Chapter 3: The Teller of Tales
The dead Phystal revealed itself to have been carrying some form of Blight, which tried to control Celindara. Meri and Nym managed to spot and stop the infection in time. Seeing and feeling its effects first hand, Celindara now realised the terrible truth - that the cult had now been destroyed. She also took back her part of the spell on Goodwin, though it became clear that something else needed to happen.
While the group recovered from the battle, Meri saw the clear stone was trying to come loose, and on touching it had a vision of The Shadow. He warned that there was a twin to him, one that had already appeared to Meri in her dream pretending to be The Shadow. He was the reason The Shadow had been cautious on who freed him. He warned her not to trust his followers now, for they might be following his Twin - willingly or not.
The group minus Celindara went to look for Blace, fearing she might be in trouble. Instead they learned that Blace was working in secret against Celindara, and had been working with The Phystal - or at least working to keep him offbalance. In the altercation, Blace revealed she had been the one to break Goodwin in half. Goodwin himself then broken the second part of the spell, apparently his feelings of betray restoring his sense of self. Blace and her ally - the mysterious revanant, a dire rat and sometimes strange looking man called Farren Wyde - departed on the increased odds.
Returning to Celindara, Celindara led the group onwards to her home, from there planning on speaking with the Spirit of Winter it formed a pact with, ending the war. She wanted to demand answers as to why the cult still existed. However, while the group rested at her home, Blace and Farren - together with Alynn - appeared.
The group exchanged words, where it became apparent that Farren was at least open to listening to the group, while Blace was driven. Meri's taunts drew more of Blace's tragic story, her fight with the cult, and the cult itself. The cutl#s leaders appeared to be called The Teachers. Celindara admitted her mistake, though was still bitter over the betrayal. Blace however took Celindara's sudden change of heart, and the reason for it, very badly. She saw it as a betrayal herself, and seeking the cult to be a reckless threat.
The matter was on the verge of coming to blows, when the fact of The Shadow's existence was hinted at. Blace grew cautious of Meri's and Nym's power, and the co-incidences of the past few days. Blace and Farren departed without any obvious words, leaving Alynn alone. Many had been able to translate the speech of Blace and Farren, allowing the group to know a fight had been averted but a new problem was dawning. Blace was seeking answers to this new power.
In the meantime, Alynn was captured, and then left in Celindara's home while the group moved towards the centre of the forest - and the edge of the living lands. In what had been the Great Tree, the Spirit of Winter held residence. While Meri left some doubts in the minds of his followers, Celindara debated with the spirit. Meri and Nym managed to at least uncover the truth, that the agreement had been to stop the cult from comng to the land. The dryad's influence - and hence the spirit's - stopped at the depth of the roots.
Celindara was angry, and refused to take on the spirit's offer - that he could destroy the cult if she emplanted his gem in their domain, givng her the dead lands. Instead, taking the location from the spirit, she went to war on her own.
The forest respoded, and anceint titans and living animals came to her aid. The warband carried on to the blasted location of the First fey city that had fallen. Celindara relased somewhere buried deep was the anceint altar, and it seemed to be through this that the cult still held on to this world.
The group descended in to the catacombs where the blight had consumed. The Teachers tried to stop the group, but were repelled, as were their minions. The group was able to find an altar to Melora, that the cult was using to cling to this realm. It appeared to be defaced by the symbol of Thrazidum, and his name was uttered by The Teachers.
Celindara was able to cleanse the altar, while Meri and Nym defeated The Teachers. With the cult removed, it seemed that Melora herself used her influence to blast the area clean, and replant a World Tree in its place.
However, the exercise in power allowed The Shadow's twin to temporarily appear to Meri and Nym in their minds. As well as gloating, it hinted it had been one of the two Shadows Meri had seen, and sent Meri to see The Shadow and Nym to go back ot the real world. The Shadow was surprised, for he had not spoken to Meri, nor warning of a twin. And through Meri's appearance in his realm, The Shadow had no recourse but to reveal himself his return to the gods. His last words to Meri were to not trust the appearance of The Other, and instead seek The Shadow's followers...
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:11, Sun 06 Nov 2016.