[Adventure] A Call for Lovers (DM: jbear Judge:Lord Sessadore)

[jbear]

Wat retells the group's story from the beginning, albeit with sparse detail and an edge of annoyance in his tone. As Oakbeard listens the forest around grows forebodingly silent. When Wat reaches the part of the story relating their dealings with Ragnar the ground begins to tremble as though moved by the treant's contained anger. At last he interrupts when the invoker voices their intent to return Orlando to Ragnar.

"Ragnar! That rock-headed fool!? Look, my fleshy friends, Oakstaff is not blind. I can see you intend only good, or Rosaline would not have sent you to me, but choosing sides in this strife is no good.

Due to Soryth's power over this isle, no native of this island can enter her lair and stop her. The visiting fey waffle and rage while Soryth works to undo us all. Would that I could go into the Palace of Spires and flatten her. I can't, of course. The way is shut to me, as I said. But maybe my knighting days aren't over.


I'll tell you what. You go down to the island and take the lad back to the fey like you were asked. I'll go speak to those two youngling rockbrains and see if I can make them see reason. The sooner all that's done, the sooner we can get back to fighting the real villains, eh?


Ah, I recall the time I set out to form an alliance against the servants of Thrum bola ..."

A dark fan tailed feathered bird flits down from the branches at the top of his head and alights on Sabynha's shoulder. From close you can see that the small bird's feathers are not black as it first appeared, but dark turquoise blue. A tuft of white feathers marks the centre of its chest. It lets out a delightful trill, a sound like crystal wind chimes as it begins to preen itself.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

Sabynha half-expected the great tree to strike Wat down for his tone, or at least give him a solid buffeting, and was absolutely sure there was nothing in her power to stop him. She even cringed when the ground began to tremble.

Relief was painted clearly on her face when that didn't happen, and when even in anger, the treant agreed to let them go on their way, though she had just been getting used to the idea that they might get to stay and rest a bit. It was while distracted by that thought that the bird landed on her; it was quite unexpected.

Forgetting herself and the somewhat dire situation for the moment, her spirits lifted and her heart fluttered with the flap of blue wings, "Oh, hello my little friend... aren't you beautiful!"

She smiled warmly, and reached out gently to touch it.

[sblock]Does Sabynha sense anything unusual about the bird?[/sblock]

 

[jbear]

[sblock=Sabynha] Sabynha can sense that the bird is linked to Oakbeard, like a familiar is linked to a wizard [/sblock]

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

[sblock]Does she get the sense that it is trying to communicate with her?[/sblock]

 

[Neil1889]

Rain is relieved that the treant calms down, but given her own anger upon hearing of Ragnar's schemes, she is somewhat understanding.

"If it is any consolation Sir Oakstaff, we hope to find a way to deal with Soryth and perhaps this Kalbon too. We too would rather have not become so involved in these disputes between the fey, but perhaps it may yet prove well that we are on hand to unweave this tangled web. Much of it was woven by Soryth and her veils of deceits also threaten the lands that we have travelled from too. I want to unravel all her threads or at least play no small part in it."

Rain wondered if this Kalbon was a tiefling, but for the moment held her tongue.

 

[jbear]

Rain's words interrupt Oakstaff's blathering tale. He looks at Rain for a long moment and then the bark of his weathered face cracks a smile. "Surprising. But fitting." He does not elaborate on the meaning of his comment. Instead he reaches up into his branches. The bird on Sabynha's shoulder flits off away to land back upon the treant. Around Oakstaff's gnarled hands a primal glow can be seen. A few minutes later the treant holds small newly formed wooden vials which he fills with stream water while mumbling unintelligibly, before offering one to each of you.

"No offense intended," Oakstaff says and winks, "but you folk look greener than my leaves. Maybe I can help you more. I'm sure these will help. The water has flowed through the roots of great trees and the hidden places of this island. It has the magic of growing things in it, now that I've told it what to do. Tui will show you to Rosaline's berry bush. It is not far from here. She is too fearful to visit often lately, given she is nesting. The fruit will spoil soon if not picked in any case. Those berries are quite the pick me up! Rosaline said you would know when to use them. She said it would be soon. Meanwhile I'll go and talk to those two knuckleheads."

The bird flies from the treant's branches once more, landing briefly on Rain's shoulder this time before flying off to a nearby branch. "That is Tui by the way. From Rosaline's Berry Bush, just make your way downstream and you'll come to the lake. Again, it is not far from here. Good luck fleshlings! Sir Oakstaff steps again! We will meet again when you return Porpherio to the fey!" With that the treant begins its long slow steps back towards Ragnar's camp leaving you alone with his bird, Tui. Tui flits from branch to branch guiding you through the trees to a small fruit covered bush a ways down stream. There the fan tailed bird begins to warble and tweet its crystaline tune while you collect the delicious berries that grow there.

[sblock=Rewards]
Oakstaff gives each of you a dose of Riders Water: Consumable 30 gp
Utility Power + Consumable (Minor Action)
Effect: A Tiny natural beast or a Tiny fey creature that you pour this water on becomes a Large creature that has the mount
keyword. The effect lasts until your next extended rest. Unless the DM rules otherwise, this creature has the statistics of a
horse.
At Rosaline's Berry Bush you can pick enough fruit for a dose of Horse Breath:
Consumable 75 gp
Utility Power + Consumable (Minor Action)
Effect: A mount or vehicle you are riding gains an extra move action [/sblock]

 

[Neil1889]

Rain takes a moment to fill her water bottle as well.

"This fruit is a pleasant surprise but highly strange to me."

She offers one to Tui.

"Hmm, pretty."

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

Sabynha bows graciously when Oakstaff presents them with these gifts, and finds a convenient sash to secure it in. She also pulls out a small bag to hold the fruit and finds a hiding spot for that as well. She whistles along with Tui as best she can, at times harmonizing, at others in a call-and-answer pattern.

Seeing Rain taking water from the stream reminded her that she had been neglecting her own thirst. After upending her waterskin into the bush, she fills it again in the stream, and gulps down several cupped-handfuls of water on top of that. "That's quite refreshing..."

As she trailed off, her mind thought only of rest, and how it would likely be a while before they would have a chance to get any.

 

[Son of Meepo]

Wat takes one of the vials and then nods as Oakstaff sends them off. He waits further down the stream from the others, giving a smile to Sabynha, hoping that he'd done enough to contain his frustration at Oakstaff's ponderous ways.

 

[jbear]

Things almost seem peaceful there by the fey berry bush next to the ancient stream. Tui flits from tree to tree, landing momentarily on Rain's wrist to eat one of the offered berries. The reaction is immediate. The dark feathered fantailed bird zings off through the trees like a sling bullet back in the direction that Oakstaff began his long hike. And then there is silence apart from the sound of water running over stone on its way somewhere you assume is down towards the lake.