Journal of Rollo Lavius 2

Entry #315 - Nexelmode the Evil

(G315 20/05/2017 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), MJ, HK) WA4

DAY 289 (24th Nightal)(December) cont...

Now, as a druid I am always fascinated by all aspects of nature as you can imagine. Over the years I have seen many strange and wonderful creatures of nature and heard of many more.

In the Cheron Forest there is a very rare creature indeed, known locally as a 'Tree Climbing Shambling Mound'. There is said to be no more than a handful of breeding pairs left in the forest.

They are aggressive and territorial so when Fenrir encountered two of them on his next scouting trip forward of the others they set upon him at once. Fenrir being Fenrir started blasting at them and took to the sky, or the upper branches of the trees anyway.

To his surprise though, they don't call them 'tree climbing' for nothing and using their tentacles they swung after him. They even managed to use their slam attacks on him a couple of times before he blasted them to death, but in the end they did not last long.

Back at where he had left them, Harvel and Arahel played hide and seek, thinking that they could lay an ambush, but it was not required.

Now that both Harvel and Fenrir were injured they decided to camp and Arahel found them a good site not far away, a few hundred yards down the track.

They decided not to light a fire, but Harvel (the only one without a magic bedroll) found he was soon shivering with cold. It was winter after all and even in his own regular bedroll he felt the low temperature.

A few hours after the sun had set, they heard whistling back up the track, a noise that slowly came towards them.

Arahel was still in the form of a snow owl (from her camp scouting trip) so she flapped down the path a bit to take a look. She saw an animated skeleton wearing plate armour and carrying a two handed sword. How it was whistling she didn't know, in that it had no lips, but she flew back and warned the others.

He was not a threat though, when he arrived he asked them about what they were doing in the forest and when they said, 'To see Nexelmode,' he offered to take them to her.

Nexelmode's cave was no more than half a mile away. It was large and warm, being lit by several fires. It was divided into two main areas. The area by the entrance had about fifty goblins in it,

some were warriors but a good portion of them were females and young ones.

A chasm divided the cave and Nexelmode inhabited the portions of the cavern beyond it. There were also several beings that looked like hags or witches.

At first Nexelmode was indifferent to their presence but when Arahel revealed here true form to be a kiloren, she was delighted.

So much so, that Arahel grew a little concerned about all the hugs and kisses the strange women gave to her as she said, 'What have they done to you? You are cursed? Why do you hang around with these nasty humans? You should be in the forest where you belong, with me!'

The skeleton warrior, whose name was 'Mr Rattles' was not very friendly but was willing to answer questions from Harvel and Fenrir while Nexelmode examined Arahel.

Harvel asked about the goblins and Nexelmode answered;

''

This lot just turned up. There are hundreds of them all camped out in the upper reaches. What am I supposed to do with them? They are a pest, but I'm not a butcher. If they kill a few poachers then that's fine by me. Those stinking humans from Ferbone are always hunting in my forest. If a goblin gets one and puts him in a cooking pot that's a good thing for me. Go ask they chief if you want. I just get confused gibberings when I ask him why his tribe just turned up here.

''

Harvel could see, looking across the chasm, a goblin that looked like the chief, taller than the others and treated with reverence.

Nexelmode removed the curse from Arahel. It had been the side effects from being resurrected by Es Sarch back in Pedestal and the tough little kiloren was strong enough to throw it off with the help of the other druid's magic.

Fenrir asked a few questions of Nexelmode also and turned on the charm. He got the feeling that she warmed to him.

Finally, the witches (or whatever they were) brought food and they settled down to sleep in the 'guest area' of the cave.

DAY 290 (25th Nightal)(December)

In the morning Nexelmode's servants brought them their breakfast.

Then the final part of the magic that was required, a Break Enchantment spell, was cast on Arahel and she was completely free of Es Sarch's curse.

Arahel bowed to Nexelmode and thanked her, but then said she needed to be going. As Nexelmode tried to convince her to at least to stay for lunch, Fenrir and Harvel went to talk to the chief.

It was impossible at first, as they shared no common tongue with the goblins, but then Fenrir remembered he had heard Mr Rattles talk to them so he called him over.

With the skeleton translating the chief named himself as Chief Redfeather of the Blue Cloud Tribe and said;

''

We here. We travel old ways. We come from east. Black cloaked men come. They kill us. Drive us out. We here now. We stay. Green lady is good to us. She tell us that humans are good for eating. She is correct. Humans are good for eating. Black cloaked men come from old castle. Old castle was empty. Not empty now.

''

Fenrir tried his best to convince the chief to stop attacking the humans. The chief said he would try but pointed out that as often as not the humans attacked the goblins, 'We have lost many of our number.'

Things were getting a bit tense elsewhere in the cave. Harvel was skulking about in the goblin cave and making some of the warriors so nervous that one of them struck him with his sword.

And then Arahel suddenly decided she didn't want lunch, turned into an owl and flew out the cave. As Nexelmode turned into a giant bat, the two men ran for it.

Harvel was first out and hid amongst the trees. Fenrir flew into the upper branches and Arahel was next out. Then a giant bat flew out and assuming (correctly) it was Nexelmode, Harvel loosed off a psychic blast that injured her enough to make her flap back into the cave.

For a few heart beats there was silence, then howls and screeches as dire wolves and giant bats streamed out of the mouth of the cavern.

Harvel had awakened the wrath of Nexelmode.