Before going, Duncan wonders what the Old Ways might be.
"Does anybody else knows how these Ways look like, and what can we expect to find there? What creatures and terrains? Do you have any knowledge of these, Lady Solvistania? I"
Solvistania looks up on being addressed by Duncan, and notes the concern in his voice. ”I know something of these Ways, Duncan…”
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Solvistania looks up on being addressed by Duncan, and notes the concern in his voice. ”I know something of these Ways, Duncan…”
cations.
Strange paths that the Caransil call the Old Ways follow the thrumming lines of power that crisscross Aryth’s face. Before the Sundering it is said the elthedar used these byways and back roads to traverse great distances in hours rather than days or weeks. In the Last Age, the elves use them with caution and only when the need is extreme. While the druids can activate the runes of power that open the Old Ways, the lore of their working has long been lost and the elves have learned
to their cost that these ancient roads hold as many dangers as the forest paths.
Although the pace of progress seems normal to those traveling by the Old Ways, movement is greatly increased as they pass through lands that are out of step with the rest of Aryth. These ancient paths traverse a
strange space that the elves call the “Place Between.” The terrain here looks much like the normal woods of Erethor, but a never-ending twilight shrouds the land and the quality of the light is somehow odd. Traveler’s along the Old Ways are admonished to never leave the path, for the forests beyond it are loosely tethered in this world and may lead to unexpected and dangerous places. The oldest legends of the Caransil claim that before the Sundering, this faerie realm led to far distant places and even other worlds.
Because the Old Ways move strangely through time and space, chance encounters with other creatures from Eredane are far less likely. These enchanted back roads can only be accessed or exited at certain points, called fey crossroads, and these are only open at specific times, or after a particular ritual has been performed. However, the forests sur-rounding the Old Ways are populated by their own strange denizens and they often demand a toll from those who would use these magical
paths. Sometimes the coin of payment is the traveler’s blood. Capricious and malignant entities lie in wait for lone travelers, seeking to devour their flesh or feed on the horror their ghastly appearances evoke. A favorite spot for ambush is at one of the strangely still lakes that lie beside the Old Ways, or at the fey crossroads that give entry and exit to the Place Between. These transit points are always marked by dolmens, a lone menhir, or circles
of standing stones that are covered in traceries of whorls and ominous runes.
For game purposes, the distance between any two locations in Eredane is effectively quartered when the Old Ways are used to transit between them. The Place Between could even be used by DMs to take their campaigns to remote parts of Eredane or even other parts of Aryth. While random encounters are less likely on these ancient paths, when they occur they are often with strange and dangerous foes. Not all creatures that dwell in the Place Between are evil, and some may help a traveler out of capricious good will; others might demand a service or payment for their aid, or simply to allow the PCs to pass. The entities
that inhabit this disquieting place include araneas, belkirs, craft currents, ethereal marauders, ghosts, gray renders, guardian spirits,
heepa-heepas, otherworlders (particularly heralds and menders), vassal spirits that fled into the Old Ways to escape astirax predation,
water nagas, and yeth hounds.
Ilona stays suprisingly silent, taking in the new group dynamic.
Solvistania looks back at Duncan, and finishes softly, ”…I feel you need to know how fraught with peril these Ways are. Unfortunately, they are perilous. Many strange creatures lurk amongst these paths and they will need to be dealt with, either by persuasion or through force.”
Solvistania looks back at Duncan, and finishes softly, ”…I feel you need to know how fraught with peril these Ways are. Unfortunately, they are perilous. Many strange creatures lurk amongst these paths and they will need to be dealt with, either by persuasion or through force.”
As you know so much and are by far the best chaneller of us all, we'll rely on you heavily, Solvistania. Take the golden apple and open the way, please.
Solvistania takes the golden apple from Gilian and examines it closely, her blood red eyes gleaming. She can sense the power emanating from the object, and feels a shiver of anticipation.
She turns to the rest of the companions, and adds "Our journey begins now. 'Ware yourselves."
She then holds the apple to her lips and whispers, "Betwixt and between."
Will Save
"No"! "It's a trick"! "We've been betrayed". Sky quickly drops his bow, and draws his twin fighting knives, and begins flaying about, listening with his head held sideways for the approach of his enemies.
Solvistania shoots a quick glance at Sky’tor, wondering if the Erunsil has lost his mind. ”Calm yourself! This is a part of travelling the Ways!”
"Simmer down, Cranky. No one's gonna hurt you."
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The flash of golden light fades away, leaving you in a shadowy twilight. At first, it seems that you are still in the circle of dolmens, but then you realize that things are not as they should be. There is no sun in the sky. Any illusion that the night has fallen was dispelled by the absence of stars and moon as well. Even the clouds are absent. The sky is just a dark-purplish expanse, unbroken by anything but swirls of dark colors.
A strange melancholy takes over you, filling you with a sense of dread and isolation. You feel very alone and without any hope.
You realize that the standing stones around you are in fact strange and flawed reflection of those that surrounded you before the flash.
The golden apple itself has been transformer. Now, it has taken a shape of a ball of golden light, floating in the air and slightly bobbing up and down. The pool of light around the globe is about 20 feet wide. Inside it, you feel just a bit better, but on the edges of the pool shadows seem to gather and darkness seems just a bit thicker than it should be.
Will Save
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Sky, Solvi and Darren seem confused for a moment, especially the elf, but soon they come to their senses.
The rest of the party watches the glowing globe. The light seems to shudder and then moves slightly towards the main dolmen of the circle. As the globe moves, the circle of light moves with it and shines on the space outside the standing stones. A beginning of a path seems to lead in the outer murk of this strange realm that you have fallen into.
For just a moment Sky seems confused as the apple begins to float and morph first from a human skull, then a dwarf, then an orc, elf, raven, wolf etc quicker and quicker, then he seems to snap too and there is only the group gathered around him staring at him for some reason. He feels a trickle of cold sweat run down his back, and realizes he is standing there armed as though he was ready to strike down an enemy. Without a word he returns his knives to their sheaths, and picks up his bow as if nothing had happened.
"Let's go as planned. But I don't think we should stray out of the light. The surroundings don't look so bright."
Solvistania is momentarily blinded by the light from the golden apple. As her vision returns, she thinks she can see…could it be…YES! Durathoin! He looks just as she remembered him all those years ago, when he had joined her on the quest to call Felina to her. How handsome he was to her, how tender and caring his touch was…How she missed him so!
She takes an involuntary step towards him and he turns to her, giving her a sad smile before vanishing. As she stares at the spot where he had been standing, the light dies away and is only echoes in the tears glistening in her eyes.
Ilona watches Solvi closely, compassion radiating from her as she sees the emotion bubble up.
Drawing Requiem from her back she holds the sword aloft, purple flame adding to the illumination of the area.
"She's right, try to keep close, everyone pick one other person to keep in your line of sight."
Darren looked around at the strangely dark landscape that the group now resided in. It was dark, foreboding, and lifeless. Truly he did not know where he was any longer. A feeling of hopelessness surrounded him and memories of the day his father left for the south stirred in his mind. The words of the Sarcosan woman brought him back to his senses and the memories faded but did not disappear. Brushing past the rest of the group he repositioned himself at the front at the edge of the light.
"Though I am unfamiliar with this... land. I will lead you as safely as I can."
He realized that the globe of light kept the murky darkness from taking them, but it was still there, waiting.
As Darren takes note of the strange creature, his eyes widen in surprise as he draws his blade and calls out in alarm in his northern tongue.
Years of being alone have not dulled Solvistania's reflexes. Due to the necessity of evading her enemies because of her lack of martial prowess, she learned quickly to respond without thought knowing a few seconds was often the difference between life and death.
As Darren's warning reaches her ears, she does not question it. Drawing Sky'tors bow, she holds it ready and summons Aryth's magic to help protect her.
Hearing the warning, Duncan takes his defensive stance in front of Ilona and Gilian.
Ilona brings Requiem into a guard position, the rush of adrenaline kicking in, slowing everything down.
About bloody time
Oh shut up!
You know you love the thrill of battle
Yes but these are my friends. People can die, it's not a joke.
So don't let them. Kill everything that put them in danger
She could pactically hear the grin in Requiem's mental voice, along with the trhill of oncoming battle.
Agreed!
Purple flames flared, amethysts shimmering with anticipation. The air seemed to pulse battle energy thumming, infusing the circle.
Red eyes flared as she took a deep breath, calling upon the gifts of her beloved's heritage, her adopted mythology.
The battle shriek of the Valkyrie filled the air and fire seemed to ignite in the hearts of her allies.
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Ay you prepare for battle, the guiding light moves along the path and shines on the bushes and outgrowth around it. The shadows disappear and what seemed as long spidery limbs turns out to be bare branches; what seemed as crimson eyes turns out to be just glowing bugs.
You lower you weapons and from the shadows beyond the path rings a silvery laugh, like that of malicious children.
Darren lowered his blade while staring at the shadows, this was unlike anything he had seen before. The enemies he had faced had been ferocious but always the same always solid, tangible threats. Here in this strange world the very shadows would seemingly attack ones mind. He doubted however, that the group would be lucky enough to be set upon by only shadowy illusions of monsters.
I must stay vigilant against all dangers here.
Not bothering to put away his sword he motions for the group to continue.
"The swifter we are through these lands the better."
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The globe of light continues to glide over the path, at a speed of a fast walk. You continue to follow it for some time, but it is hard to make a sense of the passage of time in this place. You could have been following it for minutes or hours. There is no way of knowing. All the time you were followed by the sounds of movements in the bushes along the path and quite malicious laughter.
After some hours, or days, or minutes, you have arrived at a crossroads of sorts. The road branches in three directions and in the middle of the road a large gallows stand. From the gallows hangs what seems to be an elongated scarecrow, at least seven feet tall, not counting the wide-brimmed tall pointy hat.
As you approach it, the globe of light that is your guide suddenly stops in the mid-air and the scarecrow raises its head. The eyes shine with crimson light above the noose and the reedy voice asks: "Riddle me this and riddle me that, who is afraid of a straw man with a hat?"
"And a good day to you as well. We wish to cross this place, would you mind letting us pass through?"
Duncan stands thinking for a second then says:
"The one who does not fear is me, but who might the straw man be?
Crows are the one who are afraid, and I wonder who had him made?"
Solvistania is silent but she pays close attention to the scarecrow, studying it to determine its true nature...
Sky closes his eyes in concentration a moment. Trying to recall what he knew of this place and its inhabitants. His Icewood bow clutched tightly in his hands. Then reopening them he again stares at the newest challenge.
Knowledge Lore: Spirits.
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Sky closes his eyes in concentration a moment. Trying to recall what he knew of this place and its inhabitants. His Icewood bow clutched tightly in his hands. Then reopening them he again stares at the newest challenge.
1d20+8Knowledge Lore: Spirits.
"Ware what you say, and how you act". "This one is of the true fae". Sky whispers
"Well I'm a man, at any rate, but what would you know about my fate?
We are but travelers through this place, and wish no harm to any local race.
On our way, making no fuss, we would like to peacefully pass."