"What can you tell us of the seed of Genert? Is it possible for us to retrieve it without the assistance of the Aldryami Lords? Do you know anything of how the seed is protected?" Amara asked "Forgive me for asking, but I've never met an Aldryami before, yet the stories I've heard suggest they might not be open to an approach from humans"

"I have never left this valley, all that I know is that it is below somewhere. Hidden by earth and magic."

Amara nodded thankful for the words of the dryad though she was proving to be very uninformed of anything going on outside her little demesne. "Do you wish us to stay with you for a while or would you prefer us to leave you in peace to see the miracles that are happening here?"

"No, not as big, from what I have heard of Pavis and the Big Rubble.  I think Corflu is just growing now, as the Prairie Thunder and Sky Watcher clans sent us there to scout out the area.  A lot of people, many strange, as ships come from across the oceans.  And it smells.  I am not afraid of Pavis," he says, sticking his chest out a bit.  "And Hoskar has visited Pavis before, so he will be able to guide us."

The Dryad seems happy to have company, though The Rangers sense that this would not be so if they were not who they were.

A camp is made, though no fire is lit in respect to the new growth all about them and thankfully the howling, biting wind slows to a gentle breeze by midnight. Tarnessh reports that all is well below and that the Harpy Queen is regaling them with stories from before and that Nixa and Sand Fox seem quite enamoured with her, despite her oddness and feathers.

Once night falls the Dryad vanishes, but not before blessing each Ranger in turn and as she whispers in their ears, placing in their hands a single copper coloured bean.


"Eat this and you will learn the charm to ask forgiveness of the plants you kill to eat. It is my gift to you, friends of the earth."
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:38, Sun 22 Nov 2015.

He jumps a little when Glama speaks, "Didn't hear you coming Glama," he laughs nervously, "you didn't bump in to Raven when you died, did you?" He looks back out across the valley, "There'll be good grazing here soon, though none of the tribes will be able to find an easy way up and even if they do, I doubt Whitewood will let them stay."



He reverently takes the seed from Whitewood, "You honour me with this gift."
He waits till the Dryad has been gone for a while, then holding up the bean, "Does this mean we have to use the charm every time our beasts graze? Is everyone going to do theirs?"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:12, Sun 22 Nov 2015.

"No Sun Hawk would have chased Raven away...But I do feel odd....The world looks different....And it was nice in the nest...."




From the darkness comes Leaper's voice "I already ate it."

"Thank you, Wise One."  Kobal chews the bean immediately and swallows.  A taste unlike any he has had before, yet full of a multitude of flavours.



"I've eaten mine too," Kobal says.  Normally he would be suspicious, not having met any Aldryami before, but the growth in the valley and of his seedlings (whether the fruits of the ritual or the dryad's own power) had banished his doubts.

He prepares for rest.  No skins to rest on, but lush grass is a wonderful change to the often rocky ground of the Wastes.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:14, Mon 23 Nov 2015.

Henal swallows the seed from the dryad washing it down with kumiss.

"It seems funny to think of giving thanks to the plant spirits though I suppose it is the same as using the peaceful cut with the animals that we kill for food. I'm exhausted after that battle so it will be good to sleep again with hopefully no more fights for a while."

It's the quiet that wakes everyone....

No wind despite the day and Bright Treasure rising slowly in the east. A hurried breakfast is made and then the Rangers make their final descent down to the river far below.

It takes several hours before the first brave lands on the bridge, welcomed by Tarneesh and Nixa . They're all grins and warm embraces, especially when they see that everyone has returned.

Quickly they help undo ropes and then drag the loot filled nets across the stone arch and into a wide cave on the Southern side. It's where the four braves have made camp whilst waiting for their companions to return. Any remains of the Baboon Broos had been thrown over the side into the serpent or burnt at the bottom of the crude stairs in the northern wall of the cave.

Nixa points across the bridge to an opening there "We killed the last of the Broo over there. It's a small complex of empty rooms. Though there's one door we can't budge. Same with the one down below."

"Sand Fox and Akala are up river with the mounts, letting them feed. We're in contact via spirits.

The Harpy Queen? She's flying above them...."
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:47, Mon 23 Nov 2015.

The Dream

Ohanzee chews the bean as he lays on his back looking up into the star filled night, the pleasant taste is a satisfying mixture of flavours none of which he can pinpoint, though the slightly earthy texture and edge to it does stand out.

Slowly his lids drop and are just about shut when he is suddenly wide awake with a start, as the air is filled with the voices of birds and other animals. Pushing himself up onto his elbows all traces of the days exertions gone from his body he looks about in confusion and wonder for the star filled sky has been replaced by a leaf filled one. It is day, of at least so it would appear from the dappled light that breaks through the canopy far above. Insects scuttle through the leaf litter and hum about in the air.

There birds rooting around in the thick leaf litter that covers the floor all about and birds birds too hopping from branch to branch with short flights. So many of them, such vibrant colours and such varied songs, it all seems so right despite not being the place nor the time apparently that he just a moment ago lay his head down in.

Then another noise joins the calls just behind him, one in a language he doesn't know but one that feels right too. He turns to look behind and sees nothing but trees and those bushes that can survive the limited sunlight below the canopy. "Hello?" he ventures but no one is there. He tries again "Hello?" and this time his word is met with giggling laughter from all about.

But there is no one to be seen "Who's there?" Ohanzee calls looking all about and laughter is the only answer until a small section of the bark of one of the closest frees peels itself free and steps forward. It speaks in a strange language and then seeing the confusion on his face repeats "I'm here."

"Whitewood?" Ohanzee asks unsure as she looks far more sprightly, younger and the forest, for that's where he surely is, is filled with laughter. The Aldryami bows deeply. She takes his hand and fair skips through the forest with him greeting Aldryami after Aldryami, each one similar to its kin but different too, skin or bark perhaps closer to the tree it seems to come from than any other.

There are so many, just as there are so many trees, so many types, large and small, straight and twisted. Even the bushes and shrubs of the forest floor seem to sprout their own particular types of guardian creature and they all speak a common language but fall back to Earthtongue as they realise that this stranger of flesh cannot understand them.

Ohanzee's stomach growls and Whitewood stops and smiles at him before approaching a bush heavy with some bright red fruit with yellow blotches on it. She sings to the bush as she removes one of these and to his amazement he knows the words, but even more amazing is that it is the language that they were all using.

"Thank you" he says taking the fruit and biting into it he finds that it easily satisfies his hunger. He licks his lips and nods his thanks then looking up notices a small cave entrance below the gnarly roots of a great tree.

He blinks looking closely What was that? and turns to ask Whitewood, but she has already danced on. He looks back at the cave peering intently into the darkness and There! There's something there. No, someone. And indeed, there in the darkness at the very edge of the shadows is a pale, almost ghostly white face. A face on a head that seems too large as the hand comes into view beckoning him closer.

The Raven brave approaches the cave looking about as he goes, but the Aldryami have all danced on leaving him alone. Then reaching the edge of the shadows he sees the spindly creature in full, so pale it surely never sees the light of day and as he takes the offered hand it feels cold, clammy, slightly slimy even, but for some reason not threatening.

He follows, lead deeper into the Earth and as he goes others join them, again all similar but different, all pale of body and limb though these vary in thickness, but with differing coloured and shapes heads. It is dark of course, but there is light, some light and as his eyes grow more accustomed and his ears strain to compensate he realises that he is in a vast cavern.

Here too, in the Earth rather than on it there is a forest, a forest of fungi as varied as the small forms about him. He has stopped and his guide is staring up at him a dull light coming from the very face of the creature. It smiles and beckons him to sit on a rock which he does, but the rock us soft and a cloud of spore fills the air about him.

As he breaths the spore in his head spins a little, a wave of euphoria washing through him and he notices the Aldryami within the Earth, which is what they surely must be, looking at him with broad smiles and nodding understanding. One of them picks a gill from a nearby toadstool and offers it and of course he takes it, it would be rude not to!

He sings the song as he does so and there is a murmur of appreciation that runs through the crowd of creatures. He bites into it, So Earthy, Eartier than a mouthful of mud! and he covers his eyes at the sudden flash of light, almost blinding. He slowly removes his hands from his eyes and the cavern is now filled with light or so it seems, a purple tinted light that gives everything a slight glow, an edge that seems right.

Another of the Aldryami within the Earth this one carrying a cup apparently made from the hollowed stem of one of the many fungi. He takes it, he drinks heavily, he smiles, and as his soul takes off to fly about the cavern his body slumps back deeper into the puffball sending another cloud of spore into the air.

Ohanzee's flies through the strange underground world looking with wonder at the strange creatures that fly or crawl, slither or climb all about the fungi and the walls and then when the time is right swoops back into the waiting body.

Ohanzee rolls over, a line of drawl running down his cheek drips onto the bark of one of Whitewood's roots that he is using as a pillow and from there drips onto the soil below. The Water flows to the Earth.

Dawn Windsday, Stasis Week, Earth Season

"First thing I need to do is pay my respects to the spirits in the temple, return the items they leant me and tell them of what has happened. Then I should check if there is anything that the Queen needs."

"Amara, will you join me?" and he heads for the River and Earth temple.

Suitably rested after a night spent on a bed of comforting grass, with a belly filled by a rather satisfying (and earthy) copper bean, Salen is in good spirits as he climbs back down to join Tarnessh and Nixa, and glad to see everyone down here is well.

His conversation is light and almost drifting though, almost as if his mind was elsewhere.

Tarosh, having decided to eat the bean, spent the night dreaming he was being chased by walking trees and screaming shrubs until he started reciting the food song charm, at which point they all stopped moving and screaming and the silence was so loud he woke up.

When they meet up with the others, he is relieved that everyone is alright. "I think we should see if the Queen needs anything before we do anything else. " He turns to Nixa, "How far away are they?"

"About a kilometre or so. There's a fair bit of fodder alone the banks. They said they'd not go to far. Akala said we'd hear him shout if there was any bother.

The Queen seemed happy enough...she's beautiful isn't she?"

Nixa makes sure that Amara isn't near by when he says that.

"Me and my brother have pledged to serve her."

Tarnessh soon fills in the others with the details of the fight with the cheeky Baboon Broo and how they'd found the now dead Harpy. An abomination had burst from her stomach and they'd had to kill both of them...

"It was horrible and she was in so much pain."

Ohanzee and Amara are soon splashing across the river towards the ancient shrine of the Serpent, and quickly climbing the worn stairs at the back of the main cave they find themselves beneath the hole in the ceiling and before the tombs of the long dead Temple guardians.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:38, Mon 23 Nov 2015.

In reply to Nixa (msg # 316):

He nods in agreement to Nixa's comment about her beauty, "Thats a bit far to walk and as you say, she is happy at the moment, I'll wait until she returns."
Tarosh follows Ohanzee and Amara to the temple, but waits outside and carries on talking whoever waits with him, "So, there's a locked door in the tunnels? should be easy enough for Akala to break down. Is there any where else round here worth exploring? "

"The rooms were all empty and defiled by the Baboon Broo. Must have had something to do with this temple.

Akala tried to knock the door open. He wasn't strong enough."

In reply to Nixa (msg # 320):

He blinks in surprise as he hears that Akala wasn't strong enough, "Hopefully with a couple of us and Hoskar's strengthening charm, we should be able to do it." He scratches his head, "We could hack it to bits, thats if its made of wood. Maybe those dead priests can tell us whats behind that door and the other one as we're only guessing its where Genert seed is."

Ohanzee clears his throat "Spirits? We have returned. Our quest succeeded, the wedding was a success beyond anything I imagined. The Earth above greens and one from the Green Age has awoken, Whitewood Dryad."

"And our quest onwards was a great success too. The Chaos Harpies that nested above are destroyed and another spirit from the Green Age was rescued, Queen Hilimaz Mushen. She has graced us with her return." There is obvious pride in his voice as he speaks.

"And now we return the ceremonial garb and offer to renew the ceremony again when the year turns once more, us or others of the Wandering Rangers."

The ghostly forms of the two spirit guardians drift from their respective tombs, coming to a stop between the mythical husband and wife.

Water and earth.

"That is good to hear and we the priests of this shrine, home to the serpent and to his white wife, are ready to initiate you into the ways of their worship. Pray with us and if you so wish and the spirits will gift you with their divine magic.

Put on the garbs that you both hold and prepare yourself."

Salen, Glama Golden, Tarneesh, Henal, Hoskar and Kobal are still in the cavern that leads to the bridge.

"So shall we go over and have a look at the complex and the locked door." suggests Tarnessh.

"Whilst we're here, what's the plan, shall we leave tomorrow, head back to Hoofcrack so we can pick up Whispers from the Sky and then head down to the Rhino Gorge, before the Giant Finger Holes?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:17, Tue 24 Nov 2015.

The Temple

Ohanzee almost gasps at this, he hadn't expected to be initiated into the ways of worshipping, this is a big step! But then again, we are all about mending what is broken, greening the Earth and the Waters are vital to that he reasons as he dons the garb as directed. Then standing once more as the River he awaits the spirit guardians next instructions.

Henal starts walking over towards the cavern with the locked door. "Can't hurt to look at it, maybe there is a way of opening it using cunning not strength."

Leading the way Henal crosses the bridge and passes through a series of rooms carved out of the rock. There's no sign of it being done with tools as the rock is smooth and there's the distinct feeling of magic in the air.

Two sets of stairs are climbed and following a sharp turn right the Rangers come to two doorways, the one to the south opening into a large echoing room, that by the light of their torches is definitely empty.

Glama comes to walk next to Henal, the Sun Hawk brave's shield glowing from a magical charm, both it and the rush torches pushing back the shadows. The Northern door opens into an even larger room, it's roof arching high above the braves, in it's centre a small opening, down from which comes a single shaft of sunlight, piercing the darkness to shine brightly on the carved floor.

Once again there's a northern doorway opening into a small room, perhaps a holy of holies for the taste of magic is strongest here. Another opening to the west leads to an anti room of sorts and then finally a set of double stone doors, cold to the touch and unmarked except for the carved Runes of Darkness next to Movement next to Darkness. Each smaller than the last.