Midnight: A Lost Faith's Shadow. Book 1, The Awakening. Ch. 5, The Darkening Wood

Ladriel whispers to Herger Down! Down! Sliding down the Giant's back, she closes her eyes for an instant, before they grow wide in terror. The Whisper! The Forest will tear us to shreds! Outside of the ring of stones, the forest seems to grow dark as the forest bears down on the Heroes.


OOC: I will give one round to the Heroes before all Shadow breaks loose. If the Heroes plan on using the acorn, describe how you will use it.

Thoughts race through Lodric's head: What is happening that the forest has seemingly gone mad? How is it connected to one young, blind girl that so quickly entered the hearts of each of us? Does the forest fear her, seek to protect her or has it somehow gone mad because of her? No, she is the Hope and I refuse to believe that she could be the source of such darkness.

Taking the acorn from Starhl, Lodric moves to the center of the stone ring. He uses his dagger to furrow the ground, then placing the acorn into the moist, dark soil of the forest he covers it up again. He then rocks back onto his heels, hoping he has not done something foolish with this odd gift that Starhl and Mardo received.

Herger hangs onto the elf and moves with the others to the center of the ring. 'The forest might not be afraid of this place, but if this is where Lodric is planting the acorn, it would be best to be near it'

As the trees close in, Herger grips his axe in anticipation. "Those with sharp eys, look for an opening so that we can flee if the acorn does not work!"

Mardo, ducking and backing to Herger's side, looks past the trees nearby to spot a way out of the stone circle that doesn't put them in too much danger of the trees.

The leaves in the descending branches rustle with anticipation of the bloodletting, as the tree trunks and boughs groan and creak. Backing from the descending green menace, the Heroes' eyes race for any break in the foliage that might be a path to salvation. None are visible, even by the bird-eyed Gnome.

Grabbing the small, golden-hued acorn, Lodric hurriedly buries it in the center of the ring of stones. Saying a silent prayer and rubbing his scraped knuckles, Lodric stands and readies himself against the coming green onslaught. But, the attack never comes. Instead, the ground beneath the Heroes' feet begins to rumble and shift. The forest soil rips and bedrock stone cracks as large rents tear through the forest floor. Two of the massive standing stones crack and crumble to the ground, smashing into several of the threatening trees. In response the trees arch back, their trunks groaning and creaking with pain.

Fighting to maintain their footing, the Heroes spy an oak sapling emerge from the point where Lodric planted the seed. Growing with incredible rapidity, the oak sends forth its massive roots that split the ground in huge rents. Two more of the standing stones tumble into the rents, their massive, weathered forms disappearing into the dark expanse. The rents in the ground split the Heroes, the Heroes standing on small islands of stone or soil that have not fallen into the abyss beneath the roots. From the wide cracks in the ground, an unnatural wind blows.

Swaying with the heaving ground, the Heroes begin to loose their footing, the yawning abyss below...


OOC: I need reflex saves from everyone.

Herger watches with surprise as the forest seems to back away from the place where Lodric planted the acorn. He then watches in horror as the ground splits wide open, cutting the group in half. He then begins to teeter.

OOC:
great.

Ref save: 1d20 + 3 = 6 http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=1188200

giant go down the hole.

Valurel looks on with a mixture of disbelief and surprise at what is happening to the earth beneath their feet but somehow keeps a level head and manages to avoid dropping into the hole.

Reflex save = 20

Lodric steps back from the rapidly growing tree and watches with amazement as it springs from the ground. He stands unmoving, his own feet seemingly rooted to the small bit of crumbling ground, until a cry from Herger pulls his attention back to the new peril created by the collapsing forest floor.

Reflex save: 27 (natural 20) saving throw link

Mardo leaps across the moving earth toward the giant, hoping to help in some small fashion.

OOC:
1d20+6=21