[Adventure] Kingmaker (DM:renau1g; judge: garyh)

[Shayuri]

Arcata blinks, taken aback by the brash sensibility of the offered deal. Who would have thought a tree would think so clearly or, indeed, at all? Quickly she hurries after, falling into step alongside him. Him? Her? It? She remembered reading that plants were all both sexes at once, but trying to think of a pronoun to encompass THAT gave her a headache.

"Of course," she agrees. "That's more than fair. When we reach a small river going out to see we'll turn to follow it inland, then watch for a high wooden wall. That'll be the Trading Post."

She took a deep breath.

"As for the Swordlords...well, they try to present a public face of unanimity, but really it's just a council of privileged, unscrupulous landowners all scheming for an advantage over the others..."

Arcata, as it turned out, had plenty to say on that subject...

 

[JoeNotCharles]

Ironheart listens intently to Arcata's lecture, drawing her out with skillful questions. It becomes obvious that he is intently interested in the Swordlords and the local power structure.

But after a few miles, his questions come slower and he assumes a distracted air. Arcata looks at him to see what is the matter, and sees that the purple glow in his eyes has faded to a dull brown. Now he stumps solidly ahead without turning to observe the landscape they are passing through. At times he emits a low rumbling, which Arcata eventually distinguishes as muttered words:

"Must protect, protect the grove, must protect, protect the grove..."

 

[HandofMystra]

[OOC=interesting for Elurin]We are going to have three party members that have Feywild experience! That should be interesting... I will need to spend some time getting more of a backstory together. Is there a specifiiving 4E Feywild? Is there one for Glorion? [/ooc]

 

[HandofMystra]

[sblock=Feywild party]We are going to have three party members that have Feywild experience! That should be interesting... I will need to spend some time getting more of a backstory together. Is there a specif living 4E Feywild? Is there one for Glorion? [/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

Arcata shot her woad companion a wary look and asked, "Sorry? Grove? What grove?"

 

[JoeNotCharles]

Ironheart stops dead and looks around in confusion. "I... have no grove. Where is the grove?" He looks earnestly at Arcata. "Will you be my grove?"

 

[Shayuri]

"A grove is made of trees," Arcata explains, even more nervous now. "I'm not a tree. You started going on about how you needed to protect your grove, so I asked you what grove you meant. That's all. Are you all right?"

 

[JoeNotCharles]

"A grove is more than trees. It is vines and flowers. It is a home for birds and small, vulnerable things. It is a refuge from predators. In the treetops, sunlight, and in the undergrowth, cool concealing shade. A grove is a whole world in miniature, with its own web of life. And my purpose is to guard the grove and keep it safe. I must have lives to guard... or I... or I..." Ironheart's voice sinks to an almost imperceptible whisper of wind in the branches. "I'll go crazy!"

 

[Shayuri]

Arcata opened her mouth, then shut it, completely at a loss. On the one hand, she could do worse than to have a stout...tree...like this for protection. But it felt like exploitation too. Taking advantage of his nature to acquire a minion.

But then again, how was that different than what she meant to do? Accepting oaths of fealty? Ruling over city and peasant? What was one more servant?

The difference is choice. A lord or peasant can choose not to serve, even if the consequences are harsh. This poor thing can't.

A delicate line existed though, and she carefully stepped out onto it, since being squished by a mad tree was almost as appealing as indulging in slavery.

"I'm not most of those things a grove is. I'm just one life. But if you want to protect me, I won't pretend I don't need it. Just...understand that you're doing so by your own leave, and can stop or change who you want to protect at any time." She smiled. "Ideally you'd lt me know though."

 

[Shayuri]

(*tap tap* this thing on? Hello?)