RQG 187 - It Tolls For Tree!

## Content Warnings

Physical violence & injury, nausea. Discussions of: existentialism. Mentions of: death, lightning (inc. SFX), fire & burning. (inc. SFX), bears, blades, poison, bombs. SFX: continuous crackling, explosions, roaring

## Summary

Join Alex, Helen, Bryn, Lydia, and Ben as they engage in battle with the Garden itself!
This week Zolf quite literally gazes into the void, Hamid blocks the squishy NPCs, Cel would like to consider the time-and-space thing, and Azu sends thoughts and prayers.

## Synopsis

Zolf ignores Hamid's shout to not look in the flower head, and walks through the folded petals. He sees time and space, stretching out ahead of him, galaxies forming and dying. He feels an overwhelming sense of people crowding upon him from all directions. He is aware that this is his brain trying to make sense of what he is seeing and not doing too well; he just about manages to avoid being mentally overwhelmed or sucked into the flower. He is nauseated and physically overwhelmed.

**Round 1**

Outside the flower, four trees are advancing on the party; the biggest is an electric blue and is crackling with electricity. Hamid, seeing this, casts resist energy on himself and positions himself in front of the squishiest NPCs.

Wilde starts humming and gesticulating, and casts his hand out; an illusion of a Huge fire elemental appears between the party and the aggressive trees. The trees believe the illusion and recoil. Wilde then goes to stand by Hamid.

Cel lands safely, and casts shield on themself.

Zolf backs out of the flower to Azu, and the crowd-pressure reduces and the portal-suction. He warns the others that it's really bad in there, then braces his hands on his knees, bent over and trying not to be sick.

Azu moves towards the squishy NPCs, as Zolf waves to Azu that he's fine and definitely not trying not to vomit. Azu tells him to feel better soon.

Sumutnyerl turns back into a dire polar bear and moves to be close to Wilde and Hamid, although not too close.

Henchtree 1 then double moves to reach the group of Hamid, Wilde, and Sumutnyerl, followed by the Electric Bosstree, which moves towards the group and shoots out a fan of electricity between its branches, before clapping its branches together and shooting electricity at Hamid. The lightning hits Hamid in the chest then arcs out from him and hits all of the party members. everyone is injured except Skraak, who evaded the lightning.

Skraak then takes a 5 ft step towards Henchtree 1, and attacks it with their syringe spear, followed by their tail weapon. He damages the tree, although it doesn't appear to react to the poison in the syringe spear.

Henchtrees 2 and 3 do not move, but dig their roots down into the ground, and thrusting their branches upwards, as if summoning something. A number of 'normal' blighted trees start to move too; Henchtrees 2 and 3 then move over to where Wilde, Hamid, Skraak and Sumutnyerl are.

**Round 2**

Hamid stands back up, hair standing on end, cracks his neck, and says, "My Turn." He casts fireball at the electric bosstree and Henchtree 1. Henchtree 1 is obliterated, but the Electric Bosstree is immune to fire damage and is unharmed.

**Break**

Wilde's fire elemental illusion disappears, and Wilde starts moving his hands in an elaborate way, then claps his hand and calls out. Apparently, nothing has happened.

Cel throws four bombs at the trees, but they don't do very much damage at all. Cel asks the group if they should consider going into the flower heads, as the fight is looking unwinnable and perhaps the 'time and space thing' might be safer.

Zolf goes to the other people, and agrees with Cel that going through the portals might be a good idea, struggling to get his words out without vomiting

Azu moves back 10 ft and channels positive energy, then says that they're not going to win this fight.

Sumutnyerl roars, attacks the nearest tree (Henchtree 2?) and misses, and holds her ground.

The Electric Bosstree roars, swings wildly with its electricity, bit it's not at anyone- clearly Wilde's spell has caused the tree to see some sort of hallucination that it is fighting instead of the party.

Skraak turns to Henchtree 2 and breathes fire at it. The trees are hit and injured.

Henchtree 2 attacks Skraak back, hitting him with its branches, and injuring him.

Uncountable trees on the edge of the clearing, (Henchtree 2's minions) advance towards the party slowly. The minion trees start to moan and cry.

Henchtree 3 swings at Sumutnyerl twice, missing on the first swing but crunching her in the face with the second. She looks worse for wear now.

Henchtree 3's minions also advance slowly, waving and moaning.

**Round 3**

Hamid retreats back towards the centre of the clearing, towards the giant flower bud, equidistant between them.

Wilde does the same.

Cel moves to stand between Wilde, Hamid and the bud presumed to lead to London, and asks whether anyone has a preference on which bud to enter.

Zolf replies that Shoin drew London, and moves towards the London (assumed) bud.

Azu moves to be with the others, nearer the flowerbuds, and channels positive energy.

Sumutnyerl also retreats.

The Electric Bosstree continues fighting the hallucination.

Skraak also retreats.

The other trees lumber towards the party, the ring of minions drawing in, and the lightning tree realises it's just been fighting a hallucination.

**End of initiative**

At the same time, the group flees into the flowerbud that may represent London (with the bell sound), diving through in single file. Each person sees a flash of bright blue as they pass through the petals (like a forcefield), and Hamid, last one in, looking back, throws a final fireball backwards towards the two remaining henchtrees, obliterating them instantly. The party all join hands as they pass through the petals, and fall together into the unknown.

## Quotes

**Zolf**: "That's, er, that's bad in there, cos of, er, time and space"
―Zolf, trying not to be sick, after coming back out of the flower head

**Bryn**: "Hamid stands back up, hair standing on end, cracks his neck, and says: "My Turn.""
―Bryn, after Hamid is struck by lightning, to the mean trees

**Cel**: "Any preference for a portal? Svalbard, Americas, or pollution land?"
**Zolf**: "...Shoin drew London!"
**Cel**: "Sounds good!"
―Cel and Zolf try to decide which flower bud to enter, if any.
## Dice rolls & mechanics

* Perception check for Zolf looking into the flower head: 21
* Will save for Zolf looking into the flower head : 18
* Reflex save for Zolf looking into the flower head: 18
* Fortitude save for Zolf looking into the flower head: 14 (fail: becomes nauseated and can only take a single move action per turn.)

## Combat breakdown

**Ongoing effects:**
(Around 90 minutes has passed since the start of the previous fight in RQG 182 - The Garden of Yerlik)

* Hamid: +4 AC from mage armor.
* Skraak: +2 to attack rolls, +2 to saving throws, +2 to skill checks from heroism for the next 90 minutes.
* Sumutnyerl: -2 to attack rolls, -2 to saving throws, -2 to skill checks, and -2 to ability checks from being shaken.
* Zolf: Is nauseated and can only take a single move action per turn for 3 turns.
* Whole party: Aura of courage, +4 on saving throws against fear effects.
* Hamid starts the fight down 10 hit points.

**Initiative:** Hamid, Wilde, Cel, Zolf, Azu, Sumutnyerl, Henchtree 1, Electric Bosstree, Skraak, Henchtree 2, Henchtree 2's minion trees (round 2 onwards), Henchtree 3, Henchtree 3's minion trees (round 2 onwards)

**Round 1**

* Hamid: Casts resist energy on himself. Electric damage is reduced by 20 for 90 mins.
* Wilde: Casts a realistic illusion of a fire elemental
* Cel: Fly check to land safely: 16 (pass). Cel casts shield on themself, +4 AC for 9 minutes.
* Zolf: Backs out of the flower bud and moves next to Azu. Is unable to take another action as he is nauseated.
* Azu: Moves to the squishy NPCs.
* Sumutnyerl: Uses wild shape and turns into a dire polar bear.
* Henchtree 1: Double moves to reach the group of Hamid, Wilde, and Sumutnyerl.
* Electric Bosstree: Moves forward and casts chain lightning at Hamid, which then arcs to the others. Reflex save for Hamid to take half damage from lightning: 12 (fail). Hamid takes 18 damage (resist energy removed 20 damage). Reflex save for whole party to take half damage from the chain lightning: 22 (Zolf, pass), 20 (Skraak, pass), Nat 1 (Azu, fail), 15 (Cel, fail). Azu and Cel take 38 lightning damage, Zolf takes 19 lightning damage, and Skraak takes no damage due to having evasion. Wilde and Sumutnyerl also make their Reflex saves and take half damage.
* Skraak: Attacks Henchtree 1 with syringe spear: 21 (17 damage) + rainbow jellyfish toxin (the tree is immune). Skraak attacks Henchtree 1 with his tail weapon: Nat 20 but does not confirm the crit (4 damage).
* Henchtree 2 and 3: Summon more trees and move to the squishy group.

**Round 2**

* Hamid: Casts fireball at the Electric Bosstree and Henchtree 1 (Reflex DC is 18): The damage roll is 55 but Henchtree 1 is vulnerable to fire and takes an additional 50% damage for a total of 82 damage. Henchtree 1 is obliterated, but the Electric Bosstree is immune to fire damage and is unharmed.
* Hamid, rolls spellcraft to tell what Wilde is doing: Nat 1. Wilde dismisses the illusion of a fire elemental and casts an elaborate spell, but the effect isn't immediately apparent. (It is most likely an Audiovisual Hallucination or a Complex Hallucination.)
* Cel throws 4 frost bombs: First: 16 (miss); Second: 20 (miss); Third: 9 (miss), Fourth: 11 (miss). Some splash damage hit, but not as much as it should (it should have been 48) the trees probably have some kind of resistance.
* Zolf: Is still nauseated but moves up to the rest of the party.
* Azu: Channels positive energy; everyone heals 8 hit points.
* Sumutnyerl: Unsuccessfully attacks the nearest tree.
* Electric Bosstree: Attacks the empty air. Everyone can tell that Wilde's spell has successfully fooled it.
* Skraak: Uses draconic breath (15 ft cone; DC 17 reflex) on Henchtree 2, 15 damage.
* Henchtree 2: Attacks Skraak (AC 22) with its branches: 2 hits, dealing 18 and 15 damage.
* Minion trees: Move 10 ft towards the party.
* Henchtree 3: Attacks Sumutnyerl twice. Miss then hit, dealing significant but unknown damage.

**Round 3**

* Hamid: Takes the withdraw action (allowing him to move without provoking attacks of opportunity) and retreats.
* Wilde: Takes the withdraw action and retreats while maintaining concentration.
* Cel: Retreats.
* Zolf: Moves toward the flower bud he previously stuck his head in.
* Azu: Retreats with everyone else and channels positive energy, healing everyone for 8 hit points.
* Sumutnyerl: Takes the withdraw action and retreats.
* Electric Bosstree: Continues to fight Wilde's illusion.
* Skraak: Takes the withdraw action and retreats.