Well, it was worth a try.  Ceila went to try and help dig the roots up.

Vyktor ignored the insult and turned his back to the excavation. Undoubtedly they were going to unearth some foul creature of undeath and torment, but there was little to be gained by pointing this out. He kept a careful watch of the perimeter whilst their doom was brought to light.

“You frequently dig yourself into a hole. This task should be no exception,” Jun Jia said with a sly smile. She walked toward a position across from Vyktor. If any opposed Chokhar’s excavation, she could help Vyktor protect their party.

THUNK.

Your digger hits wood. A coffin. The black roots of Gulthias are wrapped around it tight. The silver greataxe seems obvious.

"Please. I do not want to let him go, but you must take us to Yester Day. I cannot help it, I will try to stop you, but you must set us free."

WHACK. WHACK.

Two roots shoot out at Chokahr and Ceila. 26 to hit Chokahr, 19 to hit Ceila. 6 dmg each.

---

Round 1
Gulthias AC14 HP?
STR check to pull axe is 15

Jun Jia ran and positioned herself where she couldn’t hurt her companions. She channeled the Ki that fueled her unusual talents. Drawing in a deep breath, she exhaled fire in a 30’ line that struck Gulthias! “Trees fall before Fire! Release my companions or burn!”

OOC:

Guithias resists with a DEX save. If she fails, she takes 10 points of Fire damage.

On a successful Save, she still takes 5 points damage.

13:37, Today: Jun Jia rolled 10 using 2d4+3.  Breath of The Dragon.

 

"I will grant you release," said Ceila.  She focused her holy power on the tree-being, and then struck!

OOC: Bonus Action:  Channel Divinity and declare VENGEANCE on Gulthias!  Attacking with Advantage:

18:53, Today: Ceila Greendoor rolled 14 using 2d20+6, dropping the lowest dice only ((8,6)).

If a 14 hits, I'll SMITE!
18:54, Today: Ceila Greendoor rolled 20 using 3d8+6, dropping the lowest dice only ((8,5,6)).

...or zero, if that's a miss.

ac14

20 damage it is!

Chokahr had been expecting some danger from the tree itself, so he was more annoyed than angered by the sudden outburst of roots. He hadn't expected the fire blast, however, and was noticeably startled. Massaging the spot where the roots had hit him, he threw a glance at Jun Jia, then moved towards the axe, pulling it out of the stump with a single motion.

"I keep forgetting you can do that," he mumbled. "Well, axes are kinda good against trees as well, so..."

Move, then remove the axe.
08:48, Today: Chokahr rolled 20 using 1d20+4.  STR check to retrieve the axe.

Viktor stepped forward to help Chokahr, but was startled by the sudden gout of flame!

Dagger attack, miss!

Chokahr pulls out the axe and surprisingly the tree topples over, it's black ichor splattered all across you. The dryad spirit of Gulthias writhes and slowly pulls herself out of the stump and points, "A branch. Break it off and carry me."

--assuming someone does to save a week of posting "I do that"--

When you hold a broken branch to her she climbs inside it. The branch is sickly and drips blood, but it might make a very powerful weapon.

--assuming we go back to digging--
After about half an hour of digging, trading shifts, you strike hard against a coffin. From inside you hear a muffled and dry voice, "Finally."

“I will carry you, Gulthias.” If carrying Gulthias away from the cursed area would help the Dryad find peace, then Jun Jia would help. She held the branch, wrinkling her nose at the dripping blood. “It seems that Strahd’s land always exacts a toll in blood,” she mused. The heft of the Dryad’s Limb felt nice, though. Like a properly weighted staff.

Jia kept watch as Chokhar and the others dug deeper. Eventually, she heard the sound of metal against a coffin. She looked down at Chokhar. “You wanted this. Open the coffin.”

Ceila didn't trust this at all, and stood ready to strike down whatever lay within, on general principle.

The axe felt good in Chokahr's hand, even though he had expected the tree to put up more of a fight. He still wasn't used to foes dying without begging for mercy; the whole thing left an aftertaste of... pointlessness, maybe? Nevertheless, not having to deal with an overtly over-aggressive oak made digging definitely easier. Having reached the coffin, Chokahr cleared it up of mud as well as he could, then pried the lid open.

"Finally, finally," he mumbled under his breath. "How about 'thank you' instead? Woudln't hurt, eh?"
This message was last edited by the player at 09:17, Tue 26 Oct 2021.

Vyktor held his breath...

"You're welcome." An emaciated hand stretched the blood spear from the coffin. The wielder was skin and bones but still boasted an unnatural strength. As he climbed out into the light he offered the spear to Jun Jia.

"A trade. My spear for my Gulthias. We will return to Yester." He was tall, his broad shoulders showed that once he was likely larger than Chokahr, but centuries of starving in his coffin made him frail. He pulled long black matted hair out of his eyes and you saw only darkness.

There was an air of kingliness about him, this drowned by the beast he now was. "I am king of kings. Kavan Nebukanazar. This land was taken from me. But Yester awaits us."

Lastly he looks at Chokahr, "Thank you."

Jun Jia hesitated at the vampire’s request. “Gulthias, do you wish to go with him?” She didn’t want to turn the Dryad over against her wishes.

Ceila still waited.  There was no reason to relax as yet...

Manners being a way of life to the former knight, Vyktor felt himself bowing before he could catch himself. "Milord," his question was tentative for he feared that he already knew the answer... "By whom? Your land was... taken... by whom? How did this... come to pass?" He gestured at the tree, the coffin and the general oddity of it all.

Cold iron and worn wood pressed against the palm of his hand beneath his cloak.

Chokahr nodded at the cold yet polite acknowledgement of his work. The tall gentleman had the mannerisms of old-time nobility, the kind that went to battle on the frontline and crushed the throats of those who insulted them with their bare hands. The fact that he was still "alive" and kicking after spending centuries in a coffin under the earth added to the general impression of imperviousness.

"If you mean that strange place where time goes backwards and you grow young instead of old, it's that way, straight through the fog," he said to Kavan, pointing with the head of his newly acquired axe. "I'd tell you to mind yourself, but you seem to know your way around here, so... do what you have to do, I guess."

In any case, this land seemed in no short supply of powerful, awe-inspiring undead leaders. With a twitch of his eyebrows, Chokahr stored the whole event under "weird stuff magical people do" and took a swig of wine from a fresh bottle. Without a word, he then offered the bottle to Celia, who, after sharing the burden of digging up the coffin, stood nearby, as dirt-covered and sweaty as he was.

The staff containing Gulthias writhes in Jun Jia's hand and it takes all her strength to keep it from whipping out and lashing Kavan. She can sense the hesitance. Yet the dryad speaks contrary, "I want to go, but I cannot. I am cursed to hate him, but I love him. He cannot touch me. You must take me to the white tree atop the square tower in Yester. Then I can be pure and be with him again."

Kavan snarls, "Ahhhhh I see. The Demon Von Zarowich continues to irritate me. I'm sure I can find something worthy to reward you if you will do as Gulthias asked. I will return to my kingdom, take what you want."

He turns and heads into the mist of Yester.

"...strange," said Ceila.  "Well, if they both wish it, I suppose we must try to break the curse.  Let's be off."

Vyktor felt the pangs of empathy for the cursed lovers, the situation having shadows of his own broken heart. He nodded to Celia. "Let's be about this business of reuniting them."

He offered Chokahr a hand to help him from the hole in the ground where he'd exposed the coffin and its strange captive.

Jun Jia nodded her agreement to Vyktor. “I will carry you to the Hill,” Jun Jia said softly, watching Khavan stride off into the mist.

OOC:

Is the spear still in the casket?

no he kept it, sorry i didn’t explain