Aeolius
Adventurer
Here is the prologue to "Nature of the Beast", a campaign I will be running via IRC in the coming weeks. Players will assume the roles of small forest animals. Rules regarding reincarnation and Awakening will come into play. What do you think?
Deep within the sylvan shadows of the Suss Forest, a secret remains untold.
In times long past, the woods were known to the night hag Xaetra, who sought the secret. In her journeys, she crossed paths with an eccentric forest elf known simply as Sumac. In time, she would bear him a daughter, Caseia. The woodhag Caseia would produce a daughter of her own, in time.
It is with the harridan Aerianna that our tale begins.
Sequestered in the isolated reaches of the Suss, the grotto of Aerianna rested. Sanctuary to animals, plants, and enigmatic fey, the grotto was protected by the mysterious sussurus, from which the forest drew its name. Yet, as is the way of things, that safety would be short-lived.
Malgris knew the secrets, for the ancient green dragon made his home within the ruins of a lost city, nestled within the wood. When Malgris learned of Aerianna's lineage, he sought to slay her, to protect the forgotten secrets of the Suloise. Yet the harridan was seldom unprepared. Malgris met his fate, in the form of a seemingly innocuous barkburr. Its form not unlike that of a seafaring barnacle, the bark-skinned creature dropped from the branches above and injected the dragon with lignifying poison. Within moments, Malgris was transformed into a massive oak tree.
And so the secret was safe, for a time.
Mere days after the battle with the dragon had been won, Aerianna was visited by a wood nymph whose tree had been burned to ashes. Near death, the dryad chose to bond with the massive oak. Under the care of Aerianna and the dryad known as Autumn, the grotto flourished.
Yet something new was growing.
Having transformed the dragon into a mighty oak, the lignifying poison quietly culminated its efforts. Within the tree, the spirit of Malgris was metamorphosing. Their spirits unwittingly joined, Malgris and Autumn shared the oak, until it became apparent that the dryad was with child.
Of virgin birth, Maerian would not know her mother. Moments from her birth, the lignifying poison effected its final transformation. From the heart of the oak, the druid Hoggan walked. Bearing wings of brilliant emerald, Hoggan retained a portion of the dragon's blood he had once known. Yet the barkburr had spawned a being affable to the ways of the wood. Hoggan emerged with the full powers of a druid. It's task complete, the oak tree withered into a lifeless husk. With it died the dryad Autumn.
Though saddened by the death of their wood nymph friend, Hoggan and Aerianna soon found feelings for one another. Raising Maerian as their own, the druids returned to the task of caring for the creatures of the forest.
It is with the animals in their care, that our tale concludes.
Having grown accustomed to a midday feeding, the animals anxiously gathered within the grotto. When Aerianna did not emerge from her tree house, they decided to investigate.
There they found Aerianna, unmoving and cold, an ornate dagger protruding from her back. Gone was her daughter. Gone was her husband. Only the body of Aerianna remained.
And the secret remains untold.
Deep within the sylvan shadows of the Suss Forest, a secret remains untold.
In times long past, the woods were known to the night hag Xaetra, who sought the secret. In her journeys, she crossed paths with an eccentric forest elf known simply as Sumac. In time, she would bear him a daughter, Caseia. The woodhag Caseia would produce a daughter of her own, in time.
It is with the harridan Aerianna that our tale begins.
Sequestered in the isolated reaches of the Suss, the grotto of Aerianna rested. Sanctuary to animals, plants, and enigmatic fey, the grotto was protected by the mysterious sussurus, from which the forest drew its name. Yet, as is the way of things, that safety would be short-lived.
Malgris knew the secrets, for the ancient green dragon made his home within the ruins of a lost city, nestled within the wood. When Malgris learned of Aerianna's lineage, he sought to slay her, to protect the forgotten secrets of the Suloise. Yet the harridan was seldom unprepared. Malgris met his fate, in the form of a seemingly innocuous barkburr. Its form not unlike that of a seafaring barnacle, the bark-skinned creature dropped from the branches above and injected the dragon with lignifying poison. Within moments, Malgris was transformed into a massive oak tree.
And so the secret was safe, for a time.
Mere days after the battle with the dragon had been won, Aerianna was visited by a wood nymph whose tree had been burned to ashes. Near death, the dryad chose to bond with the massive oak. Under the care of Aerianna and the dryad known as Autumn, the grotto flourished.
Yet something new was growing.
Having transformed the dragon into a mighty oak, the lignifying poison quietly culminated its efforts. Within the tree, the spirit of Malgris was metamorphosing. Their spirits unwittingly joined, Malgris and Autumn shared the oak, until it became apparent that the dryad was with child.
Of virgin birth, Maerian would not know her mother. Moments from her birth, the lignifying poison effected its final transformation. From the heart of the oak, the druid Hoggan walked. Bearing wings of brilliant emerald, Hoggan retained a portion of the dragon's blood he had once known. Yet the barkburr had spawned a being affable to the ways of the wood. Hoggan emerged with the full powers of a druid. It's task complete, the oak tree withered into a lifeless husk. With it died the dryad Autumn.
Though saddened by the death of their wood nymph friend, Hoggan and Aerianna soon found feelings for one another. Raising Maerian as their own, the druids returned to the task of caring for the creatures of the forest.
It is with the animals in their care, that our tale concludes.
Having grown accustomed to a midday feeding, the animals anxiously gathered within the grotto. When Aerianna did not emerge from her tree house, they decided to investigate.
There they found Aerianna, unmoving and cold, an ornate dagger protruding from her back. Gone was her daughter. Gone was her husband. Only the body of Aerianna remained.
And the secret remains untold.
