Post by Nowhere on Jun 23, 2017 12:54:06 GMT
My curse is to write these notes. Not that I wish to, but that I am forced to. Never is this more so than with this most recent adventure.
A moon ago a group of us hardy adventurers had visited the fallen pillars, where Moth had been cursed with older age upon touching the stones. We had gleaned at the time that these pillars were linked to lunar cycles, and that today was the day something special should happen with this sacred ground. It was with this in mind that, in a fit of multitasking, a group of us had decided to combine a journey back to these pillars, with revisiting our woodland satyr friend to organise our visit to see the guardian of the wood.
The party was made up of compatriots I had traveled with before. Rhy, Moth, Manaia, Morgan, Dorian and myself.
We head south and east to return to the pillars, arriving, unscathed at an early hour. This gave us an opportunity to rest and relax, to catch up with each others experiences in Kantas, and to shape that bond of trust that is slowly forming. But oh, how that delicate bond can break so easily....
After seven hours we see before us a change to the stones. As dusk falls, the power of the stones are revealed and solid steps leading to a damaged but closed gate, appear. Our knowledge lets us understand that this gate, built in a time long forgotten, is a gate to Shadowfell, the realm below the material plane.... the realm of perpetual darkness and shadow. It appears that something has burst through the gate.... maybe the source of the shadow creatures we have seen in Daring. The gate has been repaired, but how long it will hold back what is behind is unclear. Moth and Morgan spend time discussing whether the gate should be opened or not, but eventually caution prevails and the gate is left.
Given Moth's experiences of the stones themselves, I was curious to see whether they had any further power at this special time. From my leap of faith in the tomb moons before, I was emboldened to try again, and I reached out to the pillar in front of me.
What happened next I cannot really explain. In moments I felt as if I had left my body and was watching on as my body was controlled by another. Shouting silent screams of protest I watched as my body turned into four bodies, replicas of myself..... and then my screams turned to unheard sobs as I see my body launch powerful streams of flame at Rhy, and another at Morgan hitting them and hurting them badly.
I watch in horror as the friends around me return attack in anger. It is hard to understand what life is like for a tiefling in Daring. We are few, and so it has been important for me to make friends with the only other tiefling I have known here. Dorian. To see Dorian launching powerful magics at me, with the express aim of hurting and destroying me, left me watching on in wretched pain and anguish. Watching two tieflings fight, their inner beasts being let out without their own control, led to flame... much flame. Eventually the images of me were destroyed and I am put unconcious through pain and wound.
I do not know what happened for a short period of time, but I awoke back in my own body with Morgan standing over me. The look on his face says it all. If I had a bond with these people, it isnt there now. My work to be understood and accepted by these people is broken in moments. I don't know whether I will ever earn it back.
Battered and wounded, we rest before moving on to meet our two hoofed friend. From there we are told to head to a clearing in the woods. We reach a glade in which we see pixies and sprites. When we arrive we watch in awe as these sprites and fey bring out a tablecloth. Lay it on the ground and then lift it into the air. As it lands, it lands on a materialised table. What type of magic is this? Further creatures of the forest appear bringing chairs, and food and drink for us. Then, trotting into the glade is the magnificent sight of a unicorn. This is the fabled guardian of the woods.
We enjoy a wonderful meal. Although Moth's obsession with feeding onions to the Guardian as part of a custom was strange. In all my readings I am unaware of any such Orcish custom, although Moth was ever the gentleman when he offered to wipe away the tears that came to the Guardians eyes. During our feast we were able to converse with the Guardian and learn more about the pillars. They act as a gateway to several realms depending on the movements of the seasons and the moon. We had witnessed the opening to the Shadowfell. The Guardian explained that three months previous there was a disturbance in the wood during the half moon. The gate was opened and let out the shadow creatures we have seen in Daring. She informed us that she had had to use the magic of the woods to fix and seal the break, but something more powerful would need to be done to seal it properly.
We learn that the pillars act as two further portals. One to the Fey Wild, which is only accessible on the longest days of the month. It is on this day that fey creatures are able to pass from their realm to our own. Although it may act as an entrance to the Wild for us, the Guardian has recommended we do not try to enter unless we have a guide. The final portal is a link to the earth elemental plane, which may only open once every three months.
The Guardian also warned us of Granny. It is clear that the Guardian has a .....tenuous..... relationship with Granny. Having spent significant time with Granny recently I can understand, but not necessarily agree with the Guardian's concerns. Sometimes needs must.
Finally the Guardian asks us for the favour that led us here to begin with. Corruption has been affecting part of the forest, with those animals and wildlife coming in contact with it becoming corrupted. The Guardian knows that the course of this corruption is a tree. She wants us to go to the root of the tree and to destroy it. By destroying it, the curse will be lifted. In return for our actions a part of the forest will be allocated to us with logging rights.
We agree to take on the task, and are guided to the location by Pickle. Pickle the sprite is potentially the most annoying thing I have met in Kantas in my entire time here..... and that includes meeting a corpse eater. There is only so much forced happiness one mentally exhausted tiefling can take. In our journey to the tree I wondered if I could catch Pickle, put him in a jar, and fill the jar with vinegar.
Pickle led us to a spot beyond which he was not prepared to travel. Soon we reached a well, but see nothing around that would need a well. Exploring the well we realise that the well is not fed with water, but with blood! Mere moments after making this discovery Manaia's dog has scampered off into the woods chasing the sound of barking. We follow and are confronted with a huge druidic looking green beast being attacked by 3 hounds that are not from this plane. We help the druid dispatch these hounds, and we learn that this gentle giant is Armeck, a Furbold, a race that some of the party had met before. Armeck decided not to join us in helping save the forest (although I suspect his consumption of various types of mushrooms means he wouldnt have been of much benefit anyway) and could not point us to the tree. We decided to return to the well and investigate further. Manaia decided to change form into a wolf spider.... a sight that frightened her pet as much as it frightened the rest of us..... and headed into the well.
We heard nothing for a while, but eventually she returned, and hopped onto Moth's leg. Moth is never too happy when something invades his personal space, so I was impressed with his restraint in not trying to squash Manaia in her arachnid form. The spider guided us to an entrance in a hill that we had not been aware of, and took us into a cavern. Here we saw the river of blood that has been feeding the well. We followed it to the source of the river.
We arrived to see a giant tree, its roots dripping not water, nor sap, but blood. It was almost as if this tree had a heart and the heart was oozing its blood on each beat. I don't know what it was about this image. Whether the strange occurrences I have had in my own life in these past few weeks affected me, but I did not want to be here. The dread was almost unbearable.
As we approached the tree we heard a voice, a woman's voice telling us that she was trapped in the tree and asking for us to free her. Feed the tree with fire and it would help her out. Whether it was my own paranoia or something else, but I did not trust this voice, no matter how sweet and wilting. The party asked her motives, and slowly began to suspect something was amiss too. Morgan cast a spell on the tree that seemed to force her to speak the truth, but in many cases she refused to answer.
And then it happened. Something in my head, I cannot tell what, wanted me to destroy this tree. To destroy everything in this forsaken place. To destroy the river, the tree, the woman, and anything in my path. In my head the world was to burn.
And I succumbed. In a fit of rage I cast powerful flames on the tree, and with it, I released the evil within. Mocking me for carrying out its wishes, a giant troll like thing, with charcoal skin and tusks split through the tree. Calling forth hell hounds it attacked.....
And I smiled. For the world would burn.
We survived. Barely..... and with the destruction of the troll-thing, the tree and all within collapsed.
My bond to my friends was tenuous before, and I fear my actions in that cavern of blood and wood may have destroyed it beyond repair.
But still I can smile. Because, for a brief moment, my binds of restraint left me. And I got to see the world burn.
A moon ago a group of us hardy adventurers had visited the fallen pillars, where Moth had been cursed with older age upon touching the stones. We had gleaned at the time that these pillars were linked to lunar cycles, and that today was the day something special should happen with this sacred ground. It was with this in mind that, in a fit of multitasking, a group of us had decided to combine a journey back to these pillars, with revisiting our woodland satyr friend to organise our visit to see the guardian of the wood.
The party was made up of compatriots I had traveled with before. Rhy, Moth, Manaia, Morgan, Dorian and myself.
We head south and east to return to the pillars, arriving, unscathed at an early hour. This gave us an opportunity to rest and relax, to catch up with each others experiences in Kantas, and to shape that bond of trust that is slowly forming. But oh, how that delicate bond can break so easily....
After seven hours we see before us a change to the stones. As dusk falls, the power of the stones are revealed and solid steps leading to a damaged but closed gate, appear. Our knowledge lets us understand that this gate, built in a time long forgotten, is a gate to Shadowfell, the realm below the material plane.... the realm of perpetual darkness and shadow. It appears that something has burst through the gate.... maybe the source of the shadow creatures we have seen in Daring. The gate has been repaired, but how long it will hold back what is behind is unclear. Moth and Morgan spend time discussing whether the gate should be opened or not, but eventually caution prevails and the gate is left.
Given Moth's experiences of the stones themselves, I was curious to see whether they had any further power at this special time. From my leap of faith in the tomb moons before, I was emboldened to try again, and I reached out to the pillar in front of me.
What happened next I cannot really explain. In moments I felt as if I had left my body and was watching on as my body was controlled by another. Shouting silent screams of protest I watched as my body turned into four bodies, replicas of myself..... and then my screams turned to unheard sobs as I see my body launch powerful streams of flame at Rhy, and another at Morgan hitting them and hurting them badly.
I watch in horror as the friends around me return attack in anger. It is hard to understand what life is like for a tiefling in Daring. We are few, and so it has been important for me to make friends with the only other tiefling I have known here. Dorian. To see Dorian launching powerful magics at me, with the express aim of hurting and destroying me, left me watching on in wretched pain and anguish. Watching two tieflings fight, their inner beasts being let out without their own control, led to flame... much flame. Eventually the images of me were destroyed and I am put unconcious through pain and wound.
I do not know what happened for a short period of time, but I awoke back in my own body with Morgan standing over me. The look on his face says it all. If I had a bond with these people, it isnt there now. My work to be understood and accepted by these people is broken in moments. I don't know whether I will ever earn it back.
Battered and wounded, we rest before moving on to meet our two hoofed friend. From there we are told to head to a clearing in the woods. We reach a glade in which we see pixies and sprites. When we arrive we watch in awe as these sprites and fey bring out a tablecloth. Lay it on the ground and then lift it into the air. As it lands, it lands on a materialised table. What type of magic is this? Further creatures of the forest appear bringing chairs, and food and drink for us. Then, trotting into the glade is the magnificent sight of a unicorn. This is the fabled guardian of the woods.
We enjoy a wonderful meal. Although Moth's obsession with feeding onions to the Guardian as part of a custom was strange. In all my readings I am unaware of any such Orcish custom, although Moth was ever the gentleman when he offered to wipe away the tears that came to the Guardians eyes. During our feast we were able to converse with the Guardian and learn more about the pillars. They act as a gateway to several realms depending on the movements of the seasons and the moon. We had witnessed the opening to the Shadowfell. The Guardian explained that three months previous there was a disturbance in the wood during the half moon. The gate was opened and let out the shadow creatures we have seen in Daring. She informed us that she had had to use the magic of the woods to fix and seal the break, but something more powerful would need to be done to seal it properly.
We learn that the pillars act as two further portals. One to the Fey Wild, which is only accessible on the longest days of the month. It is on this day that fey creatures are able to pass from their realm to our own. Although it may act as an entrance to the Wild for us, the Guardian has recommended we do not try to enter unless we have a guide. The final portal is a link to the earth elemental plane, which may only open once every three months.
The Guardian also warned us of Granny. It is clear that the Guardian has a .....tenuous..... relationship with Granny. Having spent significant time with Granny recently I can understand, but not necessarily agree with the Guardian's concerns. Sometimes needs must.
Finally the Guardian asks us for the favour that led us here to begin with. Corruption has been affecting part of the forest, with those animals and wildlife coming in contact with it becoming corrupted. The Guardian knows that the course of this corruption is a tree. She wants us to go to the root of the tree and to destroy it. By destroying it, the curse will be lifted. In return for our actions a part of the forest will be allocated to us with logging rights.
We agree to take on the task, and are guided to the location by Pickle. Pickle the sprite is potentially the most annoying thing I have met in Kantas in my entire time here..... and that includes meeting a corpse eater. There is only so much forced happiness one mentally exhausted tiefling can take. In our journey to the tree I wondered if I could catch Pickle, put him in a jar, and fill the jar with vinegar.
Pickle led us to a spot beyond which he was not prepared to travel. Soon we reached a well, but see nothing around that would need a well. Exploring the well we realise that the well is not fed with water, but with blood! Mere moments after making this discovery Manaia's dog has scampered off into the woods chasing the sound of barking. We follow and are confronted with a huge druidic looking green beast being attacked by 3 hounds that are not from this plane. We help the druid dispatch these hounds, and we learn that this gentle giant is Armeck, a Furbold, a race that some of the party had met before. Armeck decided not to join us in helping save the forest (although I suspect his consumption of various types of mushrooms means he wouldnt have been of much benefit anyway) and could not point us to the tree. We decided to return to the well and investigate further. Manaia decided to change form into a wolf spider.... a sight that frightened her pet as much as it frightened the rest of us..... and headed into the well.
We heard nothing for a while, but eventually she returned, and hopped onto Moth's leg. Moth is never too happy when something invades his personal space, so I was impressed with his restraint in not trying to squash Manaia in her arachnid form. The spider guided us to an entrance in a hill that we had not been aware of, and took us into a cavern. Here we saw the river of blood that has been feeding the well. We followed it to the source of the river.
We arrived to see a giant tree, its roots dripping not water, nor sap, but blood. It was almost as if this tree had a heart and the heart was oozing its blood on each beat. I don't know what it was about this image. Whether the strange occurrences I have had in my own life in these past few weeks affected me, but I did not want to be here. The dread was almost unbearable.
As we approached the tree we heard a voice, a woman's voice telling us that she was trapped in the tree and asking for us to free her. Feed the tree with fire and it would help her out. Whether it was my own paranoia or something else, but I did not trust this voice, no matter how sweet and wilting. The party asked her motives, and slowly began to suspect something was amiss too. Morgan cast a spell on the tree that seemed to force her to speak the truth, but in many cases she refused to answer.
And then it happened. Something in my head, I cannot tell what, wanted me to destroy this tree. To destroy everything in this forsaken place. To destroy the river, the tree, the woman, and anything in my path. In my head the world was to burn.
And I succumbed. In a fit of rage I cast powerful flames on the tree, and with it, I released the evil within. Mocking me for carrying out its wishes, a giant troll like thing, with charcoal skin and tusks split through the tree. Calling forth hell hounds it attacked.....
And I smiled. For the world would burn.
We survived. Barely..... and with the destruction of the troll-thing, the tree and all within collapsed.
My bond to my friends was tenuous before, and I fear my actions in that cavern of blood and wood may have destroyed it beyond repair.
But still I can smile. Because, for a brief moment, my binds of restraint left me. And I got to see the world burn.
