Dusk Blooming Vines
Log Info
- Title: Dusk Blooming Vines
- GM: Aftershock
- Place: Around the City of Alexandria
Nasir Vali, in so far as you have seen of him, is the very image of a modern nobleman's manservant. Standing at five feet and six inches tall, Nasir has the air of a man who knows his worth comes not in how tall he is but in his own actions. His pale skin is slightly tinted with amber and his short black hair is neatly kempt. His features are handsome but not overly so with a somewhat forgettable appearance. His eyes are a pale watery blue color, and he is clean and tidy in his looks. If you had to guess at his race, human seems the most likely one given his rounded ears and his height, but he also has an air of timelessness about him. As if he has seen all this and done all that and nothing much surprises him anymore.
"My lord requires a number of blooms from a plant that grows in a garden not far into the local forest. I can give you detailed instructions on how to reach the place. The plant itself is somewhat dangerous however, being both invisible, and... aggressive. As the plant resides in the garden of our local witch she has requested that you not kill the plants in order to harvest their blooms, but instead capture the blooms and do as little damage as you can in the procurement." The manservant looks at you all. "This matter is both time-sensitive and delicate, so if you could make haste it would be appreciated. However if you have any questions I will happily answer them now."
Bryn has done her fair share of hunting, scrounging, foraging... just not around Alexandria. But how hard can it be to snatch up a rare plant or two? Especially when the posting made it sound like they know where some can be found.
"I only got two questions 'bout the thing we're fetchin: what's it look like, and where're we looking fer it?"
Reithak was no alchemist by any stretch of the word, or botanist either really, but they were an adventurer! And what would an adventurer be without curiosity for why they were needed to go pick some flowers?
The large egalrin resists an urge to crouch down to address the man, and instead stops to stretch one arm out over their head. "Nope! Not too many questions, other than well, how are we expected to get the blooms without killing the plant if we can't see it and it's aggressive?" They ask. "Should we be asking you that, or the witch who owns the garden?"
Sjach has ridden his horse today- he's still not quite so comfortable with the strange hairy creatures as a Swiftclaw, but nevertheless, he's getting more familiar with them. His bow and glaive are over his back, bow unstrung for the time being, and he dismounts when addressed by the manservant. He strokes the horse's flank as the job is explained in brief, and he clicks his tongue. "This one is no stranger to aggressive plants. Many plants in Am'share feed themselves on blood and flesh."
Harshad just kind of... tilts his head at Nasir Vali. His expression is a mixture of frustration and annoyance. "Let me get this straight. You want flowers. From a plant. That's aggressive. And -invisible-." The rangy half-orc's voice rises a touch. "Oh, and we can't -kill- the damn things if they start trying to eat us. Angoron's balls, man, do we have to do this without weapons too?"
Cuemoni, sith-makar that she is, nictates her golden eyes. "Ah." She looks embarrassed, in the way that a sith-makar can look embarrassed. She ducks her head and her tail goes quite low to the ground. "This one is most comfortable with fire. However... This one will endeavor not to harm the plant life where it is possible."
She looks at Harshad. "Take heart. It is possible. We will simply need to be careful and calculated in our actions."
Finally, she's made it to Alexandria! Become an explorer! Time to put her feet on the path to glory foretold!
...And they are to pick flowers.
Invisible, bitey flowers, certainly. But flowers nonetheless.
Utterly nonplussed, the half-oruch looks to the bow jutting from her back, then the starknife at her belt, then raises an eyebrow.
"...Upon my oath, I shall swear that I shall try."
Nothing worth doing was ever easy, after all. Maybe this, too, shall turn out to be worth doing.
"The plants bloom at night, which it is now. If you hurry, you will be able to see the flowers on the invisible plants." This is helpfully pointed out by the manservant, who seems a little intimidated by the lack of enthusiasm. "As I said, I have detailed instructions for how to reach the witches abode. She may however be asleep this time of the night. Please do not bother her unless you must."
Nasir smiles patiently at you all. "The flowers of the invisible dusk-blooming choke-vine are quite visible at night, but if you dally here it will be sunrise by the time you collect it and they will be totally invisible then. Here." He offers you a number of wooden boxes. One for each of you in fact. "These will keep the flowers fresh for the trip back. You are welcome to defend yourselves as necessary, but please do as little harm to the plants as you can. They are valuable reagents. Hard to grow."
Sjach takes the box when it is offered and attaches it to his horse's saddle with a bit of rope cut from the coil hanging from it with his obsidian dagger. With that done, he puts one foot in the stirrup and hauls himself back up and onto the mount. "Thiss one iss ready." he says simply, and then looks across the rest of the party to see if any of them have any further questions or issues before they are prepared too to depart.
Bryn's turns her eye briefly to Harshad and grins. "If we're just grabbin 'em, won't need no weapons fer that!" Then she looks back to Nasir, actually listens this time, and nods. "Can see 'em at night. Right. Got it. And I'm good ta go." She gives the others a quick glance. "'N sounds like we best get goin."
Harshad glares at the man, before taking one of the boxes as well. "Fine, fine... whatever gets us paid." He gives Cuemoni a sour look. "Has anyone told you you're way too optimistic for this line of work?" A deep sigh comes out of him. "Let's just... get moving, before the sun comes up. I'm so glad I'm used to working evenings..."
"Well, time's wasting then, isn't it?" The egalrin hums as she takes her box. "Don't worry, it'll be fine! Might have to get a bit creative, but when has that ever stopped anyone determined?" She adds to the others. "Afraid I don't have a mount but, I reckon I won't be slowing the others down on foot, at least."
Lani'kua accepts her box, nodding slowly as she receives intruction. Try not to harm the invisible choking plants while collecting their visible blooms. And don't wake the witch who owns the plants. "That is... statistically possible," she says after a moment's consideration.
As the others make their preparations to depart, Lani seems to have arrived at 'Welp, this is a thing we're doing,' and nods. "Then, soonest begun, soonest done."
"Ahhh. So it is only the body of the plant that is invisible." Cuemoni seems considerably happier for this. "Then it will be easier to listen for the plants and guess where they are. This one believes this one is also ready, yes."
Harshad's remark has Cuemoni's eyes sliding over in his direction. "This one is simply used to being among plants. If you are scared or upset by the idea of plants, just stay close to this one. This one will keep you safe." There's a little huff of amusement that leaves her.
You traverse the land to the forest mostly on foot (only one of you has a horse after all) and as you pass into the forest you are stalled by a lazy black tomcat that crosses your path. It sits in the road for a moment, licks its paw, and then continues on its way without regard for your timetable. In other words: slowly.
Thus it is quite dark when you reach the garden you are meant to enter. The witch's house is a little ways off, smoke rising from the chimney but the lights are off. At least that you can see. The garden is beautiful but dark, full of strange plants the likes of which you have never seen.
GAME: Cuemoni rolls Knowledge/Nature: (15)+8: 23 GAME: Sjach rolls knowledge/plants: (6)+knowledge/plants: 6
Bryn looks about the garden, at least as far as she can see (which is pretty far even in the dark and dim). "So," she wonders semi-quietly, "ya think they don want us botherin the witch jus ta be nice? Or cause she don' like folks pickin 'er flowers?"
Normally, someone didn't plan to visit a witch's house in the dead of night. But Reithak's best friend was a witch, so it couldn't be that bad, right?
"Well, we're really lucky to have a druid along for this, and a hunter I'd say. Luck's on our side!" The egalrin laughs loudly. "So, any ideas on how we might find them? I suppose disembodied floating flowers should be obvious enough, unless they grow real close to the ground. Might need a bit of light to actually see, though. Should be okay, she knows we're doing this, right?"
Cuemoni sniffs the air, and she narrows her eyes a little as she walks forward. "There is a fire-burning tree. It will spark and become flame if it is attacked. This one will endeavor to not set it aflame."
She looks around. "There are some rare herbs in these planters. However, this one is not yet seeing the chokevines yet."
There's a toothy grin as she adds, "More accurately, the flowers. This one cannot see the invisible. It would be doing the impossible."
Harshad gave Cuemoni a slightly grumpy stare, but he doesn't actually tell her off, It's clear the half-oruch is a city boy, judging from how he watches everything and he keeps his hands close to his blades.
As they approach the witch's hut, and the gardens, he glances at Bryn with furrowed brows. "Yeah," he remarks. "You'd -think- she'd be out here watchin' us, if nothing else to make sure we didn't chop up her plants into salad. Keep an eye on her hut -- if that door opens we may need to run."
Sjach maintains a sedate pace on his horse, so that those on foot won't struggle to keep up- and also so that the animal won't be tired if it needs to run later. When they arrive, he sits up straighter on his mount and casts his gaze back and forth, his own nostrils flaring and nictating membranes blinking slowly. "Thiss one thought the countract was to kill the witch, on firsst reading." he admits to the others as they wonder about whether the Witch minds them being here or not.
He clicks his tongue again, and nods in agreement with Cuemoni's assessment of the tree. He decides to string his bow, bracing one limb of it against his thigh and bending it there to hook the sinew string around the other limb. Just incase he needs it- even if they aren't supposed to be attacking anything if they can help it. He squeezes the horse's flanks with his knees, urging it onwards as he keeps casting his gaze back and forth across the garden. "Perhapss she is watching us. That animal we encountered. Witches often take animal shapes, or look through their eyes."
"...Perhaps it's a test?" Lani hazards, still somewhat dazed by the incongruity of the entire expedition. "If we're to harm neither the owner or the plants, then a test of skill and judgment?"
It's really the best theory she can offer at the moment, and having no experience in plant life or stealth, she resorts to simply following behind Cuemoni, box in hand and ready for their quarry to be spotted.
GAME: Cuemoni rolls Perception: (18)+9: 27 GAME: Harshad rolls perception: (12)+8: 20 GAME: Lani'kua rolls perception: (3)+2: 5 GAME: Bryn rolls perception: (11)+7: 18 GAME: Sjach rolls perception: (18)+8: 26 GAME: Reithak casts Light. Caster Level: 5 DC: 12
Harshad is honestly unsure if he should be creeping along or not. Can plants hear? He doesn't know. But it might not hurt to be quiet just in case the witch is sleeping. "So, uh," he says quietly. "How do we get the flowers off? Do we just... cut 'em loose?" He pulls a dagger from his belt, hefting it. Catching sight of some 'floating' flowers, he hisses, pointing with the blade tip. "That looks promising... maybe."
"Got it, no flaming rapiers. Not that I should be planning on using it, anyways." Reithak nods to the others, squinting into the darkness behind a pair of rectangular goggles. "Sorry folks, I'm a lot more useful able to see than not, one of those ways I'm sadly not blessed by the gods and goddesses like you lot are." They chuckle ruefully, doffing their hat and offering a short prayer in auran that causes the garment to radiate light around it as she puts it back on. "Hope none of these plants are light sensitive, at least."
Sjach urges his horse onwards, still moving at a calm pace, eyes still wandering back and forth. "There. Just beyond the fire tree." he tells the others, pointing out the floating flowers as he picks them out. He draws one of his arrows, holding it loosely but doesn't yet knock it or prepare to fire, keeping his eyes fixed on the 'floating' flowers nearby. They narrow suddenly as light floods the area, and his nictating membranes close reflexively until his pupils can adjust.
He pauses to consider for some time, before saying to the others. "If thesse plants are like the ones thiss one knowss, they will mindlessly attack when we draw near." he warns.
"This one agrees with kin," Cuemoni replies with a nod in Sjach's direction. "The Shaman may be assessing us. For what reason, this one does not know... But this one does not aim to disappoint."
She steps forward. "Sjach is correct. This one believes that removing the flower by the stem is the best way. This one hopes you are as good with your dagger as you are hiding, Warrior Harshad." An affectionate chuckle leaves her as she draws her scimitar.
"We shall see what comes," Cuemoni intones, although the flicker of the light behind her makes her nictate in kind as Sjach does. It takes a moment for her makari senses to adjust.
"No reason to hurt anythin we don' need ta, right?" Bryn doesn't spy any suspicious plants (suspicious meaning that part of them isn't spyable), but moves forward with the others. She blinks at the sudden outpouring of light from Sjach's hat, and gets inspired (if a bit late). "Huntin fer flowers is harder at night, so what say we get 'elp wit a li'l more light?" A bit of flourish from one hand sparks four little motes of illuminiation; not nearly as radiant as the headwear, but they float ahead on their own. No heads required.
GAME: Bryn casts Dancing Lights. Caster Level: 3 DC: 13
Try as Lani might, there's just... too little to recognize, and for a time her eye lands upon and follows a butterfly flickering past. One that she's pretty sure isn't a flower, but that's the best guess she's going to be able to make.
When the bloom of light floods the garden, Lani shrinks away from it for a moment, squinting her eyes to adjust to the change.
...At which point Bryn adds his own torches to the mix.
"...Er," she says, tucking the box under one arm, and unfastening her starknife with the other as she approaches the spot marked out, "you're sure the witch won't mind all this light in the middle of the night?"
As the bright light from Reithak draws closer to the duskvines, the flowers close one after the other, hiding away from the illumination and leaving you looking at... nothing. Bryn's lights probably don't help this much.
When the lights come up, something sticks in Harshad's mind. Say, didn't that poncy git say something about the flowers vanishing at daybreak? He turns just in time to see the flowers close up and disappear, and he whips around to look at Reithak and Bryn, waving his dagger ferociously. "Douse it! Douse it!" he hisses.
The closing of the flowers has Cuemoni let out a little rumbling breath. "The light spells make the flowers believe that it is day. Shaman?" She addresses Reithak this way. "May you stand some distance away? The same goes for you as well, Shaman." She indicates Bryn with this. "Otherwise we cannot harvest the flowers."
GAME: Cuemoni rolls Knowledge/Nature: (11)+8: 19 GAME: Sjach rolls knowledge/nature: (20)+7: 27 GAME: Bryn rolls knowledge/nature+1: Trained Use Only: 0
Reithak says, “Ah, crap, thought it was time sensitive or sunlight sensitive, not a light sensitive thing." The egalrin curses quietly, grabbing the hat and stuffing it reluctantly into one of her satchels. "Well, that's why I'm no druid. I'll leave it in your capable hands, then."”
"Oh!" Bryn realizes the problem too late (and as much from Cuemoni mentioning it as things vanishing it). She makes a beckoning motion with her hand and the glowing spheres move towards, and then past her, so they are much further away from the plants. She ain't a druid, neither. "Hows that?"
Sjach nods his head slowly as the flowers dissapear again, confirming the thoughts that were forming in his mind. He's a little slow to express them, but finally he does- "Dim light is alright, leave your hat over there." he suggests. "These plants will lash out and attack from surprising distance when we draw near. They are mindless, as I thought, and will attack any living thing, and will not cease until it is dead." he says then. "it is unlikely to give chase, though." he says then, as he considers options for a few more long moments.
"They are likely to strangle and bind, as most agressive vines do. Be prepared to cut your way free if you need to." he says, before finally dismounting from his horse. He stows his bow over his back, and decides this is a job for the dagger after all which is drawn from the back of his pants. He slowly and cautiously approaches the plants.
Listening carefully to Sjach's instructions, Lani nods to herself... Then shrugs, returning the box to her belt as she simply strides forward. "The more hands to harvest blossoms," she says as she passes the group, "the better. Allow me."
And she just keeps trooping forward, free hand outstretched, into the reach of the vines.
GAME: Reithak casts Bless. Caster Level: 5 DC: 13
"Alright, seems like the plants are still there. I'll just, keep a ways back for now." Reithak shouts over to the group, keeping a bit distant as the bag seemed to be still leaking light out of it. "Don't worry though, you guys got this! I believe in you! And well, a bit of magic doesn't hurt" The egalrin whistles, reaching for the holy symbol on their neck that fills the group with a modicum of divine strength. <Auran>
GAME: Sjach rolls weapon6+1: (5)+5+1: 11
Sjach passes his dagger from one hand to the other, keeping his eyes fixed on the blossoms- aware that the vines could be snaking around on him even as he does so. But they aren't here to kill the vines, they're here for the blossoms. He swallows his hesitation and then takes a step forwards, swinging the dagger for one of the flowers- but it twists out of the way of his dagger blow. He grunts his frustration, but keeps his eyes fixed on the prize and feet light on the ground.
GAME: Harshad rolls weapon11+1: (1)+8+1: 10 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Harshad rolls weapon11+1: (4)+8+1: 13
Harshad follows in Sjach's wake, the half-oruch running along the turf with a short, wicked-looking blade in his fist. As Sjach misses with his blade, Harshad tries to follow up, lunging quick with the dagger in his hand -- and misses. "Gods damn it, these things are squirmy like a live eel."
GAME: Cuemoni rolls weapon1+1: (14)+5+1: 20 GAME: Cuemoni rolls damage1: aliased to 1d6+2: (5)+2: 7
Bryn draws in a big inhale and then... pauses. Most of her encouragements revolve around bustin chops, cracking skulls, spilling blood... and that's not exactly what they're here for. Even if they WERE, plants really don't have any of those. "... Vis'ble in the night, grab up quick! Hold 'em all tight, and pluck 'em off quick!" She them moves on up with Sjach and Harshad to see if she can't help with wrestling the vegetation into submission.
Cuemoni strides in next to the invisible plants, her scimitar in hand. "This one will aid," she offers as she goes into the fray, stepping in front of the paladin. "Gently now..."
She carefully aims her scimitar at the flower. A quick strike and the flower is safe and sound in her hand. Cuemoni smiles pleasantly. "One!" she announces. The work of a Shaman of the land involves the occasional bit of gardening, too.
GAME: Cuemoni rolls Reflex: (7)+3: 10 GAME: Lani'kua rolls reflex: (19)+6: 25 GAME: Harshad rolls Reflex: (13)+8: 21 GAME: Sjach rolls reflex: (1)+6: 7 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Sjach rolls reflex: (6)+6: 12 GAME: Bryn rolls reflex: (5)+6: 11 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (15)+7: 22 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d8+7: (2)+7: 9
The ground rumbles underfoot, and Cuemoni and Sjach find themselves quite entangled in the roots of the very vines they are trying to harvest. Lani'kua has worse luck, finding herself lifted off the ground and painfully constricted by the dusk-blooming choke-vine.
GAME: Lani'kua rolls melee: (3)+4: 7 GAME: Lani'kua rolls melee: (16)+4: 20
Hauled up into the air by the invisible vines, Lani's teeth bare amid a hiss of pain, as the plant squeezes and bones begin to pop. "This... is concerning..."
Luckily, however, the blooms are still quite visible, and her knife arm is mobile enough that after a big of wriggling...
SLICE
...a bloom falls into Lani's open hand. "Excellent..."
The half-oruch looks down at the others, and the vines doing their best to replace her ribs. "...Little help?"
GAME: Reithak casts Divine Favor. Caster Level: 5 DC: 13
Reithak takes a few tentative steps southwards until one of the strange clumps of floating flowers is within view. A brief pause, in which it remains as such. "Alright! Just hang on folks, I'm coming!" She shouts over to the group, stopping long enough to utter another prayer which fills the egalrin with renewed strength.
GAME: Sjach rolls strength: (3)+2: 5 GAME: Sjach rolls 6-2+1+1: (10)+6+-2+1+1: 16
Sjach hisses his frustration as his ankles are entangled, rather than being grabbed more bodily by the plant. He tugs at the vines crawling up his legs and rooting him in place. "Thiss one will help when he can." he says to Lani then, before slashing out as one of the flowers draws within arm's reach, the blade of obsidian catching a glint of the reflected light as it trims one of the blooms from the vine.
GAME: Harshad rolls weapon11+2: (11)+8+2: 21 GAME: Harshad rolls damage11+1: aliased to 1d4+2+1: (1)+2+1: 4
"Hang in there," Harshad growls. "I think -- gotcha!" His hand suddenly grabs a vine with a flower on it, and a flick of his dagger results in the bloom neatly landing in his hand. He backsteps quickly, pulling out the box and dropping it in. "I've got one." Seeing the others in a state of vegetative combat, he scowls. "And... they've got us. Damn it."
GAME: Bryn casts Grease. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14
"I hear ya!" Bryn wants to help out Lani'kua. It's the right thing to do. Besides, proper wrastlin calls for oil! At least in the displays she's seen and/or pariticpated in. "Slicker 'n snot, smooth as glass, let 'er no longer be got... leggo of 'er ass!" This leaves Lani lightly layered with lubrication; perfect for escaping, baking, or pan frying!
GAME: Cuemoni casts Liberating Command. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14 GAME: Sjach rolls escape artist+6: (10)+-1+6: 15 GAME: Cuemoni rolls weapon1: (7)+5: 12
Cuemoni is somewhat prepared for this situation, however. "Warrior Sjach!" she commands, her golden eyes flaring with magic. "Escape the bonds! Flee the enemy!"
The Shaman intones it, and Sjach's liberated by her command, slipping out of the entangling vines. Cuemoni, in the meantime, continues to try and cut blooms off. However, her scimitar gets smacked away from the flower by a chastising vine. "This one will try and heal you soon, Warrior!" she calls over to Lani'kua.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (2)+7: 9 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d8+7: (7)+7: 14 GAME: Lani'kua rolls escape artist+10: (8)+-1+10: 17 GAME: Lani'kua spends ONE use of LAY ON HANDS. GAME: Lani'kua rolls 1d6: (5): 5
POP. POP POP POP
...Well that felt like something important giving way.
Closing her eyes, Lani mutters a prayer to the Seeress, that the next step she takes be one that secures her destiny... Then, as the magical grease enshrouds her armor, clothing, and self, she sucks in a deep, deep breath...
And slides right out of the vines, like sh--
Like a greased paladin.
The moment her battered body touches the ground, she slaps a hand on herself and unloads some of the Seeress' blessing, bringing her just close enough to this side of the living that the fight doesn't end at its beginning.
GAME: Reithak casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 5 DC: 13 GAME: Reithak rolls 1d8+5: (3)+5: 8
Seeing the plants were not completely hidden with the light, and more importantly, one of her allies badly hurt, the egalrin springs into action. The inquisitor leap frogs over Lani, wings buffeting the half-oruch backwards and shielding them from the vines for a moment. "Easy there, fall back if you can, we gotcha." They reassure. "Flames of creation, mend your child's wounds." they pray, reaching back just long enough to touch the paladin and mend the worst of their injuries.
GAME: Sjach rolls weapon6+1+1: (11)+5+1+1: 18
Sjach feels the vines grip on his feet loosen, and he tugs them free. He lashes out with his dagger again, snagging another of the blooms before stepping away from the plant, around and behind Bryn so that he can be within arms reach of CUemoni. "We have most of them! One more and we should retreat." he says. "These plants may follow for a time, but they are slow and will not keep up the pursuit." he calls out. "When it is time to move, take my hand and I will help you escape." he tells Cuemoni.
GAME: Harshad rolls weapon11+2: (6)+8+2: 16
(Harshad pose goes here in post due to player RL, successful hit and bloom falls)
GAME: Bryn rolls melee+1+1: (8)+5+1+1: 15
"Ha!" Bryn interjects a laugh into her singing as Lani slips free and defies her squishing. Because oruchs are stubborn like that. That means she can turn her attention to the vines, and reaches out to snatch up a bloom with one hand. "Gotcha!" They might have enough, they might not... but always better to have a bit much than too little.
GAME: Cuemoni rolls Strength: (12)+2: 14
Still entangled, Cuemoni gives a little huff. "This one will return home to Cihuaa," she says. "Let go."
With a powerful wiggle, she manages to convince the vines to let go of her, and she briskly walks away. "We have the flowers that we need. This one believes we can move on now and return!"
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (14)+7: 21 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (2)+7: 9 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+13: (3)+13: 16 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d8+7: (1)+7: 8
The vines dance in the air, trying to find some food but to little avail. Reithak does take a smack to the face while a nearby vine fumbles around however. It stings. A lot.
GAME: Cuemoni casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14 GAME: Cuemoni rolls 1d8+3: (5)+3: 8 GAME: Sjach rolls ride.: (18)+ride.: 18
"My thanks," Lani says to Bryn, then again to Reithak, as her precarious teeter on the edge of mortality becomes less precarious. "We've got all we need? Then let's leave this place, we've far more than our share of luck that the owner hasn't taken exception."
Tucking her bloom in its box, she suits action to word, giving Cuemoni a tusky smile as the latter further mends her injuries.
"...Have to say, this was much more excitement than I expected out of picking flowers..."
Sjach remains as the vines lash out one final time, making sure everyone is free and clear of the invisible choking plant before he breaks away himself. He dashes to his horse, grabbing the handle on the saddle with one hand and shoving his foot into the stirrup, throwing himself up and onto the horse's back. He urges it on, but not too fast- allowing those on foot to make their escape and staying in the rear for now- after all, he can break away much more quickly than them if need be so it makes sense for him to cover them.
And to enable that, he opens the box, stuffing the flowers into it, and closes it again before pulling his bow from over his back, turning back towards the flowers to level an arrow that way but not loosing it.
Lani's comment draws his puzzled expression, "This iss not normal, here?" he asks her then.
Bryn nabbed herself a flower, they have enough, and only waits long enough for Harshad and Reithak to move before she withdraws, herself. Everyone else seems far enough away. I mea, she isn't a druid, but she's -pretty- sure they can outrun the vines. "Got what we needed, le's go!" The oruchess tucks the bloom into her box after she's put some paces away from the vines.
A tusky grin is shot to Lani. "Ey, ye asked fer a li'l help, so you got some." Then the grin grows. "Ye, never figured pickin' flowers'd be so excitin! Ain't it great?!"
As Cuemoni goes to withdraw from the scene, she catches Lani'kua on their way out. "You fought well, Warrior," she says, in the way that a proud mother might say it. "Let this one heal you of your wounds."
She murmurs an incantation, and with a touch of her claws to Lani'kua's arm, the half-oruch paladin's wounds close up more. Cuemoni offers what passes for a makari-smile at Lani'kua. "This one has advice of a Shaman to offer."
Cuemoni pats Lani'kua on the arm before taking her claw away. "You will get used to it. Endure until then." At Sjach, she laughs a little. "They do not know the plants from back in Am'shere, Warrior."
Reithak does not appreciate being smacked across the face by a vine, but it certainly beats having their ribs crushed, or worse. The egalrin didn't linger with the others retreating, and the inquisitor catches up surprisingly quickly with the rest of the group, slowing down to keep pace with the others. "Got them all? More importantly, just doing my job, but are you okay?" She asks. "Not normal at all, most plants just grow and you maybe sing to them a bit and they're happy."
With six blossoms in hand, the group immediately flees. "Is it farming or stealing?" Harshad asks a bit rhetorically. "I mean, I can kinda see it being a bit of both." He can't help but glance back a bit suspiciously. "Still wonder if we got hired for a heist we didn't know about there. That's always got complications."
Eventually you return with the blooms back to the manor where the manservant is waiting for you in a curtain-drawn room lit by candlelight. He seems rather surprised by your bounty which all survived save the extra bloom which wilted on your way back without a box to keep it intact. "Six?!? I thought perhaps you would retrieve one! This is excellent. I am most pleased and will speak highly of you to the guild. You've my gratitde indeed." He bows to you formally and then gathers the boxes.
Seems like in retrospect, the job was easier than you thought...
You'll get used to it.