Daniel smiles at Kenakana, "Glad to have your company my lady. I apologize, I forgot my manners. Nithveil is the city that unfolded from the ball there. It's made from first world stuff and appears randomly in this forest every month. The norns use it to travel to the Material Plane."
"Certainly I'll come with you. Are these Norns generally benign beings. malevolent, or something in between?"
Hadlern mounts Jensal
"Does anybody else want a ride up there?"
Ganorok smiles.
"Yes, please Sir Haldern. I don't think they mean harm. Maybe we can deal with them."
Ganorok mounts up with Haldern; the rest borrow a small craft and row to shore. The three norns step down until they stand atop their silver bridge a a dozen feet above the ground.
Yrldak
Surlda
Hilde
The first gazes at you, raising a hand. "I am Yrldak. Hail, the two, who dethroned a queen of the sky."
The second extends a hand to the bridge below her, and some of the silver material rises into her cupped hand; she rolls it between her palms. "I am Surlda. Hail, the three, who saved a lord's lost people."
The third draws her shears; raising a hand, an thread once invisible tied to something you cannot see appearing. She snips it in half. "I am Hilde. Hail, the four, who go to save a kingdom of kingdoms."
They speak as three, their voices sybillant and deep. "By our bones, we bring trial and prophecy.
By our blood, we bring preparation for the battles to come.
Will you take our challenge, and our counsel?"
"I will always listed to council from the wise, although I do not promise to always follow it.
What is this challenge that you speak of? I would know more before accepting or declining it."
Daniel stands behind Haldern as he speaks and waits for the words of the Norn while scanning the surrounding area for threats.
The worked silver in Surlda's hand resolves into a shining steel thrush, which flies over Haldern's children's head, causing some laughter.
Yrldak points east, to the forest behind her. "Close by, a king is dead; a king of death rises from his grave. The land suffers. We would see you save it, and in the saving, prepare for and know what lies ahead." Yrldak bows her head. [b]"Knight of Iomedae, we will not see your journey interrupted or delayed by our action. At its close, you will meet your party at the forest's edge, in ready time.
Ganorok bows.
"We thank you for your counsel, and are willing to pay the price for it. We are ready to face the challenge, and makes us worthy of your counsel. Where can we find this dead king that need to be put to rest?"
When Sir Haldern asks his question, Kenjakana replies. "Their morals are difficult to pin down. The norns seek to preserve the destiny of all life in the multiverse, separate from the gods' own plans. They also revile chaos in all its forms. Those tendencies can be... interpreted many different ways. That said, if these three are seeking us out specifically, I am inclined to think this particular trio's aims might be something that a paladin of Iomedae would not oppose. However, we should still be cautious."
Since she tries to have Overland Flight up for all hours of the day (leading to some rather comical situations where she sleepflies), Kenjakana floats behind the boat and helps steer its direction while Daniel rows.
As the norns talk, Kenjakana studies their words and body language for any signs of lies, deception, or sinister intent.
Yrldak points again to the east. "Eight miles as the crow flies; there, you will find the dead king."
Their manner is alien, so Kenjakana cannot be certain. But she feels that these three are not telling you everything they know, though not out of overly malicious intent. Mayhaps this is inevitable when the three who are speaking know all.
a king of death rising from his grave is something that should be put BACK into its grave. I thank you for this knowledge.
Shall we be off to dispatch this foul monstrosity?"
"Or some other tidbits of information a bunch of nice fellows like us can make use of? Information is invaluable to people like us, you know?"
Ganorok smiles his most charming smile, black beady eyes glowing.
Daniel sighs at the mention of undead. "Yes, let us go and right this unnatural wrong. We will put the undead back in to the ground Sir. Haldern." Daniel barely shakes his head slowly and mutters under his breath, "Undead. Why did it have to be undead. Again"
Hilde turns to meet Ganorok's eyes. "...upon your victory, cleric."
"That sounds fair, oh magnificent one!"
Ganorok will ask Haldern for a ride... he is starting to like those.
"I can fly for a little while but I will have to walk most of the way there. Sorry to slow you guys down."
"That's fine, Daniel. My default flight velocity is only slightly faster than the average walking pace of most humans. If Ganorok rides with Sir Haldern, then our travel speed should be decent. Our group has always prefered to move slow and steady with caution versus rushing right into a situation... when Bladud wasn't in full Ham mode anyway."
"I do walk faster than most though, so we shouldn't be slowed down too much."
Covering foot and sky, the group proceeds deeper into Grungir forest. Senna orders the barge to continue, expecting to meet you further along the river.
As noon comes and passes, the forest breaks; an enormous boulder sticking out of the earth like a fragment of the mountains themselves.
The boulder is partially tipped over; you spot a hefty gap between rock and earth, and a cave heading deeper below. From the gap issues a foul and fetid smell, like rotten leaves.
Daniel peers around and points to what looks like a tree. "See there. That tree has been made into a shelter. There is someone or something here. Be on your guard.", he whispers to the group.
"Want me to check?"
When the group is away from the norms, Kenjakana reports her thoughts.
"Their mannerisms were extremely alien, so I'm not entirely certain about their motives. I felt that they were not telling us everything they knew, but it wasn't out of overly malicious intent. More like it was the result of the particular way that they perceive the world. Speaking from personal experience, when you know a whole lot about something, you sometimes forget that everyone else does not."
At Ganorok's suggestion, Kenjakana thinks about it but shakes her head negative.
"We should go together; if we were dealing with something mundane like giants or goblins, then scouting would be a solid idea, but if our last adventure taught me anything, it's that the undead can have extremely unexpected and unpredictable supernatural powers," she says as she cast Magic Circle Against Evil and See Invisibility on herself.
"Jensal is more than capable of carrying all 3 of us if you wish, Daniel. Or you can walk if you prefer. Either is fine with me"
At the rock
"I suspect that we all know the answer to this, but I might as well detect evil on the entrance"
Detect evil on the entrance. And then will advance with it up, unless the entire area radiates evil in which case it becomes useless :-(
"I agree with Kenjakana in urging extreme caution and thinking that the risk to you is too great. But, ultimately, it is your choice"
Ganorok smiles.
"I like that plan better! Let's go together."
He uses his wand to cast Blend on himself. When everybody is ready he will advance with them, weapons in hand, slowly and quietly.
Daniel says to the others, "Perhaps Ganorok and I can advance at the front, maybe 15 to 20 feet. Give anyone less of a chance to hear us coming. I'll go with whatever you want. You three have worked together before. I'm the new variable here."
The rock seems just a rock; however, the pit beneath it thrums with a weak aura of evil. Less due to a lack of potency, and more due to potency that long ago passed along.
You almost retch at the fetid, damp smell emerging within.
Ganorok shakes his whiskers, and use his Heightened Awareness wand on himself.
Yup, in we go
After a short descend under the boulder, you find yourself in the beginnings of a small, underground cavern. Despite the minimal sunlight the ground is covered with plants, many creepers reaching the ceiling as they spread themselves across the walls.
Daniel looks around and wonders, "Every bit of plant life is dead yet it appears as if it's living. Is it wise to leave that tree shelter unsearched before venturing down here?" He then says a short prayer and concentrates and his fauchard glows briefly.
"Really weird. A gentle repose effect? I wonder what effect it has on dead animals and people."
Advancing as per Ganorok's direction, the group advances deeper into the cave. Turning a corner, Haldern spots enemies. Four large creatures; masses of tangled vines and dripping slime rises on two trunk-like legs, reeking of rot and freshly turned earth.
Daniel moves forward and calls on his Lady to make his weapon more fearful and the looks at the creatures.
"Does anybody know what these things are? Are they undead and evil or something else?"
Halden will then delay until he gets some information. If nothing is forthcoming or if he is informed that they are evil then he will charge the first one.
Power Attack, charge, height advantage, above and below, outflank
for so 102 pts of damage
Jensal - same as above, lunge
for
"...Undead plants..." Kenjakana murmurs as her magic-enhanced mind thinks over anything it might know about such an odd topic.
Kenja recognizes advanced shambling mounds; plant-warriors. They seem to have been made corrupted and fetid.
With a single lance-blow, Haldern destroys the plant-creature.
Behind you, a bearded man in brown hooded robes charges into the cave, a hand raised. "WAIT! WAIT! I am Barkbeard, druid of this place, do not go without me!"
Ganorok steps out, and disappears (Predator-Style, thanks to Blend). He moves 40' trying to get behind the new arrival, while looking at his words and mannerisms, trying to find more about him.
Upon seeing someone charging in after them, Kenjakana instinctively reacts and activates her Ring of Invisibility, kicking herself for not doing it earlier. She flies to hide in the shadows of the cave wall.
"Who are you? What is your relation to these undead plants?"
The man barely has time to say [b]"I-I am the peaceful protector of this grove, I ward off travellers until the dragon can be cleansed-"[b] before the mounds attack.
Kenjakana detects sincerity and honest concern from the man.
"...Barkbeard's telling the truth," Kenjakana's gentle voice echoes throughout the grove.
She decides to save her spell slots for something that matters and flies closer to Sir Haldern. The invisible Sage Sorceress casts Haste on the Paladin and Jensai. She then hides in the shadow of the tree.
Suddenly, the bones beneath Barkbeard's lips shift as his skin stretches into a smile without any smile. "Well... or perhaps not. COME!" His voice suddenly rising to a high shriek, the undergrowth within the forest shivers and shakes, before amid a miasma of stench and despair, an enormous lizard composed of rotting leaves and tree branches explodes out of the floor.
'Barkbeard' laughs and claps his hand as the creature bursts into the room.
Ganorok appears behind Barkbeard, and without him noticing him, attacks him on the back!
After his attack he scurries out, trying to disappear again into the background, moving 20' out.
The moment Ganorok appears to strike, 'Barkbeard' whips around to face him. "Thought I saw one of you disappear" it gloats before slamming into Ganorok.
...By the divines, I need to practice my cold reading. The Wine isn't cutting it.
Instead of making some kind of retort, Kenjakana instead just barely contains her occasional bout of arrogance and decides to respond to the deception by summoning a two ton cloud giant next chance she gets.