Ruby held out her hand hovering it slightly over the bird. "Unbound by death I protect thee..." Her hand glowed red as she used her aura to help heal the bird.
"Fascinating..." Gale said watching the young huntress.
"I'm impressed, ain't never seen a healing spell like that." Nettie turned to them. "What can I do for you lot... Thalia I thought Kagha barred you from the Grove?" The druid woman asked.
"It's complicated." Thalia responded.
"We encountered these... mindflayers and they..." Ruby started
"Your infected too?" Nettie cut her off.
"Too?" Ruby
"Follow me." Nettie gestured for them to follow her. On the far wall of the chamber was a symbol of elk in a wreath of ivy. Nettie touched it and the stones moved revealing a secret room with a large wolf them, four pedestals, book selves with stone slates, a stone desk covered in glass bottles and a stone table where a dead man lay, his ash gret skin skin devoid of life as the smell of blood hung in the air.
Chapter 6: Bards Song Harpies Charm
Ruby stumbled back at the sight of the dead drow. "Oh dust is that..."
"A drow, yes, attack Halsin and the others. Tadpole squirmed out of his skull soon after." Nettie barely acknowledged the dead .
"I think her concern is less the drow and the dead body it's self Nettie, if they are ifected with mindflayer tadpoles then you know as well as I do what you have here won't cure them." Thalia spoke up.
"You're right, but I need to know because the drow isn't the only one. There should be a small army of mind flyers, yet none of them display the usual signs of ceremorphosis. This lot included, they... have their minds intact. They aren't bending the knee to this absolute."
"Well, we can speak to each other with our minds." Ruby explained. "Well, less speak and more feel each other from what I've experienced... it's weird... I wish Weiss was here. She could explain it better..."
"Victims can identify each other? That's good to know. What of how you became infected? Where are they coming from?"
"That mind flayer ship that crashed on the bank of the river. That's how we became infected. The monsters kidnapped us and placed the parasites within our skulls." Wyll explained.
"I see... well, Thalia's right, I can't cure you, but if you can find Halsin, he'll know what to do." Nettie grabbed a burlap sack. "Look, I need you to swear to drink this, should you feel yourself transforming, Wyvern venom... it'll be quick...er then turning into a mindflayer."
Ruby's mouth dried, looking at the flask of viscous green fluid. Suicide... that was the best option given to her so far. Thoughts of home.
"I swear upon my Honor as the Blade of Frontiers." Wyll said stepping forward taking the first flask.
"I swear upon my goddess." Shadowheart took hers.
"I swear upon the weave." Gale took his.
"Really... ugh fine, I swear to take the poison." Astarion took his.
Ruby's shaking hand closed around it when another closed around her's. "I swear upon Silvanus that you will be cured Rose..." Thalia smiled to Ruby softly.
"I swear upon my immortal soul..." Ruby slipped the vial into her pack.
"Thank you... I'm sorry to force that upon you but you pose a threat so long as your infected." Nettie explained.
"We are well aware of that." Shadowheart said. "We will find Halsin."
The group was silent as they walked out of the Druids cave. "Astarion Shadowheart and myself will set up a more permanent on the river for us, and to check on the girl and her parents. Gale, Ruby and Thalia head down to the river and try to catch some fish." Wyll started directing.
"Oh now Wyll, do you really expect me to sleep in the dirt?" Astarion Asked.
"You will because we have no other choice." Shadowheart heart scolded him.
They headed off as Gale Ruby and Thalia climbed up the hill and followed the path down soon hearing...
"Is someone singing?" Ruby asked as they approached the water. A teifling boy stoodil idely in the shallows as they approached.
"So soothing..." He said in a trance.
"It is... isn't it?" Thalia said, Ruby looked to her, her gold eyes now having a purple glow to them.
"That's odd... I've read about... something like this." Gale said wobbly on his feet.
"What's going on?" Ruby asked.
A loud screech caught her attention. a half naked woman with hawk wings, bone white face paint, ebony claws, bone and feather jewelry stood up on the cliff, her enchanting song drawing in the boy and her friends.
Then more of these strange women landed on the cliffs. Ruby drew her scythe ready to fight as the descended upon her.
Ruby swung her scythe catching the neck of the first one to reach her, pulling the trigger the shot rang out as the head was severed. Blood flying through the air. Spinning around Ruby dashed into the cliff face before launching of it swinging through a creatures arm before kicking iaway taing and blasting hole in its chest.
A third swung for Thalia but she ducked and rolled at the last second coming up and with her scimitar in hand slashing across the creatures chest, the wound quickly turning rancid and infected. "Harpies!" She shouted. Taking a step back she twisted and spun as flames erupted along the edge of her blade as she sliced trough it's neck.
Gale stumbled forward tacking the kid to the ground in a large splash as a harpy dived for them. Turning around with the boy in his arm Gale pointed his staff at the creature and a cone of fire erupted from the tip immollating it in an instant.
Thalia's free hand snapped up and fired a shard of ice right at the singing harpy as another slashed at her leaving three bloody cuts across her sword arm. It pierced it's thigh interrupting the song.
Ruby swung Crescent Rose clean through the harpy that had attacked Thalia, it's torso and legs landing in seperate splashes of water.
Gale stood up the staff in hand as a ball of condessed sound shot towards the harpy.hitting it in the head and blasting it to bits of bone and brain matter. Ruby covered her mouth as what little she had in her stomach threatened to come back up, watching as blood soaked the cliffside, pouring down the rocks.
"Harpies... this close to the grove? They sense weakness as Halsin is missing." Thalia stated holding a hand over the cuts as the closed. the soft blue magic radiating from her palm."
"Are they Gone?" The teifling boy asked as Gale set him down.
"Mirkon, it's alright, your safe." Thalia patted his head between his horns. "But what are you doing here? It's not safe."
"Mol sent me to see if there's any treasure hidden along the shore." Mirkon looked at the ground.
"Oh boy, here, take this pouch." Thalia said as she handed a small burlap bag to him. "It has a few gemstones. That should help you and the other orphans once you get to Baldur's Gate. You know it's okay to ask the adults for help right... you don't need to be stealing.all the time."
"I know Thalia... I know..." Mirkon said sadly as he took the pouch. "Um find a boy named Doni, tell him you helped me and he'll let you into our hideout." Mirkon ran back up the hill.
"Ah little one reminds me as a nipper, always getting in trouble." Gale said with a sense of nostalgia.
"Well I can certainly see a child wizard getting into all sorts of trouble." Thalia said. "My mother and father died when was but a babe, First Druid Hekeron took me in as his student from the orphanage in Baldur's Gate. Nearly got myself eaten by a owl bear my first ten-day in the grove. What of you Rose?"
"Well I grew up with my Father and sister, I don't really remember my mother, though Yang makes cookies like she did, though I suppose now it's how Yang makes them. I was trained by my uncle Qrow." Ruby said with a smile. "And we have a dog named Zwei."
"Ah my parents wouldn't let me have a pet, so I summoned my long time friend The Tressym Tara."
"Gods, cats are annoying enough as is, give it wings, the ability to speak and cast magic and their even worse." Thalia laughed.
"Tara's no mere cat, she is an accomplished wizard in her own right. If a bit spoiled." Gale scoffed and laughed.
Ruby chuckled into her hand as they laughed together. "Well it wouldn't hurt to check if there's anything we can use." Thalia admitted
Picking their way along the rocky shore they found a old sheet with scattered coins in it. "Up there, a Harpies nest." Gale pointed out. Ruby dashed up to the rocky crag it was balanced on, in the nest was some coins, torn blood stained rags, bones and a ring with a large purple gem set in the band.
Dashing back down in a swirl of petals. "Found this strange ring." Ruby handed it to Gale.
"It's enchanted with a spell to cast a colour spray spell once per day... it might useful to make an opening." Gale slipped it into his pouch.
Heading back towards the grove they heard a woman singing. "Another Harpy?" She asked.
"No it's Alfira, let's check on her, she's been depressed since she arrived here." Thalia said. Making their way back up the rocky shore line to the top of the hill the found the Teifling bard strumming the string of her lute. A mournful tune on her tounge. Her purple skin and hair seemed frail.
"Dance upon the stars tonight
Smile and pain will fade away
Words of mine will change to ash" She sang before stopping. "No, ugh why can't I get it right?" Alfira said frustrated.
"What's that song your singing?" Ruby asked as she sat next to the older teifling.
"More like butchering. It's this bloody song!" The bard placed her head in her hands.
"I'm not any good with music, but where I'm from... well I'll show you." Ruby pulled out her scroll.
"What's that?" Alfira asked.
"Um think of it as a magic item that store music and if paired with others of the same type of item sending messages to them." Ruby explained as she scrolled through her play list.
"Fascinating, so it's a more complicated sending stone?" Gale asked intrigued.
"I guess..." Alfira said as Ruby stopped on a favorite of hers. "I... am writing this song for my teacher Lihara... we were attacked by gnolls on the road. Liara and were singing, we never heard them coming. There was so much blood..."
"Alfira listen..." Ruby said as she stared playing the song.
"Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest
White is cold and always yearning, burdened by a royal test
Black the beast descends from shadows
Yellow beauty burns gold."
Ruby stopped the song after the first verse. "Art back home is very important after the last war, so much so it's tradition to name children after gemstones and colors." Ruby explained. My mother named me, though I can barely remember her face, only seeing her in old family photos... this cape was her last gift to me. Both my parents were monster hunters... but one day she never came back... it took me a long time to understand... but I never forgot her, and that's what I think is important. To always remember them. Even when it all turns to ash and dust."
"Turns to Ash... that's it!" Alfira jumped up with her lute. "Thank you."
Taking the instrument in hand.
"Dance upon the stars tonight
Smile and pain will fade away
Words of mine will turn to ash
When you call the last light down."
Alfira stepped forward as her voice filled the hill top.
"Moon reminds me of your grace
All the love I can't repay
Rest and know that I will pray
Farewell my dear old friend."
Turning inland to the Druids grove her voice raised in a beautiful song.
"Moon, sun, all remind me of your grace
Faith. Care. All the love I can't repay
Moon, sun, all remind me of your grace
Faith. Care. All the love I can't repay."
Her bright purple eye glowed with renewed life.
"Dance upon the stars tonight
Smile and pain will fade away
Words of mine will turn to ash
When you call the last light down."
Her tone lowered slightly as the rather slowed.
"Moon reminds me of your grace
All the love I can't repay
Rest and know that I will pray
Farewell my dear old friend."
Turning to the three as her voice nearly turned to a whisper.
"Dance upon the stars tonight
Smile and pain will fade away."
Alfira set the lute down as she wiped the tears from her eye. "I'm sorry, I'm such a crybaby."
"No, No, That song was more then worthy of a few tears." Gale cheered her on. "Why you have one of the first musical talents I have ever seen.
"Alfira, it's okay to feel grief... I'd be more concerned if you didn't." Thalia stated.
"You carry part of her soul with you, always. And when you need a shoulder to cry on, you have ours." Ruby smiled.
Ruby Rose stats, class and Racial abilities
Class Fighter lv 3
Subclass Champion
Great weapon fighting style (rerolls one's and twos on damage)
Hp: 28 (3 d12 plus 0)
Strength: 18 (base 17)
Dexterity: 16 (base 15)
Constitution:10
Wisdom: 8
Intelligence:12
Charisma: 10
Race Human Variant (Remnant)
Feats:
Ability score improvement: plus 1 str plus 1 Dex
Base Speed: 40 ft
Aura: 10 temp hit points per level (30 Thp)
Semblance: Petal Dash; Dash action is now a bonus action
Improved Critical: reduces critical requirements by 1 (19-20)
Action Surge: Gain an extra action
Gear:
Crescent Rose: 2 to damage and rolls to hit, 2 d 12 slashing plus strength. 2 d 8 Piercing plus Dex when firing.
All but Ruby Rose have disadvantage with this weapon.
Elemental bullets: 2d4 elemental damage added to ranged attacks.
Two handed, heavy, extra reach
cleave lacerate trip enemies, peircing shot
1 Half plate armor: Ac 18 (16 plus 2 dex) Medium armor. Reduces piercing damage by 1.