Midnight: A Lost Faith's Shadow. Book 1, The Awakening. Ch. 5, The Darkening Wood
Bobitron
Explorer
Eyes wide in fear and wonder, Kaela barely reacts as the ground opens beneath her feet. With a soft cry, she feels her foot slip over the edge...
ooc: Reflex save is a (gulp) 5. Darn it.
ooc: Reflex save is a (gulp) 5. Darn it.
Herger's great bulk causes part of the earth to tear asunder, the Giant tumbling overbackward into the gaping abyss. Ladriel, perched on the Giant's shoulder, grasps futilely at the earth, but tumbles into the darkness with a scream.
The Heroes can only look on in horror as both Herger and Ladriel fall into the lightless abyss gaping at their feet. No earthen walls. No stone. Just a vast gaping darkness at the edges of the torn earth.
Valurel, his feral instincts taking over, leaps lithely out of the stone circle onto more stable ground. The gnome quickly follows, the small Bird's sea legs serving him well on the unsteady ground. Swaying on the crumbling ground, Lodric leaps across a gaping chasm, tucks, and rolls to a stop. All three turn in horror to the watch the scene unfold.
Starhl's footing gives way, his strong fingers buried in the loose soil. Cyz reaches down and grasps his arm with a cry of dismay. The Wolf grasps the loose clothing around Starhl's chest with its strong jaws. Pulling with all her might, Cyz's footing gives way under the straining, plunging both her and Starhl into the dark abyss. The Wolf yelps in sadness, its cry one of terrible loss.
Seeing her comrades falling into the Abyss, Kaela sees their quest coming to a horrible end. Their way is lost. Aislinn is lost. Before Kalea can react, her footing is lost and the horrible sensation of falling into an endless pit consumes her...
As the oak grows, its roots span the great rents in the forest's surface. Above, the tree unfurls with a thunderous din of cracking wood and rushing leaves. Soaring up to the sun above, its golden trunk is massive, its leaves a brilliant green. At its base, the riven earth is sewn back together with a giant inrush of air and a low boom. As the dust and leaves slowly settle, a grand oak stands where the ring of stones once stood, its trunk a faint golden hue. The earth is threaded with the oak's gnarled roots, the rents crisscrossed the area now gone. The surrounding oaks slowly stand straight once again, their threatening limbs now raised and no longer near the remaining Heroes. The grisly trophies held in the branches slowly drop to the ground with sickening, squelching thuds.
Of the fallen Heroes, there is no sign.
Herger, Starhl, Kaela, Ladriel, and Cyz find themselves once again in the shadowy in-between. An Old Way. But, one with no control. Sliding down a mountainous pathway, they have little control over their direction as they scatter like ragdolls in their uncontrolled fall. With a vicious stop to their fall, the Old Way is replaced by darkness and the sound of dripping water. The fetid smell of swamp reaches their nostrils. Wind rushes past them, hinting at vast gulfs around them. On the wind, the sound of rustling leaves is overpowering. However, despite the changing intensity of the wind, the sound of the leaves rustling is a constant, maddening din.
The Heroes can only look on in horror as both Herger and Ladriel fall into the lightless abyss gaping at their feet. No earthen walls. No stone. Just a vast gaping darkness at the edges of the torn earth.
Valurel, his feral instincts taking over, leaps lithely out of the stone circle onto more stable ground. The gnome quickly follows, the small Bird's sea legs serving him well on the unsteady ground. Swaying on the crumbling ground, Lodric leaps across a gaping chasm, tucks, and rolls to a stop. All three turn in horror to the watch the scene unfold.
Starhl's footing gives way, his strong fingers buried in the loose soil. Cyz reaches down and grasps his arm with a cry of dismay. The Wolf grasps the loose clothing around Starhl's chest with its strong jaws. Pulling with all her might, Cyz's footing gives way under the straining, plunging both her and Starhl into the dark abyss. The Wolf yelps in sadness, its cry one of terrible loss.
Seeing her comrades falling into the Abyss, Kaela sees their quest coming to a horrible end. Their way is lost. Aislinn is lost. Before Kalea can react, her footing is lost and the horrible sensation of falling into an endless pit consumes her...
As the oak grows, its roots span the great rents in the forest's surface. Above, the tree unfurls with a thunderous din of cracking wood and rushing leaves. Soaring up to the sun above, its golden trunk is massive, its leaves a brilliant green. At its base, the riven earth is sewn back together with a giant inrush of air and a low boom. As the dust and leaves slowly settle, a grand oak stands where the ring of stones once stood, its trunk a faint golden hue. The earth is threaded with the oak's gnarled roots, the rents crisscrossed the area now gone. The surrounding oaks slowly stand straight once again, their threatening limbs now raised and no longer near the remaining Heroes. The grisly trophies held in the branches slowly drop to the ground with sickening, squelching thuds.
Of the fallen Heroes, there is no sign.
Herger, Starhl, Kaela, Ladriel, and Cyz find themselves once again in the shadowy in-between. An Old Way. But, one with no control. Sliding down a mountainous pathway, they have little control over their direction as they scatter like ragdolls in their uncontrolled fall. With a vicious stop to their fall, the Old Way is replaced by darkness and the sound of dripping water. The fetid smell of swamp reaches their nostrils. Wind rushes past them, hinting at vast gulfs around them. On the wind, the sound of rustling leaves is overpowering. However, despite the changing intensity of the wind, the sound of the leaves rustling is a constant, maddening din.
Thornir Alekeg
Albatross!
Lodric watches in despair as his companions are swallowed up by the earth. Looking about at the rest of the forest, he sees that planting the seed seems to have had the hoped for result, but the unexpected consequences leave him shaken. Standing up he sees Valurel and Mardo and feels a small amount of relief. He then looks to see if any of the elves who accompanied them are around as well and if they might have any explaination of what has happened, and what might come next.
Bihlbo
Explorer
As Mardo tumbles back and sees the tree filling the gap where he last saw his friends, he leaps forward and digs at the dirt with his dagger in a panic, "No! Come back!" As the tree grows and grows, Mardo gets nowhere by digging at the swelling earth. "Stop growing you infernal wood! Move out of my way!!" He stabs desperately at the closest root, but then struggles to retrieve his dagger as the rapidly thickening bark simply grows around the tip of his dagger.
Finally seeing he can do nothing to stop the onslaught of growth from the tree, Mardo backs up and looks to Lodric, "What can we do?"
Finally seeing he can do nothing to stop the onslaught of growth from the tree, Mardo backs up and looks to Lodric, "What can we do?"
Toric_Arthendain
Explorer
Valurel watches as the gnome digs futilely at the earth that swallowed up their friends. He almost steps forward to attempt to calm him as he begins stabbing at the tree's roots with his dagger but holds himself back, allowing his companion to release his frustration.
Valurel is surprised at his own strange sense of calm despite the circumstances. Aislinn is gone, and half of his companions have been swallowed up by the earth. He figures that those facts alone should have been enough to drive him to despair but he has already seen so much pain and suffering and experienced so many hardships, disappointments and so much sorrow that he can only wonder if he has grown numb to such things.
Valurel is surprised at his own strange sense of calm despite the circumstances. Aislinn is gone, and half of his companions have been swallowed up by the earth. He figures that those facts alone should have been enough to drive him to despair but he has already seen so much pain and suffering and experienced so many hardships, disappointments and so much sorrow that he can only wonder if he has grown numb to such things.
Bobitron
Explorer
Kaela's surprise and fear is replaced by anger. "WHY!?" she yells out at the world in rage. Falling to her knees in the wet swamp, she splashing her fists angrily into the water.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she stands wearily. "Who is here? Is anyone hurt?" Looking around blindly, she adds "A torch would be nice..."
ooc: Yeah, I didn't take a Light spell. Duh.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she stands wearily. "Who is here? Is anyone hurt?" Looking around blindly, she adds "A torch would be nice..."
ooc: Yeah, I didn't take a Light spell. Duh.
OOC: To clear things up, as Thornir said, the wolf is with Lodric, Valurel, and Mardo in Erethor. Kaela, Herger, Starhl, Cyz, and Ladriel are in some unknown place. There were no Elves that accompanied the Heroes, except to Ladriel (and of course Valurel). The Elven remains that dropped from the trees were those of the destroyed Elven intercept force.
Lodric, Valurel, Mardo, and the Wolf.
The newly born golden oak and surrounding forest display no response into Mardo's frantic efforts to uncover his comrades. A slight breeze blows from the north, causing a gentle rustling in the leaves above the remaining Heroes' heads, nothing like the menace effaced earlier. If anything, an idyllic nature has returned to the emerald green of Erethor.
The Heroes can only stare dumbfounded at the spot where the golden oak now stands. A boon? Or a curse? The golden acorn was shard of hope. A splinter of light in a dark world. Now, the Heroes are sundered and their quest in shambles. Climbing onto the gnarled roots at the oak's base, the wolf evokes a mournful cry of loss and pain. Lowering its head, its gray eyes stare uncertainly at the Heroes.
Where now? What now? The wolf leaves the oak and begins to sniff around the area. The massive beast sniffs around the remains of the Elven patrol, gauging any threat from the shredded flesh. Sensing something from the forest, it raises its head, its ears high, a low growl in its chest.
Valurel's feral senses pick up what the wolf senses before his comrades. Something moving through the forest ahead. Valurel's blood runs cold. Nudging his companions, they all see what strides out amongst the ruined stone circle and oaks. An orc. Tall and rangily built, his hair tied back in a long topknot, blackened armor silenced by long strips of black leather.
Thune the Widowmaker has finally come.
Herger, Starhl, Kaela, Ladriel, and Cyz.
OOC: Yes, but Kaela has the green stone? I'll assume you as a player forgot to use it, but Kaela did not.
An wave of oppression runs over the Heroes lost in the darkness. Starhl, Herger, Ladriel, and Cyz all sound off at the Kaela's question. Finding little damage done other than minor scrapes and bruising, the Heroes try to assess their situation.
Kaela draws forth the green stone, shedding light in a small radius around the Heroes. Glancing around, the Heroes find themselves on a small island, grayish grass barely covering the small mudball. Now more than fifteen feet in diameter, brackish water laps at its edges. Further in the gloom, massive giants loom. Trees. Their leaves rustling in the howling wind. Beyond, barely visible, stone structures stand silently. Looking into the water, the Heroes spy the remains of stone structures, submerged in the dark water, slowly being reclaimed by nature. Elthedar ruins.
Starhl growls a warning, his sharp ears picking up an unquieting sound above the howling wind. A faint tittering in the forest beyond. Thrusting out her green stone, Kaela spies several twisted, horrific figures dodge back beyond the boles of the water logged trees. The Heroes shudder in revulsion. The figures had almost seemed...part insect.
Ladriel speaks. I know not where we are. My guess is still Erethor, but a dark, terrible place. The tittering heard before is joined by others. We must move!
Lodric, Valurel, Mardo, and the Wolf.
The newly born golden oak and surrounding forest display no response into Mardo's frantic efforts to uncover his comrades. A slight breeze blows from the north, causing a gentle rustling in the leaves above the remaining Heroes' heads, nothing like the menace effaced earlier. If anything, an idyllic nature has returned to the emerald green of Erethor.
The Heroes can only stare dumbfounded at the spot where the golden oak now stands. A boon? Or a curse? The golden acorn was shard of hope. A splinter of light in a dark world. Now, the Heroes are sundered and their quest in shambles. Climbing onto the gnarled roots at the oak's base, the wolf evokes a mournful cry of loss and pain. Lowering its head, its gray eyes stare uncertainly at the Heroes.
Where now? What now? The wolf leaves the oak and begins to sniff around the area. The massive beast sniffs around the remains of the Elven patrol, gauging any threat from the shredded flesh. Sensing something from the forest, it raises its head, its ears high, a low growl in its chest.
Valurel's feral senses pick up what the wolf senses before his comrades. Something moving through the forest ahead. Valurel's blood runs cold. Nudging his companions, they all see what strides out amongst the ruined stone circle and oaks. An orc. Tall and rangily built, his hair tied back in a long topknot, blackened armor silenced by long strips of black leather.
Thune the Widowmaker has finally come.
Herger, Starhl, Kaela, Ladriel, and Cyz.
OOC: Yes, but Kaela has the green stone? I'll assume you as a player forgot to use it, but Kaela did not.
An wave of oppression runs over the Heroes lost in the darkness. Starhl, Herger, Ladriel, and Cyz all sound off at the Kaela's question. Finding little damage done other than minor scrapes and bruising, the Heroes try to assess their situation.
Kaela draws forth the green stone, shedding light in a small radius around the Heroes. Glancing around, the Heroes find themselves on a small island, grayish grass barely covering the small mudball. Now more than fifteen feet in diameter, brackish water laps at its edges. Further in the gloom, massive giants loom. Trees. Their leaves rustling in the howling wind. Beyond, barely visible, stone structures stand silently. Looking into the water, the Heroes spy the remains of stone structures, submerged in the dark water, slowly being reclaimed by nature. Elthedar ruins.
Starhl growls a warning, his sharp ears picking up an unquieting sound above the howling wind. A faint tittering in the forest beyond. Thrusting out her green stone, Kaela spies several twisted, horrific figures dodge back beyond the boles of the water logged trees. The Heroes shudder in revulsion. The figures had almost seemed...part insect.
Ladriel speaks. I know not where we are. My guess is still Erethor, but a dark, terrible place. The tittering heard before is joined by others. We must move!
Toric_Arthendain
Explorer
Valurel actually emits a low growl from somewhere deep in his throat at the sight of the black-clad orc. He brings his icewood bow to bear, notching an arrow and drawing the powerful weapon back. Taking aim at the big orc he growls, "Where is the human child?"
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