HSI: The Island

Halor tries to resist the sudden tugging at his leg.

Halor pulls his leg free just as the vine attempts to wrap around his boot. The tendril pulls back and coils like a snake, preparing to strike again.

Halor pulls free and swiftly turns and strikes downward with his hammer.

The sound of Halor's heavy hammer woke Fafnir as surely as if it had hit a church bell. He sprung to his feet (as best he can, anyhow), fumbling for his sword in its scabbard. "Bloody hells, what is it?!"

Mauve swears she hears something that just sounds wrong. Is she still asleep? No! Her head shoots up followed by the rest of her, her red locks a tangled mess. A thudding sound alerts her to where Halor is but the darkness makes it hard to see exactly what is going is going on.

"Men! Get up! Halor is in trouble. I think something has got him."

Grabbing her bow she takes off in his direction. "Halor! What's going on?"

The vine coils on itself and writhes as if in pain. The tendril is quickly pulled back towards the dark safety of the thick trees, leaving a trail of liquid shining in the moonlight. Two more thick vines shoot out of the darkness aiming to wrap themselves around an arm, leg or torso.

Gwydion sprung awake at Mauve's call. He grabbed his flensing knife and rushed over with the others.

Gonnar doesn't spring so much as lurch to his feet as the alarm is raised. Grabbing his iron-headed maul, he runs for the cause of the commotion. "What is it?" he calls to his companions. "What attacks?!"

"What-!?" The vines shoot out from the darkness, both striking Halor and wrapping around him. One of the entwines itself around his waist and the other his leg. "Something attacks from the darkness! It's got me!"

The vines wrap around you and pull tight. The strength surprises you. The vine around your leg catches you just above the boot and the rough bark dig into the skin. Before you can make a move, you are pulled from your feet and slam onto the sand.

The rest of the party jump up when they hear Halor exclaim and slam his hammer into the sand. You grab your weapons and rush away from camp. With only a sliver moon, it's a dark night. Still, the dim light is bright enough to make out the dark shape of Halor a few yards away. Suddenly, he is pulled from his feet and slides across the sand and into the thick grass at the end of the beach.

Fafnir sees Halor being dragged into the jungle and charges forward. He has a sword in his hand, so he doesn't think much beyond hacking and slashing at whatever has a hold of him. "Halor's being pulled into the jungle!" he bellows back to the rest of the crew.

"Oh Serpent's breath! Halor's been dragged into the woods and this lack of light isn't helping matters."

Squinting into the gloom as he runs forward, Gonnar exclaims aloud when he sees his companion taken down and dragged along the ground. "Hang on, Halor!" he shouts, hoping to grab onto the man when he gets close enough, preventing him from being pulled fully into the jungle.

Halor reaches and tries to pry free of the vines as they drag him through the sand, then into the jungle.

Fafnir comes racing towards Halor. The fighter realizes that the cleric is being dragged into the jungle by two vines - one around his torso and one around his leg. Halor has one hand firmly gripping the vine around his waist and raising his hammer for a strike.

Fafnir's sword whistles through the air aimed to cut through the vine about Halor's waist, but the cleric is yanked forward by the vine. Fafnir is forced to redirect his blade to avoid cutting into his friend. Halor digs his heels into the sand to slow his progress, but the vine at his leg yanks up, forcing to him to his back again. Halor is just at the edge of the deep grass with the vines pulling taunt.

Gwydion is still thick with sleep and slow to come to his companion's aid.

HALOR

---

The vines tighten around your leg and torso, then yank you in to the thick undergrowth. The coarse stalks coil around you. They writhe and twist until you are entangled in their grasp. Your free leg is pulled into a rough opening.

There is very little light here, but you can identify the outline of a large mass directly in front of you - possibly a tree stump. Your leg has been pulled into a hollow. You can't tell if the vines are coming from within, or from behind. All of a sudden, you feel the pressure of the hollow squeezing closed around your leg.

REST OF THE PARTY

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Halor disappears into the tall grass. All that is left is a trail of flattened grass leading into the darkness. You can hear Halor grunting as he works to free himself from the vines. He is only a few feet ahead, but is lost in the darkness.

The area is lit up as Samuel joins the group with two torches. "Can you see him!? What was it that took him?" Samuel shouts, a tinge of fear in his voice.

The torchlight brings the scene into view. Halor is heavily entangled in a mass of vines. He has been pulled into what looks like tree stump covered in leaves. Halor's left leg is secured by one thick vine. His right leg is hip deep in the hollow of a stump. You realize that it is not a hollow, but a large maw. Long, sharp teeth glisten in the torchlight preparing to bite into Halor's thigh.