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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Deuce Traveler" data-source="post: 3339384" data-attributes="member: 34958">For a moment of surprise, the dryad and Cal Dorin watch as Barok shows the heart in his hand.  Then the wood creature stops singing for a brief second, and stares in anger, speaking the command, "Kill him."Cal moves to comply, but before Barok can attempt to trip him a bolt of magic flies over his shoulder and hits the nobleman.  Danica's spell of weakness seems to affect him, but then he visibly shakes off the spell.  A shout is heard behind Barok: "Dor-IN-thi-AH! Dor-IN-thi-AH!...".  From the mounds around you, the cry is taken up once more by hoarse and weak voices, "Dor-IN-thi-AH! Dor-IN-thi-AH!..."Perhaps its the chanting that does it, or the recognition of heroic friends.  Perhaps it is the brave and bloodied Barok's stubborn stand, or the distraction of Danica's spell.  Whatever the cause, Cal lowers his blade and the rogue skirts by and drives the heart deep into the oak's hole behind him.  The singing stops, freeing Ventus and Dartis from its enchantment.The hole seals itself and the dryad halts as a change comes over her.  Her enraged face grows soft and pleasant for a moment, before she collapses in tears and wailing.  "Gods!  He killed them.  He killed my cat, and so many of my friends," she says as she collapses with her face in her hands.  Cal takes a few steps towards her, as if intending to hold and comfort her.  He stares down at the pitiful creature, and changes his mind while clenching and unclenching his hands."Thank you," he says to Barok with a cold expression.  But come, we must now free our friends."  He takes his blade in hand once more and moves towards the nearest mound, but it is not needed.  Like a coccoon, the grass opens to reveal dozens of Fair Creek cavalrymen.  All but two are still alive, although greatly weakened.  Even Alexander's sister, the half-orc paladin Alexis is found and gives Silas and Danica a small smile of thanks and recognition.The dryads send help in the form of berries that burst from bushes that spontaneously erupt up from the ground and you find that the nearby pond has fresh water to help the starved men.  Somehow the grass preserved them at the same time it sapped their bodies of nutrients.  You spend the day burying the two soldiers that have died while the men and surviving horses recover.  Cal takes their deaths the hardest.  "My fault.  We had to ride and try to warn my father, but the Imperials intercepted us and we rode into the hills to lose them when I heard her voice.  I wasn't strong enough to resist that... thing.  And now my soldiers died for my weakness.  In my mind I saw her as a Dorinthian noblewoman.  Someone to continue a kingdom's noble lineage with.  Gods..." he hisses in disgust.  Perhaps the dryad hears him from her distant tree, for she looks at him in a hurt expression before disappearing into her oak once more.  Some rigid pride has broken in Cal, and it's not sure whether it is for the better.  Although his men still look at him with respect as he passes, he will never forget the tragedy that he was partly responsible for.The party spends the night guarding the sleeping troops.  Cal sleeps furthest from the oak tree, and the dryads do not reappear though the food continues to grow when needed.  In the morning, on the crest of the hill, a small band of men can be seen observing your camp.Ventus[sblock]They wear the clothing of Craeceans, a diverse and educated people in love with science and philosophy that were eventually taken over by the Tallione Empire.[/sblock]Nikolos and Caramip[sblock]You've travelled far to find the camp of Commander Sassarius, but it looks like his army has left.  Which is unfortunate, since you needed to restock on supplies for your research into Dorinthian culture.  They have the most interesting, but primitive architecture although you were hoping to move on and examine the plains that supported the nomadic lifestyle they practiced before founding a kingdom.  You followed a horse trail, thinking maybe it would lead to Sassarius' cavalry, but you ran into this surprise.  Instead of finding a Tallione camp, here lies what looks to be some tattered remnants of Dorinthian cavalry.  How marvelous!  And you thought Dorinthia was completely defeated.  Hmmm... on second thought, maybe you should go before they notice you as they might not appreciate your discovery of them.  Uh oh... too late...[/sblock]</blockquote>

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