The viny druid's wooden eyes bore into the awkward young druid. "Gravan, you must learn to see more truly and listen more carefully, Inamar is becoming my champion. My staff bearer."
He turns to all three newcomers and bids all six to make yourselves comfortable as he begins to explain "I have told this tale to Inamar, Weylan, and NR4ZN, but it bears retelling. In an earlier age of the world, a warband of the wood giants overcame the green dragon Estaraloth. One of the heroes of that band brought a great gem from the dragon's hoard, a large smooth topaz the size of a closed fist, and presented it to their tribe's druid Aran Hieuli as thanks for the healing that had saved him from the ravages of disease as a youth. The druid could tell that it held potent focusing magics but he knew not its purpose and brought it to his Circle for further examination. A hag among the circle, Ventrelle Cadori, was known for her powers of divination and she discerned that the gem was a summoning focus, tied to astromancy and fell realms beyond the stars. It could not be used alone, but combined with the proper other tools a skilled master could use it to draw on various other realms and powers, binding alien energies and fell beings to his will. Depending on the sacrifices performed and the current alignment of heavens at the time it was used different celestial alignments would provide access to different realms, many of them powerful and inimical to all life as we know it. Uncontrolled, such beings could be dangerous individual hazards, while some of the energies could potentially warp or scour all life from Wildwood entirely. Cadori named the gem the Eye of Night.
"The Circle decided the artefact was too dangeous and should be destroyed, but it proved resistant to shattering, lightning strikes, dragon acid, cursing, magical destruction and numerous other methods that were attempted. Cadori determined that it could be destroyed but the specific method was unknown and might require the direct power of a divinity. The Circle therefore decided to safeguard the Eye of Night, lest it fall into the hands of one who might unwittingly unleash disaster upon the Wildwood as they sought to bind personal power to themselves. Knowledge of the Eye of Night was kept a closely guarded secret of the Circle, lest those who lusted after power at any cost would not be tempted to seek it out.
"A fey realm was established, this realm, that was cut off from the vibrant full realm of Wildwood. It required a connection to the Land and could be brought into conjunction by those with a connection into or out of the realm. I was a member of the Circle and volunteered to undergrow the Evergreen Transformation ritual sacrificing much of my druidic power and my old life to become the Bloodthorne Guardian, bound to this realm for ages to come. Once I had done so I accepted the Eye of Night, hid it within my very being, and took up the stewardship of this realm, establishing further wards and defenses should its primary one ever be pierced. As the Bloodthorne Guardian I hold dominion over this fey realm and the natural features and wildlife native to the realm. Over the ages I have maintained contact with the Circle, acting as a teacher for many druids who have come to me to learn, while only the highest members of the Circle, such as your druid Tuor, held the true secret of my guardianship should disaster ever fall and I needed outside help.
"And disaster has fallen with these invaders."
"Bloodwhisker mentioned that his band swore to the master and claimed that others would soon follow, led by the Gannus in their moonstone mines. He believed his master would favor his clan.
"He was boastful that only moonstone could harm his family and that he kept enough with him so that he would not fear them. In his boasting he did not seem to realize he was anouncing his vulnerabilities. His band had been carrying a trading mission's worth of moonstone when they came upon the master, he demonstrated his power and they agreed to serve him.
"His master empowered him somehow with fell protections, what seems a lesser form of what we fear the Eye of Night can further empower when combined with other such tools. With his master's blessing, he said, only magic moonstone such as the blade he wielded could kill him and he no longer needed to fear other Gannus or those armed with moonstone or their moonspeaker's concoctions. He ranted about how if he had gone back he would have killed his father Awrenc and taken control of the clan and their mines, but that the clan would undoubtedly bow in fealty to the master and be his first servants thanks to BloodWhisker's glorious service.
"When the master and his horde made their way to me and we fought I had prepared with potent fire wards upon myself, my badger companion, and the various animals I had summoned to combat him. He was able to suppress my ward, though I do not know how, and then burned me while I was vulnerable. While I had placed many druidic battle magics to enhance my animal guardians, they fell to his minions as I writhed in his flames.
"I gathered that empowering Bloodwhisker was apparently not a thing lightly done, even when the master had the Eye of Night back in his possession. It was only after he found that I kept regrowing after being burned to the ground and that the gnawing rats Gannu commanded could keep me cut back enough to be perpetually contained that he performed his ritual to empower Bloodwhisker. After performing the ritual with the Eye the master seemed drained. I believe it severely disturbed him that he could not kill me or destroy my druid staff with his fire and he was willing to pay dearly of himself to insure I did not rise against him again.
"We still know little about Bone Shanks, you must find out more and disrupt his plans where you can. Return to me periodically to report what you learn. Given time and more knowledge to work from I can prepare rituals to aid and empower each of you that joins in this endeavor. This realm holds strong druidic power that can be harnessed to accomplish great things over time.
"Bone Shanks is powerful. He overcame me. But even in his triumph he could not kill me. That left a thorn in his side of doubt and worry. He was willing to expend of himself using the Eye of Night to empower Bloodwhisker to guard me. Bloodwhisker believed himself and his master unbeatable, but he was blinded by his newfound power. The master seemed drained after his dark ritual. It cost him. If he does so for others he may weaken himself further. Bloodwhisker did not see such costs, only the power gained.
"The Eye is an aid, should he find something else to power such astromancy, he might be able to use more of the dark powers. Even if you cannot destroy him directly, his plans must be disrupted and we must learn more."
