The trees proved an intriguing climb for Thistletorp, as branches seemed to move when he wasn't looking. He claimed very far, but still found dark green canopy stretching high above. By his own reckoning, he ought to have broken through to sunlight in a quarter of the time he spent going up. Yet he found himself no nearer the light of day than he had been on the ground. His lofty vantage point revealed to him no lurking menaces, though he could scarcely see farther from it than he could from the ground. Just as he turned to climb back down, the kender spotted near a dozen figures limned in eerie, green light that cast no shadows spread in a rough arc in front of the Companions and drawing nearer.
Caitlyn and Marial spotted them a moment later, and from an angle that revealed more than the tops of heads and shoulders could see the figures, all men, wore antiquated scale armor and bore swords and shields.
"I think we should heed your elders' wisdom," Goldmoon said, innocent of the impending danger. "Take no game or wood. Light no fires. We are in this place's power now."
The half-elf's ears perk up when she hears the minotaur invoke the name of the god of vengeance, If I remember correctly Sargonnas was one of the old gods. Do your people still have clerics? inquires the half-elf.
know hist to see if she recognizes the armor.
She will motion for her companions to be silent and still.
Quietly Caitlyn agrees, "You're probably right Goldmoon. We have sufficient supplies that we shall not need to hunt for several days and it's warm enough I suppose without a fire. Well if the weather holds at least."
Kneeling in the bushes to her left, Tania tries her best to disappear from view. For a moment, all she hears is her nervous breathing, but she manages to calm it somewhat.
What a strange place this is... An dangerous, no doubt!
know hist 1d20+6 to see if she recognizes the armor.
She will motion for her companions to be silent and still.
Mariel can't quite pin it down, but she's sure the armor is at least centuries old.
Jakun is about to respond when Mariel motions for silence, the Minotaur holds his tongue...
The half elf will call out to the Spectral figures. Hail, we are citizens of Solace. We mean no harm but carry an item of great import with us. We must pass through. she states. Diplomacy
In a half whisper, Gavin calls out "Mariel! Are you crazy?!" but it was too late. He plants his feet and prepares for the possible battle.
The half elf will call out to the Spectral figures. Hail, we are citizens of Solace. We mean no harm but carry an item of great import with us. We must pass through. she states. Diplomacy 1d20+15
"Begone, invaders and defilers!" one of the glowing figures called out in a hollow, echoing voice. "Begone or join us forever!" But even as he spoke, their approach perceptibly slowed.
Hmmm that's looks interesting. Glowing people in old-timey type clothing and armor are often doing exciting and different things. And, their things are usually MOST interesting do all the things that people could have.. He slithers down his tree quiet like to get. A better view of the ancient flowing people.
Then, they threaten his friends.
Threats are not fun. Not fun at all. Threats to hurt his friends are very bad. He likes his friends bad he doesn't want them hurt. Especially his fitness that don't want to be hurt unlike Xryhs Dugrai who, for some, actually liked being hurt... Which was why Thistletorp could no longer go to Palanthas. But, that was another story. He didn't understand why they threw hi out, either, just that cabbages were involved. Nasty, sneaky things, cabbages.
Silent as a mouse Thistletorp walked towards the ghostly ghosts of badness who threatened his friends. He drew his twin blades, holding them with the practice ease of someone who knew how to use them. He walked through the underbrush, one with the shadows, and readied himself to strike. The legs were the easiest things to hit. They were usually exposed and soft. Besides, people usually had a hard time making good on threats when their hamstrings were cut.
know religion to see if I recognize these as undead.
Diplomacy
Please sir, we have an important item that must find a place. We come to this forest to go through the Darken Wood to go to Haven, we have with us a staff of blue crystal that is being hunted by hobgoblins. It is a sacred item, marked with the prescence of something greater than we. she states.
With one raised eyebrow, Caitlyn exchanged a glance with Gavin as if to say, 'You might be right.'
She carefully entered a stance, ready to swing her weighted polearm if needed. For now she watched the drama unfold, would Mariel's words have any effect?
know religion 1d20+7 to see if I recognize these as undead.
Diplomacy 1d20+15
Please sir, we have an important item that must find a place. We come to this forest to go through the Darken Wood to go to Haven, we have with us a staff of blue crystal that is being hunted by hobgoblins. It is a sacred item, marked with the prescence of something greater than we. she states.
"The staff? Show it to us! Let us see its light, or you will see no more days!"
Goldmoon regarded her disguised staff hesitantly.
"It does not like to be handled," she said.
Jakun growls at the threats, "Show them the staff Goldmoon. If they strike you, they shall pay I swear it".
Jakun growls at the threats, "Show them the staff Goldmoon. If they strike you, they shall pay I swear it".
Goldmoon nods and illusion melts away from the Blue Crystal Staff. In a twinkling, the undead were upon them. Their chill filled the air as they peered intensely at it, carefully keeping clear of its touch. None made a move toward one of the Companions, only the staff. Up close, they were all clearly men and just as clearly undead. The darkling forest shone through their eerie forms like it would through a cloud.
"You must come with us; the Master has need of you. You will not be harmed, but you must come."
Jakun turns to his companions and shrugs, "A sudden change spectre. We will follow as we mean this place and you no harm, we sek merely to move through but to who do you take us?"
These men are bound even in death to vows that survive them. They cannot progress on to their next journey until their vows have been fulfilled. I do not think they mean us harm. ¡she advises.
Jakun turns to his companions and shrugs, "A sudden change spectre. We will follow as we mean this place and you no harm, we sek merely to move through but to who do you take us?"
"The Master will see you," the ghostly leader said, as if that explained everything.
The half-elf will look at Goldmoon, Come Lady of the Que-Shu, we have been summoned and perhaps we will finally find the answers to the Blue Crystal Staff. she says as she begins to follow the spectral men.
The half-elf will look at Goldmoon, Come Lady of the Que-Shu, we have been summoned and perhaps we will finally find the answers to the Blue Crystal Staff. she says as she begins to follow the spectral men.
The Minotaur whispers to Mariel, "What if this Master takes the staff? What then? How shall we retrieve it to bring to your Seeker leader for inspection?"
Not quite believing the turn of events, Caitlyn breathes, "This seems crazy like a fever dream!" Not knowing what else to do, she waits to see what happens, will they answer Jackun?
Thistletorp keeps ready to hurt the people who threatened his friends, but he stays in the dark all sneaky-like. It was easier to protect his friends when he was in the shadows and no one knew he was around. Hamstrings were easier to cut from the shadows.
Even if the glowing people in the old-timey seemed like they weren't going to directly hurt his friends.
The spectral minions guide the Companions deeper into the Darken Wood, unaware of Thistletorp trailing behind. After a quarter hour, they come to an unremarkable spot in the forest and the undead halt. As they come to rest, eight horse-men melt out of the shadows, eight feet tall at the head and with startlingly muscular torsos. They look as though they could uproot trees. All stand armed, some with bows and others large blades.
"Thy duty here ends, eld ones," one centaur said in archaic Abanasinian. "The wood will not bear thine step further within."
The undead faded away.
"Ye stand now in oures grip. We take you hither. Fear not."
The centaurs appeared equally innocent of Thistletorp.
Jakun shrugs and turns to the others, "It seems these woods are no mere woods after all. Many and mighty are the adversaries that would seek to do harm in this place".
Jakun then steps forward and speaks to the lead Centaur, "What can you tell us of this Master of the Forest friend Centaur?"
The half-elf will stare in wonderment at the centaurs.
Jakun shrugs and turns to the others, "It seems these woods are no mere woods after all. Many and mighty are the adversaries that would seek to do harm in this place".
Jakun then steps forward and speaks to the lead Centaur, "What can you tell us of this Master of the Forest friend Centaur?"
"Ye will ken all anon," the centaur said, unhelpfully. "Bring no thing of fire. Seek not to lay hand on him, unless he suffers it. Lie not, he sees into hearts."
The centaur answers further questions with silence, his band urging the party onward. The trees twist strangely around them. More than once, the same trees seem to pass by. The Companions pass one fairly memorable stand from both directions, despite not turning at all as they walked.
At length, the oaks opened into a glade. Soft green moss carpeted the ground and mounted a hillside, giving way there to a crown of ancient granite. Two long boulders stood on end, with a third suspended between them, wrapped in creeping vines. Between them stood a horse with a coat the color of fresh snow, so bright it seemed to glow like the air on a still, frigid winter's night. The horse stood tall and proud, its long mane joined by a small beard beneath its chin. A single spiraling horn rose from its brow, the color of sunset cast across milk.
The centaurs bowed deeply and withdrew, leaving the Companions alone with the unicorn.
"I am the Forestmaster," he said in a soft, sad voice that seemed to fill the glade. "You have brought a light into my realm in these dark times. Yes, even you Small One."
The unicorn looked directly at where Thistletorp had just settled into a perfect hiding place.
"May I see your burden and gift?"
Goldmoon drew out the Blue Crystal Staff, letting the seeming fall from it. The Forestmaster bowed his head to it.
"Then it is as foretold. A heavy destiny lays upon you. You have the safe conduct of my realm and the aid of all within. One more ancient than I came under my eaves. He spoke of your coming and bade me tell you that you must tarry not, but 'fly straightaway across the Eastwall Mountains. Within two days, you must be within Xak Tsaroth. There, if you prove worthy, you shall receive the greatest gift given to the world'. His very words."
The half-elf, with tears in her eyes at the beauty and majesty of the unicorn, will bow before him. Could you tell us more about this being? Does it have something to do with the Staff? she inquires.
Tania grows slowly scared as they go from being led by a bunch of wraiths, to being led by a bunch of centaurs, all fantastic creatures she had only heard tales of, to being told where to go and when by a unicorn, no less. All this in but a few hours.
She had never been in this situation, and she did not like it. All her life, she made her own decisions. Admittedly, events had their say, but she had her say as well. Some kind of cosmic comprise always took place...
But what else could she do? Walk back?! Those woods did not forgive. No, best to move along, but not impassively...
Tania, head raised defiantly, walks to stand beside Mariel, but does not kneel: "Why? Why must we run as pawns, without a shred of information, of evidence. Someone talked about a blue staff aeons ago. So what? I am all for running around, but I will tell my feet where to go, not some forest lord I do not know, and especially not without a good reason. So, if it pleases My Good Lord, could you tell us what this is about?"
Then she blushes, as she realizes how blunt she's just been, to a unicorn!
"Just what awaits us at this Xak Tsorath is it? We were headed to an Elistan of Haven before we were escorted here..."
Caitlyn is overawed and regards the noble unicorn with huge eyes. She murmers, "All my days. Never imagined I'd see the like." This situation was beyond her, so Caitlyn let wiser heads talk. Although a sudden thought struck her.
To Jackun she says quietly, "Wasn't it Xak Tsoroth the old timer in the inn sang about?"
The half-elf, with tears in her eyes at the beauty and majesty of the unicorn, will bow before him. Could you tell us more about this being? Does it have something to do with the Staff? she inquires.
"It was a luminous being, great and glorious, with wisdom long gone from the land. I can say no more of him," the Forestmaster said. "I was to know you by the staff, a relic of better days long gone. I do not know its secrets, but you may uncover them in Xak Tsaroth."
I was hiding as well, but we can skip that :)
Tania, head raised defiantly, walks to stand beside Mariel, but does not kneel: "Why? Why must we run as pawns, without a shred of information, of evidence. Someone talked about a blue staff aeons ago. So what? I am all for running around, but I will tell my feet where to go, not some forest lord I do not know, and especially not without a good reason. So, if it pleases My Good Lord, could you tell us what this is about?"
"I am too small to see the full shape of this design," the Forestmaster said. "But I think that Xak Tsaroth will answer your questions."
"Just what awaits us at this Xak Tsorath is it? We were headed to an Elistan of Haven before we were escorted here..."
"I know only that you must go, and will find answers there," the Forestmaster said. "But I sense a passage through darkness. Keep faith and the dawn will come."
"Faith? That is something in short supply from a world without Gods. Even Sargonnas has gone silent to my people, who venerated him in a way no other people had venerated any other Gods.
I have seen many wondrous things in my travels through the world both on the sea and with Thistle. You Forestmaster, may be the most wondrous yet.
Odd as it may seem, I think we should go to this place, such a fantastic being as the Forestmaster claiming to be in awe of a luminous ancient messenger is too great an adventure for Thistle and I to pass up, staff or no staff! Does this seem acceptable to you Goldmoon? It is after all, your Staff to decide what to do with.
I know not the geography of this area but is it even possible to arrive at Xak Tsaroth in two days time? We had better get moving!" he states turning to his companions.
Subsided by the presence of the mystical being, Caitlyn quietly adds, "I vaguely know the way, its on the coast to the north east past the Eastwall Mountains. I'm not sure how long it will take to get there, but you're probably right that we need to hurry."
This whole situation leaves Gavin uncharacteristically quiet, but excitement bubbles beneath his skin.
This is turning out to be quite the adventure!
Sensing that the Unicorn nor the centaurs mean them any harm, he sheaths the massive Greatsword and continues to observe.
Tania is unimpressed, but prefers not to phrase her discomfort. Instead, she mutters to herself: "Well, I got nothing else to do..."
"Odd as it may seem, I think we should go to this place, such a fantastic being as the Forestmaster claiming to be in awe of a luminous ancient messenger is too great an adventure for Thistle and I to pass up, staff or no staff! Does this seem acceptable to you Goldmoon? It is after all, your Staff to decide what to do with."
"I feel we should trust the Forestmaster," Goldmoon said, bowing her head respectfully to the unicorn. "But the mountains are far from here, beyond the plains of my people. It must be at least fifty miles. Even on if we had clear land the whole way, it would take at least three days to reach the passes."
I believe Survival includes navigation skills (I.e. not getting lost in the wilderness) so hopefully Caitlyn can guide the party there.
That's the most direct route. You could swing south around the Eastwall mountains, or even get a ship at New Ports, but that would probably take longer.
Humbly the cleric will approach the unicorn and inquire, if she might be so bold, if she could touch him
Humbly the cleric will approach the unicorn and inquire, if she might be so bold, if she could touch him
As Mariel approached, the Forestmaster regarded her with deep, violet eyes. The sense of being watched that began as soon as the Companions entered the Darken Wood grew to near overwhelming. Mariel felt as though the Forestmaster knew her every secret thought. When she reached the unicorn, he stood motionless for a long, silent moment before finally bowing his head ever so slightly to grand permission.
The Forestmaster's coat felt like a warm summer's breeze playing over mountains, so soft it nearly wasn't there but covering an ancient strength.
"There is hope yet, child," he said.
As she strokes the beauty and magnifience that is the unicorn. As it spoke to her and gave her words of encouragement, she broke down and cried, holding on to the neck with a hug of thanks.
Jakun feels a bit awkward at the emotion being displayed by the human and tries to break the mood, "I was the first Minotaur she saw and I never got a hug like that, do you think it's the horn Thistle?"
Thistletorp looks up from his spot in the bushes where he was following a particularly interesting beetle with a glowing blue shell. He puts his finger to his lips and shushes the beetle from making noise. Beetles are always making too much noise for good hiding kender. Then, he comes bounding out of the wood. Hiya! I'm Thistletorp Babblebrook, pleased to meet ya! He sticks his hand out to shake, completely unfazed by the unicorn's lack of hands. He is, however, in awe of the unicorn's horn. Wow! A horn! That's pretty! Can I have one? I promise to take care of it! He puts his hand on his brow and rubs it furiously, as though he can will a horn to grow from his skull. It'd be shiny and pointy and a HORN! It'd help when we're on our way to Xak Tsaroth, I just know it! That place is far away, and a horn would help! It would do all sorts of things. Horn-things. Which, as we all know, are very important and helpful.
He grinned as another thought took him. And, if I had horse legs, I could run real fast and get to Xak Tsaroth even faster! That'd be amazing! Wow! But, then I'd miss all the neat things on the way to that place... Hmmmm. Maybe I don't want horse legs after all. No offense, of course, Mister Centaur, I'm sure they do you very well. And, they certainly are very attractive and powerful horse legs. He nods appreciatively to the legs. They're very strong and quick-looking. I'm sure you could get to Xak Tsaroth in no time. But, they won't do at all for a kender. Nope nope nope! They would take me to places far too fast, and then I'd miss all the stuff in between. And, that's the point of the adventure, right? Seeing the stuff in between the start and the end.
Then, he turns back to the unicorn. The Old Man in the inn talked about Xak Tsaroth, too. He said beautiful things came from there. What was Xak Tsaroth? Is it a teapot? It's probably a city, or the ruins of a city. Because it seems like that kind of a place. Beautiful things usually come out of cities or ruins of cities. But, wouldn't it be exciting if it Xak Tsaroth really was a teapot? His eyes grow round with wonder and excitement. That would be a story to tell, wouldn't it!? We could say we crossed the Carrot Mountains, and wandered the Cabbage Sea--that's the giant plains where the cabbages roam; nasty, horrible things, cabbages--and we fought off the cabbages and the frying pan wielding warrior women of Solace and their exploding wigs of death! And, all so that we could visit the Great Teapot Xak Tsaroth and return the blue crystal staff to its proper home!
.
While Thistlethorp, full of energy as ever effuses Caitlyn does some mental arithmetic, 'Fifty maybe fifty five miles. Got to go as fast as the slowest member, yeah that'll take a good three days to get to the Eastwall passes.'
Looking solemn she flashes a forced smile at Thistle and clearing her voice she addresses the unicorn, "Thistle's heart is in the right place, but I can't see how we can possibly get to Xak Tsaroth in under two days. It would take our enthusiastic friend here at least three days just to get to the Eastwall mountains, with perhaps another one to two days to get to the city assuming it's where I think it is and we don't get lost on the way." Shaking her head Caitlyn adds sadly, "We'd have to literally fly to get there on such a tight schedule."
One thing Caitlyn thought about didn't say, was her estimate of three days for Thistle to the mountains excluded the possibility of finding interesting flowers, or brightly colored stones or other distractions.
Forest Master, you are indeed a blessed and magnificent creature. If the being came to you and told you that we need to get to the city of Xax Tsaroth in 2 days, that may be difficult. We have no supplies and the way would difficult. Is there a way that you could aid us in this endeavor? she inquires as she wipes the tears from her eyes.
Diplomacy