Saxon slapped the roof of the wagon. "Keep going, I'll catch up. With him uprooting the very earth under the wagon he is going to destroy it by accident."

With that he grabbed the kettle and lept into the air. Then up, and up, and up. His robes billowed about him as Saxon flew. When he reached eye level, and clear enough that any rock thrown at him wouldn't hit the wagon, Saxon burst into flames. A brilliant ring of fire with a dark center of ash.

It was about the only form he could take that would ensure the spirit couldn't kill him outright.

"Do I look like a man to you? I am here as I had given my word to help fix the problem. I swear on Tom's rhyme and the song of the river daughter that this will be resolved if I have to move out here myself to help you. But now is not the time, more so when the land itself is going to end up effecting you."

Something in the words seemed to sway the giant's opinion, for the fiery creature was not squashed under a giant rock. Instead its terrible rage seemed to simmer down to a grouchy demeanor. The rock was tossed aside rather harmlessly and the giant turned away from Saxon, walking on in the direction the group was headed. It clearly did not seem in the mood for further conversation for now...


ooc: because incidentally, I am out for the next few days. ;)

Silence was the best response Borjnen could give considering the circumstances. Being cut off from the earth itself was an unsettling experience and it didn't seem like it would end anytime soon.
With the easiness the land was causing Borjnen had had enough. Climbing into the wagon and sitting down he takes out his axe. Blatantly oblivious to the antics of the others he begins sharping his blafe as they roll along.

Borun stared slack-jawed at the elemental being's fury. Saxon's response was almost comical, yet it was clearly sincere.

Borun considered the spells that might defuse the situation. Glitterdust might work - or it might exacerbate the conflict. Thankfully Tavaro eventually calmed.

Tavaro was in no condition to sense it, so it was only Borun that sensed the tremor in the ground at first. He'd felt earthquakes before, but this was different.

Suddenly, a geyser of dirt erupted ahead of the group, and a bit off to the right.

It was about 5 feet in diameter and threw dirt 50 feet in the air.

A moment later, a stronger tremor occurred, followed by another dirt geyser--6 feet in diameter and 60 feet high.

This one was close enough for dirt to rain down on the group.

There wasn't a great deal Saxon could do when it came to things he couldn't directly see. Line of sight was his limitation. He papped the top of the wagon top twice. "Some kind of soil whale or something?" He was hoping someone else knew far better than he would, given he lived in the woods, not wastes.

Borun whispered to his companions "I am going to investigate." He cast a spell on himself that distorted his outline, then carefully crept over towards the nearer geyser for a closer look.

OOC: casting Blur

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/blur

At the sound of the sand geyser and the mention of "soil whale" Borjnen was on his feet. With axe in hand he moved up to look out the front of the wagon. "Soil whale? I dunno what be going on up here, but soil whale? That would be a new one on me"

Borun moves forward to try and get a glimpse of something in the hole where the dirt geyser is erupting, but he quickly realizes that no creature could have maintained that kind of geyser for this long.

The erupting dirt falls back around the hole forming a growing mound... but only for a bit... as it then seems to settle back into the earth.

This is most peculiar. Borun is aware of normal geysers, but he can't think of any phenomena that would cause dirt to act that way.

However, as has been pointed out, the very laws of Nature have been altered here.

He can't see anything down the hole, which is only about a foot in diameter. And just then, it stops. And a minute later, the hole seals itself up.

Borun scratched his beard in thought, confused by the sudden disappearance of the phenomenon. He prodded at the soil with his finger, as if expecting it to collapse under him. Still at a loss, he tried casting Divination magic.

OOC: Casting Detect Magic

There's only a faint trace of magic, what he's learned is called 'residual magic'. But that's over the whole land.

Another dirt geyser erupts about 50 feet away.

As the group pushes on, wary of the frequently erupting dirt geysers, you come upon a small mound of dirt that appears to have a single flower growing out of it.

Barab leaned over with a smile on his face. "Well, I was hoping I was right. I do endorse caution but given the situation I do not think that I should approach the flower. If it is one of their signatures I dont think it would respond so well to me as it would one of you."

Flying overhead she looked ahead to see if there was any signs of life.

Lady Isile's aerial reconnaissance doesn't turn up anything that looks or acts alive. Certainly there is no sign of people or Orcs, nor any animals or monsters. In fact, as she flies about while still trying to keep the others in sight, she also realizes that there are no birds in the area, no reptiles, and not even any insects.

However, if she flies high enough, she can see the other side of the Brown Lands. It's still far away, and she can't really make out any details.

Upon spotting the lone flower, Radagast stops and just studies the hill for a few minutes, letting his senses roam outward.

"Ah," he finally says. "It is not something connected to the Entwives, though it may have descended from something they planted centuries ago."

"By all rights, of course, it should not be growing here. I don't know the method by which it is growing, but there seems to be a Hobbit heart-stone beneath it. Somehow, the heart-stone is warding off the effect of the Brown Lands."

Seeing as no one else was stepping up to inspect the only complex plantlife around for miles...other than the brown wizard Saxon clamored down the side if his wagon and pulled out his alchemy kit. He wanted pollen samples at least to take back home.

Who knows what interesting cross pollination he could get back home. Still, art of the trade was to get a visual inspection, then soil samples, then review prior to taking any samples of a living thing.

"Not sure what a hobbit stone is but if it wards its good enough for me. Few samples and then off again? May prove interesting... Never know."

Borun watched silently as Saxon fussed with the little flower. Borun knew little of the workings of flora, and even less of the entwives. If Saxon could find some clue as to their whereabouts from this plant, it would be worth the wait.

Tavaro stood morose, regarding the flower but giving it little mind. He knew it was too puny, too small, to commune with, or his magic would have worked on it the night before.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:05, Fri 28 Aug 2015.

The flower is somehow getting nourishment in this land where nothing else is... apparently from the Hobbit heartstone.

Saxon has heard of such stones, but never had any cause to pursue it. A heartstone is similar to a hearthstone, but where a hearthstone is placed in a fireplace and serves to insure good food, the heartstone goes in the front door. Besides warding off evil spirits, it protects the home.

Hobbits seldom talk about it with outsiders because it's just a way of life to them, kind of like second breakfast.

Saxon takes his samples. There doesn't appear to be anything stopping him, and nothing immediately different.

"I could not sense it, either, Tavaro," Radagast comments.

"Hobbits continue to surprise me. Who'd have thought that a heartstone could ward off this... this... hmmm... I have no idea what pervades this land. It is not inherently evil; that we would detect. I fear it may have something to do with entropy. Essense of Entropy? Who know what foul concoctions the Dark Lord was able to produce."

"The flower is a good sign, though. It means that there is hope that this land will once again bloom with green things. Perhaps then the Entwives can return."

"Give it some water, Saxon, if you please."

Saxon nodded and opened up his pack. He pulled out a bottle of not just any water but the good stuff! Rain water from his forest, twice purified! It was the same water he used for the really volatile alchemical creations. He took some time to pour evenly and he took time ensure to spray the leaves a bit.

Once that was done he took one of his treated fuses, for the fact it was cotton, and gently dabbed the pollen with it. Barely a hundredth of a testable sample, but it would be enough to take home and cross pollinate one flower. It also meant he was as unintrusive as he could manage.

Saxon takes his samples without anything happening, though he could swear the plant looked a bit greener after he gave it some water.

Except for that solitary plant, the rest of the area is still bleak and desolate. Nothing else can be seen of any interest, so the group moves on.

Having seen that one glimmer of hope, however, has helped to stave off the oppressive miasma of the Brown Lands. The group presses on through the night and reaches the other side of the area by dawn.

Saxon went about sealing the vial of pollen for later use. He wanted to be sure he could cross pollinate it later with a flower local to his home once it proved to be a noninvasive species. Flowers told all kinds of unique stories if you took the time to listen. and who knew what it did!

Once on the other side he stated setting up as he always did. It would likely be a moment before everyone was in the same area again, and it sounded like refreshments would be called for.

Flying overhead she wasn't able to see much of what was going on down there but she did take notice of the flower.  The only thing within miles that showed a sign of life.

There was hope for these lands after all.