Hairy Minotaur
Explorer
Bumping this so it's easier for you to find Jon. 
I missed having your update this morning.
I missed having your update this morning.
-
NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
The Realms of Enlightenment: The Grey Companions
- Thread starter Jon Potter
- Start date
Jon Potter
First Post
Hairy Minotaur said:Bumping this so it's easier for you to find Jon.
I missed having your update this morning.
Thanks for noticing my absence. This Saturday was the ENWorlders' NC Game Day here in Raleigh, so I simply ran out of time to write. Too busy gaming with the likes of fellow Story Hour writers Rel and Shemeska (who I saw updated his own SH before Game Day) to put fingers to keyboard.
I do plan to write up a little something for the Story Hour by mid-week at the latest if my schedule cooperates. I hate to leave it at such a "nothing" point for too long.
I at least need to get to the part with the treant.
Ooohhh... hint-dropping. I hear it's all the rage.
Jon Potter
First Post
[Realms #285] The Trees Have Ears
Later, while Karak dispensed whacks from his healing stick, Vade argued that he was now even in the head count with the dwarf and Feln by virtue of the spider's great size. Karak would have none of it, however.
"T'were a lucky shot, wee one," the dwarf grumbled sullenly.
"Oh no, Karak," Vade said, his face the very picture of earnestness. "I am silver medalist at the Hamlet of Thumble stone throwing competition. Give me that sling and I can shoot a spider in the gut at 50 paces."
"Oh, ye be a regular menace with that pee-shooter," Karak said shaking his wooly head. "There be no denyin' it."
"I am a skilled warrior, indeed, right orcblood?" the halfling beamed, slapping Feln on the back and favoring the martial artist with a conspiratorial wink. "Even Duece would have been very pleased with that shot. If we make it back in a few weeks, I may go for the gold! Duece does not know what he is facing this time. I practiced for years..." His mood grew suddenly glum as he considered this, adding, "I had nothing better to do..."
Karak and Grisham each cocked an eyebrow at him and Vade waved them off. Talking of his past (and his family in particular) seemed to have touched one of the little rogue's many over-developed heart strings and his expression was hangdog. "I miss Duece," he sniffed, "And Mama, and Papa, and Trey, and Uncle Trouble, and Mama's cookin', and-"
"If your blade was as quick as your tongue, halfling, our enemies would tremble before you," Grisham interrupted with a grin as he started toward the spider's corpse. Vade stopped him and hesitantly gave the man's leg a squeeze.
"Thank you for saving our friend," the halfling said and Grisham suffered the affection stoically. He reluctantly patted the rogue's hair.
"We all have a part to play, little one," the barbarian said. "Our success in the wild depends on each of us playing that part as best we are able." And then he walked off. If he cast a reproachful eye on the pale-faced Janissary no one could say in the darkness.
"We need to settle back down," Ledare said as she got to her feet beside the fire. Her voice was even but strained. "There's plenty of night left. We can still rest."
"We are never going to get any rest here!" Vade whined, but the Janissary shrugged and began to gather her armor.
"If we don't rest, Ixin and Morier won't be able to regain their spells," she told him. "This latest attack depleted those resources even further. And Morier's barely able to lift his head, let alone swing his sword. I don't see how we have any choice."
"I'll be fine," the albino said weakly. He was lying supine beside the fire, and although his injuries had been healed, he clearly lacked the strength to do anything more strenuous than lie on the ground.
"I'll take next watch," the Janissary said, plainly.
"I will stay on guard with you," Feln said with a meaningful look that Ledare registered. She nodded.
"Agreed," she said as she shrugged into her chain shirt.
"Ledare, a moment, please..." Feln whispered once the others had settled down into sleep, leaving the half-orc and the half-elf on watch. the Janissary turned and peered at him, but Feln's expression was impossible to discern in the dim firelight - even with her keen eyes.
"What is it, Feln?" she asked and the martial artist sighed as he collected his thoughts.
"I have been approached about your ability to lead," he said at last, "especially in the area of battle."
"What?"Ledare asked, her voice a trifle louder than she intended. "Who?"
"I am no longer in the information business, Ledare," the half-orc replied with a tone that made it clear he found the whole business to be rather sordid. "I can speak only of my own thoughts and intentions. I do not think that you need ask that question however."
Ledare squinted at her companion and then looked over at the campsite. "Grisham," she sighed.
"I wanted you to know that I have no intention of 'revolting' against you or questioning your authority in certain areas," Feln told her without confirming or denying her assumptions. "I just thought it important that you know."
"That allegience is appreciated; I don't inspire it naturally, as good leaders do," the Janissary said simply, her eyes searching the darkness that pressed in on the meager light from the fire. "It seems that in this case the responsibility to lead has chosen me. And right now, in this place, I have failed."
"I don't necessarily believe that you need to be the first into battle to lead. But there are times when troops require that... of course, we are not troops exactly," the half-orc argued. "I do think that there are others who are more aggressive during combat than you are."
Ledare sighed and poked the fire with a stick, "Grisham is good with a sword," she whispered, "but he follows his own agenda. I don't know what he seeks to gain by stirring up unrest within the party but I'll certainly be keeping my eye on him even more from now on."
Grisham returned just as the others were breaking camp. "I think I found where our mysterious quarry is headed," he said, breathlessly. He beckoned with his hand axe, adding, "Kit up and I'll show you."
The stone building was small - barely more than a shack, really - and nearly covered with vines. Unlike the rest of the dark and forbidding valley, the area around the building was free from spider webs. The trees, themselves, were as thick as ever and their foliage still blocked out most of the sunlight. Crouching amidst the giant trees, the building looked even smaller than it probably was. Grisham pointed at a set of barely visible tracks in the muddy soil, tracing their path toward the building.
"They go straight in," the man said, excitedly and started forward before anyone could stop him.
Well... almost anyone.
Before he'd gone more than a dozen paces, an inhuman voice boomed out in an unusual dialect of the common tongue: "Stopping you will now, unwanted visitors! None allowed be here! Return you will or made one with the earth you shall!"
Grisham stopped moving at once and dropped into a defensive stance, sword and axe ready as he frantically scanned the area to find the source of the voice. All he could see from his vantage point were trees and ferns.
Standing back a bit from him, however, the others could see the wizened, man-like face peering down from the bark of one of the trees near the man. Bright eyes the color of sun-warmed chestnuts stared down at Grisham as the barbarian circled beneath the branches of the angry treant.
Later, while Karak dispensed whacks from his healing stick, Vade argued that he was now even in the head count with the dwarf and Feln by virtue of the spider's great size. Karak would have none of it, however.
"T'were a lucky shot, wee one," the dwarf grumbled sullenly.
"Oh no, Karak," Vade said, his face the very picture of earnestness. "I am silver medalist at the Hamlet of Thumble stone throwing competition. Give me that sling and I can shoot a spider in the gut at 50 paces."
"Oh, ye be a regular menace with that pee-shooter," Karak said shaking his wooly head. "There be no denyin' it."
"I am a skilled warrior, indeed, right orcblood?" the halfling beamed, slapping Feln on the back and favoring the martial artist with a conspiratorial wink. "Even Duece would have been very pleased with that shot. If we make it back in a few weeks, I may go for the gold! Duece does not know what he is facing this time. I practiced for years..." His mood grew suddenly glum as he considered this, adding, "I had nothing better to do..."
Karak and Grisham each cocked an eyebrow at him and Vade waved them off. Talking of his past (and his family in particular) seemed to have touched one of the little rogue's many over-developed heart strings and his expression was hangdog. "I miss Duece," he sniffed, "And Mama, and Papa, and Trey, and Uncle Trouble, and Mama's cookin', and-"
"If your blade was as quick as your tongue, halfling, our enemies would tremble before you," Grisham interrupted with a grin as he started toward the spider's corpse. Vade stopped him and hesitantly gave the man's leg a squeeze.
"Thank you for saving our friend," the halfling said and Grisham suffered the affection stoically. He reluctantly patted the rogue's hair.
"We all have a part to play, little one," the barbarian said. "Our success in the wild depends on each of us playing that part as best we are able." And then he walked off. If he cast a reproachful eye on the pale-faced Janissary no one could say in the darkness.
"We need to settle back down," Ledare said as she got to her feet beside the fire. Her voice was even but strained. "There's plenty of night left. We can still rest."
"We are never going to get any rest here!" Vade whined, but the Janissary shrugged and began to gather her armor.
"If we don't rest, Ixin and Morier won't be able to regain their spells," she told him. "This latest attack depleted those resources even further. And Morier's barely able to lift his head, let alone swing his sword. I don't see how we have any choice."
"I'll be fine," the albino said weakly. He was lying supine beside the fire, and although his injuries had been healed, he clearly lacked the strength to do anything more strenuous than lie on the ground.
"I'll take next watch," the Janissary said, plainly.
"I will stay on guard with you," Feln said with a meaningful look that Ledare registered. She nodded.
"Agreed," she said as she shrugged into her chain shirt.
"Ledare, a moment, please..." Feln whispered once the others had settled down into sleep, leaving the half-orc and the half-elf on watch. the Janissary turned and peered at him, but Feln's expression was impossible to discern in the dim firelight - even with her keen eyes.
"What is it, Feln?" she asked and the martial artist sighed as he collected his thoughts.
"I have been approached about your ability to lead," he said at last, "especially in the area of battle."
"What?"Ledare asked, her voice a trifle louder than she intended. "Who?"
"I am no longer in the information business, Ledare," the half-orc replied with a tone that made it clear he found the whole business to be rather sordid. "I can speak only of my own thoughts and intentions. I do not think that you need ask that question however."
Ledare squinted at her companion and then looked over at the campsite. "Grisham," she sighed.
"I wanted you to know that I have no intention of 'revolting' against you or questioning your authority in certain areas," Feln told her without confirming or denying her assumptions. "I just thought it important that you know."
"That allegience is appreciated; I don't inspire it naturally, as good leaders do," the Janissary said simply, her eyes searching the darkness that pressed in on the meager light from the fire. "It seems that in this case the responsibility to lead has chosen me. And right now, in this place, I have failed."
"I don't necessarily believe that you need to be the first into battle to lead. But there are times when troops require that... of course, we are not troops exactly," the half-orc argued. "I do think that there are others who are more aggressive during combat than you are."
Ledare sighed and poked the fire with a stick, "Grisham is good with a sword," she whispered, "but he follows his own agenda. I don't know what he seeks to gain by stirring up unrest within the party but I'll certainly be keeping my eye on him even more from now on."
Freeday, the 7th of Reaping, 1269 AE
Grisham returned just as the others were breaking camp. "I think I found where our mysterious quarry is headed," he said, breathlessly. He beckoned with his hand axe, adding, "Kit up and I'll show you."
The stone building was small - barely more than a shack, really - and nearly covered with vines. Unlike the rest of the dark and forbidding valley, the area around the building was free from spider webs. The trees, themselves, were as thick as ever and their foliage still blocked out most of the sunlight. Crouching amidst the giant trees, the building looked even smaller than it probably was. Grisham pointed at a set of barely visible tracks in the muddy soil, tracing their path toward the building.
"They go straight in," the man said, excitedly and started forward before anyone could stop him.
Well... almost anyone.
Before he'd gone more than a dozen paces, an inhuman voice boomed out in an unusual dialect of the common tongue: "Stopping you will now, unwanted visitors! None allowed be here! Return you will or made one with the earth you shall!"
Grisham stopped moving at once and dropped into a defensive stance, sword and axe ready as he frantically scanned the area to find the source of the voice. All he could see from his vantage point were trees and ferns.
Standing back a bit from him, however, the others could see the wizened, man-like face peering down from the bark of one of the trees near the man. Bright eyes the color of sun-warmed chestnuts stared down at Grisham as the barbarian circled beneath the branches of the angry treant.
Jon Potter
First Post
[Realms #286] The Trees Are Watching
"Easy enough to issue threats from the shadows!" Grisham growled, his weapons held wide as he circled around, looking for the source of the strange voice. "Come! Test your steel against mine, coward!"
"Oh that's brilliant," Ledare whispered with a shake of her head.
"Time for you to show you are are leader, Kitten," Vade said, tugging on Ledare's frayed cloak. "Talk us out of this one and Grisham won't give you any more trouble." The Janissary shook her head.
"Grisham ran ahead in that rash, emotional way of his," she whispered, grimly. "Let him speak for himself."
"Show yourself, if you dare!" Grisham taunted.
The treant turned itself toward Grisham then, and when it moved, it was accompanied by the tremendous sound of creaking timbers and groaning wood. To Ixin, who had spent many years in the port town of Highgate, it reminded her of being in the belly of a ship on rough seas. As the treant turned, its trunk split into two legs, and its roots came free of the soil. "Killing you I want not!" the treant groaned, its crown of leaves rustling menacingly. "But none allowed be here! Stopping you will I now!" Grisham stood his ground and by the look on his face, was working himself into one of his rages.
Vade cast a nervous glance up at Ledare, saw her mouth set in a resolute line, and decided to take matters into his own little hands. "Mr. Treant, sir," the halfling called as he stepped out of the trees, a wary smile on his face. "We are only following the trail of the person who killed Grisham's friend, the Hound. You may have heard of The Hound - friend of man, beast, and tree alike, so I hear."
The treant turned and took a single thundering step toward Vade, making the halfling cringe in fear as the enormous plant creature loomed over him, further blotting out the meager light that penetrated to the ground in this valley. A face, strangely man-like stared down at him from the rough bark 30 feet above, its craggy features knotted in anger. "Forbidden you being here!" it warned him. "Forbidden!"
"We are good guys really," Vade whimpered, his eyes wide and round with fear as he stared up at the treant. "Gosh you are tall..."
Grisham moved around to flank the treant and Ledare knew well what his intentions would be once he got into a position opposite Vade. She sighed and removed her helmet as she quickly stepped forward. "What my friend here says is true," she called out loudly as she advanced confidently, her eyes flashing copper in the half-light. "We are following the path of one who has done wrong. His trail has led us to this place. We mean you no harm."
"What?!" the treant moaned, looking up at the half-elf as she advanced. Its face was twisted in confusion as it regarded her. "Many unwanted guests being here. Show yourselves! All!"
Ledare half-turned and called for the other members of the VQS to step forward.
Morier complied at once, but Feln caught hold of Karak's arm as the dwarf moved to join him. "How fast could this thing be?" he whispered to Karak. "Let's just run for it!" Ixin shot the half-orc a meaningful 'shut up!' look as she strode out to join Ledare and Karak just chuckled sardonically.
"Have you ever tried running in plate mail, orcblood?" he asked as he freed himself from Feln's grip and plodded forward. He moved up near the Janissary, planted his axe on the ground, settled his feet and rested his arms on the axe haft. He nodded respectfully at the treant as it surveyed the group, but he said nothing.
"Bad is this! Bad!" the treant said. "Return you must! None allowed be here!"
"None allowed be here?!?" Feln snorted. "Someone has just recently passed, Treeman! Why he and not us?"
"None allowed be here!" the treant repeated, more loudly this time. "Guardian am I. Forbidden is this place!"
"Perhaps you were unaware of the trespasser?" Ixin said as she nonchalantly eased her cloak back over her shoulders. Even in the meager light beneath the arborial canopy her chainmail bikini glittered and flickered like a polished diamond. "We would be happy to remove him for you." The plant man shook his leafy crown emphatically, sending a few birds shrieking from his upper branches.
"Stopping unwanted visitors I do," the treant asserted. "None allowed be here! None!"
"You're a liar!" Grisham bellowed, causing the tree to whip around to face him. "I saw the tracks with my own eyes! I had always heard that treants were guardians of the forests. Why are you protecting a murderer?"
"Puny, rootless intruder!" the treant roared and swept its branches around in a huge arc that struck the barbarian across the torso. Grisham was caught completely unprepared for the assault and was nearly driven to the ground by the blow. As it was he had still clearly suffered greatly from the attack and he favored his ribs as he prepared to counterattack.
"Stop this!" Ledare commanded in her most strident voice, and Grisham paused long enough to look over at her. The treant, did the same and Ledare addressed the plant man directly. "The one we follow is responsible for tainting the reputation of a good man - Plonius, The Hound - and ultimately taking his life. We seek answers from that one, and we believe he has come here to this place. Will you let us pass?"
"None allowed be here!" the treant replied angrily and it turned back to glare at Grisham. "Passing you shall not! Stopping you I will!" Karak harrumphed at the creature's stubborn litany.
"Treant, do you know of the one called Plonius?" the dwarf called out the the plant man. "Do you know he now lies dead in the woods? Murdered? And we seek the one or ones who killed him."
"Know him not, I do," the treant replied and its features softened. "But grieve I do for his untimely return to the earth."
"Save your grief, Mr. Oak," Karak said. "Ye can help us catch his killer. Have you seen anyone pass through here recently?"
"None allowed be here!" the treant said and its tone was beginning to suggest that it thought these little animals were a bit dense. "Passing here none have." Karak shook his head and scowled.
"Sir, we will certainly not pass without your permission. But we hope we can persuade you to grant it," Ixin offered and walked forward in such a way that the light on her chainmail seemed to scintillate distractingly. "We were told that following our current path would lead us to important knowledge that we hope will help us in our battle against a great and ancient evil. Our path has led us to your door. For that, I am sorry, but we ask your assistance in our mission."
"Nothing there is for you here," the treant said somberly, shaking its head. "Knowledge lies here not. Only an evil device from long ago awaits." The others exchanged glances.
"What evil device?" Morier asked and the treant seemed to shrug.
"Know it not, I do," the plant man said. "Laying here it was when my seed was first growing. Guarded has it been for seasons beyond reckoning."
"And you've been guarding it all alone out here all this time?" Vade asked and the treant rustled as it shook its head.
"Tarawyn is guardian as well," it told them.
"Tarawyn?" Ledare prompted and the treant replied, "He is one with nature. The Green sings in his veins. He it was who planted my seed in this place."
"May we speak with Tarawyn?" the Janissary went on. "Is he somewhere near?"
"Nearby is he always," the treant said and pointed to the ramshackle hut. "He entered his den two days ago."
"You said no one had passed!" Grisham growled. His body immediately tensed like a cobra ready to strike, but Ledare held up a hand to him and several of the others shot him warning glances. He sneered but backed down.
"May we speak with Tarawyn?" Ledare repeated. "Perhaps he can help us and we can be on our way without further confrontation." The treant nodded.
"Summon him, I will," the plant man said and closed its eyes. After a few hushed seconds, its features twisted into a look of confusion and its eyes snapped open. When it spoke, there was an edge of fear in its voice. "Sense him, I cannot. Apart from the Green he has become!"
"Has that ever happened before?" Ixin asked and the treant shook its head.
"No!" it asserted and now the fear in its voice seemed fully realized. "Bad is this! Bad!"
"Well, where was he last time you saw him?" the drakeling went on.
"Passing this way was he," it said and indicated a path from the trees to the small hut. It was lost on no one that the path it marked was the same as the one that they had been following. "Into his den."
"And he didn't come out?" Ledare asked and the treant shook its head. "May we look inside? Perhaps we can help." The treant's face grew skeptical and it glared down at the group.
"Well, you're far too large to go inside," Ixin added hastily. "And if something bad has happened to Tarawyn, perhaps we can help him." Her bikini glittered in the wan light and the treant's face softened.
"Go," it said with a nod.
The stone building was slightly larger than it had at first appeared, but it was still only about 10 feet by 15 feet and stood little more than 5 feet high with a flat, moss-covered roof. Beyond its unusual size, its construction was also unusual in that it seemed to be made of one single piece of rock as opposed to individual stones and mortar. There were no visible seams anywhere in its visible surface. The vines that covered the majority of the building were a dark green with waxy round leaves and one or two strange-looking yellow flowers that gave off an unpleasant smell quite like rotting meat. Grisham was immediately distracted by the blossoms and he plucked one as soon as they were close enough, popped it into his mouth and began to chew.
"What're ye doing?" Karak grimaced. "That' smelled like death!"
"Its a troll-flower," the barbarian said. "It'll heal up what that fool treant did to me out there."
Karak harrumphed and grumbled, "Ye had it comin' from wha' I could see." Grisham did not respond, but his lip curled into a snarl as he chomped down on the yellow blossom.
There was only one door into the place, made of heavy wood planks about 3 inches thick and held together by wide strips of hardened leather. The door was held closed by a simple wooden lift-latch and according to Vade was neither trapped nor locked.
"Let me go first," Ixin suggested. "I can finally cast Recent Occupant and see if it tells us anything." The others hung back while she ducked her head and stepped into the odd little building.
The interior was simple and unadorned. A curtain made of a patchwork of animal furs separated the room into two sections, although it was currently pulled back, revealing that the place was wholly uninhabited at the moment. The door opened onto the larger of the two areas, and it would provide just enough room for everyone to crowd inside although Ixin (and likely Feln, Grisham and Ledare) would all have to stoop to stand up within. The sorcerer saw a rough stone table on a pedestal of wood, and a pair of smallish chairs made from tree branches lashed and woven together. A wooden plate, spoon and cup rested on the table along with a clay jug. A hollowed out section of a tree trunk sitting in the corner behind the door served as a water barrel, replenished via a bamboo pipe running up to a small hole in the ceiling by the rainwater that collected on the roof of the building. Against the wall next to the fireplace were several clay jars, some sealed with wax, and sitting askew in front of the cold fireplace was a large, wooden chest.
Behind the curtain was a narrow bed which, like the chairs, had been fashioned from tree limbs lashed together with strips of leather. A small stone basin filled with water was carved into one wall, on top of which rested a wooden cup and a worn cloth towel.
"Nobody home at the moment," Ixin told them, her head at an angle.
"What kind of fool builds his house with ceilings so low," Grisham grumbled through his mouthful of troll-flower as he surveyed the room from the doorway.
"An elf, maybe?" Morier ventured, indicating one of the small chairs. "It's about the right size."
"Let's find out, shall we?" Ixin said and plucked at the strands of the Weave, knitting together a minor divination spell. "Tarawyn Alusiil, Archdruid," she announced to the others. "He was here two days ago. And, you're right, Morier, he's and el- Hold on! There's a second set of vibrations here!" She knitted her brow in concentration and then her ruddy face grew pale as she turned to the others. "The second set of vibrations overlay the first; I thing Tarawyn's being possessed or dominated or something."
"And the second presence?" Ledare prompted. "Does your magic tell you who that is?" Ixin nodded.
"Melengar the Black, First Bishop of Aphyx," the drakeling said with an audible gulp.
"Easy enough to issue threats from the shadows!" Grisham growled, his weapons held wide as he circled around, looking for the source of the strange voice. "Come! Test your steel against mine, coward!"
"Oh that's brilliant," Ledare whispered with a shake of her head.
"Time for you to show you are are leader, Kitten," Vade said, tugging on Ledare's frayed cloak. "Talk us out of this one and Grisham won't give you any more trouble." The Janissary shook her head.
"Grisham ran ahead in that rash, emotional way of his," she whispered, grimly. "Let him speak for himself."
"Show yourself, if you dare!" Grisham taunted.
The treant turned itself toward Grisham then, and when it moved, it was accompanied by the tremendous sound of creaking timbers and groaning wood. To Ixin, who had spent many years in the port town of Highgate, it reminded her of being in the belly of a ship on rough seas. As the treant turned, its trunk split into two legs, and its roots came free of the soil. "Killing you I want not!" the treant groaned, its crown of leaves rustling menacingly. "But none allowed be here! Stopping you will I now!" Grisham stood his ground and by the look on his face, was working himself into one of his rages.
Vade cast a nervous glance up at Ledare, saw her mouth set in a resolute line, and decided to take matters into his own little hands. "Mr. Treant, sir," the halfling called as he stepped out of the trees, a wary smile on his face. "We are only following the trail of the person who killed Grisham's friend, the Hound. You may have heard of The Hound - friend of man, beast, and tree alike, so I hear."
The treant turned and took a single thundering step toward Vade, making the halfling cringe in fear as the enormous plant creature loomed over him, further blotting out the meager light that penetrated to the ground in this valley. A face, strangely man-like stared down at him from the rough bark 30 feet above, its craggy features knotted in anger. "Forbidden you being here!" it warned him. "Forbidden!"
"We are good guys really," Vade whimpered, his eyes wide and round with fear as he stared up at the treant. "Gosh you are tall..."
Grisham moved around to flank the treant and Ledare knew well what his intentions would be once he got into a position opposite Vade. She sighed and removed her helmet as she quickly stepped forward. "What my friend here says is true," she called out loudly as she advanced confidently, her eyes flashing copper in the half-light. "We are following the path of one who has done wrong. His trail has led us to this place. We mean you no harm."
"What?!" the treant moaned, looking up at the half-elf as she advanced. Its face was twisted in confusion as it regarded her. "Many unwanted guests being here. Show yourselves! All!"
Ledare half-turned and called for the other members of the VQS to step forward.
Morier complied at once, but Feln caught hold of Karak's arm as the dwarf moved to join him. "How fast could this thing be?" he whispered to Karak. "Let's just run for it!" Ixin shot the half-orc a meaningful 'shut up!' look as she strode out to join Ledare and Karak just chuckled sardonically.
"Have you ever tried running in plate mail, orcblood?" he asked as he freed himself from Feln's grip and plodded forward. He moved up near the Janissary, planted his axe on the ground, settled his feet and rested his arms on the axe haft. He nodded respectfully at the treant as it surveyed the group, but he said nothing.
"Bad is this! Bad!" the treant said. "Return you must! None allowed be here!"
"None allowed be here?!?" Feln snorted. "Someone has just recently passed, Treeman! Why he and not us?"
"None allowed be here!" the treant repeated, more loudly this time. "Guardian am I. Forbidden is this place!"
"Perhaps you were unaware of the trespasser?" Ixin said as she nonchalantly eased her cloak back over her shoulders. Even in the meager light beneath the arborial canopy her chainmail bikini glittered and flickered like a polished diamond. "We would be happy to remove him for you." The plant man shook his leafy crown emphatically, sending a few birds shrieking from his upper branches.
"Stopping unwanted visitors I do," the treant asserted. "None allowed be here! None!"
"You're a liar!" Grisham bellowed, causing the tree to whip around to face him. "I saw the tracks with my own eyes! I had always heard that treants were guardians of the forests. Why are you protecting a murderer?"
"Puny, rootless intruder!" the treant roared and swept its branches around in a huge arc that struck the barbarian across the torso. Grisham was caught completely unprepared for the assault and was nearly driven to the ground by the blow. As it was he had still clearly suffered greatly from the attack and he favored his ribs as he prepared to counterattack.
"Stop this!" Ledare commanded in her most strident voice, and Grisham paused long enough to look over at her. The treant, did the same and Ledare addressed the plant man directly. "The one we follow is responsible for tainting the reputation of a good man - Plonius, The Hound - and ultimately taking his life. We seek answers from that one, and we believe he has come here to this place. Will you let us pass?"
"None allowed be here!" the treant replied angrily and it turned back to glare at Grisham. "Passing you shall not! Stopping you I will!" Karak harrumphed at the creature's stubborn litany.
"Treant, do you know of the one called Plonius?" the dwarf called out the the plant man. "Do you know he now lies dead in the woods? Murdered? And we seek the one or ones who killed him."
"Know him not, I do," the treant replied and its features softened. "But grieve I do for his untimely return to the earth."
"Save your grief, Mr. Oak," Karak said. "Ye can help us catch his killer. Have you seen anyone pass through here recently?"
"None allowed be here!" the treant said and its tone was beginning to suggest that it thought these little animals were a bit dense. "Passing here none have." Karak shook his head and scowled.
"Sir, we will certainly not pass without your permission. But we hope we can persuade you to grant it," Ixin offered and walked forward in such a way that the light on her chainmail seemed to scintillate distractingly. "We were told that following our current path would lead us to important knowledge that we hope will help us in our battle against a great and ancient evil. Our path has led us to your door. For that, I am sorry, but we ask your assistance in our mission."
"Nothing there is for you here," the treant said somberly, shaking its head. "Knowledge lies here not. Only an evil device from long ago awaits." The others exchanged glances.
"What evil device?" Morier asked and the treant seemed to shrug.
"Know it not, I do," the plant man said. "Laying here it was when my seed was first growing. Guarded has it been for seasons beyond reckoning."
"And you've been guarding it all alone out here all this time?" Vade asked and the treant rustled as it shook its head.
"Tarawyn is guardian as well," it told them.
"Tarawyn?" Ledare prompted and the treant replied, "He is one with nature. The Green sings in his veins. He it was who planted my seed in this place."
"May we speak with Tarawyn?" the Janissary went on. "Is he somewhere near?"
"Nearby is he always," the treant said and pointed to the ramshackle hut. "He entered his den two days ago."
"You said no one had passed!" Grisham growled. His body immediately tensed like a cobra ready to strike, but Ledare held up a hand to him and several of the others shot him warning glances. He sneered but backed down.
"May we speak with Tarawyn?" Ledare repeated. "Perhaps he can help us and we can be on our way without further confrontation." The treant nodded.
"Summon him, I will," the plant man said and closed its eyes. After a few hushed seconds, its features twisted into a look of confusion and its eyes snapped open. When it spoke, there was an edge of fear in its voice. "Sense him, I cannot. Apart from the Green he has become!"
"Has that ever happened before?" Ixin asked and the treant shook its head.
"No!" it asserted and now the fear in its voice seemed fully realized. "Bad is this! Bad!"
"Well, where was he last time you saw him?" the drakeling went on.
"Passing this way was he," it said and indicated a path from the trees to the small hut. It was lost on no one that the path it marked was the same as the one that they had been following. "Into his den."
"And he didn't come out?" Ledare asked and the treant shook its head. "May we look inside? Perhaps we can help." The treant's face grew skeptical and it glared down at the group.
"Well, you're far too large to go inside," Ixin added hastily. "And if something bad has happened to Tarawyn, perhaps we can help him." Her bikini glittered in the wan light and the treant's face softened.
"Go," it said with a nod.
The stone building was slightly larger than it had at first appeared, but it was still only about 10 feet by 15 feet and stood little more than 5 feet high with a flat, moss-covered roof. Beyond its unusual size, its construction was also unusual in that it seemed to be made of one single piece of rock as opposed to individual stones and mortar. There were no visible seams anywhere in its visible surface. The vines that covered the majority of the building were a dark green with waxy round leaves and one or two strange-looking yellow flowers that gave off an unpleasant smell quite like rotting meat. Grisham was immediately distracted by the blossoms and he plucked one as soon as they were close enough, popped it into his mouth and began to chew.
"What're ye doing?" Karak grimaced. "That' smelled like death!"
"Its a troll-flower," the barbarian said. "It'll heal up what that fool treant did to me out there."
Karak harrumphed and grumbled, "Ye had it comin' from wha' I could see." Grisham did not respond, but his lip curled into a snarl as he chomped down on the yellow blossom.
There was only one door into the place, made of heavy wood planks about 3 inches thick and held together by wide strips of hardened leather. The door was held closed by a simple wooden lift-latch and according to Vade was neither trapped nor locked.
"Let me go first," Ixin suggested. "I can finally cast Recent Occupant and see if it tells us anything." The others hung back while she ducked her head and stepped into the odd little building.
The interior was simple and unadorned. A curtain made of a patchwork of animal furs separated the room into two sections, although it was currently pulled back, revealing that the place was wholly uninhabited at the moment. The door opened onto the larger of the two areas, and it would provide just enough room for everyone to crowd inside although Ixin (and likely Feln, Grisham and Ledare) would all have to stoop to stand up within. The sorcerer saw a rough stone table on a pedestal of wood, and a pair of smallish chairs made from tree branches lashed and woven together. A wooden plate, spoon and cup rested on the table along with a clay jug. A hollowed out section of a tree trunk sitting in the corner behind the door served as a water barrel, replenished via a bamboo pipe running up to a small hole in the ceiling by the rainwater that collected on the roof of the building. Against the wall next to the fireplace were several clay jars, some sealed with wax, and sitting askew in front of the cold fireplace was a large, wooden chest.
Behind the curtain was a narrow bed which, like the chairs, had been fashioned from tree limbs lashed together with strips of leather. A small stone basin filled with water was carved into one wall, on top of which rested a wooden cup and a worn cloth towel.
"Nobody home at the moment," Ixin told them, her head at an angle.
"What kind of fool builds his house with ceilings so low," Grisham grumbled through his mouthful of troll-flower as he surveyed the room from the doorway.
"An elf, maybe?" Morier ventured, indicating one of the small chairs. "It's about the right size."
"Let's find out, shall we?" Ixin said and plucked at the strands of the Weave, knitting together a minor divination spell. "Tarawyn Alusiil, Archdruid," she announced to the others. "He was here two days ago. And, you're right, Morier, he's and el- Hold on! There's a second set of vibrations here!" She knitted her brow in concentration and then her ruddy face grew pale as she turned to the others. "The second set of vibrations overlay the first; I thing Tarawyn's being possessed or dominated or something."
"And the second presence?" Ledare prompted. "Does your magic tell you who that is?" Ixin nodded.
"Melengar the Black, First Bishop of Aphyx," the drakeling said with an audible gulp.
Last edited:
Jon Potter
First Post
Hairy Minotaur
Explorer
Jon Potter said:
So was this a feat or a skill?
Jon Potter
First Post
Hairy Minotaur said:So was this a feat or a skill?
Skill (Diplomacy) enhanced by the following magic item.
Lesser Chainmail Bikini
(+1 Deflection bonus to AC; +3 to Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Perform checks; cast Daze 1/day)
Hairy Minotaur
Explorer
Jon Potter said:
Wow, what's a greater one do?
Jon Potter
First Post
Hairy Minotaur said:
More of the same, actually. It's from "Portable Hole Full of Beer" which is full of ridiculous, d20 joke items/templates/classes/etc. As such, the Chainmail Bikini as they present it is something like +3 Deflection Bonus, +5 to all Charisma-based skills, and Dazzle 1/day. A bit much, in other words. (I downloaded the pdf onto my work computer so I don't have the file in front of me right now.
I toned it down a bit and offered it as one of those mixed-blessing items. It provides some nice benefits at the expense of walking around looking like Red Sonja. Most men playing a woman character probably wouldn't have an issue with the whole concept, but it took my wife (who's playing Ixin) a long while to warm up to the idea.
She's fully embraced the idea now, much to the detriment of anybody who tries to argue with her character. Especially if Ledare and she are tag-teaming someone (using the aid-another action) with Diplomacy. The joke in our group is that they're the Charisma Twins.
As in, "Charisma Twin powers... ACTIVATE! Form of a persuasive argument! Shape of a heaving bosom!"
Jon Potter
First Post
I found the complete stats
The item on which I based my "Lesser Chainmail Bikini" is actually from the "Son of a Portable Hole Full of Beer" free pdf.
Chainmail Bikini of Beguiling
Although this item is attributed to the wizard Leopold he has always denied fashioning them. There are two versions of these, one for females and one for males, both of which are composed of a fine links of chain mail. These items barely cover enough for decent society, but that is part of their "charm".
They have a +3 deflection bonus to AC, but contrary to normal chain mail do not confer any armor bonus. In addition they give a +10 circumstance bonus to all Charisma skills and the wearer can cast charm person once per day.
You can see why I toned it down for my game.
The item on which I based my "Lesser Chainmail Bikini" is actually from the "Son of a Portable Hole Full of Beer" free pdf.
Chainmail Bikini of Beguiling
Although this item is attributed to the wizard Leopold he has always denied fashioning them. There are two versions of these, one for females and one for males, both of which are composed of a fine links of chain mail. These items barely cover enough for decent society, but that is part of their "charm".
They have a +3 deflection bonus to AC, but contrary to normal chain mail do not confer any armor bonus. In addition they give a +10 circumstance bonus to all Charisma skills and the wearer can cast charm person once per day.
You can see why I toned it down for my game.
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