Somewhere else...

Manbearcat said:

Your explosive movement speeds you into the teeth of the melee. As He Who Sees Without Sight struggles with the snakeskin shrouding his head, the fomorian figment rears back with its might axe. The elder has already fallen away and holds a worthless hand over his face as he averts his eyes. The father is laying into the creature, the length of wood repeatedly passing through its incorporeal form. Unphased it brings its axe down just as the man who brought you hear finally gets the shroud off of his face. His eyes grow wide and he involuntarily shouts a fearless, stern, reproachful "NO" as the axe come down, as if he can command the beast or invert his own mortality.

Click to expand...

As I see the axe come down I know there is no way I can get there in time to intercept the blow with my weapon or my armored body. No chance.

My mind slips back to that same moment when I faced those Fomorians in that cave. I slew them to the last giant. They cannot be here. This must be a phantasm given life by whatever magic resides inside me. If it comes from within, then I can snuff it as one might a candle's flame. I focus all of my energy on severing whatever arcane tether has bound these figments to this world.

I feel the cutting of the cord.

Click to expand...

Binks said:

I focus all of my energy on severing whatever arcane tether has bound these figments to this world.

I feel the cutting of the cord.

Click to expand...

The father's jab from his makeshift quarterstaff penetrate's the behemoth back and through its abdomen as it fades entirely from existence with neither wimper nor outrage. It is just gone. The other two giants follow suit.

The collection of souls littering the sacred grounds take measure of their small company. All are unscathed. Save one. A man sits on his rump, held up from falling onto his back by another, and is seizing somewhat intensely. His mouth begans to froth and his body convulses with jagged, heaving breaths. There is not a wound on him. As folks begin to gather, the man supporting him looks up somewhat blankly and says "...the creature's mace struck his head...it should have taken it clean off or left a bloody mess behind..."

No one seems to know what to do. The elder, presumably the medicine man, rummages through his satchel but shakes his head as if he knows he has no answer. He sprinkles some dust on the man and invokes the primal spirits of renewal. Nothing. "The shakes will run their course and claim a life as they will. There is nothing to be done."

Click to expand...

Manbearcat said:

A man sits on his rump, held up from falling onto his back by another, and is seizing somewhat intensely. His mouth begans to froth and his body convulses with jagged, heaving breaths. There is not a wound on him. As folks begin to gather, the man supporting him looks up somewhat blankly and says "...the creature's mace struck his head...it should have taken it clean off or left a bloody mess behind..."

No one seems to know what to do. The elder, presumably the medicine man, rummages through his satchel but shakes his head as if he knows he has no answer. He sprinkles some dust on the man and invokes the primal spirits of renewal. Nothing. "The shakes will run their course and claim a life as they will. There is nothing to be done."

Click to expand...

I walk over there without urgency and calmly look into the man's eyes who is holding the one who is seizing. "His seizing is the body's response to the panic brought on by the touch of a phantasm. My people have dealt with many a restless spirit and what is happening to him is well known to me. He will live. There are points on the body that can be touched that will release his fears. Let me ease the passing of these terrors for him."

If he relents and lets me touch him, I will place my two fingers on his neck, under his jaw and apply pressure. He will relax and slowly the seizing will stop, his breathing will normalize and his senses will return. I will step away from the man as he composes himself so as not to embarrass him and to give him space for his recovery.

Click to expand...

Binks said:

He will live long and prosper!

Click to expand...

Binks said:

If he relents and lets me touch him, I will place my two fingers on his neck, under his jaw and apply pressure. He will relax and slowly the seizing will stop, his breathing will normalize and his senses will return. I will step away from the man as he composes himself so as not to embarrass him and to give him space for his recovery.

Click to expand...

The man's breathing becomes more regular and his seizing ceases. His eyes clear and he looks around as everyone shares in a moment of quiet exaltation that their companion is returned to them. They each look to you with an appreciative nod and something resembling wondermont. The elder says "I would learn your technique if you would share it."

The snakeskin-wrapping is wound and placed in its ceremonial casing. The leader of the settlement says "Our trial is complete. The World Serpent has tested Terillion and shown that our home needs him and needs each of us to do our part if we are to survive. I ask that each of you understand that this a judgement of our collective worth and not a judgement of our rules. It is still strictly forbidden to leave the island after dusk, to open our gates and to make us vulnerable to predators-in-wait, or to bear the loss of even one of us for a night of foolish revelry."

Looking at you, he says, "the outlander has shown herself worthy of our hospitality. You will have no guard posted at your tent and although we can offer you nothing to sup, feel free to eat whatever you brought with you under the stars. You and I will break fast together in the morning and I will hear your plea."

To the rest he says, "Carry on. Find rest and those whom I spoke to this morning will report to me tomorrow after your your morning duties."

Click to expand...

Manbearcat said:

Looking at you, he says, "the outlander has shown herself worthy of our hospitality. You will have no guard posted at your tent and although we can offer you nothing to sup, feel free to eat whatever you brought with you under the stars. You and I will break fast together in the morning and I will hear your plea."

To the rest he says, "Carry on. Find rest and those whom I spoke to this morning will report to me tomorrow after your your morning duties."

Click to expand...

Manbearcat said:

What are you planning to do for the rest of your evening before you settle in for your Extended Rest? Share your proficiency with the elder? Speak with members of the watch and learn of this place? Eat your rations quietly in peace? Cast a Ritual? Sometthing else?

Click to expand...

Before settling in, as another token of my goodwill, I want to invite the entirety of this starving settlement, including the leader, to a feast. When pressed as to how I will provide this, I will lead them to their struggling gardens. There I will bring the elder up front so he can plainly see me. I will * invoke the Elder Spirit of the Earth Wheel and its intermediary spirits. I will sprinkle the most fertile of soil from a a small sack and I will dab it with the purest of water from the Feywild from a stoppered vial. In 20 minutes (2 castings - that should be plenty for the entire village and then plenty leftover for the week) minutes, we will have a bounty available to us. In order to show them that the food is true, I will take a bite from the beautifully ripened crops of this great bounty.

While we eat, I will ** speak to the people of this settlement. I will ask the soldiers about the lycanthropes and listen closely to whatever information they are willing to provide. I will try to discern the nature of the meeting being called in the morning as well. If they ask me where I have come from, I will tell them plainly. I am from a beautiful world separated from this one and a land called Brokenstone Vale. I will give them the great history of my people's conflict with lycanthropes there. I will tell them that a spectral stag led me to this place by the light of the moon...and that I know not where I am nor my purpose. If they can give me any insight into where this place, I will gladly take it.

Finally, I am hopeful that the elder was paying close attention to the incantation and material components. I will give him more insight if need be. Mostly, I will *** give the elder the tutorial he requested. I will provide him with an anatomical understanding of the technique I used to relieve the man's shakes and I will give him guidance and instruction on it. I will tell him to practice on their hogs before the slaughter as animal fear, while less profound emotionally than our own, is no different in terms of its workings in the body.

Hopefully I've learned some useful information and gained favor and trust. I will then settle in to rest my weary bones.

Click to expand...

Binks said:

Bloom Ritual * 2. Secondary - Streetwise. Primary - Heal. Extended Rest.

Click to expand...

Binks said:

While we eat, I will ** speak to the people of this settlement. I will ask the soldiers about the lycanthropes and listen closely to whatever information they are willing to provide. I will try to discern the nature of the meeting being called in the morning as well. If they ask me where I have come from, I will tell them plainly. I am from a beautiful world separated from this one and a land called Brokenstone Vale. I will give them the great history of my people's conflict with lycanthropes there. I will tell them that a spectral stag led me to this place by the light of the moon...and that I know not where I am nor my purpose. If they can give me any insight into where this place, I will gladly take it.

Finally, I am hopeful that the elder was paying close attention to the incantation and material components. I will give him more insight if need be. Mostly, I will *** give the elder the tutorial he requested. I will provide him with an anatomical understanding of the technique I used to relieve the man's shakes and I will give him guidance and instruction on it. I will tell him to practice on their hogs before the slaughter as animal fear, while less profound emotionally than our own, is no different in terms of its workings in the body.

Hopefully I've learned some useful information and gained favor and trust. I will then settle in to rest my weary bones.

Click to expand...

The leader of the settlement watches your primal invocation from afar and he partakes of the bounty. But he doesn't linger long after you reveal your tale of the spectral stag. He says to you "I will summon you first thing in the morning. I know of your people and of your spectral stag...I am the only reading man here...and I have read of it in the chronicles of our forefathers..." With that, he leaves.

The warriors of the settlement tell you that this place is called Lasthome. There are no Gods here. Here the Elder Spirits and the spirits of all the natural, living things hold sway. Their legend holds that the Gods lost a war to the great spirits of the world long before time was counted in years. All natural things, the trees, the birds and even fire and water, that perish in other worlds are reborn here. One day, all of those worlds will fall away into barren husks as their will be nothing left but the humanoid stewards of those worlds. Eventually, the very earth beneath their feet will fall away as well.

They tell you that the curse of the Moon Madness has also lived amongst them since history was beyond their counting. The world of men will eventually be swallowed whole by it and all civilized things will be wild and primal. This is the will of the Primal Beast and every lycanthrope killed defiles his intent. Only The World Serpent can protect them from his wrath...but he only protects those whose coils have the firmest of grip, always clenching its prey. The World Serpent's continued protection of their home here depends on it. This is why their leader forbids anything that weakens their hold on this place. Legend has it that the Primal Beast is finally losing its never-ending siege. There are not enough people to renew the bloodline of lycanthropes and the last remaining are here in their mountain redoubt. They must protect themselves from renewing the bloodline.

They tell you what they know of the morning meeting. The mauraders who have plagued their home for so long are growing more bold. Regardless of the threat of Moon Madness in those mountains, it is time to confront and destroy them. Ending the threat of the mauraders will strengthen their grip on this place and please The World Serpent. It will also ensure the bloodline of lycanthropy that has forever fueled the Moon Madness is not renewed by those men. Tomorrow, their greatest warriors will swear a blood oath to kill those men and to take their own lives if they are infected by the Moon Madness. None expect to return but it is a great honor.

The elder is a quiet, weathered man of very few words but piercing, attentive eyes. He pays close attention to your primal evocations and to your technique and theory on relieving the "shakes." In the end, he thanks you for the instruction in both.

The people show you admiration and the children wonderment. They have never seen an Elf before.

You settle in for the night and get a restful bit of sleep even if your mind wanders to the plight of the children and your bear.

Click to expand...

The next morning your senses are overwhelmed by the salty smell of the sea, rotting fish, and the roasting of a freshly slaughtered pig. You are summoned to the small home of The Man Who Sees Without Sight by a soldier. He shows you inside of the small structure. The furnishings are spartan and the man clearly has no family.

As you enter, his back is to you. He is fetching boiling water for some tea of sweet smelling pine needles. He gestures towards an unadorned table with pork and potato stew in bowls on either side. He places your tea on one side and sits on the opposite.

"I am called Esmer. As you know I am warden of this settlement. You are Saerie of Brokenstone Vale. You are not the first of your people from your homeland who has followed a spectral stag on a moonlit night and wound up here. But I will tell you what I may or may not know of these things afterward. You have a pressing situation that has brought you to our home for which you seek aid. I promised you that your plea would be heard and I am ready to hear it."

His hardened hands bring the fired clay cup of steaming tea to his lips. He drinks and as he does he keeps his eyes on yours and raises his eyebrows, signaling you to speak.

Click to expand...

Manbearcat said:

@Binks , an Extended Rest later...

"I promised you that your plea would be heard and I am ready to hear it."

His hardened hands bring the fired clay cup of steaming tea to his lips. He drinks and as he does he keeps his eyes on yours and raises his eyebrows, signaling you to speak.

Click to expand...

I let the tea steep and sip from the soup bowl. "I thank you for the breakfast. I suspect it is not the case, but I hope that you didn't slaughter one of your pigs on my account."

As I calmly make my plea, I watch him very closely for any subtle sign of nonverbal response. "As I stated on the boat, I rescued a handful of children a few evenings ago in the mountains that border your home. They claimed to be the children of a cult that either is run through by lycanthropy or aspires to be. They seem to worship your Elder Spirit of the Hunt. The Primal Beast. They spoke of a pit in a mountain stronghold where the children who are 'unfit' for their Beastlord are purified by a fiery death. What I saw was gruesome and the tale they told was worse. It would be unconscionable to leave them to their fate. I beseech you and your kin to take them in. They are only a handful and they are strong. They have reached the age where they will be a boon to your settlement rather than a burden.

I have them in a well defended cave in the mountains. My trusted bear companion watches over them. When I know they are safe, I will end the perversion of this cult so neither they nor you need fear it again."

I sip the tea now that it has steeped, never letting my eyes leave his.

Click to expand...

Binks said:

How does he respond to my words? He has neither woman nor child but I'm hoping that his role as patriarch of this community means that he has a strong fatherly impulse. It seems that he might. Do I see anything resembling a flinch or anger when I convey the children's plight?

Click to expand...

When you're finished, he continues your locked stares and takes drink from the soup and sip from the tea. The moment extends for some time. Finally, he speaks. "114. The number of people in my care on this island. 73. The extended community outside these walls. Most of the fish have a wasting sickness. The hogs are mostly bone. The crops fail outright or fall prey to some parasite more often than not. Even if our elder has learned your primal magic, the cost to harvest the materials is too steep and it might only serve to keep your handful of children in food. It wouldn't extend the lives of my starving people. We're at a tipping point here. You're bright and learned. Of course you see that.

If I cannot feed my people now, how do you expect that I can take on more? More hands and feet mean more chores done, more rotten gardens tilled, more dead fish sorted, and more wasting hogs fed food they won't eat. And they mean more, growing, bellies to be filled.

And the hog wasn't slaughtered for you. Its to celebrate a great hunt.

Click to expand...

Manbearcat said:

When you're finished, he continues your locked stares and takes drink from the soup and sip from the tea. The moment extends for some time. Finally, he speaks. "114. The number of people in my care on this island. 73. The extended community outside these walls. Most of the fish have a wasting sickness. The hogs are mostly bone. The crops fail outright or fall prey to some parasite more often than not. Even if our elder has learned your primal magic, the cost to harvest the materials is too steep and it might only serve to keep your handful of children in food. It wouldn't extend the lives of my starving people. We're at a tipping point here. You're bright and learned. Of course you see that.

If I cannot feed my people now, how do you expect that I can take on more? More hands and feet mean more chores done, more rotten gardens tilled, more dead fish sorted, and more wasting hogs fed food they won't eat. And they mean more, growing, bellies to be filled.

Click to expand...

"As you know, I came through the mountains on my way here. Just on your border there is an alpine vale. From the looks of it, it is an extremely fertile land that receives much rainwater from the storms coming off of the sea. At the bottom there is a system of rivers that serves as a catchment which feeds into your bay. It resembles my homeland. In my homeland we farm our fertile, rain-receiving mountains. They are used for our vineyards and for all manner of crops."

Knowing that he trusts me, I am going to deliberately reach for my dagger and bring it up on the table. Gesturing toward the table with the edge, I will signify that I wish to carve a diagram, "If I may..." If he agrees, I'm going to draw him a diagram of our terrace farming technique in our mountain home in the Brokenstone Vale. I'm going to explain the technique to him, making sure he understands it. I'll be as succinct as possible, but I want to explain the graduated step creation, how it decreases erosion and surface runoff and provides a natural irrigation system which maintains and increases the fertility of the soil. I'll explain the cycling of the crops and where to plant crops on the steps due to the various stressors as you elevate and receive more water or less sunlight, etc..

Click to expand...

Manbearcat said:

Its to celebrate a great hunt.

Click to expand...

Binks said:

If he is intrigued, whatever questions he might ask, I will answer until he understands. I wil reiterate that this is literally just bordering the bay so it should be fairly easy to secure and the abundance of the crops would mean that no matter if some animals or marauders steal some, the bounty will be so plentiful that such a loss would not matter

Click to expand...

You have clearly caught his fascination. He nods his head subtly several times throughout the course of the interchange. His questions are insightful and borne of a quick understanding of the engineering and techniques of the terraced farming you are relaying. Its the most emotion you have seen from the man. He is still mostly stoic but you can see an excitement hiding behind his eyes that probably few witness. He even makes a comment implying that the extra hands of your homeless children would be welcome in such an undertaking.

Click to expand...

Binks said:

When we're finished, I'm going to ask him about the below. I'll drink more of the soup they've offered and say something like "You mentioned a great hunt. What hunt, if I might ask?"

Click to expand...

Right after you say this, there is a rap on the exterior wall and a soldier stands in the open doorway; "They're ready for you sir. Your boat is set for launch, we have the captive on board, and the men have been anointed by the elder." Esmer gives the man a stone-faced nod.

"This will all have to wait. If the men do not successfully complete their mission, then The World Serpent will have spoken against your idea. I will not expand our domain or undertake such a radical project with a single raper, thief, and murderous vandal lurking, waiting to kill and plunder. They will ensure that we lose far more than we could ever hope to gain. We are too fragile now. Such a loos would mean the end of 20 generations of my people.

If they return successful, I will consider your idea sponsored by The World Serpent."

He stands and walks the few feet over to his bedroll on the floor. There is a small chest there. He opens it and pulls forth an ancient, loose collection of parchment bound by leather. "Careful, this dates back to the earliest years of my people. I assume you can read." When you nod or verbally confirm, he continues; "I have marked three pages with a dried leaf. I would suggest you start at the earliest and work your way back. The oldest writing will disintegrate without extreme care. Three women of similar mold and countenance to you have visited my people through the centuries. All following a spectral stag from a place they called Brokenstone Vale. The last one said she knew what or who it was and why she was here. My great grandfather didn't write of it in the book but when she failed her purpose he buried her deep in those mountains, along with her diary and belongings.

I hope you find what you're looking for."

With that, he begins to grab his things and go.

Click to expand...