Gounar backs Thorid in his drive to push on. He is also keeping an eye on their prisoner. until Bollon is able to summon a mount to carry him away.
Kestrel spends most of her time keeping an eye out as they travel forward. When time comes to rest, often seems to slip away to find a clearing. There takes out a small brown wooden bird attached to a long string, and swings it up above her head or in broad circles. After some time she seems to catch a glimpse of something in the sky. Once she has, she returns the bird to her pouch and returns to her place in the marching order, bow in hand. She travels with he bow ready, and an arrow ready, just in case she might need to draw and fire; either to catch prey, or halt a threat.
As you send the hobgoblin away on the summoned horse, he showers you with false-faced thanks for minutes until he is finally out of hearing-range.
As you continue your journey, the dense trees and thick brush of the forest give way after a few hours, parting seemingly in respect for the titanic darkwood tree that dominates a clearing right before you. Several times taller than a temple minaret, in one direction the obviously ancient
tree reaches into the sky with branches like a giant’s arms, while in the other it plumbs the earth with roots thicker than a man’s waist. Its limbs broad and strong, its bark thick and so richly colored as to almost be black, and its leaves the size of bucklers, the giant thing is less a tree and more a cathedral of boughs and branches.
"The Elder Tree..."
Gounar stops and eyes it for a moment, feeling like he is absorbing some sort of mystical vibrations coming from this monument of nature.
"It seems like a good candidate. The moss is supposed to grow on it, yes? Lets have a look and see if we can find it."
As Ki examines the tree and area around it he comments What a wonderful tree. There are those who would cut it to make shields and such from its strong and light wood.
Kestrel and Ki clearly spot a patch of fine Moss growing around the trunk of the tree, quite easily accessible with a climb. But...
Both of them also spot three possibly dead bodies hanging between the branches of the tree...
Eying the bodies in the trees, Ki tries to decide if they are animal or humanoid, and also for any signs of how they died. Are they caught up in branches, or do ropes hold them up?
Careful friends. Others have attempted this task and did not fair well.
At Ki's warning, Thorid readies his hammer and looks among the branches trying to determine if there is life in the bodies.
On yer toes, lads. Let's not make a habit of fallin' inta ambushes.
The bodies are obviously of three medium-sized Humanoids. They hang between the branches as if some sort of beast put them there for later use. No vines or webs seem to bind them.
But the rest of the tree is just so huge that it is nearly impossible to tell, what threat might have put the three people there.
Who shall gather what we need? I will stay ready and be on guard. The small wolf rider begins to patrol around the tree. Perhaps we should remove and inhume the bodies before departing.
I'd send Snorey to gather the moss, but with an obvious unknown threat in the branches, it seems not wise. Maybe the best climber of us should go. The rest of us could stand here, ready to shoot at whatever will come.
"I can climb quite well, but I'm also perhaps one of the best to cover the climber," she says hefting her bow.
I don't climb but hand me a rope an' I'll secure it up in tha branches after we have another look 'round fer trouble.
Thorid grumbles a prayer to Torag (detect magic) and walks around the tree looking for any magical auras to report.
There are no magical auras on or around the tree.
I can provide backup by calling extraplanar help in combat, if need be.
No magic ta speak of... but I suppose tha tree could snatch us up an' hug us tight any time.
Thorid sighs and puts his hands on his hips as he looks up at the branches.
We gotta get this done an' I suppose we're treadin' on tha threshold of over analysis. Let's get some body up there fer tha moss an' move along. If somethin' does happen we just gotta be ready fer it.
I am no tree climber, but I am quite deadly with this bow. He indIcates the small masterwork composite strength bow on his back. Up you go Kestrel.
Considering the height of this massive tree, the bodies hang very low at about 40 ft..
As Kestrel nears the mighty trunk of the Eldertree...
Ki is focused away from the tree, looking for threats outwardly.
Perception:
With a loud hiss, a big serpentine creatures darts from the branches above. Hanging suspended on the lower branches of the Eldertree, it bites at you.
The wayang is surprised by the sudden attack from the creature but recovers quickly and readies his lance for a charge/ride by attack. As he spurs his mount forward he shouts Fight me you foul ambusher!
Gounar recovers from the surprise and centers himself, gathering his inner energies to stop the hostile creature.
The green "snake" darts forward and takes a bite at Ki:
Atk: damage:
...and after that, a big fist flies in from the side and Gounar breaks several of the beast's bones, leaving it heavily wounded.
Wracked in pain, the green-scaled monster recoils from Ki and forgoes its attempt to grab him with his muscular snake-like body.
Kestral jumps back from the creature, drawing her bow. Fitting an arrow to the string, she looses, the bowstring humming.
-
After the death of the horrible predator, the titanic Eldertree stands before the group in all of his massive majesty.
Somewhere on this tree, the Elderwood Moss must grow and with it a part of Falcon's Hollow's salvation.
Ki rides slowly around the tree looking it up and down. Ears smells the around and looks too. Anyone know what this stuff looks like? Maybe it smells funny.
While Gounar has never studied moss specifically, he has sure seen lots of it while travelling around these parts. He tries to recall any patterns about it, and seems to remember that it often grows on northern parts of tree trunks.