Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 6141221" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p>Fen thanked the Green for his druid’s cloak and the modicum of enchanted protection it offered him from the frigid air that whipped over him as he hung from Pyrnion, held by the winged man’s thick arms beneath each shoulder. The zephari had flown them a great distance in less than a day and Fen was amazed, not only that he seemed not to tire, but that he seemed not to be the least effected or concerned about how cold it was, despite the zephari’s distinct lack of protective covering or clothing.</p><p></p><p>Fen looked down at the snow swept fields and hills and trees. He had discovered earlier in their travel that the force and noise of air moving passed them made speaking and hearing nearly impossible. Again, this seemed to be no concern for the stoic winged man. <<em>DM’s note: The half-elf was, naturally, unaware that zepharim are telepathic with others of their race and so have no problem conversing while in flight together.</em>></p><p></p><p>The druid pointed with his spear to a fair sized clutch of woods coming quickly into view. </p><p></p><p>Wordlessly, Pyrnion gyred to the side and began a somewhat rapid descent in concentric circles. This caused Fen’s stomach to nearly lurch out of his mouth, but the druid swallowed hard and closed his eyes to halt the dizzying arrival of the ground. With a few final flaps, righting the two men to a standing position, Pyrnion set them down in a snow covered glade among the pines and thickly woven branches of leafless dissiduous trees. </p><p></p><p>“Now then, that wasn’t so bad was it?” Pyrnion smiled, noting Fen’s distinct lack of color and slightly swaying stance as the half-elf shook the dizziness from his head. </p><p></p><p>“Yeah. Great. No problem.” Fen smirked a reply. </p><p></p><p>“So...Why are we here?” Pyrnion said as he casually drew his bow and nocked an arrow from his quiver. The zephari scanned the surrounding shadowy brush and thickets around the edge of the glade. </p><p></p><p>Twilight was already underway and the shadows and darkness within the woods seemed to deepen even as Pyrnion’s eagle eyes sought to pierce them. Patches of vines of night’s watch*, gathered just at the edge of the trees close to the ground, were beginning to splay their deep blue and white-streaked trumpets in the approaching night.</p><p></p><p>Fen took a moment to appreciate the nocturnal flower’s tranquil beauty.</p><p></p><p>*<span style="font-size: 9px"> "Night's Watch<span style="font-size: 9px">" is</span> a fairly common Orean flowering and creeping vine with dark blue trumpet shaped blooms streaked with white. They bloom at night and close up tightly during daylight hours. The white streaks of the flower glow in moonlight. Think, like a morning glory, but instead of pink/white it's navy or indigo and white.</span></p><p></p><p>“We are hear, my friend, in hopes of finding one of my order that I might consult about our recent events and, possibly, my future endeavors.” the druid explained distractedly as he saw leaves and blooms shake in disturbance, as if some small animal were moving around or beneath them. the druid did not give it a second thought until another batch fo brush shook and cracked, more loudly this time, at a different side of the glade.</p><p></p><p>Pyrnion turned, arrow nocked and feathery eyebrows furrowed. Fen turned as well, though much more calmly.</p><p></p><p>Fen put an arm out, to tell Pyrnion to lower his bow. “That should not be necessary.”</p><p></p><p>Again, back to the other side of the glade, twigs snapped. Fen turned to that direction in time to watch some snow fall from a low-hanging snow-laden branch. Landing on the snowy ground with an almost imperceptible *flumph* Just a small section of the snow from the branch...</p><p></p><p>“I think we have company...” Fen mused softly.</p><p></p><p>“Really? You think?” Pyrnion said with subtle annoyance and a start when loud thrashing seemed to come from the glade’s edge and proceed around the perimeter. Bushes shook and twigs snapped, dead leaves and pinecones and other natural debris seemed to be “thrown” into the air with the things passing...it was making quite a racket. Try as he might, though he looked directly where whatever causing the disturbance should be, Pyrnion could not see anything.</p><p></p><p>Watching as the noises and shakings moved around the one side of the glade, Fen watched about twenty feet before it and the subtle, small shakings and disturbances to the snow, dormant plants and patches of night’s watch. </p><p></p><p>The half-elf tilted his head and looked to a distinct curve in the treeline, where the small disturbances and the larger one would be closest (assuming neither struck out into the open glade). With a nearly silent command and wave of his arm, violet and blue flames arched out from him and crashed into the underbrush. </p><p></p><p>“What’re you...?!” Pyrnion turned, drew and fired in the direction the druid had cast, in cmoplete surprise. The winged man nocked a second arrow, almost as deftly as an elf would.</p><p></p><p>Where the minor magical flames had landed, they instantly disappeared except for several small flickering glow at the fore and a larger (though still small) roundish outline of <em>faerie fire</em> behind. All of the shapes had stopped dead still the instant the spell had effected them. As if waiting to see what happened next. </p><p></p><p>The smaller flickering flames darted out into the glade, heading straight for the two men. The larger round shape sped away into the woods and was quickly lost from view.</p><p></p><p>Pyrnion drew again.</p><p></p><p>“NO!” Fen, shouted and threw his arm in Pyrnion’s line of sight again.</p><p></p><p>“But...” the winged man began to protest as the tiny violet and blue flickerings sped right passed Fen and pulled up before and around him instead.</p><p></p><p>“They’re friends...Aren’t you, now? Let us see.” Fen said gently toward the little outlines of flickers.</p><p></p><p>“Yes! Yes! Friends is friends!” came a small shrill voice shortly before an icy blue pixie appeared directly in front of Pyrnion’s nose. “Winged One is friends! Winged One helps!” it exclaimed in apparent glee. </p><p></p><p>With this, the other flickering shapes filled in, as well. One pink, red, a darker blue and a forest green monochromatic, genderless and insect-winged figures came into view. The five faeries immediately joined hands and began “dancing” at shoulder height around the zephari.</p><p></p><p>“Winged One. Winged One. Ringed around the Winged One. Winged One. Winged One. Gonna save us all!” the chanted repeatedly.</p><p></p><p>Pyrnion did nothing but look at fen with a risen feathery eyebrow. “What are...I’m going to what?”</p><p></p><p>“My friends, we would very much like to, ehm, 'save you all’. But you need to tell us what the matter is. What was chasing you?” the druid asked, unsuccessfulkly attempting to interrupt the pixie’s revery.</p><p></p><p>"Pff. Green Ones no helps. Green One leaves!" spat the red pxie in Fen's direction.</p><p></p><p>The druid felt a tugging at his hip and opened one of his belt pouches to see the back end of yellow pixie (bent over) helping themselves to his stash of berries and nuts.</p><p></p><p>“Hey there, little one. Those are for me. But you can have some more if you tell me what’s happening here in your woods.” he said calmly as he picked the pixie up by its wings and set it down in his other palm.</p><p></p><p>The yellow toned pixie had an acorn lid for a cap and tilted its head at the druid. Its face scrunched up as if trying to discern if the druid was speaking the truth. Finally it turned to the other pixies dancing around Pyrnion and shouted, pointing at Fen, “Green One wants to helps too. Gives us berry-nuts for stories!” </p><p></p><p>“Stories?” said the icy blue one, stopping in mid-air. This caused a rather humorous pile-up as the other dancing pixies crashed into one another with the abrupt stop.</p><p></p><p>“Stories?!” the pink one said more excited.</p><p></p><p>“STORIES!” the all exclaimed and winged themselves over to Fen. Three nudged and fought for space to set in Fen’s hand while the other two were content to take up seats in the crooked his arm and on his shoulder.</p><p></p><p>“Tell stories, Green One!” the dark blue one said.</p><p></p><p>“Stupids! Berry-nuts first, then stories.” the pink one objected.</p><p></p><p>“Can’t make stories wifout berry-nuts.” the forest green one nodded in agreement, arms folded in complete seriousness.</p><p></p><p>“No no.” Fen tried to explain...then, thinking the better of it. “You first. I insist. You tell me a story about what was chasing you and then I’ll give you the, um, ‘berry-nuts’ for snacks while...uh...the Winged One tells you <em>his </em>story.” the carrot-topped half-elf finished with a warm smile toward Pyrnion.</p><p></p><p>“Ooooooooo.” the pixies all said in unison, pupilless round wide eyes turned to look at the zephari.</p><p></p><p>“Me first!” “I tell” “Once ‘pon...” “No! Me!” tiny voices all started saying at once. This quickly devolved into winged chases flitting all around the druid. </p><p></p><p>“Calmly! Calmly!” Fen attempted to restore order.</p><p></p><p>At this the pink pixie stopped in its tracks in midair. “CALMLY!” it exclaimed, arms wide in jubilation.</p><p></p><p>The pixies all joined hands again, even as Fen noticed a tugging at his hip pouch again.</p><p></p><p>“Calmly! Calmly! Ring around the Calmly! Calmly! Calmly! Gonna save us all! “</p><p></p><p> Pyrnion’s face lowered to meet his raising palm.</p><p></p><p>Fen, again, pulled out the yellow pixie from his pouch of snacks. It looked at him and if it had discernable eyebrows there was the distinct impression they would be risen high. Its cheeks puffed out bulbous, several red and black berries in each side. The yellow pixie forced a wide closed-lipped grin.</p><p></p><p>“Alright, then. You get to go first since you already got the snacks.” Fen said loudly enough for all of the singing pixies to hear.</p><p></p><p>“<em>You</em> gots the snacks?” the forest green one, who still had the distinct baring as more serious than the others. “No fairs!”</p><p></p><p>“Yellow One took the snacks. So he, uh, she, Yellow One goes first.” Fen said matter-of-factly.</p><p></p><p>“Not nice, Goldibelle.” the icy blue pixie waggled a finger at the yellow pixie. The other pixies shook this heads na waggled fingers in obvious agreement that this was, in fact, “not nice.”</p><p></p><p>Swallowing hard, its tiny thin neck bulging out into cartoonish proportions as the berries sank down into its gut, with an audible “sploosh” and visible bulging out of the tummy, Goldibelle flitting back to Fen’s opened palm. With a ceremonious clearly of the throat, the yellow pixie began to tell their story.</p><p></p><p>“Silverymoons ago, picties plays in picty wood.” The yellow pixie turned to looked at its companions. It made a pouty face.</p><p></p><p>“Ehem. Me <em>saaaaays</em>, 'Silverymoons ago, picties plays in picty wood!’”</p><p></p><p>The other pixies jolted from the wrapped attention to wiggled their fingers into the space behind the yellow one.</p><p></p><p>In a twinkling of sparkling colored dust (each the color of its respective pixie) an image began to form. A little screen in which a star-filled night sky appeared and then a large full silver moon. As the dust began to drop and settle, the image continued to form “down”, trees came into view, then brush and flowers, then images of pixies, these and others, dancing in circles among the toadstools and night’s watch vines.</p><p></p><p>The yellow pixie nodded in appreciation and turned back to the druid and zephari ranger.</p><p></p><p>“In the silverymoons, the door opens. Cutty badhats come. Not nice. Not pritty.”</p><p></p><p>The other pixies nodded in agreement to each other. “Not pritty. Not nice. Nasty bad cutty hats.” they murmured among each other.</p><p></p><p>The illusion of the tale showed night-blue goblin like creatures wearing bright red floppy caps and bright red soft boots came creepign into the picture. They carried harsh chipped and serated knives, hatchets and small sickles. Their faces were twisted into scowls with sharp pointed teeth showing through curl-lipped sneers. Then the faye-goblins attacked the dancing pixies in the image.</p><p></p><p>“Bad cuttyhats comes and stops picties play! Takes house and cuts picties up for stew!” the yellow one said, its voice cracked as if it might begin to cry.</p><p></p><p>The image came to rest on an old twisted oak tree with many obvious hollows. The goblin things were all around the tree and a small pot of stew sat before it with one of the red-capped creatures stirring it with a ladle larger than it was.</p><p></p><p>“Very bad cutty hats. Very sad story. Stops picties play! Picties says, ‘Hey you, Bad Ones, stop hurts the picties. Picties <em>nice</em>!” this illicited another round of murmuring agreement from the other pixies. </p><p></p><p>The image showed a bright green pixie, as large as the goblin, waggling a finger at the redcap by the cauldron.</p><p></p><p>“Cuttyhat says, 'Nuh uhhhhhh! Picties <em>not </em>nice. Cuttyhats comes through the doors cuz darkling Low Ones comes for the door.’ Says, 'Longnight silverymoon, gonna come out the door n’ ruin picties wood! Take picties house for always! Kills alla picties and ruin Dragon One’s house too!”</p><p></p><p>At this all of the pixies stopped their weaving of the illusion, putting their hands to their ears and writhing and wailing as if in great sorrow or pain. </p><p></p><p>“Woes to Picties! Woes to Dragon One! Woes woes woes!” the yellow one also now pulled its acorn cap down over its eyes and began to rock back and forth in Fen’s palm.</p><p></p><p>“It’s alright. It’s alright. We’ll stop the red-, er, 'cuttyhats.’ We’ll get your tree back for you.” Fen soothed.</p><p></p><p>“Awwww. Green One is nice. Green Ones is friends always.” the yellow one smiled.</p><p></p><p>“Winged Ones is better. No Winged Ones in picty woods since the befores. Winged One stops darklings, for sure!” argued the red pixie.</p><p></p><p> “Yeah, about that...” Pyrnion interjected, “what are the darkliings? And what’s this 'door’ you’re talking about?” The zephari said as an aside to Fen, “Maybe we can figure out a way to close it?”</p><p></p><p>The pink pixie flitted up before Pyrnion’s face. “Duuuuuuh. The <em>dooooor</em>?...Over theres?...Biiiiig white stone?....Outside the trees?"</p><p></p><p>Seeing no response the pink one turned to its companions and said, “Maybe Winged One nots so much help." It twirled a long slender finger at the side of its head.</p><p></p><p>“Hey!" Pyrnion objected.</p><p></p><p>“My friends, where is the door?" Fen asked calmly.</p><p></p><p> The pink one waved its hand dismissively toward the wood behind the winged man. “Over theres?...Biiiiig white stone?....Outside the trees?</p><p></p><p>“Green One not so smarts neefer." it said again over its shouler.</p><p></p><p>“Do you have any idea what its talking about?” Pyrnion asked.</p><p></p><p>Big white stone...outside the trees...it was familiar somehow...but he couldn’t quite remember. </p><p></p><p>“How about, you take us to your tree and we’ll get rid fo the dark faye for you. Then, you bring us to the door. So we can helps...Yes? Would be <em>niiiice</em>.” the druid bargained.</p><p></p><p>All of the pixies looked to the serious forest green one, who shook its head.</p><p></p><p>“Yes. Is nice. We helps Green One and Green One helps picties. Is nice. Come. Come.” the green pixie began flitting into the woods, away from where the pink one had indicated the direction of the door.</p><p></p><p>In unison the other pixies took flight behind it, except for the pink one who sped up to Fen’s face as he began to follow.</p><p></p><p>“What is it, little one?” the druid asked.</p><p></p><p>“Got story.” it said matter-of-factly. The pink pixie held out its hand. “Berry-nuts!”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 6141221, member: 92511"] Fen thanked the Green for his druid’s cloak and the modicum of enchanted protection it offered him from the frigid air that whipped over him as he hung from Pyrnion, held by the winged man’s thick arms beneath each shoulder. The zephari had flown them a great distance in less than a day and Fen was amazed, not only that he seemed not to tire, but that he seemed not to be the least effected or concerned about how cold it was, despite the zephari’s distinct lack of protective covering or clothing. Fen looked down at the snow swept fields and hills and trees. He had discovered earlier in their travel that the force and noise of air moving passed them made speaking and hearing nearly impossible. Again, this seemed to be no concern for the stoic winged man. <[I]DM’s note: The half-elf was, naturally, unaware that zepharim are telepathic with others of their race and so have no problem conversing while in flight together.[/I]> The druid pointed with his spear to a fair sized clutch of woods coming quickly into view. Wordlessly, Pyrnion gyred to the side and began a somewhat rapid descent in concentric circles. This caused Fen’s stomach to nearly lurch out of his mouth, but the druid swallowed hard and closed his eyes to halt the dizzying arrival of the ground. With a few final flaps, righting the two men to a standing position, Pyrnion set them down in a snow covered glade among the pines and thickly woven branches of leafless dissiduous trees. “Now then, that wasn’t so bad was it?” Pyrnion smiled, noting Fen’s distinct lack of color and slightly swaying stance as the half-elf shook the dizziness from his head. “Yeah. Great. No problem.” Fen smirked a reply. “So...Why are we here?” Pyrnion said as he casually drew his bow and nocked an arrow from his quiver. The zephari scanned the surrounding shadowy brush and thickets around the edge of the glade. Twilight was already underway and the shadows and darkness within the woods seemed to deepen even as Pyrnion’s eagle eyes sought to pierce them. Patches of vines of night’s watch*, gathered just at the edge of the trees close to the ground, were beginning to splay their deep blue and white-streaked trumpets in the approaching night. Fen took a moment to appreciate the nocturnal flower’s tranquil beauty. *[SIZE=1] "Night's Watch[SIZE=1]" is[/SIZE] a fairly common Orean flowering and creeping vine with dark blue trumpet shaped blooms streaked with white. They bloom at night and close up tightly during daylight hours. The white streaks of the flower glow in moonlight. Think, like a morning glory, but instead of pink/white it's navy or indigo and white.[/SIZE] “We are hear, my friend, in hopes of finding one of my order that I might consult about our recent events and, possibly, my future endeavors.” the druid explained distractedly as he saw leaves and blooms shake in disturbance, as if some small animal were moving around or beneath them. the druid did not give it a second thought until another batch fo brush shook and cracked, more loudly this time, at a different side of the glade. Pyrnion turned, arrow nocked and feathery eyebrows furrowed. Fen turned as well, though much more calmly. Fen put an arm out, to tell Pyrnion to lower his bow. “That should not be necessary.” Again, back to the other side of the glade, twigs snapped. Fen turned to that direction in time to watch some snow fall from a low-hanging snow-laden branch. Landing on the snowy ground with an almost imperceptible *flumph* Just a small section of the snow from the branch... “I think we have company...” Fen mused softly. “Really? You think?” Pyrnion said with subtle annoyance and a start when loud thrashing seemed to come from the glade’s edge and proceed around the perimeter. Bushes shook and twigs snapped, dead leaves and pinecones and other natural debris seemed to be “thrown” into the air with the things passing...it was making quite a racket. Try as he might, though he looked directly where whatever causing the disturbance should be, Pyrnion could not see anything. Watching as the noises and shakings moved around the one side of the glade, Fen watched about twenty feet before it and the subtle, small shakings and disturbances to the snow, dormant plants and patches of night’s watch. The half-elf tilted his head and looked to a distinct curve in the treeline, where the small disturbances and the larger one would be closest (assuming neither struck out into the open glade). With a nearly silent command and wave of his arm, violet and blue flames arched out from him and crashed into the underbrush. “What’re you...?!” Pyrnion turned, drew and fired in the direction the druid had cast, in cmoplete surprise. The winged man nocked a second arrow, almost as deftly as an elf would. Where the minor magical flames had landed, they instantly disappeared except for several small flickering glow at the fore and a larger (though still small) roundish outline of [I]faerie fire[/I] behind. All of the shapes had stopped dead still the instant the spell had effected them. As if waiting to see what happened next. The smaller flickering flames darted out into the glade, heading straight for the two men. The larger round shape sped away into the woods and was quickly lost from view. Pyrnion drew again. “NO!” Fen, shouted and threw his arm in Pyrnion’s line of sight again. “But...” the winged man began to protest as the tiny violet and blue flickerings sped right passed Fen and pulled up before and around him instead. “They’re friends...Aren’t you, now? Let us see.” Fen said gently toward the little outlines of flickers. “Yes! Yes! Friends is friends!” came a small shrill voice shortly before an icy blue pixie appeared directly in front of Pyrnion’s nose. “Winged One is friends! Winged One helps!” it exclaimed in apparent glee. With this, the other flickering shapes filled in, as well. One pink, red, a darker blue and a forest green monochromatic, genderless and insect-winged figures came into view. The five faeries immediately joined hands and began “dancing” at shoulder height around the zephari. “Winged One. Winged One. Ringed around the Winged One. Winged One. Winged One. Gonna save us all!” the chanted repeatedly. Pyrnion did nothing but look at fen with a risen feathery eyebrow. “What are...I’m going to what?” “My friends, we would very much like to, ehm, 'save you all’. But you need to tell us what the matter is. What was chasing you?” the druid asked, unsuccessfulkly attempting to interrupt the pixie’s revery. "Pff. Green Ones no helps. Green One leaves!" spat the red pxie in Fen's direction. The druid felt a tugging at his hip and opened one of his belt pouches to see the back end of yellow pixie (bent over) helping themselves to his stash of berries and nuts. “Hey there, little one. Those are for me. But you can have some more if you tell me what’s happening here in your woods.” he said calmly as he picked the pixie up by its wings and set it down in his other palm. The yellow toned pixie had an acorn lid for a cap and tilted its head at the druid. Its face scrunched up as if trying to discern if the druid was speaking the truth. Finally it turned to the other pixies dancing around Pyrnion and shouted, pointing at Fen, “Green One wants to helps too. Gives us berry-nuts for stories!” “Stories?” said the icy blue one, stopping in mid-air. This caused a rather humorous pile-up as the other dancing pixies crashed into one another with the abrupt stop. “Stories?!” the pink one said more excited. “STORIES!” the all exclaimed and winged themselves over to Fen. Three nudged and fought for space to set in Fen’s hand while the other two were content to take up seats in the crooked his arm and on his shoulder. “Tell stories, Green One!” the dark blue one said. “Stupids! Berry-nuts first, then stories.” the pink one objected. “Can’t make stories wifout berry-nuts.” the forest green one nodded in agreement, arms folded in complete seriousness. “No no.” Fen tried to explain...then, thinking the better of it. “You first. I insist. You tell me a story about what was chasing you and then I’ll give you the, um, ‘berry-nuts’ for snacks while...uh...the Winged One tells you [I]his [/I]story.” the carrot-topped half-elf finished with a warm smile toward Pyrnion. “Ooooooooo.” the pixies all said in unison, pupilless round wide eyes turned to look at the zephari. “Me first!” “I tell” “Once ‘pon...” “No! Me!” tiny voices all started saying at once. This quickly devolved into winged chases flitting all around the druid. “Calmly! Calmly!” Fen attempted to restore order. At this the pink pixie stopped in its tracks in midair. “CALMLY!” it exclaimed, arms wide in jubilation. The pixies all joined hands again, even as Fen noticed a tugging at his hip pouch again. “Calmly! Calmly! Ring around the Calmly! Calmly! Calmly! Gonna save us all! “ Pyrnion’s face lowered to meet his raising palm. Fen, again, pulled out the yellow pixie from his pouch of snacks. It looked at him and if it had discernable eyebrows there was the distinct impression they would be risen high. Its cheeks puffed out bulbous, several red and black berries in each side. The yellow pixie forced a wide closed-lipped grin. “Alright, then. You get to go first since you already got the snacks.” Fen said loudly enough for all of the singing pixies to hear. “[I]You[/I] gots the snacks?” the forest green one, who still had the distinct baring as more serious than the others. “No fairs!” “Yellow One took the snacks. So he, uh, she, Yellow One goes first.” Fen said matter-of-factly. “Not nice, Goldibelle.” the icy blue pixie waggled a finger at the yellow pixie. The other pixies shook this heads na waggled fingers in obvious agreement that this was, in fact, “not nice.” Swallowing hard, its tiny thin neck bulging out into cartoonish proportions as the berries sank down into its gut, with an audible “sploosh” and visible bulging out of the tummy, Goldibelle flitting back to Fen’s opened palm. With a ceremonious clearly of the throat, the yellow pixie began to tell their story. “Silverymoons ago, picties plays in picty wood.” The yellow pixie turned to looked at its companions. It made a pouty face. “Ehem. Me [I]saaaaays[/I], 'Silverymoons ago, picties plays in picty wood!’” The other pixies jolted from the wrapped attention to wiggled their fingers into the space behind the yellow one. In a twinkling of sparkling colored dust (each the color of its respective pixie) an image began to form. A little screen in which a star-filled night sky appeared and then a large full silver moon. As the dust began to drop and settle, the image continued to form “down”, trees came into view, then brush and flowers, then images of pixies, these and others, dancing in circles among the toadstools and night’s watch vines. The yellow pixie nodded in appreciation and turned back to the druid and zephari ranger. “In the silverymoons, the door opens. Cutty badhats come. Not nice. Not pritty.” The other pixies nodded in agreement to each other. “Not pritty. Not nice. Nasty bad cutty hats.” they murmured among each other. The illusion of the tale showed night-blue goblin like creatures wearing bright red floppy caps and bright red soft boots came creepign into the picture. They carried harsh chipped and serated knives, hatchets and small sickles. Their faces were twisted into scowls with sharp pointed teeth showing through curl-lipped sneers. Then the faye-goblins attacked the dancing pixies in the image. “Bad cuttyhats comes and stops picties play! Takes house and cuts picties up for stew!” the yellow one said, its voice cracked as if it might begin to cry. The image came to rest on an old twisted oak tree with many obvious hollows. The goblin things were all around the tree and a small pot of stew sat before it with one of the red-capped creatures stirring it with a ladle larger than it was. “Very bad cutty hats. Very sad story. Stops picties play! Picties says, ‘Hey you, Bad Ones, stop hurts the picties. Picties [I]nice[/I]!” this illicited another round of murmuring agreement from the other pixies. The image showed a bright green pixie, as large as the goblin, waggling a finger at the redcap by the cauldron. “Cuttyhat says, 'Nuh uhhhhhh! Picties [I]not [/I]nice. Cuttyhats comes through the doors cuz darkling Low Ones comes for the door.’ Says, 'Longnight silverymoon, gonna come out the door n’ ruin picties wood! Take picties house for always! Kills alla picties and ruin Dragon One’s house too!” At this all of the pixies stopped their weaving of the illusion, putting their hands to their ears and writhing and wailing as if in great sorrow or pain. “Woes to Picties! Woes to Dragon One! Woes woes woes!” the yellow one also now pulled its acorn cap down over its eyes and began to rock back and forth in Fen’s palm. “It’s alright. It’s alright. We’ll stop the red-, er, 'cuttyhats.’ We’ll get your tree back for you.” Fen soothed. “Awwww. Green One is nice. Green Ones is friends always.” the yellow one smiled. “Winged Ones is better. No Winged Ones in picty woods since the befores. Winged One stops darklings, for sure!” argued the red pixie. “Yeah, about that...” Pyrnion interjected, “what are the darkliings? And what’s this 'door’ you’re talking about?” The zephari said as an aside to Fen, “Maybe we can figure out a way to close it?” The pink pixie flitted up before Pyrnion’s face. “Duuuuuuh. The [I]dooooor[/I]?...Over theres?...Biiiiig white stone?....Outside the trees?" Seeing no response the pink one turned to its companions and said, “Maybe Winged One nots so much help." It twirled a long slender finger at the side of its head. “Hey!" Pyrnion objected. “My friends, where is the door?" Fen asked calmly. The pink one waved its hand dismissively toward the wood behind the winged man. “Over theres?...Biiiiig white stone?....Outside the trees? “Green One not so smarts neefer." it said again over its shouler. “Do you have any idea what its talking about?” Pyrnion asked. Big white stone...outside the trees...it was familiar somehow...but he couldn’t quite remember. “How about, you take us to your tree and we’ll get rid fo the dark faye for you. Then, you bring us to the door. So we can helps...Yes? Would be [I]niiiice[/I].” the druid bargained. All of the pixies looked to the serious forest green one, who shook its head. “Yes. Is nice. We helps Green One and Green One helps picties. Is nice. Come. Come.” the green pixie began flitting into the woods, away from where the pink one had indicated the direction of the door. In unison the other pixies took flight behind it, except for the pink one who sped up to Fen’s face as he began to follow. “What is it, little one?” the druid asked. “Got story.” it said matter-of-factly. The pink pixie held out its hand. “Berry-nuts!” [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
Top