The day dawned bright and early with a surprise for the party as they are woken by a commotion. The tribe’s scouts had spotted a mossram which despite the name had nothing to do with rams. Rather it was a giant mound of moss that would ram things. But yeah, it had crawled into a nearby pound and the tribe wanted to know if they would be willing to take care of the mossram. The pond is out of the way for them and they would prefer they killed it before the monster reproduces. Which is apparently what the thing going into a body of water means. The boar folks have a team that could take care of the mossram but they offered the group a chance at it because the group would get more out of the combat.
After the group confers they decide this is a good chance to make sure Lilly will be fine. With the tribe nearby they can just retreat to the relative safety they represent if something goes wrong. A decision made and the elder agrees to send one of the scouts with them to point it out.
A good thing too as when they get to the lake the group doesn’t see anything to start with. It took the scout pointing the mossram out for them to spot it. Though in hindsight the giant mass of moss should have given it away. The scout, now done with his task, makes a hasty retreat to observe how the fight goes down from a distance. Rosha is a bit miffed about this but Courtney is able to explain it to her. After all, the tribe needs to know if they win or not. Without that knowledge their home could be overrun with mossrams.
As the group approaches the mossram it becomes more obvious. While it looks like the moss and algae at the lakes edge its color is too varied. At a distance this let the mossram blend in but now the color is disconcerting. Streaks of vibrant green with an almost blue tinge right next to old brownish yellow blobs. Little streamers of the beast extend beyond the main body to better blend in but that soon changes.
They tried to sneak up on it but the mossram had expanded farther than the scouts thought. The group isn’t sure who stepped on a tendril but with a roar, string sized bits of moss that extends out far enough to even reach the scout pull out of the ground and retract. What was already a big mossram grows larger and the lake's water level visibly drops.
The scout falls back even further as the team readies themselves. Rosha backs up to a sturdy tree, Courtney positions herself behind Jason, and he takes a set forward and drops into a deep stance. With the mossram now up the blob of moss has taken on a more animal adjacent shape. It stands on four limbs with a dense clump of seemingly dead moss being the only thing to show front from back. It roars once again and that dead mass splits open to reveal a massive maw.
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The mossram now ready charges at Jason. With Courtney behind him he can’t just dodge out of the way so instead he counter charges. As the two are about to meet Jason dashes to the side. With a dagger in a reverse grip he drags it behind him across the mossram’s front leg.
While this doesn’t cause too much harm, where the dagger passes by a great burst of water comes forth from the cut. The wound seals fast but Jason can tell the leg is smaller. He yells to the others that, “it looks big but most of it is water! Rosha, normal arrows probably won’t do much and fire is likely a no go. Courtney we need a chance to gather ourselves. Can you stop it for a moment?”
The mossram angered slides to a stop. The dead moss maw swivels around the body so it was faced towards Jason and stomps the ground. Now behind it Courtney starts to chant and runes glimmer in the surrounding air. Rosha over to the side sighs, she had been hoping to have a nice ranged fight.
Jason throws out the dagger and nails it in the same leg. He hoped that the dagger would keep the wound open. To his disappointment water soon pushes the dagger out. It also doesn’t stop the mossram from another charge. As it comes upon him the mossram lowers its front and shovels up a large shower of dirt.
Jason was readying to jump on its back but is rebuffed. With an arm across his face the dirt wave shoves him back and rocks slam into him.
-4
The mossram goes to stomp him when with a swish Rosha is at his side swinging her weapon in an upward slash. A large cut appears on the leg being raised and water splashes out. This doesn’t stop it but gives Jason enough time to scamper out of the way. The limb crashes onto the ground and spreads out across the ground. Some water escapes before it reforms.
Then Courtney finishes her spell and the mossram stops in place as sparkles dazzle over it. Rosha and Jason back away as it slumps down and spreads out. Courtney dashes over to them and whispers that, “the mossram thinks it is back in the lake and nothing is around. We have until its tendrils reach the lake and breaks out of the illusion. The beast might not have much of a mind but I can’t copy water close enough to fool the monster if it touches the actual stuff.”
The group spreads out around the mossram. On one side Courtney casts a quick heal on Jason topping him off. Now ready Jason takes out a couple daggers and Courtney flexes her hands into fists. As she does claws pop out of her knuckles. On the other side of the beast Rosha grabs her staff with both hands.