Return [To Madness]: Act 1, Scene 2

[TristenC]

William presses the door in a few inches, then slides it to the left where it slips into a pocket in the wall. Jack quickly secures it in place by hammering in a piton while Gur looks down the hall...

The corridor extends about 40 feet before opening to a long oval room with a 15 ft high platform in the center. A steep set of stairs leads to the top, which is covered with white spidery growths with pale yellow blossoms. Long thin tendrils dangle down the sides of the platform to the ground below. The walls of the chamber appear to have intricate carving, but from the angle, distance and plant-like obstructions the nature of the carving is difficult to discern. A gentle ambient light fills the space.

From this angle nothing appears magical to Gur's vision aside from the light itself which appears to be a general effect on the walls. (60 ft range)


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C6

Map: 1 square is 5 feet

[Nocturno]

Can Jag identify the plant from the door way? (Unlikely Im sure)
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"Care to follow me with that handy amulet?"
Jack will start to carefully enter the room watching the floor for traps.

[TristenC]

[Ooc] Jag might be able to identify it. They aren't super rare. Ket me see... He has Herbalism, while it isn't medicinal it also is not super rare and they are very experienced adventurers. Give me an Int check. [/Ooc]

[Nocturno]

Int Check(17): [1d20]=3

I was thinking more because of the distance.

[TristenC]

As Jagrinder considers the plant life, Jack creeps forward examining the area just past the door for traps. The vines almost seem to sway as if under a breeze when it clicks in Jag's head what they must be... Thornslingers!


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Jag would know that Thornslingers, predictably, spray volleys of thorns at any threats drawing near. So many thorns are in each spray that some always hit no matter the armor a person wears unless they are completely protected (Like with magic of some kind). The damage isn't usually very great, but it is persistent as thornslingers have a seemingly endless supply of thorns

[Nocturno]

"Hold! Those are Thornslingers. They may not be mighty, but they will make you hurt."

[BishGada]

"Alrius, pass the threshold, tell me if the thorns cause you damage and return." Ke'Sha instruct the juju zombie. In the meanwhile he discusses with Jag "Wouldn't thornslingers attack only when threaten? Do you know of a way to calm them down?".

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(OOC: Checking if the thorns are +1 magical weapon. And we can burn them anyway I guess... Or disintegrate it.)

[Nocturno]

Does Jag understand what makes someone a threat to the Thornslinger?
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[Lord Torath]

“Master Jag, do you know how the thornslinger detects threats? If we ask nicely enough, could an invisible Binky or Gur slip up there to tell us what they see? Or perhaps Master Ke’Sha’s…incorporeal minion could investigate? ”

Stephen pauses and ponders for a bit. “If neither of those options can work, there are a few things I can try, before we resort to fire and disintegration.”
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Could the spectre level-drain the plant?

[TristenC]

Jag considers the thornslinger's nature. Likely they attack anything in proximity as any decomposing fauna have a fertilizing effect on their surroundings. There doesn't seem to be a good eay to calm them short of some kind of plant-control magic or herbicide.

Ke'Sha commands Alrius forward and the Ju-ju obeys. The undead Drow strolls down the hallway towards the room. The vines begin to quiver and shake as he nears the end of the hallway. The instant he steps beyond the hall itself the vines whip and fling volley upon volley of thorns at the zombie. Utterly unconcerned he turns around and retraces his steps back to his master. A dozen or so impressive looking thorns protrude from his flesh and clothing, but the test-subject seems none the worse for wear.

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Alrius took no damage from the thorns but was 'hit' 12 times in one round by the sprays. There appear to be 3 separate thornslinger plants with several tendrils each.

The MM entry for Spectre says 'any living creature' so I would lean towards it not being effective against the plants.

[Nocturno]

"I don't think we can avoid the attacks, or calm the beast so to say. It just looks at us like food. Once we are dead we decompose. Now I am assuming but don't know, but they don't have eyes, so invisibility probably does not matter, and it seems having a pulse also is not a requirement."
He says as he watches the Ju-Ju reenter the room.