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Wildwood Red in Tooth and Claw II [IC]


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Shayuri

First Post
"No, that's not right," Inamar abruptly says to Weylan.

"Some of the big rats had a really...bad feeling around them. And glowy eyes. And remember? Sometimes my magic would just...stop...before it hurt them. Like there was something invisible around them that it had to burn through."
 

Voadam

Legend
You come into the chamber with the dead goblin and centipede, water continues to trickle out of the smashed earth fountain leading out and down to the mud maze and then into the pit chasm.

The druid inspects the damage on the fountain and the runes along its edge. "They have damaged it severely, it will take time to repair. It can provide minor cleansing of his wounds but I will need to restore the fountain and its nexus before I can heal supernatural diseases. The dover is getting worse and I believe it is a disease empowered by the nether planes, a power that was passed into Bloodwhisker. I will need to act quickly and encyst him to stop its spread lest he die before I can truly work to combat such a disease. There are a few cherry trees sufficient for the task, we must bring him to the surface quickly." He leads the way out and up to the surface entrance.
 

Pyrex

First Post
Still carrying Thelso (with NR's help) Weylan follows the druid towards the surface.

Weylan nods to Inamar, "That's right, their eyes were glowing. I just didn't make much note of it during the battle."
 

Voadam

Legend
Once upon the surface the druid thumps his staff onto the ground and the forest vegetation parts, forming a new twisting path through the bamboo forest. You journey down this path until you reach a grove of cherry trees of notable size. He says "Please wait while I converse with the trees." Flowers bloom upon his outstretched hands and he seems to root himself into the ground. There is a sound like the rustling of leaves and there is a feeling in the air, a thrumming. The heavy scent of blossoming flowers hangs in the air. The thrumming sensation goes on and on, seeming to emanate throughout the grove rising and falling. Eventually he nods to the trees and then turns back to you gesturing to one of the cherry trees. "This one has consented to encyst your companion and keep him until I can restore the grove's water nexus." There is a great splitting sound and a major branching of the tree near the core strains then tears apart opening to reveal a sappy hollow space sufficiently large enough to hold the dover if he is curled into a fetal position. "Place him inside."
 

Pyrex

First Post
With NR's help, Weylan places Thelso within the tree, hoping that it's for the best.

"There is one other issue I would ask you about. On the way here I was poked by some sort of leaf-borne thorn that resembled an insect which has caused a persistent stiffness. Perhaps some natural toxin or allergen carried by the thorn. Would you take a look?"

Weylan then shows the druid the puncture wound on the back of his neck.
 

Voadam

Legend
Sap flows over Thelso, drenching the dover's fur. The druid gestures with his staff and the spl;it portions of the tree flow back together, enveloping the dover entirely and removing him from sight. The druid chants and Inamar can see magic flow from him through his staff into the tree to surround where Thelso is.

When the ritual is finished and the tree once more whole the druid turns back to hear Weylan's request. The druid nods to the man and gestures for him to turn around. Viny fingers reach out to probe Weylan's neck, the flowers a soft contrast to the hard fibers of the vines. The druid casts a spell (minor Inamar can tell) and peers at Weylan's neck. "Yes. You have a stinging woodfly seed embedded in your flesh. Within a few days time it will form its own seedpod cyst. It will then feel like a small hard wooden knot under your skin. It will grow until it is ready to sprout, then it will burst from your host flesh in a spray of a thousand seed spores to be taken by the wind and scattered far and wide. It feeds off of warm blooded flesh at this stage of its development and you will feel increasingly weakened, though you are hale enough that it will not kill you. Some of my surviving fungal decantations from the fountain room can be used with the proper preparations and applications to provide it with alternative sustenance so that the drain upon your life force will not be permanent or as severe as it would be if it was drawing entirely from your life essence."
 



Voadam

Legend
"An expert healer might be able to cut it out of him, but the embedded see is near the neck and backbone and doing so would pose other risks before even reaching the seedpod cyst. Stinging woodflies do not kill their hosts. He will be fine with the appropriate attentions and I can provide those."

A raven flies down onto the Guardian's shoulder and he seems to converse with it. Others come and flock near to him, then they fly off in a great cacophonous cloud of black birds.

He heads back down into the underground chambers to personally oversee the damage wrought. The rats have mostly fled, leaving the eyeless corpse of Bloodwhisker Gannu. After inspecting other chambers the Guardian says there was evidence of two large rats, each in their own breeding pits. Bloodwhisker and the unnatural rat corpses he wishes to see burned, while the other rats and goblins are left for scavenging reptilian and insectile beasts that answer the call of the Guardian.

After talking further with you about the pool at the bottom of the pit, the Earth Nexus as calls it, he wards it off for now as he works on restoring the fountain, the Water Nexus. It seems that water from the smashed fountain caused the maze corriodor to go muddy and spilled down to the Earth nexus where it contaminated the site at the bottom of the chamber. There is an acidic ooze creature residing at the Earth nexus now, possibly created as a side effect of the activation and use of the Eye of Night. It cannot climb up and the Guardian plans to study it for now to attempt to gain greater insight, or at least to not remove it until he needs access to the Earth nexus again.

He talks with NR4ZN about the ottotowans and the warzoders tale. He works with Weylan, preparing fungal decantations and decoctions for him as the cyst hardens. He listens to reports of ravens and sends them off again. He works with Inamar to have her get used to the staff and to prepare for the ritual to transfer his staff to her. For Inamar it requires binding with what he calls a geasa to the staff and its purpose of restoring guardianship of the Eye of Night. The ritual will require witnesses and participants, and the Guardian asks NR4ZN and Weylan to participate at the time of the ritual though it will require a minor geasa of them as well as participants to keep the secrets of this druid site.
 

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