Game-Changers & Grudge Matches

Astarte cried for help again and formed a bunch of forearm-sized ice spikes around herself and then thrust her arms forward, throwing them at the oncoming Swamp Benders at about crotch-level.

*Tirea runs over to Euryale, realizing plant bending is pissing the monster off*

E"Just hold it off, Tirea!"

*What she does is get tackled by a plant monster. It clouts her on either side of the head, then attempts to bite her neck. Roatha runs up.*

R"What's going on?"

E"This is the Spirit Gate, I can't get near it. I think we can appease the Spirit, but we'll need time, & a plan."
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*They swerve out of the way, & since she's stopped, begin to surround her.*

*Tirea ducks her head and wiggles away, trying to draw the water out of the plant monster*

Upon seeing Tirea getting attacked Gabe skids to another halt and launches three fireballs at whatever was attacking her, "Hey, leave her alone!"

Mortal is at Euryale's side, "Uh, so what's the plan so far?"

*Nothing comes out, but it does take a bite of dirt.*

E"This is obviously a plant spirit, so if we--"

*Roatha turns & fires a wide kamehameha of flames, burning the leaves off of a trio of trees. The Spirit turns & rushes him. Euryale pulls him out of the way, & they roll towards Tirea.*

E"What did you do that for?!"

R"If we kill the trees, it goes too, right?"

E"Okay, A, that's depraved, B, it also really pisses it off, & C, what if its victims don't come back if it's killed? We have reason to believe they were abducted to the Spirit World, not murdered."

*As they're talking, it keeps running past Mortal, becoming more obscured by the fog & bushes.*

*Tirea scrambles up, and watches the spirit's path. If it starts charging at someone again, she draws water out of the surrounding plants to send at the spirit*

Astarte continued to cry for help and tried to make a cocoon of ice around herself.

Mortal looks at the spirit, "So, we've got it on the run, what now?"

E"I wouldn't count on that, but if we can fix the trees, it might calm down."

R"Oh, what, like we slap band-aids on the trunks & this all just blows over?"

*Roatha makes a dismissive gesture & most of the fog is suddenly blown away. Unfortunately, this just allows them to see that the Spirit has risen up in the midst of all of them, & is attempting to ensnare each of them with a tentacle around the knee & arm/torso areas. Tenzin pushes his way through the brush. As he looks up, his beard twitches & stands on end.*

Tenzin<I figured you may need my help, so...holy Toledo, that's it, isn't it?!>
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*As they surround her, they hold their hands lazily out towards her, like zombies, causing the ice around her to become thicker. When they are satisfied that she is trapped, they jump on the iceberg & perform their speedboat maneuver, moving down the coastline.*

Astarte cried in the cocoon.

<I...I think I was the one who damaged the trees. Sorry guys.>

*Tirea looks ashamed*

<I'm not sure how to fix then ether.>

Mortal and Gabe both dive out of the way of tentacles.

"T-Tenzin?" Mortal was a bit shocked to see him.

*Tenzin turns, thrusting out one of his palms that pushes the Spirit away.*

E"It's the trees, Tenzin, it's a forest spirit!"

R"So we kill the trees to kill it!"

E"No! Aren't you listening?"

R"Are you? Tirea's the only one who can Plantbend, & she says she doesn't know how to fix them."

E"She could try, or we could get someone else."

Tenzin<I have to agree, violence is never the answer.>

R"Do we really have time for that?"
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*They hoist her up the banks, past a catgator, which growls at her. Once she's inside, they slam the door, & uncoil vines from around their waists. They punch the iceberg, which begins to crack. As it falls apart, they thrust their arms out, causing the vines to wrap around her from neck to ankles.*

"We can make time," Mortal said, "Killing because it is easy isn't not something we should strive for."

<I..I can try. We could always plant new trees, since I don't think what I'm going to do will work.>

*Tirea kneels down, and closes her eyes, focusing. Instead of pulling water out of the trees, she tries to the opposite, restoring water to the trees*

*It doesn't. The water just kind of dribbles out.*

E"You have to actually fix the cells."

*Roatha looks around nervously.*

R"Well, whatever we're doing, we should do it fast, before it comes back!"

<I'll try.>

*Tirea sits down as if she is meditating, and tries to do just that*

Mortal looks at Euryale, "...Cellular bending is a thing?"

Astarte squirmed around as the presumably gross, slimy restraints covered her up, "P-please, no!"

*Astarte then falls on her face.*

<Start writing up the ransom note.>
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*Tenzin walks up.*

E"I don't know, something like that. I'm not much of a Waterbender."

*The breaks in the trees begin to seal up & they straighten out as new bark replaces them. Euryale puts her hands on Tirea's shoulders.*

E"Good job."

*Roatha points turns around & points 2 fingers, crackling with electricity, at the Spirit. It stands there, observing them all, & cocks its head.*

Astarte rolled so that she was on her side and started taking deep breaths.

Dalia got out of the shower and dressed.

Hector, Eduj and Stefan were still waiting impatiently.

*Tirea continues what she's doing, concentrating too hard to notice anything else*

"It isn't attacking..." Mortal said.

"Maybe it appreciates that Tirea is helping the trees."

*After a while.*

R"...Why is it still here? It's creeping me out."

E"We must not have fixed the first damage that started all of this. Can you take us to it?"

*The whole group lurches as they find their ankles sinking into the ground, along with the Spirit. With the speed of the process, Roatha doesn't even time to get off 'I told' before everything goes dark. Soon after they're breaking out of the ground outside of the copse, gasping for air. The Spirit is standing by a tree that has obviously been burned by Lightning Bending shot into its side.*
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*Astarte is ignored. A few of the cultists go into the back rooms.*