05:15, Wed 05 Aug 2020.

As the shadow streams passed me and under the door I lash out quickly with my sword but I am forced to focus on the three others around me and I miss the weaving creature. With three of the creatures upon both me and Sand I cannot abandon my position to help Althaea; she will have to defend the hunters alone for now.

This fight will not be over in a single exchange; I must prepare to endure. Continuing my hymn I sheathe my sword and draw a small vial of holy water and splash it across the front of my armour calling on Rao to aid me.

Summary
Reaction (before my turn): Opportunity attack (7 to hit for 9 slashing damage)
Free: Sheath sword, draw holy water (consumed by spell)
Action: Cast Protection from Evil and Good

Thorn quickly assessed the battlefield: 3 on Giltris, 3 on Sand, 1 on Althaea, but none seem to have spotted her yet. Lacking any "divine light", Thorn trusted her magic-infused chakrams would prove sufficient to the task. The female might well be disappointed again - for some reason - but unlike the others, Giltris faced multiple enemies alone. As Aisling shot forth a storm of pinions at one of her foes, Thorn threw her weapons. Then both retreated from the Shadows as quickly as possible. She could only hope the accursed things weren't as fast as they seemed.

Thorn attacks one of Giltris' shadows with advantage.
Primary Weapon: 10, 7 (Advantage), 24 (Elven Accuracy Reroll)
Damage: 8
Off-Hand Weapon: 19, 17
Damage: 12
Aisling attacks the same shadow.
Attack: 8
Both strafe 35 ft, attempting to stay out of the shadows' range.

As the clouds grew darker and the winds grew ever more powerful while the creatures of darkness charged, those with a keen ear or keen eye there may have had the smallest indication of something else moving just the other side of the dense-foliage covered, dilapidated church wall. What that something was didn't reveal itself right away though and there were more pressing concerns apparent in the lives of the adventurers.

A throaty sound of a hybrid-like creature rolled out to match the winds howling around the building. Something between the croak of a massive toad and the hunting growl of a large feline predator. And then suddenly, through the broken window of the church, a creature leapt into the fray. It was massive and nearly as quick as the shadows themselves. Black fur and strange markings, almost tattoo-like in appearance, covered the hide of the large moorbounder. A creature rarely seen, if ever, landed no more than a whip's crack away from Giltris.


Knowing little about who may be friend or foe, the moorbounder went after the first of the unatural shadows that it landed next too. Claws raked and, as they did, one series of marks along its hide flared. Slashing across something that should be at least partially incorporeal, the claws looked like they might actually find purchase in the essence of the shadowy being.

Another throaty growl of challenge and possibly triumph croaked out of the bounder's resonation chamber.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Bonus Action: Become Moorbounder (keep tattoos, AC 17 via barrier tattoo)
Movement: Standing Leap through window to nearest shadow.
Action: Attack with claws - 20 to hit, 14 slashing (Magical via eldritch claw tattoo)   

---

This message was last edited by the player at 23:14, Sun 09 Aug 2020.

No!  We need to keep the door closed otherwise the towels won't work! Darcassan screams, as he runs around and behind Althaea to avoid the shadow, slamming the door shut.

Note:The only ones who hear this are Althaea, Giltris, and Erik, as they are within 10-15 feet of the Darcassan.  Due to the howling winds, the screaming doesn't carry any farther.

As Althaea whispers to the creature in front of her, parts of the shadow's outer form immediately seem to dissipate as the Shadow is wracked in pain.  Fleeing past Althaea and the hunters, the Shadow moves to the back of the room.  The creature, much faster than it looks, evades Althaea and the knives the hunters pull out and swipe at the Shadow with, passing harmlessly through the inky mist.

Those locked in combat outside, suddenly see an apparition float out of the tree on the central platform, quickly drifting down to the graves.  The apparition is a luminous, straggly form of what looks to be a female elf, its hair a tangled mess of wild, stringy hair, and its body clothed in rags that flutter around it. A dark mist seems to follow her as she moves, crackling with energy.



As she finishes her descent to the graves she turns around, her face, a horrifying visage of madness and hatred.  Thorn couldn't begin to fathom what she was about to see and her body frozen in place. Thorn has the Frightened Status Condition

The Shadows, bolstered by their master's presence, suddenly erupt into a fury.

The 3 strike out at Giltris, only one of them able to pierce her defensive posture. (7 damage and 2 Strength Damage)

3 more lash out at Sand, one of them also able to get its wispy claws through the construct's hide. (10 damage and 2 Strength Damage)

The last Shadow, now at the back of the room, attacks Gizmo the hunter, but he was already moving and was able to dodge out of the way.

Though completely frightened, her survival mindset kicks in, and Thorn is able to focus enough to send her chakrams flying true, completely cutting through the Shadow behind Giltris, which quickly dissipates into nothingness. (Quite dead Shadow)

Aisling attempts to come to her aid, a barrage of pinions raining down at the Shadow, but none find their mark, passing through and bouncing off the stone floor harmlessly.

From the east window of the church, a mass of black fur, strange markings, and large tusks, bounds into the fray, slashing at one of the Shadows on Giltris and wreaking a devastating blow on the Shadow.

Giltris swipes at the passing Shadow, but still with two still surrounding her, she found it hard to focus an attack without forfeiting her defensive position.  Quickly sheathing her weapon, she calls upon her god Rao, though hard to hear in the howling wind, and casts a spell upon herself, splashing the clear liquid upon herself.

If a Shadow could look confused, this would be the closest thing to it, as the fey spirit Scamp flies around the Shadow's head, distracting it long enough for Sand to thrust his spear forward.  The spear slams into the Shadow, leaving a gaping hole that can't seem to close.

I looked at the shadow that had fled to the back of the room, played a mocking melody on my pan flute and told it, You are so frail I can huff and puff and blow you away.

Action: cast vicious mockery on the shadow Wis save DC:13
Damage: 2 psychic on a fail, 0 on success
This message was last edited by the player at 18:43, Wed 05 Aug 2020.

I really do not like these things. A familiar lethargy comes over me as one of the foul creatures hand manages to brush against my body. I have prepared as best as I can now it is my turn to take the fight to them. Drawing my sword, I launch a diagonal cut from right shoulder to left hip before recovering back to my defensive stance by the door.

Summary:
Free Interaction: Draw Long Sword
Action: Attack weakest shadow around me (21 to hit for 6 Slashing damage)
Move: Hold position blocking the door.

Alternate 01 (No Shadows surrounding me, Shadow with hunters alive)
Move: Engage Shadow in the room with the hunters. If it is dead after my attack return to guard door.
Free Interaction: Draw Long Sword
Action: Attack weakest shadow around me (21 to hit for 6 Slashing damage)

Alternate 02 (No Shadows surrounding me, Shadow with hunters dead)
Move: Flank Shadows attacking Sand if possible
Free Interaction: Draw Long Sword
Action: Attack weakest shadow around me (21 to hit for 6 Slashing damage)

Alternate 03 (All Shadows are dead)
Move: Move to engage Apparition
Free Interaction: Draw Long Sword
Action: Attack weakest shadow around me (21 to hit for 6 Slashing damage)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:43, Wed 05 Aug 2020.