"That is sad news Glittereye. And unusual, from what Isaac says. Has this ever happened before? I mean, surely something like this has happened before in the history of the 'Mother'? An old tale, or story, or superstition?"
Glittereye looks over at Justin
"Never in all our generations has something like this happened to the Mother. She is not just a tree or a convenient road. She is the Maker and the Provider. She gave the humans their rune magics. She holds the planes steady in her branches. She doesn't get diseased. But now she is."
Glittereye pauses, his nose twitching. He resumes talking:
"We are the Mother's guardians. Since the time before time we have watched over our Mother, and she has watched over us. The Strangers laugh at us, call us barmy, think we are as brainless as our little cousins. Like if I said you were as stupid as him."
He points a claw at Chee Chowk riding Issac's shoulder and stuffing gobs of nut casserole in his mouth. Chee Chowk pauses and gives Glittereye the finger. Glittereye chitters a laugh
"Not so dumb after all. We may not be the strongest or brightest, but we know our Mother. Something hurt her, and the wound refuses to heal. It is a wound of spirit as much as flesh."
Karrin happily eats the beetle meat and just about anything else placed in front of her.
"This is really good," Karrin says to her hosts, "does this tree provide all your food for you? Or do you have to go elsewhere? Like through portals and stuff. Also I hear there's a big snake at the base of this tree or something."
Karrin finds the beetle meat quite delicious, similar in texture to flounder
Glittereye nods
"Aye noble Karrin, there is Nidhogg, the Worm That Gnaws, the Malice Striker, at Her base. He guards the entries into Niffheim and eats away at the Mother's roots, spitting venom on them and the unquiet dead of the Dark Hall. If he should ever succeed in cutting Her roots, then She will fall and Ragnarok will commence. I wondered if the Warpwood was caused by his venom, but it is unlike any damage I have ever seen from him. Besides, despite his malicious intent, he is a part of the Cycle. He does not stray past Her roots."
He holds up a bit of cheese
"We do not fare far from our Mother, but we trade with the Strangers that live on our Mother. If they will trade with us. Sometimes we are given to pranks, and the Strangers are much too serious. But in the most, the Mother provides. She grows many different seeds and nuts for us, and the plants She allows to grow like the bean vines are good as well."
Justin also laughs at Chee-Chowk's response to Glittereye. He looks at the little monkey thoughtfully for a moment as Glittereye speaks, then shakes his head with a 'Nah,' and returns to the conversation.
"Hm. A wound,... I would very much like to see this 'wound' Glittereye. How far away is it? We have to deal with the Khaashta, but. Karrin, Isaac, at the very least we must investigate this on our way back. Anything that can leave a permanent mark on Ygdrassil,... and 'a pool of darkness'? It could be a portal to a Negative energy plane, or pure necromantic energy. Either way, it could have serious ramifications for this and any plane that Ygdrassil contacts. And my understanding is, that's all of them!" Justin interjects, then pauses thoughtfully.
"All of them?" He muses, as he realizes that he may have just stumbled upon the way home,... if he can find the right branch.
"Hm. A wound,... I would very much like to see this 'wound' Glittereye. How far away is it?
The elder Ratatosk regards Justin with his bright rodent eyes
"A half-day's journey from here. You can come back any time, and I will lead you to it. Maybe you will see something I cannot."
The dinner starts to wind down, and the squirrel-folk begin heading off to various small chambers. They seem to believe in pigpile sleeping, and many of the side chambers are soon stuffed with brown furry bodies. Glittereye and Phaumee lead them to a side chamber devoid of sleeping Ratatosks. The bottom of the chamber is lined with downy feathers and what looks like milkweed fluff with possibly some uncarded wool in the mix. Although there are no Ratatosks in here now, their scent lingers.
"I will leave you for now. I am tired from the day," Glittereye says, leaning on his carven staff. "But rest here, and in the morning Phaumee will show you the knothole world where the Khaasta keep their hutch. May your footing be firm on the Mother's Bark my friends."
Glittereye moves off. Phaumee curls up at the entrance of the chamber, nose tucked into his tail
"Sleep-sleep now, long walk in morning-time. Findee khaatsa hutch."
Phaumee begins a light snoring.
Merle having stuffed herself during the banquet curls up similair to Phaumee and falls asleep
Ekuur also eats very heartily at the banquet, especially enjoying the beetle. "Reminds me of the food from home," he comments more than once. When he enters the sleeping room, he realizes something is horribly wrong as his nose immediately stuffs up and his eyes begin watering. A few sneezes later, he finally falls asleep, but snoring louder than usual.
Justin stretches out, using his backpack as a pillow, but the flooring making a much more comfortable bed than he's been used to these past weeks.
"Nice guys." Justin murmurs, already slurring in weariness.
"Something that Glittereye said, about tha' wound, sounds familiar,..." Justin mutters, and is soon fast asleep.
Justin stretches out, using his backpack as a pillow, but the flooring making a much more comfortable bed than he's been used to these past weeks.
"Nice guys." Justin murmurs, already slurring in weariness.
"Something that Glittereye said, about tha' wound, sounds familiar,..." Justin mutters, and is soon fast asleep.
The group gets as good a sleep as possible considering they are knee-deep in fluffy materials. They awake to the sounds of dozens of chittery voices singing and humming. Phaumee stands at the entrance, trilling sweetly to the choir outside. After a few minutes he turns and starts hopping about
"Come come, we go now, morning, and we get to khaasta, big fight, yes? But first eat."
Phaumee leads them out to a line of Ratatosks getting a bowl of nut porridge to start their day. The porridge is passable, if bland (The ratatosks aren't big users of salt or pepper), and soon Phaumee leads them out to the entrance archway they ported in from. A silvery-blue open Yggdrasil portal stands in the archway overlooking the main building, which Phaumee leads them through. They emerge back 'topside' on the branch they had been walking on before entering the small depression in the bark.
"Come-come! We go now!" Phaumee chitters, pointing downbranch towards the distant bulk of the World Ash.
The morning light grows brighter as the group travels down branch after branch. The size of the branches increases as they go, until they seem to be back on a main offshoot of Yggdrasil herself.
Phaumee stops and gestures for quiet. He points ahead. There is a round hole in the bark, looking like a knothole might in a smaller tree. This knothole is the size of a small valley. Phaume motions with his hands and chitters quietly.
"We go down trail, there rock at bottom. We stand on rock, we go to khaasta chitt-kitt-yuhu. Khaasta lazybones, no guardee rock. Guardee inside chitt-kitt-yuhu. We be ready, yes? Phaumee come too, show place to you. Phaumee go in to make fun of khaasta before, they no likey Ratatosk. Lots of khaasta, be ready and quiet. We sneaky-sneaky, catch khaasta napping."
Phaumee leads them to the lip of the large hole and looks down quickly. As he said, there are no guards. The irregualrly-shaped hole is about 100 meters deep, and 500 meters wide. Phaumee leads them over to a well-hidden path carved in the side, just wide enough for a large wagon to navigate.
Phaumee brings them to the bottom. Embedded in the wood at the bottom is a large flat grey rock. The rock looks big enough for everyone to stand at once. Phaumee points at rock
"We all jumpee same-same time, come to chitt-kitt-yuhu same time, yes? Jump guards quick, then sneaky-sneaky around."
"Right," Karrin says tightening her Mitt, "Let's do this thing!"
Justin casts a couple of defensive spells, then tugs on his gloves to snug them up.
"Right, I've got a new spell for the party. Stay close, Once we're spotted I'll give you guys a speed burst."
The wizard interlaces his fingers and flexes his arms to crack them.
"Let's get this party started!"
Merle uses a few scrolls and wand charges on herself, Seph and Karrin
Isaac pulls out one of the vials of brownish liquid.
"Eh, why not?"
He guzzles down the foul concoction, suppressing the urge to gag. His skin hardens into a carapace and antennae sprout from his forehead.
"Very well." Ekuur grasps his holy symbol, and the flames seem to actually leap into his arms, and his strong frame seems to actually gain in muscle mass.
The group drinks, casts and unsheathes. As a group they leap on the rock. For a second, nothing happens and they glance sheepishly at each other. Then ...
A glowing, rippling blue energy surrounds the party. The rock they are standing on seems to plummet down a twisting blue tunnel. The rock travels at an incredible speed, at least it SEEMS that way. There is no wind, or any way to gauge the velocity though. It is truly unlike any portal any of them have stepped through before.
The large grey flat rock falls down this rippling, twisting energy tunnel for what seems to be a long time, but is possibly only a few minutes. It is very hard to tell, as most portal travel is instantaneous. Suddenly, the ride ends. The rock is now firmly planted in a bed of patchy grass, as if it had been there for centuries. The party is now suddenly standing in a twilight-lit place with a black sky and several distant buildings, including a six-story stone tower.
about 20 meters beyond the rock is a round table. Five khaasta sit around it playing some sort of card game, possibly a hand of Watch Me or Three Dragon Ante. They leap to their feet when the party appears on the rock.
Group initiative
Merle will open fire with her wand of lightning bolt moving and aiming to hit as many lizards as possible (Dc 13 reflex for half)
Ekuur speaks his command word, causing his trikal to burst into flame. He immediately takes a double move action to close the distance with the lizards.
Swire moves closer and fires a bolt at the khaasta.
Karrin Casts swift expeditious retreat and charges into Melee, closing the 60ft between herself and her foe almost instantly:
Attack:
Damage:
Nari nocked an arrow and fired at one of the khaasta.
Isaac fires an arrow of his own at L10, advancing forward 30 feet to m18 afterward.
Shortbow:
DM dice:
Initiatives (rd one):
Mr. Swire: 18 [hit]
Issac: 17 [Miss]
Phaumee: 16 [50' dbl move]
Merle: 14 [Lightning bolt! 2 dead]
Karrin: 13 [move/ hit/kill]
Justin: 13 [pending]
Drazek: 13 [pending]
Tiandra: 13 [dbl move]
Naridre: 13 [arrow-hit-L10]
Bethany: 13 [pending]
Ekuur: 10 [dbl move]
Khaasta: 5 (Flat footed)[Atacking]
Mr. Swire darts forward, hand crossbow ready. He sends a winged bolt of death straight into on of the khaasta's breatplate. . A gout of greenish blood shows the bolt was aimed truly
Issac shoots an arrow, but his foot slips on the rock. It flies off into the gloom.
Phaumee scampers towards the khaasta, readying his shortspear
Merle jinks over and lines up two khaasta. She points her wand and there is an echoing *BOOOOOM* as the lightning bolt arcs out.
DC 13 Reflex P11/P9:
Merle's bolt fries one completely and finishes off the khaasta Swire had wounded. The thunder from the weapon echoes back from whatever constitutes the black sky.
Karrin races forward, Ferisirrion making a frost-fogged arc through the air. She buries her blue axe deep in the brain box of one of the khaastas. The plate-clad lizard freezes entirely and shatters like a dropped glass vase.
Tiandra pounds down the greensward next to Ekuur, longsword at the ready
"So much for waiting for my 'Haste' spell,..." Justin murmurs wryly as the group leaps into action. He winces as Merle's lightning bolt blast echoes into the darkness. Shaking his head he also runs forward following Ekuur, a small ball of flame already burning brightly in his hand.
"Well, as long as we're announcing ourselves!" He says as he flings his arm upwards hurling the ball of flame aloft.
"It's 'Justin'. Justin Case!" He adds as the ball of flame arcs over Ekuur's head to land between the two remaining Khastaa at the table, and explode.
Drazek breaks into a run charging forward with a wicked grin.
Nari aims her bow and lets loose with a translucent ectoplasmic arrow. The semi-transparent shft sinks into a khaasta's arm, garnering a screech from the plate-clad lizard.
Drazek runs forward, a feral grin on his lips.
"Well, as long as we're announcing ourselves!" He says as he flings his arm upwards hurling the ball of flame aloft.
Over the booms and whumps of big-damage spells going off Justin can hear Phaumee screeching
"NO NO NO! ARRGH! We do sneaky-sneaky! Now all khaasta come fight us at once!"
"It's 'Justin'. Justin Case!" He adds as the ball of flame arcs over Ekuur's head to land between the two remaining Khastaa at the table, and explode.
3d6+3
DC 18 Reflex:
Justin's fireball singes the scales off the two left, and the one Nari had shot drops to the ground smoking. The top of the table burns merrily, and Karrin can smell a few of her hairstrands burning from proximity.
"NO NO NO! ARRGH! We do sneaky-sneaky! Now all khaasta come fight us at once!"
"don't worry I have a plan" Merle yells back
"NO NO NO! ARRGH! We do sneaky-sneaky! Now all khaasta come fight us at once!"
"Have you looked at me? I would be unable to sneak past a corpse. This is how we handle things, do not worry!" Ekuur answers as he runs along, hoping to reach the last khaasta before they're toast ...
"NO NO NO! ARRGH! We do sneaky-sneaky! Now all khaasta come fight us at once!"
"don't worry I have a plan" Merle yells back
"Huh, yeah, Bring 'em! I prefer a straight fight to all of this sneakin' around!"
:)
He's limited to maybe once a week till the end of the month. If you want I can cover. We tend to do it when one of us vanishes.
He's limited to maybe once a week till the end of the month. If you want I can cover. We tend to do it when one of us vanishes.
Heh. Being popular and having a job, there are WORSE things to be! ;)
Bethany flies up and takes aim at the final foe
The arrow flies true and hits the khaasta square.
The final khaasta, wounded and seeing his comrades mown down, inexplicably runs towards the group, some odd egg-shaped symbol held high. A sudden wave of dark energy strikes the running party
Damage:
DM DICE:
In the distance, small forms can be seen emerging from the various buildings
"Okay guys hold here" Merle instructs as she begins to cast grease spells to cover the area the Khassta are going to come from
Will save:
Karrin steps over and swats at the last remaining lizard:
Attacks:
Damage:
will save