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

[Hrothgar]

Lodric, Valurel, Mardo, and the Wolf.

[sblock]Creeping toward the green light, the Heroes can only wonder what the future holds. Around them, a terrible wind blows, twisting limbs and cracking trunks. The Heroes and the Orc are scraped raw by the leaves and whipping tree limbs.

Crouching low to avoid the dangerous, wind driven trees, the Heroes near the source of the green light. Stone ruins stand beneath the trees, Elthedar ruins of a bygone age. Not far ahead, amongst the trees, the green light shines brightly amongst tall stones. Shadows flit amongst these stones, dark figures standing in the shining green light.

As anticipation fills the heart of the Heroes, a tree limb slams down in front of their path with a dull boom, felt more than heard in the windy din. From behind another limb sweeps in straight toward the Heroes...the trees know the Heroes have come.

OOC: I need Reflex saves for Valurel, Lodric, and Mardo. [/sblock]


Herger, Starhl, Kaela, Ladriel, and Cyz.

[sblock]OOC: Sorry, maddmic. Maybe I should have been more clear. The Heroes moved UP the muddy escarpment. The Elf said he FELL down the escarpment, so the Heroes' goal should be above.

Starhl's warning shout answers Herger's question. Tearing their eyes from the horrific death of the unfortunate Elf, the Heroes notice spiders, from the size of small dogs to some almost as big as Kaela, gathering at the edge of the green light of Kaela's stone, peering at the Heroes hungrily with black, glittering eyes. The high pitch twittering rises as the spiders gather above and to the sides, flitting between web and rock.

One large spider dares to venture near, only to scramble backward out of Kaela's green light. Several reach out with long hairy limbs, only to retract them in apparent pain.

Huddled together in the glowing light of Kaela's stone, the Heroes must decide: do they wait or push up the mud path to where the Elf claims he last saw the Aislinn's abductors, or do they push downward and search for another way up the escarpment?[/sblock]

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Lodric


[sblock] Despite his nerves being on edge, Lodric's reaction to the branch swinging at him is a bit slow. Anyone have another golden acorn?

ooc: Lodric rolls an 11 [/sblock]

 

[Bihlbo]

Mardo

OOC: Mardo rolls a 17 (Evasion)

Mardo dodges the best he can. "Will we be coming back this way?" he says to Lodric, trying his best to be heard over the wind.

 

[Bobitron]

Herger, Starhl, Kaela, Ladriel, and Cyz.

[sblock]A hiss escapes Kaela's mouth as she intakes air through her tightly-clenched teeth. Warily looking around at the foul arachnids, the witch-child waves her ancestral stone back and forth, watching the effect it has on them.

"They are wroth to enter the light, however brave the evil of this place makes them." She clenches her fist before her, slender arms shaking with concentration. "My use of magic is so ruled by instinct that it is difficult to resist lashing out with fire!" A weary smile comes over her face.

"We should continue. I know it is not ideal, Herger. My fear is held at bay only as long as the spiders are. But if Aislinn's captors walked this path, than so shall we," she says resolutely.[/sblock]

 

[Krug]

Herger, Starhl, Kaela, Ladriel, and Cyz.
[sblock]

Starhl notes, drawing out his sword. He slashes at any of the spiders that gets too close.

[/sblock]

 

[Toric_Arthendain]

Lodric, Valurel, Mardo, and the Wolf.

[sblock]
Reflex save = 12

Valurel tries to avoid the tree limb but is a bit slower than usual. Rolling to his feet, he brings his bow into his hands, ready for battle or whatever the forest throws at them.
[/sblock]

 

[maddmic]

Herger, Starhl, Kaela, Ladriel, and Cyz.

[sblock]For the rest of the group, it is uncertain as to why Herger is ready to be on their way. Is it the reassurance that the dying elf provided them by confirming that Aislinn had been near here? Or is it this new threat that lives at the edge of Kaelas light and waits for the heroes to make one bad step and get too close to the darkness? Whichever it is, Herger silently nods to Kaela. "I am not as good of a tracker as Starhl, but if you wish me to lead us up, that I will." With that, he moves with the group, either leading, or staying closer to Kaela. [/sblock]

 

[Hrothgar]

Lodric, Valurel, Mardo, and the Wolf.

[sblock]A massive limb sweeps through the group, leaves and branches scraping. Lodric and Valurel are almost caught off guard in the darkness, but both roll low to the ground, the heavy limb passing above. Mardo, his small size a boon in the flailing branches, lithely maneuvers through the dangerous trees. The Wolf lays low, crawling to prevent being swept aside. Mardo's gnomish nature comes through despite the danger around him, "Will we be coming back this way?" the Gnome quips. Lodric and Valurel can only smile as they dodge another flailing limb that smashes into the ground ahead of them.

Dodging and weaving, the Heroes make for the green light ahead of them. The source of the light is directly ahead! Scrambling through the trees, the Heroes break into a rubble strewn glade, massive stone blocks with weathered runes and designs stand high, coated in a sickly green light. Looking for the Widowmaker, the Heroes find the Orc's tall frame a decided disadvantage managing the flailing limbs: with a grunt from the rush of wind leaving his lungs, the Widowmaker catches a massive limb in his chest and is lifted high into the trees, out of sight of the Heroes. Above, the limbs thrash wildly as they whisk the Orc away from the glade, while seeking to tear the Orc limb from limb.

Shuddering at the grisly fate of the Orc, the Heroes take stock of their surroundings. The glade is huge, stretching almost fifty yards across. The blackness of the forest's edge writhes and twists with the flailing of the trees. Near the edge of the forest stand the largest stone ruins. However, at the center of the glade is what appears to be a small altar from which the green glow emanates. Next to the altar is a larger stone structure almost fifteen feet high.

Around the central stone altar several figures stand in argument. Three Elves and two humans. All turn in stunned silence as the trio and Wolf emerge from the forest. One of the humans, an old man, finally speaks, How in the Shadow's name is it possible? Fallax. The traitor has finally been run down. Next to him, Ibor spits. Bad move, Erenlander. Erunsil. And now gnome? I thought you learned your lesson last time Erenlander? No quarter will be given here. The goddess' power is ours. The three other figures reveal themselves. Elves. The same that nearly killed Lodric so long ago...[/sblock]


Herger, Starhl, Kaela, Ladriel, and Cyz.

[sblock]Starhl readies his sword, keeping it raised high to strike. Unfortunately, none of the spiders dares the light of Kaela's stone. Backing carefully out of the web cage, the Heroes continue up the mud path, fearing a fall and the horrible fate that would result. Herger leads, using his size to help clear a path for the others. Along the nightmare path, the arachnids flutter through the webs, seeking to ambush, only to scatter in the light of Kaela's stone.

Along the nightmare path, the Heroes can hear the roar of a what sounds to be a mighty wind wracking and twisting the forest above. As the webs begin to thin, a faint green luminescence becomes visible. Within minutes, the Heroes crest the ravine wall, the arachnids twittering hungrily below, but unwilling to follow. The Heroes find themselves in a rubble-strewn glade, massive stone blocks tumbled on the ground ahead of the them. At the edges of the glade, dark trees twist and bend in a cold wind that roars from the north. Beyond the fallen blocks, ahead, a green glow rises.

A green glow that seems to match the same from Kaela's stone.[/sblock]

 

[Bobitron]

Herger, Starhl, Kaela, Ladriel, and Cyz.

[sblock] Kaela's heart leaps at the sight of the matching glow. With eyes bright and smile wide, she runs to each of her companions, Cyz included, and tries her best to bouy their spirits.

"This has to be a good sign! Let's go; there isn't much distance to the light!" [/sblock]

 

[Krug]

[sblock]
Starhl leads the way, but still very wary. His sword is still out, though he clutches it less tightly.
[/sblock]