Natsu's Wychwood Research Expedition - Event plan

Attendees: 4

Fluff:
Upon a suggestion by Magnus, Natsu has decided to lead an expedition into the new and imporved area of Wychwood. He brings a team of a scientist and bodyguards to explore the hopefully wonderous new land.

Synopsis:
The party arrives at the edge of the new dense area of the forest where they have set up a small forward camp.

There are three main paths to explore through the forests and in the end the party will be able to only explore two of them before being driven out all together.

Path one:  As they travel down the path it begins to get denser and denser until they can only travel single file. The greenery comes in further to almost completely block line of sight ahead.

If they continue to travel they will come out into a small clearing containing a small, sparkling pond. If they choose to hack away at the restrictive foliage then it will fight back, requiring the person who struck it to roll or lose their currently equipped weapon for the remainder of the event.

If anyone so much as touches the water in the pool then they will be overcome by strange lust for combat. Prolonged exposure or drinking the water will result in that player becoming temporarily hostile to the others. (They may gain a power boost for the fight.)

Any attempts to manipulate the water through magic seem to fail and any container it is placed in seems to immediately melt away. They are unable to take any of the water with them.

Around the pool there are various flowers that can be taken. When used in making a potion it will also give the same berserker effect to whoever drinks it.

Coward's Cure
Mystical Capabilities: C | Enchantment Difficulty: C | Rarity: A+
These small, orange thistle flowers only grow around special pools of water deep within Wychwood. The forest itself seems to stop travellers from approaching these pools, as if it knew the danger of them. The flowers can be crushed up and the liquid from the petals will induce a beserker rage into any who come into contact with it. Depending on the dosage All rational thought may be lost.



They are then free to persue one of the other paths

Path two: Another path leads towards a small cave, the roots of a tree have sunken down and created a small almost house like shape to the cave. Inside the cave sounds of incoherent grunting can be heard.

Upon inspection it is revealed that the cave contains three strange looking boar. They are much, much larger than other kinds and it appears to be almost like a family. One male, one female and a child.

Attempts to enter the cave proper will result in aggression from the large male boar. The boar have become quasi intelligent and have picked up strange notions about civilisation. With enough effort the party can begin to partially communicate with them.

If the boar are dealt with peacefully then the party will gain animal summons for the fight against the EC. If killed, the boar (npcs) will drop unique mats for projects people in the party are working on.

Path three: The third path leeds out into a clearing with nothing of apparent interest. The party will all roll and those that roll low will be dragged into a giant, wooden maw in the ground.

The party will be somewhat split here, with those that rolled poorly being inside some kind of giant, living tree. If no one gets dragged in then writing masses of vines will crop up at the surface and threaten to drag them in.

If attacked the vines and the tree will leak a strange, oozing sap that seems to try and get out of the open air on its own accord. Any damage made to the inside of the tree causes the structure to shake violently before rapidly healing. Repeated injury will cause the walls to contrict inwards, forcing the party in towards the centre.

A mass of entangled worms writhes and wriggles at the centre of the tree. They have a strange quality to them and almost seem intelligent in a swarm like, collective way. At the centre of the worms lies a strange stone that gives power to whomever wields it. (jewellry slot item)

The worms can try to be reasoned with but it will be mostly futile, ending with them simply realising this new food is more trouble than its worth and letting them go. Once out of the tree it will shift back and look like normal ground once again.

The tree's sap (Flowing Amber) can be collected at any point. It seems to act as an enchantment medium for weapons. (The sap can be used as an earth orb for weapons, anyone who chooses to can earth orb their weapon in the sap from the tree.)



After two of the paths have been explored then the party will come across the EC. A large and mutated looking dire wolf. Stragely for one of its kind it has come to face them alone, to drive them out of the forest. It has a sword embedded into its back with blood oozing from the wound still.

Unbeknownst to the party, the wolf is blessed by the wolf mother to keep out most intruders though it doesn't have the intelligence to distinguish between real threats. It is simply there to 'remove' any and all intruders.

It is not intelligent, really, simply following orders like a drone would. It cannot be reasoned with and will always attempt to fight the party. If defeated it can be skinned for its pelt and its incredibly sharp claws can be gathered for whatever purposes people have.

Once defeated the party can follow the path the Wolf came out of, leading them to the edge of a large lake. The water lapping at the shore seems to shimmer spectacularly in the sunlight.

Strangely, the grass and other plantlife seem to go right up to the water's edge, managing to survive the near constant state of drowning. Those that peer down to the lake bed can see plants living even down there.

The party is given the collect samples of the lake.
Asena's Springwater
Mystical Capabilities: B+ | Enchantment Difficulty: S | Rarity: A

Following an undertaking by some powerful magi, a low valley in the Wychwood was flooded with water to create a lake. It was the work of Asena, bringing life to the dying greneery. The thick jungle that surrounds the lake makes navigating there difficult, with strange, hostile animals in the area, ones that were transformed and empowered when the Wolf of the Summer cast its spell to fill the valley with water.

The water's rejuenvating properties are prized--it can be used in healing potions or rituals or enchantment.  Applying the water directly to plantlife results in immediate restoration.

Rewards:

Wolfsbane (sword) - [Stats]

A mithril sword steeped in the blood of a blessed wolf. The mark of Asena has been left on the blade granting the wielder the swiftness and ferocity of the wind itself. Dried blood stains the blade to the hilt.

Fang of the keeper (ring) - [Stats]

A hollow, broken fang from an Asena blessed wolf. It is hollow throughout and snugly fits on the index finger. The fading blessing of the wolf mother provides the swiftness of the wolves to whomever wears it.

Wormstone (amulet) - [Stats] (Has the fluff ability of being able to influence plants in a small radius around the wielder.)

A crystal formed from the congealed excretions of a mass of mutated worms. It shimmers in the day light and seems to writhe beneath your touch. It has a deep connection to plantlife and allows the wielder to gently manipulate the nature around them. Allowing for very minor nature magic feats.

Various fluff/dev materials outlined above

Flowing Amber
Mystical Capabilities: B | Enchantment Difficulty: A | Rarity: B+

Sometimes found near the river Asena's Bloom... Treesap on the oak trees that have been influenced the most by the water's magical properties. It's thicker than honey and has a darker color, almost bronze-like. Weapons enchanted with treesap are bestowed elemental affinity to the earth, but it can only be applied to material that has had no prior enchantments.

[Only improves store bought weapons--changes their orb to earth and gives +2 earth pow/+2 earth def, ahelp if applied. Though it can be used in an application involving customs too.]

The EC:

An asena blessed, white direwolf. Has melle, wind magic and access to the ookami racials. Stats are pending on the attendees.