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Message: <blockquote data-quote="simmo" data-source="post: 1556156" data-attributes="member: 9744">Part 32 Footsteps of the godsThe companions travelled away in from devastation at the hidden-watch temple of Maazecorian and passed by the city of Ironridge. No once spoke a word as each of the companions was absorbed by their inner thoughts. A week passed and they finally reached the edge of the land that Littleby indicated was the Realm of the Norns. The trees grew wild with vines covering their lower trunks. Briars and shrubs formed impenetrable walls of vegetation and not a single flower bloomed or bird sang. In fact the whole forest had a deathly silence that was both severe and intense.Serena shivered and drew her cloak tighter around her shoulders. She mentally called for Zakar to lend his support for the journey ahead. Sir Osbourne had drawn his sword and was about to carve a path when he felt Littleby's hand gently touching his arm. The dwarven lore-master shook his head to indicate to the paladin that he should harm nothing in the woods. He raised his other arm and pointed to a well concealed path that meandered in between the large tree trunks.The path led them deep in to the woods where the trees grew taller and the silence deepened. Unseen watchers followed their every movement and the hairs on the nape of Cade's neck rose. The halfling spun run suddenly at odd moments to try to catch sight of who might be spying on them but to no avail. In the depths of the dark forest where the trees towered overhead and blocked out most of the light, the trees grew so close together that the path led them across several fallen tree trunks. One fallen tree was of such size that it dwarfed all others. As the companions climbed higher up the trunk to get to the other side they discovered that there was somewhat more light filtering through the branches. Their view was still obscured by the wall of vegetation all around, but somehow it felt less claustrophobic.“How long until we reach the Yggdrasil?” Cade finally broke the stifling silence with his question.“We are already on it,” Littleby stated.“Eh? When did that happen?” Cade began smiling at the thought that he'd finally managed to set foot on the World Ash. “I'm not sure,” Littleby confessed. “Be careful not to fly or move too far away from the tree.”“Why is that?” Cade asked.“Because if you do then you will find yourself stranded in the Astral.”After walking for awhile further the companions were finally able to catch sight of other branches and the view was staggering. Sir Osbourne summed up everyone's thoughts when he exclaimed: “Verily that is some Tree!”The travellers camped on a large branch in the tree and the period of darkness passed without incident. In the morning as the companions awoke they found a small humanoid creatures with squirrel-like features perched in the middle of their camp.Cade sang a few notes under his breath and approached the strange creature in their midst.“Greetings, we are travellers who are passing through. We mean you no harm.”“You speak our language?” the creature asked in astonishment.“I speak all languages,” Cade replied humbly with a large smile.“You are not here to follow the metal walking river?” the Ratatosk asked.“No,” Cade said chuckling. “I hope not to come across them again.”“Why are you travelling on the branches of the great Mother?”“We are looking for the town of Crux. It is either along here” Cade pointed up a long thin branch. “Or up there,” he said pointing to a down-ward sloping large branch.The Ratatosk chittered as it thought over the question. Finally it smirked and twirled its tail. “Answer me this and I will show you the way:Moon and stars are my friends,but darkness is my mother.The sun is bitter enemy,chasing me like no other.“Night,” Littleby replied in a heartbeat.“Yes,” the creature's voice dropped and it broke eye contact. “Night has fallen over Crux.”True to its word the Ratatosk led them along several branches, past juncti flat section where a gigantic branch met the trunk of the tree.Cade thanked the creature in its native tongue and was about to step in to the village when the Ratatosk began pulling Serena's arm in an attempt to lead her around the settlement. The heart seer felt somewhat perplexed by the sudden turn of events, but it was clear to her that the pitiful creature was doing it out of desperation rather than in jest or malice.“Come, come. Meet grlitteryere tribe,” the creature chittered. “This is not good place.”“Cade can you ask it to explain?” Littleby asked.“My tribe, they not well. My tribe is ill.” The Ratatosk looked at Serena pleadingly with its big tearful eyes. “Well certainly,” Serena replied with a reassuring smile. She threw her companions a look that said 'I can't just leave, I need to help'. Littleby sighed and followed behind, but Cade thought the matter over. No reward had been promised by the creature but perhaps it might be able to provide some information. The tribe might even owe him a favour, but Cade admonished himself that he was beginning to sound awfully close to being a Ring-Giver.The Ratatosk led the travellers to the home of its nearby tribe who lived in several hollowed out holes in the great tree. The chieftain sat with a holly crown on his head and beside him stood the tribe's wise-woman who wore a wooden mask with a bladed head-dress made of sharp leaves.Serena and the others could immediately tell that something was wrong in the way that the creatures stared at them and bared their teeth. A few of the Ratatosks hissed and formed in to defensive groups.Down one of the branches Littleby spied something wrong with the tree. The wood looked as though it had ripples going through it that were frozen in place. As he walked over the warped wood of the branch closer to the centre he saw the wood beneath his feet was blackened and dead. This was not caused by fire but rather had all the hallmarks of being caused by Negative Energy.But the amount of energy required to produce such an effect on the World Ash staggered Littleby's mind. As he stood in the inner ring he could still feel the echo of the power that was manifest at the site. He began to unpack some of his sacks and satchels in preparation of casting a spell.Serena called Zakar to her side and he did so with utter reluctance. Every step for him felt as though he was walking through an ocean of evil and his entire body shook. The rattling of his canine teeth was such that Serena led him to the one of the outer rings and that was when she noticed the Ratatosk tribe again.The chieftain and the rest of the tribe were advancing in a slow hunting crouch with their teeth bared and their eyes glazed over. One of the creature howled furiously and flung itself at the heart seer. The hound archon batted it aside with his fist, grabbed Serena and attempted to run back to the others. Littleby spoke several arcane words and the crazed Ratatosks were magically repelled further along the branch.“What are we going to do about them?” Cade asked. The sight of the tree natives driven in to a murderous frenzy was somewhat disconcerting and the halfling was hoping to leave quickly.“We need to do something soon as they are beginning to overcome the spell.”“I could mind-blast them,” Serena suggested. “Then we could tie them up and lead them to Crux. Perhaps we can get help there.”“Just do it fast,” Littleby whispered fiercely as the strain on repelling the creatures was beginning to show.The heart seer of Tomeri focused her thoughts in to a ball of energy and sent it hurtling along the branch. The torc that she'd bought at A'kin's shop thrummed with energy and amplified the mental blasts ten-fold. The Ratatosk minds were overcome by the psionic blasts and fell unconscious one by one.As Serena, Sir Osbourne and Zakar were tying up the creatures, Littleby finished his preparations and began to cast his spell. The dwarven lore master sat in the inner ring of the warped wood where a strange impression was formed on the dead wood and cast Legend Lore.Time passed and Littleby sat with his eyes closed focusing all of his energies in to the spell. His face sagged as the answers to his questions came back and when he opened his eyes his face was ashen.“What is it?” Cade asked eagerly. “What did you find out?”“A being known as Tenebrous stepped on to the Yggdrasil at this location from the Astral.”“And.... why did this Tenebrous have such an effect on the Tree?” Cade asked.“Because Tenebrous is something that has come back from the dead.”“That still does not answer my question,” Cade's smile was a little strained as he knew that there was bad news coming. “What's so special about Tenebrous?”“Tenebrous is..... Orcus returned to unlife.” Littleby said quietly. “He has come back as an undead god. He is a shadow of his former self and has chosen the name Tenebrous. The first word that he spoke when he arose again was 'Vengeance'.”The silence that followed Littleby's revelation lasted an eternity. Finally Serena let out the breath that she'd been unconsciously holding. “Sweet Tomeri,” she exclaimed.</blockquote>

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